Sunday September 30th Sermon Notes

Promises, Promises

Do you make promises very easily? Sometimes in our efforts to make others happy we make promises that we can’t follow through with. We often complain about promises our leaders make that they can’t follow through with. Politicians get hammered from both sides, they get hammered when they fail to make a promise to fix things, then they get hammered for not fixing things when they “promised” that they would.

Parents know the dilemma of making promises. Our children ever so hopeful that we might concede to their demands will sometimes take a “maybe” as a signed contract, a done deal, “You Promised!”

Sometimes I have made promises that could not be kept. I am guilty of saying that I would call, and then forget to call. I am sure some of you are aware of other promises I have failed to keep. I humbly ask for your grace. If I have failed to fulfill a promise I pray you may find a way to gracefully remind me of that promise so that I might not continue to stumble and sin.

In Genesis we are introduced to the significance of covenant relationships. God makes covenants with Noah and Abraham. Each of these covenants change our understanding of God, ourselves and our relationship with God.
· In each case the one who receives the promise has taken an action to obey God. Noah built a boat, Abraham went on a long journey.
· Each of these promises are a blessing for people. God promises not to flood the earth again, and that Abraham’s descendents will be as numerous as the stars.
· Each of these promises have a sign, a rainbow for Noah and circumcision for Abraham.

These early covenants create a foundation for the people of God. They begin to create some order in the world for God’s people. That’s what fulfilled promises do, they create order out of chaos. We depend upon promises each day, we don’t always express them verbally but we live by all sorts of promises. When I drive on the street I promise to follow the basic rules of the road. When I go to a restaurant and I order some food I am making a promise to pay for that food. In marriage I promise to love, honor and keep in sickness and in health. When the vows of our covenant relationships are broken, chaos happens.

We know that our life partner covenants are complex. I am still learning how to keep the vows I made to Kendra 11 ½ years ago. I haven’t been very good at taking care of her in sickness. I am getting better. I have learned to make the right comfort foods, to create a comfortable space and sometimes I have even learned when just to stay away.

Keeping those promises of our most intimate relationships is complex and we all need help. Each of us struggle between meeting our own needs and the needs of those we love. Each of us have moments when we succeed brilliantly and when we fail miserably.

As complex as those relationships are, our relationship with God is no different. Living in our covenant with God is a complex matter.
We are asked to obey some basic rules.
We have received blessing from our relationship with God.
We have signs of that blessing.

The Good News is that Jesus Christ gave us a new covenant. We are directed according to the Gospel of John to simply, “love one another.” Through the grace we are promised eternal life with God. Our sign of this covenant is the communion meal, the sharing of the bread and the cup to remember the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

May we continue to live in the grace of the one who is able to keep the best promise of all.