The document discusses the dangers and sources of gossip and division within churches. It provides several Bible passages condemning gossip and urging unity. Gossip stems from issues like carnality, jealousy, desire for position and biblical illiteracy. Churches should have zero tolerance for gossip and slander in order to remain unified and protect members from harm.

1. Part 1 “ Victory This New Year” Series Selected Passages

2. Our goal in studying God’s Word today is to prevent a deadly infestation; One that is easier to prevent than it is to cure once it’s in place.

3. Ephesians 4:25-29 - “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. Let him who steals steal no longer; but rather let

4. him labor, performing with his own hands what is good, in order that he may have something to share with him who has need. Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

6. Does anyone really believe that 81% of the population keeps a rumor to themselves?

7. The Bible refers to words describing gossip or slander 56 times

8. What we say and how we say it are of major concern to God.

9. Titus 3:1-2: “Remind the people to, slander no one , to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.”

10. 1 Corinthians 4:12-14 - “We labor, working with our own hands. When we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we entreat. We are, even now, like the world’s garbage, like the filth of all things. 14 I’m not writing this to shame you, but to warn you as my dear children.”

13. Burn these thoughts into your hearts that we might be “children of God - above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.”

14. Matthew 12:36-37 - “I tell you that men will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

15. They tell us that words are what principally separate us from the animals ... exhortations and warnings abound regarding what we say.

16. James 3:9: “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.” Sometime, even telling the truth can be sinful , if it’s told with the intent to harm or not in love.

17. The Bible uses two words to identify sinful speech: Gossip and Slander

18. Proverbs 20:19 - "He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets , therefore do not associate with a gossip .“

19. Leviticus 19:16 – “Do not go about spreading slander among your people...”

20. Proverbs 11:13 - “He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets.”

21. The Source of Gossip #1 Slander

22. Luke 6:45 - A good man produces good out of the good storeroom of his heart. An evil man produces evil out of the evil storeroom, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart . (HCSB)

23. 1 Corinthians 1:10 – “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree, and there be no divisions among you, but you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.

24. 1 Corinthians 1:11-13 - For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you. Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, "I am of Paul," and "I of Apollos," and "I of Cephas," and "I of Christ." Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

25. 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 - And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to babes in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For

26. since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollo’s," are you not mere men?

28. 3 John 1:9 – “I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us...”

29. The Source of Gossip #3 Jealousy

30. 2 Corinthians 12:20 – “For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be... I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip ...”

32. ACT 5:17-18 - “Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy . They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.”

33. The Source of Gossip #4 Non-Specific Carnality

34. The Source of Gossip #5 Biblical Illiteracy

36. Matthew 18:15-17 - "And if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. "But, if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. "And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax-gatherer.

39. You cannot be habitually gossiping about others and be a saved person

40. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 – “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers... ... will inherit the kingdom of God.”

41. 1 Corinthians 5:11 – “But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer , a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.”

42. Romans 16:17: “Now I implore you, brothers, watch out for those who cause dissensions and pitfalls contrary to the doctrine you have learned. Avoid them.”

43. The Source of Gossip #6 Lost People in Christ's Church

44. Matthew 13:24-30 - He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But, while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat, and went away. But,

45. when the wheat sprang up and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares? And he said to them, 'An enemy has done this!' And the slaves said to him, 'Do you want

46. us, then, to go and gather them up? But he said, No; lest while you are gathering up the tares, you may root up the wheat with them. Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

51. Sonshine Fellowship Thurs.●Jan. 15 th ● 12:00 Noon Potluck @ Church