Pastor Ed's Series of Psalms

Psalm 1 | Psalm 2 | Psalm 3 | Psalm 4 | Psalm 5 | Psalm 6 | Psalm 7 | Psalm 8
Psalm 9-10 | Psalm 11 | Psalm 12 | Psalm 13 | Psalm 14 | Psalm 15
Psalm 16 | Psalm 17 | Psalm 18 | Psalm 19 | Psalm 22 | Psalm 23
Psalm 27 | Psalms 28-30 | Psalms 31-32 | Psalm 33 | Psalm 34
Psalm 35 | Psalm 36-37 | Psalm 38 | Psalm 39 | Psalm 40 |
Psalm 41 | Psalm 42-43

Psalm 12

The check is in the mail
We'll service what we sell
One size fits all
Leave your resume and we'll keep it on file
I just need 5 minutes of your time
Open wide, it won't hurt a bit
Let's have lunch

These are all statements we've heard and chuckle about – we consider these light hearted fibs that really don't hurt anyone.

Tonight, we're talking about a much more serious situation, something that's in our very nature. We know that because we have the first account of it in the garden of Eden that led to the fall of man:

Genesis 3 tells us that the serpent said to Eve, “Did God really say, you must not eat fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden, and if you touch it you would surely die?”

Eve said that yes, that's what God had said – and the serpent said you will not surely die, for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.

So we have the first account in the bible of falsehood, of lying, of deception.

In Psalm 12 – David, as he does in so many of the Psalms, cries out to God for help with a form of human behavior that is opposing to God. I think it's important to realize that he has the right kind of relationship with God – strong, spiritual, so he is able to discern wickedness in those around us.

His trouble with lying, falsehood, flattery, arrogance, and deception moves him to prayer in this Psalm.

In verse one, David asks for help because the godly are no more, the faithful have vanished.

He goes on to describe why they aren't godly in verses 2 through 4:

Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue that says, “we will triumph with our tongues; we own our own lips, who is our master?”

Man has always had to deal with lying – we don't have to be taught to lie.

The other night Lindsay reminded me of a time she lied – and got away with it. Andrea had searched and searched for just the right lamp to sit beside a chair. Much to the relief of us all, the perfect lamp was found.

As all of you who has kids knows, things can sometimes get out of control – well it happened. Lindsay threw her Raggedy Ann doll and knocked over “the lamp” and bent it. When confronted with the lamp, she said that it was her little brother David who threw the doll – so David suffered the consequence of a spanking and being sent to his room.

She didn't have to be taught. Mommy didn't find out until years later that she told this lie.

But then David reminded me that he got her back with his own lie. Once he told Lindsay that you had better clean the house because an inspector was coming. So she cleaned the house.

Tonight, we'll look at three things:

1)What does God say about lying?
2)Why do we lie?
3)What is the solution to our predicament?

God is very clear in his word that he hates lying, falsehood and deceit -

The ninth commandment in Exodus 20:16 says You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor – He knew what a stronghold this would be for us and He wanted to help us to deal with it.

Proverbs 12:22 says The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in men who are truthful.

Levitcus 19:11 says Do not steal, do not lie, do not deceive each other.

Psalm 101:7 says that no one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.

Proverbs 19:9 says that a false witness will not go unpunished and he who pours out lies will not go free.

Finally, Revelation 21:8 tells us that a harsh judgment waits for those that are ungodly:

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters, and the liars, their place will be in the lake of fire.

God's word is pretty clear about how he feels about lying – but I was found some recent statistics that are pretty alarming:

In a recent survey of 30,000 high school students nationwide done by the Josephson Institute showed that 64% admit cheating on a test, 36% said they use the Internet to plagiarize and assignment. And 42% said they would lie to save money. Yet 93% of the students say they were satisfied with their personal ethics and character. That they were as good as the next person.

In 2007, 24 freshman cadets at the Air Force Academy admitted to cheating on a test that will help them be promoted to the next year. Yet, the cadet honor code forbids lying, cheating, or tolerating anyone who does.

So why do we lie?

I'll suggest a few ways that are obvious, and some that aren't so obvious.

First, we're worried about our reputation, or we want to impress people. We have an image to upheld, and we're worried about what others think about us.

Resumes are falsified to get a job.

Think of the recent Tiger Woods saga – imagine the lies that had to be told for him to live the alleged lifestyle that he was carrying on.

Let's remember that reputation is what other people think about you, but your character is what God knows about you at the same time that we're trying to hide negative things from people eyes.

We lie to escape punishment – I was working as a substitute teacher, and one of the students came to me and said that he had a music CD stolen in the class. I asked the class for the person who took it to please return it, and you could have heard a pin drop. The person who took it got away with it that day.

The recent Bernie Madoff scandal was far reaching – the loss estimates for his clients are $18 million dollars. After he was caught, Madoff admitted to authorities that his investment firm was one big lie.

There are those who lie to make a profit. I had an email sent to me that said I was the guaranteed winner of 1 million euros and all I had to do was give them my credit card number.

Advertisers lie to sell products. We have the before and after pictures of medical treatments.

Here are a few ways to lie that aren't so obvious:

Gossiping – spreading a falsehood about someone to make ourselves feel better. Proverbs 17:4 says that an evil doer gives heed to false lips. A liar listens eagerly to a spiteful tongue. We participate in the lie by not checking out the truth or trying to stop it.

If you hear a lie and don't say or do anything, you can take part in that lie.

If we say one thing and live another in our Christian walk – we're living in deception. 1 John 2:4 says that He who says I know Him, and does not keep his commandments is a lair, and the truth is not in him.

When we boast, or exaggerate, we lie. Galations 6:3 says for if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

We are warned about flattery in Proverbs 26:28 – a flattering mouth works ruin. Flattery is insincere praise. To the pastors you say great sermon, but on the way home you say that was the most boring thing you ever heard. I know you wouldn't do that – I'm just using it as an example!

Let me tell you a funny story about flattery.

Two brothers were well known in their community as two of the most evil men in the entire county. They were involved in just about every kind of crime, but they had lawyers who were more than capable of twisting the truth to avoid prosecution.

One day one of the brothers died. His surviving sibling went to see the pastor of the local church to do the funeral. He said, reverend, I will write you church a check right now for a million dollars. All you have to do is promise to say at the funeral that me brother was a saint.

He was asking the pastor to give a lie – insincere flattery at his funeral message.

But the pastor accept the check and agreed.

The day of the funeral dawned and the pastor stepped to the pulpit. With great conviction, he said, this man in the casket before you is one of the most cruel men I have ever known. He was a liar and a thief. He had his filthy hands into every crime you can imagine, but COMPARED TO HIS BROTHER, he was a saint.

One of the justifications for the results of the high school students survey was that they faced many pressures to lie, to impress, to boast, but like Michael Josephson, the head of the firm that did that high school survey, said:

What we need to learn from these survey results is that our moral infrastructure is unsound and in serious need of repair. This is not a time to lament but to take thoughtful, positive action.

David tells us the remedy for our condition – it is, you guessed it, the TRUTH.

In Psalm 12: verses 5 through 6 he says, Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise, says the Lord. I will protect them from those who malign them. And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.

David is telling us that the words of the Lord are the truth.

I would suggest tonight that thoughtful, positive action that Michael Josephson is talking about is is to return to the author of the remedy, our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. We need to learn to love the truth, learn the truth, and live the truth, through Jesus.

We love the truth when we realize that Truth is part of the character of God. When John declared that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was god. He was with God in the beginning.

And one of the most beautiful scriptures: The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus Christ is truth – he told us himself that he is the way, the truth, and the life.

In John 18:37, when Jesus was being questioned by Pilate, Jesus said for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.

I counted 37 times where Jesus refers himself as the truth in the book of John alone. I tell you the truth, I am the bread of life. I tell you the truth, everyone who sins, is a slave to sin. I tell you the truth, I am the resurrection and the life – because I live, you also will live.

I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I AM!

So how do you overcome the temptation to spread falsehoods – pursue the truth, pursue Jesus. Jesus said that from within, out of your heart, come the words that you speak. I'm speaking about your spiritual condition.

Examine yourself. Paul tells us in Romans 7: 21-25

So I find this law at work: when I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law, but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Learn the truth.

Phillipians 4:8 says finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or trustworthy – think about such things.

Live the truth.

Ephesians 4:25 says therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of the same body.

If these are things that are affecting you, come to the cross to deal with it. Ask the Lord for forgiveness.

Wouldn't it be great if, instead of a rumor being spread, or an exaggeration being made, or a lie being told, we're convicted of saying, you know, I didn't quite tell you the truth back there. What really happened was....

You know, I told the truth, but I left out a few things.

Or, Lord, you know my life isn't lining up with your Word – I'm not speaking the way you want me to speak, or living the way you want me to live.

Father, help me to overcome my grudges so I can be gracious with my speech. (these are my words to my sister) I don't agree with what you're doing all the time but I love you and I wish the very best for you. I want you and your family to prosper. Let's overcome our differences.

Inside I'm thinking, God forgave me, so I have no choice but to forgive you.

Forgive me Lord Jesus – help me to overcome my weaknesses. Help my life to line up to your word. Purify me.

When we do this, a peace will sweep over us. We will be set free, because we're acting within the Lord's will. Don't fear the approval of other people. Or some image you're trying to protect. Reconcile yourself with the truth today.

Be accountable to God.

Galations 5:16 says Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts of the Flesh.

Follow the word of God -

Psalm 119:9 says how can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.

We have the wonderful words of truth that we need to saturate ourselves with. Thank the Lord every day that we have the truth – we have the remedy for what afflicts us. Believe in that truth today, trust it.

As Ted talked about this morning, we have a firm foundation in Christ that cannot be moved.

If you need to make a decision tonight about your spiritual walk, please don't leave this place until you have taken care of it. If you need additional prayer or encouragement, or if you simply want to recommit your life to the truth, please let either brother Ted or myself know. We're here to pray and encourage you.