1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:27,160 Well, this morning if you have your Bibles we'll be in Matthew chapter 5. 2 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:36,160 We've been going through Jesus' Sermon on the Mount and looking at what that means for us today. 3 00:00:36,160 --> 00:00:48,160 And just so you're aware, I believe that every word that is written in the Scripture is just as important for us today as it was when it was given. 4 00:00:48,160 --> 00:00:54,160 Now, sometimes that text is encouraging to us when we're going through hard times. 5 00:00:54,160 --> 00:01:01,160 Sometimes it's offensive to us because it goes against what we feel is best and the best way to live our lives. 6 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:05,160 But I believe that it is still living and active. 7 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:10,160 It is still useful in leading us to abundant life. 8 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:14,160 And so I would always encourage you to have your Bible with you. 9 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:16,160 Always encourage you to read it. 10 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:20,160 And if you don't have a Bible, we would love to give you one today. 11 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:21,160 Just let us know. 12 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:39,160 These words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount is the first time that we know that Jesus spent time with his disciples and giving them a better understanding of why he came and what the heart of the law is. 13 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:43,160 This morning we're going to be looking at Jesus' teaching on honesty. 14 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:50,160 Now, when I was growing up I did not understand, probably really still don't understand the legal system very well. 15 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:53,160 I didn't understand what perjury was. 16 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:58,160 I didn't understand the difference between a jury and a grand jury. 17 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:07,160 I remember when I got my first jury summons I was disappointed that I got stuck on a regular jury and not a grand jury. 18 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:11,160 I mean grand juries seem to carry a little more gravitas with it. 19 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:15,160 I mean would you rather just take a stand or a grand stand? 20 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:16,160 Right? 21 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:18,160 Would you be a master? 22 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:21,160 Would you rather be a master or a grand master? 23 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:24,160 I mean that's how much I knew about the legal system. 24 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:27,160 I didn't know that politicians lie all the time. 25 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:42,160 I remember wondering as I was watching the news, when I was growing up, I remember watching the news wondering why does Bill Clinton have to spend hours upon his day gathering with his lawyers to try to figure out what the truth is. 26 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:49,160 I mean he seemed pretty believable to me when he stood at that news conference waving his finger and saying he didn't do anything. 27 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:55,160 But then a few weeks later he admitted the wrong that he had done, right? 28 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:58,160 Why is lying not a big deal? 29 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:03,160 But lying under oath in front of a grand jury is called perjury. 30 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:06,160 I mean why don't we just call it what it is and call it lying? 31 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:21,160 A recent survey found that most Americans think it is wrong to lie under oath but see failure to tell the truth as only a minor problem in many situations and as not a problem at all in most other situations. 32 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:31,160 In other words, sometimes it's okay to lie but other times it's not, especially if you promise you're not lying, right? 33 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:39,160 We live in a society today that's not much different than Old Testament times when it comes to telling the truth. 34 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:48,160 This morning Jesus is going to address the practice of taking oaths and once again is going to call us as his followers to a higher standard. 35 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:56,160 I'm going to invite Erlyn, sitting in the back on the floor, a lovely girl, she's going to come read our passage this morning. 36 00:03:56,160 --> 00:04:07,160 She's going to read verses 33 through 37 of Matthew chapter 5. If you're able and willing, we'd love for you to stand as we honor the Lord's word together. 37 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:15,160 Again you have heard that it was said to those of both, you shall not swear falsely but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn. 38 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:26,160 I pray to you do not take an oath at all either by heaven for it is the throne of God or by the earth for it is his foot, so or by Jerusalem for it is the city of the great king. 39 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:31,160 And do not take an oath by your head for you cannot make one hair white or black. 40 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:37,160 But what you say be simply yes or no. Anything more than this comes from evil. 41 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:43,160 Good job. Let's pray. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for the words of Jesus given to his disciples. 42 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:48,160 I pray, Father, that we will understand it, that we will apply it, that it will change us. 43 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:52,160 I thank you for Erlyn and her willingness to read your text in front of all of us today. 44 00:04:52,160 --> 00:05:01,160 Pray you honor and bless her for it. We ask all these things in Jesus' name. Amen. Good job. 45 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:12,160 Alright, so Jesus so far throughout this message has said several times the phrase, you have heard that it was said. 46 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:23,160 He said that many times already what Jesus is doing is he's telling the disciples that what they have heard and what they have learned so far up to this point in their lives was incomplete. 47 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:35,160 He wasn't saying the law was stupid. He wasn't saying the law was outdated, but that it was important that they understood the heart and the meaning behind God's intention and giving it to us. 48 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:44,160 So when that phrase comes up throughout the Sermon on the Mount or other passages in Scripture, we need to take a look at the old command. 49 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:52,160 We have to understand it. Now we know the Ten Commandments. From the Ten Commandments we know we're not supposed to lie. 50 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:58,160 The Ninth Commandment says that we are not to bear false witness against your neighbor. 51 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:13,160 Now the Jews believed that command. They liked that command, but once again they believed that they needed to help God out and explain it so that everyone could understand exactly what he meant. 52 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:23,160 And so they're going to throw their own commentary into this text. The Pharisees taught that some o's were more binding than other o's. 53 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:32,160 So what they would do is put emphasis on their promise so that people would be more confident in what was being said. 54 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:41,160 So when it ended up happening is that people didn't believe one another unless an oath was placed on the word that was given. 55 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:49,160 So I might tell you that I would like to buy your field for X amount of dollars and you wouldn't take me seriously. 56 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:58,160 But if I say something like, I promise I want to buy your field for X amount of dollars, then you would know that I was serious. 57 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:07,160 Now some people have taken this text to mean that Jesus is saying that we shouldn't take any o's, but that isn't quite right either. 58 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:18,160 In fact in Deuteronomy chapter 10 it reads, you shall fear the Lord your God, you shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear an oath. 59 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:24,160 That law in Deuteronomy was to encourage truthfulness. 60 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:35,160 But the people did what sinners tend to do and they used the fact that o's existed as an excuse to lie when they didn't swear an oath. 61 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:43,160 Oh I said I'd buy that field for that amount, but I didn't swear that my word was binding. 62 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:48,160 And then people developed this elaborate system of o's. 63 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:54,160 One rabbi wrote that if you swear by the city of Jerusalem, you don't have to keep your oath. 64 00:07:54,160 --> 00:08:00,160 But if you swear toward Jerusalem, you are bound by your vow. You understand what that means? 65 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:06,160 So I could swear by Jerusalem whatever that I'm going to buy your field and that's not binding. 66 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:14,160 But if I turn east and I say I'm going to buy your field for X amount of dollars, now that's binding. 67 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:21,160 It was this elaborate system that they used to deceive people. 68 00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:28,160 And so instead of strengthening the cause of truth like o's were intended to do, it actually weakened it. 69 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:33,160 You could learn to swear in a very evasive way to deceive people. 70 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:37,160 So this is the issue that Jesus is trying to fix. 71 00:08:37,160 --> 00:08:44,160 He says that's the old command. The way they've perverted this is not right, but Jesus is going to give us a new command. 72 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:52,160 And it isn't as much new, but it does shed some light on what God's intention was when it came to honesty. 73 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:54,160 He said in verse 34, 74 00:08:54,160 --> 00:09:16,160 Now people in his day would take oaths by lesser things than God. 75 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:19,160 Like I swear by heaven that I'll do this. 76 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:23,160 Or I swear by all the earth that I'll do that. 77 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:31,160 And they thought that by swearing to something less than God, something that was below God, 78 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:35,160 that they wouldn't have to answer to God when they broke their oath. 79 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:39,160 But Jesus masterfully relates everything back to God. 80 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:47,160 He says, do you think you're being tricky? Do you think you're confusing him that you swore to heaven that you pay for that lumber? 81 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:54,160 You think you're deceiving him in some way? Everything is his. Heaven and earth are his. 82 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:58,160 This is what the Lord says in Isaiah 66. This is what Jesus just quoted. 83 00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:03,160 It says, heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool. 84 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:11,160 So what Jesus was saying when he quoted Isaiah 66 is that everything that we swear by is God's. 85 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:12,160 He owns everything. 86 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:18,160 So you might swear to something, swear an oath to something thinking that it's going to keep you safe. 87 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:22,160 Because technically you didn't swear an oath in the name of God. 88 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:31,160 So they weren't breaking the law in Deuteronomy 10 in their mind because they kept the Lord's name out of the oath. 89 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:37,160 There isn't anything on this earth that God isn't sovereign over. 90 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:42,160 Your mother's life. I swear on my mother's life. 91 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:49,160 Your life, your paycheck and everything else is ruled and controlled by God. 92 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:56,160 Then Jesus reminds them of Psalm 48, 22 that reads, Jerusalem is God's city. 93 00:10:56,160 --> 00:11:05,160 You can't swear by Jerusalem because once again God is in control of what happens in that holy city. 94 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:09,160 It doesn't work. What about swearing by your own head? 95 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:16,160 God owns your head too, deciding when to make every hair white or black. 96 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:19,160 Even the ones that we have left. 97 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:28,160 Now some of you might be able to fool us with your just for men or your hair color. 98 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:32,160 But the reality is God knows what you're trying to cover up. 99 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:33,160 He knows. 100 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:41,160 So what Jesus is saying is don't think that you can use your oaths to be a liar. 101 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:45,160 Because no matter what you swear by, no matter what you promise to, 102 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:49,160 you are swearing by something over which God has control. 103 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:51,160 Everything is His. 104 00:11:51,160 --> 00:11:57,160 Jesus is saying that truthfulness is not dependent on oaths. 105 00:11:57,160 --> 00:12:00,160 It's not dependent on it. Just be truthful. 106 00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:05,160 In other words, as believers, everything that we say should be an oath. 107 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:13,160 If you are a follower of Jesus and He said that He is the way and the truth and the life, 108 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:16,160 we as His children should speak the truth. 109 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:25,160 And sometimes that means that we get put into uncomfortable situations that are to our detriment in some way. 110 00:12:25,160 --> 00:12:31,160 For example, there have been times when I was trying to sell something. 111 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:37,160 Now I'm not talking about like little, piddly stuff that my wife thinks is worth $5 that we put on Marketplace. 112 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:40,160 You know, that stuff you just take to good will and be done with it. 113 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:43,160 That's my opinion. Don't judge me. 114 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:46,160 But there's been many times I've been trying to like sell a car. 115 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:50,160 And I would list it and then the calls would start coming in. 116 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:56,160 And I would agree to sell it to one particular individual and they would then go to the bank to get the cash 117 00:12:56,160 --> 00:13:00,160 or they would have to go get some things in order and then they were going to come back to me. 118 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:02,160 But I made an agreement that I would sell it to them. 119 00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:09,160 It never fails. Every time that's happened to me, it never fails that after I make the agreement with somebody, 120 00:13:09,160 --> 00:13:17,160 someone else will come by with the cash ready and actually offer me more money than I agreed upon with the other person. 121 00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:22,160 Now I think, I always think in those moments that the enemy, he's trying to test me. 122 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:25,160 He's trying to test me. So then I have this predicament. 123 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:33,160 Do I honor the commitment I made to the first person or do I take the extra $500 that this second person is offering me? 124 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:37,160 I mean, we don't have a contract. I'm probably never going to see him again. 125 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:40,160 It isn't illegal for me to sell it to someone else. 126 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:47,160 But as a Christian, my word shouldn't be dependent on contracts. 127 00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:49,160 It should be dependent on the truth. 128 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:54,160 And I think we do this stuff all the time and maybe not even realize it. 129 00:13:54,160 --> 00:14:00,160 Like we have pinky promises. You ever do those? 130 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:07,160 We ask the question, well, do you promise? Do you promise to do that? 131 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:12,160 I had a roommate in college and he had this girlfriend. She was a nice girl. 132 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:15,160 They seemed to have a good relationship. I'm pretty sure they're married now. 133 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:21,160 Hopefully still married. I don't know. But they had this weird thing that they would do. 134 00:14:21,160 --> 00:14:27,160 One of them would commit to something and the other would ask, do you promise? 135 00:14:27,160 --> 00:14:34,160 Yeah, I promise. And then they would ask, well, do you promise, promise? 136 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:38,160 And sometimes that was a yes. Other times it was a no. 137 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:46,160 A promise was binding. But if they didn't ask each other the promise promise, the double promise, 138 00:14:46,160 --> 00:14:49,160 then it was understood that it could be broken. 139 00:14:49,160 --> 00:14:53,160 I don't know if they're still married. I don't know how that's working out for them. 140 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:57,160 Maybe they're on triple promises now. I don't know. 141 00:14:57,160 --> 00:15:02,160 But those types of things are similar to how the Jews operated. 142 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:07,160 And that's not the intention of an oath. If you say something, mean it. 143 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:14,160 We are called to live beyond the law, not to try to skirt our way around it. 144 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:21,160 Jesus then wraps up this teaching by telling his followers that honesty should be simple. 145 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:27,160 Everything we say should be an oath. When you say, yes, I'll do something, 146 00:15:27,160 --> 00:15:32,160 whether you had a contract or not, you should do it. 147 00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:39,160 When you're speaking, whether you swore on a Bible or not, you should tell the truth. 148 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:48,160 Everything we say is just as solemn as if we said, may God strike me down if this isn't true. 149 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:56,160 It's just as solemn. The fact that we swore an oath should never be what makes us as believers truthful. 150 00:15:56,160 --> 00:16:00,160 The fact that we're Christians should make us truthful. 151 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:06,160 The fact that we are sons and daughters of the true and living God should make us truthful. 152 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:13,160 We don't need legal restraints to be truthful. If we say something, we should do it. 153 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:17,160 Jesus says, let what you say simply be yes or no. 154 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:21,160 Anything that goes beyond that is evil. 155 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:27,160 Let what you say simply be yes or no. Anything that you say beyond that comes from evil. 156 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:34,160 So just so that we understand that Jesus' words are meant for all Christians, these words are repeated in James chapter 5. 157 00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:39,160 He says, above all my brothers, do not swear, not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. 158 00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:45,160 Let your yes be yes and your no be no or you will be condemned. 159 00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:50,160 Some of you remember the Dr. Seuss story? Horton hatches an egg. 160 00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:55,160 If you have kids, you might remember that. If you're still a kid, you might remember your parents reading that to you. 161 00:16:55,160 --> 00:17:04,160 But this is the tale of this elephant who promises to sit on an egg until it hatches for this bird friend of his. 162 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:08,160 Now I remember reading that thing and I was like, I have no idea how that works. 163 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:14,160 In my logical mind, it's like, well, the elephant would crack that thing, but somehow it worked. 164 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:22,160 So he sits on the egg and weeks go by and all of his friends encourage him to forget his promise and just come play with him. 165 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:24,160 Forget what you said and just come play with us. 166 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:30,160 And his response, Horton's response is, I meant what I said and I said what I meant. 167 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:34,160 An elephant is faithful 100%. 168 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:38,160 Jesus' command to us is similar. 169 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:40,160 Don't worry about making vows. 170 00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:43,160 Just say what you mean and mean what you say. 171 00:17:43,160 --> 00:17:48,160 When we open our mouth, the only thing that should be coming out of it is truth. 172 00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:51,160 Honestly, it doesn't have to be complicated. 173 00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:54,160 We shouldn't need legal contracts to honor a deal. 174 00:17:54,160 --> 00:18:00,160 We shouldn't need to gather with our lawyers to figure out what the truth of the situation is. 175 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:03,160 We should be men and women of truth. 176 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:11,160 If you commit to being somewhere, then people should be able to count on you whether a better option comes along or not. 177 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:13,160 That ever happened to you? 178 00:18:13,160 --> 00:18:18,160 You get invited to a party and you commit to it, but then a better party you get invited to? 179 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:20,160 Happens all the time. 180 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:23,160 Not here. Not here. 181 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:27,160 I mean this has proven to be a little more difficult for me and parenting. 182 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:32,160 I mean if anyone can sniff out a liar, it's a kid. 183 00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:39,160 How many of us have committed things with our kids just so they'll leave us alone and then they hold us to it? 184 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:44,160 Or how many of us have threatened a punishment if they do that again? 185 00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:49,160 There have been many times that we threatened to do something to our kids if they do it again, 186 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:53,160 but then we backtracked once the opportunity came back again. 187 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:55,160 It seemed like that might have been a little aggressive. 188 00:18:55,160 --> 00:18:58,160 It might not do that, right? 189 00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:04,160 What that tells our kids and what that tells others is that our word can't be trusted, 190 00:19:04,160 --> 00:19:09,160 which I've had to realize that we shouldn't commit to things that we're unsure of. 191 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:11,160 We shouldn't commit to things that we're unsure of. 192 00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:15,160 James helps us again in understanding what we should commit to. 193 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:18,160 In James chapter 4, start in verse 13, it reads, 194 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:23,160 Come now, you who say today or tomorrow, we will travel to such and such a city 195 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:26,160 and spend a year there and do business and make a profit. 196 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:30,160 You don't even know what tomorrow will bring, what your life will be. 197 00:19:30,160 --> 00:19:34,160 Or you are a bit of smoke that appears for a little while and vanishes. 198 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:39,160 Instead, you should say, if the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that. 199 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:45,160 But as it is, you boast in your arrogance and all such boasting is evil. 200 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:51,160 We should never say we'll do anything we're not sure of. 201 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:55,160 We should always qualify unsure things with unsure words like, 202 00:19:55,160 --> 00:20:02,160 like, Lord willing, Lord willing I'll do that. I can't control everything about my circumstances. 203 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:06,160 But as long as it depends on me, I will do this. 204 00:20:06,160 --> 00:20:11,160 But also remember, oaths were being used so people could lie. 205 00:20:11,160 --> 00:20:15,160 James says, don't even swear an oath so you can lie. 206 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:17,160 You'll fall under judgment for that. 207 00:20:17,160 --> 00:20:20,160 When you say something, mean it. 208 00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:26,160 It seems to me that James is clearly talking about the oaths that were used to try to deceive. 209 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:30,160 He's saying, don't swear an oath. Just be honest. 210 00:20:30,160 --> 00:20:34,160 Don't try to use legalese to justify a lie. 211 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:37,160 When you say something, mean it. 212 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:41,160 Don't try any of this. I swear by something less than God. 213 00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:44,160 I swear by heaven. I swear on my mother's life. 214 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:48,160 So you don't have to answer to God. You're going to be judged for that. 215 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:51,160 Just mean what you say. 216 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:54,160 There have been many times, I'm sure for all of us, 217 00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:57,160 that we've just been unable to keep a commitment. 218 00:20:57,160 --> 00:21:03,160 Life happens and things prevent us from being able to keep our words at times. 219 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:07,160 A few weeks ago I had to reschedule a few meetings because I just got sick. 220 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:14,160 Sometimes planes are delayed because of weather so we can't make it on time and we break a commitment. 221 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:18,160 We try our best but things happen. 222 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:26,160 What James is saying in this text is that we need to live our lives in such a way that we are aware 223 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:29,160 that we don't control our situations. 224 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:32,160 God does. 225 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:37,160 There is a chance that we don't wake up tomorrow. 226 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:42,160 And if that happens, we're going to be unable to keep the commitments that we've made. 227 00:21:42,160 --> 00:21:50,160 When we fail to live with the mindset that I make the plans but the Lord determines my steps. 228 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:57,160 When we fail to understand that God is in control of everything, James calls it evil. 229 00:21:57,160 --> 00:22:00,160 Because what happens is we're boasting in our own abilities. 230 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:02,160 We're boasting in what we can get done. 231 00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:07,160 We're boasting in our ability to keep our commitments. 232 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:10,160 We don't have ability outside of God's control. 233 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:14,160 What Jesus is challenging us is to live a life of honesty. 234 00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:16,160 Live a life of honesty. 235 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:21,160 To once again live above the law and not just to the letter of the law. 236 00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:26,160 We shouldn't need to take an oath to keep us honest. 237 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:29,160 We should just be honest. 238 00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:36,160 There is a saying that says, I can tell what you love by how you spend your money. 239 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:39,160 I can tell what you love by how you spend your money. 240 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:44,160 In the same way our lives should reflect what we believe. 241 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:48,160 I tell people all the time that are going through a difficult time. 242 00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:51,160 Multiple times a week. 243 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:54,160 That this is an opportunity. 244 00:22:54,160 --> 00:23:00,160 This situation is an opportunity to show that you trust in the Lord. 245 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:06,160 If you come to a church on Sunday and you say you believe in the Lord, 246 00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:11,160 you sing about who he is, you declare that we are here to worship, 247 00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:14,160 then our lives should reflect that. 248 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:19,160 If we are going to be people of honesty, then when hard times come, 249 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:22,160 we should live out what we believe. 250 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:27,160 If you are sick or if you get sick, is your faith more in the Lord 251 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:31,160 or more in the hands of the doctors? 252 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:36,160 When you face what seems like an overwhelming circumstance, 253 00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:41,160 do you sit there and just stress about it and dwell on it and it just messes everything up? 254 00:23:41,160 --> 00:23:45,160 Or do you trust that the Lord has a plan for your life? 255 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:48,160 When your marriage is a little rocky, 256 00:23:48,160 --> 00:23:53,160 do you trust that the Lord can work on the heart of your spouse? 257 00:23:53,160 --> 00:23:57,160 Or do you take up the role of the Holy Spirit in their life? 258 00:23:57,160 --> 00:24:00,160 Start handing them books and all those other things. 259 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:08,160 Each and every day, we have an opportunity to trust that the Lord is sovereign overall. 260 00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:13,160 And anytime that we take things into our own hands and rely on our own abilities, 261 00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:16,160 we are doing evil. 262 00:24:16,160 --> 00:24:20,160 Now, I don't see them as often anymore, 263 00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:25,160 but the Jesus fish used to be a popular thing to put on the back of your car. 264 00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:27,160 Do you remember that? 265 00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:30,160 If you had one on your car, maybe you had one on your car. 266 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:34,160 I don't mean for this to be offensive. 267 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:40,160 But I always struggled with that because nobody drives good enough 268 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:45,160 to be representing Jesus on their car. 269 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:49,160 I mean, there's nothing like getting cut off in traffic, 270 00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:51,160 being thrown the bird, 271 00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:56,160 and then seeing a Jesus fish on the back of your car. 272 00:24:56,160 --> 00:25:05,160 In reality, they should just have a middle finger bumper sticker plaster back there, right? 273 00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:07,160 Because when I do see those, I'm sure you've seen those as well, 274 00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:12,160 when you see those on the back of a car, I'm like, yeah, that makes sense. 275 00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:15,160 It makes sense to me. That's how they drive. Yeah, I get it. 276 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:19,160 I'm less offended that way. 277 00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:23,160 But does your life reflect what you believe? 278 00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:27,160 Your outward expressions in front of others might, 279 00:25:27,160 --> 00:25:30,160 but what about the internal reality? 280 00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:34,160 We are really good as Christians of putting on a mask at times 281 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:37,160 and saying the right things, 282 00:25:37,160 --> 00:25:42,160 but inside we're in turmoil because of how we act 283 00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:47,160 and what we believe in our hearts are two different things. 284 00:25:47,160 --> 00:25:53,160 I went to a small Christian university to get my undergrad degree. 285 00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:57,160 I was in classes with future pastors and future ministry leaders 286 00:25:57,160 --> 00:26:01,160 and future missionaries and in that environment, 287 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:03,160 just so you're aware, in that environment, 288 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:11,160 there's this unspoken competition with who is the smartest person in the room. 289 00:26:11,160 --> 00:26:13,160 And I fell for it. 290 00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:16,160 I could go toe to toe with any of them 291 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:20,160 and probably win any theological argument, 292 00:26:20,160 --> 00:26:24,160 except for this one guy, Aaron Kaler. 293 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:30,160 He always got me and what made it worse is that he was always so nice about it. 294 00:26:30,160 --> 00:26:32,160 Like he never rubbed my face in it, 295 00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:36,160 but we just both walked away knowing you got me, right? 296 00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:40,160 Here's the problem. Here's the problem that I have. 297 00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:46,160 I would argue that God was sovereign over everything. 298 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:50,160 I would argue that God saved me and I didn't do anything to deserve it, 299 00:26:50,160 --> 00:26:52,160 which is absolutely true. 300 00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:57,160 I would argue that he knows the number of my days and he directs my footsteps, 301 00:26:57,160 --> 00:27:00,160 which is absolutely true. 302 00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:05,160 But inside, inside I was trying to control every aspect of my life. 303 00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:08,160 If I take this class and I get this grade, 304 00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:11,160 then I'll be able to get this degree quicker. 305 00:27:11,160 --> 00:27:14,160 If I take this internship at this church, 306 00:27:14,160 --> 00:27:19,160 then that would give me an opportunity to get a role at this particular church. 307 00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:21,160 And if I check all of these boxes, 308 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:25,160 all of these boxes of what I think I need to be able to do, 309 00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:28,160 then I'm going to be this far along in my career 310 00:27:28,160 --> 00:27:34,160 and then once I get there, I'm going to write a book and tell everybody how awesome I am. 311 00:27:34,160 --> 00:27:36,160 Throughout all of that, 312 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:40,160 I never once prayed for the will of God for my life. 313 00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:45,160 I never stopped to consider what his ways, what his plans were for me. 314 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:49,160 I saw a path that I'd seen others take 315 00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:53,160 and assumed that that was his plans for my life. 316 00:27:53,160 --> 00:27:57,160 I could argue that God was sovereign over all, 317 00:27:57,160 --> 00:28:00,160 but I did not live it. 318 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:03,160 So I had to learn to live out my faith, 319 00:28:03,160 --> 00:28:06,160 and you do too. 320 00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:11,160 The plan I had for my life, 20-something years ago, 321 00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:14,160 is not what my life looks like today. 322 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:17,160 I ran from God for a season of my life, 323 00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:20,160 and it was miserable for me. 324 00:28:20,160 --> 00:28:22,160 Things got hard, 325 00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:25,160 and I remember thinking there's no way, 326 00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:30,160 there's no way that this is what God had intended for me. 327 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:32,160 People in church were mean. 328 00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:35,160 Christians were hard for me to deal with. 329 00:28:35,160 --> 00:28:37,160 I saw corruption and denominations, 330 00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:41,160 and I can remember thinking that I don't want to be a part of this anymore. 331 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:43,160 I don't want to have anything to do with it. 332 00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:48,160 So once again, going with my feelings instead of trusting in the Lord's plan. 333 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:50,160 Now I would go to church on Sundays, 334 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:52,160 and I would sit in chairs just like you're sitting in, 335 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:54,160 and I would be listening to the preacher, 336 00:28:54,160 --> 00:28:57,160 and I would sing the songs just like we did earlier, 337 00:28:57,160 --> 00:29:00,160 and I would nod along when the pastor made a good point. 338 00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:05,160 But what I realized is that I'm just going through the motions of church. 339 00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:08,160 I wasn't living out my faith. 340 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:12,160 It had no impact on my life during the week. 341 00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:15,160 I'd go to church on Sunday, and we had Sunday Daniel, 342 00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:18,160 but then Monday through Saturday was a completely different side of me. 343 00:29:18,160 --> 00:29:21,160 Not trusting in the Lord, trying to control things, 344 00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:26,160 not loving my family well, all those things. 345 00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:32,160 But then somehow, because he's faithful, the Lord didn't give up on me. 346 00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:37,160 He led me and our family to a small town in West Texas, 347 00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:40,160 and out of nowhere, what felt like nowhere, 348 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:45,160 this small group of people came looking for somebody to lead them. 349 00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:47,160 Seeing they didn't want to do it, 350 00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:49,160 she told me, run as far away as you can. 351 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:53,160 This is not who we want to be associated with, 352 00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:59,160 but I just knew in my heart I was tired of running. 353 00:29:59,160 --> 00:30:02,160 I was tired of running, and it was hard. 354 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:04,160 People were still critical, that didn't change. 355 00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:07,160 I think of the 20 people that were there when I got there, 356 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:11,160 10 left in frustration after my first three months. 357 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:16,160 It wasn't fun, but at the same time, 358 00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:20,160 it was because I understood my calling, wasn't in my abilities. 359 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:23,160 It was in the one who sent me. 360 00:30:23,160 --> 00:30:29,160 Every week, I had to remind myself that God had called me there, 361 00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:33,160 that he was going to be faithful, he was going to sustain me, 362 00:30:33,160 --> 00:30:37,160 he was going to fight my battles in the rooms that I wasn't in. 363 00:30:37,160 --> 00:30:42,160 We just trusted the Lord's plan, and he blessed us abundantly. 364 00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:50,160 Every week, since February of 2012, 365 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:54,160 I still remind myself to live out my faith, 366 00:30:54,160 --> 00:30:57,160 to remember the calling that God has on my life, 367 00:30:57,160 --> 00:31:01,160 that even in difficult times, when it seems like everybody is against me, 368 00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:06,160 God is going to lead me where he wants me to go. 369 00:31:06,160 --> 00:31:10,160 Theological knowledge means absolutely nothing. 370 00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:15,160 If I don't trust in the one in whom it teaches. 371 00:31:15,160 --> 00:31:22,160 This week, you are going to be given opportunities to prove your faith in the Lord. 372 00:31:22,160 --> 00:31:25,160 And there is going to be temptation, I'm just warning you this week, 373 00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:30,160 there's going to be temptation to take matters into your own hands. 374 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:35,160 There's going to be temptations to worry and fret over a situation, 375 00:31:35,160 --> 00:31:39,160 but my challenge to you is to live out your faith. 376 00:31:39,160 --> 00:31:44,160 If you believe the Bible to be true, then live it out. 377 00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:46,160 Be quick to forgive. 378 00:31:46,160 --> 00:31:48,160 Be slow to speak. 379 00:31:48,160 --> 00:31:50,160 Be quick to listen. 380 00:31:50,160 --> 00:31:51,160 Be kind. 381 00:31:51,160 --> 00:31:55,160 Love God and love people. 382 00:31:55,160 --> 00:32:08,160 Because if you don't, you're not living an honest life. 383 00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:11,160 Honesty is simple. 384 00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:15,160 At the same time, it's not sometimes, isn't it? 385 00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:21,160 And so I don't know how the Lord wants to end this service with you. 386 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:23,160 But I'm going to pray for us. 387 00:32:23,160 --> 00:32:29,160 Again, I'm going to invite our worship team to come and lead us. 388 00:32:29,160 --> 00:32:34,160 My hope and my prayer for you is that as we sing and as we respond, 389 00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:41,160 you'll just ask God to reveal any dishonesty in your life. 390 00:32:41,160 --> 00:32:45,160 Those times that you're relying on a pinky promise or a spit shake 391 00:32:45,160 --> 00:32:50,160 or whatever we used to do back in the day, 392 00:32:50,160 --> 00:32:53,160 that what you say is what you mean. 393 00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:59,160 And that we will be men and women of truth at all times. 394 00:32:59,160 --> 00:33:02,160 That you will live out your faith. 395 00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:07,160 If you believe that what we're doing here 396 00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:11,160 and what you're experiencing here every single Sunday is true, 397 00:33:11,160 --> 00:33:15,160 then that should change our lives. 398 00:33:15,160 --> 00:33:21,160 Romans 10 says, how are people around us going to know if nobody tells them? 399 00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:25,160 How are people going to come know the Lord if nobody tells them? 400 00:33:25,160 --> 00:33:28,160 We need to live lives of honesty. 401 00:33:28,160 --> 00:33:30,160 Let's pray. 402 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:37,160 Father, I pray that as we close out the service, 403 00:33:37,160 --> 00:33:43,160 as we sing one more song, I pray, Father, that your spirit will just reveal to us 404 00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:47,160 the areas in which we have been untrustworthy, 405 00:33:47,160 --> 00:33:51,160 the areas where we have not been honest. 406 00:33:51,160 --> 00:33:57,160 I pray, Father, that as we sing that your spirit will just move in this place, 407 00:33:57,160 --> 00:34:00,160 just like it has been all service long. 408 00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:06,160 And I pray, Father, that you give us the courage to be obedient to you. 409 00:34:06,160 --> 00:34:10,160 Help us be men, women. 410 00:34:10,160 --> 00:34:15,160 Help us be a church that stands on your truth, 411 00:34:15,160 --> 00:34:19,160 that declares your truth, 412 00:34:19,160 --> 00:34:21,160 that does not feel the need to take any sort of oath 413 00:34:21,160 --> 00:34:25,160 because what we believe and what we say is true. 414 00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:28,160 And so, Father, I pray that you move however you want to. 415 00:34:28,160 --> 00:34:57,160 We ask all these things in Jesus' name. Amen.