Search Me O Lord

WESTSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH----9/02/01

PASTOR: TERRY VAUGHAN

SERMON TITLE: SEARCH ME O LORD

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JOHN 3:16-18 “FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. FOR GOD SENT NOT HIS SON INTO THE WORLD TO CONDEMN THE WORLD; BUT THAT THE WORLD THROUGH HIM MIGHT BE SAVED. HE THAT BELIEVETH ON HIM IS NOT CONDEMNED: BUT HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT IS CONDEMNED ALREADY, BECAUSE HE HATH NOT BELIEVED IN THE NAME OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD.”

TURN IN YOUR BIBLE TO PSALMS 139:23-24 “SEARCH ME O GOD, AND KNOW MY HEART: TRY ME, AND KNOW MY THOUGHTS: AND SEE IF THERE BE ANY WICKED WAY IN ME, AND LEAD ME IN THE WAY EVERLASTING.”

HE WAS ASKING THE LORD TO DO A FULL EXAMINATION OF HIM. NOBODY ELSE BUT HIM. TWO THINGS I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT I SAW IS THAT FIRST HE WAS ASKING GOD TO CHECK OUT HIS HEART. THEN HE SAID KNOW MY THOUGHTS WHICH IS YOUR MIND. I THOUGHT THE SCRIPTURE IN HEBREWS 10:16 “FOR I’LL PUT MY LAWS INTO YOUR HEARTS. IN YOUR MINDS WILL I WRITE THEM. YOUR SINS AND YOUR INIQUITIES WILL I REMEMBER NO MORE.” HE WAS SAYING WHEN YOU GOT SAVED, YOU GOT TO START AFRESH.

I WANT TO POINT OUT SOMETHING HERE WHEN THE PSALMIST WAS SAYING CHECK OUT MY HEART AND MY MIND. HE DIDN’T ASK GOD TO CHECK OUT HIS SOUL. I BELIEVE BECAUSE HE KNEW WHERE HIS SOUL WAS. HE KNEW HE’D BEEN SAVED BY THE HOLY GRACE OF GOD, SEALED TILL THE DAY OF REDEMPTION. HE FELT THERE WAS NO NEED IN GOD CHECKING OUT HIS SOUL BECAUSE HE KNEW IT WAS WITH THE LORD. BUT AFTER WE’RE SAVED AND GOD PUT HIS LAWS IN OUR HEARTS AND IN OUR MINDS THAT WHERE WE BECOME THE CHRISTIANS WE NEED TO BE FOR THE LORD TODAY. YOU MIGHT BE HERE TODAY AND YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW THAT ABOUT YOUR SOUL. YOU’RE A SPECIAL GUEST HERE TODAY. IF YOU’RE ASKING GOD TO CHECK YOU OUT TODAY AND GOD CAN’T FIND IN YOU A SOUL THAT’S SAVED BY HIS GRACE AND SEALED BY HIS PROMISE; A SOUL THAT IS COVERED BY THE BLOOD: I WANT TO TELL YOU, YOU’RE LOST TODAY WITHOUT GOD. THE DEVIL HAS YOU RIGHT WHERE HE WANTS YOU TODAY.

WE NEED SOME LOST SOULS TODAY THAT BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE LOST IN ORDER FOR GOD TO SAVE THEM TODAY. THERE’S NOTHING ANY BETTER TODAY THAN KNOWING THAT YOU’RE SAVED BY THE GRACE OF GOD AND THAT YOU’RE ON YOUR WAY HOME ONE DAY AFTER AWHILE. WE’VE GOT SOMETHING TO SHOUT ABOUT AND PRAISE GOD ABOUT. THERE’S PEOPLE THAT ARE LOST TODAY AND ON THEIR WAY TO HELL TODAY. I HAVE A LONGING HEART AND SOUL FOR THEM TODAY.

THE PSALMIST SAID CHECK OUT MY HEART AND MY MIND TODAY BECAUSE MY SOUL IS OKAY. LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING TODAY, THE DEVIL CAN NEVER GET TO YOUR SOUL TODAY. IF YOU DIE AND GO TO HELL: IT’S NOT THE DEVILS FAULT, IT’S NOT GOD’S FAULT: IT’S YOUR FAULT! BECAUSE YOU DON’T KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR!

THE DEVIL CAN NEVER GET INTO YOUR SOUL BUT HE CAN GET IN YOUR HEART. HE CAN GET IN YOUR MIND AND HE CAN MESS UP YOUR LIFE. THE BIBLE SAYS HE’S A DECEIVER, A LIAR AND THE FATHER OF IT. THE DEVIL DESIRES TO HAVE YOU AND TO SIFT YOU AS WHEAT.

THERE’S THREE THINGS I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY IN THIS SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE HEART AND MIND. BUT I WANT TO ASK YOU THIS QUESTION: I WONDER WHAT GOD WILL FIND IF YOU ASK HIM TO SEARCH IT TODAY? I WONDER WHAT HE’LL FIND WRONG IN YOUR LIFE? THE PSALMIST DIDN’T SAY CHECK OUT WHAT’S RIGHT IN MY LIFE. HE SAID TO CHECK OUT WHAT’S WRONG IN MY LIFE. HE SAID SEE IF THERE BE ANY WICKED WAY IN ME. THERE’S A LOT OF CHRISTIANS TODAY THAT HAVE A LOT OF WICKED WAYS

SEARCH ME O LORD ....PAGE 2 OF 4

IN THEM. IF YOU’RE SAVED BY THE GRACE OF GOD YOU OUGHT TO HAVE SOME RIGHT THINGS IN YOU ONCE IN AWHILE. THERE OUGHT TO BE SOME GOOD THINGS. BUT TO GET TO THE GOOD THINGS, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO GET RID OF THE BAD THINGS. THREE THINGS I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU ARE SOME WICKED WAYS. I’M SURE THERE ARE MORE BUT THESE ARE THE THREE THAT GOD HAS LAID ON MY HEART TO SHARE WITH YOU.

WICKED WAY #1 WHEN PEOPLE LIVE FOR THEMSELVES. WHEN PEOPLE LIVE FOR THEMSELVES AND DON’T LIVE FOR THE SAVIOR. ANY TIME YOU DON’T PUT GOD FIRST IN YOUR LIFE IT’S WICKED. PHILIPPIANS 2:21 PAUL SAYS THIS “FOR ALL SEEK THEIR OWN, NOT THE THINGS WHICH ARE JESUS CHRIST’S.”