Perform your vows to the Most High Psalm 76:11-12

Words have power On the positive side:  “I have a dream…”  “We the people…”  “No taxation without…”  “I am the way, the truth, and…” On the Negative side:  “It is not truth that matters, but victory.” -Adolf Hitler  “If you're going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy.” -Charles Manson “I have never been hurt by what I have not said.” -Calvin Coolidge

Words have power  Daytime talk show: White supremacists stated their position then walked off the show.  Years later: Came on same show, apologized and talked about their turning point.  The young man realized his words, ideas mattered and had consequence when he taught a group to hate, they ended up killing an Ethiopian student.  How much do our words matter not only to our fellow man, but especially to God.

Perform your vows to the Most High Deuteronomy 23:21-23 “If you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the LORD your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from vowing, you will not be guilty of sin. You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God what you have promised with your mouth.”  It is much more profitable for us to do these things: 1. Pay your vows if you make one 2. Better not to 3. Don’t make a rash vow. you shall not delay fulfilling it But if you refrain from vowing, you will not be guilty of You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips, Sin.

Perform your vows to the Most High  Vow and promise are generally the same. VOW= nadar primitive root; to promise (pos., to do or give something to God):--(make a) vow. PROMISE= dabar a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) orthing; adverbially, a cause:--act, advice, affair, answer.  It is something you promise, using your words.  Doesn’t have to be public. God hears. 1 Samuel 1:11And she vowed a vow and said, “O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”

Perform your vows to the Most High  You shall not delay fulfilling it… otherwise sin is the result. Ecclesiastes 5:1-3 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words.  Ever notice someone who talks too much? before God, God is in Heaven you are on earth. Matthew 6:7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.

Perform your vows to the Most High Ecclesiastes 5:4-7 When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear.  As we observed before, better not to vow.

Perform your vows to the Most High  Matthew 5:33-37 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.  Don’t put ourselves in a situation where we’ll sin.

Perform your vows to the Most High  Think before you speak… Proverbs 20:25 It is a snare to say rashly, “It is holy,” and to reflect only after making vows.  Don’t do something and then think about it later. Psalms 66:13-14 I will come into your house with burnt offerings; I will perform my vows to you, that which my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.  How often have we seen this in ourselves?

Perform your vows to the Most High Judges 11:30-33 And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD and said, “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.” So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the LORD gave them into his hand. And he struck them from Aroer to the neighborhood of Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim, with a great blow. So the Ammonites were subdued before the people of Israel.

Perform your vows to the Most High Judges 11:34-36 Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah. And behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter. And as soon as he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you have become the cause of great trouble to me. For I have opened my mouth to the LORD, and I cannot take back my vow.” And she said to him, “My father, you have opened your mouth to the LORD; do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, now that the LORD has avenged you on your enemies, on the Ammonites.”

God is our model Joshua 23:14 “And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed.  God’s promises are always faithfully kept. Acts 13:23 Of this man's offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised.  If we are faithful to God, He will be faithful to us.

God is our model  God keeps His promise of punishment as well. John 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. Matthew 25:41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Perform your vows to the Most High  Our words to God  The sacrifice of our lips  Prayers  Promises to God  Calling ourselves Christians Would you say these things are important to God?

Are you a Christian?  Isn’t just an easy step, a simple bath in water, or a word that you throw around.  It is a serious commitment when we decide to wear the name of Jesus and represent Him. Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  World views saying, “I’m a Christian”, as unimportant.  One radio show guest said, “It is like checking a box on a lengthy online contract, that you agree with the statements in the contract. You don’t have to read the bible, you just agree with it and then boom! You’re a Christian.”  The bible disagrees with this.

Are you a Christian? Acts 2:38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 2 John 8-11 Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.