A Change of Heart (Luke 15:12,19)

A Selfish Heart (vs.12 “Give me”)

Give me, the portion that falleth to ME!

If we ever make the Christian life about us, we are going to be in horrible trouble. A selfish heart always stems from pride and from the flesh!

Proverbs 4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.”

Out of it - What infiltrates the heart eventually influences words, decisions, actions, and character.

The culture we live in is a “me” culture. Social media is filled with what “you” think. “Selfies” pictures of you that you post on social media so people can see you!

Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

2 Timothy 3:1–4 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;”

lovers of their own selves - characterized by affections concerned chiefly with oneself and one’s own advantages to the exclusion of others. The expression describes people whose supreme affection is directed toward themselves rather than toward God or others. It is the idea of self-centeredness, where personal desires, ambitions, comfort, and reputation take precedence over obedience to God and love for one's neighbor.

Philippians 2:3–4 “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”

1 Corinthians 10:24 “Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.”

This boy was looking for his own wealth. How he could benefit from others. We shouldn’t be looking out for our own wealth, but how we can benefit others!

Havner - "Humility is not thinking meanly of oneself, but rather it means not thinking of oneself at all."

Romans 12:10 “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;”

In honour preferring one another - means to give honor to others before seeking honor for yourself. It is the opposite of selfish ambition and pride.

James 3:16 “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”

Envying -  a greedy or prideful longing for something that belongs to another.

Galatians 4:18 “But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.”

While it’s good to have zeal and a desire for good things, a zeal and a desire for things for yourself for prideful greedy reasons is not a good thing.

James 4:1–3 “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”

God is not a means of fulfilling selfish ambitions. Prayer is an act of dependence on Him, seeking His will, His glory, and the good of others. When our hearts are aligned with God's purposes, our prayers reflect His character rather than our own self-centered desires.

A Servant’s Heart (vs.19 “make me”)

If we try to fix our own heart, you will never be able to fix it. Until we go to the Father with a broken heart and contrite spirit, and ask our Father to MAKE US A SERVANT will then he make us what he wants us to be!

Philippians 2:5–8 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

God will not force us to be servants. God will not force us to be submitted to the having the mind of Christ.

Christ made himself of no reputation because He is God! When we let the mind of Christ be in us (which you can have if you are saved) then we will be able to make ourselves of no reputation (Philippians 2:3-4) and took upon him the form of a servant (1 Corinthians 10:24), he humbled himself (Romans 12:10) and became obedient to his Father!

Mark 10:43–45 “But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Matthew 23:11–12 “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”

Galatians 5:13 “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.”

Romans 12:10–11 “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;”

We should haven’t have a give me heart, but a make me heart! It’s not our will, but God’s will to be done in our lives!

Moody - "The measure of a man is not how many servants he has, but how many men he serves."