Integrity.

Steve Gentry

[0:06] Well, good morning. [0:07] Welcome to Village Church. [0:09] My name is Steve. [0:10] One of the pastors here at Village Church. [0:11] This is your first time. [0:12] I’m glad to see you.

[0:14] I’m thankful that you are going to spend just a few moments with us discussing the [0:18] Word of God. [0:19] If you have a Bible, go ahead and open it to Matthew chapter 5. [0:22] If you don’t have a Bible, they tell me it’s on the screen behind me while I preach, but [0:26] I never look back there. [0:28] So I don’t know.

[0:29] But it should be. [0:30] For the past few weeks, we’ve been talking through the Sermon on the Mount. [0:34] And so we’ve gotten into the section where he talks about, Jesus does, specific issues [0:39] that we deal with and the work that God wants to do in our lives in changing the way that [0:46] we live every day. [0:47] And so two weeks ago, we talked about anger.

[0:49] Last week, we talked about the issue of lust. [0:51] And so those represent some kind of easy to apply, at least easy to understand issues. [0:59] And they’re kind of hot topics in any and all cultures. [1:03] And so when we get to verse 33, it gets a little odd and harder to apply because he’s [1:09] going to talk about something that at first glance you may not think is an issue in your [1:14] life, but it is.

[1:15] He’s going to talk about the issue of oaths, not oats. [1:18] And so all morning I’ve been saying, oaths, and I don’t know if I say it right, so I [1:22] think people hear oatmeal. [1:23] But I’m talking about oaths that you take to the Lord. [1:27] And so we may at first glance not think this is an issue that we struggle with until we [1:32] think beneath to our current day and our current culture and we realize that ultimately what

[1:38] Jesus is talking about is truth versus lies. [1:43] And he’s talking about being a trustworthy person. [1:47] And that transcends culture and goes to the very heart of everyone. [1:52] No one likes a liar. [1:55] And so if you find a person that you know lies, you find a person that you know is [1:59] deceptive, you find a person that you know just kind of lives a life in which they move

[2:05] from one deception to another, that is not someone that you want to have in your life. [2:11] And you know, if you find out that someone that you’re going to marry has been lying [2:15] to you the entire relationship, you might rethink your marriage. [2:20] Or if you find after years of marriage that someone’s been lying to you for the entirety [2:25] of your relationship, there’s probably no greater wound than that one. [2:31] And so what Jesus is going to talk about when he talks about the issue of truth and telling

[2:36] the truth and living the truth is probably something that is the most applicable to our [2:42] lives because it actually tells the story not only of what you believe about your life, [2:49] but what you actually believe about God. [2:51] So let’s look in verse 33 and hear the words of Christ. [2:56] Again, you have heard that it was said to those of old. [3:00] Now Jesus is not contradicting the Old Testament.

[3:04] Rather, Jesus is contradicting the faulty teaching of the Old Testament. [3:10] Again, you have heard that it was said to those of old, you shall not swear falsely, [3:15] but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn. [3:18] But I say to you, do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of [3:24] God or by earth, for it is the footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the [3:29] great King.

[3:30] And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black, even [3:37] though many of you are trying with chemicals.

[3:41] Let what you say be simply yes or no. [3:45] Anything more than this comes from evil. [3:49] And so Jesus is talking about the issue of swearing an oath by which you are committing [3:55] either to a person or to God that you are going to do a specific thing. [4:00] But the deception that such oaths bred in that society is the heart of what Jesus is [4:08] talking about.

[4:09] And ultimately when he says, let your yes be yes, basically, and your no be no, he’s [4:14] talking about, don’t be a person that worries about what oath you’ve made. [4:18] Just be a person that keeps his or her word. [4:22] Be a person that can be trusted that you’re going to be and do the things that you say [4:27] you are going to be and do so that when you say you’re going to do something, no one [4:32] questions whether you’re being honest or not.

[4:34] No one questions whether you’re going to keep your commitments or not. [4:37] Seek to be that type of person is what Jesus is telling us. [4:41] Because the question we’ve got to answer today is why is Jesus telling that? [4:45] Well first off, integrity is vital to following Jesus. [4:49] Integrity is vital to following Jesus. [4:52] And so Jesus is ultimately talking about the issue of integrity and he wants us to

[4:57] be people of integrity. [4:58] Why? [4:59] Because he is a person of integrity. [5:03] As if you’re going to follow Jesus, that necessarily involves becoming like Christ. [5:09] That’s what a disciple is, isn’t it? [5:11] It is someone that is learning to become like Christ.

[5:14] As if you’re going to become like Christ, you’re going to have to be a person of integrity. [5:17] And so the less integrity you have, the less like Christ you are. [5:24] And you can apply this to a multitude of areas in your life, from your family life and all [5:30] that that entails, to your business life and all that that entails, to your hobbies, to [5:35] even your friendships. [5:36] You need to be a person of integrity.

[5:39] The dictionary defines integrity as steadfast adherence to a moral code or an ethical code. [5:48] A person of integrity then is someone who is completely consistent with his or her stated [5:55] convictions. [5:57] And so if you lack integrity, then you are someone who says one thing and does another. [6:04] That is of course what we understand to be a hypocrite. [6:08] And at the lowest common denominator, a hypocrite is nothing more or less than a liar.

[6:17] And so when we call someone a hypocrite, we don’t always put it put two and two together. [6:21] We don’t always realize that ultimately we’re just calling that person a liar. [6:25] And when we call a person a liar, we don’t always connect the dots and say, oh, I’m [6:29] calling that person a hypocrite. [6:31] A hypocrite didn’t always mean what it means in our culture. [6:35] In the original kind of way hypocrite came to be, it was an actor in a play.

[6:41] It was someone who would play a specific role where they would wear a mask to exaggerate [6:48] who they were and they would have the role and it would be called the hypocrite because [6:53] they were hiding who they actually were behind a mask. [6:59] And so that has evolved out of the theater world and into everyday life where a hypocrite [7:05] stands to be someone who presents one part of themselves as reality, but behind closed [7:12] doors when no one else is looking, what you would actually find when you get to know

[7:16] that person is nothing like the public life that they share with everyone else. [7:21] They are pretending to be one thing when they’re actually being another. [7:26] The problem with it is we believe a hypocrite is the most extreme example that we can think [7:32] of. [7:32] No one walks around saying, I’m a hypocrite. [7:36] I’ve never met anybody that just kind of gloried in that reality, but I have met people that

[7:40] say, oh, I tell some white lies. [7:43] I’ve been known to tell some half truths, but you don’t understand, the lies that I [7:50] tell are helpful lies. [7:52] I only lie when it’s going to make someone feel better about themselves. [7:56] See, we have this way of kind of glorifying the word lie where we wouldn’t glorify the [8:04] word hypocrite when they’re actually synonyms.

[8:07] Every lie that you tell is you being a hypocrite. [8:12] Every single one of them. [8:14] It doesn’t matter how small the lie. [8:16] It doesn’t matter how large the lie. [8:18] It doesn’t matter if you wish someone would lie to you every once in a while because you [8:21] don’t like the truth of who you actually are.

[8:24] All lies are misrepresentations of reality. [8:29] Whether you tell a lie of what type of person you actually are or you just tell someone [8:35] it’s a sunny day when it’s raining outside. [8:37] If it’s untrue, it is a lie. [8:41] You can tell lies and you can also live lies. [8:47] So it doesn’t always have to be something that’s spoken.

[8:49] It can be something that is lived out. [8:51] You can actually also lie by the commitments that you have in your life. [8:57] You can say, I believe this to be the most important part of my life and then commit [9:02] to 32 things that have nothing to do with what you say is the most important thing in [9:07] life. [9:07] That’s something that Christians do all the time.

[9:09] Christ is my all in all except every night of the week because I have other commitments. [9:15] You see, we have a way of living lies that we don’t want to believe that they are lies [9:21] because none of us want to tell the truth about the fact that we are liars. [9:27] And what Jesus is dealing with here is he’s going to the heart of the issue and he’s [9:32] telling you that your lies are not unimportant in following him. [9:37] Rather the lies that you tell stand to show the truth that you actually believe and live

[9:44] out where your discipleship is concerned. [9:48] And many people fail to ask a very important question about themselves where truth and [9:56] lies are concerned. [9:57] And it’s a very simple question. [9:58] Can you be trusted? [10:00] Can you be trusted?

[10:03] And why do you think you can be trusted? [10:06] See, what’s crazy to me about people, and I’ve seen this so many times throughout ministry, [10:10] is that no one wants to come out and say, I’m an untrustworthy person. [10:14] A person can tell a plethora of lies and then someone would have the audacity to say, [10:22] you cannot trust that guy.

[10:26] Me? [10:28] How dare you say that you can’t trust me? [10:31] Well, dude, you tell lie after lie after lie. [10:34] Well, that doesn’t mean I can’t be trusted. [10:36] Actually, that’s exactly what that means. [10:38] You cannot be trusted.

[10:40] The question is, why do we not understand these things in our lives? [10:45] And for the most part, it is because we have been deceived. [10:50] See, the kind of lies that you tell do not matter. [10:56] It doesn’t matter if it is small and it doesn’t matter if it is great. [11:00] A small lie shows a crack in the foundation of your integrity. [11:06] And if you do not deal with cracks in the foundation, do you know what’s going to happen?

[11:12] They’re going to get larger. [11:13] They’re going to get larger and the lies will get bigger and the lies will get bigger. [11:17] And you will not be the type of person that is to be trusted with anything. [11:22] And to show that, I just want to ask you a simple question. [11:24] What if Jesus lied?

[11:28] What if you found out? [11:29] What if it was even in scripture? [11:31] There was an instance where Jesus told the smallest of lies.

[11:38] I mean, just make it something that we would call silly. [11:41] All right, Martha made dinner and it was terrible. [11:44] And Jesus said, delicious to make Martha feel better.

[11:51] See, ultimately, though, if Jesus was found to lie in that one area, [11:57] it would affect the way that you view Jesus in other areas.

[12:02] You would begin to question every promise he had ever made. [12:06] You say, well, if Jesus told a lie here, how can I trust that he truly forgives over there? [12:13] If Jesus tells a lie here, how can I trust that he’s telling me the truth when he says [12:20] that he’s going to forgive my sins? [12:21] Oh, yeah, sure. [12:22] Jesus makes statements like, and they shall know the truth and the truth will set them free.

[12:28] But Jesus didn’t always tell the truth. [12:31] If Jesus was found to tell one small lie, wouldn’t it even bring into question the entire [12:38] integrity of the work of the gospel as a whole? [12:41] Because there are some big promises and there is some extreme trustworthiness [12:46] that is required to believe such a big promise as the forgiveness of sins, [12:53] the new life in Christ and eternity in the kingdom of heaven.

[12:57] If I can’t trust Jesus with everything, even down to the truth of how dinner tasted,

[13:05] how can I trust Jesus with my very life?

[13:11] See, if Jesus told one simple lie, it would bring into question everything he ever said. [13:16] So why don’t you believe that about your life?

[13:22] Why do you believe you can market in the area of even small lies [13:28] and then be trusted with bigger things down the road? [13:32] You see, God hates lies. [13:34] In Proverbs chapter 12 verse 22, the scripture tells us lying lips are an abomination to the [13:40] Lord. [13:40] There’s not much harsher language than that.

[13:42] There’s not much worse than being an abomination. [13:46] And he says that a lying lips elsewhere, he actually says that there are a few things [13:51] that the Lord hates and lying lips and a deceitful tongue make the list. [13:56] But then in the second half, he says, but those who act faithfully are his delight. [14:00] Note that the juxtaposition isn’t just lying lips and truth telling lips. [14:05] He says lying lips and acting faithfully.

[14:09] See, in the original language in the Hebrew right here, what he’s talking about is not [14:13] just speaking the truth, but he’s actually saying that there is a way in which you live [14:18] truth where God is concerned. [14:21] Your very life, the choices that you make, the places that you go, the people you build [14:27] relationships with, tell the truth of who you are. [14:32] So God wants you to act faithfully.

[14:34] In Psalm 101 verse 7, it says, no one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house. [14:40] No one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes.

[14:46] See, friends, if you are going to deceive, if you are going to be a person who tells [14:50] lies, you can’t even be in the house of God. [14:54] He doesn’t even want to look at your life.

[15:00] Because you can’t be trusted to tell the truth about your life. [15:05] See, lying and deception are so vital in following Jesus. [15:13] If you want to follow him, you have to build a life of integrity. [15:18] You see, friends, to follow Jesus means that you do not need to hide behind your lies.

[15:24] Jesus is saying, if you want to have integrity, just be truthful, be honest. [15:30] Why? [15:31] When you lie, it is an attempt to take at least a part of you, push it into the corner [15:39] and hide it in the shadows so that no one can see it. [15:44] But God is light. [15:47] Therefore, he exposes everything that is in the darkness.

[15:50] So what you are trying to hide, God says great liberation is found if it is exposed. [15:56] And God, being light, knows everything about you. [15:59] You can’t lie to him. [16:00] It’s fascinating. [16:01] People try, but it’s completely impossible to lie to God. [16:04] He knows my deepest thoughts.

[16:05] He knows my deepest longings. [16:07] He knows things about me that have never seen the light of day. [16:10] He knows me through and through so I cannot lie to him. [16:14] So when we lie, we do not tell about our relationship with God as our God. [16:21] Rather, we tell our relationship with other people as idols, as false gods. [16:29] See, when you lie, you tell the story that you trust what people think more than you

[16:34] trust what God thinks. [16:36] You believe that the opinion of man is superior to the opinion of God. [16:41] And so you then have created a false god in other people. [16:45] And that’s why number two this morning is lying reveals a heart that doesn’t trust God. [16:51] Lying reveals a heart that does not trust God. [16:55] You see, in verse 34, Jesus begins to unpack the cultural implications.

[17:02] And he says some things that in our culture are completely meaningless. [17:05] He says, don’t swear by heaven. [17:08] Don’t swear by earth. [17:10] Don’t swear by Jerusalem. [17:12] Don’t swear by your own head. [17:15] And we’re like, okay.

[17:18] All right, gotcha. [17:19] Jesus won’t do any of that. [17:21] But what had happened in that time is I want you to look at Leviticus 1912. [17:25] Here’s what the Old Testament says. [17:27] He says, you shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God. [17:32] I am the Lord.

[17:33] Well, Jesus, excuse me. [17:34] What Jesus is saying to the Holy Spirit in Leviticus is that if you have said, [17:39] I’m going to do this in the name of God, I swear by the name of God, I swear to the name of God. [17:47] God is saying, hey, once you bring me into the situation, you’ve got to do it. [17:53] God is saying, I am trustworthy. [17:56] I am honest.

[17:57] So if you swear by me, you better follow through on your promises. [18:02] And we see that a few times in the Old Testament. [18:04] And so the Pharisees had this task in which they would make the Old Testament [18:10] applicable to everyday life so that people could measure how they were doing. [18:15] And so that they could measure how people were doing. [18:19] But they didn’t want to be completely honest all the time.

[18:22] And so they created a caste system, have you, for truth and lies. [18:28] And so if you swore by God, if you didn’t follow through with what you said, that was condemning.

[18:35] But heaven isn’t God. [18:39] It’s just where God lives. [18:41] So if you swear by heaven, that’s a pretty big swear, but not as big.

[18:49] And earth, that’s not even the dwelling place of God. [18:54] It’s pretty big. [18:55] So you need to come through in some way if you swear by earth, but there’s an out. [19:01] And if you really want to get smaller, well, Jerusalem, it’s the city of God, but it’s not [19:06] earth. And if you want to get even smaller, well, your own head, I mean, [19:12] you like it, so you’re probably going to follow through with that commitment.

[19:16] But, you know, it’s not God. [19:19] And what Jesus goes through point by point in this text, if you note what he does, [19:24] he connects every single one of those things to who? [19:29] To God. [19:30] He says heaven is the dwelling place of God. [19:33] Earth is his footstool.

[19:35] Jerusalem is his city. [19:37] And the hairs on your head were not designed by you. [19:40] They were designed by God. [19:41] So if you swear by anything under the sun or even over the sun in heaven, [19:48] ultimately, you have sworn by God. [19:52] Stop trying to create oaths in order to deceive.

[19:59] Be trusted with your yes and your no. [20:02] What Jesus is doing is he’s telling them the vitality of their honesty. [20:08] He’s saying you’re trying to find ways to get out of honesty without sinning. [20:12] But what you don’t understand is that every single lie is a lie against God. [20:19] And he’s not going against the Old Testament either, because here’s what Deuteronomy 23 says. [20:24] It says, if you vow, excuse me, if you make a vow to the Lord your God,

[20:28] you shall not delay fulfilling it. [20:30] For the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. [20:34] Verse 22. [20:35] But if you refrain from vowing, you will not be guilty of sin. [20:42] You shall be careful to do what has passed through your lips, for you have voluntarily [20:46] vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth.

[20:50] What’s fascinating is that vows were never commanded in the Old Testament. [20:53] They were completely voluntary actions. [20:54] It was just something that people did. [20:57] Promises are part of the image of God in us. [21:00] As God makes promises, so do we make promises. [21:03] But God never created a system by which you needed to invoke his name

[21:08] to make honesty even more honest, to make a commitment even more important. [21:14] God is saying you voluntarily did that. [21:17] You didn’t have to do that. [21:18] And so what Jesus does in the New Testament is saying all of this voluntary stuff was [21:22] just you volunteering to tell the truth. [21:25] If you lie, it’s still a sin.

[21:29] Even if you swear by the dirt on the ground, you still need to follow through with your [21:34] commitments. [21:36] And so you need to understand that there is a great connection between your sin and [21:41] your relationship with God. [21:42] The promises that you make are vital. [21:47] But what some people do is they market in areas of deception to convince people they’re

[21:54] telling the truth when they know that they’re telling lies. [21:57] And this is not the type of person that you want to be. [22:00] Some people will say things in such a way so that when they go back on their word or [22:04] when they go back on their commitment, they’ll say, oh, but you can’t hold me accountable [22:08] because this is the exact word that I said. [22:11] So I never said I’m 100% really, really, really going to do it.

[22:14] I just said I’m going to do it. [22:18] And I’ll say, so don’t hold me accountable. [22:20] Or if you’re in the business world, well, sir, you didn’t read paragraph 75, subsection [22:27] D, sub subsection 22. [22:31] That’s where the complete truth was told.

[22:36] You see, do not be a deceptive person in any area of your life because every place [22:42] that you make a commitment is a commitment to God. [22:47] And so you need to weigh it vitally. [22:50] That’s why it’s not a sin to take an oath. [22:53] We take all types of oaths. [22:55] Okay.

[22:56] Did you know that you took an oath to pay for your house? [22:59] All right. [23:00] And none of you were like, man, am I sending taking a mortgage? [23:02] No, where do I sign? [23:04] 23,000 times.

[23:09] Long day. [23:10] Bring two pens.

[23:13] You made a vow. [23:14] You made an oath on your wedding day if you’re married.

[23:19] See, every place in your life where you make a commitment, you make a vow, God is saying [23:25] weigh each and every one of those commitments and realize that the truth is important. [23:33] Do not be a liar because a liar is someone who isn’t following Jesus [23:41] because Jesus is no liar. [23:43] Why is the commitment in your marriage so important? [23:46] Because that commitment tells a story of what you believe about Jesus Christ’s commitment

[23:51] to his church. [23:52] See, everything that you commit to in your life ultimately traces back to God. [23:58] So your yes better mean yes when you give it. [24:04] So often I see so many people live very trivial lives, [24:09] but they don’t realize that they’re lying all the time. [24:13] But you are.

[24:14] Have you ever committed to something knowing you weren’t going to be able to follow through [24:18] with that commitment, but you didn’t want the person to think negatively about you? [24:22] So you committed anyway and then just didn’t follow through? [24:25] So that was a lie. [24:27] Why did you do that? [24:28] Why would you do that?

[24:31] So many of us were afraid of what people will think and we think, well, if I commit, [24:36] then at least they’ll think that I wanted to do the right thing, [24:39] even if I don’t follow through and do the right thing.

[24:44] You lied.

[24:47] Own it.

[24:48] And then stop doing that.

[24:53] We see it happen around here all the time, friends. [24:57] People commit to entering into environments of discipleship, [25:01] but then stuff comes up that’s so much more important than your relationship [25:06] with the Creator of the universe.

[25:10] You lied.

[25:13] Many of you have had this experience where I don’t know if it was like it was just a [25:17] spiritual moment where just like all the feels were happening and, you know, that Hillsong song [25:23] came on and you were like stepping out onto the waters and you were like, this is the moment, [25:27] Jesus, I repent of my sin. [25:30] I’m going to get my life right. [25:32] I’m going to get in a community group and I’m going every week.

[25:34] I’m going to get into the discipleship group. [25:36] I’m reading my Bible every day except Saturday mornings and I am going to pray [25:41] at least 30 minutes every day. [25:43] I’m going to join a serve team and I’m going to become a serve team leader. [25:47] Yes, Lord, we are stepping out.

[25:51] Six months later, you didn’t follow through.

[25:57] Stuff came up.

[26:01] You were too sleepy to read the scriptures. [26:03] You were too distracted to pray. [26:06] You were too busy with other stuff to go to community group. [26:10] It was weird anyway. [26:12] Discipleship group just didn’t make you feel as good as Hillsong makes you feel.

[26:18] The next time becomes the next time becomes the next time. [26:22] But you know what all of that has in common? [26:25] You lied.

[26:28] Except the danger of that one, and I think it’s the most common lie I hear,

[26:36] is you didn’t lie to yourself like you think you did. [26:40] You lied to God.

[26:45] You told him you are going to follow Jesus with zero follow through.

[26:53] See friends, lies affect everything in our relationship because all acts of deception, [27:02] all acts of lies display Satan’s influence. [27:07] We don’t really think that deeply about the truth. [27:11] We don’t think that deeply about lies usually, but we have to in a situation [27:15] where Jesus is saying if you lie, you’re evil. [27:17] That’s what he’s saying here.

[27:19] Where’s the first lie in scripture? [27:21] The first lie in scripture is in the Garden of Eden. [27:23] Who tells it? [27:23] It’s Satan. [27:25] But Satan tells what we like to call half truths, doesn’t it? [27:30] See, he starts with a great deception that you can’t necessarily call him out on.

[27:33] You don’t want to be called out on when you outright ask a question in order to deceive. [27:38] Satan asks Eve the question, he says, has God really said? [27:41] But you see, that’s a lie. [27:43] What was his intention? [27:45] His intention was for Eve to believe a lie because God had said.

[27:55] So Satan lies. [27:57] And then he doubles down and he tells another half truth where he says, [28:02] you will be like God knowing right from wrong or good from evil.

[28:13] You see, the truth is they would know good from evil. [28:17] But was that the whole story? [28:20] No, the whole story was that and they would invite condemnation onto their lives. [28:24] So when he says you will be like God, I mean, think about that. [28:29] It’s like, wow. [28:31] So what’s the first thing that comes in your mind?

[28:35] Immortality, sovereignty, omniscience, omnipotence. [28:39] I will be almighty God.

[28:45] You see, that’s a huge lie because they would be like God in knowing good and evil, [28:51] but they would not be like God in having any authority over it.

[28:59] Another half truth.

[29:03] See, Satan is the chief deceiver. [29:05] He’s a prince of lies.

[29:08] And when you lie, when you deceive, and here’s the deal. [29:13] I don’t want to compartmentalize. [29:15] I don’t care if you’re deceiving someone else or if you’re doing a travesty by deceiving yourself, [29:20] which I know many of you are.

[29:24] You are not being like Christ. [29:26] You are being like Satan.

[29:29] When we think about spiritual warfare, a lot of us get this picture of heads spinning, [29:34] pea soups spinning, the exorcist. [29:38] I’ve never seen that stuff, so that’s maybe, but not in my experience. [29:44] You see, the greatest spiritual warfare is never that upfront.

[29:48] The greatest spiritual warfare is just deception. [29:51] The greatest spiritual warfare is just lies. [29:53] The greatest spiritual warfare is just to tell lies. [29:55] The greatest spiritual warfare is just to believe lies. [29:59] See, Satan doesn’t need to spit pea soup to get most of you to believe lies.

[30:04] He just needs to get you to believe a half truth, which will lead to a total lie.

[30:11] But you see, God is so different. [30:14] God is committed to radical honesty. [30:18] Look in Titus chapter 1.

[30:21] Paul, a servant of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ. [30:25] Now, I can do like a 30-week series on just verses 1 and 2. [30:28] There’s so much theological language, so I won’t do that this morning, though. [30:31] So I’ll be brief. [30:32] For the sake of the faith of God’s elect, their knowledge of the truth, [30:36] which accords with godliness in hope of eternal life, which God, and here’s the kicker, who,

[30:43] what, never lies, promised before the ages begin. [30:50] As that tells us something very important about the character of God. [30:53] See, it tells us on top of things, God never lies. [30:58] That is a character quality of God. [31:01] That is an attribute of God. [31:03] Just as God is sovereign, is an attribute of God, God is honest, is an attribute of God.

[31:11] And in this text, he actually puts the honesty of God at the very foundation of believing the [31:19] gospel, because here’s what he does. [31:20] He connects it. [31:21] He says that you have faith of God’s elect because you’ve been given the knowledge of truth, [31:28] which he’s talking about the gospel. [31:30] He said you’ve been given knowledge of this great gospel, which gives you godliness,

[31:36] which gives you lifelong hope of eternal life. [31:40] And why do you have that type of hope of eternal life that makes you godly? [31:45] Because you have the knowledge of truth, because you are one of God’s elect. [31:50] Because God never lies. [31:54] At the foundation of your faith in the gospel is something that is so simple, but so vital. [32:02] It depends on whether God is telling the truth or not.

[32:07] The entire gospel does. [32:10] But the apostle Paul gives us comfort because he says, [32:14] do you want to know why we can trust the gospel of Jesus Christ? [32:19] Because he follows it with promised before the ages began. [32:24] So why is the gospel just as true in 2019 as it was before God ever spoke the world [32:32] into existence?

[32:33] Because God never lies. [32:37] That is why you can trust the gospel. [32:40] And so if you want to be like Jesus, if you want to be like God, what do you have to do?

[32:52] Very simple, but very hard.

[32:56] Commit to always, always, always being honest.

[33:07] See, some of you like to think about your spiritual life as this out of body experience [33:14] that has to be totally mystical, that has to transcend reality and be earth shattering. [33:21] But the apostle Paul gives us one of the most important attributes of God right here in Titus. [33:26] And it’s so simple, but so difficult. [33:29] So simple, but so important. [33:32] He’s saying everything we believe verges, excuse me, hinges on this one simple thing.

[33:44] God always tells the truth.

[33:47] So you can trust his promises.

[33:50] And so number three this morning, become a trustworthy person.

[33:55] Become a trustworthy person. [33:58] See, nobody wants to admit that they’re a liar. [34:00] But I know some of you are. [34:02] It’s okay. [34:03] You don’t have to shout it out. [34:04] It’s okay.

[34:06] You’re deceptive. [34:07] You may not even realize it, but think about the conversations that you have, [34:12] the commitments that you make, the relationships that you have. [34:15] Do you tend to tell lies? [34:19] Do you tend to try to deceive people into thinking that you are something that you [34:23] are not necessarily that?

[34:26] See, for many of us, the relational issues that we have in life and the reason that we [34:29] don’t have any relationships that last longer than six months is because we’re a lying [34:34] liar from Liar Town.

[34:37] It’s just a fact, Jack. [34:39] See, you’re a liar. [34:41] You’re deceiving people and sometimes your deceptions catch up with you. [34:45] You want to know real freedom? [34:47] And see, my problem isn’t lying. [34:49] I just like telling the truth.

[34:50] I’ve always liked telling the truth. [34:52] I realized at a very young age, if I tell the truth, things typically go better, even [34:56] if it makes me look bad. [34:57] Telling the truth has always worked out for me. [34:59] And so I have, it’s not that I’ve never lied, but it’s that I have a base commitment [35:04] to everyone in my life.

[35:05] I’m going to tell you the truth. [35:07] And people that are closer to me know that that can be very uncomfortable sometimes [35:10] because I don’t always tell it in a nice way. [35:12] See, I have personality problems. [35:13] I don’t have truth problems. [35:16] And it’s working out pretty good for me so far.

[35:19] All right. [35:19] You know, sometimes people leave, but it’s not because I lied.

[35:26] I got to work on the personality part sometimes. [35:28] All right. [35:28] I’m honest. [35:29] All right. [35:29] See, I’m telling you the truth. [35:31] Even at my own, you know, my own deprecation.

[35:35] But the fact of the matter is, is that when you tell the truth, you can have a very short [35:38] memory. [35:39] It’s so free. [35:41] It’s so free. [35:43] I don’t have to remember what lie I told last week and who I told it to. [35:48] I don’t have to lie again to cover that lie, to cover that lie, to cover that lie.

[35:53] I can just tell someone the truth, and the next time it comes up, I know I told someone [35:57] the truth, and so I just tell the truth again.

[36:01] And you have no idea if you are living and you don’t realize this, but your lives are [36:06] such bondage. [36:08] There’s such bondage on your life. [36:09] You don’t realize the freedom of just being an honest person. [36:12] You realize the freedom of everything that your wife knows about you. [36:17] And my situation, because I’m her husband, is true.

[36:20] I don’t lie to my wife. [36:21] I tell her the truth. [36:22] I tell her some hard truths sometimes. [36:24] And we talked about that last week. [36:27] But I’m free because she knows me. [36:30] And at least I think she’s free because I know her.

[36:34] Some could come out, but I don’t know. [36:36] But you see, it’s just freedom in telling the truth. [36:38] So the thing you don’t understand is why are you telling lies? [36:41] You’re creating this prison for yourself that you have the key to.

[36:47] Become a trustworthy person. [36:49] This will help you in many areas of life. [36:50] And I’m just, you know, in the unspiritual realm, let’s talk about a spiritual realm [36:55] that you think is an unspiritual realm, but just in your job. [36:59] Some of you resent the honest people at your workplace. [37:03] Why do you do that?

[37:04] You’re like, Fred always gets the good projects because, you know, [37:08] he’s such a brown noser. [37:09] He’s such a suck up. [37:12] Maybe it’s just that Fred’s trustworthy and he gets his job done when he says [37:15] he’s going to get it done. [37:17] Stays a little late when he says he’s going to stay a little late.

[37:19] Comes a little early when he says he’s going to come a little early. [37:21] And his boss is like, you know what? [37:22] Fred’s a trustworthy guy. [37:24] Fred’s my guy. [37:26] Maybe instead of resenting Fred, you should go ask Fred to mentor you.

[37:32] Because trustworthy people get further.

[37:36] Maybe Fred has just realized that honesty isn’t just about what he says with his lips. [37:41] It’s about doing the job he’s actually paid for. [37:43] And you need to learn that very same lesson.

[37:47] You have no idea the freedom you will experience in your marriage. [37:52] If you’ll just start telling the truth. [37:56] You have no idea the freedom that you’ll have as a parent. [37:59] If you just tell your kids the truth. [38:02] I have to say I’m sorry to my kids sometimes. [38:04] But I don’t hide behind this facade of I am the father who never makes mistakes.

[38:09] They know me too well to even believe that.

[38:14] You see, for some of you, the real breakthrough that you’re looking for in life is just

[38:20] honesty. [38:22] And James chapter 5, the half brother of Jesus. [38:24] Which could you imagine being the half brother of Jesus? [38:27] Some of us are like, that would be so awesome. [38:29] I think it would be terrible. [38:31] Mary’s always like, I wish you were like your brother.

[38:33] And you’re like, I’m not the son of God. [38:37] I came later when you actually married Joseph.

[38:41] Talk about father issues.

[38:46] James says this in chapter 5 verse 12. [38:48] He says, but above all my brothers do not swear either by heaven or by earth or by [38:54] any other oath. [38:55] But let your yes be yes and your no be no so that you may not fall under condemnation. [39:01] What’s crazy about this is James saying, and the reason I mention him being the half brother [39:05] of Jesus because he recites Jesus.

[39:08] Doesn’t he? [39:08] Isn’t this what Jesus says in the sermon on the mount? [39:10] It’s almost as if he had heard this from his brother a few times. [39:16] And so when he goes to write his gospel, the Holy Spirit is bringing up memories of [39:21] his relationship with his brother and he knew his brother was committed to honesty. [39:27] Note the first three words of James 5 12.

[39:31] But above all. [39:35] See, sometimes we skip over those words. [39:38] See, he is saying honesty is vital.

[39:44] Honesty is supreme.

[39:48] Your yes needs to be yes. [39:49] Your no needs to be no. [39:51] You see, the ultimate answer in your life is your sometimes honesty is a struggle for [39:57] you because you have an inability to make wise decisions. [40:01] See, for some of you, your commitments are making you a liar because you’re committed [40:05] to all the wrong things.

[40:07] What do I mean by that? [40:08] Your commitments can be lies if you say on one hand, I believe that Jesus is the Son [40:16] of God, that he rose from the dead. [40:17] I am a Christian. [40:18] I want to become like him. [40:20] Therefore, I am a disciple of Christ.

[40:21] I am going to enter into environments where I become like Christ. [40:26] OK, and there are lots of commitments that you could make to make that happen. [40:32] But then the very next words out of your mouth, even if they’re subconsciously, are [40:36] I believe this, but I’m busy Monday night, Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Thursday [40:43] night, Friday night. [40:44] Saturday is the only day off I get.

[40:46] So don’t you dare touch that one. [40:49] I’ll give you an hour on Sunday.

[40:53] See, your commitments have actually exposed that you’re living a life of lies because [40:58] you’re committed to a dozen things over here that will not aid you in growing in your [41:05] faith one bit while also proclaiming my faith is the most important thing to me. [41:13] Be honest. [41:14] Look at your life and do one of two things. [41:17] First thing, and this is going to sound pretty harsh, but you’re used to that if

[41:21] you’ve been here. [41:23] Stop saying you’re a Christian.

[41:28] An hour on Sunday doesn’t make you a Christian. [41:31] A life of discipleship makes you a Christian. [41:33] So if every commitment that has nothing to do with your relationship with Christ is the [41:38] most important thing to you, just start admitting that Christ is not life. [41:43] Christ is not vital. [41:45] Christ is not the most important thing to me.

[41:47] This sport is the most important thing to me. [41:50] This club is the most important thing to me. [41:52] Traveling is the most important thing to me. [41:54] This, that, or the other thing. [41:55] Just be honest. [41:56] Stop lying.

[41:57] Like Deuteronomy 23 says, God’s not making you lie. [42:00] You’re doing that to yourself. [42:03] There is another option, by the way.

[42:09] Uncommit to all of that dumb stuff and commit to following Jesus Christ with your actual life. [42:16] You say, but wouldn’t that be a lie to those commitments? [42:18] No, because we’ve already said those commitments are a lie. [42:22] If Jesus is the most important thing to you. [42:24] Therefore, whenever an opportunity comes up where you can enter into an environment [42:28] that is for the mission of Jesus, when you can enter into an environment that is for

[42:32] discipleship, you’ve already got your yes on the table because you’ve said that’s the [42:35] most important thing to you and you are free to commit to what is most important.

[42:43] Your inability to make wise commitments can create a life of lies.

[42:53] So make wise commitments so that you can always be telling the truth. [42:57] You see, it’s not just what you say that shows honesty and dishonesty. [43:05] It’s what you do that builds that type of life. [43:11] Note what the apostle Paul said in Colossians chapter 3. [43:14] He said, don’t lie to one another.

[43:17] Don’t lie to one another. [43:19] Why? [43:21] Not because it’s the right thing to do or the wrong thing to do. [43:25] Do it because you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, [43:32] which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. [43:37] See, the apostle is saying your level of honesty shows whether or not you have taken off the old

[43:46] man and put on the new creation. [43:48] Isn’t that the same thing that we talked about when we talked about the Beatitudes? [43:52] See, the apostle is connecting your lying and your honesty to the new creation that Jesus wants [44:00] to build within your life. [44:04] Jesus finishes his statement in verse 37. [44:09] He says anything more than this comes from evil.

[44:16] He really puts it on ground level for us there. [44:19] Lying is evil. [44:22] Commit to believing that. [44:26] Commit to having every intention in the world of always, always telling the truth. [44:36] You see, when you misrepresent the truth, when you use deceptive language, when you say, [44:43] I’m going to do this and you don’t do it for this, that, or the other reason,

[44:50] you make a statement about what you believe about God. [44:56] See, your witness is vital here. [44:59] Lies tell a story not just about you, but how you believe God has postured himself towards you. [45:06] God wants you to trust him enough to tell the truth. [45:10] God wants you to trust him enough to believe the truth. [45:14] And God wants you to trust him enough to live what he says is the truth.

[45:23] Your life will show whether you trust Jesus by the honesty with which you live it [45:32] compared to how Jesus says you should live it. [45:36] Every week we reflect on what’s called the Lord’s Supper.

[45:44] The Lord’s Supper is really the display of the honesty of Jesus. [45:50] The bread represents the broken body of Christ. [45:53] The cup represents his shed blood. [45:56] And when we eat and when we drink, we proclaim to everyone around us, we say, [46:00] I believe that Jesus was telling the truth. [46:04] I believe his promises are true.

[46:07] I believe he forgives. [46:09] I believe he has paid the penalty for my sin. [46:11] I believe he rose from the dead to give me new life. [46:15] And when you eat and drink, that is what you proclaim. [46:17] So if you don’t believe that, don’t lie. [46:22] I just did a whole sermon about that.

[46:25] But if you do believe that and you come and you eat and you drink and you profess and you proclaim, [46:30] when you go out into your everyday life, to your family, to your friends, to your business [46:39] associates, whatever have it be, live the mission of Jesus by being committed to integrity, [46:49] by being committed to honesty in every step of life. [46:54] And here’s the deal. [46:56] You will experience real freedom.

[46:59] When you’re ready. [47:01] Come on.