March 24, 2018 - Church at Worship

Sermon: "The Ninth Word: Truth" The Ten (Part 9 of 10) by Randy Roberts

Pastoral Welcome: Adrian Pressley

Children's Feature: Shawna Campbell

Baptism: Paul Lundin

Scripture Reading: Exodus 20:16; Ephesians 4:20-25 TNIV read by Atalia Villegas and Issac Villegas

Sermon Notes:

Truth. One of the dictionary definitions of truth is remarkably simple: what actually happened. Such is what every plaintiff’s attorney seeks in court. And not only is that the case; it’s also what the witnesses swear to tell: the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. So help me God.

And yet, it seems that, too often, court cases lose sight of the truth. Guilty people go free. Innocent people are convicted. And the whole event can end up looking like a sad charade.

Today, we come to The Ninth Word. The ninth word is truth. The commandment actually says, (in the words of the old King James Version): “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” A positive way to put it is to say: Tell the truth about your neighbor.

When this command was given, it had a specifically legal meaning. It was intended to keep the accused from being falsely convicted. It was meant to protect you if someone brought a false legal case against you. The previous book of Scripture—Genesis—tells the story of a man named Joseph who went to prison because of one false accusation. This commandment is intended to protect the people of Israel from ever having to deal with such situations. It is very specific.

However, as one continues to read the Old Testament, this command broadens to apply to all the words we speak. And it should. Certainly, such a directive ought to apply in all the circumstances of our lives, not just to legal cases. Paul certainly seems to think so. In Ephesians, he picks up this theme with these words: “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body” (Ephesians 4:25, TNIV).

So, whether we’ve been a witness in court or not, the ninth word applies to us. This urges us to ask the question: Is my life characterized by telling the truth?

Randy Roberts

Senior Pastor