God's word to you on the ninth commandment, as we read that in Exodus 20, verse 16, where we read the words, you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. We'll read two portions of scripture in connection with that. First, we'll read Psalm 12. First read Psalm 12. For the choir director, upon an eight-stringed lyre, a psalm of David. Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases to be. For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. They speak falsehood to one another. With flattering lips and with a double heart they speak May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that speaks great things, who have said, with our tongue we will prevail. Our lips are our own. Who is Lord over us? Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because the groaning of the needy, now I will arise, says the Lord. I will set him in the safety for which he longs. The words of the Lord are pure words, as silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times. You, O Lord, will keep them. You will preserve him from this generation forever. The wicked strut about on every side when vileness is exalted among the sons of men. And the second reading is from James 3. Read James 3. There we read the word of God. Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he's a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. Now, if we put the bits into the horse's mouths so they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Look at the ships also. Though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder. wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire. And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity. The tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body. as sets on fire the course of our life and is set on fire by hell. For every species of beasts and birds of reptiles and creatures of the sea is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who have been made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs, nor can salt water produce fresh. Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behaviour, his deeds, in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant. and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and self-ambition exists, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. And because the doctrine of the ninth commandment is summarized in our confession in Lord's Day 43, we'll also read that, Lord's Day 43, That's page 55, the back of our Psalter hymnal. Page 55, back of the Psalter hymnal. We would say 43. And then the question is asked and answered, what is God's will for us in the ninth commandment? God's will is that I never give false testimony against anyone. twist no one's words, not gossip or slander, nor join in condemning anyone without a hearing or without a just cause. Rather in court and everywhere else, I should avoid lying and deceit of every kind. These are devices the devil himself uses, and they would call down on me God's intense anger. I should love the truth Speak it candidly and openly acknowledge it, and I shall do what I can to guard and advance my neighbor's good name. Shall we pray for the preaching? Faithful God and Father, thank you that you don't leave us to our own resources. but that you come to us with your word. Bless now the preaching of your word and thou your servant with what he needs. Focus our thoughts on your word. Help us to believe it. Write your word on our hearts so that it may guide us in the week ahead and shape our lives. Do all this through the power of your spirit. For Jesus' sake alone, amen. Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, this afternoon it's about the power of words. God has given us the ability to think and to speak, to express ourselves in words, to communicate. Through our words, we establish and maintain relationships. At the same time, our words give us a certain power over others. Yes, beloved, the power of words has grown phenomenally in the last decades. Think of the mass media, radio, television, newspapers, magazines, internet, mobile phones, social media platforms, you name it. Through the fall into sin, that which was so beautiful, has also become dangerous. The beautiful ability to express our thoughts in words has after all fallen into the hands of the devil. And in the Bible he is called the father of lies. Whenever he speaks lies, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar. and the father of lies, John 8 verse 44. And we humans have listened to that liar and become liars ourselves. Thus the power of the word has come into the hands of liars. A dangerous situation. Our words can make or break others. is people sit down and judge. There are special gossip magazines and sites or platforms that are out to destroy people's reputation. No one has appointed them as judges. Their only drive is money, sensation, sadism, or hatred. There appears to be a market for their gossip stories. They apparently meet a need. The need to hear bad things about others. And to comfortably sit back in your own chair looking good. Yes, people like to ignore the log in their own eyes. to focus on the speck in other people's eyes. Beloved, God gave us the power of the word. We can and may judge actions as situations, as God's representatives. We are called to distinguish between good and bad. to praise that which is good and to condemn that which is evil. But what a misuse is being made of that authority. In pride and lovelessness, people exalt themselves on their judgment seats. And where are those judgment seats? Not in the courts of law. but in the homes, at the social gatherings, at the coffee shops, at the parties, around the barbecue. Their people are condemned, their reputations destroyed. Have you heard this? Have you heard what he or she said or did? And then you hear one gossip story after the next. Character assassination. Destruction of a person's honor and reputation. Brothers and sisters, you are allowed to judge. At times you even have to judge. But then do it as God would do it. As his representative. we have been appointed as prophets and kings but then subject to God and that's why the Lord teaches us the ninth commandment I preach to you you shall not be a false witness against your neighbor you should not be a false witness against your neighbor We'll consider two points. Firstly, do not harm your neighbour unjustly by your words. And secondly, serve your neighbour by your words. The Ninth Commandment initially refers to the court of law. A legal process is underway and someone gives false evidence. and that false evidence can lead to the conviction of innocent people, maybe even to their death. Think of biblical times. They did not yet have the forensic methods of fingerprinting or blood tests. They did not yet have the smart technology of surveillance cameras and listening devices. everything depended on the testimony of the witnesses. And at that time, many crimes demanded death penalty. And thus, someone's life was literally in the hands of the witnesses. In the Old Testament, you have the example of Naboth, set up by Queen Jezebel, a typical kangaroo court, crooks, are hired to act as false witnesses. And the innocent Naboth is condemned and killed. Above all, there is the example of Jesus Christ's condemnation. They couldn't find any truthful evidence against him, so they called in false witnesses. to twist his words and let him look guilty. He who is absolutely innocent was condemned to death on the basis of lies. And this is what God is trying to prevent in the ninth commandment. Today we call it perjury. It is that you give false evidence under oath in a court of law. Thus God wants to protect our judicial processes. Yes, protect human lives. However, this commandment goes further than the court of law. The issue is hurting our neighbor by falsehood. You can do it in court, but also outside court. There are many situations in which I can harm my neighbor through my words. Just think of the social media platforms or other modern media. Paul writes in Romans 3, there is none righteous, not even one. Their throat is an open grave. With their tongues they keep deceiving. The poison of asps is under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Romans 3 verse 10, 13, and 14. Strong, damning words. Scripture even devotes an entire chapter to the sins of the tongue, namely James 3. Our tongue is but a small part of our body, says James. Yet it boasts of great things. The tongue is a fire that sets everything ablaze, while it itself is set on fire by hell. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who have been made in the likeness of God. Does this pass us by as a church? If only that were true. To whom does James address those words? To unbelievers? No way. Here James is addressing church members. James says, for example, my brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Verse 10. Beloved, already in the Old Testament, God repeatedly warns against the sin of the tongue. It often occurs among God's people. David writes about it in Psalm 10, the passage we read. And when you hear David, you would think that he is painting a picture of the ungodly world. But David is talking about God's covenant people here, the church. In the church, people sometimes act like the world in an ungodly way. David prays, help, Lord, for the godly man ceases to be, for the faithful disappear from among the sons of man. Where can I still find people on whom I can rely? Instead, people speak falsehood. They cannot desist from deceiving each other. With flattering lips and with a double heart, they speak, verse two. They talk with two mouths. In your face, they speak their flattering words as if they're truly concerned about you. But in their hearts, they don't care at all. Double hearted. Their lips deceive. What they say sounds wonderful, but it's just appearances. They can flatter you with their words, while they in their hearts hate or curse you. Who has not experienced this in their life? And in this way, people can make it extremely difficult for you. You can't do anything about it, because they speak so beautifully in your face. But in their heart, there are other things that drive them. And behind your back, they do their destructive work. The venom of asps is under their lips. To our shame we must say, it occurs not only in the world, but also in the church. Consider how easily we can twist someone's words. You consciously pass on someone's words a little differently to what was said. For example, Tom says, I didn't like the way Harry behaved himself yesterday." You then pass on those words to someone else and you say, Tom said he doesn't like Harry. Notice the difference. He didn't like the way he acted yesterday, but the way he acted yesterday is not himself, that you didn't hate him, but it's passed on as though you hate him. It can also happen unintentionally, because we don't listen well. Unless you're convinced that the person said something that he didn't really say. Or you give a different meaning to the words someone used. To twist someone's words happens so easily. We then take the words out of their context. We leave certain words out, that don't suit our narrative. Or we add a few words to it. And thus the gist of what the person was saying is changed completely. And so we lead the minds of people in the wrong direction. They draw wrong conclusions. And on that basis, a person is judged. While he or she never said such a thing or meant such a thing. And this way, you can make life very difficult for people. You can hinder them in their functioning in church and society. And then you also have gossip. Am I guilty of that? Of course, sometimes I do talk about others. Everyone does that. But that's no gossip, is it? Moreover, what I say is true. Should we consider this as innocent talk? May I freely pass on personal information about someone? Why do I do it? What benefit does it have? Do I really help my neighbor with it? Let's be honest. That's usually not the aim of gospel. And that's the opposite is usually achieved. When I talk about a person rather than talking to the person, I very easily hurt him or her. My words don't build up, but they destroy. Yes, brothers and sisters, I'm talking about so-called innocent talk. People drink in those words. It sticks in their minds. It does its destructive work. The person is now treated in a certain way because of my so-called innocent talk. And besides, beloved, is it often not so that we think we're telling the truth whereas it's only our perception of the truth. And here it's very important to distinguish between those two. Distinguish between the truth itself and our perception of the truth. For at times we can be very bad listeners and refuse to distinguish between what has been said And our perception of what has been said causes heaps of misery. It drives people apart, while in fact it's totally unnecessary, while the complaints are factually unfounded. But it can drive people apart, yes, believers apart, as Satan rejoices. then there is slander. Slander takes gossip a step further. They don't consciously pass on false information about someone with the purpose of damaging their reputation. This is one of the worst things we can do to someone. Like the false witnesses before the judge. We want to see that our neighbour is condemned. for whatever reason, often for selfish reasons, because of their own hurt or pride, to make ourselves look good or feel good. It's striking that James in this context speaks of bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. Is that often not behind all those lies about others? We consciously want to hurt others or let them get hurt. Brother, sister, how do you respond to such evil gossip, slander? What we hear seems terrible. Is it really true? But we usually don't bother to verify it. No, soon it becomes, well, there must be some truth in it. And that's before long we begin to condemn our neighbour rashly and unheard. And how easily doesn't it happen that we then also start talking to others about it. Yes, to be safe, to cover our back, we add, this at least is how it was told to us. Meanwhile, the evil has been done. And that evil continues to do its work. Instead of helping our neighbor, we harm him or her. The tongue intended to build up is used to destroy. And that's why the Lord strictly, strongly rejects such behavior. The Bible doesn't beat around the bush. It calls a spade a spade. This is the work of the devil, full of deadly poison. When I join in such practices, I let myself be set on fire by the hell, James says. Wow. Do you still think in those terms? Do we still realize how serious this issue is? And thus David says, May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that speaks great things. If I use my tongue to harm others, I act as an enemy of God and his people. Yes, sometimes I indeed behave like an enemy of God and his people. David describes such conduct as follows. They say, with our tongue we will prevail. Our lips are our own. Who is lord over us? With their tongues they consider themselves to be strong. With this they can do what they like. No one is their lord or master. Well, no one. God certainly is. Their flaming arrows can hurt people deeply. But God himself will intervene and strike them, David says. Thus the Lord announces in verse five, because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy, now I will arise, says the Lord. I will set him in the safety for which he longs. In the Ninth Commandment, God is busy protecting the vulnerable against this destructive power of words. Therefore, do not harm your neighbour by your words, but serve your neighbour by your words. The second point. Beloved, when can my tongue serve the neighbour again? When it is no longer set on fire by Satan or by hell, but set on fire by the Holy Spirit. Through the Spirit of God, you will start treating people differently. The fruit of the Spirit is after all, among other things, love, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. Through the Spirit, fellowship will be restored. God is after all the truth itself. He is the one who is perfectly Trustworthy. And when you let him lead you, you will again serve the truth and serve your neighbour. Beloved, the psalm makes a sharp contrast between the words of people and the words of God. While human words are often unreliable, deceitful, the words of the Lord are called pure, spotless, They contain no impure sinful element. David used the image of the silversmith. The silversmith throws the silver into the smelting furnace to get rid of all the impure elements. And thus God's words are like silver, refined in a furnace, purified seven times. In other words, perfectly pure. Will you remember that in your search for trustworthiness? Perhaps we think that we can't do much against the moral decline in society. Our society is full of lies, deception, fake news. The situation that David pictures in Psalm 12 is comparable to our present situation in society. But remember, you have God's words. And those words are like silver, which is refined, completely pure. You have the precious metal of God's truth And that's enough. Those words expose all that big talk of people. Those pure words enable you to use your tongue for the benefit of your neighbor. And that's why it's so important what you do with the pure word of God. One can complain about the deceitfulness of the world. Yes, it is terrible. But what do we do to protect ourselves and others against it? What do we read and listen to and watch? What do we fill ourselves with? Do we let the unbelieving world set the tone in our lives with its media, with its serial programs, with its movies and videos? or do we let God set the tone? What place does God's word have in your life? If you want a good guide for the use of modern media, read, for example, Philippians 4, verses 8 and 9. I quote, finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, Whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4 verse 8 and 9. With those words as our guide, would you still want to watch certain programs, movies, videos? Would you truly still feel comfortable participating in certain discussion forums or social media platforms? Would you still react the way you react? Beloved, are we consistent in our opposition to lies and deceit? Do we not too easily surrender ourselves to the spirit of our time, exposing ourselves and our children to their constant propaganda? What do we let our children watch and listen to? Do we inhale the healthy, Christian air, the clear, pure air, or the worldly, polluted air? The influence of the world then also becomes noticeable in the way we talk or do things in the atmosphere at home. Let's examine ourselves, be vigilant, make clear choices so that Satan with his lies doesn't get a foothold among us, in our hearts or in our homes. The church is meant to be a bulwark of the truth. And do others notice that you are people of the truth? You belong to Christ, the truth, do you not? And then the way we deal with others will be different. Then it will be a pleasure to belong to the church community. The more we hold onto the truth, the more we can rely on each other, the more we'll be able to serve and build up each other. It's not enough to stop saying bad things about others. I must now learn to speak positively for the benefit of others. Let the pure, trustworthy word of God determine your dealings with one another so that the truth may prevail and the lie be overcome. Stand up for the truth. Also when you hear people gossip or slander, the works of the devil need to be nipped in the bud. Say there and then, stop it, and lead the conversation in a different direction. Only then can the church be what it ought to be, an oasis of the truth in an unreliable world. Then we are safe among each other. then we can depend on each other, serve each other, also with our tongue. But brothers and sisters, who is able to do this? I want to be different, yes, more reliable. But before I know it, I can fall again, start to gossip or slander, or start condemning someone unheard Rationally, it almost happens automatically, does it not? Well, without the gospel of Christ, the ninth commandment remains disheartening. It condemns me, let's be honest. But the good news is twofold. First, Jesus Christ died. also for my lies. Heed the truth, gave his life for our untruths. He willingly became a victim of false witnesses to deliver me from Satan, the father of all lies. What an amazing love. And Jesus Christ did more. In him, God not only forgives, but he also changes and renews us. That's the second part of the good news. In James 3, verse 8, we read that no human being can tame the tongue. Strong words, no human being can tame the tongue. It's a restless evil. But God can. And God does this. in Jesus Christ. We by nature liars can change through the power of Christ. He delivers us from the desire to tell lies. He frees us from our urge to gossip or slander. And therefore, brothers and sisters, keep embracing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Continue to pray for his grace and spirit Pray for forgiveness and renewal. Let yourself be filled with and guided by the Holy Spirit, so that the fruit of the Spirit may become more and more visible in your life. In other words, let the word of Christ, the truth, dwell in you richly. and what a change that can bring about in your attitude and in your conduct. Amen. Shall we pray? Gracious God and Father, we thank you for that wonderful gift of speech. that we can express our thoughts and establish and maintain relationships. Thank you for the encouragement we can give others and we can receive from others via words. And Father, we feel very sad about it that we have damaged that wonderful gift by listening to the father of all lies. And that gift has thus become unreliable. Father, we're all being bombarded with a lie, with half-truths, fake news. Deliver us from the evil one who is setting people up against each other and who's trying to silence the Christians. Deliver us from those who, in the name of tolerance and inclusiveness, vilify and try to destroy anyone who defends the Christian truths. Father, will you grant writers, public speakers, journalists and reporters who seek the truth via thorough research and are not afraid to tell the truth, even when it's considered to be politically incorrect and it deviates from the mainstream opinions Encourage and equip writers, journalists and reporters who stand up for your truth. Protect them from the threats and attacks directed against them. May the truth, yes, your truth, be heard in the public square. Thank you for the wisdom and courage of authors who still stand up for your truth and propagate that truth. Thank you for your word that is perfect and pure. Father, write your word in our hearts so that it may determine our speech and our interaction with others. Grant that we truly may serve others with our words. that we may be safe among each other because of your unifying word and spirit. Protect us and our children from the negative impacts of social media. May our presence in social media reflect a Christian approach by being true, honourable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent. and forgive us where we've joined in gossiping or slandering others, and thus where we have caused harm. Make us vigilant and bold, wise and discerning, so that we nip the evil in the bud and don't give Satan a place in our heart and lives. Hear us. In Jesus' name. Amen.