Set Five Meeting
Three: Gossip
Difference
between Gossip and Slander:
Gossip is
passing on unnecessary information to an individual that is not part of the
solution.
Slander is
passing on negative information with the intent of hurting or destroying the
reputation of another.
Gossip may not be spoken out of malicious motives, as slander
is – yet it can be just as harmful.
Stories…
Listen to
supplemental CD
Stories of
great Christian men from history who have been falsely accused: David, Joseph, Moses, Hudson Taylor (see story down below...), and of
course, Jesus.
Analogies of
enemies which work in ways similar to gossip by attacking and corrupting from
the inside – such as decay, germs, or termites.
Personal
testimonies of when you spoke negatively about someone else and the damage
which resulted, or a time when you were hurt by others who gossiped about you.
Sword Drills…
Lev.
19:16 Ps. 101:5 Prov. 10:18 Prov. 11: 9, 13 Prov. 16:28
Prov.
18:8 Prov. 20:19 Prov. 21:23 Rom. 1:29
Main Concepts…
Gossip is very serious in God’s eyes. We shouldn’t take it lightly. In several places in the Bible, gossip is
listed along with other very serious sins, giving us a clue about just how
serious gossip is in the sight of God.
Gossip is extremely damaging in families,
churches, and all other relationships.
It may seem small, but the hurts, misunderstanding, anger, and divisions
it causes often have disasterous consequences.
One of the reasons that gossip is so
dangerous is because it can be so subtle and can happen very easily. Often we gossip without even realizing what
we are saying. Therefore we need to show
much discernment and guard against it with vigilance!
“He that
covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter
separateth intimate friends.” Prov. 17:9
Making it Personal…
How should
you respond when other gossip about you?
Before You Meet Prince Charming
Activity…
Telephone
charades
Hudson Taylor
His radical
ideas set a new precedent in missions.
His vision for the lost souls of China inspired hundreds of Englishmen
and caused the founding of a new missionary organization. His persuasive preaching against the evils of
opium and the coolie slave trade changed Chinese society. He was J. Hudson Taylor—founder of the China
Inland Mission. A study of this
bicultural missionary reveals his amazing impact on culture, religion, economy,
and politics.
Hudson
Taylor, an Englishman by birth, revolutionized English thinking by fully
adopting the Chinese culture. The
English and Chinese cultures are polar opposites. Clothing, food, utensils, greetings, customs,
language, housing—all combined to create tension between the English living in
China and the local natives. Taylor
overcame these obstacles by announcing one day that he would adopt the Chinese
dress in order to reach more souls for Christ.
He promptly shaved his head, except for a pigtail, and put on
traditional Chinese clothes. While the
Chinese readily appreciated his efforts, the English community in China and his
supporters back in England ridiculed him (Cromarty, 128-129). He lived as the Chinese lived. Instead of being called a “black foreign
devil” by unruly crowds, Taylor was able to openly preach the gospel. This cultural shock was so successful that
missionaries under the new China Inland Mission were commanded to adopt the
Chinese dress as a requirement for service (Cromarty, 189). Not only did Taylor change dress, but he also
stepped across social classes to reach lost souls. His ministry filled with people from the
working classes and women; both groups were normally considered unworthy by
society.
Through his
biculturalism, Taylor initiated a different prerequisite for religious
ministry. After founding the China
Inland Mission, Taylor returned to England to recruit new missionaries. Although Baptist in his theology and
background, he readily accepted people from all Protestant backgrounds, as long
as they agreed to the basic fundamentals of the faith (Cromarty, 189). Taylor also followed the example of Paul when
it came to preaching: Paul went to the
synagogues and Taylor went to the temples.
Taylor, on one occasion in the city of Chongming, climbed a large incense
vase in order to preach to over five hundred people (Cromarty, 122). While his temple preaching shocked some
English supporters, Taylor won hundreds of souls to Christ.
Economics
also played a role in Hudson Taylor’s biculturalism. English propriety advertised church offerings
and monthly support for missionaries.
According to the English, no money meant no ministry. Taylor could not justify such an excuse to
quit his work in China. His example of
the “faith promise” is still upheld in Christian circles today. Taylor prayed for his daily bread, but never
solicited funds. Missionaries were not
to raise monthly support but were rather to pray that God would supply every
need (Steffen, 92). His generosity
endeared him to the Chinese. In many
ways, Hudson Taylor embarked upon an economic enterprise by attempting the
untried method of “living by faith” (Steffen, 91-92).
Perhaps the
greatest effect of Taylor’s biculturalism lies in the sphere of politics. Taylor proved that peace could exist between
the Chinese and English through his dealings with the political authorities and
his handling of political issues. When
thieves stole his possessions or mobs threatened his life, Taylor always went
to the local officials and pled humbly for justice. On one occasion, when the prefect refused to
see Taylor, his fellow missionary threatened to write the British consul. The prefect promptly arrived and Taylor
followed the appropriate customs of bowing and graciously made his case heard
through the traditional customs. The
prefect honored his request (Cromarty, 222).
If the city rulers were hostile, Taylor remained persistent in
ministry. When a city gate was closed to
him, he merely walked around to another one in order to preach inside the city
walls. God rewarded his efforts and the
city ruler accepted some of his gospel literature (Cromarty, 119). Everywhere Taylor went he advocated peace
between the English and the Chinese.
Taylor kept
the vast majority of his preaching to the truths of the Gospel. However, on a few occasions, he spoke out
avidly against the coolie slave trade and the opium trade. His lectures against opium not only angered
the Chinese addicts but also the British suppliers. Taylor’s eyes had been opened to the evils of
opium in the very beginning when his ship landed at Shanghai after the first
Opium War (Christian History). Every
time Taylor entered port, the slave ships carrying coolies reminded him that
men were being shanghaied. Some of his
political ideas caused such a stir that the Englishmen in China accused him of
wanting to start a war. After the
mission was looted, an English gunboat came to the protection of the
missionaries. The Chinese accused Taylor
of summoning the boat, but he declared his innocence and sent the soldiers away
(Cromarty, 259-260). Towards the end of
Taylor’s missionary career, the Boxer Rebellion broke out with the support of
the Empress Dowager Ci Xi. Dozens of
missionaries were slaughtered by Chinese radicals, including the majority of
Taylor’s friends and associates. Each
missionary humbly walked to his or her death preaching the gospel and singing
praises to God (Cromarty, 484-485). They
submitted to the political authority, even to death.
Hudson
Taylor used his English background and his Chinese adopted culture to his
advantage. While in China, he was
Chinese; although he continued to wear Chinese dress in England, he still
gained support for missions and used his English upbringing to argue for
British tolerance in China. Hudson
Taylor is the perfect example of biculturalism:
he used culture to gain hundreds of souls for Christ and what peace he
could for China.
- Amelia
Lloyd-Jones
