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SERMON ON THE MOUNTAIN A BLUEPRINT FOR LIVING YES….NO….YES MATTHEW 5: 33 – 37

I always feel I must remind you that not only are we studying the Sermon on the Mountain but also remember that this lesson by Jesus is A BLUEPRINT FOR LIVING. It is your daily guide on how to carry on your life. And remember Jesus says in Matthew 5:21 – 32 • Do not commit heart murder through anger and slander • Do not commit adultery in the heart through lust • Do not divorce….keep your promises made to your husband or wife Remember from last week MARRIAGE IS GOD’S PLAN AND NOT MAN’S PLAN THE WEDDING IS EASY….IT’S THE MARRIAGE THAT IS DIFFICULT

Last week I talked to you about how casual and easy divorce was in Jesus’ Day. Let me give you an example: Several years ago Judi left the TBC campus and returned to our apartment. At the time we were living at Yoyogi Uehara. She put three eggs on the stove to boil and went to the bedroom to read. She fell asleep and was awakened by the fire alarm. She rushed into the kitchen to find it filled with smoke from the empty pan. The eggs were boiled black. At that moment the doorbell rang and she opened the door and there stood 5 or 6 firemen. Judi said “Daijobu desu….daijobu desu” and she closed the door. Last week Judi left the TBC campus and went to our apartment. We have now moved to Kamiyama cho near Shibuya Station. She put three eggs on to boil and went to the bedroom to read. Later, Judi remembered the eggs….which had turned black along with the little pan. No fire alarm or firemen this time. Here is the black pan as

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evidence which I retrieved from the non-burnable garbage. Judi had thrown it away. The point is….would it not be very, very tragic if I offered my wife a certificate of divorce because of 6 burned eggs? In Matthew 5, Jesus is talking about the tragedy and heart break of divorce. Question Have you applied any of the suggestions on HOW TO DIVORCE PROOF YOUR MARRIAGE?

I know that Pastor Ted applied the suggestion to DATE REGULARLY. This past Tuesday Ted and Judy celebrated 42 years of marriage. I asked Ted on Wednesday morning, I said: “Ted, how was your small group last night?” He said “we did not go. I took Judy to dinner for our 42nd anniversary.” I said, “Great! I now have a sermon illustration.” Ted said “Don’t tell anyone. We should go to small group.” I told Ted “You can miss small group once every 42 years.” My point with these two stories about my wife Judi and Ted and Judy….is that our commitment as couples illustrates what Jesus is talking about in today’s lesson from Matthew 5: 33 – 37. Matthew 5: 33 Jesus said “You have heard that it was said to our people long ago, ‘When you make a promise, don’t break your promise. Keep the promises that you make to the Lord.’” Remember COMMITMENT MEANS YOU ARE COMMITTED TO GOD FIRST BEFORE YOUR COMMITMENT TO A PERSON OR TO A MINISTRY THE LORD SAYS WHEN YOU MAKE A PROMISE DO NOT BREAK YOUR PROMISE

Today….let me tell you about a little three letter English word that is so very easy to say….and it is very likely that almost everyone here

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uses it many times each day….and it is spoken without even thinking of the great impact that this little three letter word can make. The word is YES Say YES out loud. And I suspect that many people….maybe some of you here today say the little word YES without even thinking about what you are saying….when you say YES. I want everyone to say with me….again….out loud….YES! See how easy it is. But let me ask you these questions WHAT IS YOUR COMMITMENT LIKE WHEN YOU SAY YES? WHEN YOU SAY YES….DO YOU REALLY MEAN YES? OR DO YOU REALLY MEAN NO?

Or do you mean • • • • • • •

Yes….maybe I will but maybe I won’t Yes….I’ll think about it Yes….I will do it if I am not too busy Yes….but I have no intention of doing this Yes….unless something better comes along Yes….because I know that is what you want me to say Yes….because I do not have the courage to stand alone and say NO

Here is an important

question

DO YOU SAY YES TO LOTS OF THINGS WHEN YOU SHOULD SAY NO….AND NO TO SOME THINGS WHEN YOU SHOULD SAY YES?

Can you say YES and stand by your commitment? Can you say NO without making an excuse?

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Remember….as we continue to go deep into the Sermon on the Mountain in Matthew 5 JESUS IS TALKING ABOUT HEART RIGHTEOUSNESS

And you should realize right here in the first 2 or 3 minutes of today’s teaching….that what Jesus is saying is this: JESUS IS SAYING THAT YOU SHOULD BE VERY CAREFUL OF WHAT YOU SAY YES TO….WHICH MEANS WHAT YOU PROMISE AND WHAT YOU COMMIT TO JESUS IS SAYING TO BE SURE TO KEEP YOUR PROMISES AND TO BE SURE TO FULFILL YOUR COMMITMENTS JESUS IS SAYING THAT TO SAY YES AND REALLY MEAN NO IS LYING AND LYING IS A REFLECTION OF A LIFESTYLE THAT IS ALSO FALSE

Before I say anymore about this subject….let’s look at what Jesus said in Matthew 5: 37. “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” NIV A different translation writes Matthew 5: 37 this way: “Say only ‘yes’ if you mean ‘yes,’ and say only ‘no’ if you mean ‘no.’ If you must say more than ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ it is from the Evil One.” NCV Remember the large crowd that Jesus was speaking to….was made up of religious leaders called the Pharisees…. These religious leaders called the Pharisees had developed a system of using an oath or a pledge or a promise in which they would promise by heaven or earth or many other things. Jesus was saying, if you are a Christ follower….if you are truly committed to Christ….when you say YES you should mean YES….and when you say NO….you should mean NO. This is why Jesus said “Let your YES be YES.”

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There is a song that we sing that uses lots of “Yeses….”Do you know that song? Listen to the chorus. I AM TRADING MY SORROWS Did you notice the chorus…. “Yes Lord, Yes Lord….Yes Lord….Yes….amen!” Why the amen? Have you ever thought about why “Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes….amen?” 2 Corinthians 1: 20 says “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” Notice…. “YES and in Him Amen.” Why the “YES and Amen?” Because “AMEN” means in both the Hebrew and Greek…. “so be it….let it be so.” Have you ever known anyone to say “amen” after some things you would say to them….in conversation? Years ago I had a friend who would say “amen” after almost everything you would say. I would say to him…. “Jimmy, it’s a nice day, isn’t it.” And Jimmy would say “Amen.” Sometimes….for real emphasis….he would really stretch out his “amen….”for example….if I would say, “Jimmy….let’s go to Starbucks for a Grande Frapachino.” Jimmy would say “Aaaaaamen!” The point is….my pastor friend….Jimmy was a pastor….Brother Jimmy as everyone called him….he was really saying….when he said “Aaaaaamen! He was really saying, “Yes….yes….let it be so” or “yes….yes….yes….amen!” I want you to know that “YES” is a word of commitment…“YES” is a word of affirmation, “YES” is a word of conviction. “YES” is a word of decisiveness. “YES” is a word of certainty. “YES” is a word of confirmation. What about you here today? Do you really mean “YES” when you say “YES?” Or is your “YES” an empty and weak “YES” and when you say “YES” do you really mean “YES….AMEN!” Or do you

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really mean “maybe….if I can….if I have time….if I am not too busy.” Jesus said “Say only Yes if you mean Yes.” In other words….“Simply let your Yes be Yes.” Application question THINK ABOUT THIS LAST WEEK: SINCE I SAW YOU LAST TIME….HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU SAY YES OR NO TO GOD’S PRINCIPLES? OR YES TO THE WRONG THINGS WHICH WAS AGAINST GOD’S WORD?

Maybe you have said YES to • • • •

Anger Un-forgiveness Gossip and slander Lust and pornography

Jesus said in Matthew 5: 33 “You have heard that it was said to our people long ago, ‘When you make a promise, don’t break your promise. Keep the promises that you make to the Lord.’” Important point GOD IS A WORD KEEPING GOD

Have you ever thought of that? Please let me say this again: GOD IS WORD KEEPING GOD. WHEN GOD SAYS YES….GOD MEANS YES. YOU CAN DEPEND ON GOD TO KEEP HIS WORD.

Can God depend on you to keep your word….if you say YES? 2 Corinthians 1: 20 “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ.”

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Listen to these “YES” promises from God • Yes….God is your refuge and strength, always ready to help you in time of trouble. Psalm 46: 1 • Yes….God will give you the Holy Spirit….the Counselor….who will teach you all things. John 14: 25 • Yes….God will give you hope and victory if you persevere under trial. James 1: 12 • Yes….God says if you ask He will give to you and if you seek you will find and if you knock the door will be opened to you. Matthew 7: 7 • Yes….God promises that if you believe you will have eternal life. 1 John 2: 25 The point is GOD….THROUGH JESUS CHRIST….IS A YES GOD AND GOD KEEPS HIS WORD. HIS YES IS ALWAYS YES.

Is your YES always YES? What about you here today? Is your YES really YES? Or is your YES weak and wavering and unsure? According to the Bible in the book of James 1: 6 and James 4: 8 calls this kind of wavering back and forth being “double-minded.” It means “YES” I believe God can help to “NO” I do not believe God can help me. This means saying one thing and doing another. Jesus is saying in the Sermon on the Mountain in Matthew 5: 33 – 37 “Do not break your promise….simply let your Yes be Yes.” Let me ask each of you as Christian believers a very direct and personal question IF YOU ARE PART OF TBC AND HAVE SAID “YES” TO A MEMBERSHIP COMMITMENT…. IS THERE EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORTS YOUR YES? • ARE YOU SHARING THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST WITH OTHERS? • ARE YOU TITHING EACH MONTH? • ARE YOU A MEMBER OF A SMALL GROUP?

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• ARE YOU LIVING A LIFESTYLE THAT DEMONSTRATES THAT YOUR YES IS SIMPLY YES?

Question ARE YOU LIVING A YES….NO….YES LIFE? IN OTHER WORDS….DOES YOUR YES RESULT IN A WEAK AND EMPTY COMMITMENT?

The point is this A COMMITMENT TO JESUS CHRIST IS CENTERED AROUND LETTING YOUR YES BE YES

At Tokyo Baptist Church a major and important theme is to IMPACT LIVES FOR CHRIST. I am constantly asking you as Christian men and women to commit to making Jesus Lord of your life. This means applying totally Matthew 5: 3 to your everyday life and become a spiritual beggar before God. Making a commitment always means saying YES to God….let your YES be YES. Do you know what I realized as I was preparing this message….as I thinking about the need for Christian men and women to be more and more committed? I realize that with many Christians A COMMITMENT DOES NOT ALWAYS REFLECT THE SAME PRIORITIES AS THE COMMITMENTS

Priority is a great word because the word “PRIOR” is in it. You have to say YES prior to saying YES to the commitment. Did you get that? Here is what I am trying to say: God decided what is important PRIOR to your birth. Jesus Christ said YES and died on the cross as a PRIORITY of His commitment. Let me say this about priority and commitment. In other words….for example….many of you have attended and completed Spiritual Maturity Class 201 which asks for a commitment at the end of the class….for you to say YES and commit to spiritual growth. You see….it is possible to commit to spiritual growth and to

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say YES to spiritual growth….but if your priority in life is not a commitment to spiritual growth….you will not grow spiritually. Jesus said in the Beatitudes….in Matthew 5: 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” This means “Blessed are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires.” Let me ask you again: Do your priorities in life match your commitment to spiritual growth? In other words….are you spending time each day in a quiet time with the Lord? Do your priorities in life match the commitments that you have made to the Lord Jesus? Do your priorities in life match your commitment to build and maintain a good marriage? In other words….do you spend quality time with your wife or husband….talking and praying together each day? Do your priorities in life match your commitment that you made to Jesus when you became a Christian and made Him Lord of your life? In other words….do you give Jesus your life each day and say “Lord….here is my life today. Guide me and direct me in all that I do….that my actions today may bring honor to You.” Here is a great challenge at TBC BUILD TOKYO BAPTIST CHURCH ON PEOPLE WHO SAY YES AND ON PEOPLE WHO HAVE PRIORITIES THAT ARE THE SAME AS THEIR COMMITMENTS

In other words….people at TBC who say YES • Jesus is the Lord of my life and my lifestyle matches my YES • I will serve in a ministry that matches my spiritual gifts Colossians 3: 23 says “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” In other words….your YES should be YES. Does you everyday life match the kind of spiritual life that the Bible says you should be living?

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Romans 8: 4 says “do not live according to your sinful nature but according to the Spirit.” Ephesians 5: 15 says “Be very careful, then, how you live….not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.” Colossians 1: 10 says “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way…” In other words….”Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes.’” Are you a person that says one thing but your lifestyle reflects something else? What is the “fine print” about your life that no one knows about? Do you say “YES, I follow Christ” but your lifestyle really says “NO, I do not.” WATCH THIS DVD PEOPLE OF THE FINE PRINT The spiritual truth that Jesus is teaching is this GOD ALWAYS WANTS TO BE INVOLVED IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE….WHETHER THE TASK IS SMALL OR LARGE YOUR LIFE CANNOT BE DIVIDED INTO COMPARTMENTS WHERE GOD IS INVOLVED IN SOME THINGS AND WHERE GOD IS NOT INVOLVED IN OTHER THINGS

I remember reading that a business executive said one time: “On the weekend my priority is God and family and business. On the weekdays my priority is business and business and business.” Let me tell you some specific things you say YES to. 1. Repentance is all about saying YES. Repentance is saying “Yes Lord, I recognize that I am a sinner and that you are a Holy God. Yes, I know that I cannot live my life in my own abilities and in my own wisdom.” YES….I want to change my lifestyle….YES I want to be more like Christ.”

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Acts 3: 19 Peter spoke to the people and said: “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out…” And the Bible said many people said YES to the message and in Acts 4: 4 it says: “But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about 5,000.” 2. Building a deep and personal relationship with Christ is all about saying YES. • YES….I will balance my spiritual commitments with my personal priorities • YES….I will spend time with the Lord everyday • YES….I will be an active member of a small group • YES….I will attend one of the five weekend services every week This means saying YES to Matthew 6: 33 “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Another thing you should be willing to say YES to is 3. Following Jesus means always saying YES • YES….I will serve the Lord at TBC • YES….Jesus is the most important thing in my life • YES….I am a man of honesty and integrity

Jesus said YES to God….and He died on the cross because Jesus knew that His YES would give you the courage and the power to also say YES. Does your YES really mean YES? Is your YES to serve the Lord at Tokyo Baptist Church a real YES and not a maybe? Can you say YES….Jesus is the most important thing in my life? Are you a man or a woman of honesty and integrity….that your YES really means YES?

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Colossians 3: 17 says “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Jesus said in Matthew 5: 37 “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes.” Let’s pray. DENNIS FOLDS TOKYO BAPTIST CHURCH SEPTEMBER 2 & 3, 2006