7 Things God Hates! Part 6 in the series WisDUMB John Erwin Associate Pastor Agoura Bible Fellowship Proverbs 6:16-19 March 8, 2015

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1 7 Things God Hates! Part 6 in the series WisDUMB John Erwin Associate Pastor Agoura Bible Fellowship Proverbs 6:16-19 March 8, 2015 Hate is a strong word. When I think of things I hate, I think of these: 1. In sports: Vikings losing to the Packers; Biola losing to APU in basketball; The Lakers not making the playoffs 2. Missing a birdie putt; ok, a par putt! 3. People with more than 15 items in the express lane at the grocery store; Someone cuts in on you on the freeway. 4. Being paired with someone in a group project in college and then getting stuck with all the work. 5. Stubborn people never admitting they are wrong 6. Injustice: Children or women being abused 7. My kids experiencing pain that I caused; causing my wife to cry. Hate is a strong word. The word hate and God are not things that we often see in the Bible. So when it comes up, we better pay attention. They represent categories of behavior that are so ungodly, outrageous and awful, that we better take a closer look. Thankfully, through Christ, we can live a different way. I. Background: A. These verses act as a summary of the previous warnings: 1) haughty eyes (v. 13a, winks ); 2) lying tongue (v.

2 12b, perverse mouth ); 3) hands (v. 13c, fingers ); 4) heart (v. 14a); 5) feet (v. 13b); 6) false witness (v. 12b); and 7) discord (v. 14c). B. The Lord hates: only used in the prophets. Ex. Amos 5:21. The list of hated characteristics begins with the eyes and proceeds downward (tongue, hands, heart, feet). He will go from head to the feet in the first 5 descriptions. C. Six things, no 7 is a rhetorical device. Ex. Job 5:19. Not an exhaustive list. God hates other things to. D. When we focus only on God s love we exclude, his holiness, wrath, etc. An overemphasis on any of God s attributes produces a distortion of who He is. II. 7 Awful Actions A. Pride: haughty eyes; proud look (v. 17a) 1. It is the arrogance of being full of yourself. It is arrogant ambition. Haughty: Lifted eyes. Prov.16:18 Pride goes before a fall. 2. Symptoms: Answers for everything: I am always right! Always in control: I am in charge! Aloof I don t really care! 3. The 5 I wills of Satan But you said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. (Is. 14:13-14) 5 is the number of death (Gen. 5, Rev. 5)

3 4. Jonathan Edwards said pride is the most hidden, secret, and deceitful of all sins. 5. It is the essence of all sin. What makes pride so singularly repulsive to God is the way that pride contends for supremacy with God himself. Pride sets itself in opposition to God. The only fitting response is for God to oppose the proud (James 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:5). 6. That is probably why pride is not simply another sin among many, but a sin in a category of its own. Other sins lead the sinner further away from God, but pride is particularly heinous in that it attempts to elevate the sinner above God. 7. Pride is on a collision course with God himself and the date is set. For the Lord of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up and it shall be brought low (Isa. 2:12). 8. A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you. C.S. Lewis. B. Dishonesty: lying tongue (v.17b) 1. No regard for the truth; it is habitual bordering on psychopathic; deceptive; same word used of false prophets (Jer.14:14). 2. It is harmful. A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth works ruin. (Prov. 26:28) 3. Satan is described as the father of lies. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44b) 4. A USA Today poll found that only 56% of Americans teach honesty to their children. And a Louis Harris poll turned up the distressing fact that

4 65% of high school students would cheat on an important exam. After doing 3.8 million background checks, Automatic Data Processing, Inc. announced that 52% of job applicants had lied on their resumes. The book The Day America Told the Truth says that 91 percent of those surveyed lie routinely about matters they consider trivial, and 36 percent lie about important matters; 86 percent lie regularly to parents, 75 percent to friends, 73 percent to siblings, and 69 percent to spouses. 5. Mark Twain: 3 kinds of lies: Black, White, and statistics. 6. How do we lie? Exaggerations: Man had his credit card stolen but didn t turn it in the police because he said the thief was spending less money than his wife did. Trying to escape a consequence: getting out of a speeding ticket or lying to a teacher. On a beautiful fall day, four students decided to go for a drive instead of showing up to class on time. When they did arrive, the students explained to the teacher that they had had a flat tire. The teacher accepted the excuse, much to their relief. "Since you missed this morning s quiz, you must take it now," she said. "Please sit in the four corner seats in this room without talking." When they were seated, the teacher said, "On your papers write the answer to one question: Which tire was flat? " Telling half-truths: not wanting to hurt someone s feelings. A half-truth is a whole lie. A man had to go on a business and persuaded his brother to take care of his cat during his absence. Though he hated cats, the brother agreed. Upon his return, he called from the airport to check on the cat.

5 "Your cat died," the brother reported, then hung up. The man was inconsolable. His grief was magnified by his brother s insensitivity, so he called again to express his pain. "There was no need for you to be so blunt," he said. "What was I supposed to say?" asked the perplexed brother. "You could have broken news gradually," explained the man. "You could have said, The cat was playing on the roof. Then, later in the conversation, you could have said, He fell off. Then you could have said, He broke his leg. Then when I came to pick him up, you could have said, I m so sorry. Your cat passed away during the night. You ve got to learn to be more tactful." "By the way, how s Mom?" After a long pause, the brother replied, "She s playing on the roof." C. Murder: hands that shed innocent blood (v.17c) 1. Anger produced homicide. Not talking about the taking a life in self defense or in war. 2. God condemns murder. Whoever sheds man s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man. (Gen. 9:6) 3. Violation of 6th commandment (Exodus 20:13; Deut. 5:17); Cain: first family homicide. 4. Satan is described as a murderer. You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. (John 8:44a) 5. Modern day equivalent: Abortion and 911 bombers 6. But I haven t killed anyone. We can assassinate people with our words. See number 2 and 7.

6 D. Revenge: a heart that devises wicked plans (v.18a) 1. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: Matthew 5:19 2. Don t seek revenge (Lev. 19:18; Rom. 12:19) 3. Calculated plotting of someone s demise; seeking revenge over past hurts. Such a person has no regard for anything but that which might work to his or her advantage. Rules and values are disregarded when they are inconvenient. 4. Illustration: TV show Revenge; Downtown Abbey; Prince Bride: My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die. 5. Satan is plotter and a tempter. He tempted Jesus (Mt. 4:3) and he will tempt you (I Thes. 3:5). His plan for revenge was the Cross! E. Evil: feet that run rapidly to evil (v. 18b) 1. This is the execution of a premeditated act of sin. While the last sin focused on the thought/attitude, this one focuses on the action. No moral compass. 2. They enjoy wrongdoing. Example: Vandals who destroy property, they can t steal. 3. They not only run to evil and from what is good, righteous and holy. Hate what is evil, cling to what is good. Rom.12:9 4. Satan is described as the evil one. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. (John 17:5) 5. ISIS maybe the embodiment of this kind of behavior today

7 F. Perjury: a false witness that speaks lies (v. 18c) 1. Specifically talking about lying under oath. The ESV translates who breathes out lies. Courtroom injustice. 2. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Ex. 20:16 violates the 9 th commandment. 3. Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence. (Psalm 27:12). 4. Satan is the ultimate false witness. Satan is the accuser. For the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down (Is. 14), he who accuses them before our God day and night. Rev. 12:10. He whispers, Failure, you are worthless, you will never change; Is God true, faithful, loving? Is the Bible reliable? Is Jesus really God? G. Gossip/Disunity: one who sows discord (spreads strife among brothers (v.19) Note: Some would say that this is the most important item on the list. While the last deals with the courtroom this deals with the church. 1. Satan likes to cause confusion and dissension. He likes to create doubt. Look what he did in the garden. II Cor. 11:14 masquerades as an angel of light 2. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. James 3:16). 3. God hates gossip. He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, therefore do not associate with a gossip. Prov. 20:19

8 4. When we as a church are fighting each other, what does the world see? III. 7 Awesome Antidotes A. Humility 1. Prov. 15:33 before honor comes humility. 2. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Phil. 2:3 3. It is the first blessed in the Sermon on the Mount. Blessed are the poor in Spirit (Mt. 5:5) 4. Jesus was an example of humility. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart (Mt. 11:29 5. Pride s fixation with self can only be countered with humility s forgetfulness of self. Humility is the photo-negative of pride. If pride puts us in a position of opposition to God, then humility delights in taking a posture of dependence upon God. If pride stubbornly insists on carrying our own cares, then humility is quick to cast our cares on God. 6. In the quest for humility, we must be sure to avoid pride s counterfeit version of humility: selfdeprecation. What s the discernable difference? Humility is not obsessed with tearing ourselves down. C. S. Lewis: Humility is not thinking less of ourselves, but thinking of ourselves less. In other words, humility is fundamentally a form of selfforgetfulness as opposed to pride s self-fixation. 7. Ultimately, pride is a worship issue. We cannot think about ourselves less unless we think about something else more. B. Truth (honesty)

9 1. Jesus is truth I am the way the truth and the life John 14:6 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; John 16:13 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. John 17:17 2. This is a reflection of our integrity 3. The Truth Test Can we be trusted that when we say yes, it means yes? Being honest and truthful means you own your stuff. Are we honest in the little things? C. Life Giver 1. We can protect the innocent: unborn and the elderly. Do you believe in the sanctity of human life? Note: If you have had an abortion, there is still forgiveness. 2. Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, (John 11:25) 3. How do we give life? We have the ability to give hope by sharing the gospel that gives life.! D. Forgiveness 1. Forgive others when you have been wronged. Do you like to hold on to a grudge? 2. Not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and waiting for the rat to die. 3. Jesus was the example: Father forgive them, for they know not what they do Luke 23:34 4. Love your enemies (Mt. 6:43-47)

10 5. Illustration: Being fired from a job; forgiving your parents; 6. Does Forgiveness have boundaries? Turn the other check? E. Holiness (Righteousness) 1. Jesus was righteous. If you know that He is righteous I John 2:29 just as He is righteous. I John 3:7 2. The church is called to be holy I Cor. 1:2 3. This list brings to our knees. We can t be any of this apart from Jesus Christ. F. Advocate 1. Jesus is our advocate. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. I John 2:1 2. Thankfully Jesus stands with us, when Satan wants to cause to doubt our salvation, make us feel like a failure, etc. 3. Stand in the gap for others as well. G. Peacemaker 1. Blessed are the peacemakers (Mt. 5:7) 2. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Rom. 12:18 3. Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Eph. 4:29 4. Believe the best, not assume the worst about other people s intentions.

11 5. I Cor. 14:33 God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. Prov. 6:16-19 Satan Jesus 1. Haughty eyes (17a) Pride (Is. 14:13-14) Humble (Mt. 11:29) 2. Lying tongue (17b) Liar (John 8:44) Truth (John 14:6; 15:26; 16:13; 17:17 3. Hands that shed innocent blood (17c) Murderer (John 8:44) Resurrection and Life (John 11:25) 4. Heart that devises wicked plans (18a) Tempter (Matt. 4:3; I Thes. 3:5/ Revenge Righteous/Truth (I John 2:29); Forgives 5. Feet that run rapidly to Evil one (John 17:15) Holy (James 1:13) evil (18b) 6. A false witness that speaks lies (18b) Accuser (Rev. 12:10 Forgiving Advocate (I John 2:1) 7. One who spreads strife among brothers (19) Confusion/Disunity (James 3:16) Peacemaker (I Cor. 14:33)