Matthew 5:33-37: Take Me At My Word (6-7-25)

A psychologist at the University of Massachusetts ran a study where strangers had a simple ten-minute conversation. The average person said something that wasn't completely true three times — and most of them didn't even realize they were doing it. We have become so practiced at managing how others see us that bending the truth comes almost naturally. That's exactly the world Jesus is speaking into in Matthew 5:33–37. In this message from the Sermon on the Mount, Pastor Brad walks through Jesus's teaching on oaths and integrity — from the Old Testament command to honor vows made to God, to the elaborate loophole system the Pharisees had developed to avoid being held to their words, to Jesus's radical call: just let your yes mean yes and your no mean no. But this isn't just a sermon about keeping promises. It's about the deeper reason we don't — and why no amount of trying harder will fix it. Topics covered: Why the Pharisees' oath system was just a grown-up version of crossed fingers The two root causes of dishonesty: fear and desire for personal gain Why integrity is a gospel issue, not just a character issue How Jesus's death paid the price for every fudged yes and self-protective no