Proverbs 12
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Intro/Background
Welcome back!
Review
Last time we were together, we talked about godly council - who we should get advice from and why we should be seeking out godly advice
Remember that this book is full of nuggets of godly wisdom, we are learning how to be wise in God’s eyes
Tonight, we’re going to talk about lying and the truth. I think these are ideas that seem pretty straight forward (lying = bad, truth = good), but in reality, this is a huge area where a lot of people struggle.
We paint this area so grey and don’t make it as black and white as it should be
I think the fact that we have different levels of lies (big ones, harmless lies, white lies) tells me that we try to justify lying way too often
But before we get there, spend the next few minutes reading Proverbs 12, and then we’ll dive into a few verses for our study
Lesson - Proverbs 12
Prov 12:17-22
The subjects of lying and the truth are so huge, I honestly had a hard time deciding where to go when I was putting my notes together
By my count, the truth is mentioned nearly 140 times in the Bible, and lying is mentioned in nearly 300 places - God has a lot to say about this topic!
So starting here in Proverbs first, what does Solomon have to say about these topics?
Prov 12:17 - By speaking the truth, you are speaking righteousness (what is right, good by God’s standard), but a false witness (someone who is lying) is deceit
The first part of this makes sense, but the second part starts to hit us in the stomach.
Choosing to lie is choosing to deceive someone
You are choosing to deceive another person, maybe yourself, the Lord (even though He sees through it)
I don’t think we always think of lying as deceiving someone, we think of it usually in terms of how it “helps” us in the situation we’re in, or how it “doesn’t hurt” the other person
Prov 12:18 - What we say to others matters, it carries weight
The old saying, “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me” is a dirty lie (speaking of lies…). Words can and do hurt, very much!
We can say things that pierce to your heart like a sword through the chest, but we can also bring health and healing by the words that we say.
This verse doesn’t specifically talk about telling the truth or lying, but let’s think about how they fit in
Think of a time where you had someone discover that you were lying to them. Were they every like, “It’s all good, no worries!”? I’d wager that never happens!
It cuts people deeply
Now on the opposite end, think of a time where speaking the truth healed or helped a situation or a relationship
Even secular movies or tv shows get this right. The character who lies always gets into more trouble and damages relationships and hurts other people, but as soon as they tell the truth the situation starts to get better
It’s a universal truth, established by God, that we see all through our society
Prov 12:19 - The truth endures, but lies only last for a short time
We usually aren’t thinking long-term when we choose to lie. We’re thinking of the moment or the current situation we’re in when we make that choice to lie.
Lies usually eventually crumble. They may even last for a while, but eventually they will fall apart.
And even on the rare occasion that they don’t, they will be revealed one day in heaven where lies and deceitfulness will not exist
But on the other hand, the truth stands, and God will honor the person who is truthful and establish them forever - He will bless them
Prov 12:20-22 - Finally we see that God sees lying as an abomination (something that causes disgust or hatred - also the arch enemy of the Hulk), but He is delighted in those who tell the truth
So according to this, and looking across scripture, what do we learn about lying and telling the truth?
Lying is sin, it is wrong, and God detests it
We are called to tell the truth as believers
37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
We’ve got this big thing at home we’re working through with the older kids on this verse. The kids have this habit of saying, “I promise!” whenever they want to really make sure that they’re telling the truth
I think it’s kind of something we all did as kids.
But we are challenging them to break that habit and become people of their word - that whether they’re telling the truth is never called into questions b/c they are honest and what they say is always true.
That’s what Jesus is asking us to do as followers of Him.
Lying/Speaking Truth has a direct affect on our relationship w/ Jesus
26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.
If we are mixed up in a lie, that is going to hurt our relationship w/ the Lord
We need to repent, go tell the truth, and then get back on the right track
Don’t just repent, b/c then you’re still living in the lie that you told, you need to go tell the truth and make things right.
Sample Small Group Questions
Sample Small Group Questions
What Proverb in Chapter 12 spoke to a situation in your life right now, and what can you apply from that Proverb?
Why do you think it can be such a struggle sometimes to tell the truth?
Why do you think God spent so many verses in the Bible talking about the truth and lying?
Do you think that we usually associate lying with deceiving someone? Why/why not?
Read Ephesians 4:25 - What does this verse say about the importance of telling the truth?
Now re-read Matthew 5:37 - What does Jesus say about being people that tell the truth?
Why is it so important that words like, “I promise” or “I swear” don’t have to be used to convince people we’re telling the truth?
Read Psalm 24:3-4 - What does that verse say about telling the truth and our relationship with God?
What is one way you can work on being a person of your word this week?
Prayer Requests and Group Prayer
