THE TYPE OF HEART WE NEED 10/2/05
Text: Ps. 51
Intro:
1. I’ve always been intrigued by Samuel’s remark to King Saul as recorded in I Sam. 13:14, which Paul mentions in an address in Pisidian Antioch Ax. 13:22
“But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”
2. What does it mean to be a man/person after God’s own heart?
3. What can we learn from David concerning this?
4. Set against the actions of Saul, it will readily be seen as an obedience to God’s command, which Saul had not done.
5. But I also believe there is more to it than that.
6. Let’s take a look at Ps. 51 and get more of a feel for the type of heart we need as we begin to rethink our salvation.
I. WE MUST BEGIN WITH AN HONEST HEART
A. Note the story in II Sam. 12:1-23
1. Nathan tells him the story.
2. David’s anger burns against the man
3. Nathan convicts David as the man
4. Nathan recounts God’s blessings.
5. David confesses sin, v. 13
6. David & Bathsheba’s son dies
7. Note David’s response, vs.22,23
B. In our text, David cries out in pain of
guilt
1. vs. 1-4 Have mercy, my transgressions,
evil…
2. He sees himself having opposed and doing
evil against God, and in light of God’s
character, vs. 1,4.
3. His guilt was consuming him, vs. 3b.
4. He allows God’s light to shine in his
dark heart
C. We seem to have lost the truth that
confession is the first step to healing.
1. Alcoholics Anonymous, and other 12 step
programs begin on this foundation—I’ve
got a problem.
2. Until this is admitted, no help will be
sought, none that can be offered, no
changes will occur, and life will remain
to be miserable.
3. There must be an honesty with self, an
openness of one’s eyes to the Purity and
Holiness of God before anything else can
take place.
D. This admission of selfishness, of self-will
is not easy and rather than seen as a
strength, it is seen as weakness today.
1. Normally, wrong is transferred to someone
or something else, it is not owned.
2. Confession, admission of wrong is a sign
that pride and self-will and ego are being
defeated by God’s love and compassion.
E. Note other passages:
1. Prov. 28:13 “he who conceals his sins
does not prosper, but whoever confesses
and renounces (forsakes, KJV) them finds
mercy.”
2. I Jn. 1:5-10 how to deal with sin
F. Owning up to your attitudes and actions will
be the first step in true freedom.
II. WE MUST CONTINUE WITH A HUNGRY HEART.
A. A heart inclined to do whatever one wants
rather than God’s will, when seen as that—a
self-willed heart, will lead one to
desire/hunger for right, for mercy.
B. David cries out for God’s cleansing
1. vs. 7. cleanse me, wash me; I want a
clean conscience again;
2. vs. 9 remove my guilt, my trespass, I
want to know my trespass is not a barrier
to our relationship.
3. Notice what David doesn’t ask for
a) a remedy of sacrifices and
offerings,
b) to give gifts of some kind to the
temple or to God.
3. Only God can cleanse and restore the
relationship.
C. David also cries out for a re-creation.
1. Note what David asks for, vs. 10a, a
pure heart; not one devising evil or
seeking his own desires.
2. Vs. 10b Renew a steadfast spirit within
me; help me not to waver in my
convictions, nor be led astray,
3. vs. 11a. A Presence with God ; an
hourly, daily relationship with God
4. vs. 11b A sign of God’s presence—the
Holy Spirit
5. vs. 12a Joy of his salvation,
relationship With God; Let me feel good
again about who I belong to.
6. vs. 12b. A willing spirit to sustain
him; A spirit of support as he seeks God’s
will
D. We see into David’s heart with this plea, He
wants above all to have an ever strengthening
and abiding relationship with God, with no
barriers, interferences or anything to
intervene in it.
E. This should be self-explanatory to us, our
hunger should be the same.
1. Pure hearts, sustaining spirits, an
everyday drive to not let anything or
anyone interfere with our salvation and
relationship with God
III. THE RESULTS WILL BE A HAPPY/JOYFUL
HEART.
A. David looks forward to future service to God.
B. The heart that has “come clean” to itself,
for it is always known to God, Heb. 4:13,
will want to be used in God’s service.
1. v. 13. I will teach transgressors your
ways; God’s desires for them, His
compassion and mercy for them when they
stray, etc.
2. v. 14. My tongue will sing of your
righteousness; a gladness of heart that
is always joyful.
3. v. 15. Open my lips, my mouth will
declare your praise
C. Compare these emotions with those found in
Acts upon an obedience to God:
1. Ax 2:42-47, devotion to teaching, eating
with glad and sincere hearts.
2. Ax. 3, a crippled man healed, jumping,
praising God.
3. Ax. 8 great joy in Samaria
4. Ax. 8 Ethiopian eunuch rejoiced on his
way
5. Ax 14 The crowd in Lystra and Derbe
wanted to worship Paul and Barnabus as
gods, because of their preaching and
miracles.
D. This is the result God desires, a heart that
is pleasing to him is one that has bowed
before him in humility, asking to be cleansed
in order to be of service.
1. A heart not willing to ask God for
cleansing is a heart that God won’t
cleanse, not because He can’t but because
it is a heart that is self-willed, not
open to God’s way or God’s will.
2. Faithfulness, service comes as a result
of being cleansed, not in order to be
cleansed.
Concl.
1. Is your heart right with God?
2. Are you a man/woman after God’s own heart?
3. Are you honest with yourself? Hungry for God’s
blessing
4. Now is an opportunity to experience what David
experienced and made available completely through
Jesus Christ.
