Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
Good evening and welcome back!
Tonight we are going to be sort of all over the place in our Bibles, but we will be starting out with Psalm 51, verses 16-17 if you want to start turning there.
But just as a refresher, this morning we discussed Worship and what it meant to be a true worshipper of God.
And part of our discussion centered on the fact that without Christ and without the Holy Spirit, there was no worship.
Also, without being in a right relationship with Christ, you are unable to truly worship God.
Tonight, I want to build on that and talk about being in a right relationship with Christ in order to be able to be a true worshipper of God.
I want to ask the question, has your heart been broken lately?
And our focus that comes from the 51st Psalm, a Psalm of David, and it explains why I ask that question.
So, let’s look at these two short verses and then get right into things and see what ground we can cover tonight!
Psalm 51, starting in verse 16 . . .
Scripture Focus
Samuel’s Message to Saul
And I wanted to read that up front because we have so many out there that think that God desires a great sacrifice from us.
They think that they cannot commune with God, or worship God, unless they are offering some great sacrifice of bulls and goats.
But that's not what God requires.
That's not the sacrifice that God is wanting.
Look at some Scripture on that very subject, from 1 Samuel 15 . . .
And of course we know that this is when Saul disobey’s God’s command and does not destroy the enemy but rather, he selfishly keeps the best for himself.
And when confronted by Samuel, Saul tries to play it off that he was going to offer these things as great sacrifices to God.
To which Samuel poses the question to him, which is better?
And we know the answer to that, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams!
And I really think at times we desperately need to hear that as well.
We need to be reminded that all God requires from us is our obedience.
And if we are so bent on sacrificing to God, then we had also better take heed in what we are asked to sacrifice.
Because God does not want rams, goats, and bulls.
God wants us.
In Romans 12, Paul writes . . .
We are the sacrifice to God.
We sacrifice our will and our ways for God’s will and God’s way.
We lay down our wants and desires for God’s commands.
Which, again requires one thing—obedience.
Message from Hebrews
Which is really God has ever asked for anyway.
And since we are talking about things like sacrifice, praise, and worship, Hebrews 13 also has something to say about this as well.
In verse 15, the writer says . . .
Do, we see that?
A sacrifice of praise!
Just reiterating the point that, God doesn't want material things.
God doesn't want the physical things, the things He created for our use sacrifice to Him.
He desires our soul as a sacrifice.
He desires our all in all.
God desires our obedience.
He requires us to be dedicated to Him, sold out to Him.
Look at Psalm 51:17 again . . .
Why Though?
Why is this what God requires?
Wouldn’t it be much easier to kill a goat?
Of course it would, but our worship and sacrifice for God goes much deeper than just an outward showing and sign.
It is because when your heart is broken, when your will is broken, you realize your condition.
You realize just where you are and you are humbled.
This is when the Lord can change you, mold you, and use you.
This is when we start to get it.
This is why in 2 Chronicles 7, the Bible reminds us that . . .
Three very specific things are mentioned here in order to get God’s attention.
(1) Humbling ourselves before God
(2) Praying to God
(3) Seeking God’s face
Translation is this, when we humble ourselves before God, we are realizing our sinful condition.
This leads us to praying to God and asking His forgiveness and His restoration.
Which ultimately causes us to seek God’s face, which causes us to seek out his will and his way.
We become obedient to God.
Kicking against the Pricks
But, this is not an easy thing.
We don’t just wake up one day and decide we are going to listen to God.
We have to be prodded and pushed a little bit from time to time.
A perfect example of this is the Apostle Paul, when God set him apart and saved his soul.
A very familiar passage of Scripture.
We find, Paul, known as Saul here traveling about on his way to Damascus, not preach the Word or to witness for Christ.
Rather he was on his way to deliver death warrants to Christians.
He was a high ruling Jew and it was his life's mission to destroy Christianity.
He is traveling down the road and he gets a visit from heaven.
Jesus visits Saul right there on the road and asks him a question, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?
Saul, shocked, asks Jesus a question, "Who are you Lord? Notice, he said "Lord," with a capital “L,” so Saul already knew who he was talking to, he just wanted confirmation of this from the Lord.
Jesus gives him this confirmation and then asks Saul another question, which is left out of the NIV, "why is it hard from thee to kick against the pricks?"
Why are you resisting me?
Why will you not humble yourself and obey me?
What about it church?
Why won't we be humble and obedient to the calling of the Lord?
Why won't we do what the Lord has called us to do?
Why won't we take up our cross and follow God?
I'll answer that, BECAUSE OUR HEART HAS NOT BEEN BROKEN.
We haven't reached that point in our life when we realize we don't have the answers.
We don't have the solutions.
We can't figure it out.
We are still trying to appease God.
We are trying to offer material sacrifices.
We are offering the blood of goats and rams, when HE REQUIRES US!
Blindness for Three Days
This is where Paul was and God had to teach Paul a hard lesson.
The scripture in Acts 9 goes on to say . . .
God struck him blind!
He couldn't see, those with him were speechless.
They had to lead him to Damascus and for three days he was blind.
He also went three days and didn't eat or drink.
However, when he arrived in Damascus, God had went ahead of Saul and prepared his way.
God had also paid a visit to the house of Ananias.
So God tells Ananias to go and find Saul and restore his sight.
God also tells Ananias that He had already told Saul that he was coming.
Now, Ananias knew who Saul was and really didn't think it was such a great idea...
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