Open your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Matthew, chapter 5. The title of today's message is, First Things First. In Matthew, chapter 5, Jesus is midway through his sermon on the mount. And in this discourse, he clarifies that although it has been common for people to understand God's law in a way that grants them some latitude in interpretation, enabling them to skirt or circumvent the righteous requirements of God's laws through man-made rules, although it is common for that, Jesus says they really should be understanding God's law correctly. In verse 21 and following, he said that anger can be equivalent to murder. And in verse 27 and following, he said that lust is equivalent to adultery. Anger and adultery, lust and murder, all of these things are matters of the heart. And we all stand guilty before God's law. When we place ourselves over God, and interpret his law wrongfully in order to justify ourselves. That's a pretty bold move for a creature to do, put himself over the creator. Now, in verse 33, Jesus is gonna weigh in on making vows. He says, again, you have heard that the ancients were told you shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord. But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king. Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. but let your statement be yes, yes, or no, no. Anything beyond these is of the evil one. The hearers of Jesus' message had been told in the Pentateuch that they should not make false vows, but that they should keep them. But since then, it had become somewhat common to justify going back on promises made to God. And you can read that in Malachi chapter one, verse 14. It says, cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it and sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king, says Yahweh of hosts. My name is feared among the nations. It had been common to make promises to God but wiggle around those commitments, those covenants, and abandon promises. That isn't isolated to just them. We have a habit of doing that too. There's a very real risk of overstepping our station as created beings and setting ourselves above the creator when we make oaths, vows, or promises. There's a real risk of placing ourselves over God. by promising what doesn't belong to us and over which we have no control. We have no control over the heavens. We have no control over the earth. We have no control over our own hair color, despite what the bottle might say. What do we have that we have not received from God? The answer is nothing. So, then it is right to simply speak the truth without adding additional guarantees or promises. Ours is to be really simple. A simple yes or a simple no. Anything else increases our vulnerability or to falling under the sway of the evil one. It increases our liability that we might risk breaking God's law. It damages our testimony and incurs judgment. We live at a time now, at this time, where we have a whole vernacular associated with faithlessness. You've probably heard terms like ghosting, quiet quitting. Those all are indicative of a culture that finds it absolutely okay to abandon what we've committed to doing. That's a problem. It has become the cultural norm to be faithless, to make promises, to make commitments with zero intention of keeping them. That is not just our culture, that's also within the body. When the Christian does that, here's the problem. We destroy our credibility. We destroy our testimony through that faithlessness. Christian, the world takes note and the surety of Christ's message is damaged. We are to mirror the surety of Christ in our speech and in our commitments, so that they can gain some understanding of just how sure Christ is as well. Today we're going to be looking at the concept of keeping our word, and it's going to take us to some perhaps unexpected places, things that we don't necessarily associate with faithfulness. We started with Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. For the introduction, in a few moments, we're going to be studying James 5, verse 12, to see what Jesus' half-brother has to say about this concept of keeping our word and doing what we say we're going to do. Then we're going to gather three key takeaways from this topic of faithfulness and see all that is related to that. Then we're going to conclude by going to return to Matthew chapter 5. But here's the main point. It's Matthew 5 verse 37. You all have it in front of you. Jesus says, let your statement be yes, yes, or no, no. Anything beyond these is of the evil one. So we're going to learn about letting a yes be yes and a no be no today. Let's open in prayer. Father God, your law is sure. It is consistent. It is perfect and good. The Abba, we freely confess that we have not always kept your law. That we are guilty of the charge of faithlessness. We have sought to reorder your domain by placing us over yourself. And that is wrong, Lord. We confess it. We do know that you are faithful and that everything you say is true and right and sure. And we thank you that we can count on that. That when your Christ promises that those who trust in him will be with him in eternity, we can put all of our eggs in that basket. We thank you for your steadfastness, for your faithfulness. We would ask now as we come to your word that we might be people that are responsive. to your Holy Spirit and the conviction that he brings to bear, I pray that you will help us to believe you. We cannot do it of our own free will or we are too weak. So we ask you, knowing that you are good and gracious, knowing that this glorifies you, knowing that it honors you, please may it be so today. And we ask these things in Christ's name, amen. Turn with me if you would to James chapter 5, and as you're turning there, I'm going to give us the context. The book of James, the epistle of James, is a letter. It was written by Jesus' younger half-brother, James, or Yokov. James became a pillar in the church that was in Jerusalem after the ascension of Christ. This little letter was probably written before AD 49. which was about 15 years after the death of Christ. James is writing to the scattered Jewish believers fled Jerusalem after the stoning of Stephen in Acts chapter seven. The main intent of James's letter is to argue against the modern notion that simply acknowledging Christ is adequate for salvation. Oh yeah, I like Jesus. We're buddies. That's not salvation. On the contrary, good works follow faith. He wants to rip the guts out of this argument that we can merely give an intellectual assent or an association to Christ and have nothing to show for it. And James has spent five chapters on elaborating what faith-driven good works looks like. Much of what he has said revolves around speech, but then he kind of drops a bombshell. He says in verse 12 what our first priority needs to be. James, how come you didn't say it at the beginning? Well, he has been articulating that throughout his message, but he says in this verse, verse 12, we have something to do before all of that really can take place. This is our first priority. Now, I've broken this one verse into three sections. Our first is just the first sentence of the verse, which I've titled First Things First. But above all, my brothers, do not swear either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. Well, that's what Jesus said. Don't swear. Don't swear by heaven, don't swear by earth. with any other oath. But in the statement, but above all, James communicates a temporal prioritization of the instructions to follow. Do this first. This is the first priority. Readers can't move on to the other elements of faith and practice contained within this letter if they don't understand this and put this into practice. Firstly, my brothers, do not swear either by heaven or by earth or any other oath. Don't swear. Don't make oaths. What? Mark at all? We make marriage vows. I took vows when I dedicated my children to the Lord. Is that wrong? Is it wrong to make vows? Vows are taken in scripture semi-regularly. and folks aren't condemned for that. What then? Why not swear? The prohibition, it really boils down to casually mishandling God Most High, maker of heaven and earth. What I mean when I say that is when a placeholder is put in lieu of God, that's the problem. When we make an earnest covenant with the Lord and we keep it, God is honored. When we substitute a placeholder like heavens and earth, or something maybe we would say in modern terms like, I swear by the stars above, or I swear by everything that is holy, or I swear on my life, there's a problem with that. These are not things that we own. I don't have any control over my heart rate. I don't have any control over all that is holy. I don't have any control over the stars that God has made. I can't make one hair on my head black or white. We can't place a lean on stars. We can't take a pledge on all that is holy. That is not our station. It's clear that we can't do that. We can't control any of these elements. Only God can. And when a placeholder like heavens or earth is used so that everyone knows what we're saying, but we try and skirt our own liability, we mishandle God. Everybody knows what we're saying, but we're leaving ourselves an out. Well, at least I didn't say I swear by God. What's the problem there? That's blasphemy. That's a big problem. Exodus 20 tells us that blasphemy is something that the Lord himself will bring to an account. Now, blasphemy isn't something that is talked about very often, but this seems to be an appropriate time. Blasphemy is incredibly common, and actually, to our shame, it's rampant within this local body. I hear blasphemy seemingly daily from professing Christians in this body and outside. You've heard it too. I bet it hasn't been 24 hours since one of you has heard the words, oh my gosh, or oh my God, or OMG. That's blasphemy. That's mishandling God Almighty. When he becomes an exclamation or an epithet, We have mishandled our treasured God of the universe that died for us. The placeholder for God, oh my gosh, or OMG, or G, or gosh darn it, that is blasphemy. Jesus says in Matthew 12, verse 36, I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment." That's rough, but it's true. Can we think of anything as grave as blaspheming the name of the thrice holy, omnipotent, infinite, self-existent God? the one that I'm depending on for my next breath and to make sure that my heart keeps playing. Blasphemy is so serious. It's a sin that carries with it the death penalty of the Old Testament. You can read about it in Leviticus 24. It's a serious, serious, serious sin. When our Lord becomes an epithet, an exclamation, a vain sound, we have fallen very far indeed. And the truth is that this condition reflects a heartbreaking reality that we need to come to grips with. And our day-to-day interactions and our conversations is entirely possible not to think very highly of the Lord. That's so heartbreaking that the one who died for us It's just an exclamation or an exclamation or a loud noise. Now, I would hope, I would hope that you would say to me if we were discoursing now, I would hope that you'd say, Mark, you're wrong. That isn't true. I do love the Lord, and I would take you at your word. I would believe you, but this is the reality that needs to present itself now. If that is so, and I pray that it is, then this casual blasphemy that is part of the vernacular must be immediately repented of. utterly reject this casual and cultural mishandling of the great name of God. He forgives. It's all on Christ's shoulders, but we must repent. We must abandon it. I hope that that is the case. Well, this is the first priority. Take care of this first. And then what follows is simplicity itself. No more trying to gather credibility. No more trying to mound up promises and assurances. No, there's a better way. And that's the second point. James writes, but let your yes be yes and your no, no. So simple. Oh, that's easy. Anybody can do it. It is better to be simple. It is better to be trustworthy. There's a beauty in the simplicity of a simple yes from somebody who is faithful. That when they shake your hand and they say, yes, I'm gonna do it, they do it. When someone is known for their faithfulness, always an encouragement. When they give their word, it's as good as gold. Now, let me state really clearly that in this text, this isn't a one-off. This isn't something that happens occasionally or when we feel like it, when we say our yes is to be yes and our no, no. This isn't a one-off. It's intended to be a typical manner of living that the Christian is known for. How do I know that? Well, the word for let or be, your translation might say, is a verb, etho, that in the Greek is a present active imperative. An imperative is a command. Do this. The present gives a sense, the present tense gives us a sense that this is a state of being with no indication of its completion. It's consistent and constant throughout the duration of your life, period. This is a command. And it's something we actively do. We don't fall haphazardly into it. That's what the active voice tells us. What that tells us is that the idea of doing this is supposed to be a manner of living, a habit, something that doesn't stop when we don't feel like doing something. This is a better way. This is a better, more simpler way. It's supposed to be a standard of conduct that is in keeping with our status as ambassadors of Christ. Let's turn to 2 Corinthians 1. His answer is, yes, so ought ours to be. In 2 Corinthians 1, Paul, in his second letter to the Corinthian church, says this about how we must be steadfast in keeping our word. He writes, was I vacillating when I intended to do this, when I intended to come to you? Or what I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh so that with me there will be yes, yes, and no, no at the same time? Is Paul saying, is Paul someone who speaks out of both sides of his mouth? Well, if he was, we wouldn't be able to believe him. No, that's not who Paul is. He says, but as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, by me, Silvanus, and Timothy, was not yes and no, but has become yes in him. Paul and Timothy, they didn't talk out of both sides of their mouth. Christians ought not to either. Christ doesn't. That's why we put our hope in him, because he doesn't say, oh, you can be safe. No. This is a free offer of salvation, but nope. That's not who Christ is. That's not who Paul is. That's not who Christians are to be. Because there's so much assurance. in Christ's constancy. He says in verse 20, for as many as are the promises of God in him in Christ, they are yes. Therefore also through him is our amen to the glory of God through us. There is much assurance in Christ. He's the better way. Let's go back to James chapter 5 to hear another why as to why we ought to let our yes be yes and our no no and has to do with judgment. The last clause is our third and final point, the reason why. James closes out that little verse by giving us the reason why. Why? Why should we let our yes be yes and our no, no? Why ought we not to be swearing by the heavens or the earth? Why? He says, so that you may not fall under judgment. Judgment is not just for those who are rebellious against Christ. not just against those who reject his salvation and lordship. Judgment is a reality for every man, woman, and child. It's a reality for those who are in Christ. We will all be judged, not in the same way as those who have rebelled against Christ, but we will all be judged, some with much greater severity than others. Teachers of God's word are in that criteria. If you teach Sunday school, if you teach children, if you teach adults, if you teach your children, you will incur a greater level of judgment. What a foreboding thing to have to give an account for every word, every action to the one who knows everything. There's not going to be an appeal. There's not going to be an attempt to, oh, but Lord, I didn't really mean that. No, we have to get an account for every word. Hebrews 4 verse 13 says, there is no creature hidden from his sight, but all things are uncovered and laid bare to the eyes of him to whom we have an account to give. He knows. He knows. He's not like Santa Claus. He knows. And we're fooling ourselves alone if we think that we will not have to give an account for every single thing we have done, thought, or said. What's the solution? Well, the solution is actually in the verse right before it. Hebrews 4 verse 12 tells us that we're judged by the word of God. We must compare ourselves against God's word. And where there's sin, we must repent. Forgiveness is free. We must turn from sin. What does Hebrews 4.12 say? The word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit of both joints and marrow and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Would we come to the Lord joyfully I would. I want that. I want to see Him knowing that I've judged myself rightly according to His Word, that His Spirit has been at work in me and I have responded. That's a good thing. That's a beautiful thing. Submit, therefore, to the penetrating Word of God. that is the means by which we are judged and is the means by which we will participate in the judgment of the world in Christ. A couple of key takeaways. Having determined that we need to take care of this first, we need to get our mouths in alignment with the Lord. This issue of keeping our word and that we ought to refrain from swearing and even casual blasphemy and the judgment that we've learned about, let's take an observation, a warning, and an application point. Let's go to Luke 4, verse 41. Actually, I've got it up on the board. You can just read it. Here's an observation. Our testimony is tied to our credibility. Luke 4, verse 41, Jesus is rooting out demons. And it says in the text, and demons also were coming out of many, shouting and saying, you are the son of God, but rebuking them, he, Christ, was not allowing them to speak because they knew him to be the Christ. This is a reverse example. Why didn't Christ allow these demons to speak? He didn't want them proclaiming Him to be the Messiah. Why? They're untrustworthy. They're malicious. They're deceitful. When we are not the people who do what we say, when we make idle oaths, when we do not honor God as God by treating His name holy, when we are just as faithless as our culture, we put ourselves in the same category as these demons. That's some food for thought. Our testimony of what God has done for us is tied to our credibility. Would we have folks believe that we love Christ when we say we do? Then we must reflect the reality of Christ changing our lives. This is what it means to mirror the surety of Christ in our speech and our commitments. Here's a warning. God does not delight in fools. Ecclesiastes chapter five, verses four through six says, when you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it. For he takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Do not allow your mouth to cause your flesh to sin. And do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and wreak destruction on the work of your hands? You don't want that. Let's not be foolish. Let's not wrangle about with the Lord and try this game of promising something and saying, well, I didn't really mean it or no, that was just under duress and he can't really hold me to it. Would we have God establish what we have done rather than destroy it? Well, of course. Then if we vow, we must keep our word. Would we not fall under judgment? Then if we swear, we must keep our word. God doesn't delight in fools, and we're fools indeed if we think we can pull the wool over the all-seeing eyes of God Most High. Here's an application. The heart is the root problem. The heart is the issue. Luke 6, 45 says, The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil. For his mouth speaks from the abundance of his heart. It's the overflow of the heart that drives what we say. What comes out of our mouth is reflective of what's inside of us. If we love something, we talk about it. If we disdain something, our tone changes and everybody knows. Speech reflects the heart. If our speech is toxic, that's proof that our heart is, and we need to repent and turn from it. Have we made foolish oaths? I have. I made a stupid oath when I was 18 that I would never own a minivan. But I read this and I go, yeah, okay, you're locked in. That's a foolish oath. That's a stupid oath. Yeah, I'm sorry about that. That's a foolish oath. And I set that there as an example of my own foolishness. Have we blasphemed God's holy name? We ought not give ourselves any rest. We must go and humble ourselves in repentance and seek out the merciful and holy God. He will permit himself to be found by us. He is lavish in forgiveness and desires to give us a new heart. Are you making bad oaths? Are you making promises in prayer that you have no intention of keeping? You need to knock that off and repent of it. All right. Here's a quick summary of our takeaways before we close. Our lack of faithfulness can be directly attributable to folks not believing our professions of faith and of the power of God. Our testimony, good or bad, is tied to our credibility. If we're trustworthy, no one, or if we are untrustworthy, no one will listen. Secondly, we learn that God doesn't delight in vain posturing, trying to look holy. If you make a vow to God, keep it. Lastly, we need to get an understanding that the heart really is our big problem. The heart, the mouth just reflects what's in the heart. and our mouth gives away the contents of our heart, if we have been guilty of making idle oaths, faithlessness, or blasphemies, because that's what's in our hearts. And we need to judge it by God's word rightly. Let's go to Matthew chapter five in conclusion. Matthew chapter five. We started in Matthew 5, we're gonna end in Matthew 5. In verse 13. Just a word of exhortation and encouragement as we wrap up this message. Jesus says, you, are the salt of the earth. But if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out, to be trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I came to abolish the law or the prophets. I did not come to abolish. but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." It sounds like such an impossible standard. The scribes and Pharisees, they knew the law inside and out. They knew loopholes. They knew how to get around what they had committed to. There is one who is more righteous than the scribes and Pharisees, and we know him, and he freely offers his righteousness to all who will have it, all who will come in faith to him. Oh, that ought to be the benchmark of our life, the standard, the heartbeat of constantly going to Christ. He knows that we are weak and frail. He knows that we falter. And yet, Christian, He has called you from before the foundations of the earth. You're known, loved, and cherished. What kind of a great and gracious God is this? All He deserves is all of our worship, and I'll have it in song in just a moment. Let's stand, and I'll close in prayer. Father God, to be sure these are some difficult words, startling in some respects, Lord, but not wrong, right? Lord, I pray that as your Holy Spirit works on us, as we ponder on these thoughts and think of a way forward, Lord, I pray that you would provide it. Surround us with those that can keep us accountable and call us out in our sin. We don't want to be misrepresenting you, Lord, or the glorious gospel of your Christ. We want to represent him. and have all men give you glory for what he has done through us. It's in his name we pray, amen.