Keep the Vow Alive

Many careers and professions are of little effect until the affirmation is stated. 

New physicians affirm the Hippocratic Oath, which highlights their professional ethical behavior and governs their practice.   They vow to serve and preserve life.

Those people entering law enforcement are sworn to uphold the law and to serve and protect citizens.  This oath is the greatest badge they wear, which should govern there conduct in all situations. 

Those recruited into the military pledges to defend the constitution of America and all domestic or foreign enemies of the USA.  These recruits pledge their lives for freedoms to be protected. 

The question we raise today, do Christian have such an oath or make any vows?

What do Christians affirm as they enter a new life with Christ?

I believe many people are reluctant to vow or promise the Lord anything wholeheartedly, because they fear failure. 

You and I know that when it comes to making promises to ourselves we fall short.

Are you still on target with those yearend resolutions?   Are you able to discipline yourself against unhealthy vices?  Are you a promise keeper or promise breaker?

Can other people count on your vow to them?  Do they tend to disbelieve your promises and assertions?

Couples marrying are changing the word vow and replacing it with “affirm” or “acknowledge”.  So it sounds something like this.  Do you Jack acknowledge his as your wife?  And do you Jill affirm this man to be your husband?

The marriage vows have been watered down to leave a lope hold from God’s involvement.  Amen.

Have you ever made a vow to God and later tried to take it back?  Or place little value on it?    

The bible says it is better not to vow than to vow and not keep it!  Amen.

Like any other oaths if you break them and violate them there is a penalty and price the violator pays.  The bible is particularly clear on this fact.

Deuteronomy 23

  21.  When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.   22.  But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee. 

(NO ADMITTMENT NO COMMITMENT)

 23.  That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the Lord thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth. 

Ecclesiastes 5

2.  Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.    4.  When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.   5.  Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

 6.  Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?

                                    BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU VOW

Judges 11 

29.  Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.   30.  And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,   31.  Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.   32.  So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the Lord delivered them into his hands.   33.  And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

 34.  And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.   35.  And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back.   36.  And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.

 37.  And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.   38.  And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.   39.  And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel,   40.  That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.

                                    BE SURE TO KEEP YOUR VOW

Jonah 2

 1.  Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly,

 2.  And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.   3.  For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.   4.  Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.   5.  The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.   6.  I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God.   7.  When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.   8.  They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.   9.  But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.   10.  And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

Those of you that have made vows and have not kept them it is not too late to keep them. 

Those of you that are called Christian or people of faith that have never made a vow unto the Lord it is not too late to make your vow

To those of you who still have not figured out what a vow unto the Lord is let me give you a template to work with so you can have a frame to build your own vow unto the Lord.

I would like to point to “a sinner’s prayer”, which I have recited over the years and made it my business to keep the vow unto the Lord.

                               HERE IS HOW TO BEGIN YOUR CHRISTIAN VOW

“FATHER GOD OF HEAVEN, I __________________________      know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am wrong and you are right I repent now and I choose to turn away from my sinful life toward you. Forgive me.

 I believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead and is alive.

I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life and come into my heart from this day forward.

I invite the Holy Spirit come teach me your word so I will do your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”

DATE: 

A vow has four responses:  Believe -- On Jesus  (believe the word)

Action -- In Jesus   (act on the word- repent & baptizes)  Impact – By Jesus  (IN YOUR HEART– Holy Spirit)  Stedfast – In fellowship

Acts: 2

37.  Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

 38.  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.   39.  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.   40.  And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.   41.  Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.   42.  And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Preached by:  Rev. Sylvester Williams, Jr.

I.C.U., Ministries, Inc.

September 28, 2008

The question we raise today, do Christian have such an oath or make any vows?

What do Christians affirm as they enter a new life with Christ?

 BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU VOW

 BE SURE TO KEEP YOUR VOW

HERE IS HOW TO BEGIN YOUR CHRISTIAN VOW

 I believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead and is alive.

I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life and come into my heart from this day forward.

I invite the Holy Spirit come teach me your word so I will do your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”

DATE: