We are going on in our study of Jesus’ teaching - His Sermon on the Mount.  This morning we are looking at Jesus’ teaching about how to really swear.

Just for the sake of research I thought this was interesting.  (GOOGLE:  "How To Really Swear")

Let’s be honest.  The vast majority of us someplace somewhere at some time have had something come out of our mouths that would be classified as swearing.  The reasons are tons.  Its been said that swearing is like honking the horn on our car.  Swearing is used to get out a number of different emotions - anger - frustration - joy - surprise.  Sometimes that comes out in ways that are more appropriate than others.

Are we together?

What does Jesus say about swearing?

Would you join me at Matthew 5 - starting at verse 33.  These verses may be somewhat familiar.  So, let’s read them out loud together to get them fresh in our minds.  Then we’ll go back - make some observations - and think about how what Jesus is teaching can be helpful to us.  Okay.  Let’s read these verses together.  

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.

Jesus is where?  Out on a hill by the Sea of Galilee talking to who?  A large diverse crowd of people.  People who were understandably stressed - doing life in an occupied country with a government working against them.  They’re subjugated.  Overly taxed.  The king is a psycho.  The culture is immoral.  Life is cruel - hard - often violent.  Its been pounded into them that even life with God is oppressive - burdensome obligations.

Jesus has been teaching that God has blessed them - and us - with His presence.  Teaching about what it means to live in a relationship with the Sovereign God - where God actually loves us - reaches to us - to establish that relationship.  A blessing that these people - and we ourselves - are desperate to experience in our lives. 

Jesus is taking the unimaginable - hard to process - reality of God and His kingdom - and bringing all that down to the heart level of where we live our lives.  What does it mean for us to live with God in that kind of relationship?  At the heart level in the day to day reality of our lives.

Coming to verses 33 to 37 - last Sunday we noticed a pattern in Jesus’ teaching - that’s goes on here in these verses.  A pattern that’s helping us to grab on to what Jesus is getting at.

First - Jesus quotes a commandment from the Old Covenant law:  you have heard that it was said to those of old - then He goes on to apply that commandment with a teaching that deals with the heart level of our relationship with others and - bottom line - our heart level relationship with God.  The “But I say to you” - part.

Are we together?

First observation.  We need to be clear on what Jesus is summarizing.  Clear on the meaning of the laws that Jesus is quoting and summarizing in verse 33.  There are a number of these - the references are on the screen and on your message notes.  (c.f. Exodus 20:7;  Leviticus 19:12; Numbers 30:2; Deuteronomy 23:21-23)

What do all these mean?  In other words - if we were a first century Jew listening to Jesus what could be going through our minds when we heard Jesus summarize these laws.

Names for the Hebrews were a profound thing.  Your name was who you were - your reputation - the summary and representation of your character.  With a good name you were respected.  With a bad name you were dishonored.  In Scripture, the “name” of God is the description of who He is - God’s reputation - His character - His nature.

Hopefully - if you’ve been around Creekside for a bit on Sunday mornings or part of our Sunday Night Study - hopefully some of this may sound familiar. 

In the Bible there are a number of different names for God that God uses to reveal different aspects of His character or how He deals with people - with us.  The two most significant are - do you remember these?

Elohim - which describes the fullness of God’s divine power.  And, Yahweh - which describes God who is - absolute - unchangeable - holy.  And the God who always has been - always is - and always will be - and is present with His people.  Sometimes those two names are used together - the Lord God - even more awesome to consider. 

By the way - The name Jehovah comes from Yahweh.  Jehovah is the Latinization of Yahweh.

Yahweh is the name God uses when entering into relationship with His people.

When God meets Moses at the burning bush, Moses says to God, “You’re sending me back to Egypt to the people of Israel to tell them that the God of your fathers has sent me.  They’re going to ask me, ‘What is His name?’  What should I tell them?”

God answers Moses - what?  “I AM WHO I AM.”  Same name - “I AM” - “Yahweh.”  (Exodus 3:13-15)

Point being - the amazing reality is that this almighty awesome God - Yahweh - enters into a heart level relationship with His people - opens the door for them - for us - to know Him. 

In the Ten Commandments - commandment number three is what?  “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.”  (Exodus 20:7)

Grab the names being used there.  “You shall not take the name of the Lord - Yahweh - your God - Elohim - in what?  vain, for the Lord - Yahweh - will not hold him guiltless - meaning God is going to punish people - who take His name in vain.”

“Don’t use the name of your awesome - almighty - relationship establishing - God in vain.” 

Vain - meaning:  Don’t trivialize God’s name.  Don’t misuse the name of God.  God is holy - separate - unique.  His name is to be holy - separate - unique.  Don’t drag God’s name down into the gutter - making it a word just like every other word.

Point being:  When we trivialize the name of God - we trivialize who God is.  When we misuse God’s name we disrespect God.

God warns:  “Misuse My name and there’ll be punishment.”   God takes the use of His name - the description of who He is - God takes this very seriously. 

Notice also who God is speaking to:   “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” - “your God.”  He’s talking to His people.

When a non-believer misuses God’s name it bothers us.  It should.  But they don’t know God.  They don’t have a relationship with Him.  When God’s people misuse God’s name it disrespects God - trashes the name - the character - the reputation of the God who loved us so passionately that He sent only Son to die in our place on the cross to establish our relationship with Him.

God’s people don’t trash God’s name.  We’re to respect God.  To honor Him.  To give our lives to Him.  God holds us accountable to respect Him.

Bottom line - the third command and the laws that Jesus is summarizing out on that hill - at their heart level core they’re about respecting God. 

Misuse the name of God and we’re swearing falsely.   Swear respecting God and we’re swearing Jesus’ way.  HWJS - How would Jesus swear?

Respect God.  Respect His name.  Let’s say that together.  “Respect God.  Respect His name.”

Going back to the people sitting on the hill listening to Jesus - what they should be thinking - to make a vow - using God’s name - Yahweh - the almighty self-existent God who’s chosen to have a relationship with us - to make a vow using God’s name - and then break it - is disrespecting God - punishable by God - a very very serious thing to be avoided.

The second part of what Jesus teaches - Jesus’ application - is the “But I say to you” where these laws apply to the day to day of where we live our lives.

You may have heard me share this.  Years ago - a lot of years ago - when I was as student at BIOLA U. - there was a girl I wanted to take out on a date.  But the only way she would consent to go out with me was if she could bring her friend.  Which meant that I had to find a date for this other girl.

I asked every guy I knew.  Everyone had something to do - most of it legitimate.  A few had cats to wash.  The best I could find was some guys who were available early in the evening and some guys who could come later.  Which I figured was good enough because I really wanted to go out with this girl.  So I called her up and said, “I got a date for your friend.  Let’s go out.” 

At the time it seemed like such a little deception with a big payoff - going out with this girl.

So this girl, her friend, and date #1 and I went out to the movies.  Part way through the movie - date #1 and I excused ourselves and went to the men’s room where date #2 - who looked like date #1 and was dressed identical to date #1 - was waiting for us.

We made the exchange - slipped back into the movie.  Which worked out really good until after the movie - when we got out to the parking lot -  and my date’s friend realized that date #2 wasn’t date #1.

Hard to imagine why she was upset by that.  She got to go out with, not just one, but two dates in one night.

A vow is a solemn promise.  The Greek word for “vow” is “orkos”  “Orkos” is related to the word for “fence.”  Invoking God’s name added an additional boundary - a protection against breaking the promise - an additional weight - legitimacy - to the solemn promise that was being made.

People today understand this - in kind of a twisted way - the authority - reputation - of God’s name.  At an early age.  They learn it from their parents - other kids - relatives.  God’s name is powerful.  That’s why it gets used in conversation so much.  “God this and God that.”  “Jesus H. this and Jesus H. that.”  Giving emphasis to what were saying, “I swear to God.”  Or as an exclamation:  “Oh my God.”  OMG. 

Its kinda like identity theft.  Ever get one of those emails? 

“Dearest beloved in Christ.  I’m sorry to make your acquaintance.  I am the deceased widow of a very rich ambassador to some country nobody has ever heard of who left to me a very rich and I want to send it to you the $500 trillion.  Please send it to me all your bank account numbers and passwords.”

Ever get one of  those?  Sounds legit.  Just helping out a poor widow.

Identity theft.

Consciously or subconsciously when we swear falsely - misuse God’s name - we make using God’s name all about us and not about Him.  Tooting our own horn.  We invoke God’s authority - His reputation and character - to cover our own inadequacies - to make what we’re saying more seem powerful - more deserving of respect.

The people Jesus is teaching understood that the vows - the promises - the commitments - that they were making - which invoked God’s holy name - that they were bound by those promises.  They had to fulfill them.  Otherwise they were misusing the name of the holy God - breaking God’s law.

So what the people did to get around this - the deception - what Jesus is talking about here in verses 34 and 35 - was that they would swear by everything else - heaven - earth - Jerusalem.  “By heaven if you give me your three chickens today next week I give you my goat.”  “As sure as Jerusalem is there if you give me your donkey next week I’ll fix your cart.” 

All of which was non-binding - deception - lies - because of course they hadn’t used God’s name.  So - they rationalized - they were off the hook.

That may seem a little silly.  “Hah.  Hah.  I swore by heaven.  Not Yahweh.  So I’ve still got your goat.” 

We have the same thing today.  Its called fine print.

(Cartoon:  Lawyer)  “See?  I told you sharks don’t attack lawyers.  It’s a respect thing.”

People don’t trust each other.  One’s oath - one’s promise - is non-binding unless bound by reams of iron clad fine print legalese - which any good lawyer - paid enough - can shred.

(picture of Prop 401)  This was Prop 401 - Tucson, Arizona.  Prop 401 is the answer!  Streamline City Government.  Cut Bureaucracy.  Improve Efficiency.  Hold Bureaucrats Accountable.  I love this one:  There is no tax increase.

Hard not to be just a tad cynical.  Right?  By the way, Prop 401 went down to defeat.

(picture) This is who?  Alex Rodriquez.  Baseball’s highest paid star who’s name just happened to be on a list of names of other Major League Baseballs stars - listed as patrons of a Miami Clinic selling performance enhancing drugs.  Which of course A-Rod denied using.

(picture) Then there’s Mr. Armstrong.  7 time Tour de France winner who finally came clean to Oprah Winfrey - admitting that he used performance enhancing drugs.  Now investigators are saying he lied during his confession.

What Jesus’ application was true then. Is true today.  Its way too much a part of our society.  Someone keeping their word is only as important as the benefit to them personally.

When we loose genuine respect for God any deception is possible.

Jesus reminds us in verses 34 and 35 that all this stuff people are vowing by ultimately is really God’s stuff:  Heaven is the throne of God.  The earth is His footstool.  Jerusalem is His city.  Vowing by God’s stuff is still vowing by God - misusing His name - disrespecting God and what it means to live in a heart level relationship with Him.

Verse 36 is even more personal:  “And do not take an oath by your head for you cannot make one hair white or black.”

How many of you dye your hair?  You don’t have to raise your hand.  Underneath all that dye the roots are still grey.  Right?  We can try to deceive ourselves - or others - but ultimately if its grey.  Its grey.

We can vow something.  “I promise to pay you back.  I promise to change.  I promise never to do that again.”   We may even, from the depths of who we are, we may honestly desire to fulfill that vow.  But, ultimately it’s only the sovereign God who governs what we’re able to do.  When we make promises - vowing and swearing - thinking that all this is about us - who’s fooling who?

God knows what limits us.  Knows what we struggle with.  Knows what will happen to us tomorrow.  God is the one who controls tomorrow and has orchestrated future history to fulfill His promises.

Jesus’ point?  Say what we want.  But ultimately we must recognize that we’re accountable to God for what we say.  All of this oathing and vowing and swearing has to do with our relationship with the Almighty God - our heart level understanding of who we are before the holy sovereign God - our respect of God.

Verse 37 - is Jesus’ bottom line application point.  How do we know if what’s coming out of us is respecting God? 

Verse 37:  instead of misusing God’s name - Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’;  anything more than this comes from evil - it leads to swearing falsely.

Have you heard this?  “Say what you... mean.  Mean what you... say”?

Jesus’ summary of all those laws and His application - putting all that in a nut shell - giving all that a positive spin:  “You shall make vows and fulfill them out of respect for the Lord.  Otherwise, don’t make vows.”

Processing what Jesus is saying here - as we get ready to head out into Mercedland - to watch the Niners destroy the Ravens - if we’re hearing Jesus - there are at least two major implications about a heart level relationship with God that we need to grab onto.

How to really swear.  First:  Swear Respecting God.  In whatever commitments we make - in however we represent ourselves - we need to respect God.

Three examples of what that means.

Deuteronomy 6:13 - “You shall fear only the Lord your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.”  (NASB)  Moses - giving instructions to God’s people on how to swear.  Swearing by God’s name - tied to our fear of God - our respect of God - our worship of God.  If we’re going to use God’s name, do it in a way that shows that we respect Him - honor Him - value Him above all others.

Second example:  Romans 1:9 - Paul, writing to the church in Rome:  “For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you…”  (NASB) Do you hear the oath?  “God is my witness” “I swear with God.” - is an understanding that our God is integrally concerned with - orchestrates - passes judgment on how we live our lives.

“I’m striving to live in obedience to the one God who is worthy of serving.  Who’s given purpose and value to my life.  He knows what I’m doing for you.”  There’s respect there. 

Third example - Revelation 10:5,6:  “Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that there will be delay no longer.”  (NASB)

Invoking God’s name - with respect for Him - giving Him His rightful place - as creator - ruler - possessor and sovereign over all that was - is - and will be.  That’s respect.

That’s a challenge for us.  Elbow the person next to you and tell them:  “That’s a challenge for us.”

We all struggle with this.  Church - hear this.  If we say we respect God on Sunday and then disrespect Him on Monday - by what’s coming out of our mouth - then we’re taking His name in vain.

If we sing words of worship on Sunday - “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus” - and on Monday we’re saying, “Me, me, me, me, me.”  Doing what works best for us - even lying and deceiving others to get our own way.  That disrespects God.

If we talk righteousness on Sunday - clean up our speech and talk Church talk - with our Christian siblings - and Monday we’re telling filthy jokes at the office - or talking using four letter words - “God this and God that” - that’s disrespecting God.

If we’re pleading with God in prayer on Sunday - but Monday what’s coming out of our mouth shows that our hearts are not sold out to God - that’s disrespecting God.

But, what would that be like?  If we went through our week with our “Yes” meaning “Yes” and our “No” meaning “No.”

If what’s coming out of our mouths and in our actions - if all that was a genuine - a sincere - consistent all about God testimony of Who God is - respecting Him - honoring Him - testifying of His grace and mercy and all He’s done for us.  Using His name to speak words of blessing and righteousness and encouragement - words offered in prayer for others.

Wouldn’t that make a difference in our families and schools and the people we work with?  Wouldn’t people see something different in us?

What Jesus is teaching - here in the Sermon on the Mount - is about Yahweh - establishing our relationship with Him.  Yahweh who wants to pour out His love on us - to take the burdens off our shoulders - to bring peace to our hearts - to establish us and bless us and watch out for us and heal us and care for us and guide and lead us through life into eternity with Him.

What God is saying here is, “Respect Me.”  That’s what people do in a relationship.  Its not just the words we say.  Its the characteristic of how we live our lives with God - from our hearts out.

That’s a challenge for us.  Don’t misuse God’s name.  Use it respecting Him.  What’s coming out of us needs to come from a heart that respects God.

Second application - How to really swear:  Swear Respecting Others.

We live in a society that rejects the idea of absolute truth.  In our schools - courts - politics - community - we’re told to be tolerant - inclusive - open to the experiences and beliefs of others.  “Truth is relative to how I experience life - a matter of perspective.”  “Gay is okay.”  “Marry whoever or whatever you want.”  “Never question the beliefs - or faith journey of someone else.”  “God is who I experience Him - or her - or it - to be.”

We’ve heard these?  Or similar?

If there’s no absolute truth then lying and cheating and deception is an expectation.  Do whatever it takes - say whatever you want - lie to get ahead.  As long as you don’t get caught it’s okay.  And, if you do get caught - lie.  Blame someone else.

Pilate asked, “What is truth?” (John 18:38)  Is there an absolute truth?

What did Jesus say?  John 14:6.  Jesus said, “I am the way, and the - what? truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.”

That’s an awesome claim!  Isn’t it?  Jesus doesn’t say, “I show the way.  I teach the truth.  I give life.”  Jesus isn’t just someone who has a piece of a truth - someone with a different perspective of spirituality - someone pointing the way to some god.

Jesus makes this absolute - dogmatic - exclusive statement about Himself that runs completely counter to our “inclusive” society of today.  Many people - even in the so-called church - stumble and struggle over these words.  But, these words of Jesus mean absolutely what it sounds like Jesus is claiming:

“There is no other way - no other truth - no other life.  When you come to me you’re meeting God.  You’ve found the ultimate truth.  When you come to me you then and there possess life.”

As Christians - call us whatever you want - blind - easily led - people with fruitcake between their ears - we believe what Jesus said.  That God speaks truth.  He never lies. (Psalm 119:160)  That Jesus is God’s truth in the flesh.

We believe - because God’s word tells us - we believe that humankind is more that just a freak accident of some primordial ooze that accidentally got zapped.  We believe that God values and cares for each one of us and that He will give to us - even today - life with Him.

We believe God’s word when God says that Jesus Christ is the only means by which our sins are forgiven - that only through faith in Jesus and His work for us on the cross - paying the penalty for our sins - that we can know God.  We believe in the truth of the resurrection of Jesus and that its possible to live in His triumph over death and to spend eternity with God.

We believe that God speaks to us the truth of how we’re to live before Him - all of what we need to know that makes sense out of life.  That in Him - in Jesus - there’s healing for our lives and purpose for our future.

We believe that there is right and wrong.  That God demands that we live in obedience to Him - to do what is right - not because He’s some kind of cruel - maniacal God - but because He loves us and desires what is best for us - and that there are huge - horrible - eternal consequences for those who do not live in that God restored through Jesus relationship with Him.

We who know that there is absolute truth have an obligation - in the midst of a society that Satan has deluded and deceived and is leading into destruction - leading our families and neighbors and anyone else he can get his claws into - leading them into destruction - we have an obligation to speak God’s truth to those around us - to challenge the lies of the society in which we live.

People need to know Jesus who is the truth.  Amen? 

Remember Billy Joel?  Listen to these words - and think about the people we experience life with.

If you search for tenderness

It isn't hard to find

You can have the love you need to live

But if you look for truthfulness

You might just as well be blind

It always seems to be so hard to give

I can always find someone

To say they sympathize

If I wear my heart out on my sleeve

But I don't want some pretty face

To tell me pretty lies

All I want is someone to believe

When I'm deep inside of me

Don't be too concerned

I won't ask for nothin' while I'm gone

But when I want sincerity

Tell me where else can I turn

Because you're the only one that I depend on

Sing this with me.  You don’t want me to sing this alone.  If you have your cell phone out maybe you can wave it.

Honesty is such a lonely word

Everyone is so untrue

Honesty is hardly ever heard

And mostly what I need from you (1)

What those around us need to hear coming out of our mouths is not us - or who we pretend to be - little identity stealing gods unto ourselves.  People need people who are honest.  People who are the real deal.  Who live out their lives based on what’s true.  Who - because we respect God and what God says - will respect others by telling them the truth about God and how to know Him and live in a forever relationship with Him starting even today.

________________

1. Billy Joel, “Honesty” - from his 52nd Street album - released 1980

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®  (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.