What Is True Repentance? Lessons from Psalm 51 and the Heart of David. Episode 32

David committed adultery and arranged a murder. Then he became known as a man after God's own heart. What made the difference? It was not the size of his sin. It was what he did when he was confronted with it. Are you seeking forgiveness so you can feel better, or are you seeking transformation so you can be closer to God? There is a difference, and Psalm 51 shows us exactly what it looks like.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to Build, a podcast from Danville First Baptist Church. Build is where Sunday's message becomes Monday's conversation. Each episode we dig deeper into what God is teaching us, talk about how it shows up in real life, and help you keep building your faith beyond the weekend. Let's get started. So I think Psalm 51, as we're talking, I don't know, you might can speak to this because you're more learned. Educated. That like obviously 50 and 51, like they were not written. Like 51 wasn't written because of 50, but where they're placed in order seem to be maybe on purpose. Couldn't be any more on purpose, it seems like.

SPEAKER_02 1:17

But every book of psalms is telling a story. And every psalm has an its own story in life of its own. So it's that's the that's the beauty of it, right? You can read one psalm and it matters, or you can read 10 psalms in succession and it matters. Like it doesn't matter in the flow of, yeah. And some are intentionally like they're together as you know, like the Holel Psalms, the the praise psalms. Like some are intentionally together. Um, and and I I actually haven't looked this up. I I'm speaking just from feeling, but there is no doubt that Psalm 50 and Psalm 51 lead directly into each other because it's like that's kind of the end of Psalm 50. Psalm 50 is like, I'm giving you a chance to repent. But if you don't, like I'm there's no chance for you. Yeah, I'm gonna tear you apart. You've got God explaining it all, and then you see David, and then you see a person actually doing it, a person that is that was that is of God's people, but was doing wicked things. Yeah. And when faced with that, said, Oh, I've sinned against you, God, and you alone. Yeah, you know, and um, yeah, so it's perfect. I was so it was the Holy Spirit thing. I told you that when uh Josh knew a few weeks ago he was gonna be preaching on this Sunday, and he was like, you know, I think I'm gonna go Psalm 51. I was like, oh, I wanted to preach Psalm 51 after this so bad, but I just preached it, I mean, four years ago. It's not like anybody remembers it. But you know, you try not to repeat things that often, you know. I I try not to repeat things super, super often, even though we it probably feels like the same sermon every Sunday to somebody. But anyway, I was like, two to five passages every time. Yeah. I was like, perfect, Josh. That is the Holy Spirit thing that was on my heart. I think that is perfect. The perfect follow-up to Psalm 50 is gonna be is gonna be that. So I was excited when he said he was gonna do that. So anyway. And it is the repentant psalm.

SPEAKER_00 3:13

It's it is, and I said I I I mentioned that I felt like I kind of took the easy way out by just focusing on repentance, but it seems so relevant. Like that's uh I I think it is the point of the sermon. It's the point, it is the point, you know. But like I said, you can you could take just one section and do a whole sermon on just one aspect of what's being done, like what's being said and the focus of of what David's heart was behind why he was saying the thing. Like so um, you know, it's I I said I feel like I'd kind of stayed somewhat on the surface of things, but I I also approach the whole thing in a different manner than what is normal because I'm I understand now how I like to hear things, which is so weird because that's not usually how I will give them. So I I try I tried to be a little bit more um studious about things, but like I told you yesterday when you I said I felt like it came across a little bit flat because I was trying to stick to my notes and make sure that I made all of the points that I was that I need that I intended to make. Right. Um, but there's so much to so much there.

SPEAKER_02 4:29

Right. Um, I mean it's one of those you could preach a series on if you want. You could preach a series on just about any of the songs. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 4:36

Yeah, but I pointed out that um you can kind of break it down into two pieces, uh, which could be two separate sermons. That the verses one through nine, David seeking forgiveness. He's understanding his his wickedness, right? But he wants to be forgiven, but he understands it so much that the second half he wants to be rid of it. He wants the the thing that caused him to sin to be taken away from him. And I didn't say this, I had thought about it, and I just I actually I didn't make the note to point it out, but you know, he wants his heart, you know, change, he wants his heart changed. Yes. And that makes me think because you hear that so often, the heart referenced. And you know, to the point that we even say we kind of now we shy away from the idea of like asking Jesus into your heart. Right. And like where did that even come from? And um, I've thought about that way before getting into this, but it just comes back around that I wanted to say I have I have an opinion of why I think we do that, because it's understanding that the heart, even it their basic understanding of of life in the human body, that the heart is the thing where that gives life to your body, it's the source, right? It's the source of your life. So if I can change the source, then then I will be changed. Right. And so though we understand some of the theological reasons of why you wouldn't want to say that and you you want to make the understanding clear of Jesus coming like into your heart, but I understand why it gets referenced so much because if we can if we can change part of who I am, yes, it's not little bitty Jesus jumping into my actual blood pumping valve in my body. It's yeah, it's not the actual organ, it is the source of who you are.

SPEAKER_02 6:32

But just like that, without that organ pumping blood, you don't have life. It's the same concept of heart, it it's the source of life. Yeah, so that's good. I agree.

SPEAKER_00 6:41

Um, and so I laid out several ideas of what repentance truly is. Because that question has come up here recently, because we do talk a lot. Like I don't, it's not lost on me, and hopefully it's not lost on anybody else, that repentance has become a major focus of uh how we conduct business in the church. I think it should be, but I we're we're making efforts to focus on that. But so what is repentance? If if you're if you're new to faith or you're still young in faith, you may not truly understand what that is. And uh the simple answer, and I I actually thankfully there was uh a student that was there because I was I was really you know heavily banking on that, um, because that's something that we're driving that Kelly's driving into the to the children in our children's church. What is repentance? And I I asked, and I had a student raise his hand and stand up in the middle of church and say that it's which is awesome. It was so good by the way. It was so good. Shout out eat all yeah, turning away from your sin and turning back to God. Like that's that is the simplest breakdown of it, but then I wanted to kind of break that apart and how that applied into the rest. So um I'll say those. It was repentance begins understanding God's mercy. Repentance requires honest confession, it seeks inner transformation, it restores your joy, and it allows once you're forgiven to become a powerful witness to what has happened. So though that's what repentance is, and it it leads uh to David understanding that he what it is that God's soup actually seeking. Yes. Um and it's not it's not sacrifice of of animal. That's what it looked like, but it wasn't the simple act of it. It was having a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart. And that when you were broken in spirit, you're broken, your will is broken to the will of God. And when you're when you have a contrite heart, that heart is smashed into pieces, and you're relying on him to restore those pieces into something better. That's yeah, that's better. So that was that was where I I went.

SPEAKER_03 9:19

Yeah, you know, Josh, I I think honestly, um, you know, I know you don't you don't preach a a ton, but I think of the times I've heard you preach, I thought this was the most complete and applicable, like as like it was very good. Very good. I thought it was it was uh Mickey Moore said it was good.

SPEAKER_02 9:38

He don't give lip service.

SPEAKER_03 9:40

He don't play, he don't play. So uh, you know, just a couple things that I took away from it that I thought, like, oh man, that gets me fired up. You know, in the in the story of of David and where he'd come from and the you know after his after his uh you know giving in to lust and temptation and being with Bathsheba, you know, when it's brought to him, and then you know he points out, oh, you are the man, and you you told that story, which I uh you know to give the background was good. But here in the Psalms, in Psalm 51, David's, you know, he doesn't deny or deflect. Um he is honest, he doesn't hide from it, he doesn't try to justify it, he doesn't trivialize it or rename it, he owns it. And um I I I thought you know, you said the person that hides from their sin will stay trapped in it. Yeah, but you find freedom when you acknowledge it and give it to God. And I thought, man, that's such a good thing because in our society we're so trained to downplay, trivialize. Let's give it a cute little name so it feels controllable instead of just calling sin what it is, which is death and destruction. Yeah, it's my struggle. Yes. Um and you said that that David's mind, I thought, man, that I I I don't think I've ever heard it put like that, but I want that to be my approach to sin. But so he didn't want to just be forgiven of his sin, but he wanted to be rid of it. And I thought, man, that is repentance. That's not a that's not I'm sorry, you know, my kids know, like in my mind.

SPEAKER_02 11:20

I'm sorry I got caught.

SPEAKER_03 11:21

We don't, we don't I hate I'm sorry. And I know that sounds really backwards. Like, what do you mean? Everybody's supposed to say that like I I say I'm sorry, I own my mistakes, but I hate I'm sorry because to me, I've been told I'm sorry so often by people who are gonna turn around and do the exact same thing. Well, you ain't sorry. I'm sorry means there's gonna be a change in behavior. Don't say you're sorry unless you ain't gonna do that no more. That's our approach in our home. You know, like, hey, you can say, yeah, dad, I messed up. You can acknowledge it, but don't say you're sorry and then turn around and do it again tomorrow because then you wasn't sorry and you lied to me on top of whatever else you'd done wrong.

SPEAKER_01 12:01

So now you double down.

SPEAKER_03 12:02

I'm double mad. So I feel like if I feel that way, God's gotta feel that way. And how many times does he feel that way about me that I've said, God, I'm sorry, I I know that was wrong. And I just want forgiven. I don't want rid of it. Right. I want to keep doing it, I want to keep dabbling because it it it you know feels right, it feels good, it's rewarding, it it gets me, you know, the instant success or whatever it is, it gets me what I want in that moment, but I know it's wrong, so I say, oh yeah, Jesus, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. But really, I'm not sorry. I don't want to get rid of it. David was genuinely sorry, and he didn't just seek God's forgiveness, but he wanted to be restored to God. And that's what repentance is. God, forgive me not so that I won't feel shame and guilt. Forgive me so that I can be right with you. Um, and and I thought I thought that was really good. Um he didn't he doesn't want to, God doesn't want to just give us a clean slate, he wants to change the one holding the slate. I thought that was a a moment. I was like, all right, yeah, yeah, I can I can get with that. I can get with that. Uh, you know, it's not and we we say this a lot, but I thought, you know, you you made it rhyme, which makes it stick better. But it's not about behavior modification, it's about heart transformation. Um it's good, man. It's it's good. Um and it two more things, and then I'll I'll let y'all dig in a little more. But like it's good that like there was just a lot there. I know before service, you're like, man, I'm just kinda worried I ain't gonna have enough to say. And I'm like, boy, you it ain't about how long you talk. Welcome to the 38-minute club, by the way. Yeah, yeah. But but you you did good on that anyway, but it ain't about how long, but it's about what you say. You had a lot to say. But verse 13 um was the key to it all. And you know, this is you know, this is where I'm at so much in my life. I knew you would like that. But when Jesus restores, then we can use the story to point others to Jesus and see them saved as well. Someone who has experienced God's forgiveness becomes a witness of God's mercy. And I thought, oh, I got fired up because I'm like my own kids don't understand. Like when I when I'm at the throne of God and I'm crying and I'm broken, it's not always that I'm sad. It's sometimes it is that right because I ain't doing right, but it's it's it's a holy gratitude for the grace of God. Like I fully know how jacked up my life was and how messed up my mind and my heart was, and to now have an opportunity to be at the feet of Jesus because of his mercy moves my soul. And if I take that same thought and approach, how can I be so thankful to have a relationship with Jesus and not proclaim that to others who are just as lost and broken and hurting as I was? Like it just doesn't make sense. Why is God's mercy so complete? Because he wants us to tell others. Yeah, why could he forgive me from the junk that I did and thought and said? And it's because he has given me a calling. I've forgiven you not so you can go to heaven. That's weak, weak theology and weak evangelism. He didn't forgive me so that I can go to heaven. He did forgive me so I could have a relationship with him because I was created for a relationship with him, but he also has forgiven me of much because he knew then I would be loud. It is for his glory. I would be loud telling others that God can do it. How do I know? Because I've seen it, I've experienced it, and I felt it. And uh I thought verse 13 just got me fired up. I can't read the rest of my notes. Uh and then and then last thing, because I and then I'll let y'all talk about all the all the ramblings that I've had here, but I thought this was was a good point that you pointed out that I thought I've been there too. But you said David had probably already tried sacrifices to be made with God, made right with God, but he realized that only a broken and contrite heart could restore his fellowship. And I thought, man, you know, they don't tell that part of the story, but David was a man, yeah, just like us. And he knew, he knew he messed up with Bathsheba, he knew he messed up with Uriah, and he's like, all right, God, I do want to be right. David did have a desire to be right with God. I'm sure he had been to the temple, he had prayed some prayers, he had thrown some animals on the altar, which he had so many of he didn't notice they were gone when he threw them up there. And God said, Look, all that stuff does not make man right with me. I want you, David. I want you to want me and to want to be restored to me. And when David did that, God restored him. And then he says, You're a man after my own heart.

SPEAKER_02 17:19

Well, you think about it, think about, think about David and Saul, right? And and the things that are said about David and Saul, and the way we remember David and Saul, and we think of, and we know that he did this, but we think of like David's a warrior, David's a king, David, like we think of all these good things, like Goliath and all the things that we think about with David, right? But when you actually look at from the worldly stance, from our perspective, like what caused Saul his downfall? God said, When you go in there, you kill them all, including the king. And Saul didn't, right? And David saw another woman, took her as his own, impregnated her, made a military strategy to get her husband to the front lines so he could be murdered, so he could be killed in war, but really David murdered him, right? And was, and then was going to be the hero of the story by raising Bathsheba's child, pretend that it was Uriah who got her pregnant, and he was gonna be the hero who swooped in and was, you know, taking care of the kid and all the things. Like when you from our perspective, when you stack up the sins, David's are way worse than what Saul did. Yeah, right. Yeah, and we don't think about that often.

SPEAKER_00 18:42

It looks like Saul did something merciful, right?

SPEAKER_02 18:44

It's like it wasn't that.

SPEAKER_00 18:45

I mean, it wasn't that it could be framed, it could be framed easily. He did it so that he could parade this dude around to show his, but but like you could like, oh, he showed mercy on this thing.

SPEAKER_02 18:53

You could say and David, you know, is a man after God's own heart, and Saul is the crazy king that lost the kingdom, right? And and lost his complete mind. Why? Okay, that that's what I think is missed in this story often when it comes to those two guys, is like it's not that David was a better guy, a better man, not in and of himself. His sins are still horrible. Like that is horrible what he did. Right. The difference is when presented with sin, one said, Well, uh made excuses and said, No, I didn't do it, and Saul did all the things. Like, you know what I mean? I just, I just did, it's just the word king. It's just, you know, when Samuel confronted him with his sin, he didn't repent.

SPEAKER_01 19:37

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_02 19:38

And when David was presented with his sin, the first thing he did was, God, I've sinned against you and you alone.

SPEAKER_01 19:45

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:46

You like I I sinned here, but that sin here horizontally was actually sin against you. And that the the hearts are different.

SPEAKER_00 19:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:57

Even though David's actions could be framed as worse prior to his repentance. Right. And it doesn't mean that, like, you know, if if you're willing to say you're sorry to God, you can go do the horrible thing, and it that's not what it means. Like, don't be foolish. That's the stupidest thing in the world you could ever say. Like, it's that it's the grace of God and God alone. It's not that David was better or good. He's after God's heart because God's heart is a heart of graciousness and mercy and love and chesed that's loving kindness faithfully to a covenant. Like that is God's heart. And David, even though he screwed up and messed up, that's actually what he wants.

SPEAKER_01 20:44

Right.

SPEAKER_02 20:45

And Saul wanted more of Saul. Yeah. Saul wanted Saul to be bigger and better and greater and all those things. And David actually wanted to glorify God.

unknown 20:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:55

And it's a beautiful picture that it's about God's grace.

SPEAKER_01 20:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:59

Yeah. More than anything else.

SPEAKER_01 21:01

That's good.

SPEAKER_00 21:02

Yep. You know, you see, uh, I pointed out there in verse 11 where David's praying for the Holy Spirit not to be removed from him. And with all that, like I said, that seems like a abnormal prayer. And I'd never really thought about it because I like I I said we we read this from this side of grace. Right. We understand what it is, but but until Kelly had pointed out like why that was kind of important, but because he had seen after that took place, after Saul went there, that God's presence left him. And then it's I don't I don't believe it was lost on David, especially in this moment. That the only thing that brought Saul peace during that was when David came and sang. And Saul didn't understand it. I don't know if David did or not. He may but like that was the only thing that soothed him was being back in the presence of the Spirit. Temporary presence of the of the Spirit. And David did not want that.

SPEAKER_02 22:10

Right. Yeah. Yeah. And in the Old Testament, too, like the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is for uh one of the I was actually studied this when I was studying Psalm 50, is for what is called like adminish administrative anointing, right? So it like the Holy Spirit would pour out for an actual duty. And so the Holy Spirit was poured out on Saul to be the king, to be the man, to be the leader. And when that Holy Spirit was removed, that anointing was removed, then he no longer had the ability to do that. Right. And he kept trying to do that in his own power in and of himself, which drove him mad.

SPEAKER_00 22:51

That's what you see that in Samson too. And that makes that make sense. Right. Because it was the Holy Spirit that did it, right? Not him. Right.

SPEAKER_03 23:03

So I think when we talk about this, it's important that we understand that like I think we're all in agreement on what we think, what we believe scripture says about uh the security of the believer, and that that you know the Holy Spirit is the down payment in which God will not default. Right. Yes. You know, that He is the seal of our salvation, which God's not going to break that seal. So but I also think while that is a hundred percent my view of what Scripture says, I also think it's important to understand that as men of God who do the work of God and the ministry of God, he'll never take his Holy Spirit from us, but he will remove his blessings and and uh his presence at times from the things that we do. I think that it is important that we um fight for, spiritually fight for um his anointing, his blessing on our ministry, on our service, on the way we raise our children, on those things. Because while he won't remove his spirit, for sure, according to what I read in scripture, he's not gonna remove his spirit from us now, but I do think there's times he removes his calling or his anointing over what we do still today.

SPEAKER_00 24:32

Yeah, so I sometimes people say finding favor with he showed favor to that thing. Yeah, uh that's that's good. Yep.

SPEAKER_02 24:41

Agreed. Psalm 51, man, that's a good one. It was good. It was good. It's a beautiful psalm. It's it's it's partial. I mean, Psalm 51 is kind of uh, in a sense, the blueprint for how we pray on Wednesday nights at prayer service. That, you know, we we go to God first. We we we we praise him first, not because he needs to be praised, because we need to be reminded of who he is and what he's done. Like that sets our heart right. To remind ourselves that he is good and gracious and merciful and kind and all of these things, it opens up our heart, our spirit, our mind to the fact that we can come to him and confess. We can come to him in repentance, and he will receive us and he will forgive us, he is just to forgive us, he is the great forgiver, he is that God. So we we start with praise and then move into confession, repentance and confession and those, you know, the consecration part of the of the service where we're setting ourselves aside, you know, we're we're we're seeking holiness, is another way that we say that. And and in that I have seen and believed that that's when when God wants to, for whatever reason God wants to, that's when his Holy Spirit manifests in a different way, when his people seek him with a broken and contrite heart. Um, and it's not again, it's not about I'm sorry I got caught. It's it's it's about truly recognizing the destruction of your sin, the destruction that it causes with your fellowship with the Lord, the destruction it causes in your life and in the lives around you, that when you throw that rock of sin into the pond, then it ripples and ripples and ripples and ripples and ripples and ripples and ripples and keeps rippling and keeps rippling and it it all those things wrapped up in it. And the way that the Holy, the Holy Good grief, the way that the New Testament speaks about repentance in congruence with the Old Testament is is it's it's it is a turning away and it is a turning to, and and that takes place in the mind, yeah, in the in the and not not the brain, in the mind, in the in the in the soul, in the heart of who we are. What we want that God wants that to be transformed. When that's transformed, then actions take care of themselves. So a repentant soul desires, changes, transforms by the truth of God into who God actually created us to be. And that's an ongoing process throughout this life, and then upon resurrection um or the return of Christ, if you're alive, uh an instant changing into our glorified self where we actually are that thing that God created us to be forever. Yeah. But we're leading to that until then.

SPEAKER_00 27:33

Yeah. Hopefully. Hopefully. Hopefully. And talking about using this as a blueprint for prayer service when we when we come, you know, you you you prompt us to say the to to be and come in these places because repentance is the goal. That's but but things have to happen. And and and so you know, you mentioned coming into confession. And I David had been made aware of what he I mean, he knew, but he was faced with that, and so he confessed it. But something that I think's great um that you prompt us to do is like often ask God to reveal things for him to reveal things to us, because like I said, he already knows, he's aware of all of your sin. You usually are, but maybe it's something that you're not haven't been confronted with yet, fully, fully on it, because it's I I said repentance is the honest confession, but you have to be honest to yourself. That's who you're being honest. God's aware. So by confessing, you're simply just coming into agreement with him that yes, I am a sinner. Right. He's like, Yeah, I know that I do that.

SPEAKER_02 28:37

And yes, that thing is a sin. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 28:40

And yes, I did do that. Yes, you agree with all of those. Exactly. So um or I am that. I am maybe that is the place, you know, we talk about that when when uh asked why we can enter into heaven because of Jesus. Jesus said, Well, this is the place where why shouldn't you be in here? Because I am. I am these things. Jesus, or as I put it in there, but God said, because that's what like David said, but but God did this. It all it always should come around, like in your testimony, I was this, but God said I was this.

SPEAKER_02 29:17

I I think verse 10 is is part of of the in Psalm 51 is part of the truth of that. You know, David says, God created a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. I think that's part of like, or and there's other parts in scripture, like search me and know me. Like show me where I'm not aware of my sin. You know, you see it, but sometimes I'm not confessing it because I'm blind to it. And I want you to search me because you know me, and I want you to please show me because in this moment, I am prepared, I am ready for whatever you show me, whatever sin you show me, whatever your character flaw, whatever thing deep inside of me that I that that I don't want to recognize, and I keep my life busy and my life loud and my life distracted. So I don't actually have time to sit there and really recognize and think about and reflect on who I actually am. I want you to show me that parts of me, that depth of darkness that is in me, and it were apart from the work that you have done on the cross, I would have no chance to stand before you. But because of who you are and what you've done, you can show me that, God, and I know that I can confess it to you and be forgiven. And and and that I'm I can confess it to you and I'm already forgiven.

SPEAKER_00 30:41

Already, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:42

I'm already forgiven. Yeah, you know, as Joby has said numerous times, I've heard Toby Martin say, and I and I've actually said it because it's just so true that it just became part of my vernacular too. Like God knew, actually, it was Matt Chandler, and then Joby stole it from Matt. I learned that recently. God knew who he was buying on the cross and he bought you anyway.

SPEAKER_01 31:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:02

He knew exactly who you are, Dusty, and who you are, Josh, and who I am. He knew and he bought you anyway. He redeemed you anyway. There's nothing surprising about who and what you are. Yeah. He knows. So just rest on that. When he says, Yeah, here's another, here's another piece that I forgave of you. You want to you want to come into agreement with me on that?

unknown 31:26

No.

SPEAKER_02 31:27

Yep, I sure do. Yeah, I sure do. I do want to come up with it.

SPEAKER_03 31:32

I want you to forgive me. I don't want to admit that I'm that, but I am that. I'm embarrassed to look at this, but you're right.

SPEAKER_02 31:40

Yeah. So Psalm 51, man, beautiful song. It is. I think you should write a song for it.

SPEAKER_00 31:47

Think so?

SPEAKER_02 31:47

Yeah, you hadn't written it, you hadn't written a psalm song in a couple years. It's been a while.

SPEAKER_03 31:52

So well, when I when I think about, you know, a broken and contrite spirit, broken and contrite heart, God you will not despise. You know, and you you you know, you use the scripture, you know, the the heart of man is desperately wicked and deceitful above all things, who can know it. And and it's important that we remember, like I we want to change our hearts, and it's hard. We have to let the spirit change our hearts, and and you know, we have scripturally, we have a heart of stone, you know, and Ezekiel says that I will remove from you a heart of stone and I will replace it with a heart of flesh, which is what we want. I want my hard heart to be removed, and I want one that is sensitive and tender to the Holy Spirit. Now, there's a limit to that, I think, because you know, uh as someone who has had an absolute concrete heart and and begged God, God, just let me feel something. I'm so numb and empty. Now I wish I could read something or or hear something without crying all the time. So maybe, maybe there's a balance there. I don't want my hard heart back. Uh, I just want a little less flesh, I guess, maybe in my heart. But how do we change the heart of stone? And I think we get that answer from Jeremiah chapter 23. It says, Is not my word like a fire declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces. If you're wondering at home and you're saying, like, I do want a heart that is humble and contrite, that does look more like Jesus, that does think and process more like Jesus. How do I get that heart? Well, I think we seek him, and the best way that we can seek his mind is by seeking his word. If I want to think like Jesus, I have to understand how Jesus thought. And yes, I have the Holy Spirit, but I think that there's a lot of people that want to skip that step. I I'm tired of my hard heart. I want a heart of flesh. I want you to break this heart of stone. Scripture's clear. Well, how do I break the heart of stone? I do it with scripture, and we need to dig into God's word. And I do think, you know, this is one of the downfalls to the time that we live in. You know, there was a time even in my life when there just wasn't unending things to do at every second. I mean, I'm telling you, I'm I'm as bad as anybody. If if I'm in a room full of people and we're talking and there's 30 seconds of silence, I pull my phone out, just see if anybody texted me or if I got an email. Right. You know, like I can't stand to sit and do nothing. But why do I not set some of that time aside to be in God's word? I want to think like Jesus, but I'm not putting his thoughts and his words into my mind all the time and into my heart all the time. So if you find yourself in a place where you have a heart of stone and you're like, well, how do I get to a humble and contrite heart? I think it's by digging into God's word and not just reading to read, right, but reading to understand. Um, when you talk about the prayer services, you know, when you were down and I was leading some of those prayer times, it challenged me differently in just what I was reading every day. Because like, dude, when you really start digging into God's word, you see uh praise, consecration, you know, and then and then seeking.

SPEAKER_02 35:19

Intercession, yeah, and seeking him.

SPEAKER_03 35:21

Uh, you know, so it's like it's there, and I don't see it unless I'm looking for it to lead a prayer service. But I'm like, it's it's right there. And so anyway, I just think as we move as someone who I want a broken and contrite heart, how do I get it? I think I get it with more of God's word, not more of the latest whatever. Yeah, you know, let's let's dig into some podcasts, let's dig into some some old sermons, let's dig into some music that actually comes from scripture and discusses what God's heart is. And then it's a lot easier to look like him.

SPEAKER_02 36:00

So yeah. Agreed. Well if we got this one whipped. No, no, no. I I was I was actually looking up a uh a verse that I just couldn't, I knew I wasn't gonna quote it well enough unless I unless I looked it up. But uh speaking of we've spoken on Romans already a couple times, but how can how then can they call on the one they have not believed? And how can they believe in the one whom they have not heard, and how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent as it is written? How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news, which is what reminds me of that. Like it's the word of God. Yeah, it's the word of God, it's the truth, it's the truth, and the truth is God is grace, he will forgive anyone who desires to have him, he will be there for anyone who seeks him. I do not believe that a single person who actually will ever desire to repent and be saved won't be. Yeah, a single person. I don't care where they live, I don't care where they're from, I don't care what religion, their society they were born into, I don't care. If there is someone who in their heart goes, there's gotta be a God that forgives. There's gotta be something, there's gotta be a way that I can be, I think, I think God literally moves heaven and earth to get someone to them so they can hear the gospel. There's no part of me that doesn't believe that.

SPEAKER_03 37:37

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, how how would he send, you know, and this also in Romans 8, you know, how would he, how would he who gave his own son then turn around and withhold any good thing from us? Yes. If someone is truly seeking God, I believe he's gonna make a way for them to hear.

SPEAKER_02 37:54

And and he'll and he'll and he'll put it on your heart to be the person and the way that he sends to that person, and you could get that privilege, that unbelievable privilege of being the person that gets to share that truth. Or you can, I believe you can be disobedient and not get that privilege and completely miss out on one of the on the best part of being a Jesus follower, apart from your own salvation, is to be able to lead someone else in that. Like that's such a beautiful thing. And if you won't do it, somebody else will. And if somebody else won't, he'll he will get to them. You know, you hear the stories of people being saved in the Middle East through dreams, like they've never heard of Jesus. And Jesus shows up to them in their dreams and says, Go find this person, or I am Jesus, here's what I have done for you, and someone, and then the next day somebody shows up or whatever like it. God will reach anyone who actually wants to be reached. The question is, as Jesus followers, is are we actually going to be involved in that and receive the the the great privilege and the unbelievable satisfaction and joy that comes from being part of what God is doing? It's nothing like it.

SPEAKER_00 39:07

It's nothing like it. That's what that's what right now, Kelly, she keeps saying, I I don't care how it happens, I would just love to be a part of it. Like it let revival come from somewhere, but I want to see it. Like that's yeah. Come on.

SPEAKER_03 39:25

Yeah, yeah. So good. You know, it just I I and I do think I'm with you. I'm not, I'm not gonna be contrary when I say this, because I'm with you. Like our own salvation is the is the pinnacle, but in many ways, uh being a part of someone else's salvation, you understand it different. Like I didn't, you know, I knew something was happening when I got saved. I knew that it was a start of something important and it was a miraculous regeneration for sure. But there's also something different about being on there and seeing that in someone else's life. Like for us, it's a process, you know, we got saved, but it's a process of seeing that change over time. But man, when you when you see the lights come on for somebody, I I tell people like one of the reasons you know that I'm the most passionate about evangelism is the inner city crusade, the inner city of Memphis, led by Ronnie Tullis. Um, my two daughters are gonna go take part in that this year, the the week after church camp. And uh we've been praying for them. God will God will protect them. Yeah, but even more importantly, and that's hard for dad to say, because it's a tough spot to be in, but even more importantly, God will use them. But man, just going out there and seeing, just sharing the gospel and seeing light come on, light come on, light come on, people repent, people turn. And and we've had, you know, there's all them great religious folks that's never told anybody about Jesus who were like, Well, did y'all really see 157 people saved? Are you really? Are you sure how many of them really meant it? Well, shame on you, because I'm not sure you really meant it when you prayed that prayer 50 years ago and hadn't done anything since. So but sorry, that was that was not where it's not where I was going with this, but I'm like, man, just doing it. If you ever get it in your blood, it becomes something that you just man desire. I want to see people saved. I want to be a part of it. I want to uh it's there's just nothing like it. And uh man, I'm really I'm really excited that my daughters get to go be a part. So be praying for the uh Ronnie Tullis and uh inner city crusade in Memphis, uh the I think July 7th, I think is when they when they head out. So um, but most people will never know it because they've never shared the gospel. And I don't know how you can have the good news of Jesus and not tell anyone. Um so if you maybe if you're doing it because you haven't shared because you're scared, you don't really know what to say or how to do it, man, reach out. I'd love to kind of walk through some easy ways to to just practice. And it's something that gets gets easier with time. The more you do it, the the easier it becomes. But uh even when you've done it for a long time, it's still scary when you go up to somebody, especially someone you know and you think, oh, they're gonna think I'm a waggado. That's all right. They probably already do. So just go ahead and tell them about Jesus. And uh, but I'd love to give you give you some some pointers on just kind of how to broach the subject because I think, you know, like you pointed out in verse 13, you know, that's why we were saved was to proclaim to others the good news of Jesus.

SPEAKER_02 42:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 42:55

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 42:56

There it is.

SPEAKER_00 42:57

You know, wrapping this all up, it the idea that uh we so often want to put ourselves in the place of people in the Bible that did great things. Um and and a lot of times David is still that guy that you want to be, but like I said, most people don't want to be this David.

SPEAKER_01 43:17

Right.

SPEAKER_00 43:18

And uh it's the David I most identify with. Absolutely, and it and it's and it's 100% the place that we should, like we should be in this place. At least once you should have been in this place to admit that you are a sinner. And so um I I I think you can come back to it over and over and just walk yourself through the things. Make this make David's prayer your prayer. And like I said, the same God that heard that is the same God that's hearing it. That's right.

SPEAKER_03 43:48

There you go. I said this is David I most uh most you know can identify with that's that was a lie. Um David, when Nathan came to him and was telling him that this dude stole this other dude's sheep, and David was mad. Get that dude. That's the David I could identify with right before he says, Yeah, I'm talking about you, Dusty. Okay. Yeah. You you got that's actually that's actually where I'm at most of the time. I got all this righteous indignation, and then I find out I'm the one that's been been messing it up. So amen.

SPEAKER_00 44:26

I guess we'll leave y'all now, and um we're glad that you that you stuck around. And I don't know, maybe this will be two part, maybe this is two parts. Maybe you're only on your second, I don't know how it is. But uh, you know, I always want to point out that if you've if you've missed the sermon, um, either either one of these sermons or anything in the past, or you just want to find out more about uh who who we are as a church and and what where we stand on what we believe and and how we we do things, go to uh go to fpcdan.com and uh you can start getting plugged into the right directions. It's a great place to find all of previous episodes of Build, previous sermons. Uh you can also find those on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. And uh, but it's a great place to connect and to become a part, become involved in this local church. And uh, if you're not local, I encourage you to find some place locally to serve, to get plugged in, to be to be around the people of God and become the people of God all at the same time. So uh we'll leave you with that and we'll look forward to next week. Peace. See you again. Well, that's it for this week's episode of Build. Remember, what we build with our hands fades, but what we build on Christ lasts forever. If today's episode encouraged you, share it and keep the conversation going. You can find past messages, upcoming events, and ways to connect at fbcdan.com. Let's keep building our faith one brick at a time. We'll see you next time.