Me and My Big Mouth

“Me and my Big Mouth”

I Peter 3:10

 

For he that will love life, and see good days, let him … (WHAT?) …refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

What does the word gossip mean?

  • Gossip – A person who chatters or repeats idle talk, A person who repeats rumors especially about private affairs (Things) of others.
  • Rumor – hear say, unconfirmed (Not proven) report, story or statement.

I. EXAMINE BIBLE WORDS FOR GOSSIP

   A) SLANDER-

  • Psalms 31:12, 13…I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel. 13) For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.
  • Note what “slander” caused in David’s life…
  1. He was… “forgotten as a dead man” Nobody went to visit him, talk to him, comfort him, forgive him, or give him the time of day!
  2. “I am like a broken vessel.” David felt useless to people, his spirit was broken.
  3. “fear was on every side:” Fear on every side means “paranoid.” He was afraid to speak or do anything for fear of what people might say, spread more rumors, slander, gossip.
  4. “they took counsel together against me,” All his so-called- friends had got together and decided what to do with David and then pass their judgment. Their decisions in counsel were…
    • He was not fit as a King to represent Israel,
    • He was an unfit father,
    • He was a scummy sinner,
    • He was never going to be used of God,
    • He was a sick person.
  5. “they devised (created a plan) to take away my life.” They just planned to make His life so miserable because of his sin, that he may wish he were dead.
  • ***WHAT’S WRONG HERE with the way Israel treated David? They were playing like God Himself. They became judge and jury! Their sin was just as bad as David’s sin!
  • God tells us that we are not to judge others! Jesus says in Luke 6:37… Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned:
  • forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
  • Again, Jesus says in Matthew 7:1…Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2) For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged:
  • Then Jesus continues in verse 2…and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
  • BACK To Psalms 31…After David was treated badly by gossip/slander, Note in verse 14 what he did… 14) But I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God.
  • Proverbs 10:18… He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool. 19) In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin (sin is not lacking) but he that refraineth his lips is wise.
  • Psalm 101:5… Whoso privily (secretly)slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off (destroy): him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer (Endure).

B) TALE BEARER

  • Leviticus 19:16… Thou shalt not go up and down (Be a busybody) as a talebearer among thy people:
  • What does the word “Tale bearer” mean? Person who spreads scandal or a person who tells secrets.
  • Proverbs 18:8…The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
  • Proverbs 20:19…He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.

C) FALSE WITNESS

  • Exodus 20:16…Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
  • A person who gossips normally has no proof of their gossip! Therefore, it is “false.” It is not true.

II. What does God think about people who gossip?

   A) He hates it

  • Proverbs 6:16…These six things doth the Lord HATE: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17) A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18) An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies He that soweth discord among the brethren.

III. WHAT TO DO WITH GOSSIP YOU HEAR…

A) Ask

  • Let us look into Deuteronomy 13:12…If thou shalt hear say (hear say, gossip)in one of thy cities, which the Lord thy God hath given thee to dwell there, (This could be your home, work or church dwelling which God has given you) saying, 13) Certain men, the children of Belial,(Children of Satan) are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, (Having caused people to leave the city, or church with their slander) “… saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;”
  • FIRST– 14) Then shalt thou enquire (ask questions),
  1. When you hear gossip ask questions about the validity, or “facts” of the said gossip.
  2. Just because “a friend” told you something does not mean it is true.
  • SECOND- “..and make search, (investigate thoroughly)
  1. Don’t settle for just one person’s word for it.
  2. Find proof, physical evidence.
  3. Ask questions about the time it occurred and see if the gossip matches the time frames for said crime.
  4. Do all searching yourself, leave out “middlemen.”
  • THIRD- “..and ask diligently (put your heart and soul into it and not flippantly);
  1. Don’t treat evidence as a fact, it could be planted or false.
  2. Use your mind, senses, and much prayer before making a decision.
  • FOURTH – “…and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you;
  1. Make sure your evidence for the gossip is the truth (Following steps 1-3)

B) SO WHAT DO I DO WITH ALL THESE FACTS?

  • Keep it in your mind,
  • Remember who you can/can’t trust
  • Tell the Lord about it
  • Ask God to give you peace
  • BUT DON’T  BLAB  IT !!!
  • With the hearing God uses the word “tongue, lips, or mouth.”
  • For the deaf we could replace those words with “HANDS”

Let’s try it…

  • Psalm 19:14… Let the words of my HANDS, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.
  • Psalm 34:13… Keep thy HANDS from evil, and thy HANDS from speaking guile. 14) Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
  • Ephesians 4:29… Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your HANDS, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
  • Proverbs 18:8…The HANDS of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
  • James 3:5…Even so the HANDS is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 6) And the HANDS is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the HANDS among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

C) People who do not spread gossip about a fault or sin;

  • Proverbs 17:9…He that covereth a transgression seeketh love”
  • In other words, David is saying…“A person who tries to cover up a sin for someone else or rather does not blab it , he it is that has a Godly love, AGAPE;”
  • David then goes on to say in the same verse “..but he that repeateth a matter (He that gossips about a sin or problem of someone one else) separateth very friends (causes close friends to be enemies).

D) WHAT DOES GOSSIP DO?

  • Makes others not visit them
  • Breaks the Spirit in people
  • Causes paranoia
  • Causes others to judge
  • Ruins the life in people
  • Brings judgment upon gossiper
  • Go against Ten Commandments
  • We are doing something God hates
  • It spreads HATE, not LOVE.
  • Makes others think bad of gossiper.
  • Ruins The life, soul, and spirit in others. (The exact opposite of what God wants us to do!)

E) Things to think about

  • Those who gossip to you, will gossip about you.
  • Before you speak THINK about what you are going to say …

T – Is it TRUE?
H- Is It HELPFUL?
I –  Is it INSPIRING?
N- Is it NECESSARY?
K – Is it KIND?