Being a Promise Keeper

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Text: Matthew 21:28-32
Topic: Why we should strive to keep promises
Big Idea: We should take our promises seriously.
Keywords: Promises; Honesty; Truthfulness; Truth;



Introduction:This sermon came about because I was watching one of my Promise keepers DVD’S, and I was fascinated by the thousands of men and boys who would drive from all over to worship with other men. You see God calls the man to be the spiritual leader in the house, and church that is the problem with our country today, men have walked away from God and left the women and children to fin for themselves. You see more wives coming to church with her children while the man of the house just stays home. We as men, we as Christians need to get back to the basics. We were created in the image of God. I know I will get a lot of heat for this but that’s ok. I firmly believe the moral decay of the family unit and the moral decay of Christianity, and the moral decay of this country falls directly on the man. Now before you get up and leave hear me out. Why is it important to keep a promise? My wife and daughter went to a Women’s conference and they were making jokes about the Promise keepers’ movement. By calling it Promise breakers. And I agree. We as men will keep or promise with our buddies and colleges at work, but what about to our family Remember---To love and cherish her, in sickness and in health and forsaking all others etc. We demand respect but do nothing to earn it. I have learned that out wives and children are a gift from God. And as a man made in Gods own image, as a spiritual leader we need treat them as such. When they get up to get ready for church we should be the first ones ready. When you put that ring on her finger you made a promise to be man of honor, man of integrity, man of God.  Today’s message is for the whole family not just for the men but God has laid that on my heart. I say all this because I have a Christ like love for men and if you want to see a church explode with revival, let it start with the men of the church and watch what happens.   The Promise Keepers ministry impacts the lives of hundreds of thousands of men each year. *

•   Promise keeping optional, tell a joke about a man who pledged money to a hospital if healed, but later quipped, “If I pledged that much, I must have been really sick.”
• Big Idea: We should take our promises seriously.

Parable of the Two SonsMatthew 21:28-3228“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ 29He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. 30Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. 31Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to Him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him. Pray“Two sons” (21:28–32). The gloves are off now. Jesus bluntly accuses the religious leaders of being persons who say they will obey God, but then fail to do so. The prostitutes and sinners these religious men despise are better than they. They said “no” to God, but in the end they obeyed.     How many times have you said no to God? I know I have, I said no to the ministry many times but in the end God will always win out. Luke 7:29-3029And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God,  having been baptized with the baptism of John. 30But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.  Their actions proved they were like the second son. On the other hand many tax collectors and prostitutes received the message of John and did the will of the Father. Therefore they would be allowed entrance into the kingdom of God. But the religious leaders who did not repent and believe would be denied entrance. These religious leaders stood condemned. They must have been stunned by Jesus’ words they despised, immoral people such as tax collectors and prostitutes were entering the kingdom and they, the religious leaders, were not!  Do these religious leaders sound like any people you know? People who act like they are Gods’ very own spiritual adviser. They look down on people who are less fortunate then they are. They do things in the church for special recognition (look at me type). Unfortunately Our churches are filled with them today.  People who have no Idea how to keep a promise or people who keep them for all the wrong reasons. So today I want to give you 3 things to remember that will keep you from being one of those people we were talking about. #1 Good intentions alone are not good enough. Matthew 21:30 30Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go.*

• He had good intentions

I know you have always heard “the road to hell is always paved with What??????? Good intentions are no excuse for doing nothing. (If the Holy Spirit places on your heart to witness to someone and you do not, but you meant to). Well I had Good intentions!!!!!!! *

• Good intentions are no excuse for doing harm. If the Holy Spirit places that on your heart and you do not and something happens to that person: What harm have you done?
• Illustration: Ever go home knowing that you have so Much to do around the house. You say that you will just rest a little before getting started. But you end up falling asleep or watching a good show on TV. Next thing you know you’re distracted. You started out with good Intentions. But you let satan steal them.
• Remember Good intentions are not Good unless you at on them

#2 Our walk is more important than our talk. Illustration:  Mahatma Gandhi often served a better example of Christian living that Christians do. *

• Matthew 21:31 31which of the two did the will of his father?”

They said to Him, “The first.” Jesus said to them,  “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you If our actions don’t back up our words, then our words are meaningless. James 2:26 26For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. This is most clear. Faith and deeds are as essential to each other as the body and the spirit. Apart from (chōris) the spirit, or the “breath” (pneumatos) of life, the body is dead. Apart from (chōris) the evidence of works, faith may be deemed dead. It is not the real thing. True faith continually contributes to spiritual growth and development. Not only is a believer to stand confidently on God’s Word even in the midst of trials and temptations. To gain spiritual maturity a believer must be what God wants him to be and do what God wants him to do.People will watch what we do as Christians or as a member of a certain church. And they should. Because we should be held to a higher standard. Words are cheap; we can say anything to anybody. Perfect example is high school kids, they will  tell some how good they look and turn right around and spread rumors about them We evangelicals have a tendency to put too much emphasis on verbiage, and not enough emphasis on action. *

• Illustration:  illustrate the point through a colleague’s words, which questioned another colleague’s faith because he didn’t use the same terminology for Christian concepts.

 #3 What you’re becoming is more important than what you’ve been. Illustration: the opposite of this point by giving several pop culture examples of people who continue to be celebrities, even though the event that made them a celebrity happened years ago. *

• Matthew 21:31-32

31Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to Him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him. *  

• Jesus offers to anyone who is interested the chance to leave yesterday behind forever and become a brand new person.
• We spend too much time look at what we have done instead of what we can do!!!! I have said this many times in the past but satan knows our past, he knows what we have done and he will hold that over your head as long as we let him. But the moment you break those chain that bind you, those chains that hold you a captive to your past, satan no longer has a hold on you.

And God can form you into what He knew you could be, instead on satan keeping you were you are. Look up at all time.Colossians 3:22Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. Keep looking toward Jesus.Conclusion: The Christian life has been described in the past like this: I’m not what I ought to be, but I’m not what I used to be, and I’m not yet what I’m going to be! *

• We are under construction we should never stop growing in Christ.

I want to close with this last scripture out of Romans 7:15-2515For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 16If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that  in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 21I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.  Are you struggling with your inner self, I mean you do things that you regret later or do not know why? God is calling us all back to the basic. We get so caught up in the world we loose site of our goal which is too joined with Christ in the Kingdom of Heaven. Are you going to Heaven? Is your family? Men you family will follow your lead. God has kept and will keep all of His promises, have you? When I give this invitation to day, if you need to get something right with God you do it now, as soon as the song plays you come. Before we can help others we must first help ourselves. You come today. AMEN    |