Heart of the Matter: Apathy

Introduction

Oh, your preacher is a one of a kind. He uh left me his uh Allstate Pee-wee football championship. Yeah, six and under, weren’t you the man? Yeah, even I was big back then, man. All state athlete. Yeah, uh-huh. Yeah. I need to preach that first sermon again. Well was it anger? Well, that’s great to see most of you tonight. I appreciate so much your interest in spiritual things and your love for the Lord. And if you’ll allow me, I want to take just a couple of quick moments here to just share my appreciation to uh each and every one of you. I have thoroughly enjoyed the week. I I realize that the responsibility that you have when you are the visiting preacher is it it’s your job to stir.

And uh encourage people and and help revive them and and and get them back to the book and get them back into the service of our King. And and uh and and I realize that’s that’s that’s part of the job, and and I look forward to that, and I I long for that, and I I hope maybe in just some small way that uh you you have been uplifted. But let me just say you’ve uplifted me. And I I just appreciate so much uh the singing, uh, the stirring of the souls that’s uh produced by this audience by those who lead us in song. And and I appreciate so much your kind words. Uh I I I tell you, it’s so refreshing that when you’re talking to somebody and everybody’s going out and everybody’s polite and certainly shakes your hand that that people say, I really need that.

I think it’s easy sometimes when you hear lessons about the heart or anger or jealousy or the need for discipline or praise. It’s it’s all in it’s it’s very simple and easy for us to say, I’ve got a brother who really I’m gonna get him a copy of that one, you know. Or I’ve got a friend, and and and and you might. You certainly might. But you said I need that as well. And I appreciate it. I’ve been accused of knowing some of your lives maybe better than you thought. Let me let me just share it with you. I I have no special uh insight into anybody’s homes, but I I see myself very well, and I’ve got enough material coming from right here to keep me busy.

And the issues of the heart are issues that all of us deal with. And I appreciate your attitude, and I appreciate your desire to have a heart for our Lord. I want to thank your shepherds, your elders, uh, for the confidence that you’ve put in me. The elders here have been a great encouragement to me for many, many years. And I I thank them for that and their their wives who hold them up and lift up their hands. I want to say a special thanks to uh, well, Sister Krill. Josh too. Even though he is a tall football player. But I appreciate them very, very much. And uh and and love them dearly. And I don’t obviously spend near as much time with them as you do, but they certainly have a passion for the Lord, and you are certainly blessed, and I know that you know that.

But uh continue to stir them and encourage them, and what else can you say about the Hark Riders? And uh I just love them dearly, and uh they are just so good to me. I you may not know this, but they actually Bob actually performed the wedding ceremony uh for my in-laws, and uh they’re celebrating their 70th anniversary next month. No, that’s a joke. That’s a joke. But uh Bob and Arlene are certainly very dear to our family and and very dear to us, and and I appreciate them very much. But I have one more uh note of appreciation tonight, and that is to all the young people who are here. College, high school, middle school, elementary school. I think every single young person here has come up and shook my hand.

Man, does that mean a lot? And I appreciate your zeal for the Lord, I appreciate your love for truth, I appreciate your commitment to the ways of our Lord, and it’s with that in mind I want to share something with you tonight. Often in the Old Testament, the older patriarch would pass a blessing on to his children. Tonight I’d like to pass a blessing to you. Not that I’m old, but I want to pass a blessing to you. And it’s very similar to the Levitical blessing that you find in Scripture. This is my prayer. This is my hope. This is my blessing for you. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord’s countenance always be upon you. And be gracious. And if I can add to that, and may your life be a life of servitude and devotion to him as you not only serve your Lord and Redeemer, but you serve your fellow man.

And I want you to also know that I’m expecting great things from you. Every single one of you. I’m expecting great things. Because that’s who you are. That’s who you are. Alright. Let’s get into our text tonight. We’ve been talking about the heart of the matter, and we’ve been looking at many issues of the heart. And so I guess I need to ask you tonight: how’s your heart? How is your heart? Are you dealing with anger? Are you learning how to deal with some of those challenges? How about the jealousy? Have you recognized that maybe there’s a little envy there? Or are you dealing with those things? I know you are. And I know that those are some of the things in our lives that we’re going to deal with more and more, and they’re going to come up again.

It’s very possible that that person that you decided to forgive and you’ve wiped the slate clean, you’re going to bump into them again here soon and just remind yourself that there is no longer a debt. And you’ll have to do that. And I want you to keep in mind that the concept of jealousy, oh, Satan likes to get in there. Oh, he likes to use his tentacles to get inside our heart and create in us a desire for something more. You fighting back, you can. But here’s another challenge. If only we just stop there. But certainly one of Satan’s biggest tools is a tool of apathy. Now, I realize that when you preach a sermon on apathy and you advertise a serpent on apathy, generally the people that are coming are not that apathetic.

They they at least cared to come. But you know what’s interesting when you look at the text and you go back and you look, especially at those churches in the first century, there were a lot of people who went to services. In Revelation chapter 3, we actually read of a church, a church that at one time was a stronghold for faith. I mean, they had two of the best preachers ever to walk the earth. They had Paul who helped get them going, and then they had the apprentice of Paul. They had Timothy preaching for you. It just doesn’t get any better than that. But years later, years later, our Lord speaks to them in Revelation, and he’s noticing that while they had many good things and they had many good works, they’ve lost their first love.

You can go to chapter 4 of Revelation and you read of another church that I’m sure all I’ve got to do is just mention their name and you’ll remember their problem, Laodicea. What were they? Lukewarm. You see, here’s the challenge with apathy. I can actually be there and still be apathetic. I can actually still be with the team, but yet my heart’s really not in it. I mean, how many of you are working in the PTA? How many of you are working with the Little League? How many of you are working in service organizations and you have the exact same problem every year? You just don’t have enough people to help. You’ll see all the other dads out there in the field, and they all come out to cheer their sons.

Hey, we need a little help. Can you have us go to? Well, I’m real busy this week. I’ve got this going on, I’ve got that going on. I just can’t get there. You can go and look at even in Bible class when it comes to the idea of needing more teachers. We need somebody else to teach the third or the fourth grade. Who’s going to step up? Well, I’d love to, but this, that, and the other. And while there are many, many good excuses, the fact of the matter is we’re all still giving excuses. And while we may not be as apathetic as some. Do we really have the heart for God that we know our God wants? Couldn’t help but think tonight. It’s Wednesday night.

Anybody have a long day? Feel like you’ve been putting out fires all day. And then after you get all the fires put out at the office, you race home and well, actually, you don’t race home in Orlando, do you?

Speed limit, who needs it? It’s just a bumper in front of me. I’d love to speed around them. You deal with all that and you get home and you’ve got responsibilities around the house. You’ve got responsibilities with your family. You’ve got to cook dinner, you’ve got to take care of this, and then you get to services at 7.30, and there’s a part of you that says, I’d love to just sit here. Sometimes we can’t find the strength. I can’t find the willpower. I can’t find the energy. I know what I want. I know what I’d love to do. But sometimes the candle’s just not burning as bright as I want. And we struggle with that. And life is tough. Life is challenging. And probably one of our greatest frustrations is the things that we really, really, really want to do the most.

The things that we really, really, really want to be involved in the most are seem to be the things that we just don’t get to do. Because we got this, this, this, and this. But here’s how apathy works. Apathy continues to hold us down to the point that we never get to those things. We know we should. We know we should. But I just can’t seem to get over the hump. I want us to grasp and understand that in Psalms chapter 42 and in verse 1, the psalmist paints a picture for us, and the picture is this: as a deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after you. Isn’t that a wonderful psalm? We actually sing a song about that. But we know that there are many challenges to that thirst.

For sometimes our tongue goes dry. Sometimes the well just doesn’t seem to be very deep. And that’s why we know that this is more than just a little brief period of inconsistency. We’ve got to recognize it’s a heart problem. It’s a heart problem. It’s really a heart problem when I say, Oh, I would love to, and I keep turning things down and keep turning things down. But isn’t that really why we’ve got these people over here? I mean, we did appoint elders to take care of all that, didn’t we? Well, I know it’s not necessarily just the preacher’s responsibility to evangelism, but you know, at least they got it covered if I’d never make it there. And we catch ourselves continuing to make excuses. We have to ask ourselves, are we really thirsty?

The issues of the heart focus on this, and these are the warnings the Lord gives us. We do not need to be men pleasers, but we need to have a heart for God. As it says in Psalms 44 and verse 21, he knows the secrets of the heart. But please hear this. Please hear what God is telling us. For sometimes when we look into our hearts and we recognize we’re really not what we want to be. There’s a part of us that wants to throw our hands up and just say, it’s useless. I can’t ever get there. I’m never gonna get over this hop. I know, I know, I know, but I just can’t seem to get there. My whole life is constantly climbing this mountain.

Here’s what God tells us, though, through the words of his apostle John. He can change the heart. Listen closely. 1 John 3 20. If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart. And he knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, then we have confidence toward God. Please hear this. God, God can cleanse your heart. God can put a heart in you that will help you be what you want to be. More importantly, he can create a heart in you so that you can be what he wants you to be.

And they say, I just don’t think we can do it. It’s taking all of me to do it. Or the attic. Or the attic. Had a fellow in Hueytown. Past couple of months that he’s a really new Christian and he’s been dealing with alcohol. Oh, it’s just plagued his life. And he’s trying to fight those urges and he’ll fall off the wagon and he’ll and when I go to meet him and spend there with him, and I find him unfortunately in his worst moment, he’ll just cry his house out and say, It just can’t be done. I just can’t do it. And I remind him of this passage. It can. It can. If you believe in a creator who created this world with mere words, if you believe in a redeemer who hung his son on a cross to save your soul from sin, then you have to believe.

He could take you and mold you into what he wants. In Ephesians chapter 2 and in verse 10, we’re reminded that we are created in Christ Jesus for good works. So what’s the secret? How do I find the answers? How do I find the energy? How do I feel the revival so that my fire will burn and burn brightly? How do I get a clean heart? It’s a very simple principle. Seek God. Seek him. Jesus said, seek and ye will find.

In Amos chapter 5 and in verse 3, God says, seek me and live. And tonight, I hope you have the book with you. Oh, please open the book tonight and follow along as we study. Because we’re going to look at the life of a man whose heart has become rotten. What makes this, what makes this such a dramatic story is not that his heart had become rotten, but at one time he was proclaimed as being a man who was a man after God’s own heart. But he lost it. He lost that heart. And he did some things with his heart. He did some things with his heart most of us would never dream of. You see, not only would he commit a horrible sin. Out of mere lust, he would actually, in an effort to cover up his sin, you know, the filter to keep everybody from catching on.

Oh, you talk about a filter this guy had. His filter was a filter that actually would be to keep himself from looking bad. He would kill one of his friends. He actually contributed to the death of one of his own friends, a mighty warrior that was faithful to him until the day that he died. You know who I’m talking about, don’t you? This is David. Please open your book to Psalms chapter 51. Psalms chapter 51. Often when we look at Psalms chapter 51, we look at this in the context that this is a psalm written by David in which he is confessing his sin, and I want you to know that that is absolutely true. He is finally opening himself up. The filter has been ripped away by the prophet of our Lord, and now he stands exposed.

He stands exposed with blood on his hands. What do you do when you’re exposed? What do you do when you’re caught? What do you do when you realize that you are not the person that you should be? Well, this king could have really thrown his hands up and said, I’m useless. What good am I anymore? How in the world can I go out there and lead these people when everybody knows my sin? I mean, it’s out there. How can I have any value? I mean, I was the guy who was who was chosen to be king over all my brothers, not because of my brawn or my height, Mr. Creel. But because I had a heart for God. In fact, I was a man after God’s own heart.

Now look at my heart. Look at my heart. You ever wondered why David got in that situation? I think a lot of it had to do with apathy. Really? What kind of a callous soul could go through the things that he did if he really cared? He put on a good appearance. But he lost it. And the consequences were severe. But then you get to Psalms 51. And what you find is a man who is seeking a heart for God. Remember that. Seek and ye will find. You want a clean heart? You want a heart that burns with a passion for God? You want a heart that is consumed with the Lord’s will and the Lord’s work? Seek. Seek me and live, says God. Alright, let’s look at the Psalm.

1. Seek God’s Mercy

For what we’re going to find here are a few steps, a few principles that are given us directly through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit through David. And I’ll tell you, isn’t this fascinating? Have you ever just marveled at how God’s word is written? It would be one thing for God just to tell us, all right, here’s the steps. Let me just write it down for you. Here’s the steps. But how much more powerful is it to see these steps through the life of someone who’s gone through the same thing, who’s felt the fire burn out. And is recognized when he looked in the mirror, he didn’t like what he saw. Psalms chapter 51, verses 1 through 4. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your loving kindness, according to the multitude of your tender mercies.

Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you and you only have I sinned. And done this evil in your sight, that you may be found just when you speak and blameless when you judge. You seek in a heart for God. Here’s the first step. This is what David shows us. Seek God’s mercy. Seek the mercy of God. Mercy actually means in this context to bend or to stoop. It is the idea that one who is greater than us is bending down to us, is reaching out to us. You know what’s so interesting about the concept that God says, seek me and live. The fact of the matter is, he’s seeking us as well.

It is his hand that is stretched far across that chasm that separates us. And he is stooping to us. He is reaching out to us. And David recognizes this. His God should have destroyed him. I mean, if anything, when Nathan the prophet came in there and said, You’re the man. You’re the man. He should have said, fire. Take him down. Kill him. He’s useless. But David knew his God was a merciful God. He’s hurting. He’s certainly reminded of his sin. Notice he says, My sin is ever before me. Boy, his sin had great consequences. But here’s what he requests. He requests that his sins be blotted out. The Hebrews suggests the idea to rub or smooth. It is the idea of wiping an account to erase the debt, to totally wipe it away.

It is often used in the idea that God will blot a name out of the book. Well, in this sense, he’s blotting out the sins. They no longer are by our name, Jesus. Jesus blotted out sins on the cross in Colossians 2, verse 14. Psalmist requests that his sins not only be blotted out, but that they be washed away. Again, interesting choice of words in the Hebrew here. The word wash can also suggest the idea to stomp the feet. Totally take it out. It’s not something that’s just taken away from me and set on a shelf so that I see it all the time. And any moment now, I’ll thrust it back upon you. No, it’s gone. It’s gone.

And that his body be cleansed. Cleanse me from my sin. Can we comprehend that? Cleansed. Means pure. Holy. Can this guy be holy again? Holy? Oh, okay. Maybe he can be forgiven. All right. Well, or maybe we’ll not talk about it anymore, but holy? Cleansed? You see what the psalmist is telling us? Seek God’s mercy. In 1 Timothy 1, verses 15 and 16, the Apostle Paul understood this very clearly. He said, This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy. That in me first Christ Jesus might show all long suffering as a pattern to those who are going to believe in him for everlasting life.

2. Seek His Wisdom and His Truth

I ask you thirsty for him? His mercy, his mercy will reignite the fire. Verses 5 and 6, going back to Psalms 51. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity. And in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part you will make me to know wisdom. So what do I seek next? I seek his wisdom. I seek his truth and I seek it from deep inside my heart and inside my soul. Job. Job was told by God. Who puts wisdom in the mind? Or who’s given understanding to the heart? God says, it’s me. I put that in your mind. Are you seeking knowledge? I will give it to you. Are you seeking wisdom? I can give that to you.

Now please don’t stumble over verse 5 here. I know that when we read that, I guarantee you most of us probably looked at that and went, Boy, I’ve been scratching my head about this one for years in sin. My mother conceived me. Is the Calvinist right that we’re actually born in sin? Please understand that is not the context. Not by any stretch of the imagination. I suggest to you that it means more than anything. I was born into a sinful and a selfish world. I have a desire. I have a desire, unfortunately, to sin at times. I’m living without excuse. Even Albert Barnes says this in his commentary. This is no statement that the sin of another was imputed to him, or that he was responsible for the sin of Adam, or that he was guilty on account of Adam’s sin.

That would be totally inconsistent.

But what he does recognize, he recognizes that he has sin. And he has challenges. So what does he need to do? Well, seek truth. You desire truth, dear Lord. You desire wisdom. Remember how much the Lord hates a lukewarm heart? Hates it. You go back to Revelation 4. What did God say he wanted to do to the Laodicean brethren? It’s actually kind of gross. Yeah. And if your Bible says, spit them out of my mouth, it’s actually kind of cleaned up for you. Think about Jonah and Big Fish. I’ll leave it at that. He hates it. And yet he offers us a remedy to seek his word. Why? Because the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. It is piercing even to the division of the soul and the spirit.

Is it a discerner of thoughts and the intents of the heart? It will cut you deep. Jeremiah says you reject the word, you reject God’s wisdom. Don’t tell me how much you love God. Don’t tell me how much you have a passion for God if you’re not in his word. Our society, oh my, what is our society done with Christianity? To make Christianity all about a service, all about some means of entertainment, all about some social thing? No, it’s about getting in the word. Entertainment’s not going to save you. Oh, sure, it may fire you up for about five to ten minutes, but it won’t last. It’s like eating all the moraine on the top of the pie. There’s no substance. David says, You desire it in my inward part.

Blessed are those, says Jesus, who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Colossians 3 16, let the word dwell in you with all wisdom. Psalms 119. Oh, if you ever really want to have a reason to get in the word, just read Psalms 119. Unfortunately, it’s the longest chapter in the Bible, probably for that very reason. Incline my heart to your testimonies, writes the psalmist. And not to covetousness. Can I do something with you just real quick? Y’all are a great audience. I’m going to give you a freebie here. You ready? You got a little piece of paper with you? Alright. Tell me why we come to church on Sunday. Now, if your answer is because. Or that’s what we’ve always done. Or that’s what my parents do.

Very basic thing. Actually, I asked this to an adult class once. You wouldn’t believe the looks I got back. Is this a trick question? No, seriously. Can you name the two verses? And there’s actually only two. Only two that speak to us about saints worshiping on the first day of the week. Acts 27. 1 Corinthians 16, 1 and 2. There’s your pattern. A very basic, simple principle of Christianity. Now, why wouldn’t I know that? Why wouldn’t I know that? Well, I haven’t been in the Word. How many gator fans we have here in the audience tonight? It’s okay.

How many of you gator fans heard what happened to your team? Do y’all hear a guy got cut? What is Urban Meyer’s record here? 59 wins, two national championships, and 30 arrests. Yeah? Yeah? Sorry. I live in Gainesville. I’m converting. We know that. Why? Because I got into the paper when I heard about it. The point is this. We know what we want to know. We learn what we want to learn. We retain what we want to retain. You know what David reminded himself of when he recognized his sin and his heart wasn’t right? I need to seek the wisdom of God. For God, you desire in the hidden part to make your wisdom known. You want to have a heart for God? Let’s read on verses 7 and following.

3. Seek God’s Joy

Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean. Wash me and I’ll be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones that you have broken may rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore me to the joy of your salvation. And uphold me with your generous spirit. Seeking a heart for God, then seek God’s joy. There’s no doubt that what we find in the life of David, that the way of the transgressor is hard. And David’s life became hard. But here’s the point. It doesn’t mean that he didn’t have fun on the way there.

In fact, in fact, we’re being a little dishonest when we even speak to our children and tell them, you do that, and oh, it’s going to be bad. No, no, no. If it was all bad, then Satan wouldn’t have enough bites to get us in there. The sad part about it is it is fun. Hey, there she is. Woo! Nobody’s looking. I just happen to be the king. I think I’ll get her up here. This could be fun. You know, that’s what Scripture actually tells us. Even Scripture reminds us that we should not envy the sinner, Proverbs 23, 17. Why would we want to envy the sinner? Because the sinner seems to be having so much fun. Here I am having to go to church on a Wednesday night.

There’s my friends out there enjoying life. He doesn’t have to take the shows. He doesn’t have to miss anything. They’re right there. They can do whatever they want. Sunday morning, they get to put in the extra round or this golf and then say, oh boy, why was I brought up as a Christian?

Well, because it’s fun. It’s fun. But it leads to something that’s hard. David says, it’s not fun now. But you know what’s sad? A lot of people are still grasping for that fun. But here’s what, here’s what David now realizes. True joy is not just getting what you want, not just enjoying all the passing pleasures that are out there in the world. No, no, no. True joy. And there’s a difference between joy and happiness. Do y’all know that? The word happy actually comes from the idea of happinance. You know. But joy. Here’s what joy is. Joy is knowing that you’re free from sin. To be forgiven, free from guilt. Notice he asked, and he wants a pure heart. Notice, hide your face from my sins, blot out all my iniquities, create in me a clean heart, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Dear Lord, don’t look toward my sins anymore. Think of the woman who was caught in adultery when Jesus simply said to her, Go and sin no more. I’m no longer guilty. Think of Simon the sorcerer when he was told to simply repent and turn back to God, and even he didn’t feel worthy enough to pray to God, will you pray for me? But he left forgiven. Think of Paul the persecutor. He knew the joy of being forgiven. And think of your own list. Purge me, he says. Wash me. Make me to hear joy and gladness. You know what the bones represent here when you look at this text. The bones aren’t necessarily literal bones, it’s the whole substance of his life. Dear God, create in me a heart of true joy.

True joy. When you look back to the book of Acts, look at how often you find these brethren consumed with joy. Acts 2, there’s joy in Jerusalem in rejoicing. Acts 8, there’s great joy in Samaria. Acts Acts 13, it says there’s joy in Antioch. Acts 15, verses 3 and following, there’s joy throughout Phoenicia. The joy went everywhere. And please understand, their lives did not get easier. They got much harder. But they found joy. Hearts that turn to God. Does that not bring you joy? Hearts that conform to the master’s will. Does that not bring you joy? What a blessing you have here to have a congregation that is so consumed with seeking the lost. It ignites the joy.

You want to have a heart for God? Seek His joy. One of my favorite passages in Scripture. You know Philippians 2, verse 12, don’t you? Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. You know what verse 13 says? For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for his good pleasure. Anybody here like to put a smile on somebody’s face? I tell you, holiday season kills me. Because I about go crazy having to keep things hidden. And it’s not because I can’t find a good hiding place. I just got to tell you about it. Oh, I mean, this is great! And you know, I’m a reporter. I mean, it’s killing me. And often it’s things that I would really like to play with myself now that I have kids.

4. Seek His Mission

Which I have done. It’s hard to wrap it back up as well, but you know. But the joy of sharing. In fact, that’s that’s that’s that’s his next point. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me by your generous spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will be converted to you, just like Isaiah. Here am I, send me. What did the Christians do in the first century when they learned God’s wonderful word? Did they keep it to themselves? Did they heard it? Were they afraid to share? No. It says they went everywhere spreading the word. They were thrilled, they were excited, there was joy in being part of the mission. A few months ago, I actually got a letter from a lady.

Her son was in a prison in Alabama, and I was driving over to visit him, and it was actually quite a drive. But but I would go over there and spend my Saturday and spend some time with her son, and and and boy, I tell you, it was it was really, really encouraging because at first he really didn’t have anything to do with the Lord. He, although he knew a lot about the Lord and was kind of raising the church, and then he was very antagonistic and kind of honry, but after more and more visits, he seemed to lighten up, and then finally, finally at one of our last visits, and he was going to get out of it all. He said, You know, I’ve I’ve about to decide I’m really going to recommit myself.

I’m going to go to church as soon as I can get out of that halfway house, this, that, and the other, and all he was all excited. And I got a letter from his mother, and here’s what she wrote. She goes, Dear Phil, you must be an angel. Well. Yeah, yeah, okay. But she thought I was an angel. Simply because I just went and spent some time with her son. I’m no angel, trust me.

But I tell you, if you want to have a heart for God, if you want to ignite the flame and the passion in your heart for God, seek his mission. Don’t think it’s by chance, folks. That over and over and over and over again, the New Testament pattern is that when people taught the word, and those who were taught learned the word, that they went out teaching the word. Ephesians 4 verse 12 tells us our responsibility as a family in Christ, especially from your shepherds and your preachers and your teachers here, is to equip the saints. Why? So that they can be better pewters? No. To equip the saints for the work of ministry. For we’ve been created in Christ Jesus for good works. That’s what David wants.

5. Seek to Praise You

He wants to have a heart so that he can be one who he is able to now teach. And isn’t that amazing? That God can use this guy. That this guy can now be his ambassador. Verses 14 to the end of the chapter. Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God. The God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of your righteousness. Oh Lord, open my lips, that my mouth shall show forth your praise. And you, dear Lord, do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it. You do not delight in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God, listen, the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart. These, O God, you will not despise. Do good in your good pleasure design, build the walls of Jerusalem.

Then you shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and with whole burnt offering. Then they shall offer bulls on your altar. What the psalmist is telling us is, I want a heart for you, God. Therefore I’m going to seek to praise you. For I, I was glad when they said, Let us go to the house of the Lord. Lord, I know that you don’t want fancy things. You don’t want big fancy sacrifices. You don’t want big elaborate ornate things. You simply want a heart that has been broken. It has been crushed. It is contrite. Contrite simply means to crouch. It is one who crouches like a beggar. What’s the very first beatitude? Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.

God wants me to sing with melody in my heart, not merely with my lips. God wants me to pray with passion in my heart, not with fancy words. God wants me to give as I purposed in my heart, not with just percentages, and he wants me to stir the hearts of my brethren, not just sit with them. For the contrite heart, the broken spirit will never be despised by God. And let me ask you, does this excite you? Does this excite you? His mercy. His compassion. His wisdom. His knowledge. To enjoy his joy. To enjoy and see his mission. To get to experience his praise. The psalmist, the psalmist is showing us how to have a heart for God. And if you’ve lost that heart, here’s how you get it back.

When you feel tired and overwhelmed, here’s how you reignite the flame. Seek him. Seek him. Real quickly, how can I share this with my children? What do I need to remind them? Well, please fill them with the Word of God. Deuteronomy 6, verses 4 through 9 was written to parents and grandparents. When they come in, when they go out, when they rise up, when they sit down, when you go through your day, you are constantly, constantly focusing on God’s wonderful word. Share it with your children. Teach them God’s way. We’ve started at our home. We have a little whiteboard in the kitchen. And what the kids are doing is putting a proverb on there. It’s a proverb for the week. Just a simple thing. Proverbs. Whoa, the proverbs.

You know what they were written to? All of us, but I think especially to parents about teaching your children because that’s what it’s all about. My son, hear me, says the writer of the Proverbs. Hear me. Lean your ear toward me. Some great proverbs. Tidbits of wisdom. Fix their eyes on the Lord. Talk about him. Talk about him. His creation, his work, his power, his love. And please, please, please don’t fall into the trap of constantly feeling too tired or too worn out or letting somebody else do what you should be doing with respect to your children. Show them God’s love and mercy, even when things don’t appear to be that glorious.

You know what Job said at the end of that first catastrophic event in his life. Blessed be your name. The Lord gives, the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. And follow up the affection with action. You teach them to be servants. I believe that the Christian walk is made up of three stages. When we first become a Christian, we are brand new to the faith. We are a babe. We are just learning. It’s an infancy stage. We’re just excited that that person is showing up to services, and hopefully we can get them to show up to all the services. Very simple process. The second stage is to encourage them to really get in the word and to learn and to study and have an affection for the word and be growing in that knowledge.

They come to Bible class and don’t miss Bible class. But the third stage is servitude. Unfortunately, it’s the stage a lot of people never make it to. But then they get to not only work for the master, they get to enjoy the benefits of serving the Matister. And servants who are not men pleasers, but working for the master. Rarely lose a heart for God. Because they’re reminded of his mercy. They’re reminded of the joy. They’re reminded of the word. Do you see the point? Get your kids. Parents, let me, your kid will survive a hospital visit. They will survive. They will survive going to somebody’s house and sitting with them to encourage them. They will and don’t take the little computer game with you. Oh. That’s just rude.

Conclusion

They can do things. They can get involved. Sorry. But you’ll survive. I wonder if my kids just don’t wear black. They’ve been to so many funerals all the time. But they survive. Get them in the service. Get them involved. So let me ask you as we wind this down. How’s your heart? How’s your heart? Your words. Your actions. How strong is your desire to serve? What is the quality of your heart? Regardless of how bad you may think it is. I remind you of the words of John. God is greater than our hearts. And any heart, he can create and recreate. In any heart, he can instill a passion and desire. In any heart, he can make it pure. The question is, is that what we really want?

Will we seek him? Tonight. Tonight. I want you to really look at your heart. We’re going to do something now that we do at the end of almost every service, but I don’t want it to become something trite and routine. Because when you think of the concept of an invitation, the invitation is always open to all of the invitation is an opportunity to just make things right. If you see that you have sin in your life, and you see that your heart is not pure, that it is filled with these emotions, it is filled with these feelings, it is filled with these desires that are far from God’s desire. Then it’s time to find a cleansing. Don’t leave it like that. Don’t leave it like that.

God wanted your heart to be so clean, God’s desire for your heart to be pure is so intense that he sent his son. His son. He gave his only begotten Son as a sacrifice for your sin. Just so you could have a pure heart. And if you’re willing to repent, if you’re willing to confess, and in the words of the Apostle Paul, if you’re willing to allow Him to wash you, to be like it was told to Him by the words of Ananias to rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord, He can do that for you tonight.

Following His wonderful discourse about the beauty of baptism, the death and the burial and being raised to walk in newness of life. He says, but God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. God’s offered the escape.

Will you take it? Will you seek him and live? Above all else, guard your heart. For it is the wellspring of life. If we can help you in any way tonight, we beg of you to come while we stand and sing.