Sermon Tone Analysis

By Pastor Glenn Pease

Paul Robeson was a famous American Negro singer back in the 30's and 40's.

It was announced in London that his great singer would broadcast a concert from Russia where he was then living.

The people of London filled the large concert hall to standing room only waiting to hear this broadcast.

It was to begin right at noon, but as that moment came and announcer came on the stage, and people could tell by his face that he had bad news.

"My friends," he said, "I have a very disappointing announcement to make to you.

You have gathered here to listen to the beautiful music of Mr. Paul Robeson.

But at the last moment word has come that the Russian authorities have decided not to permit him to make this broadcast."

A murmur of disappointment echoed across the hall from these expectant listeners.

They were shocked by this announcement.

But then the stage door opened and Paul Robeson himself walked in.

The announcer was just as puzzled as the people.

But then the crowd burst forth with delighted applause.

Robeson explained in these words: "The Russian authorities refused to allow me to broadcast, and, rather than disappoint this audience, I hired a plane at my own expense and flew to London.

I just landed at Croyden Field, got a taxi, and here I am.

I never break a promise or disappoint an audience if it is humanly possible to keep and engagement."

In the world of entertainment where the theme is, "The show must go on," I am sure there are numerous stories of sacrifice and super-human efforts to see that promises are kept.

Whatever the motive, many have said with Robert Frost:

The woods are lonely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

Samuel Johnson commended Duke William III back in 1777 by saying of him, "If, for instance, he had promised you and acorn and none had grown that year in his woods, he would not have contented himself with that excuse; he would have sent to Denmark for it."

We know politicians are notorious for breaking promises, but it is good to face the reality of the other side, and see that it is also true that many have been famous for keeping promises.

Emperor Charles V promised Martin Luther safe conduct to his trial at Worms.

His enemies tried to persuade the emperor that a promise to a heretic does not need to be kept.

He refused to buy this and said, "Whatever promise has been made must be fulfilled."

The point of all this is that it can be established that even on a human level men can be faithful to their promises.

How much more will God be faithful to His promises?

An elderly Christian was in distress as he lay dying.

He said to his pastor, "I have relied on God's promises all my life, but now in the hour of death I can't remember a single one to comfort me."

The pastor knowing that Satan was trying to rob him of his faith said to him, "Do you think God will forget any of His promises just because you do?"

A smile came over his face and he said joyfully, "No, no He won't!"

He fell asleep in Jesus with peaceful assurance that God would keep all His promises.

One of Satan's most powerful weapons is to get Christians to doubt God's promises.

One of the most dramatic true stories I have ever read of spiritual warfare over the promises of God is that of Roger Simons.

He was hitching a ride home after he got out of the service.

A big black Cadillac finally stopped and he hopped in.

The driver was Mr. Hanover, a business man from Chicago.

They talked about many things, and Roger felt the Holy Spirit urging him to witness.

He resisted because this man was obviously rich, sophisticated, and worldly, and could care less what Roger thought about life and religion.

But as they came closer to where he would be dropped off he felt the impulse to witness so strongly that he could not remain silent.

He began to share his faith and what Christ had done for him, and to his surprise Mr. Hanover pulled off to the side of the road, and he prayed to receive Christ as his Savior.

Roger was soon let out by his home, and Mr. Hanover gave him his card and told him to come and see him if he ever came to Chicago.

Roger had a lot of joy in being home and seeing his family, but no joy was greater than that of being used to lead another into the kingdom of God.

Roger married and got into his own business.

It was 5 years later when he had an occasion to go to Chicago.

When he packed he found the card that Mr. Hanover had given him, and he decided that he would look him up.

When he got to the Hanover Enterprises Building he asked the receptionists if he could see Mr. Hanover.

She said she would call Mrs. Hanover.

He thought that was strange for he did not know her.

Her first question to him was, "Did you know my husband?"

Roger said, "Yes.

I met him when he picked me up 5 years ago."

She asked, "What day was that?"

He thought for a while and remembered it was the day of his discharge.

"May 7th," he replied.

Mrs. Hanover was nervous and asked, "Did you talk of anything special?"

Roger said, "Yes we did.

I talked with him about his soul."

Her lips began to tremble and she asked, "What was his response?"

He said, "He pulled to the side of the road and gave his life to Christ."

Explosive sobs gripped Mrs Hanover and she let loose with a flood of tears.

Roger was puzzled.

Finally she got a grip on her emotions and explained that she had prayed for her husband for years, and she felt God had promised her he would be saved.

Roger asked, "Where is he now?"

She went on to tell him that he was dead, and that he died in an accident shortly after he let him out of the car.

She said, "I thought God had not kept his promise, and I have been living for 5 years feeling that he let me down."

God had been faithful to his promise, but she did not have the faith to believe.

This has always been man's major problem.

They will not believe God's promises.

Adam and Eve were assured of the best possible life if they obeyed God, but they did not believe and that was the beginning of the problems of mankind.

God promised Israel the land flowing with milk and honey, but they did not believe and had to march in the desert for 40 years until all the doubter were dead.

All through the Bible men are seen missing God's best because they do not believe his promises.

The biggest and most central promise of all is the one Paul deals with in this introduction to the book of Romans.

This one is also often missed, but Paul is called to take this promise to the Gentiles so that they might get in on it, and not miss out on the greatest promise ever given.

It is the Gospel.

It is the Gospel he promised through the prophets in the Holy Scriptures.

The Gospel is not something new.

God's good news is as old as God's heart of love for man.

He was promising man all through the Old Testament that He was sending a Savior into the world.

No matter how awful life was in the Old Testament, the saints then had a foundation for optimism because God gave them a promise of good news.

And when you can anticipate good news, you can handle almost anything.

One of the first things Paul establishes is the continuity of the Old and the New Testaments.

God never expected anyone to ever be saved by the law.

It was faith in his promise that was always the basis for salvation.

Salvation by faith has always been God's plan.

You cannot have faith without a promise.

Faith has to have some ground to stand on, and that ground is the promise of God.

Standing on the promises of God is the theme song of the saints of all time.

God promised Adam and Eve that a seed would come from them that would crush Satan's head.

God promised Abraham that a seed from him would be a blessing to the whole world.

God promised David that his seed would rule in righteousness, and all the prophets pointed to the coming seed who would save the people of Israel, and the Gentiles as well.

The entire Old Testament hope was based on the Gospel of God's promise.

It is this promise that makes the Old and New Testaments one book.

They are different in many ways, but the thread that sews them together as one is the promise of God.

The New is in the Old concealed.

The Old is in the New revealed.

The New is in the Old contained.

The Old is in the New explained.

After Jesus rose from the dead the first teaching he did was with the two on the road to Emmaus.