The Promise Keepers Movement

Should the Christian Get Involved?

By:  M. Allen

 

FILING INFORMATION:

98002

1/4/98 - Rapid City, SD 

 

I.  Introduction.

A.      The time is March.  March 1990.  U of Colorado football coach Bill McCartney organizes a group of men with the goal of urging them to be what the Bible directs them to be.

1.     1993:  first big rally - 50,000 men fill football stadium on U of Colorado campus to capacity.

2.     1994:  278,600 men came to seven conferences around the country.

3.     1995:  727,342 men came to 13 conferences.

4.     1996: more than one million attended 22 conferences over 14 wknds.

5.     1997:  22 conferences + a huge rally/march on Washington DC.  The rally generated much attention from the mass media and certainly more people joined in with them. [1]

6.     1998: 6 conferences planned through the first quarter.

B.     What happens at these conferences?  Men come together to hear topics such as:

1.    integrity in the market place

2.    nurturing family life

3.    Racial reconciliation.

4.    Often a call to come to Christ is extended…

C.     According to the PK Fact Sheet – stadium conferences only part of outreach to men.

1.    training, support, and materials for small group men’s ministries

2.    support for clergy through seminars and educational materials

3.    daily radio program featuring teachers/leaders addressing relevant men’s issues [2]

D.     Evident PK spread over the country.  Met member on plane returning to KY from SD in Sept.  Very energetic toward PK. 

1.      Perhaps we have all met someone who is involved in this organization.

2.      Good people.  Honest & sincere in their conviction.  I believe they really want to serve God.

3.      Lots of money, time, effort, sacrifice put forth for this mvmt.

E.     Much of what PK teaches is good, solid, Bible based instruction that men need to hear – especially in today’s society.

1.     Calling men to be faithful to their home & family is a noble endeavor.

2.     God wants men to be faithful to their family.

3.     Little to object to in this area…

 

II.  What is wrong with Promise Keepers?

A.    What could possibly be wrong with such an organization that promotes all of the good things we have mentioned?  What could possibly be wrong with an organization that has grown from a full time staff of 22 ($4 million budget) in 1993 to 452 ($117 million) in 1997?

B.    PK teaches salvation is obtained by faith only.

1.    From their statement of faith:  “We believe that man was created in the image of God, but because of sin, was alienated from God.  That alienation can be removed only by accepting through faith alone God’s gift of salvation which was made possible by Christ’s death.” [3]

2.    Under their web page entitled Restoring the Relationship this is how they teach people to become a child of God.

a.    "Father, I've come home. Please make me your son. I turn from my sin. I accept your forgiveness made possible through Jesus Christ by his death and resurrection. I place my faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone. I receive him as my Savior and Lord. I want to follow and serve you. Let today be the beginning of my new journey as your son and a member of your family. You have always kept your promises. Help me to keep my promises, too. In Jesus name. Amen." [4]
Welcome to the family of God!

3.    Where does one find such a prayer in the Bible?  I beg you to find a copy of this prayer in the book of Acts?  Would Paul have ever told someone to pray the “sinners prayer?”

4.    Does the Bible teach that one is saved by faith alone?

a.     Faith is a part of salvation – but certainly not the only thing God requires.

b.     Acts 2:38 – repentance necessary also.

c.     James 2:24 – saved by works & faith – not faith only.

d.     Mk. 16:16 – belief + baptism = salvation.

e.     Clearly their teaching contradicts what the Bible teaches concerning salvation.

C.   PK promotes unity in diversity.  “Let’s agree to disagree.”  “There are saved in all churches, etc.”

1.    PK does not promote true Biblical unity.  They can’t, and remain as they are.

2.    Instead of promoting the kind of unity described in the Scriptures,  A Promise Keeper upon joining the organization promises:

a.    “A promise keeper is committed to reaching beyond any racial and denominational barriers to demonstrate the power of Biblical unity.”

b.    In other words – members of PK must be tolerant of other “interoperations” and religious creeds.

c.     Mark Roberts has written…”PK has accepted men of every religious stripe – including:

1.    Mormons – who deny the deity of Christ

2.    Catholics – who disagree with PK’s plan of salvation.

3.    However, these differences are overlooked so that men can join together in ‘unity.’”

d.    Is this the unity talked about in Scripture?

3.  True Biblical unity does not overlook error.  Rather it seeks to correct error.  Paul encouraged Corinthian brethren to be one because Christ is not divided.

a.     1 Cor. 1:10-13 - did he say: differences don’t matter… pretend to have unity?  Doesn’t the situation he was addressing sound like the present denominational world?

b.     True unity comes by studying God’s whole truth and adhering to it.

c.     Jhn. 17:17 – the Bible is truth.  It is the standard we need to go by.  If all simply would use Bible as standard – there would be religious unity.

D.   PK teaches the direct operation of the Holy Spirit.

1.     Often in speaking of PK, men have stated that God gave Bill McCartney a vision…

2.     Literature & meetings talk of how the Sprit “led” one to do this, or “empowered” one to do that and how someone has been “called” to preach.

3.     Meetings often have a charismatic influence prevalent.  Men often filled with emotion <although emotion to a certain point good thing>

4.     Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit operates on men today through the word of God! – Col. 3:16

5.     Faith does not come by direct operation of the Holy Spirit but by the word of God! – Rom. 10:17

E.    PK condones worship that is not in accordance with the NT pattern.

1.    Ins. Music used.  Not a cappella. Singing commanded in Eph. 5:19

2.    Things certainly not done decently & in order as Paul instructed in 1 Cor. 14:40.  Many of their gatherings have been described <by themselves> as a spiritual “pep rally.”

 

III.  Should the Christian Participate?

A.    Can the Christian participate in, recommend to others and condone:

1.    A group who teaches error concerning the plan of salvation?

2.    A group that promotes a false sense of religious unity – and one that believes there are saved in all churches?

3.    A group that is misguided in it’s teaching concerning the operation of the Holy Spirit?

4.    A group that offers “vain” worship unto the Lord?

B.    What does the Bible say?

1.    Paul – Eph. 5:11

2.    John – 2 Jhn. 9

3.    Rather than condone – we should be ready to give a defense for the truth of God’s word when asked.  2 Pet. 3:15

C.   All the good that PK does not make up for the error that it teaches.

D.   It is essential that we refuse to fellowship with this unfruitful work of darkness.

E.    We can build strong, faithful, working, harmonious families by simply following the word of God.  We do not need a separate organization to do this for us.

 

IV.  Conclusion.

A.    Although this has not been a lesson designed to persuade the child of God to come to Christ – but to inform Christians of a problem of error – let us now extend an invitation to those who are in need of obeying the gospel.

B.    God’s plan of salvation has been revealed to mankind.  One must believe, repent, confess, and be baptized.  Are you ready to do this?

C.   I N V I T A T I O N