All right, let's take our Bibles
and turn with me to the book of Proverbs. Proverbs chapter
20. Proverbs chapter 20. Just going
to take the next verse that we left off last time. Verse 19. Proverbs chapter 20. The scripture says, he that goeth
about as a tail-bearer, revealeth secrets. Therefore, meddle not
with him that flattereth with his lips. You know, it never
ceases to be brought back to my mind every time I read the
Scriptures, especially the Proverbs, how the Spirit of God moved upon
Solomon to pin these words. These are the words of Almighty
God. And with the Proverbs, as the
case always is, there is a natural Understanding. It's just naturally
understood. It's why man by nature can read
these proverbs and say, well I understand that. But it's always
setting forth the gospel. The glory of Christ is always
there. And that's what we're looking
for. Now naturally speaking, this
is what this passage of scripture means. It means that that one
that has his manner of life, that goes about as a slanderer
or an informer, a busybody, He continually is revealing secrets. That's what he said. What? Things
that he shouldn't reveal. Things that he has no business
repeating. And therefore, don't have any
fellowship with him. That's what it's saying. He that
goeth about as a tale-bearer, revealeth secrets, therefore,
meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips." Why? Because if he's talking about
somebody else to you. Let me tell you what the second
verse of that is. The next time he goes to somebody
else, the story will be about you. So don't flatter yourself
and think that, well, you know. No. What do you mean? What do
you mean? Just don't sit there and talk
to them. Don't listen to what they have
to say. Now that's the natural meaning of this verse, and it's
true. There's no doubt about it. But
the only problem with the natural understanding, though it's true,
it's bad, but it doesn't have anything to do with the gospel.
That's why you can have someone stand up and preach and they
can preach something that's true. I've given you that example before
when Noah built the ark. The ark, it took him 120 years
to build it and it had never rained before and Noah built
it. And Noah and his wife and his
three boys and their wives and some animals got in the ark and
it started raining. And all of those things are true.
They're all true. But they're not the gospel. Unless
you see the ark as being a picture of Christ and Noah the ones that
God Almighty had pleased to save from the wrath to come, the judgment
of God. They were put into the ark. They
were put into Christ. Unless you see the glory of Christ,
it's not the gospel. The gospel is concerning Christ. So now let's look at this verse
here for a few minutes in light of the gospel. He that goeth
about as a tale-bearer revealeth secrets. Therefore meddle not
with him that flattereth with his lips. Now here's the first
thing that we've got to be warned of. Beware of a tail bearer. Beware of them, first of all,
because the Lord forbids their actions. This is Leviticus 19.16. It says, Thou shalt not go up
and down. Here's what this means. Here's
what the Lord forbid in the law. Don't live in the manner of. Thou shalt not go up and down
as a tail bearer. Look it up, it means a scandal
monger. Don't be a scandal monger. Don't be one that is saying that
which is scandalous among the people, among the members of
one's own country. And so a tail bearer, a slanderer,
spiritually speaking, is a peddler that sows discourse. That's what
he is, spiritually speaking. Now, tale bearer, it's bad enough
if we're talking about each other. It's bad enough. But I'm going
to tell you what's indescribably soul damning. It's for me to
tell you something that is not true concerning eternity. Concerning God Almighty. For
me to tell you something that is not so before God. Your soul is at stake. So thou shalt not go up and down
as a tailbearer among the people. A tailbearer. Proverbs 17, now,
he that covereth a transgression seeketh love. He that repeateth
a matter separateth. very friends. Don't be a tail
bearer. A tail bearer is one that makes
damaging statements against another. It is required of a servant that they be found faithful,
one to whom God has committed the preaching of the gospel,
the responsibility that I have to stand before you. I mean,
the Lord is here. And what I say, I best have looked
it up. I best have considered what I'm
saying and don't stand here. and be untruthful or unsure.
If I'm unsure about something, let me tell you the best thing
for me to do, don't say it. Just pass it by. If the Lord
hasn't given me some light on something, because I stand as
one that is a watcher of your souls. That's a responsibility. I'm just a creature of the dust.
I'm a frail creature like you are, but I've been put in this
position. To be a pastor that God Almighty has called and so
they're the responsibility. Don't look. Proverbs 18.8, the
words of a tail bearer are wounds and they go down into the innermost
parts of the belly. If I'm telling you something
that's untrue, it's not so. Oh my, the damage that I do. So here's one that the scripture
says as a tail bearer. He's one who by his continual
repeating of secrets. Secrets. I'm making emphasis
on that word right there because I'm going to say something about
it. Secrets. You know, what he's doing, he fuels fire. Proverbs
26.20 says where no wood is, There the fire goeth out, but
where there is no tail-bearer, the strife, ceaseth. You know,
I mean, I could keep going back to this naturally speaking, naturally
speaking, where there's no wood, where you just don't fuel this
tail-bearing, this busy body, where you don't fuel it, it goes
out! Where there's no tailbearer,
the strife ceases. So naturally speaking, tailbearers
are busybodies. They're horrible within society. David said, you know, put a watch
on my tongue. Let me be careful. But spiritually, one of such
character is extremely damaging to society. Men that stand in
pulpits that are slander mongers. That's what he's saying. And
who are they? Who are they? Well, they're false
prophets, false preachers. What are they doing? They're
preaching anything other than the gospel of God's grace. The
Spirit of God moved upon Peter to write in 1 Peter 4.15, But
let none of you suffer as a murderer, Or you say, well, I've never
murdered anybody. Well, let me ask you this, have you ever done
anything to destroy the character or the reputation of another
by gossip or slander? If you hate somebody in your
heart, the Lord says you murdered them, you killed them, killed
their character. Let none of you suffer as a murderer
or as a thief. I've never stolen anything. Well,
how about if you've robbed a man by slander of his reputation,
you know? Or don't suffer as an evildoer,
one with disregard to the Word of God or to the laws of men. That's an evildoer. Or as a busybody
in other men's affairs, one that takes it upon himself the charge. to manage, direct, or command
the affairs or lives of another. A busybody. Or a busybody in other men's
affairs. He takes it upon himself to be
the overseer, the judge, or the manager of another's life. Peter said, under the inspiration
of God, don't let any of you suffer like that. Yes, tail-bearers,
they stifle harmony among men, and therefore, that sin is not
just a sin against others, but it's ultimately against God. Any time that we suffer, If I
stand here and preach the gospel of God's grace to you, and I've
done that which is right and honorable before God, and I've
preached it to you, I've done it as unto the Lord. Whether
you eat, whether you drink, whatever you do, do it all to the glory
of God. But if a man suffers as a tailbearer,
one that is a slander monger, and it's concerning the things
of God, It's against others, no doubt. But ultimately, it's
against God. It's against God's truth and
God's honor. David said, when David took Bathsheba,
and here's what, after Nathan the prophet came and David, under
the inspiration of God's Spirit, wrote Psalm 51. This is what David said, against
thee. Thee only have I sinned. and done this evil in thy sight.
So a tale-bearer, a slanderer, a busybody, he's one that slanders
God. He's slandering God. He's sinning against God. Saul
of Tarsus on the road to Damascus, you know what I'm going to say.
And the Lord stopped him and he said, Saul, Saul, why persecutest
thou me? You're doing this against me. When you've done it unto the
least of one of these, my brethren, and think about this. We do something
against God's people. We didn't do it just against
God's people, we did. But the Lord said, you did this against
me. You opened your mouth, you opened your mouth against me.
You lied, you lied against me. But now how are these tail bearers
known? What's their mode of operation? What are they doing? What are
they saying? He that goeth about as a tail bearer revealeth... Now here's where I'm going to
come to that word secrets. Secrets. Secrets. Now we've come right here to
the heart of understanding the evil. of what's being done. Notice that the scripture declares
the tale-bearer revealeth more than one secret. He revealeth
secrets. Secrets. A tale-bearer, as I
told you a minute ago, is nothing less than a false prophet and
he goes about revealing what he claims to be the secrets of
God. But actually these secrets are
nothing more than the imaginations of carnal man. It's false doctrines
that declare that God can be approached in different ways. Now, let's just logically look
at something for just a second here. If this group says that
God is approached this way, And this one says, God's approach
this way. And this one says, no, no, you got to do this. And
this says, no, no, no, no, you got to do this. Now, if you take
all of the religions in the world, and everybody is saying something
different, well, you've got to come to this conclusion. Somebody
ain't right. Something's wrong. If this one
says, you've got to do this to be saved, and this one says,
no, you've got to do this to be saved, well, how am I going
to know? Well, what does God have to say? What does the Lord? You know,
Peter said in 2 Peter 2, 1, But there were false prophets also
among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among
you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies. even denying the Lord that bought
them and bring upon themselves swift destruction. It's what,
you know, they will privately, privily, Artfully. Artfully. It's not immediately noticed.
It just kind of starts off with no problem. Everything seems
pretty good. But what happens is, over time,
things start being said and done, and they're bringing in damnable
heresies, which are contrary to the revealed truth of God,
even denying the Lord that bought them. Not that the Lord Jesus Christ
bought them at Calvary and paid their debt and put away their
sin. Because listen, if the Lord has bought a man in His precious
blood, that man is going to be saved. God's going to call him
out of darkness. Well, what does He mean even
denying the Lord? Even denying the Lord as He reveals
Himself to be in this book, the one they claim has bought them. that they've acknowledged, they
say he has. I know I'm a Christian. But yes,
but what you're saying is a damnable heresy. It's contrary to what
God has to say. And you're denying the Lord that
you say bought you. He didn't buy you. If he bought
you, you're going to be his and God's going to keep you. But
when a man is found to be proclaiming a damnable heresy, what does
that mean? Anything that's contrary to this
book is damnable, deserves damnation. So here the talebearer is said
to continually go about revealing secrets. They're revealing things
that they say is the secret or secrets of God. I'll tell you
the secret. You've got to do this. You've
got to walk down this aisle. You've got to speak in tongues.
You've got to be baptized in order. If you have to do those
things, that works on your part. And the Scripture denies that.
It's not. It's not. It's not. It's contrary to these
Scriptures. So I know this. First of all,
beware of tailbearers. Secondly, the Lord reveals but
one secret. A tailbearer revealeth secrets. But Almighty God has one secret. His secret is totally found in
the glorious gospel of Christ. It's the secret of the Lord. Listen, Psalm 25. Let me read
this to you. Psalm 25 in verse 14. Psalm 25, 14. The secret of the Lord is with them that
fear Him. And He will show them His covenant,
the secret, the gospel that is published throughout the world.
is entirely a mystery to all until the Lord reveals it. And
that secret, the Scripture says, I just read in Psalm 25, 14,
is with them that fear Him. It's with them. It's revealed
to them in those that the Lord puts respect and belief of the
truth. And the Scripture says He will
show them His covenant. He will show them their security
in Christ. He'll show them His covenant. David said, He said, this is
all my salvation. Here's all my salvation. He hath made with me an everlasting
covenant, ordered in all things insure. That's all my salvation. That's all my hope. That's all
my deliverance. God made with me the secret of
the Lord is with them that fear Him. But now concerning this secret,
this secret, if I were to come down and bring it down to one
verse of Scripture, it's the gospel. It's the gospel. This is the secret. The love
of God in Christ is the secret. that the Father has been pleased
to reveal to His people through the preaching of the glorious
gospel of Christ. But let me tell you, if you're
going to ask me, say, what one verse could you bring it down
to, to just tell me, this is the secret. Here's a secret that
the world does not know until Almighty God reveals it to them
through the preaching of the gospel. What would that verse
of Scripture be? This is one that came to my mind.
Here it is. I'm going to sum up everything
right here. Salvation is of the Lord. That's what Jonah said. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation
is by the grace of God. Salvation is through faith. It's by grace through faith that
God gives to believe it. Not that my faith saved me. Faith
didn't save me. Faith didn't die for me. Faith
didn't shed His blood, Christ did. But what do you mean through
faith? Through the faith in Him. I am the way, I'm the truth, I'm the life,
no man cometh unto the Father but by me. And the Lord has been
pleased to reveal to His people, through the preaching of the
Gospel, His secret. I've got a secret. A secret that
God Almighty has revealed. And here it is. I everlastingly
loved you. I chose you. I redeemed you. I regenerated you. I saved you
by grace. And then called you out of darkness
and told you about it. That's a secret. That's a secret. He's taught them that everything
that they're made to endure in this life in the form of chastisements
and trials are for their good and His glory. That's a secret. That's a secret of God's revelation. And then lastly, a warning concerning
those that revealeth secrets. Secrets. False prophets. The scripture says, therefore,
meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips. Why? Well, number one, God said
to. Because they're going to be found
condemned under the judgment of God. My heart, my heart breaks. I realize that the only reason
that any of us would believe the gospel is because the Lord
is pleased to reveal it to you. But what do we have that we didn't
receive? How can we glory in something
that we didn't produce? And what about those that are
tail bearers? and reveal secrets. What do you do? Pray for them. Pray for your enemies. Love your
enemies. I pray for them. There's no difference, them or
me, but the grace of God. What do you do? Tell them the
truth. Tell them the truth. The greatest friend you'll ever
be to anybody is to tell them the truth. But I can tell you this, concerning
those that are tail bearers and flatter, you know, that's what
it says, therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with
his lips, that entices with his lips, to try to convince you
of his way, that's what he's saying. What are you, God's going
to judge them. Psalm 12, 1 to 4, help Lord,
verse 1, John. I mean Psalms, Psalms 12 verse
1 to 4. Help Lord, for the godly man
ceaseth, for the faithful fail from among the children of men.
Here the psalmist is saying, and crying from the heart to
the Lord for help because of the Lord's pleasure to call home
by death faithful preachers of the gospel. That's what he said.
Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth, for the faithful fail
from among the children of men. I've told you Brother Henry's
comment. He said when God Almighty calls
home a faithful preacher of the gospel. He said, it is absolutely
one of the greatest losses that this world has ever sustained.
When God calls home, I think about Brother Scott. I mean,
what a blessing that he was to all of us and still is. God would
call him home. You realize how much God taught
him? How much he sustained him and endured him and kept him
and called him home. And what do we do? Help, Lord. For the godly man ceaseth, the
faithful fail from among the children of men. Verse 2. He
says he's talking about those tailbears. They speak vanity. Everyone with his neighbor with
flattering lips. That is the flatterer, the tailbearer.
He utters that which is vain to hear because it's not true. It's not true, it's false, and
there's nothing that can be found in their words that is consistent
with truth. With flattering lips and with
a double heart do they speak. What does he mean? With lips
of smoothness they declare their heart's love. What they're saying
is, now I love you. I love you and I'm telling you,
but he said what they're doing is their heart is deceitful. The kiss from Judas. When Judas came up to the Lord
and kissed the Lord in the garden. He kissed him on the cheek. Kissed
him. But it was a sign of betrayal.
That's what he said. With flattering lips and with
a double heart they speak. They're saying one thing, but
they're doing something else. In verse 3, the Lord shall cut
off all flattering lips in the tongue that speaketh proud things.
Destruction and judgment await all who despise God's Word, God's
dominion, God's sovereignty, bolsters against God. And then
last verse, who have said with our tongue, will we prevail?
Our lips are our own. who is Lord over us. All who are self-confident and
feel by their own ability that they're going to prevail, they're
assuming that God's never going to call them into account of
what they're saying. So the wicked, David said, through
the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God, and
God's not in his thoughts. He that goeth about as a tale-bearer,
revealeth secrets, things that are not to be said. Therefore meddle not with him
that flattereth with his lips." By the grace of God, we're here
this morning. And I'm thankful that God would
teach us the truth of His Word. Someone I heard say one time,
it just made such an impression on me. When it comes down, how
do you know you're hearing the truth? How do you know? Who gets
the glory? Who gets all the glory? Is it
man or is it God? If Almighty God gets all the
honor, all the glory and all the praise and man gets none
of it, if man is the recipient, of the grace of God. God does
something for him that he can't do for himself. That's the truth. If God's honored,
God's glorified, God's praised, may the Lord be praised this
day for Christ's sake. Amen.