Prepare Your Heart

Me

A few days ago, I was at the conference office for a pastor’s meeting. I had prepared to be there for the entire day. I had done things throughout the week to make sure I can just be at the meeting and soak up all the information that day, but I found it to be a struggle.

When I got to the meeting, my mind was in a hundred different places. None of them was where I was.

My wife had been sick all week long.

A couple days ago I received news that my aunt who had been fighting cancer had just passed away.

I had a couple of board meetings coming up.

We had just took our car in for repairs.

I was running late to my meeting.

And I had spilled a water bottle all over myself in the car.

My mind was everywhere but where I needed to be.

As I took my seat in the meeting, Elder Shires looks in my direction and asks me what were my thoughts.

Have you ever been there? Has this ever happened to you?

You are probably nodding your head, because not only has this happened to you, but it might have been this very morning.

Where’s the potluck food!

Are the kids dressed for church?

Do I have my bible?

What time is it?

Where are my church shoes?

The list goes on and on. It can sometimes be so bad, that by the time we get to church we are exhausted, overwhelmed and thinking about so many things that we miss the blessing of church, an encounter with Jesus.

We

That isn’t something that we want is it? How can we experience Jesus every time we come to church? Its not better programs, better music, or a better sermon. Jesus will be here because He knows you are going to be here.

Think about what we do when we know we are going to see someone else. When you know someone is coming to your house. What do you do?

You might clean your house.

You might make some food.

You might take a shower and put on some nice clothes.

You might prepare some activities.

And when your guest shows up what do you do? Where is your attention? Where is your focus?

Is it on the chores that need to be taken care of.

Is it on the rumors at work?

No of course not! We welcome our guests. We entertain our guests. We take care of their needs. All of our focus is on our guests.

We can make our guests feel at home even if it is their first time being in our house. Why?

Because we have made the necessary preparations to make sure that when our guests arrive at our home they will have a positive encounter with us.

God wants to have an encounter with us. We may miss it if we haven’t prepared ourselves to meet Him.

How can we prepare ourselves to have an encounter with God every time we come to church?

What does the bible have to say?

(Prayer)

God

In , the children of Israel have just arrived at Mount Sinai where God will give laws and commands to Moses and the people. But God doesn’t just want to speak with Moses, He wants to meet all the people.

Exodus 19:10–11 ESV

10 the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments 11 and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.

Before God meets with the people, God tells Moses to have the people prepare themselves to meet God.

They are told to consecrate or sanctify themselves before they see God.

By the way, this also happens with kings and weddings.

Before Joseph met Pharoah was commanded to take a bath and given new clothes.

Esther made herself presentable before Xerxes.

The bride prepares herself for the bridegroom.

Consecrate yourself to separate yourself from all defilement. To make yourself presentable. The biblical picture here is to wash your clothes and yourself so that you are clean.

A modern day picture would be to clean our house before a guest arrives.

Does this mean we need to be without sin before we come to church? No. Otherwise we would never come to church. But what it does mean is that we do need to prepare ourselves in some way so we can experience Jesus.

We can prepare our hearts for an encounter with Jesus by reminding ourselves:

Who God is.

Who we are.

What God has done for us.

What we want God to do.

This usually happens in the song service.

But we can’t rely on the song service. We need to be prepared before we come to church. What would that look like?

I can tell you what I do. Because I don’t want to have just one encounter with Jesus, I want to have many encounters, I prepare a special way.

Throughout The Week

Each day take some time to focus on God.

Make time for family worship.

Make Friday evening special.

Pray with people.

If we have made God a priority and have had at least one encounter with Him during the week, we are more likely to encounter Him on Sabbath as well.

In the car on the way to church

Sing worship songs

Listen to the Bible

Read S.S. Quarterly

Listen to a Sermon

I do these things with my wife or even when I am alone in the car. On the way to a board meeting, prayer meeting, or church because I want to be in the spirit of worship and I want to help others experience worship as well.

At Church

Focus on God. Block everything else out.

Embrace praising God.

Embrace Others.

Number 1: we must focus on God. When we focus on God, we will have a better church experience. Because every song, every prayer, every sermon begins to make an impact.

Imagine you are on a date with your spouse. But during the entire date you are on your cell phone. What’s worse is when our spouse has been looking forward to this date all week long!

God has been looking forward to His date with you. He is excited for the time you two are going to spend together.

Now imagine if you were excited about that date too. The best dates are never about the food you eat or the things you do. The best dates happen when both people are excited to spend time with each other.

Number 2: Embrace others.

Hebrews 10:21–25 ESV

21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Hebrews 10:

Embrace the spiritual experience of other people. Good and bad.

If its good praise God and affirm one another.

If its bad, encourage one another.

Some of the best prayer meetings in the entire district have been at this church. At times it will just be Michael and I. No one else. But I can remember some awesome conversations and studies we have shared. They were awesome because we were able to connect with one another and with God.

You

If you want to prepare your heart for an encounter with God, does that mean you have to do everything I talked about this morning. Absolutely not.

But they help.

The more time we spend with God during the week, the greater our church experience will be.

By praying, reading, and connecting with others, your heart will be prepared to have an experience with Jesus.

God is yearning for an encounter with you. Because He loves you.

We

When we prepare our hearts for an encounter with Jesus what will happen?

Listen to what the early church experienced:

“In the early days of the advent movement, when our numbers were few, the celebration of the ordinances was made a most profitable occasion. On the Friday before, every church member endeavored to clear away everything that would tend to separate him from his brethren and from God. Hearts were closely searched; prayers for a divine revelation of hidden sin were earnestly offered; confessions of overreaching in trade, of ill-advised words hastily spoken, of sins cherished, were made. The Lord came near, and we were greatly strengthened and encouraged.” - Manuscript 102, 1904

“It is a case of life or death with us. We have been stricken with spiritual paralysis, and every one needs the help of the Great Physician. He alone can reach our case. He is only waiting to be invited by us with earnest heart, with sincere desire. Nothing is wanting but a preparation of heart, and earnest, believing prayer, to bring Jesus to our side as a mighty helper. He longs to come. If we will but listen to his voice and open the door, he will come in.” - Gospel Workers pg. 225

We could experience the same thing that happened to Peter and John in

Acts 4:13 ESV

13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

We could be recognized as people who have been with Jesus. Because in fact we have been. Not just on Saturday, but all week long.

Jesus wants to have an encounter with you. Imagine Jesus returning to heaven and being questioned by the angels, “Jesus where have you been? Why do you have such a glow on your face?”

I imagine Jesus’ reply would be I have just returned from Alva.