August 30, 1998.

Pastor Sam Meza.

``Promises that Lead to Bondage"

This is part of the ``School of Freedom" series.  In the 90's and on through the next millenium, the move of the Spirit is ``Church Health".

Matthew 5:33 ``Again 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 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."

Words spoken become vows that we made.  They end up shaping our destiny.

I.  DEFINITION OF ``INNER VOWS"

    A.  An inner vow is a self oriented commitment made in response to a person, experience, or desire in life.

    B.  Inner vows relate to the ``self" nature of the vow.  (As opposed to an upward vow to God.)

    C.  Inner vows tie us to the past in unhealthy ways.

II. EXAMPLES OF HOW WE MAKE INNER VOWS.

``No one will ever hurt me again."; ``I'll never be vulnerable again."; ``I'm never going to be poor like my parents."; ``I'll never fall in love again."; ``I'll never trust anyone again."; ``My spouse will never treat me like this again."; ``I won't b3e strict with my kids."; ``I'll give my children everything they want."

These vows are commitments that impose against our commitment to Jesus.  We make these inner vows and then the walls go up.  Our priority becomes self protection.  These vows block communication.  They block intimacy.  In our society, we shirk commitment, but we stick with these negative ``inner vows", which become our commitments.

For example, a girl named ``Chana" is engrossed in a game and does not hear her mother asking her to help with the groceries.  Her mom comes back and sees her still playing the game and gets so angry that she grabs Chana roughly by the arm and really `reads her the riot act'.  Chana swears to herself that she will NEVER treat HER kids that way!  25 years later, Chana is married.  Everytime her husband disciplines her kids, she intervenes.  Their marriage is in strife because of this ``inner vow" Chana made.  She may even have forgotten that she made it!

III. DANGERS OF INNER VOWS

         1. Jesus said, ``Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord."

         2. The main problem with an inner vow is the fact that it does not have to submit to God.

         3.  When we keep the oaths to the Lord, we stay focused on God, and fulfill our vows to Him as an act of worship and obedience.

         4.  Inner vows are the exact opposite.  They are self servintg commitments that can resist and oppose the will of God in our lives.

    B.  Inner Vows Have an Unanticipated Effect

         1.  When an inner vow is made, a course has been set for life. (a course of blessing, or a course of bondage, a course of prosperity, or a course of poverty.)

         2.  When inner vows are directing our lives, God isn't.

    C.  Inner Vows are the most Powerful Level of Commitment.

         1.  Most people value their own inner vows above their God.

         2.  We become a competitor with Christ.

        This is why people don't do the work of the ministry.  They have other commitments.  They become spectators.  e.g. Their commitment to give their kids everything they can, overrides their ability to commit to the work of the ministry.  They may have a glorious experience, but it fades.  They don't move from glory to glory, because of a lack of commitment.

IV.  HOW TO UNLOCK INNER VOWS.

    A. We must first understand that we don't have a right to make vows to ourselves.

    B.  Go back and think of how you responded to your parents' failures.  Did you make certain promises to yourself about God, relationships, money, pain, or anything else?

    C.  Did you make strong specific judgements about your past, your parents, or anything related to your future? (The very people we don't want to be like, we become like, because we have judgements against them.  You can't play frivolously with the law of sowing and reaping.)

    D.  Renounce the inner vow and repent to God for letting it take control of your life.

    E.  Take the area of your life in question, and submit to God.

Get on your knees and pray.  Find that inner vow, repent, and set a new course of action for your life!