Pastor Saul talked about the importance of taking, and keeping, our promises seriously. If we say we're going to do something, there should be no doubts in those affected that we'll follow through.
MY STORY
Talk about the biggest promise, or the most ridiculous one, you have made to someone in your life. How did the situation end up?
WHAT DOES GOD WANT US TO HEAR?
"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. ' But I say 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 footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil. (Matthew 5:33-37)
The issue at stake here is not that Jesus thinks all oaths (promises) are bad. In fact, we make a variety of promises throughout life, whether we take out loans and agree to pay back the full price, or get married, sign for a house, join the military, etc.
Read Matthew 23:16-22. What was the real heart issue that Jesus was highlighting here?
As seen in Matthew 23, the Pharisees were making distinctions in the oaths that people took, based upon what they swore the oath on, in order to allow certain people "off the hook" for keeping their promise (for example: "If anyone swears by the temple it is nothing but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by that oath. " vs. 16). They were using fancy language and technicalities, as well as their authority in the temple, to allow people to break their promises.
What would a modern-day example of this look like?
Has someone ever conned you like this? What happened and how did that make you feel? What was your response (and how did it impact your relationship with this person)?
In fact, the third commandment in Exodus 20:7 which commands us to not take the Lord's name in vain, is commonly interpreted as "a commandment against using God's name in vain – making an oath or vow of any sort (including profanity) while invoking God if one is not able or going to perform the vow" (author Jonathan Pennington).
Why does God place such a high value on honesty and following through on what we say we'll do?
How does it reflect on God if we call ourselves Christians and don't follow through on our promises?
What does God want us to hear? Based on the passage and the questions above, what "takeaways" do you think God has revealed to you?
WHAT DOES GOD WANT US TO DO?
The issue at stake here is that Jesus wants us to live our lives with wholeness, inwardly and outwardly. In order to do that, simplicity is best ("Let what you say simply be 'Yes' or 'No' . vs. 37).
Is Jesus commanding us to never take oaths, even if someone demands that we make a promise? What does He actually mean by this statement?
In the Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing, author Jonathan Pennington claims that it's the literalistic reading of the Matthew 5:33-37 verses that continue to influence many modern-day Christians (mainly the Amish and Mennonite) – They are required to avoid any sort of vow or oath that would bind them. For them, the result is no house mortgages, holding government office, military service, etc. Thus, they had the need to create separate, non-oath-dependent societies.
What would our lives look like if we never made any promises, legal or otherwise? What's important when we do make these promises?
What does God want us to do? Flowing out of our reading and interpretation, what action does this passage or the Spirit's leading, call us to?
WHAT DOES GOD WANT ME TO DO?
Quietly reflect: If someone who knows you well was to make a deal with you, would they automatically know that you're "good for it" or would they require you to make a promise in order to hold up your end of the bargain?
What can you change in your life in order to become a person whose 'Yes' and 'No' are the only guarantee their friends and family need when making a deal with you?
What does God want ME to do? What is the personal application and action step God is calling you, personally, toward?
Message Notes
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