BURUBURU COMMUNITY CENTRE CHURCH OF GOD NAIROBI
SERMON TOPIC: FAITH PROMISE
Judges 11:30-40, Deuteronomy 23:21-23, Ecclesiastes 5:4-8
MAIN LESSON: Faith Promise is a vow made to God in faith.
I. Introduction
A promise made to God becomes a vow because it is made in faith to one we have faith in. It is not a pledge promised to a fellowman. God is supreme hence any promise made to him becomes a vow. What is a vow?
A vow is a sacrifice and a promise to God. Whether you sow with your finances, your service, your prayer or worship all that is a
sacrifice. Sacrifice draws you closer to God. It shows the intention that you desire to be near Him. If you want to sustain your breakthrough you must sacrifice.
The history of Faith Promise in our church goes back to the year 1988 when this church sanctuary was dedicated to God. Here was a very beautiful church sanctuary but without pews for the congregation to sit on. At the same time there was a debt of over Kes. 200,000 after the dedication.
There was no way the church would go back to the public to solicit for finances after the dedication. The Church of God Missionary Board in USA had seconded Dr. Rev. Robert Readon and his wife to Buruburu to start off the Buruburu Community Centre Church of
God as a Christian Centre. Here the church was with a big debt and no seats.
Dr. Readon introduced the concept of Faith Promise largely used in our sister churches in the United States. The concept was gladly accepted by the Church Council then and awareness was made to members. Faith Promise cards were printed, the program was
launched and people made their pledges including one friendly sister Church in the U.S.A (Park Place Church of God).
In less than two months, we had raised the required funds for the project. From that time the church impressed the faith Promise system given to God as an annual thanksgiving Christmas offering to support our annual budget. A committee was appointed to champion the program and one of the champions updated the weekly performance of the giving on a chart. This chart had a target, total pledge, highest pledge and lowest pledge.
II. Examples of people who made a vow to God
a) Abraham- Genesis 14:22
b) Jacob- Genesis 28:20
c) Israel- Numbers 21:2
d) Jephthah- Judges 11:30
e) Hannah- 1 Samuel 1:11
f) Elkana- 1 Samuel 1:21
g) Jonathan- 1 Samuel 20:17
h) David- 1 Samuel 24:22
i) Absalom- 2 Samuel 15:17
j) Everybody in Judah- 2 Chronicles 15:15
k) Paul- Acts 18:18
There are dangers of not fulfilling a vow as well as benefits of fulfilling a vow.
III. Dangers of not honouring a vow
Breaking a vow is the same as any other sin. In essence, breaking a vow is a form of lying. You claimed something and did not keep the claim. Like any other sin, lying leads a person to hell unless it is repented of and forgiven.
a) God will set His face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies (Deuteronomy 26)
b) You will be counted as a liar and a law breaker
c) You invite a curse upon yourself
IV. Benefits of honouring a vow
Jesus taught concerning vows, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one” (Matthew 5:33-37)
a) We worship God by our giving (Psalm 116:12-15)
b) We please God by our giving (Philippians 4:18)
c) Our giving allows God to act on our behalf (Malachi 3:10)
d) Our giving thwarts the plans of the enemy
e) God uses giving to get us out of trouble (Genesis 32:20ff)
f) Our giving creates moments of unlimited blessings (2 Chronicles 1:6 ff)
V. Conclusion
Giving does not make one superior at all. God of course is not in need of our gifts. Giving is about us expressing to God that He is our superior and that He owns everything. Giving is about us putting ourselves into a rightful humble relationship with God because He is the Owner and we are the stewards. We are simply giving something to Him to express that we understand His ownership. If we are going to accomplish what God has called us to do, then it is going to take a Church with a giving mentality. That is very important
Shalom
Sermon preached by Bonface Nyangolo (Rev.) on August 21, 2022.