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.
I Samuel 16:12 goes on to say,
“And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.”
God was concerned with his heart.
How’s your heart tonight?
What does your heart long after? What stirs your affections?
It’s pretty sobering to know that God knows right where we’re at!
Everyone in this place, saint or sinner. You have no secrets. God knows them all. The things you’d be too ashamed to tell anyone. He knows. (Expound)
Oh we do our best to dress it up and cover it up. You may be able to keep it from everyone around you. But you can’t keep it from God. He sees right through you.
(The Pharisees / whited sepulchres)
This has been man’s problem for quite some time.
Isaiah 29:13 says,
“Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me…”
Matthew 15:8 says,
“This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”
Deuteronomy 5:28 & 29 says,
“And the Lord heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and the Lord said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they have spoken.”
“O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!”
But how many know that our heart is usually the last thing we’re willing to surrender.
We’re quick to give God our eyes. Oh, God, I won’t look at things that are sinful. I’ll keep me eyes from wandering. I’ll read the Word and not sit in front of the TV until my brain turns to lukewarm tapioca pudding.
We’ll give Him our hands. I won’t touch things I shouldn’t. I won’t be a striker. My hands won’t be swift to shed innocent blood.
We’ll give Him our feet. I won’t go to places that I know I shouldn’t go to. I’ll be in church. I’ll keep my feet from running to mischief.
We’ll give Him our mouth. I’ll watch my tongue. No more swearing. No more evil speaking. No more gossiping. No words that destroy and discourage.
And those are all wonderful things in themselves. But God want’s the heart. Because when you give Him your heart all of those things will follow naturally.
Proverbs 4:23 says,
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
II. Guard Your Heart
We need to guard our hearts.
It’s only logical that since our hearts are so important that the devil is gonna focus the majority of his strategies against them. He knows that if he can reach the command center of your life, he’s got you.
And when he’s through with you, you’ll be just another church attendee. No life inside, just animated death. Going about your religious duties. Never the wiser, because the devil has corrupted you from the inside out.
Like the Trojan Horse. 1250 B.C. A Trojan named Paris carried away a Spartan woman named Helen. The Greeks besieged Troy for 10 years without success. Until finally they built a huge wooden horse and left it outside the city gates and pretended to sail away. The Trojans brought the horse into the city unaware that within it were Greek soldiers. That night the Greek soldiers came out and opened the city gates to their armies and the Trojans were slaughtered.
An unguarded heart is like a timebomb ticking in your chest. It’s just a matter of time before it goes off.
It’s sad to see brothers or sisters who’s affections are turning. They’re no longer focused on the things of Christ. No it’s about making money. Being successful. Trying to live the American dream.
The devil’s making a play for their heart.
I am in now way saying that you can’t enjoy life. I enjoy life. I have a lot of fun. And I’ll admit, I probably live a little closer to the edge than I should sometimes. But I always try to keep things in perspective and be open to God.
The problem is that we get so caught up in just living life that we sacrifice the future on the alter of the immediate. (Expound)
If we could see down the road and see what hangs in the balance we’d live by a whole another set of standards.
David watching Bathsheba / killing Uriah
When Nathan the prophet came to him, he came to himself, and immediately recognized the problem.
Psalm 51 recounts David’s prayer of repentance,
“Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.”
“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”
“Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.”
“Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.”
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
(Samson) (Demas) (Achan)
How do we guard our hearts. It’s really no great mystery. The greatest security for your heart is found in two simple things.
Firstly, by reading your Bible.
Psalm 119:1-11 says,
“Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.”
“Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.”
“They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.”
“Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.”
“O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!”
“Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.”
“I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.”
“I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.”
“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.”
“With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.”
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
Secondly, you guard your heart through prayer.
The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 6 that if we intend to stand against the wiles of the devil that we’re gonna have to make use of the armor of God.
“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
“Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;”
“And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;”
“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”
“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”
“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,…”
III. Be Open To God
In closing, I pose a question. Can God still touch you? Can He still move you?
I was terribly convicted that Sunday night when Pastor Hughes was here.
And I have to say that although I greatly enjoyed his sermon and I believe that it was totally anointed of God, it wasn’t so much what he said that effected me, but how he said it.
Because here’s like the toughest, hardest, freakiest kinda guy you’d ever wanna meet. And as God deals with him through the course of the sermon he’s standing there crying so hard that he can barely speak.
God had a hold of his heart. He was moving in him. Through him. Touching him.
Such a paradox. So strong and yet so tender.
And I thought, when’s the last time I was moved to tears by the Spirit of God? In fact when was the last time I was moved at all? It’s been a while.
And I thought, God let me stay open to you. Let my heart be available to you.
Because God moving in your heart tonight is a choice that only you can make. God will reach out to you, but He refuses to violate your will. He will let you resist Him.
Look to God in everything. Listen for God at all times. And be open to God.
We need Him desperately. In every situation. In every circumstance. We are helpless and hopeless and without Him we can do nothing.
Are you feeling lifeless? Drained? Has your heart been growing cold and callused to God? Are there areas of your life that are spiritually dying?
Only life can beget life. Cry out to Him once again.
