Study the Word

Guest (Male): With a cautionary word to parents, here's pastor Tom Keller.

Pastor Thom Keller: Don't you ever think your child isn't capable of doing what every other child is doing. Cuz a moment you think they're not capable of that, you're going to be blind and you're going to get caught. You're going to miss something you should have seen cuz you thought, oh, that couldn't be my child.

Guest (Male): Believe it or not, while children aren't very good at listening to their parents, they are very good at imitating them. Keep that in mind and join us for today's Study the Word with pastor Tom Keller as we get some help to meet the challenge. We'll be in Colossians chapter 3 for the most part, which addresses the common struggles of anger, profanity, and lies. But starting things off by revisiting the two types of anger we heard about last time, here's pastor Tom once again.

Pastor Thom Keller: Does your anger result in a volcanic style eruption or do you just bottle it all up inside? In Greek, the word is Ice and it means filthy, foul, obscene speech. In English, our word is profanity, which is from the Latin word profanus, which literally means outside the temple. It has that meaning because it speaks of someone who speaks words outside the temple that they would never speak inside the temple. So let me bring that home to us. It means using language outside in the workplace that you would never use in the church. It means saying words to your friends you would never say to your grandmother.

That's the idea of profanity. A recent poll shows that nearly three quarters of Americans question. Let me say something first. You know, if you're a new Christian, you may still struggle with profanity. Uh some people get saved and they just give it up like that. Other people, it's a process. It takes a little bit of time to give it up. We understand that. No one ever cleaned me up. I'm not going to clean you up. It's the Holy Spirit that's going to clean you up. And what you're going to find is you're going to let a string of words out and you're going to think, ooh, I guess I shouldn't have said that.

Well, you're old. You didn't care. But now you do care because that's the Holy Spirit convicting you. Just respond to that. As the Holy Spirit says, and he's not going to You're not going to feel condemned by him. You're going to feel convicted by him. And when those words come, just say, whoa, I guess I shouldn't have said that. And then just work at that. Just be obedient to that. We're not beating you up. It's a process. It 's a process. But we should be working on it. A recent poll on profanity shows that nearly three quarters of Americans question 74% said they encounter profanity frequently or occasionally.

Two thirds said that they think people swear more than they did 20 years ago. Who doesn't know that? And as for the gold standard of foul words, 64% said they use the worst word ranging from several times a day to a few times a year, 64%. The poll found that people divided by age and gender. Younger people admit to using bad language more often than older. And younger people also encountered it more and are bothered less by it. That's a shame. An AP poll showed that 62% of 18 to 34 year olds acknowledge swearing in conversations at least a few times a week compared to 39% age 35 and older.

62% versus 35% based on age. And as far as who you will swear in front of, 80% of workers will swear in front of coworkers, 75% my closest colleagues at work, 55% is back down to managers, 39 levels above that, and executives only 30% So even in those settings, there are different people they will swear in front of. More women were bothered by profanity than men, 74% versus 60% And a study done by Dr. Timothy J. of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts states that research shows that people who swear more score higher on traits such as dominance and hostility.

So swearing increases hostility. You may think hostility increases swearing, but actually it's the opposite. Just swearing ramps up hostility. Bob Green of the Field Newspaper Syndicate wrote about swearing in our society. This is good. Listen to what he says. A secular writer. Obscenity, the open use of words which used to be a mark of lower social strata has somehow become acceptable. And I am offended because foul language used casually in public comes close to the idea of violation of privacy. I know that there are some around who feel assaulted by it. Certain language is an assault on the senses.

Now those who disagree are probably saying after all, it's only words. But words are vehicles. They convey messages. And for some people, the use of profanity is a message of ugliness and aggressiveness and a disrespect for civil behavior. This practice is usually defended under the name of freedom. But whose freedom? If the language of ugliness becomes so much a part of our society that it's impossible to escape, then who is free and who isn't? It's well said. The Bible has much to say about the ability of words to defile you. Matthew 15:11 Jesus said, it's not what goes into your mouth that defiles you, not food.

You're defiled by the words that come out of your mouth. Romans 3:13 Speaking of people of the world, not Christian, their talk is foul like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies. Snake venom drips from their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. And then James 3 kind of the Magna Carta of speech. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire. Who doesn't know that?

For it is set on fire by hell itself. People contain all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father. Sometimes it curses those who've been made in the image of God. And so blessings and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right. So how does this apply to me? How many of you have accessed the Facebook? Can I see hands? Access Facebook? Thanks. Are you surprised by the language you see in Facebook sometimes?

Some language from people that you wouldn't think would use that kind of language. You know, I love you guys. I do, but I am saddened when I see Facebook postings from people that I know are Christians using language that should not be used. People tell me all the time, I don't like fake people. I don't like fake people. I don't like people that are fake. You know, be a person that just has one guide for vocabulary, for choice of words. Okay? Don't don't be somebody that when you get with certain kinds of friends, you use gutter language because that's the language they speak.

Don't do that. Don't be that person, please. Because then you become a fake. Uh is that right? You probably say I don't like fake people. Well, you become a fake person. Be consistent. Be the same person. Facebook, be the same person everywhere. Listen, folks, we are to be salt and light in a dark world. We are not to add darkness by way of profanus by speaking words outside the temple, outside the church, on social media that we would never use inside the church. And girls, let me say something here to you related to that subject.

If you are trying to find a good, solid Christian guy, do you know how undesirable you make yourself when you use profanity? It can make an attractive girl or woman look like a filthy barnyard animal. Now that's strong talk, but that's not me saying it. That's the Bible saying that. Proverbs 11:22 says, a beautiful woman who lacks discretion is like a gold ring in a pig's snout. There it is. Hey, same is true for a man. A handsome man with a filthy mouth lacking discernment, discretion is like a pig with a gold ring. You know, I've been, you've been in settings where you saw a nice looking woman, a handsome man and you thought, oh, that looks like a nice person.

And then they open their mouth and a string of words come out and you go, whoa, man, I got them wrong. Wow. Wow. Proverbs 9:13 addresses this as well. It says, a foolish woman is clamorous. She is simple and knows nothing. The word clamorous means noisy, loud, vocal, so loud as to compel attention. Girls, you might not know this, but listen to what a godly man, what a godly man finds attractive in a woman. 1 Peter 3 says, don't be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourself instead with a beauty that comes from within.

Listen, here it is. The unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit which is so precious to God. That is the antithesis of a clamoring, clamorous woman. And while we're on the subject, young men, do you know what makes a man attractive to a woman? Proverbs 19:22 It says, that which maketh a man to be desired is his kindness. One translates this, kindness makes a man attractive, not profanity. Profanity will not make you attractive to that girl or to a girl that you would like to marry. Profanity will not make you attractive to that godly man that you may want to marry.

It will not. I remember the story of a godly young man who was looking to find a girl to marry. And he saw a girl, knew a girl, and he thought, boy, she seems like a nice girl. And in one setting, he heard her let out a string of vulgarity. And he said, wow, she isn't who I thought she was. And he never pursued her. What could have been never was. What could have been never was because of that moment. Going on to verse 9, it says, don't lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.

Paul says, don't lie to each other. Do you ever lie? Did you just lie to yourself in answering that question? I currently am lying to my parents, 31% about suicidal thoughts. They're lying to the parents. 19.6% about sex, 16% about drugs, 14% about porn, 9% of teenagers are lying about everything. And 9% say they're lying about nothing. They're lying about everything. You know, this isn't my nose, but I just want to add this. When Sue and I were youth advisors at Midway, we did that for probably 10 years. And they asked us one Sunday morning to speak to the parents of those teenagers on a Sunday morning in their Sunday school class.

And this is the crux of what we said. We said, don't you ever think your child isn't capable of doing what every other child is doing. Cuz a moment you think they're not capable of that, you're going to be blind and you're going to get caught. You're going to miss something you should have seen cuz you thought, oh, that couldn't be my child. And I'm not a parent. I'm not telling how to fix that. I don't know. All I'm saying is because I have saw kids that lied to the parents. A man. Most people lie in everyday conversation when they are trying to appear likable and competent according to a study by the University of Massachusetts.

A recent study published in the journal's June issue found that 60% of people lied at least once during a 10-minute conversation and on average told two or three lies in 10 minutes. They said, quote, people tell a considerable number of lies in everyday conversation. It was very surprising to us. We didn't expect lying to be such a common part of daily life, Dr. Feldman said. The study also found that lies told by men and women were different in content, although not different in quantity. Feldman said the results showed that men do not lie more than women nor vice versa, but that men and women lie in different ways.

Women more were more likely to lie to make the person they were talking to feel good while on the other hand, men lied most often to make themselves look better. Isn't that interesting? Now do you know how to tell if you are a chronic liar? Here's a test. I 'm not kidding. I 'm sincere. Do you know how to tell if you're a chronic liar, if you're lying more than you think you are? Here's a test. Do you feel guilt when you lie? Because if you lie and have very little guilt when you do it, I would suggest that you need to pray and ask God to make your spirit very sensitive to every time you lie about the truth.

Start there. I've said this many times. You can't fix what you're not aware of. And so that awareness is the first step. God, if this is an issue, every time I'm tempted to lie, please prick my conscience. Let me be aware of what I'm about to say and stop me. A survey said that 87% of respondents lie about whether they're happy. 82% lied regarding whether they're sad. You know, folks, we should tell the truth. But you say to people, how are you doing? Oh, great. Never better. It's going to be a great day. I got everything under control.

Man, it's the best day is better than any day in my life. Now if that's true, that's fine. But if inside something's going on, they should tell you, right? We should be honest about that. Now you don't need to give a whole organ recital. Oh, my liver, my pancreas, my muscles, you know, not the whole organ recital. But to be truthful, you know, it hasn't been the best week. It hasn't been the best week. If they want to ask more questions or you want to offer more, that's up to you. But listen, we should be honest with each other, right?

If not here, where can we be honest? I work. I mean, here more than any other place. Let's be honest. And concerning anger and dirty language and lying, Paul says this in verse 9. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator, Christ. Here once again, as we've looked at the last three weeks, Paul is pointing to the exchanged life. You dying and allowing Christ to live in you in your place.

He says, put off the old self, put on the new. Put off the old man, put on the new. Put out the old Mike, the old Carol, the old George, and put Jesus in instead. And here is a beautiful truth. When we really, really understand this truth and when we act on this truth, it makes discrimination on any level impossible, impossible. Listen, verse 11. It says, in this new life, it doesn't matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave or free. You can put in that red, white, black, brown.

Doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. Christ is all that matters and he lives in all of us. The key, he lives in all of us, exchanged life. Listen, it's one thing to quote the Lord's prayer and then say because and say our Father in the Lord's prayer, and then through that make the application that since we all have one Father as his children, we are all equal in his sight. That's true, but it only goes so far. It doesn't necessarily change how we view one another. But verse 11 moves us into a completely different universe beyond us all sharing one Father because in this new universe we are all in Christ.

He is our identity. Verse 11 says, in this new life, Christ is all that matters because in reality, he is living in you instead of you. So if that's true, then the white man is dead, the red man is dead, the black man is dead. They're all dead and only Christ lives. And if Christ is living in you and Christ is living in us as a body and one another, what do we see? We just see a whole lot of Christ. We don't see distinctions. When Christ is living in you because when that happens, then the white man is dead, the red man is dead, black man is dead.

There is only Christ living in a white man's body, Christ living in a black man's body. That's all there is. And folks, this is the only solution, the only true solution. The world is looking for a fix, a solution to discrimination. There is no solution outside of this. Here again is the genius of God's plan. This is the only absolute and complete answer to discrimination is Christ living in you. That's it. It's so simple, so beautiful. The world will never find us.

Guest (Male): Since the world can't find the answer to the race problem as well as every other problem, we must tell them the answer is found in Christ. Hey, don't go away just yet. Pastor Tom will be right back with more. You can hear this message again online at ccleb .com or subscribe to our YouTube channel at Calvary Chapel Lebanon. If you'd rather have a CD copy, call us at 717 273 5633. Have you been helped by the ministry? Let us know that. It would be so encouraging to pastor Tom and the team. Give us a call at 717 273 5633 or write to Study the Word, 740 Willow Street, Lebanon, Pennsylvania 17046.

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Uh here again as promised with a bit of what's coming up next time we're together, pastor Tom once again.

Pastor Thom Keller: Paul also mentions the barbarian. And this was actually a term coined by the stuck up Greeks referring to any people group who did not speak their beautiful advanced Greek language. In fact, the Greeks mocked non-Greek speaking groups by saying that the only thing these simple, uncivilized people seem to be able to say was bar bar bar bar bar. And that's the root of the word barbarian. Bar bar bar. It makes me think of the French who claim that their language is so lovely, so graceful compared to German. You know, you get to German and you know.

And so it's the same kind of thing. There's always a pecking order in the world. And God has a simple remedy regarding discrimination. In fact, it is incredibly simple. Colossians 3:11 says this. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free. Here it is. But Christ is all and in all. Here's a solution. Christ is all and in all. You know, if you distill the Christian faith down to find its one basic elementary truth, here it is. It's all about Jesus and Jesus is all about love. It's all about Jesus and Jesus is all about love.

Can you come up with a truer, more all-encompassing statement than that? It's all about Jesus. That's what the book of Colossians is about. It's all about Jesus and Jesus is all about love. And if it is all about Jesus, then none of my life is about me or my social status or my skin color or my bank account or my nationality or my ethnicity. Jesus is the great leveler.

Guest (Male): Study the Word with pastor Tom Keller is brought to you by Calvary Chapel Lebanon, Pennsylvania. May God richly bless you as you study the Word.