Lessn 4 Nt Malicius Gssips by Katie Leedy The ne wh desires life, t lve and see gd days, must keep his tngue frm evil and his lips frm speaking deceit. 1 Peter 3:10 Older wmen likewise are t be reverent in their behavir, nt malicius gssips nr enslaved t much wine, teaching what is gd, s that they may encurage the yung wmen... s that the wrd f Gd will nt be dishnred. Titus 2:3-5 Nt malicius gssips : It is ne f just a very few qualificatins fr lder wmen in the church. It is part f being reverent in ur behavir. We need t give diligent heed t what it means: s that the ppnent will be put t shame, having nthing bad t say abut us. Titus 2:8b s that they [we] will adrn the dctrine f Gd ur Savir in every respect. Titus 2:10b
A. What des malicius gssips mean? 1. malicius gssips = the Greek wrd diablus The wrd means slanderer KJV translates it false accusers ; ESV translates it slanderers 2. English dictinary definitin f slander t defame r the utterance f false charges r misrepresentatins which defame and damage anther's reputatin 3. Only 3 times translated malicius gssips (NAS) Titus 2:3 (ur passage), I Timthy 3:11 (a similar passage dealing with wmen leaders in the church), and II Timthy 3:2-5 It is used here [in these 3 passages] in its riginal and prper sense, t dente a calumniatr, slanderer, r accuser. Elsewhere in the New Testament, it is unifrmly rendered devil... and is given t Satan, the prince f the fallen angels... by way f eminence, as the accuser. ~ Barnes cmmentary 4. Usually translated devil What is the cnnectin between ur wrd malicius gssips and the devil?! What is the devil like? Genesis 3 Satan as the serpent slandered Gd t Adam and Eve Jb Satan falsely accuses Jb befre Gd Revelatin 12:10 Satan is called the accuser f the brethren Jhn 8:44 Satan is a liar and the father f lies 2
B. Why is it included in the list f qualificatins fr lder Christian wmen in the church? 1. Wmen have a prpensity tward this kind f talk. In general, wmen like t talk, and we like t talk abut and hear abut ther peple. Older wmen usually have mre free time n their hands. Older wmen knw a lt f peple and talk t a lt f peple. All these things can lead t ur falling int the malicius gssip speech categry. 2. What kinds f talk culd we be using that fall int this categry? Misrepresentatin Half truths Silence Inaccuracy in details Assigning mtives t thers when yu cannt knw their heart Hinting (yu dn t even have t speak t d this yu can just lk a certain way) Hearsay Revealing secrets 3
C. What des Gd say abut this kind f speech? 1. Evil speech is characteristic f the ld life, the frmer life, the unregenerate life. Rmans 1:29-30 Thse wh d nt see fit t acknwledge Gd any lnger, they are gssips, slanderers, haters f Gd... Prverbs 10:18 He wh spreads slander is a fl 2. It is pssible fr Christians t fall int this kind f speech. II Crinthians 12:20 Paul writing t the Crinthians He is afraid he might find them t be nt what I wish... that perhaps there will be strife, jealusy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gssip, arrgance, disturbances. James 3:2, 6, 8 Fr we all stumble in many ways. If anyne des nt stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able t bridle the whle bdy as well. And the tngue is a fire, the very wrld f iniquity; the tngue is set amng ur members as that which defiles the entire bdy, and sets n fire the curse f ur life, and is set n fire by hell. But n ne can tame the tngue; it is a restless evil and full f deadly pisn. 3. But we are t put all these kinds f evil speech aside. We are new creatures in Christ when we are saved (II Crinthians 5:17), and we are nt t have the same kind f speech that an unregenerate persn has. Ephesians 4:31, Clssians 3:8, I Peter 2:1-3 put them all aside Prverbs 4:24 Put away frm yu a deceitful muth and put devius speech far frm yu. Psalm 15:3 A descriptin f a citizen f Zin, He des nt slander with his tngue, nr des evil t his neighbr, nr takes up a reprach against his friend. 4. Gd hates lying and false witness and deceit. He will destry slanderers. Psalm 101:5 Whever secretly slanders his neighbr, him I will destry. Prverbs 6:16-19 A lying tngue and a false witness wh tells lies and ne wh spreads strife amng brthers these are all in the list f things which the Lrd hates! 4
5. This kind f speech is destructive. It can ruin friendships. Prverbs 16:28 A slanderer separates intimate friends Prverbs 17:9 He wh cnceals a transgressin seeks lve, but he wh repeats a matter separates intimate friends. Death and life are in the pwer f the tngue. Our wrds can cut like a swrd. Prverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the pwer f the tngue. Prverbs 18:8 The wrds f a whisperer are like dainty mrsels, and they g dwn int the innermst parts f the bdy. Prverbs 12:18 There is ne wh speaks rashly like the thrusts f a swrd. D. What kind f speech shuld we have? 1. Kind speech Prverbs 3:3 D nt let kindness and truth leave yu; bind them arund yur neck, write them n the tablet f yur heart. 2. Truthful speech Ephesians 4:25 Therefre, laying aside falsehd, speak truth each ne f yu with his neighbr, fr we are members f ne anther. Prverbs 14:25 A truthful witness saves lives, but he wh utters lies is treacherus. 3. Wise speech Prverbs 8:6-9 Wisdm is speaking: Listen, fr I will speak nble things; And the pening f my lips will reveal right things. Fr my muth will utter truth; And wickedness is an abminatin t my lips. All the utterances f my muth are in righteusness; There is nthing crked r perverted in them. They are all straightfrward t him wh understands, and right t thse wh find knwledge. Psalm 37:30 The muth f the righteus utters wisdm and his tngue speaks justice. 5
4. Jyful speech Psalm 100:1-2 Shut jyfully t the Lrd, all the earth. Serve the Lrd with gladness; cme befre Him with jyful singing. The ppsite f jyful speech: Grumbling Philippians 2:14 D all things withut grumbling r disputing. Why? vs. 15 S that yu will prve yurselves t be blameless and inncent, children f Gd abve reprach in the midst f a crked and perverse generatin, amng whm yu appear (shine) as lights in the wrld. 5. Restrained speech Prverbs 10:19 When there are many wrds, transgressin is unavidable, but he wh restrains his lips is wise. Prverbs 11:13 He wh ges abut as a talebearer reveals secrets, but he wh is trustwrthy cnceals a matter. 6. Edifying and healing speech Ephesians 4:29 Let n unwhlesme wrd prceed frm yur muth, but nly such a wrd as is gd fr edificatin accrding t the need f the mment, s that it will give grace t thse wh hear. Ephesians 5:19 Speaking t ne anther in psalms and hymns and spiritual sngs, singing and making meldy with yur heart t the Lrd. Prverbs 12:18b The tngue f the wise brings healing. 7. Thankful speech Ephesians 5:20 Always giving thanks fr all things in the name f ur Lrd Jesus Christ. I Thessalnians 5:18 In everything give thanks; fr this is Gd s will fr yu in Christ Jesus. 8. Praise t the Lrd Psalm 145:21 My muth will speak the praise f the Lrd. Psalm 146:1-2 Praise the Lrd! Praise the Lrd, O my sul! I will praise the Lrd while I live; I will sing praises t my Gd while I have my being. Psalm 147-150 all are giving praise t the Lrd 6
E. Hw can we make prgress in exercising gdly speech? 1. Cnsider yur ways. Haggai 1:5 says, Nw therefre, thus says the Lrd f hsts, Cnsider yur ways! Cnsider this: What cmes ut f ur muth cmes frm ur heart. Ask yurself: Hw is my speech? Be hnest in yur answer. D a heart checkup. Prverbs 4:23 Watch ver yur heart with all diligence, fr frm it flw the springs f life. Matthew 15:18-20 But the things that prceed ut f the muth cme frm the heart, and thse defile the man. Fr ut f the heart cme evil thughts, murders, adulteries, frnicatins, thefts, false witness, slanders. Make the changes needed. Psalm 119: 59-60 I cnsidered my ways, and turned my feet t Yur testimnies. I hastened and did nt delay t keep Yur cmmandments. 2. Call upn Gd! Psalm 141:3 Set a guard, O Lrd, ver my muth; keep watch ver the dr f my lips. Philippians 2:13 Fr it is Gd wh is at wrk in yu, bth t will and t wrk fr His gd pleasure. Be filled with the Spirit Galatians 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit and yu will nt carry ut the desire f the flesh. 3. Renew yur mind! Ephesians 4:22-24 that, in reference t yur frmer manner f life, yu lay aside the ld self, which is being crrupted in accrdance with the lusts f deceit, and that yu be renewed in the spirit f yur mind, and put n the new self, which in the likeness f Gd has been created in righteusness and hliness f the truth. 7
Cnclusin Prverbs 12:22 Lying lips are an abminatin t the Lrd, but thse wh deal faithfully are His delight. I Peter 3:8-10 T sum up, all f yu be harmnius, sympathetic, brtherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; nt returning evil fr evil r insult fr insult, but giving a blessing instead; fr yu were called fr the very purpse that yu might inherit a blessing. Fr, the ne wh desires life, t lve and see gd days, must keep his tngue frm evil and his lips frm speaking deceit. May ur prayer cnstantly be: Let the wrds f my muth and the meditatin f my heart be acceptable in Yur sight, O Lrd, my rck and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14 Prduced and distributed by: Munt Calvary Baptist Church, 2012 Scripture taken frm the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Cpyright, 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by the Lckman Fundatin. Used by permissin. 8