"Truth or Dare?"

Oh, Be Careful Little Mouths What You Say!

Remember this song from when you were just a child? If so, someone was singing this song with you because they were teaching you that you should always watch what comes out of your mouth. The song goes on to say, "the Father up above is looking down in love, Oh be careful little mouth what you say."

It's interesting that someone made up a song like this to rhyme so well and it gets the point across that we are always being watched. If the truth were to be known, it probably kept most kids looking over their shoulders all the time. I remember wondering why the song says to be careful and then it says that our father is looking down in love. Whenever I did something wrong and my father saw me, it wasn't love that I felt coming at all! Of course I know he punished me to keep me from doing the things that would get me into more trouble, therefore he did love me. I just didn't quite see it from that viewpoint back then!

Today's passage is quite interesting though because it touches on this very matter and may even clear up part of what this song has embedded into the minds of children for many generations past!

Let's begin with reading from chapter twelve in Luke,

Luke 12:1 In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trod one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
Luke 12:2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.

This passage follows a chain of events in chapter eleven where Jesus had taught his disciples to pray; gave them a comparison of the father giving his child things they need to His heavenly father giving the Holy Spirit to those who asked; explaining to people that He was not casting out demons by Beelzebub and that those who are not with Him are against Him; explaining the difference in one who is truly a believer and those who pretend to be; going to eat with a Pharisee and explaining to him what really defiles us is on the inside and accusing the Pharisees of cleaning the outside but inside being full of wickedness and calling them fools; warning them of their piety and pride; rebuking the lawyers as well that questioned Him as well, saying that they had taken away the key of knowledge by hiding the truth and kept other people from entering into knowledge. While He was saying all these things it says that the scribes and Pharisees began to urge Him excessively and provoke him to tell them allot of things trying to catch something that wasn't quite right so they could accuse Him. They had a rebellious spirit and didn't appreciate what Jesus had to say. If it wasn't true, they wouldn't have gotten so upset with Him in the first place! Don't you think so?

That brings us to where we are now and we can see that the thing that Jesus must bring them to realize is that the things that these people had been doing behind closed doors that was not right was not going to be hidden forever! They were acting like righteous people who had a right to question everyone else and judge others while they were doing things in secret or in the middle of the night or while they were on their business trips or while the house was empty and no one was looking and thinking that they were the only ones who would ever know about this. Is this possible to do? It might seem like it is and many a man has thought that it was possible to hide our secrets or they most likely would have never tried it in the first place. Remember that game we played as children and teens called "Truth or Dare?" and how we would have to either tell or do something in front of our closest friends that we wouldn't normally say or do? We trusted them this to keep this to themselves and only our group of friends would know about it, right?

Well, the thing is that we are never alone and there is no such thing as a real secret when it comes to doing something wrong. If you'll think back, you probably will remember someone somehow finding out about most every bad thing that someone did in the secret places of our lives. Some were not so serious and some were life changing events that we will never forget!

I'll be the first man to raise my hand and say that I have been tempted in the secret situations when Satan would send along something to distract me from what I was doing and tantalize me with either the lust of the flesh; the lust of the eyes or the pride of life! Those are Satan's three tools to use to test mankind and find out what is in his heart. Yes, we will make mistakes but we must learn from them and realize that we will not go unexposed. One day we will have to stand before our Lord and if these secrets are not confessed and we have not repented we will be exposed and ashamed. The cloak of God is pure and unpolluted when God wraps us in it and that is what God sees when He looks at our body after we have repented of our sin and received His forgiveness. Don't be fooled into thinking that you only repent one time in your life and anything after that stains your cloak forever! You may repent anytime you want to our father in heaven! Your father will never turn you away or refuse to forgive you! He might chastise you a bit to help you learn from your mistakes but He will continue to love and care for you always. Just as we would chastise our children because we care for them and we truly love them. Chastising involves teaching us based on our errors and it is a time when we are ashamed while we are learning but we do not need to be afraid.

I remember a principal that I had once that I had to go see when I was in third grade and I remember being so nervous as I waited to go into her office. I believe it was for taking up for someone on the playground and we had gotten into a scuffle. As I stood outside her office at Tennessee Temple Elementary School, all I could see was her name tag on the door, "Miss Shook - Principal" and it ran shivers up and down my spine! I was going before the chief of all discipline at this school and I had heard terrible stories from others who had been here before! They had barely escaped with their lives as she had tortured them until they had confessed everything they had ever done wrong!

Finally the door opened and there stood Miss Shook. She asked me to come into her office and I sort of hesitated as I could see that there wasn't anyone else in there to witness the torture. She kindly put her hand on my shoulder to ease the tension and said, "Come on in and let's talk about what happened". I did as she said and as I sat down I could hear my blood pulsating through my veins while I surveyed the room that had remained so well concealed from the students as it had no windows! I just sat there trying not to shake as she flipped through some papers on her desk and then she spoke. Her smile instantly melted away the nervous shake I had begun to experience and she said, "How in the world did you get into this situation?". I tried to explain but I was so nervous I could hardly speak and she interrupted me and said, "Would you like a cup of water?" I couldn't believe it! I accepted her offer and continued ashamed and timidly explained why I had hit the other kid. She then very calmly talked to me about the way we should act and asked me if I understood. I did and agreed to think twice next time. She shared a few more things and then talked about my family a little and let me go back to my class. It was not how the others had described it at all. If I had been given the choice to go I wouldn't have gone to see her. I wouldn't have gone to confess what I had done or repent of hitting another kid. I had to be caught in the act and sent to the office and stand before the Principal! I had to experience shame and confess before I would learn from my mistake! You know what? I learned too that she really cared about the students of her school and grew to respect and admire her as a caring disciplinary in later years.

We that have children must follow this example that Jesus gives us to follow when we are teaching our children. It's not easy and it takes time but it will be something they will never forget! The lesson that we teach is the key that will open the door to their hearts and allow the truth to grow and become a part of their character and principles!

Let's read the passage again in chapter twelve of Luke,

Luke 12:1 In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trod one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
Luke 12:2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.
Luke 12:3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

As the people continued to gather around into a huge crowd so large that they couldn't even be counted; Jesus turned to His disciples and took the time to teach them something that I'm sure they never forgot!

He taught them that they would need to be very careful not to be caught up in the lifestyle of the Pharisees and become two faced and deceitful in their ways. In verse two, Jesus says that there is nothing that is covered that will not be revealed; nor hidden that will not be known about one day! because of this He says that whatever you say when you are out of town; in the middle of the night; with your best friends; all alone on the phone with some stranger will one day be exposed in the light of all who know you!

What ever wrong is hidden from everyone will be known as well! Wow! That's a shock, isn't it? I thought it was only the things that everyone else saw me do that really counted! I thought it was just about keeping a good clean reputation in the eyes of everyone else but the things I do when I am all alone are really important too? After all, I'm not hurting anyone, am I?

There is a problem though and it's between ourselves and God. God cares for us, just as we care for our children and He knows the consequence when we are clean on the outside but polluted on the inside! We begin to decay and the secrets begin to destroy us from the inside until we even begin to show signs of it physically. Our father wants us to have the joy and peace that He created us for and He will not allow us to continue in our secret sin and put on a front in public. Why? Because he loves us just as we couldn't allow our own children to go on like this either! Why? Because we love them too much to see them waste their lives, doing what is going to destroy them from the inside out!

Look back at a few verses in chapter eleven of Luke and we will close this message,

Luke 11:37 And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.
Luke 11:38 And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner.
Luke 11:39 And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.
Luke 11:40 Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?

Did your creator make you inside and out? Does your creator love you inside and out? Let's check ourselves inside and out and see if we find anything that our Lord would want to teach us; maybe chastise us for?

Let's teach our children to do he same while they are still at home and avoid many heartaches when they are making decisions on their own one day!

Let's pray,

My Father, as your child I come to you today in thankfulness that you are my Creator and a great one at that! I thank you for your love that never ceases, even when I have done wrong. Teach me Lord to be longsuffering, patient and meek when desires come calling for my body and soul. Cleanse me inside and out from the things that might pollute and cause me destruction. Bless me indeed with all of your blessings today! Amen.