Don't Fuel The Fire

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That's code iHeart fifty when 0:01:24.319 --> 0:01:27.280 you sign up at unest dot co for a fifty 0:01:27.319 --> 0:01:30.120 dollars bonus. See terms and conditions at UNEs dot co. 0:01:31.280 --> 0:01:31.800 Hi, this is. 0:01:31.840 --> 0:01:35.120 Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to our podcast and 0:01:35.200 --> 0:01:38.400 thanks for supporting the ministry. If you enjoy today's message, 0:01:38.600 --> 0:01:40.399 why don't you be a blessing and share it with 0:01:40.440 --> 0:01:43.440 a friend. We appreciate you and pray for God's very 0:01:43.480 --> 0:01:53.920 best in your life. 0:01:56.520 --> 0:01:59.160 Well, God bless you. It's a joy to come into. 0:01:59.000 --> 0:02:01.880 Your homes, and if you're ever in our area, please 0:02:01.920 --> 0:02:04.400 stop by and be a part of one of our services. 0:02:04.600 --> 0:02:06.880 I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. 0:02:07.120 --> 0:02:09.480 But thanks so much for tuning in, and thank you 0:02:09.520 --> 0:02:12.080 again for coming out today. I like to start with 0:02:12.120 --> 0:02:15.200 something funny and I heard about this pastor and this 0:02:15.320 --> 0:02:19.000 song leader. They weren't getting along. It started to spill 0:02:19.000 --> 0:02:22.600 over into the services. One Sunday morning, the pastor spoke 0:02:22.680 --> 0:02:26.480 on being willing to change. Afterwards, the song leader got 0:02:26.560 --> 0:02:29.040 up and led the song I Shall not be moved. 0:02:30.360 --> 0:02:33.080 Next week, the pastor spoke about being a giver. The 0:02:33.080 --> 0:02:35.640 song leader got up and led the song Jesus paid 0:02:35.680 --> 0:02:39.639 it all. Next week, pastor talked about not gossiping, watching 0:02:39.680 --> 0:02:42.120 your tongue. Song leader got up and led the song 0:02:42.320 --> 0:02:46.600 I love to tell the story. Pastor got so frustrated 0:02:46.800 --> 0:02:50.280 he resigned. Told the congregation Jesus brought me here, and 0:02:50.400 --> 0:02:51.760 Jesus is taking me away. 0:02:52.160 --> 0:02:54.480 The song leader then led, what a friend we have 0:02:54.600 --> 0:02:55.160 in Jesus. 0:02:57.080 --> 0:02:59.280 Hold up your bible, say it like you mean it. 0:02:59.639 --> 0:03:02.399 This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. 0:03:02.919 --> 0:03:05.200 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:03:05.320 --> 0:03:06.440 what it says I can do. 0:03:06.840 --> 0:03:09.400 Today I will be talked the word of God. I 0:03:09.560 --> 0:03:13.600 boldly confess. My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. 0:03:13.919 --> 0:03:17.440 I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, God 0:03:17.520 --> 0:03:21.160 bless you. I want to talk to you today about 0:03:21.240 --> 0:03:25.560 not fueling the fire we all have opportunities to make 0:03:25.600 --> 0:03:29.040 people look bad. We hear rumors and things that we 0:03:29.080 --> 0:03:32.320 don't know for sure or true, but it's tempting to 0:03:32.400 --> 0:03:35.200 repeat them. And it's not that we're a bad person. 0:03:35.480 --> 0:03:38.960 We're just telling what we heard, or maybe we know 0:03:39.080 --> 0:03:42.560 something about a person that is true. They made a mistake, 0:03:42.880 --> 0:03:46.400 they had a failure. It's easy to justify telling that 0:03:46.680 --> 0:03:49.400 because it's the truth. But there are a lot of 0:03:49.480 --> 0:03:52.400 things that are true that we don't need to tell. 0:03:53.280 --> 0:03:55.920 We should do our best to never show people in 0:03:56.000 --> 0:03:57.240 an unflattering light. 0:03:58.160 --> 0:03:59.920 One Peter three ten says. 0:04:00.160 --> 0:04:02.840 If you want to see your day fill up with good, 0:04:03.400 --> 0:04:04.200 here's what you do. 0:04:04.800 --> 0:04:07.880 Say nothing evil or hurtful. 0:04:08.320 --> 0:04:12.480 We live in a society that's filled with rumors, gossip 0:04:12.960 --> 0:04:16.240 in the windows. There's a lot of chatter these days, 0:04:16.760 --> 0:04:21.520 people talking on the internet, at work, at school. Their nosy, 0:04:22.080 --> 0:04:25.840 busy bodies. They love to get things stirred up. They 0:04:25.880 --> 0:04:29.159 have no problem repeating things they know are only half 0:04:29.200 --> 0:04:32.800 true on purpose. They'll leave out certain details just to 0:04:32.880 --> 0:04:36.840 prove their point, and if we're not careful, we'll get 0:04:36.839 --> 0:04:40.280 pulled in and become carriers of their poison. 0:04:41.040 --> 0:04:42.279 Did you hear what I heard? 0:04:42.720 --> 0:04:45.600 I got some big news, I got some juicy information. 0:04:46.320 --> 0:04:46.800 I read a. 0:04:46.760 --> 0:04:49.960 Quote that I like. Have you heard a word against 0:04:50.040 --> 0:04:54.360 your neighbor? Then let it die within you? In other words, 0:04:54.640 --> 0:04:57.920 have you heard any gossip lately? Have you read something 0:04:58.000 --> 0:05:01.320 juicy on the internet? As a friend told you some 0:05:01.520 --> 0:05:05.880 inside information about a person. It's true, it's hot off 0:05:05.880 --> 0:05:06.400 the press. 0:05:06.560 --> 0:05:10.080 They lied, they cheated. Here's what you're to do. 0:05:10.080 --> 0:05:13.279 Don't go to the phone, don't go call three friends, 0:05:13.680 --> 0:05:16.920 don't get on the internet and expose them. God says, 0:05:17.279 --> 0:05:20.400 let it die within you. Don't say a word about it. 0:05:21.040 --> 0:05:24.960 Somebody put it this way. Every person carries a bucket 0:05:25.000 --> 0:05:30.440 of gasoline and a bucket of water. When you hear rumors, gossip, 0:05:30.600 --> 0:05:34.440 juicy information, you can either pour your gasoline on it, 0:05:34.920 --> 0:05:38.080 add fuel to the fire and make it worse, or 0:05:38.120 --> 0:05:41.240 you can do what God says and pour water on it. 0:05:41.279 --> 0:05:44.320 Help to try to put it out. Too many people 0:05:44.400 --> 0:05:47.720 are using their gasoline. They try to justify it, Joel, 0:05:47.760 --> 0:05:48.400 it's the truth. 0:05:49.040 --> 0:05:51.320 They were wrong. I'm just stating the facts. 0:05:51.680 --> 0:05:55.640 Yes, they may be guilty, but the scripture says love 0:05:56.000 --> 0:06:01.680 covers a fault. Love doesn't expose, Love doesn't tell five friends. 0:06:02.120 --> 0:06:04.839 Love doesn't get on Facebook and add fuel to the fire. 0:06:05.279 --> 0:06:08.680 Love says, they made a mistake, but God can restore them. 0:06:09.120 --> 0:06:11.800 They messed up, but God has a new beginning. They 0:06:11.800 --> 0:06:14.560 did wrong, but I'm not going to add to their pain. 0:06:14.760 --> 0:06:17.680 By talking about them making them look bad. I'm going 0:06:17.760 --> 0:06:21.160 to show mercy and let it die within me. When 0:06:21.200 --> 0:06:24.520 you know something negative about a person, you could easily 0:06:24.560 --> 0:06:28.200 show them in an unflattering light. That is a test. 0:06:29.080 --> 0:06:31.920 How you respond will determine. 0:06:31.560 --> 0:06:34.440 How high you will go. If you add fuel to 0:06:34.480 --> 0:06:37.680 the fire, tell all your friends, get everything stirred up. 0:06:38.200 --> 0:06:41.280 That will keep you stuck where you are because God 0:06:41.320 --> 0:06:44.760 will not promote a gossip, a busy body, a fault finder. 0:06:45.440 --> 0:06:47.800 But if you'll get your bucket of water and help 0:06:47.839 --> 0:06:51.360 put the fire out, don't say anything about it, cover 0:06:51.520 --> 0:06:54.040 that fault, then you'll pass the test. 0:06:54.520 --> 0:06:56.680 That's the kind of people that God promotes. 0:06:57.360 --> 0:07:00.919 The real question is when we hear you, you see information, 0:07:01.320 --> 0:07:04.440 when it's hot off the press, will we use our 0:07:04.520 --> 0:07:08.320 discipline to let it die within us? A few years ago, 0:07:08.720 --> 0:07:10.920 I was at dinner with a friend of mine. This 0:07:11.000 --> 0:07:14.320 man's name came up. Now I knew firsthand this man 0:07:14.520 --> 0:07:17.880 was having legal problems. He had done something wrong, got 0:07:17.880 --> 0:07:20.280 in trouble with the law, and the friend I was 0:07:20.280 --> 0:07:21.560 with knew nothing about it. 0:07:22.200 --> 0:07:23.960 Human nature wants to tell. 0:07:23.800 --> 0:07:26.760 It, after all, the man never asked me not to. 0:07:27.440 --> 0:07:30.560 It was all true. I had my gasoline, I had 0:07:30.680 --> 0:07:31.280 my water. 0:07:31.720 --> 0:07:34.320 It's very tempting to just throw a little fuel on 0:07:34.360 --> 0:07:37.280 the fire. I don't know how he's doing. I heard 0:07:37.320 --> 0:07:40.080 that he may have some legal problems. I could have 0:07:40.120 --> 0:07:43.520 stirred it up, but I knew there was a chance 0:07:43.760 --> 0:07:46.840 that may never come out in public. And this friend's 0:07:46.920 --> 0:07:50.160 opinion of this man would never change. But if I 0:07:50.240 --> 0:07:53.440 were to be undisciplined and just say whatever I want, 0:07:54.120 --> 0:07:57.480 then because of me, this friend's opinion of that man 0:07:57.600 --> 0:08:02.800 would forever be lower. When you protect a reputation, you 0:08:02.840 --> 0:08:06.160 are sowing a seed for God to protect your own reputation. 0:08:07.040 --> 0:08:10.440 In our conversations, we need to ask ourselves. Number one, 0:08:11.080 --> 0:08:13.600 do I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that 0:08:13.680 --> 0:08:14.640 this is really true? 0:08:15.160 --> 0:08:16.720 Or have I heard it third or fourth hand? 0:08:17.200 --> 0:08:20.800 And number two, even if it is true, is it 0:08:20.880 --> 0:08:24.480 absolutely necessary? Do I really need to tell it? Or 0:08:24.520 --> 0:08:26.960 do I just want to tell it? This friend I 0:08:27.040 --> 0:08:29.280 was at dinner with he had no connection. 0:08:28.960 --> 0:08:29.720 With the other man. 0:08:30.240 --> 0:08:32.800 There was no reason, and I didn't do it to 0:08:32.920 --> 0:08:36.360 show that man in an unfavorable light. A lot of 0:08:36.360 --> 0:08:38.160 times we think, well, I'm just going to tell this 0:08:38.200 --> 0:08:41.320 one friend that's not going to hurt anything. But that 0:08:41.400 --> 0:08:44.640 person will tell another person, that person another, on and on, 0:08:45.040 --> 0:08:45.959 and no matter. 0:08:45.760 --> 0:08:48.199 How they retell it, it won't be the same. 0:08:48.720 --> 0:08:52.600 Things will be exaggerated, blown out of proportion. What's big 0:08:52.640 --> 0:08:56.559 will get bigger, what's bad will get worse. That's why 0:08:57.040 --> 0:09:00.560 if you're hearing things third or fourth hand, you should 0:09:00.559 --> 0:09:03.000 take it with a grain of salt. It can be 0:09:03.040 --> 0:09:07.160 so tainted, so misconstrued that very little of it is true. 0:09:07.360 --> 0:09:09.760 Don't believe it until you hear it from the real source. 0:09:10.600 --> 0:09:14.200 Victoria and I have some good friends now, but for 0:09:14.280 --> 0:09:17.600 about ten years they wouldn't have anything to do with us. 0:09:18.120 --> 0:09:21.760 They liked us from a distance. We're in similar positions. 0:09:22.440 --> 0:09:26.000 But somebody that doesn't know us well, that couldn't handle 0:09:26.040 --> 0:09:30.200 God's favor on our life, poisoned their opinion of us. 0:09:30.800 --> 0:09:34.320 They took things out of contact, very one sided, and 0:09:34.360 --> 0:09:37.040 showed how we were these terrible people and we just 0:09:37.360 --> 0:09:38.400 did somebody wrong. 0:09:38.480 --> 0:09:40.000 We couldn't be trusted on and on. 0:09:40.760 --> 0:09:43.440 When this couple finally met us, they said, you're not 0:09:43.520 --> 0:09:46.880 anything like those people said you are. Since then we've 0:09:46.880 --> 0:09:51.080 become good friends. My point is, don't believe everything you hear. 0:09:51.720 --> 0:09:55.480 Don't let the internet and people that are jealous, people 0:09:55.480 --> 0:09:59.960 that can't handle success, poison your opinion of somebody else. 0:10:01.000 --> 0:10:02.480 The other day, a man came up. 0:10:02.360 --> 0:10:05.360 To me said, Joel, did you hear about so and so. 0:10:06.400 --> 0:10:08.360 By the way he said it, I knew it wasn't 0:10:08.360 --> 0:10:12.599 going to be good. I smiled and said, very politely, no, 0:10:12.880 --> 0:10:16.080 I didn't hear, and if it's not good, I don't 0:10:16.120 --> 0:10:19.840 want to hear. You shouldn't let people fill you with 0:10:19.880 --> 0:10:24.640 a bunch of trash. Somebody wants to talk bad about 0:10:24.679 --> 0:10:28.880 a person, gossip, put them down, don't sit there and 0:10:28.920 --> 0:10:29.560 take it all in. 0:10:29.840 --> 0:10:30.959 Tell them no thanks. 0:10:31.280 --> 0:10:34.200 My ears are not garbage cans. I don't want to 0:10:34.200 --> 0:10:37.800 hear that trash. You want to talk bad about them, gossip, 0:10:37.960 --> 0:10:41.439 judge them, stir up strife. That's your choice, but you're 0:10:41.440 --> 0:10:43.320 going to have to find somebody else to do it with. 0:10:44.120 --> 0:10:46.920 You got to put your foot down and not allow 0:10:47.120 --> 0:10:51.120 people to poison your life. You shouldn't go to lunch 0:10:51.240 --> 0:10:55.040 every day at the office and sit with people that gossip, 0:10:55.679 --> 0:10:59.520 bad mouth of boss, complain about the company, trash your friends. 0:11:00.160 --> 0:11:04.400 So in discord, that's one of the things that God hates. Well, Joel, 0:11:04.400 --> 0:11:06.440 if I don't eat lunch with them, I may not 0:11:06.559 --> 0:11:09.920 have anybody to eat lunch with. Well, I would rather 0:11:10.000 --> 0:11:13.600 be lonely and not poisoned than to let that trash 0:11:13.720 --> 0:11:19.600 go into me. Do you know spirits are transferable? The 0:11:19.640 --> 0:11:23.240 scripture says, don't hang around angry people, or you will 0:11:23.280 --> 0:11:27.360 become angry. You hang around gossipers, and you will become 0:11:27.360 --> 0:11:30.480 a gossip You hang around fault finders, you'll become a 0:11:30.520 --> 0:11:34.720 fault finder. You hang out with nosy, busy bodies, and 0:11:34.760 --> 0:11:37.680 that nosy busy body spirit will get off on you. 0:11:38.440 --> 0:11:40.880 Be careful who you associate with. 0:11:41.320 --> 0:11:45.400 Your time is too valuable to be poisoned. And we 0:11:45.480 --> 0:11:49.120 all know people that mind everybody's business except their own. 0:11:49.800 --> 0:11:53.760 They're nosy, prying to people's affairs, trying to get the 0:11:53.880 --> 0:11:57.000 latest scoop. Let me tell you what I heard. You 0:11:57.080 --> 0:12:01.439 will believe what I found out there. Busy bodies they're 0:12:01.520 --> 0:12:06.080 always spreading rumors. They've got an opinion about everything, and 0:12:06.120 --> 0:12:07.840 they're going to give it to you, whether you want 0:12:07.840 --> 0:12:11.319 it or not. They try to run everybody else's life. 0:12:11.520 --> 0:12:13.640 The truth is they can't even run their own life. 0:12:14.040 --> 0:12:18.880 Be kind, be respectful, but don't associate with a busybody. Listen, 0:12:19.040 --> 0:12:23.320 if they'll talk about somebody else in front of you, 0:12:23.360 --> 0:12:25.920 don't be fooled. They'll talk about you in front of 0:12:25.960 --> 0:12:31.040 somebody else. We have to realize it is just as 0:12:31.120 --> 0:12:34.240 wrong to listen to gossip as it is to tell. 0:12:34.280 --> 0:12:35.920 It takes too to gossip. 0:12:36.400 --> 0:12:40.360 The mouth and the ears, the seed and the soil. 0:12:41.440 --> 0:12:46.000 Proverbs eleven thirteen says a gossip goes around spreading rumors, 0:12:46.520 --> 0:12:48.520 but a person of honor. 0:12:48.360 --> 0:12:49.720 Tries to quiet them. 0:12:50.440 --> 0:12:53.800 Notice a gossip has the gasoline, but when you're an 0:12:53.920 --> 0:12:56.960 honorable person, you've got the water. 0:12:57.240 --> 0:13:00.079 You defend, You show mercy, you cofor. 0:13:00.600 --> 0:13:04.240 If somebody starts gossiping around you, starts talking bad about 0:13:04.240 --> 0:13:06.280 a person, you can do a couple things. Number one, 0:13:06.520 --> 0:13:08.800 you can say, oh, I just realized I've got to 0:13:08.840 --> 0:13:09.920 go make a telephone call. 0:13:09.960 --> 0:13:11.040 I'm gonna have to step out. 0:13:11.320 --> 0:13:14.280 You can politely excuse yourself. If you want to be 0:13:14.320 --> 0:13:17.600 more bold, you can say hey, instead of talking about them. 0:13:17.840 --> 0:13:19.520 Why don't we pray for them? 0:13:20.120 --> 0:13:22.679 If we would spend the same amount of time praying 0:13:22.720 --> 0:13:26.360 for people as we do talking about them, then they 0:13:26.400 --> 0:13:28.600 would change person of honor. 0:13:28.800 --> 0:13:30.079 Sticks up for their family. 0:13:30.679 --> 0:13:34.760 You defend your friends, You cover their weaknesses. If I 0:13:34.800 --> 0:13:37.280 hear somebody talking about you and I know you're a 0:13:37.280 --> 0:13:39.920 part of the Lakewood family, I'm going to do everything 0:13:40.000 --> 0:13:43.000 I can to take up for you. Well, Joel, one 0:13:43.040 --> 0:13:45.080 of your members tried to run me off the road 0:13:45.160 --> 0:13:48.360 last week. Now, I'm sure they didn't mean to. They 0:13:48.360 --> 0:13:51.600 probably just dropped their cell phone, got distracted. No man, 0:13:51.640 --> 0:13:53.599 they were honking their horn, had their fist up in 0:13:53.640 --> 0:13:53.960 the air. 0:13:54.240 --> 0:13:58.760 Now, I'm sure they're just worshiping the Lord. You are 0:13:58.840 --> 0:13:59.960 good all the time. 0:14:00.120 --> 0:14:00.600 You are good. 0:14:02.880 --> 0:14:04.679 I'm not gonna poor gasoline. 0:14:04.800 --> 0:14:05.720 I'm gonna pull water. 0:14:06.320 --> 0:14:09.800 You're my friends, You're my family. That's the way you 0:14:09.840 --> 0:14:11.960 need to be with the people in your life. 0:14:12.240 --> 0:14:13.840 Defend them, stick up for them. 0:14:14.160 --> 0:14:17.959 Somebody starts gossiping, bad mouthing, your attitude should be, hey, 0:14:18.120 --> 0:14:19.680 you're messing with the wrong person. 0:14:19.920 --> 0:14:21.040 That's my family. 0:14:21.360 --> 0:14:24.600 They're a part of my church, they're my friend, they're 0:14:24.680 --> 0:14:30.240 my classmate. You have a responsibility to help stop that gossip. 0:14:30.800 --> 0:14:35.480 You should be especially loyal to your own family, your parents, 0:14:35.840 --> 0:14:38.840 your brothers, your sisters, your siblings, your relatives, your cousins. 0:14:39.200 --> 0:14:42.320 You may not always agree with them. They may get 0:14:42.360 --> 0:14:45.000 on your nerves from time to time. They may be 0:14:45.080 --> 0:14:48.680 a little bit different. Doesn't matter. Somebody starts talking about 0:14:48.720 --> 0:14:51.840 your family, it's your duty to put a stop to it. 0:14:52.160 --> 0:14:55.520 That's your blood, that's who God has chosen you to 0:14:55.560 --> 0:14:55.960 be with. 0:14:56.800 --> 0:14:57.760 Now, I've seen people. 0:14:58.040 --> 0:15:01.320 Somebody starts talking about a family member, they jump on 0:15:01.400 --> 0:15:04.280 the bandwagon. Yeah, I know what you mean. They've been 0:15:04.280 --> 0:15:06.240 a jerk their whole life. I've had to put up 0:15:06.280 --> 0:15:08.440 with them for years. Now, put a stop to it. 0:15:08.960 --> 0:15:11.560 They may not be perfect, but you can say something. 0:15:11.640 --> 0:15:13.360 Yeah, I know they're a little different. 0:15:13.480 --> 0:15:16.320 They've got some issues, but you know what, they're growing, 0:15:16.760 --> 0:15:20.520 they're changing deep down. They're a good person. That's my family. 0:15:20.720 --> 0:15:23.760 I love them. Be loyal, stick up for them. 0:15:24.280 --> 0:15:26.760 For Joe, you don't know what they've done. 0:15:26.880 --> 0:15:29.720 My brother borrowed money from everybody in the family, hasn't 0:15:29.720 --> 0:15:33.080 paid us back. My dad ran off with somebody else, 0:15:33.160 --> 0:15:37.840 messed up our family. That's unfortunate, but it's still your family. 0:15:38.520 --> 0:15:42.120 It's easy to kick people when they're down. It's easy 0:15:42.160 --> 0:15:45.360 to be judgmental say I told you so. But the 0:15:45.480 --> 0:15:48.080 honorable thing to do is stay on the high road 0:15:48.480 --> 0:15:49.920 and help restore them. 0:15:50.360 --> 0:15:52.480 Help bring peace back to your family. 0:15:52.800 --> 0:15:55.440 They got enough people trying to push them down. They 0:15:55.440 --> 0:15:58.160 should be able to count on you as family to 0:15:58.200 --> 0:16:02.520 help lift them up. Very blessed because I have family 0:16:02.560 --> 0:16:05.840 members that I know would defend me till my dying day. 0:16:06.520 --> 0:16:09.480 I could go out rob a bank, steal a car. 0:16:09.840 --> 0:16:11.880 They say, oh Joe, he's not really stealing, he's just 0:16:12.000 --> 0:16:16.440 borrowing it. He wants to help somebody. Now, behind closed doors, 0:16:16.560 --> 0:16:18.880 they'd tell me to get my act together, But in 0:16:18.920 --> 0:16:21.600 front of you, I can do no wrong. They're my family. 0:16:21.920 --> 0:16:25.560 They believe in me. They're loyal, they're honorable people. If 0:16:25.600 --> 0:16:28.600 we can't count on our family, who can we count on. 0:16:29.600 --> 0:16:33.560 Proverbs says a friend loves it all time, but a 0:16:33.640 --> 0:16:35.760 brother is born for adversity. 0:16:36.480 --> 0:16:38.280 That's saying your friends are great. 0:16:38.120 --> 0:16:41.840 We all need them, but there's something about your family. 0:16:42.320 --> 0:16:45.960 They were born for adversity, and in the tough times, 0:16:46.160 --> 0:16:48.440 your family needs you more than ever. 0:16:49.200 --> 0:16:50.040 Too often we. 0:16:50.080 --> 0:16:56.720 Let strife, jealousy, competition, division, pull us apart. Rise above that, 0:16:57.760 --> 0:17:01.880 get over the petty differences, arguing over things that don't matter. 0:17:02.400 --> 0:17:04.960 In a little while, we're all going to be gone. 0:17:05.000 --> 0:17:09.040 Your brothers, sisters, cousins, relatives, they need you. Stick up 0:17:09.080 --> 0:17:13.600 for your family, defend them, cover their faults. The Book 0:17:13.600 --> 0:17:16.480 of Genesis tells how Noah was on the ark for 0:17:16.560 --> 0:17:20.159 one hundred and ninety days with his family and with 0:17:20.200 --> 0:17:23.560 all of the animals. It rained for forty days, then 0:17:23.600 --> 0:17:26.400 it took one hundred and fifty days for the waters 0:17:26.400 --> 0:17:29.920 to recede. You can imagine how Noah must have felt, 0:17:30.520 --> 0:17:33.840 being cramped up all that time, with not only the animals, 0:17:34.000 --> 0:17:37.520 but with all of his family, all of his relatives, 0:17:37.720 --> 0:17:41.919 one hundred and ninety days nowhere to go, always together. 0:17:42.560 --> 0:17:45.639 Somebody pointed out, when Noah got off the ark, the 0:17:45.680 --> 0:17:48.200 first thing he did was went out and got drunk, 0:17:49.320 --> 0:17:53.200 and it wasn't right, but he had had enough. We laugh, 0:17:53.280 --> 0:17:55.320 but most of us can only take a one day 0:17:55.480 --> 0:18:00.240 family reunion. Imagine a one hundred and ninety day family 0:18:00.320 --> 0:18:03.840 reunion with all of your relatives, never able to leave 0:18:03.880 --> 0:18:07.479 the house. Well, Noah was lying on the floor of 0:18:07.520 --> 0:18:12.280 his tent, drunk, passed out totally naked. 0:18:12.160 --> 0:18:13.920 Taking off all of his clothes. 0:18:14.320 --> 0:18:17.679 His youngest son, Ham came in and saw his father 0:18:17.800 --> 0:18:20.840 lying there drunk and naked. Ham ran out and started 0:18:20.880 --> 0:18:24.320 telling everybody found his two brothers. You won't believe what 0:18:24.480 --> 0:18:27.640 dad has done, making a fool of himself. He's drunk, 0:18:27.840 --> 0:18:31.320 he's lying their naked, on and on. Ham told everybody 0:18:31.400 --> 0:18:35.919 he could find. Instead of covering his father's fault, he 0:18:36.040 --> 0:18:40.120 exposed it. He added fuel to the fire. The other 0:18:40.200 --> 0:18:43.480 two sons did just the opposite. They went to Noah's tent. 0:18:44.119 --> 0:18:46.919 When they saw their father lying there drunk and naked, 0:18:47.240 --> 0:18:48.480 they turned around. 0:18:49.040 --> 0:18:51.119 They refused to look at their father. 0:18:51.760 --> 0:18:55.040 They got some blankets and they backed into the tent, 0:18:55.760 --> 0:18:59.320 never looking at their father. In that shame, they took 0:18:59.359 --> 0:19:03.240 those blanks and they covered Noah up. They were saying, 0:19:03.280 --> 0:19:07.440 by their actions, Dad was wrong, He made poor choices. 0:19:07.680 --> 0:19:10.200 He's lying here drunken naked. But we're not going to 0:19:10.240 --> 0:19:12.960 do like our younger brother Han and go out telling 0:19:13.040 --> 0:19:17.000 everybody and expose him and add fuel to the fire. 0:19:17.240 --> 0:19:20.439 We got this water, We're going to cover his fault. 0:19:20.960 --> 0:19:26.080 They were saying, that's our father, that's our flesh and blood. Yes, 0:19:26.119 --> 0:19:29.600 he's lying here in shame, but we're going to protect 0:19:29.640 --> 0:19:32.840 him while he's down. We're going to defend him while 0:19:32.840 --> 0:19:34.800 he's not up to par. We're not going to let 0:19:34.840 --> 0:19:39.360 anybody else see him in this negative light. When Noah 0:19:39.480 --> 0:19:42.960 woke up, he found out what had happened. How one 0:19:43.080 --> 0:19:47.520 son had exposed his faults, the other two sons had 0:19:47.600 --> 0:19:51.119 covered his faults. He said to him, the one that 0:19:51.160 --> 0:19:56.240 went out telling everybody, your children and your grandchildren will 0:19:56.280 --> 0:20:00.000 always struggle. There will be a curse on your descendant 0:20:00.480 --> 0:20:04.359 because you dishonored me. You didn't protect my reputation. 0:20:04.720 --> 0:20:05.760 You exposed me. 0:20:06.960 --> 0:20:09.840 Noah said to the two sons that showed him honor 0:20:10.040 --> 0:20:14.440 by covering his faults. By protecting his reputation, you and 0:20:14.480 --> 0:20:19.159 your descendants will always be blessed. You will prosper, You 0:20:19.160 --> 0:20:22.160 will rule over cities, Your land will increase. 0:20:22.600 --> 0:20:24.600 You will have God's favor. 0:20:24.560 --> 0:20:28.959 Because you showed me honor even when I deserved dishonor. 0:20:29.800 --> 0:20:33.359 It's interesting Ham could have just as easily put water 0:20:33.480 --> 0:20:37.359 on instead of the gasoline. He could have covered his 0:20:37.480 --> 0:20:42.440 father's faults. He could have defended Noah, but he was undisciplined. 0:20:42.880 --> 0:20:45.560 He chose to go out and tell everybody. 0:20:46.080 --> 0:20:47.720 When we make the choice. 0:20:47.600 --> 0:20:50.840 To make people look bad, to say things, to damage 0:20:50.840 --> 0:20:54.840 a reputation, to show them in an unfavorable light, that 0:20:54.960 --> 0:21:00.119 puts us on Ham's side instead of the two brothers side. 0:21:00.240 --> 0:21:04.120 But when you show honor, even when honor is not due, 0:21:04.960 --> 0:21:09.240 maybe what the person is doing is wrong, they deserve shame. 0:21:09.960 --> 0:21:13.560 But because you choose to cover the fault, because you 0:21:13.640 --> 0:21:16.920 stick up for your father, because you defend your brother, 0:21:17.119 --> 0:21:20.720 your cousin, your relative, God says to you what Noah 0:21:20.760 --> 0:21:23.719 said to the two sons, you will be blessed, you 0:21:23.760 --> 0:21:26.560 will prosper, you will be in a position of honor. 0:21:27.320 --> 0:21:31.159 Make sure you stay on the two brothers side. Now 0:21:31.240 --> 0:21:34.719 let's take this beyond our biological family. How about our 0:21:34.800 --> 0:21:38.119 church family. That person you sit close to each week, 0:21:38.440 --> 0:21:42.040 that volunteer you see in the nursery. If they fall, 0:21:42.640 --> 0:21:45.920 if they make a mistake, are you going to cover them? 0:21:46.359 --> 0:21:49.200 How about that coworker that blew it they were wrong? 0:21:49.520 --> 0:21:52.400 Are you going to go out like Ham and expose them? 0:21:52.760 --> 0:21:57.240 Blow it up bigger? After all, it's true. Now, just 0:21:57.320 --> 0:22:01.280 because it's true doesn't give us the right to rep well, Joel, 0:22:01.320 --> 0:22:05.040 they're guilty. They were wrong, yes, but only the guilty 0:22:05.280 --> 0:22:10.680 need mercy. Paul said, Ingalatians, when someone falls, you who 0:22:10.680 --> 0:22:15.520 are spiritual are to gently restore them. Notice he didn't 0:22:15.560 --> 0:22:19.040 say to expose them, to tell everybody, make sure they 0:22:19.040 --> 0:22:23.080 feel embarrassed and ashamed. He said to gently restore them. 0:22:23.840 --> 0:22:28.320 If you will cover people when they fall, cover their weaknesses. 0:22:28.640 --> 0:22:32.040 God will make sure somebody will always be there to 0:22:32.119 --> 0:22:37.160 cover you. But it's easy to expose, want to be critical, judgmental. 0:22:37.680 --> 0:22:41.360 Remember this, The same amount of mercy you show others 0:22:41.960 --> 0:22:45.679 is the amount of mercy God will show you when. 0:22:45.560 --> 0:22:47.120 You protect a reputation. 0:22:47.560 --> 0:22:50.720 You are so in a seed not only for your life, 0:22:50.800 --> 0:22:54.240 but for your children. The scripture talks about how we 0:22:54.320 --> 0:22:58.520 can store up mercy for future generations. When you cover 0:22:58.600 --> 0:23:01.920 that fall, you may not receive the mercy. It may 0:23:02.000 --> 0:23:04.920 go to one of your children in their time of need. 0:23:05.680 --> 0:23:07.520 I don't know about you, but I'm going to be 0:23:07.680 --> 0:23:10.359 generous with my mercy. I'm not going to be a 0:23:10.359 --> 0:23:14.160 fault finder. I'm going to be a protector. There's nothing 0:23:14.240 --> 0:23:16.880 you can do that will cause me to expose you. 0:23:17.200 --> 0:23:20.240 If you fall, I'm going to cover you. If you 0:23:20.320 --> 0:23:22.520 blow it, I'm going to protect your reputation. 0:23:23.160 --> 0:23:25.640 If somebody is talking about you, I'm gonna defend you. 0:23:26.160 --> 0:23:29.080 If you drop out, I'm gonna help restore you. I'm 0:23:29.119 --> 0:23:29.920 going to be a friend. 0:23:30.040 --> 0:23:32.600 You can count on someone that will stick with you 0:23:32.680 --> 0:23:35.760 through thick and thin, to protect you, to defend you, 0:23:36.080 --> 0:23:39.359 to cover you. See, we live in a society that 0:23:39.520 --> 0:23:42.439 likes to kick people when they're down. A lot of 0:23:42.480 --> 0:23:46.639 people jump on the bandwagon whow they're wrong, critical, judgmental. No, 0:23:46.840 --> 0:23:51.240 don't be a fair weathered friend. Stick with people, your family, 0:23:51.600 --> 0:23:54.840 your friends. They need you more in the tough times 0:23:55.040 --> 0:23:58.000 than they do the good times. Where are the people 0:23:58.200 --> 0:24:01.280 that will defend their family. Where are the people like 0:24:01.359 --> 0:24:04.440 Noah's two sons that will say, yes, my cousin may 0:24:04.440 --> 0:24:07.240 have fallen, but don't you dare talk about them. That's 0:24:07.320 --> 0:24:07.960 my family. 0:24:08.280 --> 0:24:10.240 He may be down, he's not staying down. 0:24:10.280 --> 0:24:12.880 He's coming back again. This is not the end. It's 0:24:12.880 --> 0:24:14.680 a bump in the road. He's going to come out 0:24:14.720 --> 0:24:18.560 stronger than before. Hey, yeah, but I don't see how 0:24:18.560 --> 0:24:19.840 he could have made that mistake. 0:24:19.920 --> 0:24:21.000 What was he thinking? 0:24:21.600 --> 0:24:24.639 Just ask them, have you ever made a mistake? Have 0:24:24.760 --> 0:24:27.359 you ever done something that you're not proud? Of If not, 0:24:27.600 --> 0:24:30.240 you can throw the first stone, but if you have, 0:24:31.000 --> 0:24:33.240 you need to zip it up because you're talking about 0:24:33.320 --> 0:24:36.320 my family and these ears are not garbage cans. I 0:24:36.320 --> 0:24:39.879 don't want to hear that trash. Defend your family, stick 0:24:39.960 --> 0:24:42.880 up for your friends, put an end to that gossip. 0:24:43.280 --> 0:24:45.600 Do what you can to cover a fault. 0:24:46.760 --> 0:24:49.960 Years ago, there was a minister that made some poor decisions. 0:24:50.359 --> 0:24:54.360 It's a very public ordeal, big controversy in the press 0:24:54.600 --> 0:24:58.120 went on for months and months. At one point, another 0:24:58.240 --> 0:24:59.600 minister that was. 0:24:59.560 --> 0:25:01.399 Also very well known. 0:25:01.520 --> 0:25:06.520 Got on television and criticized this minister and told everyone 0:25:06.720 --> 0:25:09.800 what a disgrace he was and how he was like 0:25:09.840 --> 0:25:14.400 a cancer that needed to be removed. No mercy, so harsh. 0:25:14.840 --> 0:25:18.160 It's as if this man's reputation wasn't bad enough already, 0:25:18.320 --> 0:25:21.520 but this minister just added fuel to the fire, made 0:25:21.520 --> 0:25:26.080 it even worse. Eventually he had to resign, lost his ministry. 0:25:26.080 --> 0:25:30.240 A very sad situation. But when we choose to expose, 0:25:30.960 --> 0:25:33.640 when we choose to run out and tell everybody, that's 0:25:33.800 --> 0:25:37.639 just like him not covering for his father, Noah. A 0:25:37.680 --> 0:25:41.520 couple of years later, this minister that was so hard 0:25:41.680 --> 0:25:45.280 on the other minister he got involved in the same 0:25:45.520 --> 0:25:49.560 type of thing, it was an even bigger controversy. 0:25:49.680 --> 0:25:51.960 He ended up losing his ministry as well. 0:25:53.000 --> 0:25:56.520 When somebody has done wrong, when they're at fault, you 0:25:56.600 --> 0:25:58.040 could say that. 0:25:57.920 --> 0:26:03.480 Situation is contagious. Like a virus. You've been exposed. 0:26:04.200 --> 0:26:07.480 Now how you handle it is going to determine whether 0:26:07.560 --> 0:26:10.040 or not you come down with it. In other words, 0:26:10.119 --> 0:26:13.639 like a person that has the flu, they're contagious. If 0:26:13.680 --> 0:26:17.160 you get around them, you've been exposed to it, that 0:26:17.280 --> 0:26:20.280 virus can get off on you. What's going to protect 0:26:20.400 --> 0:26:24.520 you is if you have a flu shot, the vaccination. 0:26:24.040 --> 0:26:26.960 Will keep you from getting it. In the same way, 0:26:27.600 --> 0:26:29.960 when you've been exposed. 0:26:29.160 --> 0:26:33.800 To somebody that's done wrong, they're contagious, you can catch 0:26:33.880 --> 0:26:37.080 the exact same thing that they have. Here's the key, 0:26:37.760 --> 0:26:42.240 mercy is your vaccine covering the fault is the equivalent 0:26:42.320 --> 0:26:45.120 of taking a flu shot. That's what's going to keep 0:26:45.160 --> 0:26:48.600 you from being infected. But if you're hard, just show 0:26:48.680 --> 0:26:51.720 no mercy. You let them have it the very thing 0:26:51.800 --> 0:26:56.080 that you're critical about, because they're contagious, it can come 0:26:56.200 --> 0:26:57.040 right back to you. 0:26:58.080 --> 0:27:00.280 We all face situations. 0:26:59.600 --> 0:27:02.320 Where we can be judgmental and man I can't believe 0:27:02.359 --> 0:27:02.960 they did that. 0:27:03.240 --> 0:27:05.520 I'm gonna let everybody know how wrong they were. 0:27:06.400 --> 0:27:09.840 No, it's much better to say I've been exposed to 0:27:09.920 --> 0:27:12.560 something that I don't want. Now I know the secret. 0:27:12.840 --> 0:27:15.480 I'm going to show mercy. I'm not gonna do like 0:27:15.560 --> 0:27:18.719 hand run out telling everybody. Let me tell you what 0:27:18.760 --> 0:27:21.080 my dad did, let me tell you what my neighbor 0:27:21.119 --> 0:27:23.879 got caught doing last week. No, be a person of 0:27:23.920 --> 0:27:25.280 honor and cover it. 0:27:25.960 --> 0:27:28.760 Show mercy. That's your vaccine. 0:27:28.960 --> 0:27:31.680 That's what's going to keep you from doing the exact 0:27:31.760 --> 0:27:35.520 same thing somewhere down the road. As a parent, when 0:27:35.600 --> 0:27:39.480 somebody does something good for our children, they help restore 0:27:39.520 --> 0:27:42.080 them in a time of need. They're kind, they're forgiving, 0:27:42.240 --> 0:27:46.040 they're merciful. There's nothing we wouldn't do for that person. 0:27:46.440 --> 0:27:49.000 We'd be so grateful, we'd go out of our way 0:27:49.119 --> 0:27:52.760 to do anything that they ask. In the same way, 0:27:53.400 --> 0:27:56.720 when you stick up for one of God's children, when 0:27:56.760 --> 0:27:59.840 you defend them, when you help restore them. 0:27:59.800 --> 0:28:02.200 When you protect a reputation. 0:28:02.080 --> 0:28:05.320 There's nothing that God won't do for you. When you 0:28:05.359 --> 0:28:09.199 are generous with your mercy, you will always have God's favor. 0:28:09.800 --> 0:28:13.800 Mercy sets the tone for blessing. My challenge for all 0:28:13.840 --> 0:28:16.280 of us, when you hear a word against your neighbor, 0:28:16.680 --> 0:28:20.920 against your family, against your friend, be disciplined to let 0:28:20.960 --> 0:28:23.840 it die within you. If you will be a person 0:28:23.880 --> 0:28:29.000 of honor not let people gossip around you, cover those faults. Then, 0:28:29.080 --> 0:28:33.159 because you choose the water and not the gasoline, just 0:28:33.359 --> 0:28:35.280 like Noah's two sons. 0:28:35.040 --> 0:28:37.720 I believe and declare, you will be blessed. 0:28:38.080 --> 0:28:41.120 You will prosper, you will succeed, and you will. 0:28:40.960 --> 0:28:44.880 Become everything God's created you to be. Amen. Do you 0:28:44.880 --> 0:28:45.640 receive it today? 0:28:47.480 --> 0:28:50.160 Or we never like to close our broadcast without giving 0:28:50.160 --> 0:28:53.080 you an opportunity to make Jesus the lord of your life. 0:28:53.240 --> 0:28:57.640 Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I. 0:28:57.720 --> 0:29:02.520 Repent of my sins, Come into my heart. I make 0:29:02.560 --> 0:29:06.240 you my Lord and savior. Well, if you prayed that 0:29:06.320 --> 0:29:09.320 simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in 0:29:09.360 --> 0:29:12.360 a good Bible based church, and keep God first place. 0:29:12.680 --> 0:29:15.120 He's going to take your places that you've never dreamed of. 0:29:16.000 --> 0:29:19.440 Thank you for listening to the Joel Osteine podcast. Help 0:29:19.520 --> 0:29:22.240 us continue to share the message of hope with those 0:29:22.360 --> 0:29:26.240 all over the world. Visit Joelostin dot com slash give 0:29:26.320 --> 0:29:28.000 hope to give a gift today. 0:29:29.280 --> 0:29:32.200 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:32.200 --> 0:29:35.600 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:35.680 --> 0:29:37.680 keep you inspired all through the week. 0:29:37.920 --> 0:29:38.880 We're praying for you. 0:29:39.040 --> 0:29:40.800 I know God's best is still ahead. 0:29:41.000 --> 0:29:42.040 We'll see you next time. 0:29:50.600 --> 0:29:53.120 More than ever before, people are turning to the church 0:29:53.160 --> 0:29:56.719 for their mental health struggles. Unfortunately, the church has largely 0:29:56.800 --> 0:30:00.000 been ill equipped to help. That is until now. 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