A Heart That Is Completely God’s!
2 Chronicles 16:7-9
Introduction:
A “perfect” heart means a heart that is entirely dedicated to God. A heart that desired, above all else, to serve and please God.
God can give you a perfect heart. If you have believed in Jesus Christ, this is already happening in you. Paul wrote that God works within us “both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13)
“My son, give me thine heart…” (Proverbs 23:26a) God wants our hearts! He wants FULL CONTROL OF OUR HEARTS. God requires WHOLE-HEARTED OBEDIENCE.
I. The NECESSITY To Maintain A HEART FOR GOD.
“The Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers: let Him not leave us, nor forsake us: that He may INCLINE OUR HEARTS UNTO HIM, TO WALK IN ALL HIS WAYS, AND TO KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS, AND HIS JUDGMENTS, which He commanded for our fathers. Let your HEART therefore be PERFECT with the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes, and to keep His commandments, as at this day.” (1 Kings 8:57,58,61)
(Illustration) 2 Kings 20:1-6
In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, “Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.”
Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying, “I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have WALKED BEFORE THEE in truth and WITH A PERFECT HEART, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.
“Now SET YOUR HEART and your soul to SEEK THE LORD your God…”(1 Chronicles 22:19)
“SERVE HIM with a PERFECT HEART and with a WILLING MIND: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if you seek Him, He will be found of thee; but if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off for ever.” (1 Chronicles 28:9)
Our prayer should be like this, “Give unto us, O Lord, a PERFECT HEART, to keep Thy commandments, Thy testimonies, and Thy statutes.” (1 Chronicles 29:19)
A. WE NEED TO SET OUR HEARTS ON GOD.
Be warned: “And he did evil, because he PREPARED NOT HIS HEART TO SEEK THE LORD.” (2 Chronicles 12:14)
“My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed.” (Psalm 57:7)
“Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you; TAKE HEED and DO IT: Thus shall ye do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully, and with a PERFECT HEART.” (2 Chronicles 19:7a;9b)
B. There are some things we need to do TO SET OUR HEARTS FOR GOD: (Psalm 101:2-4)
§ “I WILL BEHAVE myself wisely in a PERFECT WAY. O when wilt Thou come unto me?
§ I WILL WALK within my house with a PERFECT HEART.
§ I WILL SET no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
§ A froward heart shall depart from me: I WILL NOT KNOW a wicked person.”
“O God, MY HEART IS FIXED: I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
§ I myself will awake early. (definite quiet time with God; meditation)
§ I will praise Thee, O Lord, among the people: (declaration) and,
§ I will sing praises unto Thee among the nations.” (deportation)
(Psalm 108:1-3)
This was David’s song of victory in God’s strength. With God’s help, we can do more than we think. God guards the minds and actions of those who follow His commands out of a perfect heart. “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings:HIS HEART IS FIXED, trusting in the Lord. HIS HEART IS ESTABLISHED, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies.” (Psalm 112:7,8)
II. WE NEED TO ASK FOR HEART THAT IS COMPLETELY GOD’s.
“AND I WILL GIVE THEM AN HEART to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto Me with their WHOLE HEART.” (Jeremiah 24:7)
A. God needs men and women with a heart for God TO DO HIS WORK!
“And EVERY WISE HEARTED among you SHALL COME, and make all that the Lord hath commanded. AND THEY CAME, every one WHOSE HEART stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing. And every WISE HEARTED man, in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the Lord had commanded. And every WISE HEARTED man, IN WHOSE HEART the Lord had put wisdom, even every one WHOSE HEART stirred him up TO COME UNTO THE WORK TO DO IT. And every WISE HEARTED among them that WROUGHT THE WORK of the tabernacle.”
(Exodus 35:10; 21a; 36:1,2,8a)
B. God wants to bless us but not until we give our hearts completely to Him.
The Lord wants us to have a HEART FOR HIM – to want to obey Him. He wants our hearts and lives completely dedicated to Him.
“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!” (Deuteronomy 5:29)
“The HEART IS DECEITFUL above all things, and DESPERATELY WICKED: who can know it? I the Lord SEARCH THE HEART, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” (Jeremiah 17:9,10)
“Take heed to yourselves, THAT YOUR HEART BE NOT DECEIVED. Behold, I set before you this day a BLESSING and a CURSE: a BLESSING, if ye OBEY and a CURSE, if ye will NOT OBEY. (Deuteronomy 11:16,26,27a,28a)
(Illustration) Isaiah 38:1-6
In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, “Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.”
Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, and said, “Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have WALKED BEFORE THEE IN TRUTH and WITH A PERFECT HEART, and HAVE DONE THAT WHICH IS GOOD IN THY SIGHT. And Hezekiah wept sore.
Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying, “Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I HAVE HEARD THY PRAYER, I HAVE SEEN THY TEARS: behold, I WILL ADD UNTO THY DAYS FIFTEEN YEARS. AND I WILL DELIVER THEE and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I WILL DEFEND this city.”
III. We need not NEGLECT to realize the IMPORTANCE of having a HEART THAT IS COMPLETELY GOD’S.
“Let your HEART therefore be PERFECT with the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes, and to keep His commandments, as at this day.” (1 Kings 8:61)
(Illustration) “For it came to pass, when SOLOMON was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. And Solomon DID EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, AND WENT NOT FULLY AFTER THE LORD, as did David his father.” (1 Kings 11:4,6)
We like Solomon know the right WAY TO LIVE, but do not always have the WILL TO DO IT. Many people have enough wisdom to know the difference between right and wrong, but they don’t always do right. We need to develop not only the WISDOM to do right, but the WILL to do right.
Conclusion:
Let us go back to our story. ASA came very close to being good. He traveled a long way with God before getting off track. His sin was not so much deliberate disobedience as choosing the EASY WAY rather than the RIGHT WAY.
(Illustration) (1) When the odds seemed impossible in the battle with the Ethiopians, Asa recognized his NEED TO DEPEND ON GOD. Following that victory, God’s promise of peace based on OBEDIENCE spurred the king and people to many years of RIGHT LIVING. But Asa was to face a TOUGHER TEST.
(2) Years of animosity between Asa and Israel’s king Baasha took an ugly turn. Baasha, king of the rival Northern Kingdom, was building a fort that threatened both the peace and the economy of Judah. Asa thought he saw a way out – HE BRIBED KING BENHADAD OF SYRIA TO BREAK HIS ALLIANCE WITH KING BAASHA. The plan worked brilliantly, but it wasn’t God’s way.
(3) And when Asa was confronted by the prophet Hanani, he threw him in jail, REVEALING THE TRUE CONDITION OF HIS HEART!
Application:
It is not sin to use human means to solve our problems, BUT IT IS SIN:
§ to trust them more than God,
§ to think they are better than God’s ways, or
§ to leave God completely out of the problem-solving process.
We are to obey the Lord because He is God – that is reason enough. If you don’t think the benefits are not worth it, CONSIDER WHO GOD IS – the ONLY ONE with the POWER and ABILITY to meet your EVERY NEED.
“I Am the Almighty God; walk before Me, and be thou perfect.” (Genesis 17:1b)
Let us change our perspectives and begin to know God for “Who He says He is” and believe in “What He says He will do.” “I Am the Lord, I change not!” (Malachi 3:6) “I AM THAT I AM: thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” (Exodus 3:14)
God describes His ETERNAL POWER and UNCHANGEABLE CHARACTER. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and for ever.” (Hebrews 13:8) Jesus said unto them, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I AM.” (John 8:58)
“Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O Lord, Thou preservest man and beast. How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God! THEREFORE the children of men PUT THEIR TRUST UNDER THE SHADOW OF THY WINGS. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy house; and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures. For with Thee is the fountain of life: in Thy light shall we see light. O continue Thy lovingkindness unto them that know Thee; and Thy righteousness to the UPRIGHT IN HEART.” (Psalm 36:5-10)
“Hearken diligently unto My commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God, and to serve Him with ALL YOUR HEART and with ALL YOUR SOUL…Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside…” (Deuteronomy 11:13,16) But be thou “MEN OF MIGHT, and MEN OF WAR FIT FOR THE BATTLE…MIGHTY MEN OF VALOUR…MIGHTY MEN OF VALOUR FOR THE WAR…MEN OF WAR, that could keep rank…men “with a PERFECT HEART!” (1 Chronicles 12:8b, 21b, 25b, 38a)
