Gossip - What Do We Talk About?

Answer: The Hebrew word translated “gossip” in the Old Testament is defined as “one who reveals secrets, one who goes about as a talebearer or scandal-monger.” A gossiper is a person who has privileged information about people and proceeds to reveal that information to those who have no business knowing it. Gossip is distinguished from sharing information in two ways:

1. Intent. Gossipers often have the goal of building themselves up by making others look bad and exalting themselves as some kind of repositories of knowledge.

2. The type of information shared. Gossipers speak of the faults and failings of others, or reveal potentially embarrassing or shameful details regarding the lives of others without their knowledge or approval. Even if they mean no harm, it is still gossip.

In the book of Romans, Paul reveals the sinful nature and lawlessness of mankind, stating how God poured out His wrath on those who rejected His laws. Because they had turned away from God's instruction and guidance, He gave them over to their sinful natures. The list of sins includes gossips and slanderers (Romans 1:29b-32). 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. We see from this passage how serious the sin of gossip is and that it characterizes those who are under God’s wrath.

Keep this in mind from this point on when I say women that also includes men.

Another group who were (and still are today) known for indulging in gossip is widows. Paul cautions widows against entertaining the habit of gossip and of being idle. These women are described as “gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to” (1 Timothy 5:12-13). Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith. 13 And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not. Because women tend to spend a lot of time in each other's homes and work closely with other women, they hear and observe situations which can become distorted, especially when repeated over and over. Paul states that widows get into the habit of going from home to home, looking for something to occupy their idleness. Idle hands are the devil's workshop, and God cautions against allowing idleness to enter our lives. “A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man [or woman] who talks too much”

(Proverbs 20:19).

He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flatterethe with his lips.

Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lampf shall be put out in obscure darkness.

Women are certainly not the only ones who have been found guilty of gossip. Anyone can engage in gossip simply by repeating something heard in confidence. The book of Proverbs has a long list of verses that cover the dangers of gossip and the potential hurt that results from it. “A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue. A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret” (Proverbs 11:12-13). 12 He that is voidc of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace. 13 A talebearerd revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.

The Bible tells us that “a perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends”

(Proverbs 16:28). A froward man sowething strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.

29 A violent man enticeth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the way that is not good.

Many a friendship has been ruined over a misunderstanding that started with gossip. Those who engage in this behavior do nothing but stir up trouble and cause anger, bitterness, and pain among friends. Sadly, some people thrive on this and look for opportunities to destroy others. And when such people are confronted, they deny the allegations and answer with excuses and rationalizations. Rather than admit wrongdoing, they blame someone else or attempt to minimize the seriousness of the sin. “A fool's mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts”

(Proverbs 18:7-8). A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.

8 The words of a talebearera are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

Those who guard their tongues keep themselves from calamity

(Proverbs 21:23). Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.

24 Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.

So we must guard our tongues and refrain from the sinful act of gossip. If we surrender our natural desires to the Lord, He will help us to remain righteous. May we all follow the Bible’s teaching on gossip by keeping our mouths shut unless it is necessary and appropriate to

Our tongues can be our own worst enemy, what we say, or now days (type in forums) can hurt people we must speak only faith filled words,(words that edify in a Christian like manor) I have always taught my children “that if you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all” by using the wisdom from the movie “ Bambi” when Thumper (the little rabbit) was laughing at Bambi when he was on the ice slipping and falling, thumper was teasing, and laughing at Bambi and Thumpers mother asked him “ Thumper what was it your father told you this morning” the little rabbit replied “ if you can’t say something nice then don’t say anything at all”

Once we have said hurtful words we cannot take them back! They come out of our mouth and into cyber space to dwell there on radio waves forever, but we can ask for forgiveness, and be pardoned by the one we hurt. Recently I read a post in another forum that said typing in forums only express’s a small percentage in what we say or type because we don’t read the body language, I say baa humbug to that one, they don’t understand the spirit of discernment, and how it works it can also be called in this case “reading in between the lines” when reading a post relying on the spirit within you will bring discernment , your spirit will guide your emotions in what we read and can be hurtful to the soul and you can pick up on the tone of the writer.

So as we can see Gossip, tale bearing, and a bad tongue can keep us from the blessing’s that God wants us to have. My Last sermon was on the penalties of Un-forgiveness, and how forgiving will bring blessings. Today I speak of taming our tongue, and speaking faith filled words all are part of Christian Character, walking in a Christ like manor so that others can see Jesus through us.

In Closing:

Whatever you say with your mouth is either good or evil, like Paul on the road to Damascus, there has to be a change of heart when we come to except Jesus into our life. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Repentance comes from the heart we must let God change our heart.

Rev. 21:8

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and thee Abominable and murders, and whoremungers and sorcerers, and idlers, and all lairs, shall have their part in lake which burnet with fire with brimstone: which is the second death.

In the beginning God spoke all things into existence; this can show you how powerful the spoken word is. You are responsible and will be held accountable for the people you lead to the Lord,

Teach them and show them the way of the Lord, greater works you shall do if you apply the law, by faith, spoken unto existence. John 14-12.

Three hindrances’ to faith

1. Your mouth

2. Your mouth

3. Your mouth

James 3:8 but the tongue can no man tame, it is unruly, evil, full of deadly poison. Watch the tone in your voice what comes out of your mouth is how people will judge you. Always build others up don’t put down no body. Don’t council with pears gossip and till bear (Misery loves companionship)

James 3:3

Behold, we put bits in the horse’s mouth that they may obey us. And we turnabout there whole body (bridal the tongue)

James 3:4

Also, the ships, which they be so great, and our driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, weathersoever the governor listeth (the tiny ruder steers the massive ship) thou our tongue is the smallest but can cause the most damage.

Proverbs 6:2

Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thy art taken with the words of our mouth.

Palms 10:7

His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud under his tongue his mischief and vanity.

Six things God hates:

Palms 31-18: Proud speaking, pride,

Palms 50:19: Deceitfulness,

Palms 109:2: Lying tongue

Proverbs 6:7: Proud look

Proverbs 10:31: Forward tongue

Proverbs 12:19: Tongue lashing

Other scriptures Palms 12:3 thru 4, Proverbs 6:24, 17:20, 18:20, 21:6, 26:28

Eph: 4:29

Let no corrupt communication proceeded out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearer.

Eph: 4:26

Be angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath

Eph: 4:27

Neither give place to the devil. Your temper and angry will make you say things you don’t want to say, the best thing to do is go to that person and ask forgiveness and cast down that pride.

Mark: 4-15 thru 20

Bring forth fruit, watch what you say.

The word is the judgment, judgment begins at church, don’t bite and devour each other like dogs. We can never be justified and tearing down another human being. God speaks to me directly….We can’t love God and curse men at the same time…

Luke 6:37

Judge not and you shall not be judged, condemn not and ye shall not be condemned: Forgive, and yea shall be forgiven.

Character of the Church

Image via Wikipedia

ILL. One of the largest churches in the United States is the Willow Creek Community Church near Chicago, IL. Started in 1975, it now averages nearly 20,000 in attendance at its Saturday, Sunday, & mid-week services.

Desiring to reach non-Christians & those who, for one reason or another, have quit going to church they have deliberately tried to avoid many of the traditional ways of doing things in their 4 Saturday & Sunday services. Using drama, multi-media, contemporary music, & creative messages that connect with people’s lives, the services are specifically designed for individuals checking out what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus.



Even though those who are already Christians are certainly welcome in the Saturday & Sunday services, it is the Wednesday & Thursday night services that are specifically designed for them. It is at these services that the “family of God, the body of Christ” – the church – meets together for mutual instruction, inspiration, fellowship, & worship.



Frankly, even though I have difficulty with some of the things they do, & despite the fact that Time Magazine & others have criticized them as “a high-tech entertainment church, trying to relate to the MTV generation & not to the rest of the world,” they unashamedly preach Jesus Christ as Savior & Lord. And the result is that the congregation has grown, & grown dramatically.



Now contrast that with the story of another church, (which I will leave nameless) in Upper Manhattan, New York, as reported in a January, 2002, issue of World Magazine. The article says that in the early 1900’s through the 1960’s this particular church was a powerful witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, with more than a thousand active members. But their number now is about 120.



Why? Well, in recent years a subtle change crept in as their emphasis switched from presenting the Gospel to helping the homeless. They set up soup kitchens in the church building & began massive feeding programs for those in need.



Now, at first glance we would think that helping those in need is a very worthy & Christian thing to do, & it is! And they should be praised for doing so. But, at this church, prayers are never offered in the soup kitchens, nor is the name of Jesus ever mentioned - because they are concerned that someone might resent it.



Turning away from Christ’s command to “… preach the gospel…” they made no effort to communicate the good news of a Savior who forgives sins, changes lives, & frees us from the bondage of our sins. And the result was that they discovered that the same people were coming through their lines year after year with no improvement, no change for good taking place in their lives. The church was feeding their bodies, but ignoring, starving, their souls. And now the church there itself is almost dead. (Adapted)



Two very different churches, aren’t they? Both of them are very busy in what they are trying to do. But one is dying. Why? What is the church supposed to be? And what is the church supposed to do?



PROP. To help answer those questions we’re going to look this morning at the church ...

of the 1st Century – its beginning, its nucleus, its mission, & its assurance.



I. ITS BEGINNING



First of all, we must realize that the Church came from God. From the beginning of time, before the foundation of the world, God had in His mind the Church. And He promised that even the gates of Hades would not prevail against it.



So Jesus came into the world, & after His death & burial & resurrection, the Church is established. The Church begins on the Day of Pentecost.



It is in the 2nd chapter of the Book of Acts that we read about its beginning. The first chapter tells of Jesus meeting with the apostles on the Mt. of Olives & telling them that they are to be His witnesses “in Jerusalem, & in all Judea & Samaria, & to the ends of the earth.” He also tells them that they are to wait in Jerusalem until they receive power from on high. Then He ascends out of their sight.



So they go to Jerusalem, & Acts 1:14 tells us, “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women & Mary the Mother of Jesus, & with His brother.



And now, starting with the first verse of the 2nd Chapter of Acts, we read about the beginning of the Church.



“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven & filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated & came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit & began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.



“Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: ‘Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? That how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?’” (Acts 2:1-8)



“Amazed & perplexed, they asked one another, ‘What does this mean?’ Some, however, made fun of them & said, ‘They have had too much wine.’” (Acts 2:12-13)



In the midst of all this excitement, the apostle Peter spoke up & got the crowd’s attention. Then he said to them, “Fellow Jews & all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken of by the prophet Joel…” (Acts 2:14-16)



And beginning with those words he preached to them about Jesus. He told them, “Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders & signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know. …you, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross. But God raised Him from the dead…” (Acts 2:22-24)



Listen also to Vs’s 36-41, “’Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord & Christ.’ When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart & said to Peter & the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’



“Peter replied, ‘Repent & be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you & your children & for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.’



“With ... many other words he warned them; & he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ Those who accepted his message were baptized, & about 3,000 were added to their number that day.”



SUM. They had no sanctuary, no formal Sunday School, no colleges, no written curriculum. And yet with little of what we have today but heavily armed with prayer & the power of the Holy Spirit they were able to change the world of their day.



II. THE NUCLEUS OF THE CHURCH



Who were these men who made up the nucleus – the core group – of the early church? As Jesus prepares to give them the great commission, Matthew tells us, “Then the 11 disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.” (Matthew 28:16) Judas, the betrayer, was dead, & now there were 11.



So let’s take a closer look at these 11 disciples, as you look at them, realize that in a lot of ways they are very much like us.



A. First of all, they were just ordinary men – fishermen, a tax collector, men from the hill country of Galilee. There is no indication of anyone rich or influential or highly educated among them. They were just ordinary people.



Later on, there were some rich & influential followers. Saul of Tarsus would fall into that category. He had a great education. He was part of an influential family. And he was well respected among his people before he became a Christian. But we also need to remember that Saul had to be humbled before God could really use him.



SUM. So the first thing we notice is that the men who made up the nucleus of the first church were very ordinary. And that ought to be encouraging to us, because that is what most of us are, just ordinary people.



B. The 2nd thing we notice is that these men were imperfect. Listen as vs. 17 says, “When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.”



Don’t you just love the honesty of Scripture? It never tries to gloss over imperfections. Here they were, meeting with Jesus after His resurrection. He stands before them, & even though they can see the nail-prints in His hands & feet & the wound in His side, it says that some of them doubted.



They certainly weren’t perfect! Take Simon the Zealot. Today he might be called a redneck. And how about Simon Peter? You never knew just what he would say next. James & John had problems with their egos, always wanting to be first. And then there was Thomas, the Doubter.



SUM. No, the men who made up the nucleus of the first church were far from perfect. And that ought to be encouraging to us, because we’re imperfect, too. Everybody in this room has problems. And we all have our areas of weakness. So we’re in good company with them.



C. But they had one more characteristic which made all the difference. They loved Jesus & wanted to obey Him. Listen to the last part of vs. 16. It says that they “went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.”



SUM. So in analyzing these men, we discover that they were ordinary people with lots of imperfections, but that they loved Jesus & desired to obey Him. They recognized Him as the Son of God who had risen alive from the grave. So whatever He commanded them to do, they sought to do it. They tried to put Him first in their lives.



That is what the church is. The church is made up of ordinary & imperfect people, who desire ...



to make Jesus both Lord & Savior of their lives.



III. THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH



The 3rd thing I want you to see is the mission of the church. Vs. 19 begins with these words, “Therefore go & make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father & of the Son & of the Holy Spirit, & teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”



ILL. In the 13th Century, Nicolo Polo, the father of Marco Polo, was visiting the court of the great Kublai Klan. Kublai Khan was the Emperor of All China & he had never seen any Europeans before. He was delighted to meet this visitor from Venice & was strongly impressed by the Christian character & faith that he saw in Nicolo.



In fact, he was so impressed that he sent a letter back with Nicolo to Rome urging that a number of Christian educators be sent to instruct his people in the teachings of Christ. But this was still during what we call the “Dark Ages” in Europe, & the church leaders were too involved in the political upheavals of that day to give any serious attention to his request.



In the end, only 2 men were sent, & because the trip was so difficult, they lost heart & turned back without ever reaching China. So, because of the failure of the church of that day, Kublai Khan turned to Buddhism & that has been the predominant religion in that area ever since. (Adapted from SC)



Remember, the mission of the church is to make disciples of “all nations.” That’s why we encourage you to give to support missionaries around the world. Our field is not just confined to Brownsville. We are to reach out to the whole world with the gospel of Jesus Christ, to make disciples of them, baptizing them in the name of the Father, & of the Son, & of the Holy Spirit.



If you receive a letter signed by the President & the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court & the Speaker of the House, you know that it is an important letter. And when we’re commanded to baptize people in the name of the Father & the Son & the Holy Spirit you know that is important, too.



IV. THE ASSURANCE OF THE CHURCH



The 4th thing we need to see here is the assurance, the promise, that Jesus gives us. Listen to His words, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”



To the early Christians these were some of the most precious words Jesus ever spoke. Every time they gathered to worship they knew that soldiers might come & arrest them at any moment. They had seen many of their friends die. They had seen them tortured & heard their cries of pain just because they were believers in Jesus.



So when Jesus said, “I am with you always,” even in moments of persecution & pain those were precious, precious words.



They are probably not that precious to most of us today. But they might well become very precious to us in the future. More & more we’re seeing a widening of the gap between what the church is supposed to be, & what the world is, between the philosophies of the world & the philosophy of the church.



Already we are seeing the recognition of God being eradicated from our schools & public assemblies. Prayer, Bible reading, nativity scenes, Christmas stories, even the very mention of God – are no longer welcome in our public gatherings. We see the media turning against the church. And some are saying that committed Christians are a threat to our nation.



The church needs ...

to be ready. Jesus says, “I’ll be with you. No matter what happens between now & the time I come for you, I want you to know that I’ll never leave you nor forsake you.”



CONCL. I don’t know how you perceive the church. I don’t know if you picture a little church where you & a few of your friends can get together. Or if you see a church where thousands of people gather together in worship.



But I know this, the church does not exist solely for its members. The church exists to help reach the lost. And the moment we turn our sights inward, & begin to think that the church is just for us, then, people, we are no longer the church. We are a private little club.



We exist for a lost world. We exist to give ourselves away. We exist to touch a world that doesn’t know Jesus Christ & to show them the way to be saved from their sins & to live for all eternity.



ILL. In the Greek Islands near the home of Hippocrates, the founder of modern medicine, you’ll find an old olive tree that supposedly dates all the way back to his day. That would make the tree nearly 2,400 years old.



The trunk of the tree is huge, but it’s almost completely hollow & virtually dead. What few branches it has left are propped up by stakes driven into the ground. But each year it sprouts an occasional leaf or two, & it might even produce a few olives.



So I guess the tree is still alive. But it has long since stopped fulfilling its primary function. It is now simply an ancient tree for tourists to come & see. (Adapted from SC)



The church must never be like that. It is so much more than just a relic of the past. It is the body of Christ, the family of God, & it has been entrusted with the message of salvation for the world – for all those everywhere who will accept Jesus as their Savior & their Lord.