House Of 1,000 Corpses

HOUSE OF 1,000 CORPSES

I’ve always been facinated by outer space. As a little kid my favorite movies were about outer space. My favorite TV shows were about outer space. My favorite games were about outer space.

In school I suffered a major let down when I discovered that outer space wasn’t infested with flesh-eating aliens on their way to subjugate the human race. That was a tough one for me. I thought I was well on my way to being an intergalactic space marine.

But I found that the truth about outer space was just as interesting. That scant miles above our heads our atmosphere merges with what is called the interplanetary medium. Space.

And space is big. Filled with planets. And stars. And dust. And black holes, theoretically of course.

I learned that the nearest star was trillions of miles away. That the majority of stars were so far away that astronomers had to gauge their distance by the speed of light. I was amazed to learn that a star that was thirty light years away that had died 29 years ago could still be seen in the night sky.

Long since dead. Long since faded. But looking on from a distance, you’d never know it.

We live in a church age that, by an large, has been dead for years. They just don’t know it.

Cold lifeless churches full of cold lifeless people half-heartedly listening to a cold lifeless sermon!! Mausoleums filled with religious corpses. Museums of what once was. Monuments to a truth that will never make it outside the four walls.

No thought of the things of God. No care about God’s will and destiny. No desire to reach the world. No heart for the lost.

And if we’re not careful we can end up just like them. A church of the living dead… and not even know it!

Oh, you look alive… but there’s no life… you’re animated death!

Like the church of Sardis.

Revelation 3:1-3 says,

“And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.”

(Expound - a name that speaks of life / a reputation of vibrancy and vitality)

(Religious robots / we attend church like an assemblyline / first station)

This is where we miss it. When God looks down on the church, He’s not looking at the attendance records. He’s not looking at all the things that you do for Him. Those things are wonderful… but His main concern is your heart.

I Corinthians 13 says,

“And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.”

It’s all about the heart. That’s why we can’t be saved by our works. You can do the right things. But how’s your heart? You can say all the right things. But how’s your heart?

And the basis of my sermon tonight is simply this, can God still speak to you? Can He still touch you? Does He still have access to your heart?

TEXT: Proverbs 23:26

This scripture encapsulates what God is looking for from each and every person in this place tonight.

He’s not looking for your money. He’s not all that interested in your talents. He’s definitely not impressed that some of your relatives are Christians. Or that you own a Bible. Or even that you go to church sometimes.

Right now as we gather here in this place God looks down at each of us. And He considers one thing and one thing only, our hearts.

He sees through all the facades and all the masks we like to wear. He sees right through all the pretense and fake piety. And His eyes look right into our heart.

I. God Looks Upon The Heart

We see this exemplified in the life of a young man named David.

(Samuel choosing the new king) (Expound)

I Samuel 16:7 says,

“But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”

Jesse has seven sons pass by Samuel. Strong. Kingly. Wise. Graceful. God says this isn’t what I’m looking for.

So they send for David. Out tending his flock of sheep. They hadn’t even considered calling him.

He was young and immature. He had no experience. He had no kingly skills. He was sweaty from work. He stunk like sheep.

But God wasn’t concerned about all of that. He was concerned with his heart. And if there’s one thing that David had going for him it was his heart.