Latest / Meadows Baptist Church Podcast / Preserving Piety - 3/25/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch

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Preserving Piety - 3/25/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch · Meadows Baptist Church Podcast

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  Welcome to the podcast of Meadows
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  Baptist Church of Walnut Cove, North
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  Carolina. We're so glad you joined us
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  today. If you enjoy today's message, be
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  sure to subscribe, follow, and share
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  with your friends. Now, let's join
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  Pastor Charlie Branch with a word from
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  God.
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  Matthew chapter 5. I want to read a few
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  verses tonight and you pray for me. And
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  uh I'll be honest with you tonight, the
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  last couple of messages here dealing
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  with the subject of uh purity and then
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  dealing with uh partnership uh there on
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  last week, they may not have hit you so
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  directly, but what I'm going to deal
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  with tonight's going to hit you right in
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  the head. And the reason why I say that
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  is because it hits me right in the head.
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  And I'm praying God will help us with
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  this tonight. Something we could all uh
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  grow in. And I want to I want to look
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  here at this this text tonight and the
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  thought here this evening. We considered
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  preserving uh purity there. Last year we
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  looked a long time ago at preserving
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  peace and then we started that series
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  again there just a few weeks ago on
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  preserving purity and then we talked
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  about preserving partnership. And
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  tonight I want to talk about preserving
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  piety. And I use that word for sake of
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  literation, but I'm just talking about
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  right Christian living and uh proper
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  Christian language. And I want to try to
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  be a blessing to you tonight. This may
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  be more uh practical and topical than
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  anything, but I am going to give you a
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  lot of scripture. So just hang with me
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  tonight and we'll get through this
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  together. Matthew 5:33.
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  The Bible says, Jesus speaking again, ye
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  have heard that hath been said by them
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  of old time, thou shalt not forear
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  thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord
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  thine oaths. But I say unto you, swear
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  not at all, neither by heaven, for it's
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  God's throne, nor by the earth, for it
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  is his foottool, neither by Jerusalem,
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  for it is the city of the great king.
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  Neither shalt thou swear by thy head,
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  because thou canst not make one hair
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  white or black. Verse 37, the Bible
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  says, "But let your communication be
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  yay, yay, nay, nay, for whatsoever is
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  more than these cometh of evil." Father,
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  I ask you tonight that you would help us
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  as we look at these verses tonight. God,
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  I realize I have nothing to say in and
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  of myself, and Lord, I want to deal with
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  these verses properly tonight. And so
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  God, I pray you would fill me with the
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  Holy Spirit. Give me uncction and
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  anointing tonight uh Lord to preach and
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  demonstration of the spirit with power.
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  God, I ask you, Father, tonight for
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  every hearer, Lord, if it's if they're
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  here tonight, I pray, God, that they
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  would be obedient, but Lord, if it's
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  somebody uh down the road, Father,
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  that'll be listening uh over the
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  internet ways, God. I don't know who
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  will be listening, but Lord, I pray,
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  God, that you would help them, Lord, to
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  receive these truths into their heart.
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  And Lord, I pray for all of us, God,
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  that we would draw nearer to you. And
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  God, I pray, Father, that our language,
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  Father, and our uh discourses about each
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  day, Lord, would be cleansed. And uh
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  Lord, it'd be better as Christians uh
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  for you going forward as a result of
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  this. Help us tonight, Father, and exalt
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  your son and edify the church. Well,
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  thank you for what you do because we ask
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  it in Jesus' name. Amen. Now, tonight,
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  if you've read this scripture, you you
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  may think that this doesn't really apply
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  to you. You say, "Preacher, well, uh,
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  I'm I don't have any trouble with oaths.
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  I don't make oaths." And and the truth
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  is, this is a lot about this this text
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  right here. What Jesus is dealing with.
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  He was dealing with a people who were
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  not who were uh, I guess in in the
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  greatest sense, not guilty of perjury.
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  That's the sin that he mentions in verse
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  33. But just like all of these texts, it
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  goes beyond perjury. And what Jesus is
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  dealing with in this text is not just
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  perjury. He's going to say in verse
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  number 33 that perjury is wrong. We
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  would agree with that tonight. That if
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  you are, if you have taken an oath and
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  you, you know, if you lay your hand on
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  the Bible, when you go to the courthouse
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  and swear to tell the truth, the whole
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  truth, and nothing but the truth, you
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  are bound by that. Amen. And we, we
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  would agree that those who would disobey
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  that, they are guilty of that sin of
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  perjury. But it goes further than that.
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  And that's what Jesus wants to deal with
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  in this text. And I I'm going to give
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  you this and then we'll go back and look
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  at the background of this, but he he
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  wants to deal not just with perjury, but
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  he wants to deal with the issue of
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  profanity. Now, you may not have a
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  problem with that tonight, but I'll be
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  honest with you, profanity goes a little
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  farther than what the Americanized
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  version of profanity is described by.
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  Just because you think profanity is just
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  a four-letter word, that's not really
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  the limits of what profanity is. And
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  when I think about this term profanity,
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  the root word there is profane. And it
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  means this. It means irreverent to
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  anything sacred. It means proceeding
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  from contempt of sacred things. And when
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  you think about the world in which we
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  live today, the reason why that the
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  world spews profanity, why the music
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  industry spews profanity, and and why
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  the government and our governmental
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  leaders, man, there was a day, it ain't
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  been that long ago, when our
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  governmental leaders would never talk
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  the way that our leadership does in this
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  day and time. And frankly, I'm ashamed
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  that they're our leadership because they
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  do it on the world stage. And it's a sp
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  it's a mockery in the face of God for a
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  president or any governmental leader to
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  stand up and say that we're a nation
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  under God and then spew a mouthful of
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  filthiness in the next five minutes in
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  the same speech. Now, somebody help me
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  preach tonight. You know that's right.
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  Amen. And what I'm saying is is we've
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  lost decency and we've lost respect and
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  morality in this country. And if there's
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  anything that needs to be preached in
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  this day and time, it's this subject.
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  Amen. And uh the the truth is the reason
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  that they spew profanity is because
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  they're guilty of perjury as well.
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  Somebody say amen. I mean they lie under
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  oath all the time. If they're speaking
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  they're lying. Amen. And when I look at
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  this text, Jesus is rebuking all of
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  that. Jesus is not when he looks when he
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  says in verse 33, he gives the command
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  that is described. Now this command is
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  found of course uh it's found in
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  Leviticus. is found in Deuteronomy 23:es
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  21-23.
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  Um the description of the verse, the
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  latter part of the verse or the first
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  part of the verse is found in Leviticus
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  19 and verse 12. And the essence of the
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  verse is in the ten commandments. Exodus
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  20 and verse number 7 that you're not to
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  take the Lord the name of the Lord thy
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  God in vain. And that is the essence of
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  what this is. Now I want to look at
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  those verses in just a minute, but I
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  want to remind you of this. Jesus is
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  trying to preserve righteousness here.
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  >> All of this text, what he is dealing
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  with is how these Pharisees have watered
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  down the truth.
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  >> They've watered down what the Bible says
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  about these issues. They watered down
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  what the Bible said about divorce. They
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  watered down what the Bible said about
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  adultery. And they had watered down this
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  issue here of the oath. Now, let me deal
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  with this subject of the oath first and
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  deal with the command described. Turn
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  with me to the book of Deuteron or
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  Leviticus chapter 19. We'll look there
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  first and we'll give you the description
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  of what Moses pinned. Now, we know
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  Leviticus here is the record of the law.
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  This is a greater record. It's not just
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  the ten commandments, but this is a
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  record of the law that Moses gave. Now,
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  listen to what your Bible says.
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  Leviticus 19 verse number 11 and 12.
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  The Bible says in Leviticus 19:1, "Ye
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  shall not steal, neither deal falsely,
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  neither lie one to another." Verse 12,
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  "And ye shall not swear by my name
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  falsely, neither shalt thou profain the
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  name of the of thy God, I am the Lord."
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  Now, I'll say this tonight. God takes
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  this just as seriously in this day and
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  time as he did when he pinned this. It
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  is just as serious before God for you to
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  swear in God's name or on God's Bible or
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  by God's heaven. It's just as serious
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  for you to do that in this day as it was
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  in that day.
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  >> Amen. And what the problem is, we have
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  lightened this truth. But the the
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  judgment that comes for this is the
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  same. Now listen to what your Bible says
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  in the book of Deuteronomy. Turn with me
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  to Deuteronomy 23.
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  Deuteronomy chapter number 23, he is
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  giving the description of this this sin
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  of perjury.
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  Now listen to what he says. Deuteronomy
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  23 21-
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  23. When thou shalt vow a vow unto the
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  Lord thy God, thou shalt not slack to
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  pay it. For the Lord thy God will surely
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  require of thee, and it would be sin in
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  thee. But if thou shalt forbear to thou,
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  it shall be no sin in thee. That which
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  is gone out of thy lips, thou shalt keep
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  and perform, even a free will offering
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  according as thou has vowed unto the
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  Lord thy God, which thou hast promised
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  with thy mouth. Now, let me say this
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  first of all tonight. When we think
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  about this sense of a vow, what's the
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  first thing that comes to our mind? It's
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  the marriage.
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  And let me remind you something tonight.
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  That vow is made before God.
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  >> It's made before God. It's made before
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  your spouse and it's made before the
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  congregants that will be there when you
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  sign that. When somebody signs that
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  marriage license, they are signing to
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  certify the vow that's in your life. You
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  made that vow before God. And God says
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  this in verse number 21. When thou shalt
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  vow a vow to the Lord, thou shalt not
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  slack to pay it. For the Lord thy God
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  will surely require of thee, and it
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  would be sin in thee. Verse 22. But if
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  thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be
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  no sin in thee. Now we think about the
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  marriage vow. But this is a vow here to
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  give. It's a vow of man. And when I say
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  a vow of man, it has to do with giving a
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  sacrifice. What you have vowed unto the
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  Lord, you are to pay that. Now, I want
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  to say this tonight. I wouldn't
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  recommend anybody to make a deal with
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  God.
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  >> I wouldn't recommend that tonight
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  because the truth is you'll never hold
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  up your end.
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  >> That's right.
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  >> Amen. He always holds up his end. Amen.
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  But the truth is, how many times have we
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  promised God on an altar wet with tears
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  somewhere, promised God something? We're
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  going to be different. We're going to be
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  changed. But the truth is, the flesh
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  that's in us is going to do the exact
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  same thing that it did before. At some
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  point later on, you say, "Well,
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  preacher, I promise God that I'd never
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  drink again, and I never have." But you
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  can't tell me there ain't been a time
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  where you wanted one.
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  >> Oh, that's good preaching tonight.
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  >> Amen. Remember what Jesus said? He said
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  those that commit adultery, he said it
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  ain't got nothing to do with the action.
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  He said, "But if a man look upon a woman
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  to lust after her." You see, it's the
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  desire that's sinful.
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  >> It's not It's not just the action. It's
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  the desire that is sinful. And so this
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  issue of the vow, Solomon said it this
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  way. It's better to not vow than to vow
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  and not pay. And so when you take an
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  oath, when you take a vow, you better
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  make sure that you can keep up with that
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  because God is keeping record. And the
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  Bible says here in this text, Jesus
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  said, "You've heard that it hath been
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  said by them of old time, thou shalt not
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  forswear thyself, but thou shalt perform
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  unto the Lord thine." Now the Pharisees
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  had made this an issue that was just
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  present at the tabernacle. But what he
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  is dealing with in this text is the
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  Pharisees has made it had made it
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  acceptable in their economy that they
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  could swear over anything else.
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  >> You say, "How is that?" Well, just give
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  you a good example. Look at the world we
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  live in today.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> You see, perjury for the most part,
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  people are I mean, I I'll just say this
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  tonight. You know, we live in the the
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  country, you know, the the land of the
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  good old boys,
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  >> you know, and and for the most part,
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  they're not guilty of perjury. I mean,
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  let's just be honest. If they tell you
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  they'll do something, most of the time
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  they will. It's getting to where it
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  ain't that way anymore. But I will say
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  this, the problem is not with that. The
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  problem is with their language.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> Jesus is not dealing here in the text.
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  See, they the the pergered issue, the
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  Pharisees, they were fine with that, but
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  they wanted to be able to swear and talk
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  about anything that they wanted to talk
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  about. So Jesus is not dealing so much
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  with that sin of perjury, but he wants
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  to deal with the sin of profanity.
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  Listen to what he says in verse 34. Now
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  there is the command described in verse
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  33. There is the common discourse in
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  verse 34. Look what the Bible says. But
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  I say unto you, swear not at all. Now,
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  I'm going I'm going to get very
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  practical with this tonight. Okay? And
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  here's what I want you to understand
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  this. You say, "Preacher, does that mean
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  that when I go to the courthouse that I
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  can't lay my hand on?" No, that's not
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  what that means. Okay? Here's what this
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  means. All right? If it is unnecessary,
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  if it's not necessary, don't do it.
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  >> So, and and you say, "What does that
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  come back to?" Well, notice what you
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  your Bible says in the book of Exodus 20
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  and verse number 7. Exodus 20 and verse
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  number 7.
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  I want to give you this and then we'll
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  go back to the text and I'll make the
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  parallel and you'll understand where I'm
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  going. Exodus 20:7.
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  Exodus 20:7. Thou shalt not take the
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  name of the Lord thy God in vain, for
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  the Lord will not hold him guiltless
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  that taketh his name in vain. Now, what
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  does that mean to take God's name in
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  vain? It means to use it in a place
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  where there is no emphasis on it. That's
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  right.
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  >> It means to use it in an empty,
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  disrespectful,
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  irreverent way.
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  >> And you say, "Well, when what does that
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  apply to?" Well, Jesus gives it in the
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  text. Look what he says in verse 34. He
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  says, "But I say unto you, swear not at
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  all." All right. So, he he lays the
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  groundwork right here and says, "It's
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  wrong to swear." Period.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> All right. We'll deal with the custom
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  issue in a minute, but you need to stay
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  with me on this. All right. He says,
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  "Swear not at all." Now, what's it?
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  What's the explanation that he gives?
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  Swear not at all, neither by heaven.
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  Notice this phrase, "For it's God's
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  throne." Now, you know the common
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  discourse. Jesus has to tell them to
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  swear not at all because across the
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  board, everybody does. You may not think
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  that you do, but at some point in your
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  mind, you you you have a attitude of
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  this. Now, Adrien Rogers illustrated
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  this very well. He talked about lying
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  and this is what he said when he talked
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  about lying. He said that he was
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  traveling down the road one night in his
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  little car and his little car had a
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  headlight out. You may have heard him
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  tell this story before and he said his
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  little car had a headlight out and said
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  an officer pulled him over and they
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  asked him said uh sir did you he said
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  sir do you know that your headlights out
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  and he said he said the thing about
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  lying is is he said you you can tell the
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  truth but lie with your tone of voice.
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  This is what he said. He said that
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  officer asked him, "Sir, do you know
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  your headlights out?" And he's looked
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  back and he said, "My headlights out."
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  He was telling the truth. But he lied
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  with the tone of his voice. You see,
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  your attitude
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  goes, it's more than just what you say.
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  >> But it's the attitude that you say,
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  "Preacher, what is this trying to
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  express?" Jesus is trying to express to
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  them the bad how bad humanity really is,
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  how sinful we are. Now notice what's
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  said in the text. I'll make sense of
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  this in a minute. I promise. You see not
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  only the common discourse, but notice
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  the connection to deity. Verse 34. Swear
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  neither by heaven. Don't don't swear,
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  you know, unto heaven by God's dwelling
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  place. He says, for it's God's throne,
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  nor by the earth because it's his
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  foottool. That's a place where he
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  stands. Neither by Jerusalem, for it is
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  the city of the great king. We're not to
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  swear by Jerusalem because it is the
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  place where he will reign. Verse 36,
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  neither shalt thou swear. Notice where
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  he goes to by thy head because thou
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  can't not make one hair white or black.
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  You say, preacher, what does that mean?
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  Jesus says, swear not at all for this
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  reason. Because whatever you swear by,
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  it belongs to God.
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  >> If you swear by the grass out there in
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  that yard, you know who made that thing
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  to grow. Yes, that's right.
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  >> If you swear by any If you swear by your
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  legs, by your hands, by your wife, by
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  your children, you know what? Every bit
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  of that belongs to God.
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  >> Amen.
• 16:59
  >> And so, what's the truth Jesus is
• 17:00
  expressing? Whatever you're swearing by
• 17:02
  is you you are taking God's name in
• 17:04
  vain. One writer said it this way. I
• 17:06
  think it's John Butler. He said this. He
• 17:08
  said, "The truth is Jesus says, "Swear
• 17:10
  not at all." And he said the reason why
• 17:12
  he says that because whatever you swear
• 17:14
  by it all leads to profanity.
• 17:18
  You say how does that lead to profanity?
• 17:20
  Well, notice the definition of profanity
• 17:22
  again. Profane, irreverent to anything
• 17:26
  what? Sacred. Proceeding from contempt
• 17:31
  of sacred things. All right. Now, let me
• 17:33
  just give you this. Okay. You say,
• 17:35
  "Preacher, well, I'm not in contempt.
• 17:37
  I'm not trying to be a reverend. It's
• 17:39
  natural to you to be a reverend.
• 17:41
  >> You know why children run in t run in
• 17:43
  church without you having to tell them?
• 17:47
  >> I'm being real. Okay? Look, I'm not
• 17:49
  being I'm not being ugly tonight, but
• 17:51
  I'm saying we are naturally irreverent,
• 17:53
  disrespectful beings. If you're going to
• 17:55
  be sacred and holy and honor and respect
• 17:58
  things that are sacred and holy, you
• 17:59
  will have to choose to do so.
• 18:01
  >> Amen. It's not in you to do those
• 18:04
  things. And Jesus, he connects this to
• 18:06
  deity. He says, "You're not to swear by
• 18:09
  heaven because that's where he dwells.
• 18:11
  You're not to swear by that by the earth
• 18:12
  because that's where he stands. You're
• 18:14
  not to swear by Jerusalem because that's
• 18:17
  where he'll reign. You're not to swear
• 18:19
  by your own head," he said, because you
• 18:21
  can't change whether your hair is white
• 18:23
  or black. God made you the way that he
• 18:26
  made you. You can't swear by your wife
• 18:29
  because God made her. You can't swear by
• 18:31
  your children because God made them. You
• 18:33
  say, "Preacher, what are you saying?"
• 18:35
  I'm saying that profanity when you speak
• 18:38
  God's name in an empty irreverent way
• 18:41
  that is profaining his name regardless
• 18:45
  >> right
• 18:46
  >> of the time that you say it. Now it goes
• 18:48
  further than that.
• 18:50
  Notice the text. This is where I want to
• 18:53
  get to. Okay? I know all of that's
• 18:54
  Jewish ground. This is an application
• 18:56
  sense right here. Verse 37. And this is
• 18:59
  good for us today. All right. This is
• 19:00
  where I want to get to and I'll be done.
• 19:02
  Verse 37. And he tells them, "You're not
• 19:04
  to swear at all." He reveals the command
• 19:06
  described. He shows the common
• 19:08
  discourse, swear not at all. It's
• 19:10
  obviously a problem across the board. We
• 19:12
  would agree with that. Okay. Um he
• 19:15
  reveals the connection to deity.
• 19:18
  But notice the communication desired in
• 19:20
  verse 37. But let your communication be
• 19:23
  yay yay nay nay. For whatsoever is more
• 19:28
  than these cometh of evil. Now I want to
• 19:31
  give you three thoughts tonight on this
• 19:34
  thought of preserving piety. Let me ask
• 19:36
  you something. Do you do you want to
• 19:38
  talk right?
• 19:41
  >> Do you want to be blameless in your
• 19:42
  speech?
• 19:44
  >> There's three words here that'll set you
• 19:46
  up to be blameless in your speech. You
• 19:49
  say, "Preacher, if I want to talk right,
• 19:51
  if I want my speech to be entirely 100%
• 19:54
  pure, preacher, are you saying that
• 19:56
  you're there?" No, but I want to be. I
• 19:59
  realize that there's little terms that I
• 20:01
  use at times and it convicted me this
• 20:03
  this afternoon while I was looking over
• 20:05
  this. God convicted my heart about some
• 20:07
  of the things that I say. Of course, I
• 20:09
  don't cuss, friend. I'm not going to do
• 20:10
  that. Amen. But what I will tell you is
• 20:12
  this. There's things Adrien Rogers, he
• 20:14
  said this. He said, "You say darn gosh
• 20:16
  and dang. It's just as bad."
• 20:23
  You say, "Preacher, you got Bible for
• 20:24
  that?" I do. I'll give it to you. Three
• 20:26
  things. You say, "How can I have my
• 20:29
  communication proper before God?" Number
• 20:31
  one, I would say this. Your
• 20:32
  communication needs to be short.
• 20:37
  You say, "What do you mean it needs to
• 20:39
  be short?" Look what he says. He says in
• 20:41
  verse 34, "Swear not at all." Verse 37,
• 20:44
  "But let your communication be yay yay
• 20:48
  nay nay." Now, number one, I would say
• 20:51
  this tonight in this thought that your
• 20:53
  communication needs to be short. You
• 20:55
  need to say what you mean and mean what
• 20:56
  you say.
• 21:00
  >> People should not have to question about
• 21:03
  what you mean when you're talking.
• 21:07
  Get to the point. Okay. What we have in
• 21:10
  this day and time and I and you know my
• 21:13
  our government, man, I'm telling you,
• 21:14
  they they are silver tone devils.
• 21:17
  Especially that liberal left-wing crowd.
• 21:20
  You say, "What do you mean by that?" If
• 21:22
  you ever notice how they always talk and
• 21:25
  they'll talk all the way around the
• 21:26
  question, but they'll never really
• 21:28
  answer the question.
• 21:28
  >> Amen.
• 21:31
  >> That's unholy.
• 21:32
  >> Amen.
• 21:33
  >> You say, "Preacher, how is that?" Well,
• 21:34
  you remember how the devil dealt with
• 21:36
  Eve?
• 21:40
  Yeah, he hath God said, "Ye shall not
• 21:42
  surely die." He goes all the way around
• 21:44
  the question. Never deals with the
• 21:46
  actual heart of the matter. Let me say
• 21:48
  this to you. Your communication needs to
• 21:51
  be short. You say, "How how do you know
• 21:53
  that?" Well, look what Jesus says. But
• 21:54
  let your communication be yay. Yay. Now,
• 21:57
  here's what we do. Okay? And and we
• 22:00
  always have to add a word for emphasis.
• 22:03
  Okay? This is what people do when they
• 22:04
  they use their four favorite four-letter
• 22:06
  word, whatever it is. You know what they
• 22:08
  do? They add their, you know, their
• 22:10
  indicative on the end of that. You know,
• 22:12
  you know, their four-letter word, yes.
• 22:14
  Their four-letter word, no. You get the
• 22:15
  drift.
• 22:17
  It's it's a it's a because they have no
• 22:20
  no other thoughts. They have no you know
• 22:22
  intellect whatsoever. They have to add
• 22:24
  that in there. Jesus says let be yay
• 22:26
  yay. He said if you need to emphasize it
• 22:28
  you say it twice. One writer said this.
• 22:31
  Jesus indicative was what he said it was
• 22:33
  verily verily.
• 22:35
  >> That was his expression. Verily verily I
• 22:38
  say unto you. That's what he told his
• 22:41
  disciples. And and and you say well what
• 22:43
  how does that translate over to me?
• 22:45
  Well, I hope you don't cuss, first of
• 22:47
  all,
• 22:48
  >> but it goes beyond that. It's not just
• 22:50
  cuss words, okay? It's not just words
• 22:52
  that we know are wrong, okay? It's the
• 22:55
  words that you say that really just
• 22:56
  aren't polite.
• 22:58
  You understand God is he is just as much
• 23:01
  against those things that are outright
• 23:03
  like, you know, the cuss words that we
• 23:05
  think about. He is just as much against
• 23:07
  the the words that are just improper.
• 23:12
  >> It matters how you speak.
• 23:14
  Let your communication be yay. Yay. If
• 23:17
  it needs to be emphasized, say it twice,
• 23:19
  but that's enough. If if it needs to be
• 23:22
  emphasized, emphasize it in a way that's
• 23:25
  pure.
• 23:27
  I want you to notice this verse, okay?
• 23:30
  It needs to be needs to be sure. Now,
• 23:32
  let's let's think about this verse for
• 23:34
  just a minute. Okay? Notice the word
• 23:36
  that's used. But let your communication
• 23:39
  be yay. Yay. Now, those are the those
• 23:41
  are the two shortest shortest words.
• 23:43
  That that's that's about as straight and
• 23:45
  to the point as it gets. Let me say
• 23:47
  this, sir. Ma'am, ma'am, don't fall out
• 23:50
  with your husband when he's short. Let
• 23:52
  me say this. When husband, when you're
• 23:54
  short for the wrong reason, you you know
• 23:56
  you got problems as well. But let me say
• 23:58
  this. When conversations just need a
• 24:00
  simple yes or a simple no, that's where
• 24:04
  it needs to stop.
• 24:06
  >> All right, so let's let's move on from
• 24:08
  that. Okay, you get that point. But I'll
• 24:10
  say this, not only communication
• 24:12
  desired, number one, needs to be short.
• 24:14
  Number two, it needs to be serious.
• 24:17
  It needs to be serious. Here's the verse
• 24:20
  I was going to give you for that.
• 24:21
  Colossians chapter 4. That was the verse
• 24:22
  I was looking for. Colossians chapter 4,
• 24:29
  verse number six.
• 24:35
  He says, "But let your communication be
• 24:37
  yay, yay, nigh, ne." And Paul says this.
• 24:40
  He says, "Let your speech or notice
• 24:42
  verse five first." Colossians 4 verse
• 24:44
  number five. Walk in wisdom toward them
• 24:46
  that are without. You know what he's
• 24:47
  talking about? He's talking about lost
• 24:48
  people. Let me say this. It matters how
• 24:50
  you talk around lost people.
• 24:52
  >> If you're saved by the grace of God and
• 24:54
  you spew a big bunch of awful, how can
• 24:57
  you expect? I mean, how do you expect to
• 24:59
  be able to win them people of the Lord?
• 25:01
  They've done wrote you off. Listen to
• 25:02
  what he says. Walk in wisdom toward them
• 25:05
  that are without, redeeming the time.
• 25:06
  Verse six, let your speech be always
• 25:09
  with grace, seasoned with salt, that you
• 25:12
  may know how you ought to answer every
• 25:14
  man. You know what that means? It means
• 25:16
  think before you speak.
• 25:20
  >> Season, let it be with grace.
• 25:23
  Let it be with humility. That's what
• 25:25
  that means. Let it be with grace.
• 25:27
  Seasoned with salt. Let it be proper.
• 25:30
  You know what seasoned speech sounds
• 25:32
  like? It's timely.
• 25:34
  You ever heard somebody speak out of
• 25:36
  turn?
• 25:37
  We sit. I mean, I I hate to keep using
• 25:39
  the government, but it's such a good
• 25:41
  example. I mean, you watch them sit in
• 25:44
  them meetings and one will be yelling
• 25:45
  over the other one and another one be
• 25:46
  yelling over the other one, and you know
• 25:48
  that God's not pleased with that. That's
• 25:50
  out of order. Let your speech be always
• 25:53
  with grace, seasoned with salt, that you
• 25:56
  may know how you ought to answer every
• 25:58
  man. You ought to think before you
• 26:00
  speak. You say, "Preacher, I know that."
• 26:02
  Well, you don't show it.
• 26:05
  You say, "How do you know that about
• 26:07
  me?" Because all of us are that way.
• 26:10
  >> All of us are that way. But this thought
• 26:12
  of it being serious. What do I mean by
• 26:15
  that? Well, notice what Paul says in
• 26:16
  Ephesians chapter number five.
• 26:20
  He he points it out in Colossians as
• 26:22
  well, but but Ephesians 5 describes this
• 26:25
  very well. Listen to what he says. These
• 26:27
  are good verses to go back to for this
• 26:29
  subject if you ever, you know, need to
• 26:31
  reprimand your kids. You know, Ephesians
• 26:33
  chapter 5. That was supposed to be
• 26:36
  funny.
• 26:38
  I want to dig in right here for a
• 26:39
  minute. Okay.
• 26:41
  Your communication needs to be short,
• 26:43
  but it needs to be serious.
• 26:46
  And the dangerous part about a preacher
• 26:48
  and a pastor is this is what I know. I
• 26:50
  have to get up here and talk to you,
• 26:51
  preach to you for 30 minutes. So I have
• 26:53
  to make sure that I'm saying a whole lot
• 26:55
  in this time period because I don't want
• 26:56
  to waste it. It needs to be serious. Now
• 26:59
  notice what he says. Ephesians 5:4 or
• 27:02
  verse three. But fornication, all
• 27:04
  uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not
• 27:06
  be once named among you, has become the
• 27:08
  saints. Verse four, neither filthiness
• 27:11
  nor foolish talking nor justesting,
• 27:14
  which are not convenient, but rather
• 27:17
  giving of thanks. You ever noticed? And
• 27:20
  and here's here's what I here's what I
• 27:22
  want to express to you out of this. You
• 27:24
  ever notice how the most godly people
• 27:26
  that you're ever around in your life are
• 27:28
  serious?
• 27:31
  They don't have they're they're not
• 27:33
  really looking to laugh all that much.
• 27:35
  Now, Bible says, you know, a merry heart
• 27:37
  doth good like a medicine, but I don't I
• 27:39
  don't think that's so much about the the
• 27:41
  face as it is the heart. I think you can
• 27:43
  have a merry heart and be serious. Now,
• 27:45
  we going to dig here for a minute. We
• 27:46
  going to get deep for just a second. All
• 27:47
  right? You need to stay with me. Look
• 27:49
  what he says in verse four. Neither
• 27:52
  filthiness. Now, all of these are
• 27:54
  descriptions of language. Filthiness,
• 27:57
  foolish talking, nor justesting. All
• 27:59
  three of those are a description of
• 28:01
  language. Number one, filthiness is
• 28:03
  mentioned. What is filthiness? It's
• 28:05
  obscinities.
• 28:06
  Obscinities, however you want to say it.
• 28:09
  It has to do with perverse language.
• 28:12
  Speaking things that are unholy. You
• 28:14
  ever been around somebody tell filthy
• 28:16
  jokes? Neither filthiness.
• 28:19
  That's that that's that's a naughty
• 28:21
  heart. That's what that proceeds from.
• 28:23
  It's unholy. It's ungodly is what it is.
• 28:26
  He says, "Neither filthiness nor foolish
• 28:28
  talking." Now, you going to get a kick
• 28:30
  out of this. Okay? Listen to what this
• 28:32
  means. That word foolish talking in the
• 28:35
  English language, it literally
• 28:37
  translates to the word buffoonery.
• 28:42
  Buffoonery.
• 28:44
  You say, "What does that mean?"
• 28:46
  buffoonery. When he says foolish
• 28:48
  talking, it literally is it just it's
• 28:51
  just saying things that are completely
• 28:53
  unnecessary in order to get a laugh.
• 28:58
  And you know what goes on from that?
• 29:02
  You say, "Preacher, is this hitting
• 29:04
  hitting you?" Of course it is. That's
• 29:05
  why I'm telling you neither filthiness
• 29:08
  nor foolish talking norgesting.
• 29:11
  You know what the wordesting means?
• 29:13
  Means joking.
• 29:16
  unnecessary conversation keepers,
• 29:22
  time fillers.
• 29:25
  Look what he says about this.
• 29:27
  This is in your Bible. Neither
• 29:30
  filthiness nor foolish talking nor
• 29:32
  gesting which are not convenient. It
• 29:34
  means it's improper.
• 29:36
  You know what Paul is saying here? He's
• 29:39
  saying anything that wastes time is
• 29:42
  unhold.
• 29:47
  Don't you think we got some catching up
• 29:49
  to do?
• 29:51
  Buffoonery, obscenities,
• 29:54
  joking. Look what he says. Neither
• 29:56
  filthiness nor foolish talking, nor
• 29:58
  gesting, which are not convenient, but
• 30:00
  rather what? Giving of thanks.
• 30:05
  Now, I'm telling you, if we got right
• 30:07
  with that right there, we'd have
• 30:08
  revival.
• 30:11
  You know, it convicted the daylights out
• 30:13
  of me because I think about how much
• 30:16
  conversation I waste
• 30:19
  talking about things that are just
• 30:20
  useless time fillers
• 30:23
  joking about things. And and the thing
• 30:25
  about it is is it's not it's not that
• 30:26
  it's just, you know, you know, I'm not
• 30:28
  just thinking wicked thoughts and just
• 30:30
  feasting on that. You know, I'm not
• 30:32
  guilty of those obscenities. I'm
• 30:33
  thankful for that. And you better not
• 30:35
  be. Amen. But we all guilty of wasting
• 30:39
  words. You understand words is life and
• 30:42
  death. What you say to a sinner is life
• 30:46
  and death.
• 30:49
  >> You know, I've I've seen this and I told
• 30:51
  you I was going to be more practical and
• 30:53
  topical. I've seen this in the work
• 30:56
  world. I remember when I worked my old
• 30:59
  job, work around some of those guys up
• 31:01
  there. This was their life. This is all
• 31:03
  they live for, just to waste time. I
• 31:05
  mean, if you work for the State
• 31:07
  Department, that's, you know, that's
• 31:08
  what they do. So, I'm I'm not knocking
• 31:10
  you, Sherman. Amen. But, uh, but that's
• 31:13
  what they do. They sit around and waste
• 31:15
  time and they would talk about stuff.
• 31:16
  And I always wondered why just a normal
• 31:19
  conversation could turn into something
• 31:20
  so wicked quickly.
• 31:23
  And it's that reason. They're just
• 31:25
  trying to fill up time.
• 31:28
  You know what you do when you have a
• 31:29
  conversation with somebody and you're
• 31:32
  just trying to fill up time? You know
• 31:33
  what that conversation is going to do?
• 31:36
  It's going to go left fast.
• 31:40
  You say, "How do you know that?" You
• 31:42
  just try to fill up a conversation with
• 31:44
  your wife and you watch where it goes.
• 31:48
  This is good preaching even if I am
• 31:50
  doing it. Amen.
• 31:52
  >> I'm saying if you ain't got a purpose
• 31:55
  for what you're speaking and and my
• 31:57
  wife, she's the best about this because
• 31:59
  we'll be driving down, we driving down
• 32:00
  the road today. We had like 6-hour drive
• 32:02
  today.
• 32:04
  And uh we was driving down the road and
• 32:06
  I looked at her. I said I said, "Am I
• 32:08
  really this boring?"
• 32:11
  She said, "You're not boring." She was
• 32:12
  driving. I was trying to think,
• 32:14
  meditate. Camry screaming in the back.
• 32:16
  You know, there was no meditation going
• 32:18
  on.
• 32:20
  But I said, "Am I really this boring?"
• 32:21
  And she said, "No." She said, "I'm just
• 32:23
  driving." But she don't speak unless she
• 32:25
  has something to say.
• 32:28
  I need that. That's Christian. That's
• 32:31
  godly.
• 32:32
  >> Don't speak. You y'all ever remember mom
• 32:35
  and daddy saying don't speak unless
• 32:36
  you're spoken to.
• 32:40
  >> That's that's godly. More godly than you
• 32:42
  think it is. There's principle. See
• 32:45
  these things. There's purpose for why
• 32:47
  this we waste so much time. We waste so
• 32:50
  many words by things that do not even
• 32:53
  matter.
• 32:54
  Desirable communication is short.
• 32:56
  Desirable communication is serious.
• 32:59
  And I'll say this, this one really, this
• 33:02
  one gets under, you know, and and don't
• 33:04
  fall out with me on this one, but this
• 33:05
  one's going to plow us up, okay? Desired
• 33:08
  communication's not only short, and it's
• 33:10
  not only serious, but it's slow.
• 33:13
  Listen to what James says.
• 33:16
  Oh my, God help us. James chapter 1.
• 33:24
  James chapter 1 verse 19.
• 33:29
  What's your Bible say? Wherefore, my
• 33:32
  beloved brethren, let every man be swift
• 33:35
  to hear,
• 33:37
  slow to speak, slow to wrath. For the
• 33:42
  wrath of man workketh not the
• 33:43
  righteousness of God. Now, is it any
• 33:45
  coincidence that he says all of that
• 33:47
  together?
• 33:49
  Is it any coincidence that he says a man
• 33:51
  is supposed to be slow to speak, slow to
• 33:53
  wrath, and then he says, "For the wrath
• 33:55
  of man workketh not the righteousness of
• 33:56
  God." You know what we are so common to
• 33:59
  do in our anger? What do we do? We spout
• 34:02
  off.
• 34:03
  >> We spew just like an open Coke bottle.
• 34:07
  And you know what it is? It's quick.
• 34:10
  It's cutting. It's destructive, isn't
• 34:12
  it? James talks about the tongue. Turn
• 34:15
  over a chapter. Listen to what he says.
• 34:17
  He says in James chapter 3 and verse
• 34:20
  number five, he said, "Even so the
• 34:22
  tongue is a little member boasteth great
• 34:24
  things. Behold, how great a matter
• 34:25
  little fire kindleth. And the tongue is
• 34:27
  a fire a world of iniquity. So is the
• 34:28
  tongue among our members that it
• 34:30
  defileth the whole body and setth on
• 34:32
  fire the course of nature and it is set
• 34:34
  on fire of hell. He says your speech
• 34:37
  should be slow. Why is that? Because if
• 34:40
  it's fast, you don't have time to think.
• 34:43
  >> So many people and and this is you
• 34:45
  reveal your ignorance. You know, it's
• 34:47
  it's one of them things, you know, I've
• 34:48
  heard people say this and it's very
• 34:50
  true. You know, it's better to keep your
• 34:53
  mouth closed and, you know, remain a
• 34:55
  fool than open your mouth and remove all
• 34:57
  doubts. You've heard that before.
• 34:59
  And the truth about your life and mine
• 35:01
  is every mess we make with our mouth in
• 35:05
  relationships comes because we were too
• 35:08
  quick to answer.
• 35:10
  I tell you, there's wisdom in silence.
• 35:14
  There is great wisdom in science.
• 35:18
  We ought to spend, of course, we know
• 35:21
  that the principle we're given two ears,
• 35:24
  so we ought to hear twice as much as we
• 35:26
  speak. He says, "Let every man be swift
• 35:29
  to hear and slow to speak."
• 35:32
  What does that mean for our life? Well,
• 35:34
  I'll tell you this. If you embrace that
• 35:36
  truth, number one, the quality of your
• 35:38
  relationships is going to improve
• 35:39
  greatly
• 35:41
  if you take time to listen.
• 35:44
  If you stop, I tell you as as a man, as
• 35:46
  a woman, m what doesn't matter which
• 35:48
  side of the the marriage that you're on
• 35:50
  or you know, as children, what's the
• 35:52
  number one problem with them? They don't
• 35:54
  listen.
• 35:56
  Daddy told me that a thousand times
• 35:57
  growing up. You don't listen to nothing.
• 35:59
  I say
• 36:02
  >> and the same and the thing is that's the
• 36:04
  same problem we have spiritually. We're
• 36:07
  so quick to speak and try to portray
• 36:09
  ourselves as spiritual. But the truth
• 36:11
  is, we need to be quick to listen so we
• 36:13
  can actually be produced as spiritual.
• 36:16
  We need spiritual growth. We don't need
• 36:18
  to be dumping out what we do have.
• 36:23
  We think we we learn a truth and the
• 36:25
  first thing we want to do is want to
• 36:26
  run, put it on Facebook.
• 36:30
  You say, "How do you know?" I have the
• 36:32
  same thing in me, man. God shows me
• 36:34
  something in the Bible. Man, I'm
• 36:35
  thinking, man, that'll be a blessing to
• 36:37
  somebody else.
• 36:39
  You know what I tell myself? I just I
• 36:42
  don't need to do that. It's not about
• 36:44
  me. You see, thing about this, your walk
• 36:47
  with the Lord's personal.
• 36:50
  >> Your marriage is personal.
• 36:51
  >> Amen.
• 36:53
  >> Your your relationship with your kids is
• 36:55
  personal.
• 36:57
  >> And let me say this to you, okay? If we
• 36:59
  would stop and think
• 37:02
  about what we're doing, this doesn't
• 37:04
  just go for what we say, but it go the
• 37:06
  reason why he says this about what we
• 37:08
  say is because it's the most common
• 37:10
  problem with our thoughts. We have not
• 37:12
  brought our thoughts into obedience to
• 37:15
  Christ.
• 37:16
  I'm reminding what Paul said. He said,
• 37:18
  "The weapons of our warfare are not
• 37:19
  carnal, but they're mighty through God
• 37:21
  to the bringing down of strongholds." He
• 37:23
  said, "It brings into captivity u every
• 37:26
  thought to the obedience of Christ.
• 37:29
  We need we need a spiritual awakening in
• 37:31
  our lives of allowing our thoughts to be
• 37:34
  brought in. And you know what'll happen?
• 37:36
  You'll speak a whole lot less.
• 37:39
  Jesus says, "But let your communication
• 37:41
  be yay, yay, nay, nay." And then notice
• 37:44
  the phrase, "I'm done." Look what he
• 37:45
  says. Verse 37, Matthew 5. For
• 37:48
  whatsoever is more than these cometh of
• 37:52
  evil. You know what that means? It
• 37:56
  literally means that it comes from the
• 37:57
  devil.
• 38:01
  When you answer somebody and you have to
• 38:04
  put a swear word on that, that's of the
• 38:07
  devil.
• 38:10
  There's no excuse for a child of God to
• 38:13
  ever curse.
• 38:15
  >> There's no excuse for a child of God to
• 38:18
  ever take part in in that filthy
• 38:22
  talking. Amen. You know, you say, "Well,
• 38:24
  we wouldn't do that around women folk."
• 38:26
  I've heard men say that. Wouldn't do
• 38:28
  that around women folk. Well, you do it
• 38:30
  around that little boy that's 12 or 13
• 38:32
  years old.
• 38:34
  >> Amen.
• 38:36
  >> It's not right.
• 38:39
  >> Because the truth is, it's not just the
• 38:41
  fact that you're saying it, but the fact
• 38:43
  that you would even think something like
• 38:44
  that, that it would even come into your
• 38:47
  mind,
• 38:49
  those obscenities. And and let me say
• 38:51
  this, you know, you say, "Preacher,
• 38:52
  well, where is the line on on, you know,
• 38:56
  profaining, taking God's name? Where is
• 38:58
  the name?" You you should never, you
• 39:00
  know, the you know, OMG, you know,
• 39:02
  people say that say that over and over
• 39:04
  and over again. And and and the thing
• 39:06
  about is is it's become such a redundant
• 39:08
  statement in our society that if we're
• 39:10
  not careful, we'll catch ourselves
• 39:12
  saying it.
• 39:12
  >> Amen.
• 39:13
  >> We'll put God's name on the end of
• 39:15
  everything.
• 39:17
  And the thing about it is we're all
• 39:18
  guilty of this in some point.
• 39:21
  Dang darn gosh.
• 39:24
  It's useless words. Meaningless words.
• 39:27
  Gap fillers.
• 39:29
  Let your words be with grace seasoned
• 39:32
  with salt. Every word you say ought to
• 39:35
  have meaning to it.
• 39:37
  They say Jonathan Edwards preached his
• 39:39
  sermon sinners in in the hands of an
• 39:41
  angry God. He preached it. He read it
• 39:44
  verbatim.
• 39:45
  read it in a monotone voice. This is
• 39:47
  what they said about that sermon that
• 39:49
  captivated them. Number one, it was the
• 39:50
  power of God. But number two, it was the
• 39:52
  thought that every word he said had
• 39:55
  weight.
• 39:57
  You know what scares me to death? That I
• 39:59
  would get up here and preach to you and
• 40:01
  teach to you and my words not have
• 40:03
  meaning.
• 40:06
  That my sermons just be gap fillers.
• 40:09
  That ain't what I want. And you don't
• 40:11
  need that with your wife. You don't need
• 40:13
  that with your children.
• 40:15
  >> Say what you mean. Mean what you say.
• 40:19
  >> Don't let I love you just be something
• 40:21
  to fill a spot.
• 40:22
  >> That's right.
• 40:27
  >> Don't let I'm praying for you just be
• 40:29
  something to comfort somebody's mind.
• 40:31
  >> Amen.
• 40:33
  >> If you love them, love them.
• 40:35
  >> If you're praying for them,
• 40:37
  >> pray for them.
• 40:38
  >> That's right. If you're using God's name
• 40:41
  for something, it better be to tell
• 40:42
  somebody how good he's been to you.
• 40:46
  >> It ought to never be a gap filler. It
• 40:49
  ought to never be a a a prefix to your
• 40:51
  cuss word. Amen. But it ought to always
• 40:54
  be to honor his name. Father, thank you
• 40:57
  for this time. Lord, I I say, "Oh, me."
• 41:00
  But God, I thank you that you still
• 41:02
  speak to me this way. I thank you that
• 41:05
  uh Lord, you saved me. You you changed.
• 41:07
  Lord, you took out that that old those
• 41:09
  old cuss words, Father, and moved them
• 41:11
  from me. And I I'm thankful for that.
• 41:13
  But Lord, I know I still miss the mark,
• 41:16
  God, to say things that I shouldn't.
• 41:18
  Lord, I speak things at times I
• 41:19
  shouldn't. God, we all do. Lord, would
• 41:21
  you help us, Lord, to make every word
• 41:24
  count because, Lord, I know we've only
• 41:26
  got so many in this life. Lord, I want
• 41:28
  them to be spoken for you. God, will you
• 41:31
  help us, Lord, to apply these truths to
• 41:34
  our life, Lord, to allow our
• 41:35
  communication to be uh short, but to be
• 41:38
  serious. And uh Lord, to let it be u u
• 41:42
  seasoned with salt, Father, and proper
• 41:44
  uh before you. And uh Lord, I thank you
• 41:47
  for this church. Thank you for these
• 41:48
  people, Lord. I know they'll embrace
• 41:49
  this, Lord, because they've embraced so
• 41:51
  much, God, in the last uh Lord, two
• 41:54
  years I've been here. And God, I I thank
• 41:56
  you, Father, that it ain't got nothing
• 41:57
  to do with me. But Lord, I just love to
• 41:59
  see them hungry for the same truth, God,
• 42:01
  that you feed to me each day. And Lord,
• 42:03
  I pray, God, you'd help us to be
• 42:05
  obedient to it. Lord, I love you. Thank
• 42:07
  you for loving us. We give you thanks
• 42:09
  for all that you do because we ask it in
• 42:11
  Jesus name. God's children said,
• 42:13
  >> "Amen."
• 42:14
  >> Thank you for being here.
• 42:15
  >> Thank you for joining our service today.
• 42:17
  We'd love it if you'd join us in person
• 42:19
  the next time you are able at Meadows
• 42:21
  Baptist Church. Our physical address is
• 42:24
  2988 Stewart Road in Walnut Cove, North
• 42:28
  Carolina. Our service times are Sunday
• 42:31
  school at 10:00 a.m., Sunday morning
• 42:33
  worship at 11:00 a.m., Sunday evening
• 42:36
  worship at 6:00 p.m., and Wednesday
• 42:38
  evening Bible study at 7:00 p.m. For
• 42:41
  more information, visit us at
• 42:43
  meadowsbaptisturch.com.
• 42:46
  Thanks again for tuning in.