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The Defilement of Listening To

An Evil Report

Pastor Mike Hendon

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� The Problem

 ± What causes conflicts in families, churches,

businesses, and organizations that lead to split?

 ± What causes close friendships to be broken when

neither part offended the other?

 ± Why are attempts to restore a fallen Christian

brother or sister often met with defeat?

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� #1 Major Cause: Wrong Response to an EVIL

Report

 ±

Definition:An evil report involves distortion of facts,

incomplete facts, or false information. It is given

with wrong motivations and causes the hearer to

come to inaccurate conclusions and to respond withunscriptural solutions.

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� Evil reports are so destructive that they can

even destroy long lasting, close friendships: A

whisperer separateth chief friends. Pr.16:28

 ± NOTE:

Wrong doing should never be covered over. BUT it

must be dealt with in a Scriptural manner between

offending parties and those in authority over them.This process can be damaged by an evil report.

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� Stages Of Defilement:

 ± IGNORANCE

 ±

EXPOSURE ± CONTAMINATION

 ± INFECTION

 ± DISEASE

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� 1. IGNORANCE (2 Cor.2:11)

 ± IGNORANCE IS NOT BEING AWARE OF THE

DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF UNTRUE OR DISTORTED

WORDS

 ± And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The

tongue is so set among our members that it

defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the courseof nature; and it is set on fire by hell. Ja.3:6 

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Ignorance of how.

� Words destroy close friendships:

 ± He who covers a transgression seeks love,

But he who repeats a matter separates friends.Pr.17:9

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Ignorance of how

� The unclean defile the clean, rather than the

clean influencing the unclean.

 ± Haggai 2:11-14

What constitutes and evil report?

An unauthorized, distorted or false report which

influences us to form an evil opinion about anotherperson.

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� How evil reports are given:

 ± Evil reports are communicated by words, facial

expressions, gestures, and tonal patterns. They

can be subtle or obvious, quiet or angry, sweet or

bitter.

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� Ignorance of WHO gives evil reports:

 ± Whisperer: one who secretly or privately passeson evil reports to others. Ps.41:7 All who hate me

whisper together against me ± Gossip: One who magnifies and sensationalizes

rumors and partial information

 ± Slanderer: One who seeks to destroy anothers

credibility or reputation with damaging facts,distortion of facts, or evil suspicions. Num.14:36 Bad report= complaining

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 ± Busybody: One who digs up evil reports and

makes it his business to spread them by means of 

gossip, slander, or whispering. Such and action is

considered sin by God.

 ± But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief,

an evildoer, or as a busybody in other peoples

matters. 1 Pet.4:15 See the class of sins this falls

in with

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Ignorance of what..

� Motivates Evil Reports:

 ± Bitterness

 ±

Rebellion ± Deception

 ± Pride

 ± Guilt

 ± Envy

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� But if you have bitter envy and self -seeking inyour hearts, do not boast and lie against thetruth. This wisdom does not descend from above,but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envyand self -seeking exist, confusion and every evilthing are there. But the wisdom that is fromabove is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willingto yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without

partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those whomake peace. James 3:14-18

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Ignorance of 

� How susceptible we are to evil reports

� We can enjoy them because they exalt us

� They bring down those we dislike

� HOW SATAN USES EVIL REPORTS:

 ± Discredit spiritual leadership

 ± Cause Christians to close their spirit toward eachother

 ± To multiply conflicts & produce more ungodliness

 ± Prompt unbelievers to mock Christianity and rejectChrist

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EXPOSURE

� A prudent man foresees evil and hides

himself; The simple pass on and are punished.

Pr.27:12

� Exposure is entering into a conversation with a

person who is a carrier of an evil report.

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� How does God want us to respond?

 ± Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I

cut off Ps.101:5

 ± Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And

have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of 

darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a

shame even to speak of those things which aredone of them in secret. Ep.5:10-12

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� Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them

which cause divisions and offences contrary to

the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid

them. Ro.16:17

� The Holy Spirit is an EARLY WARNING

DETECTION system. He will warn us. The Word

of God warns us. Our leaders warn us. Butsometimes we are ambushed.

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� How TO Detect A Carrier Of An Evil Report

 ± A. They will test your spirit

 ±

B. They will check your acceptance/openness ± C. They will create curiosity so you ask

 ± D. They will ask for advice

 ± E. They make it seem like they are on the inside so

you will admire them

 ± F. They evoke details and even search them out

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� How to cleanse your mind from an evil report

 ± 1. Ask God to cleanse you from all defilement

 ± 2. Pray for genuine love for all concerned

 ± 3. Cleanse your mind with Scripture:

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� Have I accepted the report as true?

� The simple believeth every word: but the

prudent man looketh well to his going. Pr.14:15 

Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous

sins; let them not have dominion over me: then

shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the

great transgression. Ps.19:13� Presumption: To assume to be true in the

absence of proof to the contrary

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� Has the evil report affected how I feel toward

the person involved?

�

A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: butperverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.

Pr.15:4 

� for wherein thou judgest another, thou

condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest

doest the same things. Ro.2:1 

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� And above all things have fervent charity

among yourselves: for charity shall cover the

multitude of sins. 1 Pet.4:8

� loveDoth not behave itself unseemly,

seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked,

thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but

rejoiceth in the truth. 1 Cor.13:5-6

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� Do I have an urge to tell someone else the evil

report?

 ± Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your

mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying,that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Ep.4:29

 ± A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a

faithful spirit concealeth the matter. Pr.11:13

 ± He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he

that repeateth a matter separateth very friends

Pr.17:9

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� You know you have cleansed your heart when:

 ± When you lose your urge to tell someone else

 ± When you grieve over the fact that a report was

given

 ± When you have genuine love toward the person

involved in the report

 ± When you are prompt to examine your own heartfor failures