Am I Honestly Worthy?
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
· First Word: Greetings announcements, prayer, flip to Psalm 15
· Context:
· Who: David
· What: What is Good enough for God
· When: Believed to be at 2 Samuel 6 when David is bringing the Ark to Jerusalem
· Where: In Jerusalem
· Why: David was reflecting with God on how much good is good enough for God
It was 1984. The world was still caught in the tension of the Cold War, and the White House had become one of the most heavily guarded buildings on earth. Guards stood at every entrance. Secret Service agents watched every corner. To meet the President of the United States was an honor reserved for dignitaries, celebrities, and political allies.
But one day, a small, elderly woman named Francis Green showed up at the White House gates in her Sunday best — a faded green dress and an old hat she had worn for years. Clutched in her wrinkled hands was a letter she’d received from President Ronald Reagan himself.
She smiled at the guard and said simply,
“I’m here to see the President.”
The guard looked confused. Visits to the President don’t happen that way. You don’t just show up. But Francis insisted, holding up the letter.
You see — Francis Green was 83 years old, living on a small pension in San Francisco California. One day, she’d received a letter from the Republican National Committee asking for a donation to the President’s campaign. She thought it was a personal invitation. She didn’t know the letter was part of a fundraising mailer sent to thousands of people.
So Francis Green, out of love and respect for her President, scraped together what she could — $5 — and sent it in. A few weeks later, another letter arrived, thanking her and inviting her to a “special dinner” with the President in Washington, D.C. She took it literally. She sold her old car, used her savings, and boarded a bus all the way to the nation’s capital.
When she arrived, she truly believed she had an appointment with Ronald Reagan himself. Francis Green missed one thing, our first application…
Understand the Question
Understand the Question
Lord, who can dwell in your tent? Who can live on your holy mountain?
· This Psalm is written with God as the audience
· The Holy Hill is Jerusalem
· Are you worthy enough to be a guest in the presence of God?
· (1) This is about walking into the holy presence of God and being under His protection.
· To put it into terms that are easy for us to understand; Who will enter the kingdom of heaven?
When the guards realized what had happened, they didn’t laugh. They were moved. They understood that this wasn’t a scam or a scheme. This was a woman with sincere belief. She had misunderstood the invitation, but her heart was pure.
And when the story reached the White House, President Reagan’s staff told him about it. Reagan paused and said,
“Well, let’s not disappoint her.”
See, Francis Green didn’t understand the system, but her sincerity caught the attention of someone who did.
Psalm 15 begins with a question:
“LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain?”
It’s the same kind of question that Francis Green asked in her own way: “How can I come in? What does it take to be welcomed?”
Before we can find the answer, we must understand the question. It’s not about access through money, power, or privilege. It’s about the heart — who truly belongs in the presence of the King.
Application: Understand the question of honestly getting to heaven
Realize The Answer
Realize The Answer
The one who lives blamelessly, practices righteousness, and acknowledges the truth in his heart—
· David answers the question presented in verse 1 and is about to break down the answer more in the following three verses
· David gives a list of who will be in the presence and Paul gives a list of who will not. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or males who have sex with males, no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom.
· What do these two lists mean? Matthew 7:21
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
· Blameless life, doing what is right, and speaking honestly are three separate attributes that all go hand in hand in application
· (2) Psalm 1:1 gives a clearer picture of living this life
How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers!
· (2) Let’s look at who’s not here in the presence of God. To be bluntly honest the wicked and the hypocritical do not belong in the presence of the Lord.
· Doing what is right is not always where everyone can see it; in fact, its better if they don’t (Matthew 6:1-4)
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward with your Father in heaven. So whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
A few days later, Francis Green received a personal call while still in her despair. The President wanted to see her. His motorcade brought her to the White House. When she arrived, Ronald Reagan himself met her at the door. He smiled, took her by the hand, and said,
“Mrs. Green, it’s so good to finally meet you.”
He gave her a personal tour of the White House, introduced her to staff members, and talked with her like an old friend. THE WHOLE FREE WORLD STOPPED FOR MS. GREEN
She didn’t have credentials. She didn’t have money. But she had a genuine heart — and the President welcomed her in anyway.
Psalm 15 tells us the kind of person who can “dwell in God’s holy presence.” It’s not about our résumé. It’s about righteousness, truth, and integrity. It’s the person who walks blamelessly, speaks truth from the heart, and does what is right.
That’s the answer: God doesn’t look for perfection, He looks for sincerity of heart.
Application: Realize the answer to your question cause that leads to application three
Live Out The Truth
Live Out The Truth
who does not slander with his tongue, who does not harm his friend or discredit his neighbor, who despises the one rejected by the Lord but honors those who fear the Lord, who keeps his word whatever the cost, who does not lend his silver at interest or take a bribe against the innocent—the one who does these things will never be shaken.
· (3) remember Jesus’ teachings about the good Samaritan; Luke 10:29-37
But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus took up the question and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion. He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.’ “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” “The one who showed mercy to him,” he said. Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.”
it’s not about who is your neighbor but how can you be neighborly to everyone
· Why should we not insult our neighbor? It’s a sign of putting away falsehoods (Ephesians 4:25)
Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another.
· (4) A reprobate is a sinner
· (4) We are not to hate people but we should have a deep disgust for their worldliness
· (4) You might be thinking that you have a way out by not really “committing” to something but listen to Jesus in Matthew 5:37
But let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ mean ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one.
· (4) Don’t be flaky on your promises
· (4) Renege means to denounce or abandon
· (5) Help out without expecting something in return
· (5) Living this way comes with a promise
· What does it mean about not being Shaken? Hebrews 12:26-28
His voice shook the earth at that time, but now he has promised, Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens. This expression, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what is not shaken might remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe,
Things that can’t be shaken are the things that are going to last.
Don’t you see it? Understanding the Question and Realizing the answer are nothing without Living Out the Truth! It took Peter awhile to understand the teachings of Jesus but listen to the impact of his epiphany.
· Acts 10:34-35
Peter began to speak: “Now I truly understand that God doesn’t show favoritism, but in every nation the person who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
Francis Green didn’t leave that meeting bragging about what she had done. She left humbled, honored, and deeply changed. She told her friends back home that the President was “a good man, kind and full of grace.”
She didn’t earn her way into that room — she was invited in because someone had compassion on her.
Psalm 15 ends the same way. It describes not just who gets to enter God’s presence — but how to live once we’re there:
The one who keeps an oath even when it hurts.
The one who lends without interest.
The one who does not accept a bribe.
Whoever does these things will never be shaken.
It’s not about knowing the right people — it’s about being the right kind of person.
Application: Live out the truth
Conclusion
Conclusion
Francis Green’s story is a small glimpse of a greater truth: none of us deserve an audience with the King. We can’t buy our way in. We can’t earn our seat at His table. But when we come with humility and sincerity — when we understand the question, realize the answer, and live out the truth — the King Himself opens the door and says,
“It’s so good to finally meet you.”
Psalm 15 reminds us that God isn’t looking for people who know about Him — He’s inviting those who want to walk with Him.
Ronald Regan was in the middle of an arms race with Russia, fighting communism threat on all fronts both foreign and domestic, and starting the D.A.R.E program to declare war on drugs. He had all this going on at the same time and yet he took over twenty minutes, stopping all meetings, to talk with this crazy lady who gave up everything. What are you willing to give? If Reagan was willing to sit down with Francis, how much more is God willing to sit down with you? Let’s pray...
