Good morning. It’s great to be back. Our staff team spent the week in Carmel, IN., with over 2500 pastors. It was a great week of encouragement and team building. I’d already planned to take the last few Sundays off, and boy am I glad I did! Two weeks ago Samuel preached about sexual integrity. Last week Don preached on marital integrity.
A pastor (at conference) described, as he preached these exact passages at his church, a Tik-Tok influencer with a million followers posted one of those finger pointing videos, “Can you believe this guy? This pastor hates people.” The pastor received death threats. It was so bad, the police chief asked him to wear a bullet proof vest next time he preached. A special thanks to Samuel and Don; You guys helped me dodge a bullet. I hope you guys will be alright!
This morning we turn to safer waters! In Matthew 5:33-37 Jesus calls us to maintain highest integrity in speech. “Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors, never break your oath, but fulfill your oaths to the Lord.” Now on the surface, these words don’t feel controversial at all. We make oaths every day without much thought—maybe you recently signed a cell phone contract, or online credit application, or downloaded some APP accepting the user agreement without a thought. Harmless right?
And if we miss the fine print, it’s not hard to find a way out. Maybe you’ve heard those radio ads for Wesley Financial Group. In his folksy, southern draw the CEO introduces himself, explaining how people often get manipulated into signing timeshares. But have no fear he promises. We can permanently cancel that silly little thing and relieve you of endless maintenance fees, and stress. How many times in a given day does some “silly little thing” fall off our lips…an oath, a promise, a sales pitch, an unthinking nod… is that what Jesus is concerned about?
In regard to human nature, nothing has changed from the days of Jesus to our own. In every era, God’s people finding themselves living among a people of unclean lips. We’re quick to speak, quick to sign, quick to promise without much thought. But there is something more in view. When James, the brother of Jesus, reflects on integrity of speech he reframes it as boasting. With our tongue we make great boasts.
When we boast, we’re often deflecting from the truth about ourselves. *For example, we exaggerate our ability to pay, or follow through, or deliver on some promise, “I swear I’ll pay, be there for you, pray for you, provide anything you need.” Ananias & Sapphira in Bible boasted about giving one thing, while giving far less. Do we really mean what we say? Is there any integrity? *We live in a day of social media now rebranded as “Super Intelligence.” I liked it better called “Artificial Intelligence.” With the stroke of a key or voice prompt… we can “artificially” bolster our profile, fluff our resume, enhance our image, attain a certain grade on a paper or test, polish a work proposal, or even strengthen a sermon. We’re entering an era where super intelligence will enable us to deeply fake most everything and everyone (except God of course).
We spent several months studying the book of James. With our tongue we make great boasts. With our tongue we often blame God for outcomes in our life, even temptations. But what’s the truth? Each one is tempted because when his own evil desires conceive and give birth to sin… and sin death. Blaming and boasting are a way of deflecting attention. It’s God. It’s other people’s fault. It’s the devil. James describes how quickly we become angry and speak foolishly not truthfully. How easily our tongues spew that moral filth and echo evil things so prevalent all around us. How callously we dishonor people, judging them, condemning them even before we know the truth. How mindlessly we spew Christian cliches—wishing people well with no intention of truly helping them, or praying for them.
James sees the tongue as the most restless, untamable, less sanctified part of our body. Positively, if you can control your tongue, your whole life can be brought under the control of the Holy Spirit. But as it is—our tongues are utterly out of control. Here is this tiny little part of our body, yet it makes outsized boasts, and wields outsized influence, and wreaks astronomical havoc. James says the tongue is like the tiny bit in a horse’s mouth… a tiny rudder on a gigantic cargo ship. For its size, it has exponentially disproportionate power, to direct the course of one’s life. It’s like a small spark that sets acres of forest ablaze and wreaks incalculable destruction. The tongue is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. From one tongue we spew blessings and curses, sweetness and bitterness, fresh-life-giving words and then saltwater.
The book of James, and all the Proverbs, offer a Master Class on the tongue. And how does James bring his concerns to a point? He quotes what Jesus says here in Matthew 5 in his own words, James 5:12, “Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “yes” mean “yes” and your “no” mean “no,” so that you won’t fall under judgement.”
Later in Matthew 12:34-37 Jesus says, “Brood of vipers!” (Anyone seen a good viper lately, with its forked tongue?) “Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. A good person produces good things from the storeroom of good, and an evil person produces evil things from his storeroom of evil. I tell you that on the day of judgement people will have to account for every careless (silly little) word they speak. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” Friends, there isn’t anything silly or little about our words. By our words we’re acquitted—shown to be righteous; or else condemned. The single most consequential thing we can do is speak. The single most soul revealing thing we can do is speak. The single most constructive or destructive thing we can do is speak. Words wield the power of life and death!
Matthew 15:17-20, “Don’t you realize that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is eliminated? But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a person. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slander. These are the things that defile a person: but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person.”
Doesn’t it stand to reason that if what comes out of mouth defiles us, that the inverse is also true… what comes out of our mouth can sanctify us? Why do we read Scripture? Why do we worship? Ephesians 5:18-21, “And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ."
The tongue is the canary in the coal mine, revealing true condition of our heart and our soul. Matthew 5:19ff… our tendency to not only break commands, but “teach” others to do the same as we do. Matthew 5:21ff… how the murderous seeds of anger begin in the heart and spill out the mouth, “Raca. You Idiot. You Fool! Go to… {well you know}” Matthew 5:31-32… how quick the men in Jesus’ day would go back on their marital oath, to issue certificate of divorce to the wife of their youth for most frivolous of reasons. Nothing silly, or little, or frivolous about what comes out of our mouth.
So, we come back to Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:33-37. Some practical principles to unpack. Principle #1: God is the Primary Audience of Our Words. Our oaths are not just about you or me, or even just other people. Every oath is first and foremost to God. Matthew 5:33. “Again, you have heart that is was said to our ancestors, you must not break your oath, but you must keep your oats to the Lord.” What should our personal standard of speech be? We’re accountable as ones speaking before God. Our standard is, would you say it to God’s face? In 1 Peter 4, Peter says were accountable as ones speaking the very oracles of God. Remember those WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) bracelets? Harder than “what would Jesus do…” is “what would Jesus say…” James warns we ought to be careful what we teach others, those who seek such influence upon others will be judged more harshly. If it’s not suitable to God, not suitable for others.
Principle #2: God Holds Ultimate Authority Over All Things, Not our Words. This is so important. What does Jesus say in Matthew 28:18, the Great Commission? He says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me…” With out words, we presume upon the authority of heaven… or by some spiritual principle… or to have authority of earth… or ultimate authority over our own life. The only authority we possess is derived of Christ Himself.
Matthew 5:34-36, “But I tell you, don't take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God's throne; or by the earth, because it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. Do not even take an oath by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black.” James says do not boast about tomorrow. But instead, we should say, “If it is God’s will this thing, or that thing…
Principle #3:. Integrity Begins with the most Simple, Basic Words. Suppose you recognize how uncontrollable, untamable, indeed flammable and poisonous your tongue has become. How do we begin to reform your ways? Matthew 5:37 Jesus says, “But let your yes mean yes, and your no mean no. Anything more than this is from the evil one.” Transformation is recognizing that when it comes to the tongue, no word no matter how small is ever a silly little thing… it’s a really big, consequential, transformational thing. I believe that Holy Spirit transforms us one syllable at a time.
Principle #4: Our Words can be Purest of Salt and Light. Matthew 5:33, “Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Never break your oath, but fulfill your oaths to the Lord.” When Jesus says “never break … but fulfill” he is speaking of the very character of God, and not just that, but the very gospel… promises of God. Matthew 5:17-19, “Do not think that I have to abolish the Law or Prophets… do not think I have come to break my commandments, or promises, or word… I have not come to break them but fulfill them! For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished… fulfilled. Therefore whoever breaks one of the least these commands and teaches others to do so the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven…”
Friends, it’s not just a casual cell phone contract or credit card application. It’s not just a casual promise made to a friend, “I’ll pray for you.” It’s not just a silly little letter, or punctuation mark, or least stroke of the pen. It’s not just a few syllables carelessly uttered, “yes… no…” It’s not just a silly little marital covenant, a promise spoken at altar in prime of youth. It’s not just mere singing, or reading, or casual worship. Every word, every syllable is a means of transformation… an occasion for God’s Spirit to cleanse our heart. Every word and syllable is an opportunity to embody the very character of God. Every word and syllable is an opportunity to be true salt and reflect light… that people might praise our Father in Heaven… trust his purpose and plan in salvation… know the reliability and certainty of his commands, promises, and word.