Learning to Love my Friend(s) 7

Everyone was present and participated in the class tonight. We discussed the necessary, challenging, and sometimes difficult quality of telling the truth. Jesus was truth (John 14:6). Obviously, He told the truth.

We spend the last part of our class tonight thinking about telling the truth as it relates to selecting a preacher.

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I. JESUS IS MY EXAMPLE OF TELLING THE TRUTH.
A. Why was it easy for Jesus to tell the truth? John 14:6
B. How did Jesus tell the truth to those who were considering following Him? Luke 14:25-33
C. How did Jesus demonstrate dependability?
1. He made promises. Matthew 5:17,18; Luke 19:10
2. Jesus kept those promises, even when it was difficult.
a. Even when he didn’t feel well and wasn’t happy. Matthew 26:37,38
b. Even when He didn’t get the encouragement He needed. Matthew 26:40,41
c. Even when He asked over and over and could find no easier way than to do what He said He would do. Matthew 26:44
3. Jesus thought about getting out of His suffering.
a. If Jesus had prayed to His Father, what would He have given to Him? Matthew 26:53
b. What would have been the consequences of making the choice of calling for the angels? Matthew 26:54

II. HOW CAN I BE RELIABLE, DEPENDABLE?
A. Believe what Jesus said about the freeing quality of truth. John 8:32
B. Realize that consistent truthfulness is a difficult goal to reach.
1. Telling the truth is difficult because it is difficult to know the truth - even our own truth. Jeremiah 17:9; 1 John 1:8
2. Paul wrote to faithful Christians who needed to quit lying. Ephesians 4:25; Ephesians 1:1; Acts 7:58
3. Although it is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18), men do not always keep their promises. 2 Peter 3:9
4. This failure to keep promises may be due to:
a. Dishonesty.
b. Disability.
c. Lack of information.
d. Fear.
e. Forgetfulness.
C. Count the cost of not knowing, loving, and telling the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12
D. Consider these principles.
1. Understand clearly what will be expected of you before you make promises. Mark 10:35,36
2. Don’t promise what you can’t deliver. Mark 10:37-40
3. Mind your own business. Matthew 20:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:11
4. Don’t prop up what you say. Matthew 5:33-36
5. Say what you mean, mean what you say. Matthew 5:37
6. Be accountable when it doesn’t work out that way. 1 John 1:9
7. Is it the time to tell this part of the truth? John 16:12
8. Listen to understand before you talk to answer. Proverbs 18:13
9. Try to get all possible pertinent information from different sources before drawing conclusions. Proverbs 18:17
10. Be conscious of telling the truth in “little things.” Luke 16:10


Conclusion:
A. Why is telling the truth a leadership principle that we need to practice?
B. When are some times when it will be hard to tell the truth as a leader?
C. What will an effective leader do when he or she finds that what he or she has promised has not or will not come true?