Preparing the Heart for
Revival – Part 1
King
David’s Most Painful Psalm
Psalm 51
Sept 24 2017 AM
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland
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I.
Introduction (Psalm 51:10-12; Isaiah 59:1,2)
A.
This is not going to be the most popular message – because it is about
the heart!
B.
I have this sense that, in my life, and in our church…
1.
We need revival as Christians
2.
We need something that restores joy and energy/passion in our lives
3.
Something that overwhelms the disappointments and disasters of life
4.
We need something that upholds us, when we get discouraged
C.
Psalm 51 is one of the most incredible responses to spiritual apathy and
sluggishness
D.
Listen to David’s requests in just this one Scripture (Ps 51:12)
1.
To get his JOY back – to experience the joy he had when he was saved, born
again, converted
2.
And to get encouraged
E.
There is nothing wrong with God folks!
F.
There is only something wrong with US
1.
It’s OUR fellowship/closeness to God that is not working well
2.
What clogs our fellowship with God is Two-fold
a.
OUR sin
b.
AND our getting accustomed with it (Psalm 51:10; Isaiah 59:1,2)!
3.
It’s the getting used to sin that worries me the most!
G.
If we are going to have any kind of revival, and work of God in our
midst, we all have to pay attention to David’s journal known as Psalm
51, and do as HE did! Because a clean heart is the foundation of a close
relationship with God!
II.
Background – What Happened to David?
A.
How David Got in Trouble with God (2Samuel 11:1-5,14-17,26-27; 12:1-7)
1.
David was bored - Boredom started it all
2.
Looking for lust - there are many different kinds of things we lust for
3.
Adultery was his thrill
4.
Cover-up
5.
Murder of a good man, Uriah – how far will YOUR boredom take you?
6.
9 months went by – no concern about the sin he had done and become used to
a.
You say how do I know it was 9 months?
b.
Because all the time that Bathsheba was pregnant, up until the birth,
David was quite fine with himself
7.
Then Nathan rebuked him (12:1-7) – exposed his sin – parable of the rich
man robbing a poor man’s lamb to feed a travelling salesman
a.
And it broke David
b.
And David watched as his newborn son suffered and died
8.
David was doomed!
B.
By the way, this wasn’t the only time David was in in trouble with God…
(Psalm 32:1-5)
1.
Don’t get the idea God’s people don’t fail, or battle with temptations
just like everyone else
2.
Whether you admit it or not, 1Cor 10:13 is still very true!
3.
David battled with the sin of anger, bitterness, the desire to quit, to
blame
4.
Just because you may not be battling with the same sins as David, or
someone else at the moment, doesn’t mean that your heart is not in need
of cleansing!
C.
At some point folks, you are going to have to admit, like wise Solomon,
that you yourself CANNOT make your heart clean (Prov 20:9)
D.
But Psalm 51 shows the best way to work through spiritual lethargy, and
future judgment
E.
What follows is How David Got Right with God
III.
Message - How David Got Right with God (Psalm 51) – After getting SO
wrong!
A.
He Trusted in God’s Mercy (Psalm 51:1; 25:16-18)
1.
Didn’t just believe in it – actually now trusted it!
2.
Mercy is God’s compassion and slowness to judge us, that allows us to get
right with Him before judgment has to come
a.
Psalm 25:16-18 Turn thee unto
me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted. The
troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my
distresses. Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my
sins.
b.
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come
boldly unto [God’s] throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy,
and find grace to help in time of need.
3.
David believed with all his heart, that he SHOULD be punished, should even
DIE, but counted on God’s mercy to be greater than his sin! See Psalm
130:7,8; 86:5
B.
He Acknowledge his Transgressions – took responsibility
1.
I acknowledge my transgressions – “I” take responsibility – it’s hard when
YOU are the one who has done wrong
a.
Adam couldn’t do it – ran and hid
b.
Achan couldn’t admit it and face the consequences
c.
Peter had to run and hide when he sinned and cursed the name of Jesus the
very night when Jesus needed him the most!
d.
What were David’s sins?
1)
Apathy/lethargy/not caring
about responsibilities as a king and husband
2)
Lusting – his adultery all began in the heart
3)
Committing the very act of adultery – and by the way, you don’t have to commit the act to have committed the
sin (Mat 5:28) But I say
unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath
committed adultery with her already in his heart.
4)
Lying and coving it all up
5)
Murdering a good man –
Urijah
6)
And then not being bothered by it all for the next nine months
e.
Hey!
Beware! James 1:14,15 says, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and
enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and
sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
2.
I no longer hide my sin
3.
I know I hurt YOU most
a.
My sins are against you God, first – when will we start to really believe
that? HE is the LAST Person we think of when ewe sin, and break God’s
perfect laws!
b.
And secondly, You God, are not to blame for any of my troubles – I am
totally to blame!
4.
A sinner is all I am – from conception to death
a.
Yes, you can have victories over sinful habits, sinful thought-patterns
b.
But you will face temptations to sin, and give in to sins just like David
did
c.
That ought to scare you Christian
d.
And it ought to arm you – cause you to take sin very seriously (1Peter
4:1-4)
5.
I am finally being honest with both you and myself (1John 1:8)!
6.
FAR TOO MANY Christians believe they are ABOVE sin – think they don’t sin
very much at all, IF at all!
a.
Remember Moses and his anger, and where it took him, and what it cost him
in the end?
b.
Remember Peter and his denying the Lord THREE times when he was so sure he
would NEVER do such a wicked thing?
c.
Remember Job finally admitting that he was VILE and wicked for getting
bitter and angry at God and thinking he could convince God that HE had
been wrong to allow all the disasters in his life!
d.
Remember just how Stupid Solomon became later in his wealthy palaces?
Tolerated idolatry in his home and life! Sought pleasures in everything
the world had to offer!
e.
Remember Martha rebuking the Lord Jesus for His delay in coming to
heal her brother?
IV.
Conclusion
A.
We need revival as Christians
B.
We need something that restores joy and energy/passion in our lives and
in our church
C.
Psalm 51 is one of the most incredible responses to spiritual apathy and
sluggishness – by dealing with our own personal sins!
D.
How David Got in Trouble with God is probably how you and I get in the
most trouble
1.
Boredom started it all
2.
Looking for lust / buzz / excitement - there are many different
kinds of things we lust for
3.
Adultery was his thrill – what is YOURS Christian?
4.
Watch out for the Cover-up
5.
Ended up in Murder – how far will YOUR boredom take you?
6.
Beware! James 1:14,15
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and
enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and
sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
E.
How To Get Right with God
1.
Ask for God’s MERCY (Luke 18:10-14) – it is limitless!
a.
If you don’t ask for it, you will NOT get it!
b.
You can’t EARN it by the way – your SIN is your problem – don’t make it
worse by trying to just be a better sinner!
2.
Acknowledge YOUR transgressions – take responsibility – own up to whatever
is not right in YOUR heart and life
a.
Your boredom
b.
Your apathy about the Bible, and soul-winning, and preaching, and the
Bible
c.
Your personal lusts
d.
Your worldly attitudes
e.
Your constant fight with God’s will
3.
Let’s start there!
F.
And our homes, and families, and our church will never be the same!
G.
Next Sunday, we will look at David’s desperate desire for forgiveness,
and how he got it!
H.
If you are NOT born again yourself, and you want the forgiveness that
Jesus DIED in your place to give you, ask Him right now to save your
soul! To wash you and cleanse you!
I.
Don’t wait until sin has finished its course in your life! To the grave! |