But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ – Matthew 5:37

My grandfather used to take me with him to auctions from the time I was young.  He’d go early, and I loved to look over the items with him prior to the sale. Then we’d sit and wait for “our” desired items to come up for bid. I was always fascinated to watch. As the auctioneer rolled through his chant, my grandfather would move his index finger ever so slightly to confirm his bid. When he wanted out of the bidding, he’d simply look away as the auctioneer chanted in his direction looking for his finger to motion in affirmation. It was like he and the auctioneer had their own language consisting of two words, Yes and No.  And to my knowledge, at the end of sale, there was no going back. If you said Yes, you picked up your item and paid off your bid; and if you said no, there was no negotiating after the sale. In other words, I suppose you could say that there was an auction ethic that said let your Yes be Yes and your No be No.

In the verse above, Jesus is not speaking in reference to an auction, but He is indeed addressing a matter of integrity and ethics. This week, Jesus is addressing how His followers are to be people of their word. We are to be those who keep our commitments. We will see how Christ’s commitment enables us to keep our most precious commitments as well.  In preparation for this Sunday, it will be helpful to read back through the Sermon on the Mount from the beginning to our passage this week (Matthew 5:1-37).  As you read, notice Christ’s commitment to His followers in the beatitudes and consider how His blessing enables us to remain committed to Him, our families, and our word.  My prayer is that the Lord will use this challenging text to strengthen our church, minister to our relationships, and move our hearts to resolve this Sunday. Be sure to listen to the worship set as you prepare for worship.

Love you, church!

Jerry Lingenfelter
Senior Pastor

SUNDAY AM PLAN
9:00 AM  – Worship Service On Campus & Online (Lancaster Campus)
9:15 AM  – Worship Service On Campus & Online (Myerstown Campus)
11:00 AM – Worship Service on Campus & Online (Lancaster Campus)

SUNDAY PM PLAN
6:00 PM  – Night of Worship in the Tent (Lancaster Campus) – please bring lawn chairs

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SUNDAY RESOURCES
Everything you need for Sunday is available on the Mission Church App under Sunday Resources or on our website.