The Overflow of a Clean Heart Mountain Life Church/Life Pack/May 3-4, 2014
The Overflow of a Clean Heart Sermon Notes May 3-4, 2014 I. The Man After God s Own Heart A. Psalm 51 1. David wrote this after his sin with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband 2. Nathan came and rebuked David B. David s authentic repentance 1. Raw, insightful words 2. Honest and contrite 3. David s words captured reality about evangelism - it happens after I get cleaned up (verse 13) C. Until I Agree with God: 1. I will have no desire to share my faith with others 2. I will be religious, but selfish self centered 3. I will have no real desire to reach the world and see God transform others 4. I will not sell what has not impacted me It should be obvious, but sex did not evolve, nor was it the result of sin. God designed it and did so for a purpose. Marriage was instituted for the purpose of developing a unique union between one man and one woman, for life. A man and a woman leaving their families of origin shall become one flesh (Genesis 2:24). God placed sex exclusively in the context of that union. He not only put His stamp of approval on having sex in marriage, but also makes the sexual fulfillment of one s spouse a personal priority. Each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her sexual rights, and likewise the wife to her husband (1 Corinthians 7:2, 3). So important is sexual relations in a marriage, that we Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time (vs. 5). And you must have really good reason for doing so, that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Think about what the Word of God is saying: but then come together again. Even prayer is not to be so important that you neglect your sexual relationship for an extended time. Sex from God s perspective is that sexual desire is to be regularly fulfilled at home between a husband and a wife, and never withheld by either spouse. II. Two Examples of a Transformed Heart A. Peter (Acts 2) 1. Peter at the trial of Jesus - denied knowing Jesus three times (Mark 14: 66-72) 2. Peter at the campfire - Jesus restored him (John 21: 15-19) 3. Peter at Pentecost - Bold as a lion (Acts 2) B. The Two Blind Men (Matthew 9: 27-31) 1. Their bold faith 2. Their healing 3. Their response 2 19
Sexual Atheism By Dr. Harry Schaumburg In today s world, the first sexual experience of most people is a sinful one. It comes in some form of premarital sex, from hooking up to an engaged couple having sex before their wedding date. A couple that maintains their virginity until their wedding night is rare. Kenny Luck recently posted an article on The Christian Post: Sexual Atheism: Christian Dating Data Reveals a Deeper Spiritual Malaise. He reports on a study conducted by ChristianMingle.com, where Christian singles between the ages of 18 to 59 were asked, Would you have sex before marriage? The response? Sixty-three percent of the single Christian respondents indicated yes. He goes on to say that nearly nine out of ten self-proclaimed single Christians are in practice, sexual atheists. He defines a sexual atheist as God having nothing to say to them on the subject of consequence or, at least, anything meaningful enough to dissuade them from following their own course of conduct. Some have argued that something so pleasurable could never be wrong or sinful. The Bible is consistently positive about sex within marriage and completely opposed to sex outside of marriage. Now we live in a world where unlimited sexual activity is now considered an entitlement. The real issue is, from whom are we going to get our instructions from about sexual activity God, or the world around us? It is old and forgotten news, but in 1994 U.S. News and World Report and Time magazine both reported on the most authoritative survey ever on sex in America. The University of Chicago s National Opinion Research Center found that fidelity reigns. Married couples have the most sex and are most likely to have orgasms. Most couples reported marital bliss in bed; they have sex more often and enjoy it more than singles. One recent sex study showed that the most sexually fulfilled women in America were conservative Protestants. III.The church s need for repentance A. Our spiritual lethargy 1. We are blind but think we can see 2. We think we are rich, but we are poor 3. We think we are strong, but we are weak 4. We are silent 5. We are consumers rather than ambassadors B. Satan s attempts to silence us 1. Ruin our testimony 2. Compromise 3. Political correctness 4. Intimidation 18 3
Life Group Questions for May 3-4, 2014 Message =The Overflow of a Clean Heart Ice Breaker: Tell what your favorite car is and why. Read Psalm 51: 10-13. 1. What sticks out to you about this passage? 2. When the Holy Spirit convicts you of sin, do you tend to repent immediately, or do you sometimes go for a while before you deal with it? 3. What fears do you have when it comes to sharing your faith with other people? Read Acts 2: 1-21. 4. Based on what you see in this passage, what was the purpose of the gift of tongues in Acts 2? 5. How is Peter different in this passage compared to the night Jesus was on trial before His crucifixion? What makes Peter different? 6. What else stands out to you about this passage? Read Ma:hew 9: 27-31 7. What practical things did these two blind men do to show their faith? 8. What do you think is the natural response to Jesus healing you? In other words, what would you do after Jesus healed you? 9. Pray for friends and loved ones who need to know and follow God. IV.And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors A. Acknowledge my sin and thank God for forgiving me through Jesus sacrifice on the cross B. Forgive and release others for their sins against me 1. Acknowledge that someone sinned against me and hurt me 2. Give the memory of the violation to God 3. Cut them loose from all debt they owe me 4. Acknowledge that bitterness has NO HOLD on me 5. Lavish love on them and pray for God to bless them V. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil A. Put on the whole armor of God (Put on the Lord Jesus Christ) 1. The belt of truth (Mentally accept God s truth over lies I have been hearing) 2. Breastplate of righteousness (Thank Jesus for giving me His righteousness which enables me to boldly enter His presence) 3. Shoes of preparation (readiness) of the Gospel of peace (Take time to digest the scriptures - committing them to memory) 4. Shield of faith (Step out on God s truth for my situation) 5. Helmet of salvation (Thank God that He has saved me and remember that I am different than the world. Satan has no power over me except the power I give him by believing lies.) 6. Sword of the Spirit (Apply the Word to the lies I hear, and the situations I find myself in today.) B. Run to the Lord for protection (You are my refuge, my fortress, my God in whom I trust!) 1. I set my mind on things above, not on things of the earth 2. God has set His love upon me 3. He knows my name and will never leave me or forsake me VI.For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever A. Make your faith declarations B. Return to praise 4 This outline inspired by Henry Blackaby & Larry Lea 17
Prayer Guide I. Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be Your Name A. Picture Calvary and thank God you can call Him Father by virtue of the blood of Jesus B. Hallow (lift Him above everything in your life) the names of God corresponding with the five benefits in the New Covenant and make your faith declarations Benefit Sanctify Spirit Soundness Success Security Name Jehovah-Tsidkenu Jehovah-M Kaddesh Jehovah-Shalom Jehovah-Shammah Jehovah-Rophe Jehovah-Jireh Jehovah-Nissi Jehovah-Rohi Meaning Jehovah our righteousness Jehovah who sanctifies Jehovah is peace Jehovah is there Jehovah heals Jehovah provides Jehovah my banner Jehovah my shepherd Personal Devotion Pages The following pages are designed to help you enjoy a regular time alone with God. We have divided up the curriculum to help us grow wherever we are at in our relationship with God and in our knowledge of His Kingdom. LEVELS: Since we are a Colorado church, we use skiing imagery to communicate the different levels of intensity and time involved in relating to God. BEGINNER: If you are new in your relationship with God, we encourage you to try the exercises under this symbol: INTERMEDIATE: If you have walked with God for some time and would like a little more challenge and more time involvement, try the exercises under this symbol: II. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done (God, what are you doing? How can I (others) get in on what You are doing?) A. Myself Give me awareness of how to meet others needs today I choose to take the initiative to love others B. My family (spouse, children, other family members) C. My church (pastor, other leadership, faithfulness of people, the harvest) D. My nation (city, state, and national political and spiritual leaders, the harvest) III.Give us this day our daily bread A. Believe that God desires to provide for me B. Be specific C. Be tenacious D. Talk openly about my worries and give them to Him E. Today s needs - Tomorrow will care for itself ADVANCED: These exercises are for people who have walked with God for some time and display maturity in their relationship with Him. These exercises provide a practical way to encounter God and His truth on a regular basis. There are no rules here. Please don t hurry through the process. Slow meditation and memorization seems to soak in better than cramming. Enjoy! 16 This outline inspired by Henry Blackaby & Larry Lea 5
Day One 1. Take some time to praise the Lord for who He is and enjoy thanking Him for what He has done in your life lately. 2. Slowly read Psalm 51. 3. Take a few minutes to ask God to show you any sins that you have not dealt with honestly before Him. Day Five After Jesus left the girl s home, two blind men followed along behind him, shouting, Son of David, have mercy on us! They went right into the house where he was staying, and Jesus asked them, Do you believe I can make you see? Yes, Lord, they told him, we do. Then he touched their eyes and said, Because of your faith, it will happen. Then their eyes were opened, and they could see! Jesus sternly warned them, Don t tell anyone about this. But instead, they went out and spread his fame all over the region. ~Matthew 9: 27-31 NLT These blind men pursued Jesus passionately. He gave them the gift of sight because they believed He was not only able, but willing to heal them. Then Jesus did something a little strange. He commanded them not to tell anyone that He healed them. Memorize Psalm 51: 10. Memorize Psalm 51: 10-13. Memorize Psalm 51. My first response to that is Jesus, don t You want people to know that You did that? My second response is, how would you keep something like that quiet? Jesus knew that His ministry would bring about great fruit - and great persecution. He did not want to be crucified before it was His time. In His early days of ministry, Jesus tried to keep what He did on the down low in order to steward His time on the earth. But even Jesus stern command could not stop these men from spreading His fame all over the region. Luke doesn t tell us what Jesus felt about this light transgression, but my guess is that He wasn t too displeased. When Jesus transforms me, I cannot help but tell others about what He has done! Have I been transformed to the degree that I cannot keep silent about what God has done? 6 15
Day Five 1. Take some time to praise the Lord for who He is and enjoy thanking Him for what He has done in your life lately. 2. Read MaUhew 9: 27-31 today. 3. Ask God to speak to you through this passage. Write in this space what He says to you. 4. Finish your Bible memorization today. Day One Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me. ~Psalms 51:10, NLT Perhaps the number one reason people are not open about their faith is because they have obstructions in their heart. When we harbor sin, idols, and addictions, our heart condemns us, and we feel that we are no example of Christlikeness. When David penned Psalm 51, his friend and prophet, Nathan, had just come in and convicted him of his horrendous sin with Bathsheba. In perhaps the darkest period of David s life, David committed adultery with Bathsheba and then had her husband killed in order to hide his sin. Nathan came into the king s presence speaking the truth of God. Though David thought his actions were in secret, God saw them. After Nathan left the throne room, David went into a deep period of repentance. His heart was slain. Suddenly, he saw the depths of his sin against God. His remorse was authentic and overwhelming, and out of that remorse, he penned this raw and poetic Psalm. Because David was not perfect, but was constantly repentant, God called him a man after God s own heart. David repented because he realized that he had grieved the heart of God. He did not repent because he was embarrassed that he was caught, nor did he repent because it was the right thing to do to please Nathan. David experienced heartfelt repentance. Father, You are intimately acquainted with all of my ways. Will you give me what I need to completely repent of my sin? I turn away from it and turn to You! 14 7
Day Two 1. Take some time to praise the Lord for who He is and enjoy thanking Him for what He has done in your life lately. 2. Slowly and carefully read Psalm 51 again today. 3. Meditate on what impacts you about this passage. 4. Talk to God about persistent sins in your life. Write down sins that seem difficult to receive victory for in your life. Ask God to show you what keeps you from receiving victory. 5. Continue memorizing and meditating on the scriptures for this week. Day Four So let it be clearly known by everyone in Israel that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified to be both Lord and Messiah! Peter s words convicted them deeply, and they said to him and to the other apostles, Brothers, what should we do? Peter replied, Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ~Acts 2:36-38, NLT Like David, Peter sinned greatly. After Jesus was arrested, Peter denied even knowing Jesus - and he denied Him three times! Peter was overwhelmed with conviction and went away and wept. After Jesus was resurrected, He spent some time with Peter. Jesus lovingly restored their relationship to one of acceptance, love, and empowerment. This left Peter as an empty vessel, ready to be filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Peter stood up that day as a new man. Suddenly, the overflow of the Holy Spirit empowered him to preach a sermon that brought repentance and salvation to several thousand people. David and Peter stand today and remind us of this wonderful Biblical principle. I must allow God to cleanse my heart and restore me to an intimacy with God. Once that happens, I am as bold as a lion when it comes to sharing my faith with others. Without that cleansing, I will cower with fear at the idea of having an open witness. Jesus, thank You that You cleansed me at the cross! I receive Your cleansing today. I come boldly to your presence! 8 13
Day Four 1. Take some time to praise the Lord for who He is and enjoy thanking Him for what He has done in your life lately. 2. Read Acts 2 today. 3. Pray for people you love that you would have the courage and the opportunity to invite them to church. Also, keep praying for specific needs. 4. Continue meditating on and memorizing the scripture for this week. Day Two Do not banish me from your presence, and don t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. ~Psalms 51:11, 12, NLT In order to fully understand David s prayer, we must remember that this is the Old Testament. In that time, the Holy Spirit did not live inside of people like He does in the New Testament. The Spirit would come upon people for a time and many times would lift off of that person when there was willful disobedience. David had seen this first hand when he saw his predecessor, King Saul, prosper and even prophesy under the power of the Holy Spirit. Then, when Saul willfully disobeyed God and did not repent, the Holy Spirit left Saul and the remainder of his days were spent in darkness, fits of rage, and misery. David does not want to follow in the dark steps of Saul. He cries for mercy that God will not take His Holy Spirit away from him and leave him in blind misery and demonic slavery. For us, we can rest assured that the Holy Spirit does not come and go when we sin. However, we can grieve the indwelling Spirit to the point that He is silent and we grow deaf to His quiet pleadings. Father, I acknowledge my sin to You, and my iniquity I do not hide. Restore me to an intimate walk with You today! 12 9
Day Three 1. Take some time to praise the Lord for who He is and enjoy thanking Him for what He has done in your life lately. 2. Read Psalm 51 again today. 3. Bring at least three friends or loved ones to the Lord and ask Him to bring them to repentance and faith. Ask Him to show you how you can boldly love them and speak the words of Jesus into their lives. 4. Continue meditating on and memorizing the scripture for this week. Day Three Then I will teach your ways to sinners, and they will return to you. Psalms 51:13, NLT David understands a profound truth. Only when I walk in purity before God do I sense His righteousness, His pleasure, and the joy of His salvation. Out of this overflow, I desire to tell others about what He has done for me. In my university days, it was when I truly forgave myself for some dark sins of my youth that I suddenly experienced an intimacy with God that overflowed to others. For some time, I was still scared and nervous to tell others about Jesus, but even that wore off after a couple years of intimacy with God. David taught his son Solomon well. Solomon wrote, The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, but the righteous are as bold as lions (Proverbs 28: 1). David had always overcome overwhelming odds because of his sense of righteousness before God. Because he knew that God accepted him, empowered him, and anointed him, he was able to do extraordinary exploits in God s name. When David sinned, that sense of righteousness left him, and Psalm 51 gives us a snapshot into the repentance he worked through in the aftermath. Father, out of the overflow of my life with You, will You teach me how to teach sinners Your way? I desire to see people turn to You! 10 11