Keeping Our Promises

Matthew 5:33 – 37James 5:12

Keeping Our Promises• “Honesty Is The Best Policy” Abraham Lincoln• “Success Is Simply Showing Up” Mark Cuban,

Owner Of The Dallas Mavericks (NBA).• “Keeping Your Word Never Goes Out Of Style”

Jeff Zucker, President CNN Worldwide.• “Promises Are Like Babies Easy To Make But Hard

To Deliver” Anonymous.• “Let Your ‘Yes’ Be ‘Yes,’ And Your ‘No,’ No’. For

Whatever Is More Than These Is From The Evil One” Jesus In Matthew 5:37).

Keeping Our Promises

“Neither The Church Nor The Pope Can Establish Articles Of Faith. These Must Come From Scripture.” When He Was Asked To Recant, He Said, “My Conscience Is Captive To The Word Of God. I Will Not Recant Anything, For To Go Against My Conscience Is Neither Honest Nor Safe. Here I Stand, I Cannot Do Otherwise” Martin Luther, 1519

Keeping Our Promises

“I Am So Satisfied With The Cause In Which I Have Engaged, That My Only Regret Is, That I Have Not More Lives Than One To Offer In Its Service” Nathan Hale, 21, Hanged By The British Soldiers As An American Spy, September 22, 1776. He Was The Only Man To Volunteer For The Task/Service For His Country.

Keeping Our Promises

• “Meeting Commitments, Exceeding Expectations, And Customer Satisfaction Are All 21st Century Ways To Say That Keeping Your Word Is Not Out Of Style. Unfortunately, I Am Very Concerned, And More And More Convinced, That We Have Raised A Whole Generation Of Businesspeople Who Believe That Failing To Meet A Commitment is Acceptable. Perhaps Even A Way Of Life. Perhaps Even A Business Strategy” Bill Brooks, The Business Journal, March 13, 2000

1. Keeping Our Promises:A Reflection Of Our Character

“A Good Name Is To Be Chosen Rather Than Great Riches. Loving Favor Than Silver And Gold” Solomon, Proverbs 22:1.“When A Man…Takes An Oath To Obligate Himself By A Pledge He Must Not Break His Word But Must Do Everything He Said” Moses, Numbers 30:2“…There Has Not Failed One Word Of All His Good Promise, which he promised through His servant Moses” 1 Kings 8:56.

Most Common Promises (And Broken Promises)

1. I Promise I Will Do It Tomorrow.2. I Promise I Will Never Tell Anyone.3. I Will Call You. Or, I Will Pray For You.4. I Will Never Do That Again.5. I Promise I Will Always Love You.

When We Make A Promise, Do We Keep It?

Making False Promises Tends To Be

1. Manipulative

2. Self-Centered

3. Disrespectful Of Others

2. Keeping Our Promises:A Reflection Of Our Compassion/Care

“Therefore Each Of You Must Put Off Falsehood And Speak Truthfully To His Neighbor” Paul, Ephesians 4:25.“It Is Better Not To Vow Than To Make A Vow And Not Fulfill It” Solomon, Ecclesiastes 5:5 (NIV).“And If I Go And Prepare A Place For You, I Will Come Again And Receive You Unto Myself” Jesus, John 14:3.

Keeping Our Promises:A Reflection Of Our Compassion/Care

1. When We Reply, “Yes, I’ll Pray For You,” Do We?

2. When We Tell Someone They Can Depend On Us To Help Them Out, Can They?

3. When We Say We’ll Be There At Such And Such A Time, Are We?

4. When We Obligate Ourselves To Pay A Debt On Time, Do We?

Keeping Our Promises:A Reflection Of Our Compassion/Care

December 2, 2012 – Jovan Belcher, 25, A Linebacker For The Kansas City Chiefs (NFL), Killed His 22-Year-Old Girlfriend Kasandra Perkins, And Then Took His Own Life In The Parking Lot Of The Team’s Training Facility. A Teammate, Brady Quinn, QB, Said At His Eulogy, “When You Ask Someone How’s Your Day Going? Do You Really Mean It?

3. Keeping Our Promises: A Reflection Of Our Confession Of Christ

“Therefore Whoever Confesses Me Before Men, Him I Will Also Confess Before My Father Who Is In Heaven. But Whoever Denies Me Before Men, Him I Will Also Deny Before My Father Who Is In Heaven” Jesus, Matthew 10:32 – 33

“Not Everyone Who Says To Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ Shall Enter The Kingdom Of Heaven, But He Who Does The Will Of My Father In Heaven” Jesus, Matthew 7:21

“But Why Do You Call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ And Do Not The Things Which I Say” Jesus, Luke 6:46.

Read Matthew 21:28 – 32“Satan’s Greatest Lie Is That Confessing Jesus Is Just A One Time Commitment And Not An Everyday Commitment”Anonymous

Keeping Our Promises

• Dr. Jerry Umanos is the doctor killed in Afghanistan on April 24, 2014

• He was a Christian! “He Loved What He Was Doing, And He Was Where He Wanted To Be” Jan Umanos, wife of Dr. Jerry Umanos

Keeping Our PromisesTo Become A New Testament Christian This Morning

Hear Him (Romans 10:17)Believe Him (Mark 16:16)Repent Of Sins Against Him (Acts 2:38)Confess Him (Acts 8:37)Be Baptized Into Him (Acts 22:16)Live For Him (Galatians 2:20)To Be Restored To The New Testament Church This Morning

Come Back To Him (Matthew 11:28-30)Repent (Acts 8:22)Pray (James 5:16)