The Truth About Integrity Series

Dr. Bradford Reaves

Crossway Christian Fellowship

Hagerstown, MD

www.mycrossway.org

This morning in our series The Sermon on the Mount, we’re continuing through a section of Jesus’ teaching where Jesus uses the phrase, “You have heard it said… but I say.” Six times Jesus uses this pattern. The first three we looked at were 1.) murder and anger, 2.) adultery and lust, and, 3.)marriage and divorce. This morning it is fitting after the examination of the vow of marriage Jesus moves onto the integrity of the believer’s word.

A businessman was traveling on a plane for the first time. He had always been terrified of flying but his next appointment required him to do so. The flight was going well when suddenly the plane shuddered. The pilot came over the intercom and announced that the engines on the right side had stopped so they were making an emergency landing. Shortly thereafter, another shudder and the pilot announced the other engines had stopped. Everyone was informed to assume the crash position with their head between their knees.

For the first time, the businessman felt vulnerable. He had never felt the need to cry out to God but at that moment he did. “God,” he prayed. “ If you will allow me to survive this crash I take a solemn vow to give to charity half of all my possessions.”

Suddenly all four engines began working again and the plane glided smoothly onto the runway. The businessman rushed to disembark.

As he made his way out of the runway area the man who had been seated beside him spoke to him. “Excuse me, sir. I am a pastor involved in several charities. I heard your vow to the Lord concerning your possessions. I can guide you in keeping that vow by recommending some outstanding charities that have needs.”

The businessman replied “That won’t be necessary. You see I made a new vow with God. I vowed if I ever got on another plane, He could have it all.” (Sermon Central: Larry Turner)

Surveys show that Americans lie today more than ever. A recent survey showed that 91% of Americans confessed that they regularly lied. The three things we lie about most are our weight, our income, and our age. What is even more amazing from this survey is that most Americans no longer feel that lying is a moral issue. (Sermon Central).

Think about that and what has become of our society. Some of our most honorable and entrusted institution have no credibility today. The doctor-patient relationship as a result of COVID has been terribly eroded. The media, now known as “Fake News” with fact checkers who don’t use facts. We have men pretending to be women and women pretending to be men and telling children it’s their choice what they want to be. Add to that the apostate church who ignores the truth or refuses to preach the truth and we are left to live in days of incredible deception.

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, (1 Timothy 4:1)

Let no one in any way deceive you, for it has not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the sanctuary of God, exhibiting himself as being God. (2 Thessalonians 2:3–4)

The very nature of the End Times are days of great deception. Right now, with the accelerated introduction of AI on the forefront of our society, we are now coming to realize that AI is bringing about even more deception. AI is naturally lying to us. This past April, German Photographer Boris Eldagsen withdrew his nomination as the winner of the Sony World Photography competition after confessing the photograph he submitted was a fake; it was AI-generated.

Pastor Brandon Holthouse compares AI to a digital Ouija Board, and he’s right. There are reports of people committing suicide after talking with AI Chatbots, leaving their spouses, and completing fabrications of information.

AI programmers and designers call these lies “hallucinations.” AI queries are purporting hard-left revisionary versions of history and politics. They are making up quotes from fake news stories and then giving them as answers to questions. The experts do not know why they are behaving this way. For instance, according to Google, when prompted about how it works, Bard will ofter times lie. All AI systems. Yet we are looking to use AI to help with medical treatment and public transportation.

So it is not surprising that when it comes to honoring the truth, Jesus holds believers to the highest of standards. Let’s read this passage together: