In this sermon, we explore the profound teachings of Jesus in Matthew 5:33–37, where He calls His followers to be truthful, simple, and trustworthy in their words. We examine four critical aspects of letting your “Yes” be “Yes”—God’s affirmative nature, the wrong “Yes” to God, the evil “Yes” to God, and the right “Yes” to God.
With foundational scriptures from Genesis, Psalms, Hebrews, and James, this message emphasizes God’s faithfulness to His promises, the importance of integrity, and the ultimate submission to Christ as Savior and Lord. We are reminded that every promise we make reflects on the God we serve. Let us live out the truth of our faith in word and deed, always saying “Yes” to God.
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Notes:
Matthew 5:33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not
swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’
Matthew 5:34 But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s
throne;
Matthew 5:35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the
city of the great King.
Matthew 5:36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair
white or black.
Matthew 5:37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more
than these is from the evil one..
I. OUR GOD IS A GOD OF YES.
Genesis 2:16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the
garden you may freely eat;
Genesis 2:17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in
day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
So God gave them just one ” No ” in the midst of a thousand ” Yeses ”
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the
LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall
not eat of every tree of the garden?
A Minister’s Quote:
“I grew up in a small, mill village church where every Sunday we were told what
not to do. We were against sin period. But honestly we didn’t know what we were for.
We were just against.
For most of us, Christianity seems to be defined by those things we aren’t supposed
to do. We always know what we aren’t supposed to do, but few of us know what we
should be living for.”
Psalm 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and
glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
II. THE WRONG YES TO GOD.
Matthew 5:33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not
swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’
An oath is simply this:
It is making a statement and calling God to witness to the truth of that statement
and invoking a curse from God if in fact you’re not telling the truth.
We do it, we swear, we say, “I swear to God it’s the truth.”
The best definition biblically of an oath is:
Hebrews 6:16 For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation
is for them an end of all dispute.
Matthew 26:71 And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw
him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
Matthew 26:72 But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”
Matthew 26:73 And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter,
Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.
Matthew 26:74 Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!”
Exodus 20:7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain; for the Lord
will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain”
Matthew 5:34 But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s
throne;
Matthew 5:35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the
city of the great King.
Matthew 5:36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair
white or black.
You promised that you would be faithful to your spouse.
You said you would show up at a certain time.
You promised your son you would play ball with him.
You assured your roommate you would carry out your end of the load.
You signed a contract that committed you to certain things.
You told your neighbor you would bring back the tool you borrowed.
You swore to tell the truth when you took the stand.
You told someone you would pay back the money you borrowed.
You signed up for the service you should pay your bills
You said that you would call someone back.
You told someone you would pray for them..
III. THE EVIL YES TO GOD.
Matthew 5:37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more
than these is from the evil one.
IV. THE RIGHT YES TO GOD.
1) Let Your Yes be Yes To The Promises of God.
2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen,
to the glory of God through us.
Amen is a word that means to say “Yes to God.”
Trading My Sorrows lyrics
I’m trading my sorrows
I’m trading my shame
I’m laying them down for the joy of the Lord
Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord
Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord, Amen.
2) Let Your Yes be Yes to Submitting to God.
James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands,
you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
James 4:9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning
and your joy to gloom.
James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
3) Let Your Yes be Yes to Jesus as Savior and Lord.
Matthew 12:30 “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather
with Me scatters abroad.
