Lies That Limit Life #4

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Text: Matthew 5:33-37

Good morning again and what a joy to be gathered with God's children in the presence of the Father remembering the sacrifice of His Son! Over 2,000 years ago Jesus shed his precious blood and from that life-giving flow millions of souls have been redeemed and rescued from the jaws of death unto an eternal life which knows no displeasure!

We are continuing our look again this week at the portion of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus really turned his world (and ours) upside down!
Many times after reading this sermon I am humbled by the Saviour's simple message and yet at the same time deeply challenged because there have been many times in my life where I have failed to live up to this standard of living, choosing instead a lesser righteousness that is easier to attain (Matthew 5:17-20)!
We must remember as we look through these pages that as hard as these teachings seem, they are necessary for us to strive to apply and realize this one great truth that God was trying to send:
All of us need a Saviour!
Jesus came to not only die for the world but show the world why they needed someone to die for them! It's not enough to be like the Pharisees who have reduced God's will to the external commands and have sought loopholes in the commands, but we must empty ourselves on the altar and understand our need to be saved by the blood because of our sins!

Well for many years, people had been told different teachings that supposedly were God's teachings and Jesus is showing us that they were not! In fact, these lies when followed instead of making life easier actually make life harder or at least not as full! (John 10:10)

This week turn to Matthew 5 and read with me vs.33-37 and let's look together at lie #4- Your word does not matter!
Unfortunately we live in a world today that lives and expects others to live by that lie! A recent study showed in fact that one in five Americans cannot get through a day without telling a conscious lie!1
Now that is a serious matter!
How many of us always expect to be told the truth by everybody we meet?
Not very many of us are that 'gullible' are we?
Perhaps better put not very many of us are that believable any more!
From lawyers, mechanics, doctors, politicians, clergyman we don't expect to always be told the truth!
How many of us even expect our friends, family & associates to tell us the truth 100% of the time?

We even can at times be cheering for lies!
You say, wait a minute I would never cheer for a lie! Well, when was the last time your favourite team credited with perhaps scoring a goal, getting a called strike, or catching a pass that they shouldn't have that you actually called them up demanding them to tell the truth and accept it?
Yes dishonesty has even infiltrated our games to the point that many live by the motto:
if you can get ahead, it's all right or since everybody else would do the same, it's all right!

Notice how surprising the following story is in today's climate:
"In an important game Tanner was playing first base (Tanner by the way is 7 years old). When a grounder came at him, he reached out to tag the runner between first and second. "You're out!" screamed the umpire. Tanner looked at the ball, then to the ump. "Excuse me, sir. But I missed him." "You didn't tag him?" the puzzled official asked. "Okay, then he's safe!""2

Let me ask you to answer this within yourself, does that startle you?
Why?
Back to Matthew 5 then and Jesus begins with what was being taught:
"Don't forswear yourself, but you shall perform your oaths unto the Lord."
Basically, if you take an oath invoking the name of God, you better keep your vow! Now as in the case with anger and lust, the teaching in and of itself isn't all bad!
In fact, the Bible is full of strict teaching in this regard:
if you make a vow using the name of God, you better stick to it!
If you turn to Exodus 20:7 you find the most famous of the teachings "don't take the name of God in vain!" So, the teachers clearly understood that scripture forbade the flippant use of the name of God!
Look at some other of the teachings in the Old Testament:
Deut.6:13, 23:21, Ecclesiastes 5:2-5

What is the big deal then in this teaching?
Now, some have thought Jesus here was invoking a rule that said you can't take any more vows, that it is a sin to do so. However, there is something more here!
(Consider the fact that in the New Testament some oaths were taken: 2 Corinthians 1:23).
Notice, what Jesus said in vs.33-36- don't swear by heaven, Jerusalem or your head- and notice the connection- all of them are connected still with God.
What was the problem then with this teaching?
Simply this:
they taught that as long as you vowed a vow with God, you could not break it (which was true) but if you tied your word to something else you were free to break it (which is not true).
Look closely at Matthew 23:16-22- the teaching sought a loophole in the "being bound by your word" department, but Jesus says, there is no loophole! "let your yes, be yes and no be no!"
Be a man or woman of your word!
Basically, a child of God should be the type of person who doesn't necessarily need to add an oath to make his word more valid! As one brother put it "A Christian's word should be no less reliable than an oath."3

I ask if we see this evident in our world today and I'm afraid we do! You have to tell the truth under oath, but not if you're not under oath! You have to tell the truth when you're with God but not when you're with men!
Did you know that the presence of oaths is an indictment against us?
We would not need oaths if failing to tell the truth was not common!

Well, why do we lie or be less than honest?
  1. To get ahead!
    Why not pretend that it actually happened or didn't happen?
    People will like me more, we'll win, I can move up the ladder.
  2. To get off!
    I remember as a young person hearing the story of a Christian woman being pulled over for speeding. The policeman asked, "Why were you speeding?" She answered "My son has to go to the bathroom."
    True? No it wasn't!
    The circumstance demanded it, right?
    They expect you to make a story up, right?
  3. To get more!
    What if I find loopholes where I don't have to be upfront about certain things?
    Why can't I make it appear that what is not the truth, is actually the whole truth?
    Look, everybody cheats a little here or there to get more!
What would Jesus' answer to these responses be?
What is the big deal with not telling the truth?
How much does it hurt?
  1. We are more like the Devil and less like Jesus! John 8:44, 8:32
  2. You break people's trust in you!
    Let me tell you a personal story, one that is painful for me to recall and yet necessary to:
    One of my biggest flaws about 12,13 years ago was my failure to always tell the truth. One time when I was 17 years old and set to go to University, my older cousin got me a job driving truck for the local dairy. Well, the first day of driving by myself I hit a stop sign and kept going hoping to tell no one. When I got back to the dairy my cousin met me and asked me if I got into that accident. Fearing the outcome I lied. I lied repeatedly about it. Soon I was off at school and finally owned up to my parents about the truth. Eventually I asked for my cousin's forgiveness! However, what really bothered me and I still deeply regret it is this: after I left and it came about that I did it, my cousin almost put his job on the line defending me and charging the bosses that they were wrongfully accusing me!
    Why? "Drew would never lie like that!" I broke his trust and shattered his image of a faithful brother in Christ! I believe, that he trusts me again, but there was a time when my parents, sister, cousins, co workers all believed that if it came down to it, lying would not be beneath me and they would double check my story!
    Notice the difference with little Tanner: "A couple of weeks later, he was playing shortstop when another grounder came to him. He went to tag the runner and the same umpire yelled, "He's safe!" With a little slow look and then toss to the pitcher the ump asked Tanner "Is something wrong?" "Yeah, I tagged him this time." "Really? Okay, then he's out!" The opposing coach came to argue but the ump said, "Look, I know this little boy. Tanner tells the truth. If Tanner says he tagged your player, then he tagged him."4
    Wouldn't it be great to find a man that you would never be suspicious of?
  3. God will not let liars go unpunished!
    Proverbs 19:5, we should always remember Annanias & Sapphira! (Acts 5)
What should we do then?
  1. Keep your vows! Jonah 2:9
  2. Keep your word! When you have nothing else, be a man or woman of your word! Ephesians 4:25, Romans 12:17
A lie that limits life is the lie that says there are only certain things that you have to be honest about, other times you are not bound. My friends that lie will truly limit your life. You cannot be as happy when you are looking over your shoulder to make sure no one finds out the real truth.
Mark Twain was supposed to one time say "Always tell the truth and you won't have to remember anything."
Ain't that that truth! I know first-hand!


1. Mike Cope & Rubel Shelly, What Would Jesus Do Today? (West Monroe, LA: Howard Publishing Co., Inc., 1998) p.82
2. Ibid., p.84
3. David Sain, The Sermon on the Mount, The Seventh Annual Spiritual Sword Lectureship (Jonesboro, ARK: National Christian Press, Inc., 1982) p.132
4. Cope & Shelly, p.84

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