Lying – part 2

 

1)      Law enforcement officials can use a variety of techniques to determine if someone is lying.

2)      If a person squirms in his seat, this is often regarded as an indication of lying.

3)      Failing to make eye contact and stumbling over words can indicate lying.

4)      About a year ago researchers came up with a new way and very unique way to detect lies.

a)      This creative idea came up from researchers at Portsmouth University.

b)      People are asked to tell their story (recite the facts) in reverse.

c)      Instead of starting at the beginning, people start at the end of the story and work backwords.

 

5)      Telling a story in reverse may be difficult to when telling the truth.

6)      Trying to “lie in reverse” is especially difficult.

 

7)      We noted last week how lying is a very common problem in society.

8)      We also know that God says He “hates” this sin, Prov. 6:19.

9)      Maybe one of the reasons God hates this sin is because it is so widespread.

a)      The Bible provides a lot of specific information about lying.

b)      For instance, it says that children sometimes lie to their parents.

c)      Listen to what David said in Ps. 58:3 -  READ

d)     Children learn to lie, and this skill is often learned early in life.

10)  Some parents would like to think their children never lie to them.

11)  Some refuse to believe their children have lied to them, even if solid evidence is presented.

12)  David said children lie, and reflective parents know this to be true.

13)  Not all lies may be big lies; a little lie is as much of a lie as a big lie.

a)      86% of teens are said to lie to their parents.

b)      A study said 50% of college students lie to their mothers in conversations.

c)      God said children are to respect their parents (Eph. 6:1-3), and lying is a violation of this teaching.

 

14)  Lies also occur between boyfriends and girlfriends.

a)      A Bible example of this is found in Judg. 16.

b)      Samson met a woman he really liked (Delilah).

c)      This woman was offered a huge sum of money to uncover the secret of Samson’s strength.

d)     Samson told this woman 7 pieces of leather would take away all his power.

e)      Delilah relayed this information to Samson’s enemies and Delilah found this didn’t work.

f)       Judg. 16:10 says Samson had told his lady friend “lies.”

 

15)  Boyfriends and girlfriends often have many fun times together.

16)  It needs to be remembered that in some (or even many) dating relationships, there are lies.

a)      One might say, “You are the only one for me” and this turns out to be false.

b)      Another says “I love you,” and that statement is false.  What is called “love” may be lust.

c)      Young men have said to young women, “You cannot get pregnant.”  A girl found out that was a lie.

d)     Young people have said to one another, “I will be with you forever.”

e)      The next day, week, month or year, that promise was found out to be a lie.

f)       The Bible says gives examples of unmarried people lying to one another.

g)      If people get married, their life after a wedding ceremony may involves lies.

h)      In the Bible and in modern life we find husbands and wives that lie to one another.

i)        Some live a double life; others lie from time to time.

j)        Lies are very, very common.

 

1)      A lie has been called the number one reason that people lose trust in someone.

2)      Lies to break trust and in some cases trust is never fully restored.

 

3)      Aside from family relationships, people may lie to the government.

a)      Tax time will be here before too long.

b)      Paul said in Rom. 13:7, “render to all their dues” (i.e. pay what you owe).

c)      If we pay what we owe, that means we are not going to lie about what we owe.

d)     Many do not live in this manner – at tax time they lie and cheat.

 

4)      Our government has estimated that 10 million Americans are not honest with their taxes.

5)      Our government loses about 200 billion dollars annually because of fraudulent returns.

6)      Lying is done by but it is not limited to taxpayers.

a)      A government may lie to its citizens.  It may lie to other governments.

b)      Lying is a sin that is truly a universal problem – it hardly knows any bounds.

c)      Lying is sometimes referred to as diplomacy and seemingly excused.  God says it is a sin.

 

7)      In recent times we have seen just how awful lying is.

a)      A company tells its employees, “Everything is fine.”  The next day or week it closes.

b)      A company says its pension plan is great; months later it shows a zero balance.

c)      Executives have lied about their credentials to get or keep a job.

d)     Companies have lied about pay and other benefits.

e)      When these kinds of situations arise, people realize the seriousness of lying.

f)       A single lie can ruin a person’s life and immediate future.

g)      Years of work and savings can be wiped out by a company that lies.

 

8)      Lying affects nearly every aspect of our society, especially when money is involved.

9)      Think for a moment about insurance companies.

a)      Medical bills that are submitted to insurance companies and many times these bills are lies.

b)      An insurance provider may be billed for a service that was never performed.

c)      Or, a bill is unnecessarily inflated.

d)     Lies help drive up health care costs.

e)      Lying is often an expensive sin.

f)       It is also a form of stealing (theft).

 

10)  In our court system we find examples of lies.

a)      Witnesses lie; an attorney may lie.

b)      People may publicly say the truth needs to be told; lip service may be given to the evil of lying.

c)      We live in a country where lying is sometimes more popular than truth telling.

d)     When a country is not primarily based on God and His word, lying is to be expected.

e)      When we teach people that we are animals and there is no God, why tell the truth?

f)       If there is no ultimate accountability to anyone but self, and we will one day die, why be truthful?

g)      No God leads to the logical conclusion that lying is no big deal.

h)      This is a fruit coming from some of our public schools.

i)        In one class children are taught about evolution (we got here by chance).

j)        Then another class tells young people to “tell the truth” and “not lie about things.”

k)      Why should kids do that?  If our ancestors are animals, what obligates us to tell the truth?

l)        Someone says “Telling the truth is the right way to live.”

m)    Who says telling the truth is right?  Someone else says “lying is against our tradition.”

n)      What makes this tradition right?  Someone else says the majority thinks lying is wrong.

o)       Is morality decided by a majority?  What if the majority decides that people should not live past the age of 55?

11)  Cast aside God, as many in our nation have done, and expect lying to be a very big problem.

 

12)  75% of people have lied to friends, 73% have lied to siblings, 69% have lied to spouses, 58% have lied to best friends, 49% have lied to neighbors, 32% have lied to doctors, 21% have lied to ministers, and 20% have lied to lawyers.

 

13)  Lying is a sin and it is surely not going to go away any time soon.

a)      Lying is so pervasive it even affects preachers.

b)      Would it surprise us to hear someone say that preachers lie?

c)      It is true.

d)     There is an Old Testament story back in 1 Kgs. 13.

e)      There was an old prophet who “lied” to a young prophet.

f)       This old prophet said God had given him a message when such had not happened.

g)      Not only did the old prophet lie, the lie cost the young prophet his life.

 

14)  Did the old prophet repent or not?  We do not know.

15)  If he did not right his relationship with God, he will not be in heaven.

16)  Today a lot of preachers still lie.

a)      They know what the Bible says on various subjects like salvation, but they teach something else.

b)      They know the truth will not be popular or accepted by those who hear them.

c)      Preachers lie because they know those listening to them want to hear lies.

d)     2 Tim. 4:4 says people will “Turn away from the truth.”

e)      Paul told Timothy that people will want to hear lies and preachers will give them what they want.

f)       Preachers have lied and continue to lie!

g)      Jesus once said if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a ditch.

h)      Sometimes preachers lie intentionally; sometimes they speak falsehood unintentionally.

i)        When someone seeks to be a religious teacher, they had better work at teaching the truth.

j)        If we are not teaching what is right, we are teaching what is wrong (a lie).

 

17)  When people start to lie, it quickly becomes a habit.

18)  One lie is often not enough – the first lie calls for a second lie.  Then a third lie is needed.

19)  When lies seem to work, people think:  “This is great – I have found a free tool to solve problems.”

20)  Lying is not free, it is not easy (in the end), and it creates more problems than it solves.

a)      God is very serious about lying.

b)      He says anyone who adds to His word is a liar (Prov. 30:6).

c)      People today think they can add to and subtract from God’s word as they see fit.

d)     God says anyone who alters His word is a liar.  That sounds serious and it is.

 

21)  I have met a couple of people who said they are not guilty of sin, one of whom lives in this area.

22)  John says (1 Jn. 1:8-10) that this type of person is also not telling the truth (he is a liar).

23)  A person who says “I know God but does not obey him” is a liar (1 Jn. 1:8-10).

a)      In our culture a lot of people say they love Jesus and read the Bible.

b)      I know a man who has a birthday cake for Jesus every December.

c)      This same man does not obey Christ – God says he is a liar.

d)     If we profess to love believe and love Christ but do not obey Him, God says we are liars.

e)      Many are offended by these points.

f)       I didn’t create these verses.  This congregation did not write the Bible.      

g)      This is what God says; God says obey Him or we are not interested in what is true.

 

24)  If a man chooses to deny Jesus he is called a liar in 1 Jn. 2:22.

25)  Anyone who says he loves God but hates his brother is a liar – 1 Jn. 4:20-21.

 

26)  Liar is applied to a wide variety of things in the scriptures.

27)  Some lie because they are chronic liars.

28)  Some lie to be polite.

29)  Others lie because it is convenient or they are lazy.

30)  We find people lying to make themselves look better than they really are.

31)  Thousands of lies have been told to avoid embarrassment or someone’s disapproval.

32)  Lies are told to cover shame, spare someone’s feelings, in order to get money, and take advantage of someone.

33)  Lying often has serious social consequences (from loss of respect, job loss to imprisonment).

34)  There are also the spiritual consequences:  the loss of eternal salvation.

 

35)  Have we ever told a lie?

36)  The answer to that question is surely yes.  In one way or another we have lied.

37)  God says He hates that.