True to your word – True to His Word – 1 John 2:5
“But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in
Him.” (1 Jn. 2:5)
Welcome to the concluding sermon in our series of Gospel messages that actually grow out of the
writings of Dr. Seuss! In this series I have accomplished three goals. First to take some of those poems
that are known to many of you and point out how you can use those for teaching times with your children.
Second, there are Bible based lessons you and I can learn from Dr. Seuss as well. Finally, for you to see
that you can start a conversation with folks almost anywhere about almost anything (including children’s
books) and take a beeline to the Gospel. Yes, even Dr. Seuss.
From our first venture into the world of Dr. Seuss we learned a lot from Sam-I-am and his
determination to have his friend try Green Eggs and Ham. We applied several key lessons from that little
poem. (1) We need to love our friends and family enough to share our faith with them. Even when we
suffer rejection, we must not give up. (2) We must keep our message simple. It’s all about Jesus. It’s
about His love, His life, His death and resurrection. (3) Finally we must stay on that message. We must
not get distracted by talking about church, or denominations, or preachers. We must focus our message on
Jesus.
The next week we considered a lesser-known but insightful poem called “The Places You Will
Go.” From that we learned the singularly imperative truth that we need to consult the Lord in all the
decisions we make. Today I want to follow that line of thinking one step further with another of Dr.
Seuss’s wonderful poems.
Last week we learned a lesson from the Zode in the Road, and sensed the Lord telling us that we
needed to make wise decisions and then act on them in faith.
Who would have thought that weaved through out the pages of Dr. Seuss’ stories were nuggets of
Biblical truth?
The poem before us today is a rather long one entitled Horton Hatches an Egg. From this poem
comes the memorable refrain, “I meant what I said and I said what I meant, an elephant is faithful one
hundred percent.”
This is the same Horton who later “Heard a Who.” Sorry … if you are not a Dr. Seuss fan you
probably don’t know that one either. Is the book familiar to anyone? This was one of Seuss’s earliest
books. It was published for the first time in 1940, fourteen years before the sequel about the Whos.
There are two main characters in this poem: Horton the Elephant and the Lazy Mayzie the bird.
Let me just read the first few refrains.
Sighed Mayzie, a lazy bird hatching an egg:
“I’m tired and I’m bored and I’ve kinks in my leg
From sitting, just sitting here day after day.
It’s work! How I hate it! I’d much rather play!
I’d take a vacation, fly off for a rest
If I could find someone to stay on my nest!
If I could find someone, I’d fly away-free...”
Then Horton, the Elephant, passed by her tree.
“Hello!” called the lazy bird, smiling her best,
“You’ve nothing to do and I do need a rest.
Would you like to sit on the egg in my nest?”
The elephant laughed. “Why, of all silly things!
I haven’t feathers and I haven’t wings.
Me on your egg? Why, that doesn’t make sense ...
Your egg is so small, ma’am, and I’m so immense!”
“Tut, tut,” answered Mayzie. “I know you’re not small
But I’m sure you can do it. No trouble at all.
Just sit on it softly. You’re gentle and kind.
Come, be a good fellow. I know you won’t mind.”
“I can’t,” said the elephant.” “PL-E-E-ASE!” begged the bird.
“I won’t be gone long, sir. I give you my word.
I’ll hurry right back. Why, I’ll never be missed....”
“Very well,” said the elephant, “since you insist ...
You want a vacation. Go fly off and take it.
I’ll sit on your egg and I’ll try not to break it.
I’ll stay and be faithful. I mean what I say.”
“Toodle-oo!” sang out Mayzie and fluttered away.
But Mayzie the lazy bird was not a very dependable bird. She didn’t return and left the
responsibility of caring for her egg to Horton. What happens is that Horton remains faithful to his word
even though he has to endure 51 weeks of severe weather, the ridicule of his friends, and the fear of
hunters, his capture and deportation to America, and the laughter of all who saw him sitting on a nest.
Through it all, Horton is a model of one who gives his word and keeps it. The refrain is, “I meant
what I said and I said what I meant, an elephant is faithful one hundred percent.”
“OK, Pastor … now you are really way out there in Dr. Seuss-land! What could this nonsensical
rhyme have to do with anything spiritual?”
Good question! Glad you asked! Let’s PRAY!
Will you take a moment to read with me from 1 John chapter 2? “But whoever keeps His word,
truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.”
How many of you can remember when a person’s word and a handshake was all that was
necessary to bind and agreement? A lot of you! There was a time when a man gave his word it was
binding, he was obligated, and you could be assured what he promised he would do. Then along came
contracts! Let’s not go there right now!
The Word of God has much to say about keeping your word.
“That which has gone from your lips you shall keep and perform, for you voluntarily vowed to the
Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth.” (Deut. 23:23)
“You are snared by the words of your mouth; you are taken by the words of your mouth.” (Prov.
6:2)
“…and do what has proceeded out of your mouth.” (Num. 32:24b)
Have you ever given your word or made a promise, only to find out that the consequences of that
promise were greater than you ever anticipated? Does that fact that those consequences are unpleasant
altar the fact that you gave your word? Does the fact that those consequences are demanding altar the fact
that you made a promise? Are you faithful to your word?
Can I share with you an incident that happened in our family to our youngest son Jonathan? He is
a student minister and he was visiting the parent of one of his youth who was in the hospital. The news
was grim. The parent had cancer and would have to take chemo. Jonathan’s heart was touched, and he
said, “Well, if you loose your hair, I will shave my head and be like you.”
Though the offer was thoughtful, Jonathan really didn’t think the man would expect him to keep
him word. However, when the time came, and the man did indeed loose his hair, he expected Jonathan to
keep his promise. He called me and asked, “Dad, what am I going to do?” It was winter so I said, “You
are going to need to buy a toboggan!”
Jonathan went home and explained to his wife what had happened and said, “I have to do it! I gave
him my word!” Though somewhat amused, being the mature follower of Christ that she is, she agreed for
him to shave his precious locks. The children however were another story! Our grandson cried, refused to
look at his father without hair, and declared from under the bedcovers: “You aren’t my Daddy!”
Well, that was months ago and Jonathan looks quite handsome with a shaved head. The kids have
not disowned him. As a matter of fact … they like it! Though the man really didn’t expect Jonathan to
shave his head, it really meant a lot to him that Jonathan would do that for him. But my point is simply
this: Jonathan gave his word to do something, and even though he did it casually and without proper
forethought, he was obliged to keep his promise. And he did!
Promises are made to be kept! Do you agree with me on that? Let me say it again. Promises are
made to be kept! Our word is our bond! God doesn’t make promises flippantly. He always keeps His
Word, and He expects us to do likewise.
That is where Horton comes back into this message. Dr. Seuss was teaching children a great
biblical truth about making and keeping promises, even when we don’t see in advance how uncomfortable
that might be. Horton’s convictions should be that of ever Christ-follower: “I meant what I said and I said
what I meant, a Christian is faithful one hundred percent.”
1 – Horton was faithful to his word even when those who were supposed to be responsible for the
situation were not. Maziebird was the mother of the egg, but she refused to take any responsibility.
Horton was a kind passerby who took more care of the egg than the mother did.
There are times when we have to be true even when those who are suppose to be faithful are not.
There are times when we have to be true even when our leaders are not. Even when our government
leaders make law that are contrary to the Word of God, we have to be faithful. Even when the majority
chooses a path that is unholy, we have to be faithful. Even when our spiritual leaders fail us and do no live
up to their calling, we have to be faithful.
We can’t blame breaking our word on others who have not been responsible to keep theirs.
What could God do with a church full of people like Horton? I meant what I said and I said what I
meant; a Christian is faithful one hundred percent!
2 – Horton was faithful to his word even when the circumstances were bad. Once he got sat on that egg,
Horton would not be budged. Not by the heat or rain or cold or snow.
Just how much bad weather does it take for you to refuse to come to church? What other financial
demands takes precedence over you giving your tithe? How many distractions does it take for you to
refuse to make that visit? What favorite sport takes first place before your commitment to your church?
What could God do with a church full of people like Horton? I meant what I said and I said what I
meant; a Christian is faithful one hundred percent!
3 – Horton was faithful to his word even when his friends ridiculed him. Horton’s friends made fun of
him mercilessly. He was criticized for not coming out to play. He was teased for his foolish promise. He
was scorned for trying to do something as crazy as care for an egg.
Peer pressure is tremendous! From the styles we wear to the way we vote, we want to be like our
friends. Being different is a curse worse than death to many of us. That is why so many Christians dress
up like they are regular, lost folks. They talk like they are unsaved. They act like they are not believers.
They listen to the same music, go see the same smut at the movies, take a drink with the boys, laugh at the
crude joke, and eve take the Lord’s name in vain … so that no one knows they are Christians.
This world will never understand our commitment to Christ and His church. They will never grasp
our morality or our love for one another. When people don’t understand, they criticize and make fun of.
Horton’s commitment was ludicrous to them, but he had given his word and would not back
down.
What could God do with a church full of people like Horton? I meant what I said and I said what I
meant; a Christian is faithful one hundred percent!
4 – Horton was faithful to his word even when he was in danger. When he heart hunters coming he was
frightened. He heard them prepare to fire and cringed. But he did NOT move off the nest!
I often wonder how long we would last with our easygoing, name-it-claim it, prosperity gospel,
God loves me too much to want me to be unhappy faith if we were to suffer the persecution that our
brothers and sisters face in other countries.
What could God do with a church full of people like Horton? I meant what I said and I said what I
meant; a Christian is faithful one hundred percent!
5 – Horton was faithful to his word even when his world was upended and he found himself in a strange
new world. Instead of killing the elephant, the hunters dug up tree, nest, elephant and all to sell it to the
circus. Horton was transported by boat to the U.S. where he was sold to the carnival for all to gawk at.
When our college-bound students get on campus, they are in a new world. It is a world that does
not include mom and dad looking over their shoulders. They are on their own to make their own
decisions, to make new friends, try new things, and not be bound by the old ways. Some melt under that
temptation to their regret. But some, like Horton, keep the faith, maintain their testimony, and impact their
campus for Christ.
Horton was faithful to his word. Character is how you act when no one is looking. It is who you
are when no one who knows you is watching. How much of your faith is real to you, and how much is
just you putting on a face and pretending.
God is calling forth men and women of integrity. What could God do with a church full of people
like Horton? I meant what I said and I said what I meant; a Christian is faithful one hundred percent!
First, dishonesty undermines our relationships
When we lie and don’t keep our promises it destroys trust and trust is what healthy relationships
are built upon.
Honesty helps us grow in our relationships with Christ and with others -- Eph. 4:15 – Instead,
speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
Second, dishonesty is contrary to the character of God
God is a commitment-keeper -- Num. 23:19 – God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of
man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
Satan, however, is the father of lies – Jn. 8:44b – He was a murderer from the beginning, not
holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a
liar and the father of lies.
One thing that both of my parents stressed when I was growing up: Always tell the truth. If I did
something wrong and then lied about it, I was in “double trouble.” But if I told the truth, the discipline
wasn’t as bad. Valeria and I passed this on to our sons as well. Double trouble if you lie about it!
I want to challenge you in three areas this morning:
I. KEEP YOUR PROMISES … EVEN WHEN THEY SEEM INSIGNIFICANT
When you start to justify a little dishonesty because it seems insignificant, be careful because
you’re one step closer to doing what you never thought you would do.
It is in the little areas that our integrity is tested. God takes stretching the truth very seriously.
Every time a casual commitment is broken, an incremental amount of damage is done.
How many of you are familiar with these common “lies”?
a. Honest, I only need 5 minutes of your time.
b. Your table will be ready in just a few minutes.
c. The check is in the mail. That has become proverbial!
d. We service what we sell.
e. If elected, I promise … Do we really need to go there? Talking about proverbial!
Eph. 4:25 – Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor…
II. KEEP YOUR PROMISES … EVEN WHEN YOU REGRET MAKING THEM
Maybe you regret making a promise because things didn’t turn out the way you had hoped. Maybe
when you made the promise, you’d hoped that you would have:
a. More time
b. More money
c. More knowledge
d. More energy
e. More whatever (you fill in the blank)
Maybe you made a promise to do something because you thought you’d get something in return:
money, favors, popularity, or position. Now it looks like you’re going to have to do what you promised
and not get anything in return.
However, there are times when we have to make commitments. We have to promise to do certain
things whether we like it or not. It’s our commitments that define who we are.
We can make promises that we don’t like but fulfill them in ways that show integrity and fortify
our witness for Christ.
Once there were two brothers who were very rich and very wicked. Both of them lived lives of
sinfulness and debauchery and used their wealth to cover up a lot of their wickedness. Both were
members of a local church and used their money to be in positions of influence.
The old preacher at this church had retired and a new preacher had been hired. This preacher was a
man who preached the gospel with zeal and courage and lived an exemplary life. The congregation began
to grow at such a rapid rate that they needed to build a new church building.
At this same time, one of the brothers got sick and died. The new preacher was asked to do the
funeral. The day before the funeral service, the surviving brother pulled the preacher aside and handed
him an envelope. He said, “There’s a check in this envelope that is large enough to pay off the new
building. All I want you to do is tell all the people at the funeral tomorrow that my brother was a saint. Do
you think you can handle that?”
The preacher shook the brother’s hand and said, “I will do precisely what you have asked.” The
preacher immediately took the check to the bank and deposited it to the church’s account.
The next day, the preacher stood in front of the large group of people who had come to the funeral
and said, “This man in the coffin was an ungodly sinner and wicked to the core. He was unfaithful to his
wife and abusive to his children. He was ruthless in business and a hypocrite in the church. But compared
to his brother … he was a saint!”
Maybe you regret making a promise because keeping your word ends up costing you more than
you expected.
Ps. 15:4 describes a righteous person as one “who keeps his oath even when it hurts.” Maybe
things have not turned out the way you had hoped, but you keep your commitment anyway
The brilliant Christian scholar and writer C. S. Lewis took that truth seriously. His biography tells
of the suffering he endured because he kept a promise he had made to a buddy during World War I. This
friend was worried about the care of his wife and small daughter if he should be killed in battle, so Lewis
assured him that if that were to happen he would look after them. As the war dragged on, the man was
killed. True to his word, Lewis took care of his friend’s family. Yet no matter how helpful he tried to be,
the woman was ungrateful, rude, arrogant, and domineering. Through it all, Lewis kept forgiving her. He
refused to let her actions become an excuse to renege on his promise.
Another problem is that we have trouble keeping our promises to Jesus. We stand in front of a
group of people and proclaim: “I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God and I accept
Him as my Lord and Savior.” We like the Savior part but we’re not too bothered about the Lord part!
So we let our promise slip. The lodge and the civic club meetings become more important than
fellowship with the Body of Christ.
Watching TV or going to sporting events becomes more important than studying the word of
God.
Talking to friends or business colleagues becomes more important than spending time in prayer.
Our business becomes more important than God’s business.
III. KEEP YOUR PROMISES … EVEN WHEN YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE WHO KNOWS
When you can keep a promise to yourself, you will tell the truth to others. Promises to ourselves
are sometimes the hardest ones to keep. There is no accountability and seemingly no consequences. Once
you start breaking promises to yourself, it becomes much easier to break a promise to others.
What Jesus is wanting is truthfulness, all the way around. If you’re one of God’s people, then
whatever you do reflects on God.
God takes lying very seriously
Prov. 12:22 – The Lord hates liars, but is pleased with those who keep their word.
Rev. 21:8 – But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those
who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars–their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
This is the second death.
What could God do with a church full of people like Horton? I meant what I said and I said what I
meant; a Christian is faithful one hundred percent!