Create In Me A Pure Heart

Create in me a Pure Heart

Psalm 51; Psalm 101

Introduction

Where is your heart at today? What fills your heart most when you wake up in the morning? What thoughts do you hide deep in your heart that only you know about?

I have news for you; God already knows what’s in there!

This morning we are going to take a look inside, and see what needs to be changed.

Finishing up “The Mind of Christ” this week with our Wednesday night study group I began thinking about what it is that God has been saying to His church for decades now.

I honestly believe that today God is calling us to first have a pure heart and work on changing our heart to be sold out for His purpose, and follow His lead.

Today, I want us to look at having a pure heart - really being blameless before the Lord, and understanding that because God loves us we have to change.

Read Psalm 51:10-12; 17 (NKJV)

David is crying out to God -- he is at a point in his life where he is really seeking God’s leadership and guidance, and the impact this verse has on his life ought to be calling out to us as well.

This is David’s cry of repentance - and we ought to learn from and practice what is preached!

Pray

Point I - Asking for a pure heart

Note some of the things that David is crying out to God about. His statement of “renew in me a pure heart” has so many other implications than just the words on the paper.

David says … create in me a pure heart ...

A heart that won’t run with lust after physical pleasure,

A heart that obediently refuses what you’ve fenced away as sin (admit it and get it out)

A heart of love that never insists on its own way

David asks for wisdom to know the difference between right and wrong.

1 John 2:16 “For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.”

Humility and humbleness are NOT church words, they are ways of life!

If you want power in your witness, be clean first!

David says … create in me a pure heart ...

A heart that knows no greed when it looks upon worldly treasures,

A heart that thinks of others, and not itself,

A heart that argues for love instead of fairness - compassion tempered with justice

Where is your heart? Is it a heart that seeks after justice for God or yourself?

1 Peter 1:15 says “As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.”

Are you seeking to know more about who God is, or more about what God can do for you?

David says … create in me a pure heart ...

A heart that never boasts about what it has or what its done,

A heart that walks humbly, not trying to appear more important than it is,

A heart that takes no pride in the flesh.

David says … create in me a pure heart ...

A heart that chases after you,

A heart that looks to you for its provision,

A heart that trusts that you are at work in others, (your family does not need another Pastor, let God be the Pastor and you be faithful to work on yourself)

A heart that does not manipulate people or circumstances,

A heart that looks upon the things above and not the things below.

Matthew 6:20 says “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

Point II - Where is the joy in your life?

Psalm 51:12 -- Restore to me the joy of my salvation …

David is asking the Lord:

Heavenly Father, renew a steadfast spirit within me ...

A spirit committed completely to you,

A spirit that is not double-minded,

A spirit that is focused, and single minded on your purposes,

A spirit resolved to know Christ and Christ alone -- if you know nothing (as Paul did) except Jesus and Him crucified, then you truly know EVERYTHING!

Our salvation ought to be joy! Our forgiveness ought to be something to shout about!

Salvation is not something to get, check the box, and then press on … but salvation that comes from the Lord is something to be treasured forever!

Remember the day, when God said He forgave you - that was joy.

Remember the last time you asked God for forgiveness and God told you in your heart that you were in fact forgiven - that was joy