HONESTY
1. A few days ago I saw some interesting information from a New Jersey school.
2. At this school a moral value is associated with each month of the year.
3. Last month (September) was “Cooperation month.”
4. This month is “Pride month.”
5. November is “Responsibility month.”
6. December is “Friendliness month.”
7. Next March is “Honesty” month.
IN RECENT YEARS THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS DISCUSSIONS ABOUT MORAL VALUES. WHERE DO WE GET THEM, WHO SHOULD TEACH THEM, AND THE FOUNDATION FOR THEM.
a) Tonight we want to think about a fundamental value (moral).
b) This is honesty.
c) We want to consider honesty from the standpoint of money.
2) To one degree or another, we all have contact or involvement with money.
3) If we hope to have and use money with God’s approval, there must be a moral foundation.
4) Imagine a world where money is desired and exists, but there is no moral code.
5) Such an environment would be filled with hostility at best, and probably self destruct at worst.
6) If there are no values for money, then the following conclusions are right:
a) We may gain it in any way that we can.
b) Without values we are authorized to lie, rob, cheat, and defraud people for it.
c) Without moral values money can be used in whatever way we desire.
7) No thinking person wants to be in a world filled with money but lacking in morals.
8) A demonstration of this was offered just a few days ago in the national news.
9) A major newspaper had a story with this headline:
a) “Crooks Slither Into Net’s Shady Nooks And Crannies.”
b) This was an interesting story about crime, money, and current culture.
c) Criminals shop Internet bulletin boards and buy stolen credit card numbers.
d) There is also a new crime called “cyberextortion.”
e) Internet business are told to pay a certain amount of money or their web site will be attacked.
f) If a fee is not paid, Internet whizzes threaten to shut down web site owners.
g) One fifth of 100 small business surveyed this past summer had been threatened with extortion.
10) When it comes to money, people are often not fair and honest.
11) Our world needs guidance in this area, and as Christians we have that guidance.
12) Certain Bible principles govern the getting, possessing, and use of wealth.
13) One overriding principle is fairness or honest.
14) In the Old Testament there were men who served as “prophets.”
15) These men talked about wealth and the need to be honest with it.
16) Ezekiel said this in Ezek. 45:10 – READ.
17) God spoke about honesty because people were being dishonest – verse 9 – READ.
18) Under the Old Testament God demanded fairness when dealing with people.
19) Honesty, integrity, and uprightness were sermon subjects.
20) When Jesus came to the earth and preached a similar message in places like Mk. 4:24.
21) He said the standard we use will be used on us.
22) In just a moment I am going to read another verse from the Old Testament (Ex. 18:21).
a) If you are not familiar with this passage, it may be an enlightening verse.
b) Much of the dishonesty we now seen in regard to wealth comes from people who are powerful.
c) Leaders and other officials are often the ones charged with and guilty of wrongdoing.
d) Ex. 18:21 tells us something about leaders and money.
e) Here is the verse – Ex. 18:21 – READ.
23) This chapter tells us about a time in life of Moses.
24) Moses had a lot to do — too much to do it all on his own.
25) His father in law suggested that he get some help, and that is what this chapter describes.
26) His helpers were men who served as a kind of “judge” in what we might think of as lesser courts.
27) Since these men could potentially be involved with money matters, they needed certain qualities.
28) They had to be men who were fair, honest—people who had integrity.
29) They had to “hate unjust gain.”
30) It is one thing to be fair and honest. God has always required these qualities of humanity.
31) Not every fair person “hates unjust gain.” Unjust gain could come in the form of bribes.
32) It could also be something we are not entitled to.
a) Back in 1926 Liberty Magazine tried a small but interesting experiment.
b) 100 random letters were sent to people throughout the U.S.
c) Inside each envelope was a $1.00 bill and a letter form the magazine company.
d) The letter said the recipient had lodged a billing complaint with the magazine and they were receiving a dollar refund.
e) 27 of the 100 people returned the dollar bill in 1926 saying the magazine had made a mistake.
i) In 1971 Liberty did this same test; 45 years later only 13 people returned the dollar bill.
f) This was not the most scientific type of test, but more people did keep the money as time passed.
33) As hard as it may be, God wants Christians to have a passion for uprightness when dealing with money.
34) We sometimes hear people refer to an organization as being “above board.”
35) The world uses these words to say, “We are special; unique; different from all others.”
36) This the standard found in the Scriptures.
37) Back in Lev. 19:36, just like in Ezek. 45, we read about “just balances.”
38) The image is that of a perfectly weighted scale, and it is another expression of honesty.
GOD HAS PUT A STRONG EMPHASIS ON INTEGRITY AND HONESTY BECAUSE HE KNOWS MANY ARE TEMPTED TO BE DISHONEST WHEN IT COMES TO WEALTH.
a) Most of us remember the story about Jacob, Easu, and Isaac.
b) Issaac was the “supplanter” (Gen. 27:36).
c) Maybe we have seen that word but never investigated it.
d) The term is found only a few times in the Old Testament.
e) In Gen. 37 it has the sense of “cheater.”
f) Imagine saying to someone that your relative is a con man, swindler, trickster, and charlatan.
2) From this single word we may remind ourselves about a sad fact concerning wealth.
3) People will cheat those whom they don’t know, or do not care about to get gain.
4) Cheating and deception can also occur within families.
5) Let’s think about another account from the first Bible book.
6) Gen. 31:31-32 tells us that a daughter stole material goods from her parents.
7) The text says “gods” and this word would include family wealth.
8) Another Old Testament reference dealing with this topic is the Ten Commandments.
a) Of the hundreds of laws given by God, only ten were inscribed on tables of stone.
b) One of those ten was, “You shall not steal.”
c) Stealing is in the arena of wealth/money/material goods.
d) It is also related (in a negative way) to the subjects of honesty and fairness.
9) God knew that men would struggle with money and integrity.
10) Thus, this subject occurs again and again within the pages of the Word.
11) Let’s look at another example from Deut. 27.
a) As we drive around this community, we see makers and stakes.
b) Surveyors come out and section off various parcels of land.
c) People buy property, and when that property is purchased, the dimensions are carefully indicated.
d) Perhaps a plot of land is 100’ X 125’.
e) After a person buys the land or even before, maybe they don’t think that they have enough land.
f) Perhaps they would like 125’ X 175’ feet instead of the 100’ X 125’ feet.
g) To broaden the property line, the survey marker is re-positioned.
12) Would anyone ever be tempted to be dishonest in this manner?
13) Verses 17-19 of Deut. 27 – READ.
14) Moving a survey stake is as bad as being mean to a blind person.
15) It is in the same category as mistreating an orphan.
16) God says this, but many are still tempted to be dishonest when it comes to wealth.
17) Because the temptation can be so strong, there are multiple warnings about avoiding this sin.
18) When Proverbs was written the writer said a crooked man is an abomination to God, Prov. 3:32.
19) Another compelling verse in Proverbs is 20:14.
20) This verse should remind us that God knows all the tricks about sin.
21) No sin is every a surprise to God.
a) In fact, God sometimes tells us about some of the stunts sinners try to pull.
b) One of the places where we find this occurring is Prov. 20:14.
c) I hope none of us have ever done what is described in this verse.
22) If you have, you may begin to re-think what you may have viewed as a bargain.
23) As you are turning to this verse, I will try to put it into a modern day setting.
24) A family decides to have a garage sale.
25) They decide to sell a painting and they put a tag on it for $25.00.
26) A person comes along, sees the painting, and realizes it is worth $500.00.
27) Although knowing the great worth of the object, the potential buyer begins negotiating.
a) “Well, the frame is chipped. The artist smudged his name.
b) “The wire on the back needs replacing. This is a garage sale and not an upscale auction house.”
c) All the right things are said, and the buyer finally says, “Tell you what; here is $5.00.”
d) The owner of the picture takes the $5.00 and may feel good about dumping the painting.
28) The one who bought the picture goes home thinking, “Boy, did I get a deal.”
29) “a $500 painting for $5.00.”
30) Had the picture been bought for the asking price, it would have been a legitimate transaction.
31) What I described is a scenario offensive to God – Prov. 20:14 – READ.
32) Honesty, integrity, and fairness are required by God when people deal with wealth.
33) Our values come from the heart (the innermost part of our being).
34) At least this is how Jesus described the matter in Mt. 15:19.
a) Matthew lists a number of sins: evil thoughts, murder, adultery, theft, slander, false witnesses.
b) He says all these actions come from the inside.
35) We should not expect honesty and fairness from a person who has a corrupt heart.
36) If those things do happen to come from a wicked person, great. We should not expect them.
37) When dealing with a Christian, we should expect the qualities described tonight.
38) While this is our expectation, we will sometimes be disappointed.
39) We know that because of Acts 5; a couple named Ananias and Sapphira were dishonest.
40) There may have been a sense in which they were fair, but they were not honest.
41) 1 Cor. 6:9-11 lists people who will be lost.
42) Thieves, covetous people, and extortioners (swindlers) will all be damned.
43) God has given His standard and told people to follow. Are we doing that in every aspect of our lives?