God Measures The Heart

"GOD MEASURES THE HEART"

Introduction:

I DON’T LIKE FATHER’S DAY!

Let Me Be Honest And Get That Out of The Way Right Now

Father’s day, for a preacher is a royal pain in the neck. If the preacher is a male, that is. And especially if the preacher is a Father. And it could be because it’s just too close to home. I can talk to you about God because I know God. I can talk to you about Jesus because Jesus is Lord Of my life. I can tell you about the power of the Holy Spirit, because I have experienced that power. I can describe to you the life of a consecrated Christian. But when it comes to talking about Fathers, about what the perfect father should look Like, or act like...I draw a blank. Perhaps because I don’t know anything about perfect Fathers. As much as I love my Father, he is not Perfect. He made many mistakes. And as much as I convinced myself that I would be better at Fathering than my Father was. I’m not sure I’m any better. In fact I may be worse. I’ve made many mistakes. And I Imagine That A Great Deal Of You Father’s Here Today Feel The Same Way I Do. Imagine having to look your kids in the eyes as Grown ups. Knowing that they know all your mistakes, all your secrets, all the times you lost your temper, all the times you put work before the family, all the times you were not there for them. They look you in the eye as you talk about being The perfect Father. That’s what it’s like for preachers on Father’s day. So to say I feel inadequate on this day is an Understatement. Now It Could Be That Part Of The Problem Is Unrealistic

Expectations. And again, in that area I’m sure I’m not alone. Truth is, the higher we place someone on a pedestal, the more it will hurt when they fall.

There are few of us in life who have not watched

our father’s fall. There are few, if any, father’s who have not fallen in the eyes of their children, at least once. Yes, It is Easy As A Father To Disappoint Your Children. It’s easy to disappoint yourself. And the disappointment doesn’t stop with Fathers, does it?

Brothers, Sisters, Mothers, Grandparents, Friends...

They all have the potential to let us down, To be less than we expect them to be. And when they fail to "Measure up" to our expectations of them... Hearts are broken, Relationships are damaged, And perhaps that is the problem... Perhaps we look at each other through the wrong Eyes. Perhaps we measure each other with the Wrong standards. What If we measured success and failure they way God measured success and failure.

Body:

SAMUEL HAD HIS OWN MEASURE OF SUCCESS

Samuel Thought He Knew What The Measure Of A Good King Was. He had already seen a failed King. King Saul, the first King of Israel was a failed King.

He was prone to temper tantrums. He put his own interests before the interests of his people. But most important Saul Did not have a heart for God.

So the scriptures tell us the Spirit rejected Saul

As King. In this text God has called Samuel to anoint a new king, A king who would have a heart for God.

God has sent Samuel to choose this new King from among the sons of Jesse of Bethlehem. And in todays text, Samuel is standing with Jesse as the sons are paraded in front of him. And These Boys Looked Like Leadership Material To Samuel. Huge hunks of prime beef, Macho men who could have stepped into World

Wrestling Federation ring With Steve Austin or the Rock Any day of the week. These guys were manly men’s men. These were the kind of men who would kill wild animals with a knife And then pick the bear met from between Their teeth with the blade. They were not the kind of men who worried about Being sensitive or nurturing. They weren’t the kind of men who would sit through "Sleepless in Seattle" Or "You’ve got mail"

These were the kind of men who never, a day in their life Watched Oprah! These were Type A, Agressive ,Assertive, Take no prisoners, Leaders!

And Then There Was David....The only sissy in the bunch. There was David singing songs, Writing poetry,

Playing with the lambs on the back forty. Just a sweet, somewhat wimpy, little kid. And yet as much a weakling as this boy was in The eyes of Samuel, In God’s eyes, he was a King! Why? Because God does not measure a man the way we do. God does not look at the things we look at. But the Lord measures the heart!