INTRODUCTION: These verses were the prayer of David. This would be a good prayer for all of us to pray. If we would pray this prayer and mean it with all of our hearts THERE WOULD BE REVIVAL! Notice three steps in purging our hearts, lives and actions:
1. SEEING the need for purging—Psalm 51:7 “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”
2. SEEKING the Lord for purging—Psalm 19:12 “Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.”
3. SATISFACTION after purging—Psalm 32:5 “I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.”
BODY:
I. PERSONALIZATION—“SEARCH ME”
A. Search my LOVE—Matthew 22:37-39 “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Do you really love God? Do you really love others? Do you show your love? If you love the Lord you’ll keep His commandments (John 14:15 “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”).
B. Search my LONGINGS—Psalm 42:1-2 “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. 2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?” Are you hungry for God? Do you seek after Him? If you seek Him He will not disappoint you (Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”).
C. Search my LIVING—Luke 6:46 “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” If you call Him Lord, then you must obey Him fully! Matthew 12:30 “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.”
II. PERSONAL—“KNOW MY HEART”
A. SOFT Heart—Psalms 34:18 “The LORD [is] nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”
B. SINCERE Heart—Proverbs 4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it [are] the issues of life.”
C. SINGLE Heart—Colossians 3:22 “Servants, obey in all things [your] masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:”
D. STEADFAST Heart—Hebrews 13:9 “Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For [it is] a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.”
III. PLEA—“TRY ME”
A. Through TESTINGS—Hebrews 12:6 “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.”
B. Through TROUBLE—Psalms 91:15 “He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I [will be] with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.”
C. Through TEMPTATION—1 Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it].”
IV. PERSONALITY—“KNOW MY THOUGHTS”
A. DIVINE Thoughts—Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.”
B. DEDICATED Thoughts—Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinketh in his heart, so [is] he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart [is] not with thee.”
C. DECEPTIVE Thoughts—1 Corinthians 10:12 “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”
V. PERIL—“SEE IF THERE BE ANY WICKED WAY”
A. SENSUAL—Matthew 15:19 “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:”
B. SARCASTIC—Matthew 7:1-5 “Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam [is] in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”
C. SLOTHFUL—Matthew 25:1-13 “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise, and five [were] foolish. 3 They that [were] foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9 But the wise answered, saying, [Not so]; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”
VI. PERFECTION—“LEAD ME INTO THE WAY EVERLASTING”
A. Led in the RIGHT Path—Psalms 143:10 “Teach me to do thy will; for thou [art] my God: thy spirit [is] good; lead me into the land of uprightness.”
B. Led in the RIGHTEOUS Path—Matthew 4:19 “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
CONCLUSION: Notice what is involved in cleansing: (1) The Bible; (2) The Holy Spirit; and (3) Ourselves. However, unless we cooperate with the Bible and the Holy Spirit we’ll not be cleansed.
