May 10, 2020

Matthew 5:33-37

1. Pastor Nate started by saying that sin has led humanity to distort the truth & often misrepresent what is true. This isn't a new problem as he also quoted Cicero saying, "Truth is the highest thing man may experience." What are the ways that telling the truth can be challenging for us today?

2. We then went to the text & talked about oaths. It seems that the Pharisees & scribes were manipulating the Scriptures to say that certain oaths could justify lying. Are there examples of justifying deception/lying today? Are there examples of twisting Scripture to justify sin in our world today?

3. Jesus addresses this matter very directly in Matthew 5:34-36 to say that heaven, earth, Jerusalem, even their own head...it all belongs to God. How does an understanding that Jesus is Lord over all lead us to live & act differently in the world? How does the fact that Jesus is Lord over all impact our words?

4. The point that Jesus is making in this passage is that every form of lying is evil as God is truth. How important is it to believe that God is trustworthy & true? How important is it to believe this when going through difficult, challenging times?

5. From Matthew 5:37, the call is given to the people of God to be so honest in your speech that an oath is unnecessary. How can you be more intentional to speak the truth in love to others?

6. Pastor Nate ended by calling all of us to examine our lives & the ways we have failed to speak the truth. He then encouraged us to:

-Confess our sin before God

-Repent of our sin by making things right with those we've lied to or about & seek their forgiveness

-Ask the Lord to cause us to detest lying & delight in the truth

-Rejoice as we are guilty (Revelation 21:8) apart from the rescuing work realized in the person & work of Jesus Christ

How can you be proactive & intentional to follow through with these words of exhortation this week?