Admonition Podcast

Today's lesson, as oddly enough as it sounds, comes from three monkeys.

Now what do you mean by that?

When I was growing up...

My mother would tell me a story about a Christmas when she grew up, specifically a
Christmas when money was very tight.

That year there were only a few simple gifts under the tree, an apple, an orange, and
three little monkeys.

This was because my grandmother at the time had lived through the Depression.

She had never fully recovered financially from that.

But she was given these three little monkeys, and you may or may not be familiar with
them.

These were little plastic ones.

They just sat there.

One monkey covered his eyes.

other one covered his ears, and the last one covered his mouth.

So you might know the saying, see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

As a child, I thought that this would have been a lesson about staying out of trouble.

Most kids do.

Especially if you get that on Christmas.

The parents are trying to tell you something.

It's not as fun as getting socks.

Later though, most recently actually during my trip to Japan, I learned that these are
actually denoted from what are known as the three wise monkeys.

uh Mizaru, if I'm remembering how to pronounce it correctly, is see no evil.

Mikazaru, which is hear no evil, and Iwazaru, which is speak no evil.

While their message has values, value, it leaves out something very, very important,
however.

It leaves out the seeking

for God's wisdom, doesn't it?

We can be told to push things out of our lives, but what are we taking in?

So God calls us not only to avoid evil, but to pursue what is right all at the same time.

Tonight, let's think about how the monkey's lesson compares to what God really wants from
us.

He doesn't want us to simply shut ourselves off away from the world.

He wants us to...

input what we should.

So let's start with the first monkey, Mizaru, who teaches to see no evil.

There's truth in that idea, isn't there?

See no evil.

The Bible tells us to guard what we look at.

Turn your Bible with me over to Matthew chapter 6 verses 22 through 23.

Matthew chapter 6 verses 22 through 23.

But before that, let me get a little more uh context.

Psalm 101 verse 3 is almost a precursor to this voice.

And it says, will set no wicked thing before mine eyes.

No wicked thing.

Okay, what does God deem wicked?

But Jesus says here in Matthew 6, the light of the body is the eye.

If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

Here Jesus is showing us that what we focus on shapes who we are.

How true is that?

Tell me, do our eyes guide our hearts to the men?

And I really wish Aaron was here on this one.

When we walk into the fellowship hall for the meal and we see the dessert table, do our
eyes guide us towards the dessert table, Absolutely.

Yeah, you're also one of the dessert guys.

What we keep looking at on a day-to-day basis, it will shape our thoughts, it will shape
our desires, and it will shape our actions.

That's why it's important to pay attention.

Is it important to pay attention to what our Children see on a day to day basis?

Very much so.

But it's also what we ourselves as adults take in.

Let's consider David's story in Second Samuel, Chapter 11.

Starting in verse one, it says, was the season when kings went to war, but David stayed
behind in Jerusalem.

Now, I don't know about you, but most good kings that are featured in movies and things
like that typically are on horseback at the front of the line.

This is where David typically would have been, but on this occasion, when it was time to
go to war, David stayed behind.

He was already in the wrong place.

He should have been on the front lines right alongside his men.

And this is well before anything happened with Bathsheba.

But from his rooftop, as we read in verse two, he saw a woman bathing.

This was Bathsheba.

The verse says she was very beautiful.

We'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

The first glance may have been by chance.

But David doesn't stop there, does he?

What does David do?

As we read throughout the chapter, he continues.

He asked about her.

He pursued her.

He sent for her, did he not?

And eventually, he took what wasn't his.

What started as a look led him down the path to adultery.

And then eventually, the arranging of Uriah's death, didn't it?

What started as a look led all the way down the road to murder.

David's downfall didn't happen all at once, though.

That's a very important point to think about.

It began when he let his eyes linger, didn't he?

Specifically where they shouldn't have been lingering.

Isn't that how temptation often works?

Is by letting our eyes linger where they shouldn't for longer than they should.

A wrong look becomes a steady gaze.

A gaze becomes desire.

And desire leads to action, eventually.

If that action is a wrong action, that action leads to sin, doesn't it?

That's kind of why I like to use the idea of a camera lens.

Now we have these smartphones that you can pull out.

And typically you can, you've got the front and the rear facing cameras.

And when you take out your smartphone, I'm not going to do it here because people in the
nosebleeds can't see it.

But if I were to point it at that plant up there, you could catch because typically these
come with wide angle lenses, don't they?

You can see everything in front.

But if you take your fingers and you pinch in like that, what are you doing?

Are you zooming in?

Eventually, you're going to lose sight of everything around that plant.

You lose sight of everything that you're not focusing on.

You get tunnel vision.

Whatever you focus on fills the entire picture.

And soon, you stop noticing everything around.

All the good things, all the bad things.

That's what happened to David.

He lost sight of his duty as He lost sight of God there for a little while, didn't he?

He knew better than to do what he did with Bathsheba.

All he could see in that moment, he zoomed in his lens and saw what he wanted.

So, the monkey, Mizaru, see no evil.

He's partly right, but he's not completely right.

What offers more knowledge, a monkey or the Bible?

The Bible, obviously.

Please don't tell me you got that one wrong.

I'd be worried.

There is wisdom in the phrase, see no evil.

But the Bible offers more, doesn't it?

Hebrews 12 and verse 2 says, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

What are we to be looking to?

It's not good enough simply to push the evil out of our eyes.

We have to fill our eyes with something so it should be our Lord and Savior.

It's not enough just to avoid what's wrong.

We need to focus on what's right.

The real lesson that we should garner from that is not just see no evil, but look unto
Jesus.

The second monkey, kikazaru.

Try reading this stuff, let alone pronouncing it.

teaches us to hear no evil.

That reminds us what we listen to matters.

It's very similar to what we see.

Turn your Bibles over to 1 Corinthians.

We'll go to 1 Corinthians chapter 15.

And verse 33.

As 1 Corinthians 15-33 says, not deceived.

Evil communications, what?

Corrupt good manners.

Evil communications can only give you bad manners.

Romans 10-17 is a great uh analogy to this as well.

Romans 10-17 says, then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

Does what we listen to shape our hearts?

Our attitude.

Our actions.

Both faith, and this is important, both faith and deception come from what we allow into
our ears.

Are you listening to a sermon being preached on Sunday?

What aisle of politics are you listening to?

What are we hearing on the television?

Turn all the way back to Genesis chapter three.

We're gonna take a look at Eve and what she heard.

Eve's story in Genesis chapter three is a very, very good example of this.

Eve didn't fall because of what she saw.

Yeah, I'm sure the fruit would have looked good.

It would have been pleasing.

But she fell because she listened.

I don't have the mic.

I walked away and I forgot my body mic wasn't on.

I'll just stay here, fellas.

Got it?

Okay.

She fell because she listened.

Satan came to her with his words, right?

Now, he's a serpent.

He's wise as a serpent.

He didn't directly challenge God.

He starts out by questioning God, as Genesis chapter 3.

It was subtle.

He asks, yea, hath God said?

He didn't begin with open rebellion.

He probably wouldn't have gotten anywhere with that.

But with doubt.

When you plant seeds of doubt, when you plant seeds of anything, typically if they're in
good soil, they'll grow, right?

He knew that whatever he was planting in, that would grow.

Adam and Eve were good soil.

They were innocent soil.

He plants it with doubt.

And then he contradicts God.

Ye shall not surely die.

And after that he tempted her, right?

We keep reading and it says,

I lost my place.

For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof that your eyes shall be opened.

Is he making God seem strict?

Yeah, he's making God seem strict.

In fact, he's making God seem...

he's trying to paint him as unfair, isn't he?

He made disobedience sound like a good thing.

Well, if you disobey, your eyes will be opened.

You'll know the difference between good and evil.

You'll see as God sees, right?

That's one of the key lessons that we can learn from Genesis chapter three is that Eve
kept listening.

But who did she listen to?

Did Eve listen to the wrong voice?

She did.

You see how important it is to listen to the right voice.

She let the serpent's words take root in her mind.

That seed?

It spread forth.

It let roots develop.

It took roots specifically in her mind.

And the longer she listened to that serpent, the more sense he made, the more believable
that lie became.

Because that's how deception still works today, right?

False teaching, bad advice, gossip, bitterness, slander, all the bad things in the world.

Most people don't fall typically because of one shocking statement, do they?

No.

They fall because they listen to the wrong voice.

They fall because they listen until the lie starts to sound normal.

There's a big difference there.

I kind of like to equate it to following a broken GPS.

You have the GPS, voice giving you directions is wrong, you might feel sure of yourself,
things are going right, right, but you'll still end up lost.

I don't care what voice you have programmed on it.

It could be Sean Connery, turn left.

It could be Optimus Prime, Transformers, roll out, take a right.

It sounds authoritative.

It's a good voice to listen to, right?

But if the voice is wrong, it's wrong, isn't it?

We can joke about it all day, but it's a very serious matter.

Eve listened to the wrong guide.

She had the wrong GPS and it led her to sin.

Shame, we see that in the garden, and eventually separation.

They were pushed out of the garden, weren't they?

That was their punishment.

So, there is wisdom in hear no evil.

But the Bible goes further.

It is not enough to block out the wrong voices.

We need to listen to the right ones.

We need God's Word in our eyes and in our ears.

I can assure you.

What you listen to most on a day-to-day basis is going to shape what you believe, whether
that is a political podcast about Bitcoin and rising technology, and especially about the

Bible.

We need to make sure that we are following the appropriate guide.

The Bible is a GPS that we can count on.

I've heard many a sermon titled GPS.

a gospel positioning system.

It's good.

But now let's look at the third monkey.

Iwazaru teaches you to speak no evil, right?

There's truth in this as well.

James 3 and verse 5.

It says, even so the tongue is a little member and boasteth great things.

Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth.

Ephesians 429 also reflects this by saying, let no corrupt communication, no corrupt
communication, proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good under the edifying.

Right?

James reminds us, the tongue is small.

Do you know what the strongest muscle in your body is?

The tongue.

We use it more than anything else.

Its impact is huge even though it's so small.

Do think just a few words could break trust?

Karma home.

Can a few words divide a church?

What about twist the truth?

Yeah, it doesn't take many words.

Let me give you an example.

Asked Rebecca where I could find these in the back.

Men, I'm not gonna light one, I promise.

Imagine holding a book of matches like I am here.

It's a match, little thing, right?

It's only a little match.

But if you strike it and you drop it and the flame were to let, be allowed to touch the
carpet, would anyone in here call it harmless?

Let me ask this, if I actually was brazen enough to strike this match and drop it on the
carpet, how long until the men in here rush up and stomp out the fire?

Not long.

I hope I have faith placed in the right place.

Kennedy, I'm sure you would be right up here to stomp it out.

Why?

It's just a little match.

It's just a little flame.

Can it have a big impact if left alone?

If not put out?

A fire can destroy a room

but careless, angry, deceitful words.

They can destroy a home.

They can destroy friendships very quickly.

They can destroy a church or even a life.

Yeah, match can burn a carpet, but an unguarded tongue can cause so much more damage.

love thine enemy.

That's what the Bible tells us.

The Bible shows us how powerful words can be.

Turn over to Genesis chapter 1.

Let's look at the beginning of all words.

In Genesis chapter 1, we read again and again and again and again and again.

If you take your finger and just go down the left side and you will see, and God said, and
God said, and God said, and God said, and God said, and God said.

God spoke.

Creation happened.

Light appeared.

The heavens took shape.

Life began.

The universe itself shows the power of God's word.

Does it or does it not?

Yes.

Flip over one or two pages over to Genesis chapter three.

Do we see someone else using words?

Satan used words.

He didn't force Eve.

He didn't overpower Adam.

He didn't get him into a headlock like teenage boys like to do and force him to eat
something gross.

He used speech, twisting truth with a lie.

Ye shall not, three-letter word, surely die.

Lies are dangerous.

Lies are dangerous.

More often than not, because they sound close to the truth.

Those are the most dangerous lies of all.

Satan's words led to the fall of man, the introduction to sin.

In the first pages of the Bible, words built the world and worlds and words helped break
it.

All at the same time.

Words can be used for edifying and they can be used for tearing someone down.

Because of this,

we need to be very, very careful about how we use our words, not just between each other
in the church, but between our enemies as well, between us and everyone we come in contact

with outside of those back doors.

It's not enough just to avoid cursing.

It's not enough just to avoid being cruel to one another.

We should use our speech the way God wants us to.

We even sing the song.

Can't help but think about it.

Angry words, let them never from the tongue, unbridled slip.

May the heart's best impulse ever check them or they'll soil your lip.

The hymn is right.

Our words matter.

Our words can build up.

Our words can tear down.

They can spread truth.

or they can lead to confusion.

Our words can point people to Christ.

or they can point people away from him.

What do our words say about us as Christians on a day-to-day basis?

So while speak no evil is a wise saying, God asks a whole lot more.

Matthew 1032, whosoever thou therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess
also before my Father which is in heaven.

We are called to do so much more than simply avoid wrong speech.

We are to use our words for truth, encouragement, and most importantly of all, our words
should always be confessing Christ.

That's why it's called the gospel, right?

The good news, the good word.

Going back to the central theme, when we look at all three monkeys together, the
difference between their lesson and the gospel starts to stand out, doesn't it?

Over in Japan, a lot of them, they only stop with just the three monkeys.

Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.

The monkeys teach it.

Don't see it, don't hear it, don't speak it.

But they're lacking so much more on the other side of the coin, aren't they?

God and the Bible teaches us to be changed from the inside out.

It's not just about guarding against evil, shutting the door and not allowing anything
else to come in.

Here's what it amounts to.

Guard your eyes, but look unto Jesus.

Guard your ears, but fill them with truth.

Guard your mouth, but use it for good.

Think of David.

He fell because of what he saw.

And Eve, who fell because of what she listened to, what she heard.

In the end, humanity fell by believing a lie and acting on it.

The main point is this.

The real issue isn't just what we do on the outside.

trying to keep things out of our lives, but what's in our hearts?

That's why Jesus said in Matthew 15 and verse 18, those things which proceed out of the
mouth come forth from the heart.

Real change only happens if your heart changes.

So how do we get a changed heart?

You're not going to get it without the Bible.

You're not going to get it without Christ in your life.

Someone can try to control what they see, what they hear, and say.

You can control it all and still be lost, can't you?

Christianity is not just about managing behavior.

It's about a changed heart.

You can cover your eyes, ears, and mouth, but only God's Word can change your heart.

This is where the invitation comes in.

Real change starts with how we respond to Christ.

Romans 10, 17 says, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

Hebrews 11, 6 says, we must believe.

Acts 17 and verse 30, everyone everywhere must repent.

Romans 10, 9 says, we must confess Christ.

Galatians 3, 27 says, we put on Christ in baptism.

As our brother said earlier today, ace unto the remission of sins.

That's where the transformation begins.

That's where the old life and the new life starts.

You've heard me say it many times.

That's where the old man of sin dies and you're raised in newness of life as a Christian.

So tonight, while the three monkeys offer a simple lesson, God's Word teaches us something
far deeper than that.

It's not just about avoiding evil, it's about becoming new.

It's not just about staying silent, it's about speaking truth.

It's not just about holding back, it's about exhibiting the real change Christ has made
inside of you.

If you need to come to God for a new start or prayers to help you through what you're
going through now, please come forward as we...