Youtube Video

MP3 Podcast Episode

Summary

In this powerful sermon, Sidney Moore delves into the theme of spiritual renewal, using Psalm 51 as a foundational text. He reflects on the story of King David, who, after committing grave sins, sought God’s mercy and forgiveness. Moore emphasizes that true spiritual renewal requires a sincere appeal for mercy, a confession of sins, and a fervent desire to be cleansed. He highlights the importance of acknowledging one’s sins and understanding that God is the only source of mercy and forgiveness. Through David’s example, Moore illustrates that spiritual renewal is not merely an external change but an inward transformation that leads to a renewed spirit and a commitment to evangelism.

Chapters

00:00 The Choice of Belief: Understanding Free Will
16:12 The Call for Inward Transformation
23:49 The Role of Evangelism in Renewal
33:03 Practical Applications for Spiritual Renewal

Sidney Moore (00:08) *This transcript was automatically generated and may contain errors.*
CJ.

Y’all don’t know CJ. CJ, I was scrapped with you. We had some tough times, some real conversations. We were here in Delta Forest, and so thank God for him. Thank God for the brother, him and his family. Got a lot of children I see coming along, so God bless him, his wife, God is good. But if you got your Bible, Psalm 51.

talking about spiritual renewal.

In 2 Samuel chapter 11, we read of David, the king of Israel, committing adultery with Bathsheba and murdering her husband, Uriah. In 2 Samuel chapter 12, God sent the prophet, Nathan, to confront him. He told him, you are the man, after he gave him a parable. And he was found guilty of the crimes he hypocritically condemned.

But if it were up to David, his sins would have never come to the light. He would have swept the issue under the rug and continued on walking in darkness. But the Bible tells us in 1 John chapter 1, 5 through 7, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light,

We have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ, his son, cleanses us from all sin. If there’s anything that David loved to enjoy, it was fellowship with the Lord. Even in Psalm 51 verse 11, he says, do not cast me away from your presence and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. And so we love fellowship. He loved worship. He loved being in the presence of God.

But as long as David remained in sin, he stood at a guilty distance from God. And so the question is, what will he do? Will he choose to come to the light, or will he continue on walking in darkness? The good news is that David chose to walk in the light. And he penned for us Psalm 51, a prayer of repentance to the chief musician of Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him.

after he had gone into Bathsheba, and it serves as a blueprint, so to speak, to spiritual renewal. And so when we talk about spiritual renewal, we’re talking about the sovereign activity of God whereby he renews his people individually and or corporately in vigor, affecting both sincerity of belief and quality of behavior. One might ask the question, who needs spiritual renewal?

Well, that’s all of us. Romans 6, 23, Paul said, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. One might ask the question, well, how do we get spiritual renewal? Well, that’s what David is going to help us see tonight. You come to Psalm 51, you look at verses one and two. The first thing we will notice about spiritual renewal is that spiritual renewal calls for an appeal for God’s mercy.

Notice he says in verse one and two, have mercy upon me, O God, according to your loving kindness, according to the multitude of your tender mercies. He says, blot out my transgressions, wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. What we notice that a sincere appeal for mercy, right, it’s evidence in a few things. First of all, the person understands that they have sinned.

Secondly, the person understands that they have sinned against God. And thirdly, right, the person understand who holds the power of mercy, the power of forgiveness. And fourthly, what do we see? The person cannot be ashamed and they can’t be too proud to go to God and ask for forgiveness and ask God for mercy. And David fits the bill. And Psalm 51 verse three, we see David knew that he had sinned.

In verse three, the Bible tells us, David said, for I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is always before me. He also knew whom he had sinned against. And verse four, says, against you, you only have our sin and done this evil in your sight that you might be found just when you speak and blameless when you judge. David knew that God is the only one who had the power to deliver him. That’s why he said, have mercy upon me, notice.

O God in verse one. And also David, unlike Saul, was not too proud to plead to God for the mercy. He said, according to your loving kindness, according to the multitude of your tender mercies. One writer says, mercy is specifically designates that quality in God by which he faithfully keeps his promises.

and maintains his covenant relationship with his chosen people despite their unworthiness and despite their unfaithfulness. Church, it’s not something to be abused, but here’s the truth. That’s good news for you and me. Amen. Right? The prodigal son understood the same thing about his father. In Luke chapter 15, verses 17 and 18, that’s Luke chapter 15, verses 17 and 18. Notice he said, hey, he said, how many of my father’s hired servants

have bread enough and to spare. Look at that. And I perish with hunger. He said, I will arise and go to my father and I will say to him, then he gives him confession. We’ll get to that next. But notice he knew that his father would have mercy on him. And that’s why he could count on him the way that he did. The apostle Paul also boasted about the mercy of God. In 1st Timothy chapter one, beginning of verse 12, Paul said, and I thank Christ Jesus our Lord.

who has enabled me because he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. Although I formerly was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man. Notice he says, but I obtained mercy, why? Because I did it ignorantly and unbelieved. And for this he says, and the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Paul said, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance.

that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. And here it is. So what confidence, What confidence do we have that we can go to God and pursue him for mercy? The Hebrew writer tells us in Hebrews chapter four, verses 15 and 16, for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

16 he said, let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. And so that said, without the mercy of God, spiritual renewal is impossible. God is the one with the mercy and we got to go to him and ask for it. But secondly, we see this spiritual renewal calls for a confession of sin. I can’t pursue God for his mercy.

but then want to keep my sins to myself. When you look at the scripture, Psalm 51, pick up in verse three. Again, notice David says, for I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is always before me. He says, against you, you only have I sinned and done this evil in your sight that you may be found just when you speak and blameless when you judge. Verse five, David says, behold, I was brought forth in iniquity.

and in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts and in the hidden parts you will make me to know wisdom. What I love about David’s confession is this, especially when he was standing before Nathan. After Nathan rebuked him, what we find is that David just says straightforward and very simply in 2nd Samuel 12 and 13, David says, I have sinned against the Lord.

There was nothing special about his confession. Nathan brought the word of God to him by form of a parable and told him, you are the man. And David didn’t hesitate. He confessed his sins immediately. And in the same verse, Nathan says to him, the Lord has put away your sins. You shall not die. See, there’s a blessing we get when we just confess our sins to God straightforward. Don’t try to act like.

Don’t try to act like God doesn’t know that you have sinned. But then last week you were just saying God’s omniscient. If you know that God is omniscient and you’re to hide, you’re contradicting yourself. So David, he spoke it straightforward. We see the same thing with Nehemiah. Nehemiah chapter one.

Verse six, man, I wish I was like, am I going to memorize all these scriptures, right? But look, right? In Nehemiah chapter one, verse six, you see the same thing occur, right? Nehemiah doesn’t appeal to God for mercy without making a confession of sin. Right? In the midst of his prayer, notice he said, please let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, that you may hear the prayer of your servant, which I pray before you now, day and night.

for the children of Israel your servants and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against you, both my father’s house and I have sinned. So notice something church, before the wall was built, confession was made. You understand what we’re trying to say? A lot of times we want God to restore.

our reputations. We’ll talk about that. We want God to rebuild our lives. We want God to make everything right in our eyes. But when you look at Nehemiah, the confession was made before the wall was built. We know in Nehemiah 6.15, right, it only took 52 days to do this, but confession was made before the wall was built. Are you making a confession? First.

before you’re seeking to have everything in your life restored and built all over again. That’s not the example we see in the scriptures. David confessed his sins. Nehemiah confessed his sins. In Luke chapter 15 verse 21, when the prodigal son returned, in Luke 15 standing before his father, In verse 21 he said, father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.

Notice the confession of sin before the seeking of the mercy. This is the example we see. And some will say, well, why do we need to do that? Well, in James 5, verse 16, James tells us. He says, confess your trespasses to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

I agree with the statement, confession of wrongdoing crosses the grain of pride and wounds it. But ultimately church, confession is for the healing of the same, not just for the humiliation.

And so sometimes as a church, we can make it hard or difficult for people to make a confession. Well, how am I going to get the healing if I’m, you know, I can’t make the confession? So we got to be careful not to attempt to humiliate people because they’re trying to get right with God. They got to make the confession because the confession is necessary for the healing. And so we see the appeal for mercy. We see that confession is necessary. When we come back to Psalm 51, here’s something that David shows us though.

David helps us see that spiritual renewal calls for a fervent desire to be made clean. Notice I emphasize a fervent desire. It has to be something that the individual yearns to do. And the individual must be willing to do all that needs to be done to be made clean. That is the sense and tone of David’s cleansing discourse.

And if you know 2 Corinthians chapter 7, 10 through 12, where we see those seven marks of godly sorrow, you know that fervent desire is the fruit of godly sorrow. So notice when we come to verse two in Psalm 51, go back to verse two. Notice David says, wash me. But how did David say wash me? David said, wash me how? Thoroughly.

You understand from my iniquity and cleansed me from my sin. David didn’t say just watch me a little David said, watch me thoroughly. Okay. The parents understand that if you got a child that’s playing a video game or something and you tell them to go take a shower, I guarantee you within two minutes, they’re going to be back in that spot where they were just sitting playing that game. Right. And you’re going to look at them. You can say, didn’t I tell you to go take a shower? And they’re going to say, I did take a shower. And you’re going to say to them,

You didn’t take a shower that quick. You didn’t take a shower in two minutes. Here it is, here it is. You have a standard for cleanliness, but the child is trying to get back to what they were used to doing. You get what saying? God’s trying to teach us something, ain’t it? The reason why some of us can’t get clean, because we’re too anxious to get back to what we were doing before God called us to be clean.

But if we will allow the Lord to clean us up and work on us, not only will we get the video game and all the extra stuff, but we’ll be right with God in the process. But if I’m too anxious to get back to what I was doing, if I’m too anxious to have my reputation restored, I can’t get the cleanliness that God is talking about. David said, watch me thoroughly for my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. When you drop down to verse seven, notice he says, purge me with his. ⁓

and I shall be clean. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.” He said, make me hear joy and gladness that the bones you have broken may rejoice. They would say, hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. One writer says, since hyssop was used in the ceremony of cleansing the lepers, Leviticus 14, 49 and 52, it may be that David was thinking of himself in terms of such a creature.

spotted and unclean and unfit for the society of its fellow men. So David is seeking to really be made clean. And some will say, it sounds like David wants to be baptized, right? And we’re not wrong for thinking or making the parallel, right? And there’s some truth to that. But it’s more than that, not just being outwardly cleansed, right? Because Peter says in 1 Peter chapter 3,

In verse 21, he says, there’s an anti-type which also now saves. Baptism. Remember, Peter says, not the removal of the flesh. He says, the answer of a good conscience toward God. So spiritual renewal is something inward. It’s not something outward.

And David has already iterated that in Psalm 51 for right that God desires truth in the inward part and in that hidden part you will make me to know wisdom. So that brings us to Psalm 51 when you look pick up in verse 10 church spiritual renewal. It requires inward transformation. Not external renovations. Not outward beautification.

not deceitful public relations. Spiritual renewal, it calls for inward transformation. David says in verse 10, create in me a clean heart, God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. He said in verse 12, restore to me the joy of your salvation.

uphold me by your generous spirit. When our credibility is lost, when our reputation is shot, and when our ego is wounded, we’re tempted to manipulate public perception and not actually go to God to get clean on the inside. And we know this is true because that’s exactly what King Saul did. After he was rejected from being king over Israel,

You recall in 1 Samuel chapter 15 verse 30, recall, go to 1 Samuel chapter 15 and look at verse 30. Notice what Saul was seeking after he was rejected. He wasn’t even concerned about his soul. He was concerned more about his image. Notice in 1 Samuel 15 verse 30, he said, I have sinned. So he made a confession.

But he says, I have sinned, look, yet honor me now. Please before the elders of my people and before Israel and return with me that I may worship the Lord your God. You see what we’re talking about? That’s not spiritual renewal. That’s why we say spiritual renewal. It requires inward transformation, not outward, not external renovations.

Not outward beautification, not what he’s doing here, right? Deceitful public relations. You remember what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 23 and 25 through 28. Jesus said, woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish.

that the outside of them may be clean also. In 2070, he says, woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so, you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

And so external renovations, outward beautification, and deceitful public relations, it will not bring about spiritual renewal. The Bible helps us to understand, David helps us to understand, the heart has got to be made clean. David understood that his heart was no longer clean. He understood that his devotion was not like it used to be. And so he was terrified of being banished from God like Saul.

He was terrified of having his spirit, the spirit of God taken away from him like Saul. And not to mention, he mentions, right, that he had lost the joy of God’s salvation. But one thing David understood, he knew that he could not stand without God because he tried to stand on his own merit. And the only thing happened was he failed. And so notice what he says, right, created me a clean heart, God, renew a steadfast spirit within me.

God has the power to create in us a clean heart. When you look at 1 Peter chapter 1, verse 22 and 23, I don’t got time to go to Ezekiel chapter 36, 25 through 27, but in 1 Peter chapter 1, 22 and 23, notice Peter says, since you have purified your souls, how? In obeying the truth through the spirit, in sincere love of the brethren, look what he says, love one another fervently with a pure heart.

having been born again, not a corruptible seed, but incorruptible through the word of God, which lives and abides forever. The understanding is God has the power to create in us a clean heart. That purified is the Greek hadnitsou, which means make ritually clean. That soul there is the Greek suke, where we get psyche. It is the inner self, the mind. He is talking about the heart. God can clean a man’s heart.

He can completely clean a man’s heart. But not only that, God can also, look, he can renew a man’s spirit. He can renew the spirit. When you go to Romans chapter 16, go to Romans chapter 16, pick up in verse 25. In Romans chapter 16, when you pick up in verse 25, notice Paul says, now to him who was able to establish,

you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began, but now may manifest and by the prophetic scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God for obedience to the faith. Look, it says, to God alone wise,

be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen. If you didn’t catch it in verse 25, notice he says, now to him who was able to establish you, that Greek word is sterizo. And it means to turn you resolutely. It means to strengthen us. It means to establish in a place. It means to decide something firmly, to fix something firmly.

And in Luke chapter 9 verse 51, you recall the Bible says, now it came to pass when the time had come for him to be received up, speaking of Jesus, that he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem. Jesus’ face and mind was fixed on going to Jerusalem. Paul says, God can do that with your heart. And that’s what David was praying for, creating me a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Question might be this, what will you do when God makes you stand fast? What will you do when God finally cleans your heart? What will you do when God finally gives you that internal strength that you’ve been praying about? Well, David told us what he would do. And Psalm 51, when you look at verse 13, look at what David said. David said, if God, if you do this for me, and verse 13, says, then I will teach.

transgresses your ways and sinners shall be converted to you. Spiritual renewal involved heeding the call, church, to evangelism. Spiritual renewal, it calls for that. It even requires that we heed this call to evangelism. But notice, this didn’t take place until after he pleaded for God’s mercy, after he confessed his sins.

After he sought to be made clean, after he requested a new heart and a new spirit, David said, I’m going to teach transgressors your ways and sinners shall be converted to you. Sharing the good news is the next natural step for any Christian, including those who are restored believers. Recalling Luke chapter 22, verses 31 and 32, Jesus knew that Satan was after Peter.

and that Peter would deny him three times. But in Luke chapter 22, verses 31 and 32, remember Jesus said this, Simon, Simon, indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I prayed for you, that your faith should not fail. Look at this. And when you have returned to me, strengthen your brethren. You see, just because you sinned,

And just because you’re falling short, and just because you may deny the Lord, the Lord blesses you to return. That’s something I have to do once I come back. I can’t just return and go sit back on the bench. No, God wants you to get in the game. Sitting on the bench is a part of reason why some of us end up denying in the first place. We weren’t acting the way we should have been active to begin with. And so what did Paul do?

In 1 Corinthians 15, verse 9 and 10, Paul says, for I am the least of the apostles. I’m not worthy to be called an apostle because I persecuted the Church of God. He says, but by the grace of God, I am what I am. And His grace toward me was not in vain. What did Paul say? But I labored more abundantly than they are, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Paul said he got busy.

He got busy. He did. He tried to destroy the church. Right? John chapter four, verse 29, brother Grimes brought it up. What did the woman do? Right? And John chapter four, verse 29, the woman at the well, right? When she had that conversation with Jesus, at the end of that conversation, she left the water pot. She went into that Samaritan village. And in John chapter four, verse 29, what did she say? She said, come see a man who told me all things I ever did.

Could this be the Christ? Same thing, the man who had a lesion of demons. In Mark chapter five beginning at verse 18, the Bible says, and when he got into the boat, he who had been demon possessed begged him that he might be with him. Verse 19, the Bible says, however, Jesus did not permit him, but he said to him, go home to your friends and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you. And now,

how he had compassion on you. And the Bible says in Mark chapter five, verse 20, and he departed and began to proclaim it in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him and all marveled. Brother Moore, what are you trying to say? What I’m trying to say is, Peter was a Christian denier. He was a Christ denier, right? Paul was a Christian murderer, right? The woman at the well was sexually immoral.

The other gentlemen had a lesion of demons in them. But every single one of them, when they were restored, every single one of them went to tell somebody what Jesus had done for them. And that’s important for people who are seeking to be spiritually renewed, but somebody might be telling you that you’re not good enough to tell somebody about Jesus. I might not be a gospel preacher.

I might not be a Bible teacher, I might not be public and in front of people, but there’s somebody you know that the preacher don’t know. There’s a sphere of influence that you have that somebody in the church does not have, and you are supposed to be proclaimed in the praises of him who called you out of darkness and into his marvelous light. Somebody said, how is this possible? I like this quote I came across.

Somebody said, as we look back over our sins, we look back over our own lives, do we not see how wonderfully the perfecting mystery of grace has reached out to incorporate our very sins, making them contribute to our spiritual development and our usefulness? The Lord know how to use your sins and to cause you to be affected.

in his kingdom, even though you and I, may not think much of ourselves. But that’s exactly how God operates. Somebody says he uses the foolish things of the world to confine the wise. He used the weak things of the world, right, to bring down those who are strong. This is what the Bible teaches us. David said, when I’m restored, you know what I’m going to do? I’m going to teach transgressors God’s ways.

and sinners are gonna be converted to him. Not long ago we did a gospel meeting at Lower Street. And I might as well remind us of the points that were made concerning evangelism. Remember, we have a mandate to evangelize. In Matthew 28, 19 and 20, Jesus says, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth, in verse 18. In verse 19, he says, go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father.

and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, and teach them to observe all things I’ve commanded you. And lo, I’m with you always, even to the end of the age. This is the mandate that we have from God. Also, we have the message of evangelism. In 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verses three and four, Paul says, for I deliver to you first of all that which I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.

that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. We got a mandate to preach that word, okay? We got the message of evangelism. We got a multitude of methods to preach that word, but we also have the motivation to preach it. In 1 John chapter 4 verse 19, Paul John says this, we love him, why? Because he first loved us, that’s our motivation.

But then there’s a mistake church if we don’t do it. In Matthew chapter five verse 13, Jesus said, you are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It’s then good for nothing to be thrown out and trampled on the foot by me. Verse 14, Jesus said, you are the light of the world. A city that’s set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket. They put it under a lampstand. Why?

that it might give light to all who are in the house. Jesus said, let your light so shine before me that they may see your good works and glorify your Father, which is in heaven. What we see from Psalm 51 is David appealed to God for his mercy. David confessed his sins to God. David sought to be made clean before God, but not outwardly clean. David sought to be spiritually, internally,

made new. And David said, if you do these things for me, Lord, I’m going to teach transgressors your ways. Sinners are going to be converted to you. And so what are the practical applications we take from this? First and foremost, if God has done this for you, you sought God for his mercy. You confess your sins. God has made you clean. He’s working on you internally. You’re doing all you can to preach and share the gospel. Here’s a few things. One, be steadfast in the faith.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 58, Paul says, therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast. Be movable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. That be steadfast is to be seated, to be firm with conviction. This is January 18th. We know this is Martin Luther King’s birthday. But the reason why MLK is so famous is because of a woman who refused to give up her seat.

She refused to get rose apart. She said, I’m not getting up. I’m just saying that to say that’s the spiritual resolve that God wants us to have. I’m not getting out of my seat. The Lord has seated us in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And I’m not giving up the seat that God has set me in. What did say? He prepares a table for you before the presence of your enemies. Don’t you get up from the seat that God set you in. Be steadfast in the faith.

Psalm 51, look at verse 14 and 15. Hey, sing the praises of God. In Psalm 51, verse 14 and 15, David says, deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, oh God, the God of my salvation. Look what he says, and my tongue shall sing aloud of your righteousness. Oh Lord, Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall show forth your praise. We’ve been called to sing the praises of God.

1 Peter chapter 2 verse 9 and 10. You know it, you’re a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own special people that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness and into his marvelous life. What did he say? You once were not a people, but now you’re the people of God. You once had not obtained mercy, but now you have obtained mercy. You got to sing the praises of God.

Don’t let nobody stop you from saying amen. God has been good to you, tell somebody. But not only this church, look at Psalm 51 verses 16 and 17. If God ever gave me the strength and power to write a book, this is a verse that I would write it on. We got to be steadfast in the faith. We got to sing the praises of God. But we also got to harness the power of a broken spirit.

I say that again, we have to learn to harness the power of a broken spirit. says, for you do not desire sacrifice or else I will give it to you. You do not delight in burnt offering. Look what he says in verse 17. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart these, God, you will not despise.

What am I trying to say? When we’re broken before God, church, that’s when we’re most accepted in the sight of God. God is near to those who have a broken heart. That’s when we’re most heard. That’s when we’re most holy. That’s when we’re listening to God, right? That’s when we’re learning the most when we’re broken. But the issue is, right, if your goal is recuperation,

and not restoration, you’re gonna get in trouble. See, recuperation, that’s what you’re trying to do, that’s what we’re trying to do so we can show people that we’re alright. That’s recuperation. But if we’re talking about restoration, that’s between me and God. That ain’t got nothing to do with everybody else. So my goal ought to be restoration and not just recuperation. I gotta take advantage of the time to get to know God and let God get to know me.

I don’t need to be in a hurry to get out of this situation that I think I found myself in. How you know God don’t want you right there? How you know God is not most pleased when you’re broken just like that? You know, if you’re being honest, when I was broke, they talk about your money. When you was broke, you was more humble, weren’t you? You was a little more humble, weren’t you? But look, just like David, when we got a little bit of money in our pocket, this was the shepherd boy. He the king now. He in the palace now.

He was supposed to be at war with his men, with his soldiers, but he stayed home in that spring, didn’t he? And he got himself in trouble. Harness the power of a broken spirit. Don’t be in a rush to get out of that situation you think you in. God is speaking to you because God want to do something with you and through you. I’ll say this also, pray for the protection of the saints. In Psalm 51, verses 18 and 19.

If you’ll notice, David says this, he closes out like this. He says, do good in your good pleasure to Zion.

build the walls of Jerusalem, then you shall be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness. With burnt offering and whole burnt offering, then they shall offer bulls on your altar. Some scholars want to say these verses were added later, but there’s still something we got to learn. Pray for the protection of the saints. In Ephesians chapter six, we see David doing the same thing. You put on the whole armor of God.

Then he told him, keep praying in the spirit and also pray for me and all the saints. I just may be able to preach the word as I ought to preach it, right? Continue to pray for the saints. We need it, it’s getting crazy out there. It’s getting crazy out there. I’ve never seen it like this. You say, you’re only 43, but I know some of y’all, y’all ain’t never seen it like this either. We ain’t never seen it like this in our country. Keep praying for the protection of the saints.

Lastly, I’ll say this as an application, delight yourself in the Lord. David said, blesses the man who walks, not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful. Says, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night. If there’s any observation we need to make, Brother Ford, if you don’t mind me stepping forward.

I don’t like messing with preachers. That’s what they preach every day. Give them their proper respect. I believe in that. But I just want to say this. If you’ll notice something about this whole thing in Psalm 51, notice, spiritual renewal wasn’t initiated by David. You’re paying attention. Spiritual renewal wasn’t initiated by David.

Spiritual renewal was initiated by God. God is the one who told Nathan, go speak to him and tell him about his sins. Nathan had some free way to put it in a parable form, but nevertheless, his responsibility was to make it known to David that God is aware of the sins you have committed. He was guilty of murder. He was guilty of adultery. And a whole bunch of other sins he was guilty of.

And he wasn’t convicted until he heard the word of God spoken by the prophet of God. God initiated that spiritual renewal process. What am I trying to say? God is still initiating spiritual renewal today. But Hebrews 1 and 1, right? God in various times and various ways would have healed. He spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, but in these last days, He spoke to us by His Son.

And the Lord is telling us, if anyone rejects my word, he rejects me and doesn’t receive my word, he has that which judges him. The word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. So what are we trying to say? If you’re still sitting there in adultery, if you’re sitting there in idolatry, if you’re sitting there with hatred in your heart.

If you’re sitting there with malice, the same way Nathan said it to David is the same way Jesus says to us, you are the man. You’re sitting there in sin and you’re thinking you’re right with God. Man, David had to come to the light and thank God, what did he do? I’ve sinned against the Lord. And so the Lord expected us to do the same thing. If you’re sitting here this evening, you are in sin.

heard the gospel of Jesus Christ you know that God sent his only begotten son into the world. believes in him might not perish but have everlasting life. You know that God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him like we say that you heard that good news about Jesus what are you gonna do

You gotta think about me. Are you gonna want?

See you on it.

Last time I was here, I spoke on it. Hell is the only alternative to heaven. You’ve heard the good news about Jesus Christ, and you believe it. He says, but without faith, it’s impossible to please him. You come to God, you’ve to believe that he is, and that he’s a reward of those who diligently seek him.

But if you heard it and you believe it, that’s good. CJ brought it out. It’s not enough to believe because even the demons believe it’s true. You ready to repent of your sins? It says, tell you now, let you repent. You shall all likewise care. That’s no special treatment. That’s no special privilege. All of us are expected to hear that gospel, to believe it and obey it.

If you’re ready to repent of your sins, you also got to confess Christ before me. He says, he who confesses me before me, him I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven. Or whoever denies me before me, Jesus says, him I’m going to deny before my Father. You’re willing to do all those things to hear the gospel, to believe it, to repent. You’re ready to confess your sins, then OK, you’re ready to be baptized.

Jesus said it out of his mouth, he who believes and is baptized shall be saved. But he who does not believe, what he said, they’re going to be condemned. And so if you’ve heard the good news about Jesus and you’re sitting there, you know it’s time, then what are you waiting for? I just can’t wait to do my part to preach this sermon. Psalm 51 serves as a blueprint church to spiritual renewal. You gotta seek God for his mercy when he got tired.

You’ve got to make the confession of sins. You’ve got to have a sincere desire to be made clean. But that cleanliness is not something outward, it’s something inward. You’ve got to be inwardly transformed and when God does that for you, make your mind up, I’m going to proclaim the praises of God to the day I need this good. I said all I can say this evening and there’s someone subject to the invitation.

You can make your way forward, speak to Brian and the brothers here, and they can help you become a Christian tonight.

have prayers, let the church know about your prayers so we can pray with you and pray for you. Nothing else is to be said. Thank God for the opportunity.

let’s stay in the area soon.