A Simple Yes or No Will Do
A Simple Yes or No Will Do
"Let what you say be simply yes or no; anything more than this comes from evil."— Matthew 5:37 (ESV)
"Trustworthiness Is Kingdom Currency"
It's the medium of transaction among God's people. There is no greater currency. It speaks to character — and character is what God judges.
"We say what we mean and we do what we say. Because our authority doesn't come from an oath. It comes from the character that is behind it."
Stop the Oath Habit
Eliminate phrases like "I swear to God" and "I promise" from your daily speech. Let your plain word stand.
Do What You Say
The power is never in the promise — it's in the follow-through. Don't commit to what you won't do.
Build Your Track Record
Trustworthiness is built action by action. Start small. Be consistent. Let others know your yes carries weight.
Live Sunday's Yes on Monday
The faith you confess at church must match the character you carry to work. Salt and light don't clock out.
📓 Keep a Word Ledger
For 7 days, write down every commitment you make. Each evening, check what you followed through on. By Sunday, you'll know exactly where your yes means yes — and where it doesn't. Choose one area and apply Matthew 5:37.
A Simple Yes or No Will Do
Sermon Title: A Simple Yes or No Will Do — Salt and Light in a Dark World Preacher: Barry Johnson, Brookfield Church of Christ Date Preached: February 15, 2026 Series: Sermon on the Mount: Pursuing Excellence in Christ (February Theme: Salt and Light in a Dark World) YouTube Video: Watch the Full Sermon (Length: 55:15) Key Scriptures: Matthew 5:33–37; James 5:12; Leviticus 19:12; Numbers 30:2; Hebrews 6:13
When Your Word Isn't Enough Anymore
Have you ever been asked, "Do you promise?" Or worse — "Do you swear?" Think about what that question is really saying. It means your plain word wasn't trusted. Someone needed something more before they'd believe you. In a culture drowning in broken commitments, inflated promises, and empty vows, Jesus steps forward in Matthew 5:33–37 and says something radical: stop swearing altogether, and let your character do the talking.
That's the heart of this week's lesson in our Sermon on the Mount series.
The World Has Always Misunderstood Where the Power Lies
Jesus opens this passage by addressing an old problem: "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely...'" (Matthew 5:33, ESV). The religious leaders of His day had turned oath-taking into a system of technicalities. Swear by the temple? Binding. Swear by the gold in the temple? Different story. They gamed the system — finding loopholes that let them appear trustworthy while practicing dishonesty.
Sound familiar? We do the same thing today. "I swear to God." "I swear on my mama's grave." "I swear on my kids." We stack words on top of words trying to give our promises more power than they actually carry.
But here is what Jesus exposes: an oath has no power. None. A liar who swears by heaven is still a liar. An unfaithful person who says "I promise" is still unfaithful. As I said from the pulpit, it's "like putting a bow on an empty box — it looks impressive, but there's nothing inside."
The reason we reach for oaths is precisely because our words have lost credibility. We feel deficient in the trustworthy category, so we try to compensate. But invoking God's name doesn't add supernatural weight to what you've said. It simply reveals that your word wasn't enough on its own.
Jesus Isn't Reforming the Oath System — He's Replacing It
When Jesus says "do not take an oath at all" (Matthew 5:34), He uses the Greek word holios — meaning entirely, altogether, at all. He is not tweaking the system. He is not asking us to be more careful with our promises. He is eliminating the whole framework and replacing it with something better: character-driven speech.
"Let what you say be simply yes or no; anything more than this comes from evil." — Matthew 5:37 (ESV)
James echoes this directly: "But above all, my brothers, do not swear — either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your 'yes' be yes and your 'no' be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation." (James 5:12, ESV)
Why does Jesus call excess oath-taking a symptom of evil? Because the need for oaths only exists in a world where people lie. Oaths are a bandage on the wound of dishonesty. Jesus came to heal the wound, not improve the bandage.
This applies to the courtroom, the marriage altar, the baptistery — everywhere. When you confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and you're baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38), there is no power in that water. There is no power in the baptizer. The power is in the life you go live after you come up out of that water. Your yes to Jesus must mean yes every Monday, every Friday, every moment you walk out those church doors.
Trustworthiness Is Kingdom Currency
Trustworthiness is the currency God counts on. It speaks to character. It is what faithfulness actually looks like in daily life.
Think about the most trustworthy person in your congregation. When they say they'll be somewhere, you believe it. And if — by some rare chance — they don't show up, you don't get angry. You get worried, because that's not like them. The vow didn't matter. The person did.
Now think about the person whose word you've learned not to count on. No matter what they swear by, you smile and nod and quietly adjust your expectations. Their oaths don't change that equation one bit.
Your track record is your testimony. Salt preserves. Light exposes. And one of the most powerful ways a Christian preserves truth and exposes darkness is through the quiet, consistent integrity of their word. You cannot bring salt and light to the world if your word doesn't mean anything.
📖 Barry's Personal Connection
Having preached at Brookfield for 23 years, I know this congregation loves God's Word. But I also know — because I've lived it — that the gap between what we say on Sunday and how we live on Monday is where the real battle is fought. I preached this text to myself as much as to anyone in that room. My yes hasn't always meant yes. But when it did, that's when I saw growth — in my children, in my relationships, in my walk with Christ. This church is ready for that level of accountability. Let's pursue it together.
This Week's Challenge
This week, I challenge you to keep a "Word Ledger" for seven days. Each morning, write down every commitment you make — to your spouse, your children, your coworkers, your God. Each evening, check off what you followed through on and honestly note what you didn't. By Sunday, you'll have a clear picture of where your yes actually means yes. Then, choose one area where your word has been weak and make Matthew 5:37 your standard going forward: "Let what you say be simply yes or no."
Small Group Discussion Questions
1. Barry preached that "an oath has no power — only the person making it does." How does that truth challenge the way we use phrases like "I promise" or "I swear to God" in everyday conversation? What would it look like to eliminate those phrases from your speech entirely?
2. Jesus uses the Greek word holios — meaning entirely/altogether — when He says "do not swear at all" (Matthew 5:34). He isn't asking for reform; He's asking for replacement. What old habits or patterns in your speech need to be replaced, not just improved?
3. Barry described trustworthiness as "kingdom currency." Think of the most trustworthy person you know. What specific behaviors — not words — have earned them that reputation? What would it take for others to describe you that way?
4. James 5:12 echoes Jesus' teaching, warning that habitual oath-making "reveals a heart that has separated itself from the truth." Have you ever been in a season where your words and your actions were out of sync? How did it affect your relationships? Your walk with God?
5. Barry connected this teaching to baptism, saying "there's no power in the water — the power comes from living the resurrected life." How does the concept of "your yes must mean yes" apply to the ongoing commitments of your Christian walk — prayer, fellowship, service, faithfulness?
Living This Out
The Sermon on the Mount keeps pressing the same question in different ways: Who are you when no one is grading your oath? Jesus doesn't want better promises from us. He wants better people. Let your character be the currency. Let your track record speak louder than your vows. Let your yes mean yes — not because you swore it on something sacred, but because you belong to the One who cannot lie.
Watch the full sermon at the link above and bring your Word Ledger results to your small group this week. And if you're in the Nashville area, join us for worship at Brookfield Church of Christ.
Visit BarrysBureau.org for more resources.
Barry's Bureau | Sermon by Barry Johnson at Brookfield Church of Christ — Part of the "Sermon on the Mount: Pursuing Excellence in Christ" series
A Simple Yes or No Will Do
"We say what we mean and we do what we say. Because our authority doesn't come from an oath. It comes from the character that is behind it."
Test Your Understanding
7 questions drawn from Barry's message on integrity, oaths, and character-driven living. See how well you absorbed the teaching!
Quiz Complete!
A Simple Yes or No Will Do
⚖️ True or False?
Barry's sermon on oaths and integrity is put to the test. Read each statement and decide: is it TRUE or FALSE according to the teaching?
- 10 statements — some true, some false
- Immediate feedback after every answer
- Earn a point for each correct answer
- See your final score and the Scripture verdict