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I’ve entitled this morning’s message The Rumor Weed, based on a Veggie Tale entitled Larry Boy and The Rumor Weed.
In this Veggie Tale episode, Junior Asparagus and Laura Carrot learn the hard way just how easily rumors can get started when they accidentally launch a whopper of a story about Larry-Boy’s butler, Alfred.
They take an innocuous statement that Alfred makes to them and somehow reach the conclusion that Alfred is in reality an alien robot who’s going to take over the earth.
They then innocently repeat their thoughts to a nocuous weed who then begins to spread the rumor all over Bumblyburg.
The weed feeds on more rumor and eventually takes over then entire town.
* Play the VCR tape.
Did you catch the lyrics to The Rumor Weed Song? “It starts as a story.
Maybe it’s true, maybe not, but once you repeat it, it’s hard to defeat it.
Now look at the mess that you’ve got! I’m a rumor weed!
I’m a rumor weed!
A tiny little story is all I need to make a big mess.”
A rumor, as the song implies, is like a weed that grows so fast that it gets out of control, until you are left with a big mess with which you are completely puzzled with what to do.
The rumor weed is only finally defeated when the citizens of Bumblybug discover the rumor is untrue and begin saying nice things about Alfred.
This morning we are going to resume our journey through the Book of Proverbs by looking at what Solomon has to say about spreading rumors.
* Read the Scripture text.
!
I. THE ROOTS OF RUMORS
#. the Bible contains strong warnings about spreading rumors and gossiping
* /"He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, Therefore do not associate with a gossip."/
(Proverbs 20:19, NASB95)
* /"Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, And do not deceive with your lips."/
(Proverbs 24:28, NASB95)
#. the Apostle James tells us that the tongue is a fire and that it can have a corrupting affect upon our lives if we do not bring it under the Lordship of Jesus Christ
#. yet rumor mongering continues to be a plague upon God's people because, in all honesty, we enjoy it
#. the English Standard Version translates Proverbs 26:22 this way ...
* /"The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body."/
(Proverbs 26:22, ESV)
#. now technology has brought us an entirely new way of gossiping
#. it is just as sinful as before, but now it is easier than ever to spread rumors about others
#. we can gossip electronically, via email!
#. why do we gossip?
!! A 1st WE LOVE OUR INSIDER STATUS MORE THAN WE LOVE PEOPLE
* /"Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.
Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.
6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.
It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell."/
(James 3:5-6, NIV)
#. we seldom think about the implications for the person we’re spreading rumors about
#. our thoughts are usually on being the first one to spread the news so that ...
#. we’ll get credit for being ‘in-the-know’, and ...
#. we’ll get others to share their rumors with us when they’ve got some delicious morsels
* ILLUS.
It goes like this.
Virginia asks Molly: /“Hi Molly, how's your day going?”/
Molly sighs, /“Not so great.
Jordan Peters was a real monster in class this morning!”/
To which Virginia responds, /“Oh, I know.
His brother's just as bad.”/ /“Yeah, well, wait until you get Jordan next year!”/
exclaims Molly.
Virginia leans in and says in a low voice, /“I probably shouldn't say this, but their mom's seeing someone and she just doesn't have time for them.
They want attention and they don't care how they get it.”/
Molly smiles and responds, /“I’ve heard he has stayed over several nights.
You’d think she would at least wait until the divorce was finalized.”/
Virginia ends the conversation by saying, /“I know; it's terrible.
If you hear anything new let me know.”/
#. it’s a conversation you might hear in any teacher’s lounge at school or the foyer of a church’s Sunday School wing
#. the simple but hard truth is that we are raising ourselves up by stomping others down
#. the simple but hard truth is that we are enhancing our own self-image without consideration that others must foot the bill
#. the simple but hard truth is that we are willing to destroy other’s reputations and lives in order to improve our standing
!! B. 2nd WE LOVE TO EGG ON A GOOD FIGHT
* /"A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends."/
(Proverbs 16:28, NIV)
* /"Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down."/
(Proverbs 26:20, NIV)
#. there are those times, when we just enjoy stirring the pot!
* ILLUS.
One of my all-time favorite Hollywood musicals is Fiddler on the Roof.
It’s about a milkman named Tevye who regularly finds himself talking to God about the problems purposely stirring up dissension!
In the opening scenes, Tevye is talking to the audience and he’s telling us about the village he lives in and it’s people.
He says, /“And among ourselves, we always get along perfectly well.
Of course, there was the time when Percheck sold Laben a horse, and told him it was only six years old when it was really 12.
But now it's all over.
And we all live in simple peace and harmony.”/
Then Tevye smiles, leans into Percheck and whispers in his ear, /“It was really 12 years old.”/
Percheck shouts, “It was six!”
And suddenly the argument is on!
#. sometimes we gossip because we like to sit back and watch the results!
!! C. 3rd WE HARBOR BITTER ENVY AND SELFISH AMBITION
#. the Apostle James refers to this problem in the 3rd chapter of his epistle
* "But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth."/
(James 3:14, ESV)
#. how often has rumor mongering and talebearing been the means of advancing a career by destroying or damaging the career of a co-worker?
#.
Solomon tells us in verse 25 that even when such a person speaks graciously, do not believe him
!! D. 4th OUR HEARTS ARE NOT RIGHT
#. the use of your tongue reveals what you are really like on the inside
* ILLUS.
Jesus spoke to the Pharisees about this when he said that they were like tombs – White and polished and respectable on the outside, but full of corruption on the inside.
#.
Solomon tells us in verse 23, that the person who spreads rumors has burning lips
#. he has burning lips because he had a wicked heart
#. the language you use, more than anything else about you, presents an image to the world of your inner self – of who and what you really are
#.
if you are a critical of others in your language, it’s a fair indication that by nature you are a critical person
#. if your language is gloomy and melancholic and joyless with little inflection, it’s a good bet that you’re an unhappy person
#. if your language is uplifting and encouraging you’re probably a joyful person
#. it you are a righteous person because Jesus has made a difference in your character and conduct, that is also going to show up in your speech and the way you talk
#. what you are comes out in the way you talk
#. if you have a problem with the content of your tongue the first thing you need to do is check out the condition of your heart
#. the only way to change your heart it to turn to God and humble yourself as David did when he prayed:
* Psalm 51:10 /“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”/
NIV
#.
I like the way the Living Bible translates this verse: Create in me a new, clean heart, O God, filled with clean thoughts and right desires.
!
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