Sunday July 13, 2014 Phone: 570.829.5216 Pastor David Miklas e-mail: pastormiklas@aol.com Message: Developing Godly Character - #7 Text: Psalm 15:1-5 Character - Developing Integrity of the Heart Introduction: In Job 1:8 we read, "And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?" The phrase "escheweth evil" is used to describe Job in 1:1, 8 and means "one who has integrity." The word integrity means the quality of being of sound moral principle; uprightness, honesty, transparency, and sincerity. Job was a man of integrity. He was a man of character. Now let s look at Psalm 15, which doesn t deal with how someone becomes a Christian, but rather how a Christian should maintain a life of INTEGRITY. It focuses on many of the moral and ethical characteristics God desires in His children s day-to-day lifestyle. LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? (2) He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. (3) He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. (4) In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. (5) He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved. A simple outline of Psalm 15 could be: I. Question: "Who may abide in Thy tent?" verse 1 II. Answer: "He who walks with integrity. verses 2-5 III. Promise: "He will never be shaken." verse 5 FIRST:. The QUESTION, LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? The Psalm or song opens with a prayer directed to Jehovah. Two questions are asked with the same thought in mind, literally, who shall dwell in your tent? Who shall settle down on your holy mountain?" The references to God's "tent" and "holy mountain" are symbols of God's presence - descriptive expressions of intimate fellowship. In other words, David is asking, "What kind of an individual does it take to maintain and enjoy intimate fellowship with You, Lord?" SECOND: The ANSWER is found in verses 2-5a, He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. (3) He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. (4) In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. (5) He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. In these four verses, I count eleven specific characteristics, each of which is worth our attention. 1. He who walks uprightly has integrity. This speaks of a man with integrity. The believer who is interested in maintaining temporal fellowship is careful about how he lives and where he goes; he walks in the realm of truth. He refuses to live a lie. 2. He who works righteousness has integrity. This has to do with what he does. He doesn t just believe right. He does right. He works at right, and he works what is right. How do you know what s right? That s why you have a Bible. If you work righteousness, you re working what the Bible says is right to do. You are actually putting the truth to work, applying and practicing the truth of the Bible in your life. Page 1
3. He who speaks truth in his heart has integrity. This has to do with how he thinks. He s not a liar. He s not deceitful, he speaks the truth. He tells it like it is. In Proverbs 23:7 we read, For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he The source of these things, the heart, is to be a bedrock of truth, with no place for deception or lies or a hidden agenda! 4. He who does not slander with his tongue has integrity. This and the next two characteristics have to do with what he says. The Hebrew word backbiteth means slander. Those who slander walk here and there spreading malicious gossip, pouring out verbal venom and poisoning others behind their backs. In Proverbs 6:16-19 God gives us a list of seven things He hates. Three have to do with the tongue. These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: (17) A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, (18) An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, (19) A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. Let me share wise counsel regarding the use of your tongue. I hope it will help you as much as it has helped me. Before you pass along information or comments about someone else, let it first pass through four gates for approval. If all four give you a green light, share it without hesitation: Gate 1: Is it confidential? (If so, never mention it.) Gate 2: Is it true? (This may take some investigation.) Gate 3: Is it necessary? (So many words are useless.) Gate 4: Is it kind? (Does it serve a wholesome purpose?) Here's another good piece of advice: If you ever have to say, "I really shouldn't say this don't! Few statements from Scripture are more pointed on this subject than Ephesians 4:29 where we read Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 5. He who does not do evil to his neighbor has integrity. The Spirit-filled believer is loyal and consistent - not fickle, nor erratic. He does not consciously bring difficulty upon others. A person of integrity is not going to be a carrier of reproach whether it is true or false. 6. He who does not take up a reproach against his friend has integrity. This means he does not say sharp, cutting, and scornful things about others, either behind their back or to their face. There is honesty yet gentleness in his character. 7. In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, that man has integrity. This has to do with whom you associate. A reprobate is literally someone who is totally disinterested in spiritual things. The genuine believer with strong integrity will discern the impact such a person can have on his own walk with the Lord, and will not cultivate an association with him. Two verses come to mind here: Number 1: Psalm 1:1, Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. Number 2: I Corinthians 15:33, Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. Another way of saying this verse in a very literal way would be, Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good morals. 8. A man of integrity honors those who fear the Lord. Like the preceding phrase, this is still dealing with your associates; only this phrase is the other side of the coin. It addresses those with whom you should keep company. The believer who walks with the Lord has a scale of values that is determined by biblical principles. Since you become Page 2
like those with whom you spend your time, Christ-like friends need to be sought out for companionship. 9. A man of integrity swears to his own hurt, and does not change. This means that you are to perform what you promise, even when keeping your word is difficult to achieve. Your word should be your bond. The Christian with integrity makes it his aim to do what he says he will do, even when it hurts - even when it is inconvenient. The word and handshake of a man of integrity is better than a signed contract by somebody that doesn t have integrity. 10. A man of integrity does not put out his money at interest. According to Deuteronomy 23:19-20 and Leviticus 25:35-38, the Jew was commanded not to loan a needy Jewish brother money on interest. He was to assist generously and unselfishly. The believer in Christ who offers to extend personal financial assistance to his brother in Christ should do so without interest, with love being his only motive. (Needless to say, discernment must accompany love or we will have more love than money!) Not every financial request among believers is a "need." Some "needs" stem from careless spending, and shouldn t be encouraged. 11. A man of integrity does not take a bribe against the innocent. The dictionary defines a bribe as money or favor bestowed on or promised to a person in a position of trust to pervert his judgment or corrupt his conduct." We have all read about what has come to be known as influence peddling." Not even Wall Street has been protected from such schemes. The psalmist's point is clear: One with integrity won't stoop to that level. FIRST, we have the QUESTION asked in verse 1 LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? SECOND, we have the ANSWER given in verses 2-5a. THIRD: The PROMISE is found in verse 5b, He that doeth these things shall never be moved. You are promised that if these things become your practice, you will live stable, solid, dependable lives. Integrity reinforces a life with steel. So if you have a heart of integrity then you will live a life of integrity, transparency, honesty, fidelity and decency. Let me share several examples of men who had integrity, both from the scriptures and from life. Moses could have hidden his identity and enjoyed the riches and honor of Egypt. He could have been the next Pharaoh, but the Bible says that he forsook Egypt, not fearing the King and chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Daniel could have stopped praying for the 30 days ordered by the king. However, he decided to continue to do as he had always done, as it was right to do. Listen; when right is popular it is right. When right is unpopular, it s still right. When right is legal, it s right, and when it s illegal it s still right. Joseph could have anything in Potiphar s house with the exception of his wife. When Potiphar's wife pressed Joseph daily and finally took hold of his coat and he fled the house he said, I can t do this evil thing and sin against God. Joseph had integrity. When Bob Jones Sr. said, Do right! DO RIGHT! Though the stars fall, do right! He was talking about integrity. If everything else goes wrong, do right. When Abe Lincoln walked several miles back to a store to return a few cents that the proprietor had given him by mistake, that was integrity. During the depression when jobs were hard to come by and a young man was asked to be dishonest in his business dealing, he quit his job. That man of integrity was J.C. Penney. Page 3
Wouldn t you know that God has provided awesome BLESSINGS connected with integrity? First: Integrity will guide us. It will be a guide to us and keep us on track. It will keep us from wavering and getting off the path. In Proverbs 11:3 we read, The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them. Second: Integrity will preserve us. In Psalm 25:21 we read, Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee. We not only want His leadership and guidance, we also want the protection that He promises to those who practice integrity. Third: Integrity sets us before the Lord s face. Integrity gives us fellowship with God. In Psalm 41:12 we read, And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face forever. When we abandon our integrity of heart and intention of doing what s right, we abandon our walk with the Lord. Fourth: Integrity will bring blessing to our children. I want my children to be blessed, don t you? In Proverbs 20:7 we read, The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him. Because of his integrity, a man leaves not just money and houses and land; he leaves his family a heritage. As we conclude this message, let me leave you with several challenges. Number 1: Spend this week reviewing the eleven marks of solid Christian integrity. Does one or two of them bring an extra pang of conviction? Go ahead and admit it. Ask the Lord to assist you this week as you think of ways to strengthen those weaknesses. Number 2: Perhaps you have seen this INTEGRITY CHECKLIST on the back of bulletins or in your church directory. Secure the checklist in your Bible and strive to review it along with Psalm 15 as a daily or weekly integrity evaluation. Have I been totally honest in my dealings with people today? Have I acted appropriately toward members of the opposite sex? Have I indulged in unsavory thoughts or sexual images, or fostered uncharitable feelings toward others? Have I dressed in a provocative or sensual way? Have I been above reproach in my financial dealings? Have I fulfilled my obligations without compromise and with a willing spirit? Have I worked too long or too hard without evaluating my true motive? Have I spent sufficient time with my Heavenly Father, my family and my friends? Have I taken care of my family's spiritual needs? Have I attended to my emotional and spiritual needs, and integrated them into my daily walk with God? Have I harbored un-confessed sin or un-forgiven hurts? Anger or a bitter spirit? Have I given the Lord the pre-eminent place in my life today both through prayer and the Word of God? Have I spent time in the house of God on Sunday and Wednesday, being taught the Word of God? Have I given of my tithe and offerings unto the Lord this week? *********************************************** If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon Developing Integrity of the Heart then right now talk to God about what He has said to you. Do you have the assurance that one day you will go to heaven? If you have no assurance that you know Jesus Christ, then I trust you will decide to accept Him as your personal Savior. The Bible tells us in Acts 16:31,...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved... Romans 10:13, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. This prayer is here for those who need to ask Jesus to be their personal Savior: I do want to go to Heaven. I know I am a sinner, and I do believe Jesus Christ died for me. I realize I cannot buy this great salvation, nor can I earn it. Knowing Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave to pay Page 4
my sin debt and to purchase my salvation, I do now trust Him as my Savior, and from this moment on I am completely depending on Him for my salvation. If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, please let me know. Please send an e-mail to pdmikbbm@aol.com and I will send you literature that will help you in your Christian life. The Weekly SERMON was sent as a ministry of Bible Baptist Ministry, 48 Alexie Rd., Hanover Township, PA 18706. Privacy policy: your e-mail address will not be sold, or shared with any third party. Copy write permission: Because the Weekly SERMON will be reproduced into other formats, PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING: The Weekly SERMON in its original form, without any changes, may be copied and re-transmitted by electronic mail, and copies may be printed for individual or ministry purposes, provided that such copying, re-transmission, printing, or other use is not for profit or other commercial purpose. Any copying, re-transmission, distribution, printing, or other use of the Weekly SERMON must set forth in full the heading that is given before each Weekly SERMON. Page 5