1. In a Reader’s Digest survey of 2,624 readers in January 2004:
• Switched price tags to get a lower price: 12%
• Cheated on their tax return: 17%
• Misstated facts on a resume/job application: 18%
• Lied to their spouse about their relationship with another person: 28%
• Lied to their spouse about the cost of a recent purchase: 32%
• Downloaded music from the Internet without paying for it: 37%
• Been undercharged or received too much change from cashier and not told him or her: 50%
• Called in sick to work when not ill: 63%
• Taken office supplies from their office for personal use: 63%
• Lied to friends or family members about their appearance to avoid hurting their feelings: 71%
2. Lying is a chronic problem in our society. One of the results of lying is broken relationships. In our text for today James calls for truth-telling, which is absolutely necessary for healthy relationships. ***"Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your ’Yes’ be yes, and your ’No,’ no, or you will be condemned." (James 5:12)***
3. The Text goes beyond truth vs. lying and breaks the meaningless oaths
4. Close the loophole by remembering:
I. A Top Priority (Above all)
A. 7 Tests of Faith in James
• Bible Test
• Preference Test
• Works Test
• Tongue Test
• Wisdom Test
• Pride Test
• Patience Test
Integrity is the foundation for the others
B. Truth Originates in the Character of God – John 14.6; 17.17
C. God Desires Truth in Our Core – Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Psalm 51.6
II. A Common People (Brethren)
A few years ago Isuzu ran a series of advertisements featuring “Joe Isuzu.” For the five years that Joe Isuzu was on the air he became the most famous liar in America.
Some of you may remember Joe Isuzu. He was the reptilian TV ad man who looked straight into the camera and said, “Isuzus only cost $9.00. They get 94 miles to the gallon, and if you buy one soon, you will get a free house.” And then superimposed on the screen came the white block letters saying, “He’s lying.”
Joe Isuzu continued, “Isuzus go 300 miles per hour. They seat the same number of people as the Astrodome, and they are roomy enough to carry the state of Texas.” Once again the words, “He’s lying,” appeared on the screen.
A. Actions (good or bad) Affect Our Community Achan; Ananias and Sapphira
B. “Common” Makes up “Community” – Things in Common
1. Common Faith
2. Common Values
III. An Integrity of Purpose (No Oath – Yes/No)
Several years ago, a man in Long Beach, California went into a fried chicken place and bought a couple of chicken dinners for himself and his date late one afternoon. The young cashier at the counter inadvertently gave him the proceeds from the day-a whole bag of money (much of it cash) instead of fried chicken. The store manager had placed the deposit inside a bag that was used for chicken orders.
After driving home, the two of them sat down to open the meal and enjoy some chicken together. They discovered a whole lot more than chicken--over $800! The man was honest and quickly put the money back in the bag, got back into the car and drove back to the restaurant. He got out, walked in, and became an instant hero. By then the manager was frantic. Losing that money meant his job along with the cashier.
The guy with the bag of money looked the manager in the eye and said, "I want you to know I came by to get a couple of chicken dinners and wound up with all this money. Here, take it back." Well, the manager was thrilled to death. He said, "Wow, let me call the newspaper. I’m going to have your picture put in the local newspaper. You’re the most honest man I’ve ever met." But the honest man quickly said, "Oh no, no, don’t do that!" Then he leaned closer and whispered to the manager, "The woman waiting for me in the car is not my wife and I don’t want my wife to know that I’m having an affair.”
Now there’s a man who has a real problem with integrity. He may be honest in some ways, but he’s a cheat and a liar in others. He has no integrity.
Integrity means that you are the same all the time. Honesty is a virtue but without loyalty and truthfulness, it really means nothing.
A. Oath – call on a superior to witness your promise and hold accountable
1. God Made Oath – 13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” Hebrews 6.13-14
2. God’s People Made Oaths— 11 an oath by the LORD shall be between them both to see whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor's property. The owner shall accept the oath, and he shall not make restitution. 12 But if it is stolen from him, he shall make restitution to its owner. Exodus 22.11-12;
It is the LORD your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear. Deuteronomy 6.13
B. Problem with Oaths – Matthew 23.16-22
16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.
1. Keep some; omit others
a. Oath to God – keep;
b. Oath to Heaven, earth, head, temple, altar – optional – made promises they did not intend to keep
2. Ya’acov (James) echoes Yeshua (Jesus) – 33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil. Matthew 5.33-37
3. Anything Else is of Devil
a. Satan’s Language is the Lie – 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8.44
b. Satan is the Father of Lies (Allah in Koran is Great Deceiver)
IV. A Lasting Peace (No Condemnation – by people or God)
A. People May Condemn -- Temporarily
Dr. Laura Schlessinger used her nationwide radio talk show to promote morality and integrity in America. She has come under criticism for taking a strong stand against the moral breakdown in society. Dr. Laura, after much soul searching, realized that the ideals she preached are far too controversial for this progressive culture, so she confessed that she had caused much grief to people by speaking harshly. She made a declaration of her “guilt” and called it, “The Ten Stupid Things I’ve Said That Have Gotten Me Into Hot Water.”
• Number 10: Do the Right Thing (even if it tastes bad!)
• Number 9: Adoption is the best option (for unmarried, pregnant women)
• Number 8: Don’t cheat on your spouse
• Number 7: Take your kids to church
• Number 6: Fathers really are necessary to children’s health and happiness
• Number 5: If you have kids, don’t divorce just because you’re feeling unfulfilled (whatever that means!)
• Number 4: Don’t have kids, if you won’t raise them.
• Number 3: Don’t have unmarried sex. Don’t shack up.
• Number 2: Take responsibility for your own actions.
• And the very stupidest thing I ever said that gets me in hot water is:
Number 1: Obey the Ten Commandments.
This is a list of things Dr. Laura said that got her into trouble. More of us should be in this kind of trouble.
B. God Ultimately Honors Those with Integrity
Conclusion
A woman, who was a terrible cook, gave a preacher a pie to take home to his family. After tasting the pie, they simply threw the rest in the trash, unable to eat it.
The next Sunday, the woman asked the preacher, “How did you like my pie?”
The Preacher responded, “A pie like that does not last long around our house!”
1. Reasons for Sins of Tongue – From lies to Oath violation
a. Fear of trouble/rejection/confrontation
b. Self-Centeredness and Self-Importance – Pride
• Over-enthusiasm – excited and do not count cost (Jephthah)
• Over-extension – can’t say NO; Yet, may not follow through – “Let’s do lunch”
• Overestimation of own ability
2. Easy (at first) – “A little lie is like a little pregnancy; it doesn’t take long before everyone knows.” CS Lewis
3. We are not called to the easy way – We are called to the right way
13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7.13-14
4. Declare war on Dishonesty
a. Consideration
• Don’t make promises/oaths we can’t keep
• Much we could do or want to do – what is the Best thing to do?
• Take a Personal Spiritual Inventory – Review the Day
b. Commit
• Keep promises we do make – Psalm 15.1-4’
O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent?
Who shall dwell on your holy hill?
2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right
and speaks truth in his heart;
3 who does not slander with his tongue
and does no evil to his neighbor,
nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
4 in whose eyes a vile person is despised,
but who honors those who fear the LORD;
who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
• “Integrity is keeping commitments even if circumstances change.”
• Test with Personal Accountability [“We the people” was intended to be the ultimate accountability
c. Confess
• Admit when we fail (confess faults one to another) – no cover up; no excuses
• “Promise gets friends; performance keeps them.”
d. Concede
• Surrender to Yeshua
• Grow in integrity –
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. John 15.4
