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I. WHAT IS GOSSIP? A. PSALMS 101:5 1.A person who slanders someone else is a gossip. 2.God is sorely displeased with those who talk behind people's backs. B. PROVERBS 11:13 1.A person who cannot keep a secret but runs around telling everything they know about others is a gossip. 2.Let us notice that here it does not say that it is an untruth, but simply a person that tells secrets. C. I PETER 3:8-9 1.A railer is a person who goes around saying evil about other people repeatedly. 2.A railer works on the principle that the more people they tell, the more likely it is to be believed. 3.A railer is the worst type of gossip, they deliberately try to ruin a person. D. MATTHEW 18:15-17 1.If I have something against my brother, I am to go to him privately. 2.If he will not accept what is said, then take 1 or 2 brethren with me. 3.If he will not accept these, then take it before the church. 4.If I do not follow the Bible pattern, it is GOSSIP. 5.If my brother repents and I tell others, it is GOSSIP. E. TO JUDGE A PERSON'S MOTIVES 1.Probably one of the most common forms of gossip. 2.The Bible says we are to judge deeds and actions. 3.When I start assuming I know why someone did something, It becomes gossip. F. It has been said, If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all. II. HOW GOD FEELS ABOUT GOSSIP. A. LEVITICUS 19:16 1.God commands us not to gossip among his people. 2.God does not want us to be known as talebearers. B. PROVERBS 6:16-19 1.God hates a lying tongue and one who sows discord among brethren. 2. Gossipers are an abomination in the sight of God. C. PSALMS 101:5 1.God will cut off those who gossip and slander. 2. Gossippers will go to HELL. III. WHY DO PEOPLE GOSSIP? A. I CORINTHIANS 3:3 1. People gossip because they are not spiritually minded, but they are carnally minded. 2.The reason we listen to gossip is because we are carnally minded. 3. The carnally minded person insists on their own way, the spiritually minded person builds up the other person. B. I CORINTHIANS 13:4-5 1. People gossip because they do not have Christian love in them. 2. People do not gossip about those they love. C. PROVERBS 10:18 1. People gossip because they HATE the one they gossip about, and they are trying to hide that hatred. 2. People gossip because they are fools. D. I TIMOTHY 5:13 1. People gossip because they are idle. 2. Normally if you look at a person who is gossiping, they are not doing anything in the spiritual work. 3. Those who gossip, normally speak against those who are doing spiritual work. IV. WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF GOSSIP? A. PROVERBS 26:20 1. In the same way that wood is necessary for a fire, a gossip is necessary for strife in a congregation. 2. Anytime there is strife in a congregation, look for the one running around gossiping. 3.If you stop the gossiper, you will stop the strife. B. The story is told of a woman who had gossiped about a certain man. When she realized what she had done, she went to him and apologized. She said she would do anything to make up for the cruel things that she had said. He told her to take a sack full of feathers and to go to a certain street corner and to cast the feathers to the wind. She did so and when she had finished came back and reported. The gentleman then directed her to go back and retrieve every feather. But she exclaimed that is impossible, the wind has scattered them everywhere. So it is with the things you have said, he replied, there is no way to repair the damage that you have done. C. I am sure that any of you that have ever been gossiped about, have seen this happen. Someone goes about secretly making accusations. Tremendous Harm is done. D. Gossip drives people away from the church, it causes our children to grow up and leave the Lord, it breaks up the spiritual family. It destroys the work of the Lord. If on the way home you discuss Brother or Sister So-and-so, is it any reason that many times children grow up not having respect for leaders in the church and why so many children leave the Lord. Gossip has probably done more harm to the church than anything else. V. HOW SHOULD WE DEAL WITH GOSSIP? A. I TIMOTHY 5:19 1.If someone will not say something in front of witnesses about another person, do not listen to them. B. PROVERBS 6:16-19 1.God hates a lying tongue and one who sows discord among brethren, SO SHOULD WE. 2. Gossipers are an abomination in the sight of God, THEY SHOULD BE IN OURS. 3. Gossiping is one of the worst things that we can do. 4. Many times we act like the person being gossiped about is the sinner, & the gossiper is just fine. 5. God hates gossiping. SO SHOULD WE. B. MATTHEW 18:15-17 1.If a person gossips, they are to be withdrawn from. 2. Have you ever had someone gossip about you in a vicious manner, it hurts doesn't it. 3. But if it is being done to someone else, we close our eyes or even take part in it. 4. Gossip is probably the sin that Christians are most likely to indulge, and it is hated by God. |