Recalibrate Deception

Recalibrate Deception

Matthew 5:33-37

Reintroduce- Recalibrating

It is not what we must do to be saved but the way that the saved should live. Sanctification.

If you do not have a desire for righteousness, you aren’t a follower of Jesus. You aren’t saved.

ILL- New Truck

The GPS- recalibrates the cruise control with speedlimit changes.

-On Indian Nation 3 times it changes where there are no new speed limits.

Our lives can easily get off track.

Jesus, in Sermon on the Mount, is recalibrating our lives to be where they need to be.

ILL-- Harry Reid was asked about lying about Romney by saying he had not payed taxes. They asked if he thought it was wrong to lie in order to get Obama elected. His response, "Romney didn't win did he?"

Is it OK to lie if it helps accomplish a greater good?

Matthew 5:33–37 ESV

33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

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Numbers 30:2 ESV

2 If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

Law commanded to keep a vow sworn to the Lord.

Jesus says that everything we say should be true.

Word games do not make it OK to lie.

3 Truths Concerning Deception

1. We Are Liars (33)

Matthew 5:33 ESV

33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’

Word games do not make it OK to lie. --

Acting like grade school kids-- crossing fingers.

Fine print in order to trick someone into signing a contract.

Privacy policies- who reads them?

Play on words-- advertising is bad about this.

JC Penny’s -Calling something a sale that is never at full price. - tricking you into thinking you are getting a good deal.

James 3:5–12 ESV

5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

Came from the Serpent in the Garden of Eden.

Cain when asked where his brother Abel was, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?"

None of us can be trusted because we all are liars just like we are all sinners.

We are all liars, however #2, we want to be believed.

2. We Want to Be Believed (34-36)

Matthew 5:34–36 ESV

34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.

Remember Peter during crucifixion. When asked the third time if he was one of Jesus' followers he swore an oath that he did not know him.

When our word is being questioned, what do we do to make them beleive.

Since we are liars, how can we get people to believe what we have to say?

Oaths- used to give weight to your word.

Swear= does not mean to curse or use bad words but to affirm the truth of a statement while calling on God to judge oneself if it is in fact untrue.

1st century Judaism had a hierarchy of degrees of oaths. They were used, not to tell the truth, but to get around a lie.

They knew that God had told them to never go against an oath made in his name.

They found ways to leave room for untruth without being held accountable by God. (or so they thought)

Matthew 23:16–22 ESV

16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.

Not all oaths are wrong.

Paul used on occasion to make a point.

2 Corinthians 1:18 ESV

18 As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No.

Galatians 1:20 ESV

20 (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!)

Going to court- we shouldn't hesitate to take an oath because we are not using it as a way to get around the truth but a way to show the court you can be trusted.

2 Qualifications when using an oath. (John MacArthur)

Serious Circumstance

The need to use oaths frequently should be a warning.

Being in court.

Appropriate Emphasis

"Vows to Lord"= must be kept- others are optional?

Hand Shake- use to be good. Now it must be in writing.

Now days people will use handshake in order to deceive.

The fix-- The way to get everyone to believe you is to be a person of integrity.

3. We Need Integrity (37)

Matthew 5:37 ESV

37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

Let your "yes" always mean "yes" and let your "no" always mean "no."

Lying is an external symptom of an internal problem.

Do people believe you or need to get it in writing?

How do lying sinners live in The Kingdom? We always tell the truth.

We are different than the world.

We have been changed.

Those around us will know that we have been changed.

Ephesians 4:20–24 ESV

20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Salvation is so much more than just "asking Jesus into your heart" or making Jesus Savior. More than a get out of hell card. He must be your Lord. That means you have a new boss in your life. Your life will change!

We need to be someone who is so characterized by integrity that others need no formal assurance of truthfulness in order to be trusted. This will not save us, but it will be evidence of salvation. Evidence that Jesus is Lord.

The only way to fix an internal problem is to fix the sin found in the heart.

That is what Jesus Christ did when he died on the cross.

He died as the sacrifice so that we can be saved.

He rose from the grave to prove his power over death.

He sent his Spirit so that we can be changed. Holy as He is Holy.

CONCLUSION

Have you made Jesus Lord of your life?

Do the words of your mouth prove you are a follower of Jesus?m