In his sermon titled 'Wicked Ways With Words,' Peter Allison delves into the destructive power of speech as outlined in Proverbs 16:27-30. He identifies four key ways in which words can be used wickedly: spreading the sins of others, sowing strife, whispering to separate friends, and enticing others into sin. Allison uses the biblical example of Absalom to illustrate how words can sow discord and lead to division and conflict. The sermon urges listeners to recognize the fire-like nature of harmful speech and offers strategies to resist participating in gossip or slander. These include stopping the spread of harmful words, praying for those involved, and focusing on positive, virtuous thoughts. Additionally, Allison emphasizes the importance of responding with grace and refraining from sin when one is the target of wicked words. Drawing on the example of Jesus, who endured slander and false accusations without sinning, the sermon encourages believers to rely on Christ's example and strength to overcome the temptation to misuse their tongues. The sermon concludes with a call to prayer, asking for sanctification and the ability to use words in a manner that honors God.

Please turn in your Bibles to Proverbs 16, beginning at verse 27. An ungodly man digs up evil, and it is on his lips like a burning fire. A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer separates the best of friends. A violent man entices his neighbor and leads him in a way that is not good. He winks his eye to devise perverse things.

He purses his lips and brings about evil. Thus far the reading of God's holy and inerrant Word. Almighty Heavenly Father, we desire to be those who chase after You, those whose hearts yearn to worship you, those whose hearts burn to be in your presence, in communion and in fellowship with you. We know that it is our sin that separates us. So we ask, Lord, that you would sanctify us through your Word, that you would purge away the dross and the sin and the stains that have corrupted us, that we might be more conformed to your image, that we might have hearts that are upright before you, that we may be able to worship you with all of our heart and soul and mind and strength, and using our tongues for right.

So we ask, Lord, that now you would open your word to us, and that you would teach us, and that you would sanctify us. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Well there are some parts of God's Word that are wonderful and marvelous to read. And there are other parts that are more difficult. There are some parts that are deep and hard to understand.

And there are some parts that are very easy to understand, that are, that are, that have a much lighter purpose. The passage that we had for our scripture reading this morning was one of them. It was the account of the Israelites' wanderings. It's a journal. It was the Israelites' journal.

Maybe some of you keep a journal. It's a good thing. I don't. But when I read passages like that, I'm convicted that maybe I should be keeping a journal. It's a good thing.

And also, if you've moved a lot like we have, and you read that passage, you realize they moved and lived in 40 places in almost as many years. That's a lot. I doubt any of us have moved that often and that frequently. But this is, this text before us is a, the hard side, the harder to hear, harder to think about. It's not one that we want to think about.

When we see messages like this, one of the first things that often comes to our mind is, well, so-and-so should really hear this. But I want to tell you this morning there are only two people that need to hear this. And this is who that message is for. Those two people are you and me. May God speak to us, both you and me, through His Word.

This passage is short, but it gives us four wicked ways with our words. Four wicked ways that we use our tongue. The first one is to spread the sins of others. To spread the sins of others. Dig up evil.

An ungodly man, an ungodly person. In other words, somebody who is not like God, who doesn't use his words as God would, as Jesus did, or as God would have us to do, but goes in search with evil. It's like setting somebody on fire. He's setting a fire with his lips. We talk about, we see signs for smoky bear and the campfires and warning us to be careful, be very careful with fire because a campfire can burn down many thousands of square miles of land.

Just recently somebody, a child, threw a firecracker, just one little firecracker over into a ravine and Did millions of dollars in? Damages not not the damage to the land but millions of dollars to those who had to put the fire out nut and burn down Counties whole counties of land by one little spark. And that's what Proverbs likens our lips to. When we spread the sins of others. An ungodly man digs up evil.

Evil is what's wrong, what's sinful. An ungodly man goes and digs it up and puts it on his lips and it's a fire. It's just like a firecracker. It's just like a campfire that's carelessly lit, gets out of control, and burns down thousands and thousands of square miles. Now, if it's your sin, which you've repented of, you're free to talk about it as much as you want, or as little as you want.

But if it's somebody else's, then we're not. Another wicked way with words is sowing strife. Planting seeds by the power of suggestion, by an indirect reference, by an offhanded comment that isn't so offhanded, or by a joke, or by an innuendo. And you see, once planted, the seed begins to grow. And when it reaches maturity, it brings forth death.

It sets one person against another person. And because this idea grew in that person's own mind, they may not even be aware of where the seed came from, where this idea was planted. Because it grew in their own mind. They may think it came from themselves, But it was planted there by someone who was sowing strife, a perverse man, sowing strife. Setting people against each other with words.

The words may be perfectly true words. The words may be concerning something that is perfectly innocuous. They may even be said in a positive way, but it plants an idea. It communicates a fact, some knowledge, that grows into a jealousy and animosity, something that separates friends. Absalom is one example of somebody who was a master at sewing strife.

Absalom was a beautiful man, beautiful, handsome man. Maybe it's a better word in English. He was a handsome man. He was a charming person. And he used that charm to sow strife.

And he did it against his own father. Second Samuel 15, We read how Absalom did this. He provided himself with chariots and horses. And he would rise early and stand by the way that went into the gate. So here he was, a somewhat majestic and handsome man, with 50 men running before him.

Standing early in the morning outside the gate as the early risers were coming into the city. And whenever anybody came who had a problem, so immediately there is a person who is in danger. There is a person who has a problem. They have a gripe. And maybe it is a very Just gripe, but it is a gripe.

They have been sinned against. Their heart is stirred up within them. They're in a dangerous position themselves, just because of that. We're warned not to sin when we get angry, because we have a greater propensity towards sin when we are angry. These are people who have a lawsuit, and they're coming to the king, which means they didn't get justice in their village court They're coming to Jerusalem.

They've appealed to the king So they're ripe people For what Solomon was about to do And he would call to them and say, what city are you from? Tell me a little bit about you. He opened up by talking about them. All the Dale Carnegie courses of the world teach you, talk about that person. That's one way to win their confidence and to build a friendship.

Everybody likes to talk about themselves. And Absalom would start by asking them about themselves. What city are you from? And they would say, well, your servant is from such and such a tribe of Israel. And then Absalom would sympathize with them.

Oh, he would lend a listening ear. Remember, these are people who are coming into Jerusalem because nobody was listening to them. They didn't get their way. Maybe they didn't get justice. Maybe they did get justice.

But they don't feel listened to. And They've got a burr in their saddle. So Solomon would sympathize with him. He would say, look, your cause is good and right. But there's nobody here that can really understand you.

He didn't say it. But he planted the seed that I understand you. I'm out here early in the morning. I'm this handsome person. I'm out here talking about you, inquiring about your health and where you're from, I'm somebody that cares about you.

He's planting a seed, not directly, indirectly, in the hearts of all of these people who are ripe for Satan to tempt. Then he would suggest, oh, that I were a judge or deputy in the land. And then if they came to me, I would give them justice. And so it was when anyone would come near, He would take to bow down to him because he was a prince he did have a chariot and 50 men in front of him Then he would put out his hand and and kiss them he would receive them warmly And In this manner Absalom acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment. And so Absalom stole the hearts of the people.

And he did it with words, well-placed words, that sowed the seeds of strife. And his words led to a Civil War in the land of Israel. His words sewed strife. They spread strife. Absalom was upset himself.

He was an angry man himself. Remember, he had instigated the murder of his own brother. And he had been exiled from his father and from Jerusalem for several years, and he has just come back. He's just beginning to be reconciled. When he began to engage in sowing the seeds of strife, subtly.

And look what He accomplished. That's the effect of sinful language. It sets us on fire. And it sets you on fire when you hear it. It destroys friendships.

It leads people to assume evil about other people. It changes our perspective about someone else. It encourages us to begin imagining and thinking evil things of other people. And you know that is, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13, the opposite, the opposite of love. The wicked way with words are destructive.

That's why they're called a fire. A fire is very destructive. It's very destructive. And what it doesn't absolutely consume, it renders useless. You ever had a fire in your house, they tell me, and we had a fire in our house before we lived in it.

I understand. And it ruins a lot of things. Even what the fire itself doesn't destroy, it ruins. The smoke ruins, or the water that you use to put the fire out ruins things. It makes things a mess, an absolute mess, in ways that you just can't repair.

Can't repair. And you often end up just removing everything and starting over. Spreading the sins of others, We have an example in our same story. When David, because of Absalom's sowing of strife, is forced to flee his own house, and he is kicked out as king in Jerusalem. And he's fleeing like some low vagabond.

Fleeing like some low vagabond. And he comes as he's fleeing Jerusalem with very little, leaving most everything there in Jerusalem. He's getting out in order to save his life. There's somebody from the house of Saul whose name is Shimei. Remember, Saul is the king that David has displaced, replaced.

God raised up David and gave the kingdom to him and tore it away from Saul. This guy is upset about that. He's never given up on it. He's just been plotting, waiting his chance. And now he thinks he has it.

And as David comes out in humiliation and defeat, he threw stones at David and at all the people that were with him. And he cursed. He said, come out, you bloodthirsty man, you rogue. The Lord has brought on you all the blood of the house of Saul in whose place you've reigned, and the Lord has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. He's digging up evil and throwing it back at David.

And you know, there's just a grain of truth in what he's saying. Enough to make it somewhat believable. But it's twisted. God did say that David was a man of war and that because his hands had shed blood, he would not be permitted to build the temple. But that's very different than saying he's a bloodthirsty man.

God did not say David was a bloodthirsty man. He said he was a man of war whose hands had shed blood in righteous causes. He was a warrior for the Lord. Shimei is making David out to be a murderer, a violent, an evil man who unjustly has shed blood. He's throwing this back at David.

He's digging up evil, trying to dig up evil, trying to take what is good and twist it and make it evil. The third wicked way with words is in verse 28A, B, second part. A whisperer separates the best of friends. A whisperer separates the best of friends. Whispering, what the King James calls whispering, is passing bad news behind someone's back, out of a bad heart.

See, intent is a part of this. Intent is always a part of the morality of our actions, whether we're talking about taking a life or property or what we say, the intent. We need to ask ourselves, is it true, is it helpful? Is it inspiring, is it necessary, is it kind? And if it's all those things, then it is good.

But if it is not those things, then it is whispering. Whispering is saying to other people about someone what we wouldn't say directly to that person. And that's Something to keep in mind as you write or as you speak, think, what if that person I'm talking about was here right now listening to what I'm saying? Would I say what I'm saying? And if not, then change what you're saying.

Because often times things that we say will get back, or things that we write will get back to that person. And you'll be very glad that what you wrote to what you said, you said with a view to the person hearing it. The fourth way with wicked words is an enticer. A violent man entices his neighbor and leads him in a way that isn't good. He winks his eye to devise perverse things.

He purses his lips and he brings about evil. An enticer is someone who lures people into sins and into traps with words. Painting a false but enticing picture of the benefits of evil. This is an instigator. Absalom was an instigator.

When he enticed his servants and other people to kill his own brother. He didn't do it himself. He got other people to do it for him. And in that sense he is an enticer. He is somebody who could motivate and move other people to do what he didn't want to do.

We have this described in Proverbs 1. We find that Proverbs chapter 1, Right in the opening of this book speaks about and warns us about those who entice the evil. My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. If they say, come with us, let us lie in wait to shed blood, let us lurk secretly for the innocent without a cause. Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, the pit, the grave, and whole like those who go down to the pit.

We shall find all kinds of precious possessions, making this evil seem enticing. We shall fill our houses with spoil. Cast in your lot among us. Let us all have one purse. There is an appeal to that.

People want to join a group. They want to belong. They want to have a sense of belonging. To be a part of something. To be known by others.

To be noticed by others. To be respected by others. And you get those sort of things when you belong. That's the motivation behind a gang. There are people that are banded together to do evil.

Why are people enticed to join them? Because of the strong sense of identity, of belonging, of being, of them thinking that somebody actually cares for them. Somebody has their back, somebody is looking out for them, somebody notices them, Somebody is standing up for them. The gang does that. Cast in your lot among us.

Let us all have one purse. We are going to take care of you. If you are hurt, we are going to help you. There is a security in that. My son, do not walk in the way with them.

Keep your foot from their path, for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird, but they lie in wait for their own blood. They lurk secretly for their own lives. So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain. It takes away the life of its owner and enticer.

All of these things as we have seen destroy, they kill. They are of the devil, they are satanic. James says that these things, these evil things that come in our heart are satanic. So how do we respond if we're hearing this? If this is something that we find ourselves in the middle of, how do we respond when we hear wicked words?

The first thing we need to do is to recognize that we're on fire. That's what the text says. That it is on his lips like a burning fire. And if we are the recipient of that fire, those sparks have been sprayed onto us. And so we are on fire now.

And you can't take fire in your bosom and not be burned. You see, when we hear, it's very easy to become an accomplice. Maybe even a silent accomplice. So what do you do if you're on fire? I hope all of you children know this.

I have a little fire lesson here. What do you do if you're on fire? I know you know. You can say it. What do you do if you're on fire?

I heard it one person back there. Stop drop and roll. Yes. You stop, you drop and you roll. You're on fire.

Stop the talk. How do you do that? Well, I would suggest the first thing is to simply respond with something good about the person that is being talked about. Simply respond with something good about the person that is being talked about. Simply respond with something good about the person that is being talked about.

Praise something they do well. Remember something that they have done well. Find something in their life that they are good about. And respond with that. And many people will get the point.

You don't have to say anything else. But If that doesn't stop the conversation, then you need to take it up a little further. Ask them the purpose for what they are speaking to you about, the purpose that they are telling you this. They might have a legitimate purpose. And if they do, then you know what the right thing to do is.

But then, stop this spread by not talking about it yourself. And, secondly, and even just as importantly, stop thinking about it. Because otherwise, if you don't stop thinking about it, it becomes like a little spark that is lying hidden and it's smoldering away. And so you really haven't put out that fire until you extinguish the thoughts and put it out of your mind. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of a good report, think on these things.

If there is any virtue, if there is anything praise worthy, think on, meditate on these things. See, our thoughts are not just our free playground that we can entertain in our mind whatever we want. But we are responsible for our thoughts and for thinking. Right thoughts. The thoughts of the righteous are just.

So we need to, when we're put on fire, we need to stop the talk and stop our thoughts, put those thoughts out of our mind. Secondly, drop. We need to go find a place alone and drop to our knees and pray for that person that's being spoken about. And pray that this fire in us and in others would be put out. Put out.

And we need to cast that burden onto the Lord. We need to evaluate, think about what was said. Is it true? Is it helpful? Is it inspiring?

Is it necessary? Is it kind? Now how do we respond if we are not the ones who are hearing it, but the ones who are the subject of it. That's getting a little closer to our own heart. Well first, We need, when we're the subject of it, when we're being sinned against, we need to refrain from sin ourselves.

It's so easy for us to be filled with self-pity, to be quick to be angry, and even quick to speak. And you see, we then become a perpetuator of the very sin that we're angry about. Because now we are talking about somebody else's sin who sinned against us. We have first-hand knowledge now of someone's sin that we've been sinned against and we're hurting. We're like those people that Absalom was reaching out to.

We're ripe for being picked as well. We're ripe for being captured by Satan and moved by Satan. Our heart may even be somewhat turned against the person who has spoken wickedly. At that moment, we are easy prey. Our flesh is easy to respond in the exact same manner that we've been treated, using words wickedly.

We need to pray first of all that God would guard our heart and that God would give the peace of God that passes understanding. That we would not be anxious, that we would not become angry without a cause, or be quick to be angry, but that we would have, that God would give us peace. David said in Psalm 1, verse 78, Let the proud be ashamed, for they dealt perversely with me and without a cause. But I will meditate on your precepts. Let the proud be ashamed.

They dealt perversely with me. David knew what it was like. David had Shimei and many others in his life who used words against him wickedly. But he said, I will meditate on your precepts. Second thing to remember, we need to refrain from sin ourselves.

The second thing is to remember, is to speak the truth to us. To speak the truth to ourselves. We sang Psalm 42 this morning where David did the exact same thing. He's saying to himself, why my soul are you cast down? Why are you discouraged?

Hope in God. He's telling himself what he needed himself to hear. He is preaching to himself. He is bringing to mind the truth of the Word of God. He is filling his heart with that.

Even though he himself was discouraged, he was cast down. He didn't allow himself to continue there. He fought that. He preached the Word to himself. That's what we need to do.

Speak the truth to our own mind. Tell ourselves. What do we tell ourselves? Well, we can recall that the Bible says that we're sinners, that we're worthy of death. We're certainly worthy of any thing that's befalling us at that moment.

So how can we get too upset with the people who are simply agreeing with the Bible? Oh, they might be wrong in their details. But we're all sinners. You see, that's exactly what David did with Shimei in the example that we looked at a minute ago. Let's go back to there.

Second Samuel chapter 15. David didn't get angry. David didn't reply in kind. David didn't say anything to him. Chapter 16.

David's followers wanted to go over there and take the guy out. They wanted to deck him, or worse. David was the king. His word was life or death. And he still had that authority with those who were following him.

They still recognized him as their king. They were ready to kill Shimei, Abishai, the son of Zeruiah. Ready to kill Shimei, the son of Zeruiah, said, Why should this dead dog curse my lord, the king? Please let me go over and take off his head. But the king said, No.

What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? Let him curse, let him curse. What Is it to you? Maybe the Lord has said to him, curse David. Who shall say then, why have you done so?

David recognized that maybe God had sent Shimei to curse him. So he restrained his followers from going over and lopping off the head of Shimei. They could have easily done it. But David responded by recognizing that he was a sinner. And that Shimei may have the facts all wrong, and he may be sinning himself in fact, but David did deserve to die before God as a sinner.

And so he said, no, no, don't get so angry about this man. Let Him alone, maybe God has told Him to do it. Secondly, the second thing to speak to ourselves about is to remember that a curse without a cause will not alight. A curse without a cause will not alight. It's like a sparrow flitting about from here to there.

It never really sits anywhere. It never, Proverbs 26.2 is the verse, compares a curse without a cause to these birds that just bounce around. A curse without a cause, a curse that doesn't have a basis, that's not true, does not alight. God was not bringing the blood of the house of David, the house of Saul upon David. David was innocent of the blood of Saul.

And God restored David. And it was Absalom who was died, and later it was Shimei who was executed. Both Absalom and Shimei were executed. You see, the curse without a curse, David wasn't worried because he knew that if the curses were not of God, they would have no effect. They would not alight.

They wouldn't affect Him. They weren't true. They wouldn't hurt Him. So he committed his case to the Lord and he called for all those following him to do the same. So we can then Turn this over to the Lord.

Turn it over to the Lord's hands. Leave it in His hands to bring justice. He will. He will. And we don't have to worry about it.

We can put it out of our thoughts. We can have peace and comfort Because we don't have to worry about making this wrong right It's not something that God has called us to do at that time, and thus He gives you the means to do it. And that would be a very different situation. Sometimes you are in position of authority, and you have the means to, and then the duty to bring justice. And Solomon was the one in that position of authority.

He had the means and he brought Shimei to justice. And he did it in a very wise way. Shimei got justice. Go read the story. Basically David told Solomon about Shimei.

And Solomon said, you can't leave the city. It's always said, you can't leave the city. The day you leave the city, you'll die. And then he left it up to Shimei to leave the city or not. And one day Shimei's servants ran away and he ran after them.

He couldn't let them go. It cost him his life. Turn it over to the Lord as David did. Leave it in the Lord's hands and overcome evil with good. And thirdly, Remember Christ.

Remember Christ. He's our great high priest. He has been tempted in every area like we have. He has suffered everything temptation that is common to man, including being slandered about. In fact, that happened to him frequently.

Not only did people say things about him that weren't true, they dug up evil about him, they whispered about him, They planted seeds of doubt and strife. They even condemned Him by false witnesses, by lies, by things that weren't true. Jesus was condemned to die by those who used words wickedly. He was given a trial, but it wasn't a just trial. The judge and the court went out and looked for people who would dig up dirt about him, dig up evil about him, and brought them in to testify under oath.

They had a problem, they couldn't get any of them to agree. But that didn't stop them from condemning Him to death by false witnesses. People who thought of everything that He had ever said and how they might twist it into some form of blasphemy. The Pharisees planted the seeds, sowed seeds of strife in the people. They stirred them up So that when Jesus stood before Pilate and asked them who he should release, Barabbas or Christ, this insurrectionist and murderer, or Jesus Christ, the one who had healed their diseases, who had forgiven their sins, who had taught them, who had fed them by the thousands, making the food himself.

Somehow the Pharisees sowed the seeds of strife with wicked use of words, And those very people cried, crucify Him. Crucify Him. Have you ever been betrayed by those you've done good to? Those that you have helped. Those that you have laid down your life for.

Jesus was. He had done nothing but good for thousands of people. The Pharisees said that the healing and the deeds that He did were done by Beelzebub, by Satan. They said He is a demon. In that day, that was a pretty terrible thing to say about somebody.

We don't have so many people around us that are demon possessed today. That's the fruit of the gospel. It's the fruit of the kingdom of heaven coming. And of Christ's reign over 2, 000 years, of Satan being bound. But in that day, that was much more common.

And It is common in certain parts of the world where the gospel has not gone as fully as it has in our land. Demon possession. That was a terrible thing to say about somebody. It was the worst thing you could say about their reputation, about who they were. They were demon possessed.

But that's what they said. And yet in all this, Christ didn't sin. He didn't answer them back. He didn't become angry. And because of that, because He responded in grace, Because He gave the matter over to the Lord, His Father, and left justice in His hands.

He didn't sin. Because He didn't sin, He is able to pay to atone for all of our sins. He is our Savior. He is God and man without sin, despite being in every situation that we might ever find ourselves in and probably far worse than any situation that we find ourselves in because you know we've never been tested and had to resist to the point of shedding blood, but Jesus has. And so He is the captain of our salvation.

He is our blessed Savior, who by His death has paid the penalty for all of the sins, all of the ways that His people, that you and I have used words wickedly. And for that, we can give thanks, and we can rejoice. And the next time that we find ourselves in a situation where we are being spoken against, remember Christ. Remember His example. Remember His sacrifice.

And give thanks. Give thanks that God has given you a situation to strengthen your faith to Fortify you to make you more conform to the image of his son to teach you How to be like Christ And He's given us His Spirit that we can do what is humanly impossible. That we can do what He calls us to do, which would be impossible, apart from His grace. Let us pray. Our Heavenly Father, We thank you for your sacrifice.

We thank you for your righteousness. For apart from it, we have none. But it is your blood and your righteousness that are our only hope. And we thank you. And bless your name for them.

We thank you that you who knew no sin have become sin for us. That you withstood all of the wicked ways of words that were used against you in your trial and in your life. We thank you that you responded without sin, and that you are, because of that, our Savior, that by your sacrifice you have atoned for our sin and brought many sons to glory. We ask, Lord, that you would teach us now and that you would sanctify us by your Word through Jesus Christ. Amen.