Do You Have A Heart For God?

“A HEART FOR GOD”

TEXT: GENESIS 6: 1-9; GENESIS 8:21

VS. 9-“These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.”

INTRO:

As I examine the theme of Noah’s life, I fall under the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. First, because Noah made a decision to stand alone for God, and many of us would not make that same decision. Secondly, Noah had to risk personal humiliation in order to stand for the Lord, and many of us aren’t willing to take that chance either. We want a Christianity that is convenient and that is beneficial to us only when we see fit to need it. If the goal is to truly draw close to God, then our problems are not temporary things. For example, our problem is not a money problem, they had money in Noah’s day, and their hearts still were not for God. The issue is not some mental disease that modern medicine has made up to accommodate us. Our problem is not other people. Our problem is not the President. It goes much deeper than that! We have a heart problem! And before we can try to have a heart for God, we must understand that our hearts by nature are against God. As I look at Noah’s life, I am arrested by a great truth: “Noah had a heart for God.”

And tonight, I must say to you that each and every one of us will be challenged by this thought, “Do you have a heart for God?” The concerned person will say, “Well, what does it mean to have a heart for God?”

I was first challenged with having a heart for God as a backslidden, wishy-washy teenager.

A young man in my public school was reached and saved through the bus ministry of a local independent Baptist Church. They challenged him to be a witness for the Lord in one of the greatest mission fields in the world, the public school. He began to carry his Bible to school and began to try to win his schoolmates to the Lord. He tried to win me to Christ, but I knew I was already saved, just ignorant about what it meant to have a heart for God.

As I saw this young man’s enthusiasm and love for God, it convicted me of my useless life and unconcern about the things of God. I was consumed with athletics and popularity.

It was then that God challenged me with our thought tonight, “Damion, do you have a heart for me.” And I had to weep and say, “No, Lord, I don’t, but I want to. God, I want to.” And I am not sure tonight when God will challenge you with that thought if he has not already, but you have to answer Him truthfully. And if you can look upon the sinless son of God, after all he has done for you, and say, “I don’t have a heart for God, and I don’t want one right now, there is something wrong. Well, what does it mean to have a heart for God? Is it shouting amen in a church service? Is it showing up for church functions, and fellowships? Is it carrying your Bible around all the time? Is it spiritual talk? Is it coming down to the altar at every service?

There are a lot of false ideas about what having a heart for God truly means. In Noah’s day, God looks down from the heights of heaven, and sees something that absolutely disgusts Him. He sees men whose hearts have changed, men whose hearts are no longer like His. Men who have lost touch with righteousness, holiness, and truth. He looks down and sees selfish hearts, suicidal hearts, sad hearts, lying hearts, lazy hearts, lustful hearts, critical hearts, crying hearts, cursing hearts, careless hearts, pitiful hearts, pious hearts, petty hearts, vindictive hearts, vicious hearts, violent hearts, sad hearts, sore hearts, sinful hearts, worldly hearts, wasteful hearts, whining hearts, wicked hearts and without being able to stand it any longer our God declares their heart is only evil continually! And as the Lord sits upon His throne grieving,

Someone says, “Lord what about Noah, he seems to be the only one left with a heart for you.”

And notice when you and I have a heart for the God we too find grace in his sight. It is by the grace of God that any good comes out of your life! What was the evidence that indicted Noah and gave him the title of one who had a heart for God? I believe his credentials can be found in vs. 9. Notice first

1. NOAH WAS A “JUST MAN”-

…Noah was not just a man, but a JUST man…”