One day every one of us will be before God !
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
II Corinthians 5:10 NKJV
The bible says that all of us will have to face a final account settling according what we have lived and we all must appear before the Judgement Seat of Christ.
What are you going to hear from God that day ?
Have I lived a life that pleases God ?
Are you prepared to enter into eternity? Are you prepared to be face to face with God ?
My goal as your leader and pastor is to prepare you and to help for that day !
1 Co 9:26-27 – The Bible Message
“I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.”
Paul the apostle said : I’m going to do my best for God’s kingdom, I don’t want to be lazy because I won’t get the prize and might end up becoming disqualified.
We need to evaluate ourselves, because one day we are going to be before the Lord.
Today I want to speak about “The Bravest of prayers” , it’s a very dangerous pray – dangerous in a good way !
When you pray this kind of prayer you’re really asking God to do something that often takes you out of your comfort zone and confronts you.
We are going to look at a prayer that David prayed in Psalm 139, when he asked God to search his heart.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalms 139:23-24 NKJV
Let’s read now together this verses in another version , the Bible Message
“Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong— then guide me on the road to eternal life.”
Psalm 139:23-24 MSG
I want to challenge you to make this prayer a regular part of your prayer life !
David said : “Search me o God and know my heart” or “investigate my life O God, find out everything about me”
Maybe you can say : Why would we ask God to search our heart? God knows it already ! We need to understand that without Christ we do not have a good heart.
Jeremiah 17:9 says :
““The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?”
Jeremiah 17:9 NLT
We need to understand that , without Christ our heart is not a good heart.
We deceive others , we deceive ourselves and we’re all liars !
How many of you were liars ? Raise your hands up.
The most common lie that we tell is to ourselves !
We lie to ourselves !
The most common lie that most of us tell is to ourselves!
The heart is deceitful, we deceive ourselves ! We don’t even know how bad we are!
We lie to ourselves , like : I don’t need that much , I don’t need help , I’m better than others , that brother , that sister are selfish, I’m not.
I’m not full of pride , I don’t lust , I’m not materialistic, I’m not a gossip , I never gossip, I have been faithful to God , I’m okay in my spiritual life , others are wrong , they are sinners , but I’m okay !
I don’t want to talk to that person because he/she is not good , but I’m okay !
Stop lying and deceiving yourself !
God said that your heart is deceitful above all things !
1st point : Search me, know my heart and try me God !
We need to go before God and say : search my heart God , show me what is in there!
Search my heart , test me , show me anything that is in me that doesn’t please you.
If God tested you today , would you be approved? Is your heart in peace with everybody?
David had courage to pray this prayer!
When you pray I want you to listen to God speak !
I can guarantee you , you are not going to listen : you have an amazing heart my son / daughter, you are the best person I know , I can’t believe I created you , you are so good !
Don’t lie to yourself, have the courage to pray: search my heart God
Many people are in church and are just faking a Christian life , they are deceiving themselves, pretending that they are Christians but others are not !
Sometimes with your wife you are one guy , but when you are away you’re somebody else.
With your parents and pastor you are one person but in your school you are another person.
In church we are one thing and at home we are different!
In church we say : Hi , how are you ? God bless you , I love you. Then outside of church you’re criticising and judging your brothers and sisters or you don’t talk to them.
Many Christians are faking Christianity!
I’m not here to judge you as your pastor. I’m here to help you to be in God presence as a good and faithful servant.
This is my prayer every day , God search my heart ! I want to be sincere before God !
2nd point: David prayed – reveal my fears : know my anxiety, my anxious thoughts!
What is it that makes you anxious? What are your anxious thoughts!
What makes you afraid ? (I’m Not talking about spiders or snakes)
What makes you afraid ? What makes you anxious?
Afraid of your future – the unknown ? Afraid of death, afraid of loosing your job , afraid of getting married, afraid of getting divorced , afraid of failing, afraid of loss – what if I lose someone , what if I lose something that I value so much.
Why should we pray : Lord know my anxieties , my anxious thoughts?
Because what we fear the most revels were we trust God the least.
What we fear the most reveals where we trust God the least !
If I’m scared to death that my marriage isn’t going to work , I’m not trusting God with my marriage.
If I’m afraid that I’m not going to be able to pay the bills , I’m not trusting God to be my provider !
If I’m afraid and always trying to keep my children safe , it may be okay , but if I’m over protective, I’m not trusting my children to God !
What we fear the most revels where you trust God the least !
This is why we should pray : reveal my fears , test me God , and show where my anxious thoughts are .
Because in our spiritual life we cannot be driven by fear , we have to be led by faith ! Without faith it’s impossible to please God !
My fear will keep me from being obedient!
I have to love pleasing him more than I fear falling!
“For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, And what I dreaded has happened to me.”
Job 3:25 NKJV
You are going to receive according to your Faith our your Fear !
In order to face this fear what I do is quoting scripture to renew my mind.
Because the perfect love casts out all fear.
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”
I John 4:18 NKJV
God has not given me a spirit of fear but of power , and and love and of a sound mind (self control)
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
II Timothy 1:7 NKJV
If you pray this prayer : Search me o God , maybe you are going to notice that in some areas you are not really trusting God , than you will take that step of faith or will do what God is calling you to do !
When you pray , God is going to reveal things to you about yourself that you may not have been willing to acknowledge for years and years because the common lie we tell is often to ourselves!
Because we always say : I’m fine , I’m okay , this is not the truth !
3 part- The last one is even more difficult: See if there is any offensive way in me ! uncover my sins !
This is what David prays ! I love the courage it takes to pray this prayer.
See if there is any offensive way in me ! Show me God anything in my life that is inconsistent , with your truth !
Show me God anything that is displeasing to you !
See if there are any offensive way in me !
Have you noticed that it’s really difficult to see our own sins in the mirror?
It’s so easy to find everybody else ! It’s easy to see others’ sins !
“Why do you notice the small piece of dust that is in your friend’s eye, but you don’t notice the big piece of wood that is in your own?”
Matthew 7:3 ERV
Some people says:
Ex : Did you see what she did to me ? Did you hear what she said about me ! He is so stupid!
I don’t talk to him because he / she doesn’t deserve it !
But , me no , I’m a blessing , I’m Holy ,
We tend to accuse others but What do we do with ourselves?
We Excuse ourselves !
It’s so easy to see everybody else sins but not our own.
It takes tremendous courage to say :Search my heart God , test me , know my anxious thoughts, see if there is any offensive way in me !
Please , Give God permission to point out any sin that’s dwelling within your heart !
God will point some things out that you have been trying to explain away for a long time !
God will point some things out that you trying to deny. Do not deny the truth!
Denying the truth does not change the facts !
Submit yourself to what God is trying to show you and bring it to light !
There are 2 different types of confession. We confess to God for the forgiveness of our sins and we confess to people for healing.
If we confess our sin to God He is faithful to forgive us !
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
I John 1:8-9 NKJV
If we confess our sins to one another we are going to be healed.
“Confess your faults to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.”
James 5:16 NKJV
It’s not just between you and God , but you need to fix the relationship with your brothers and sisters , you need to confess and pray for one another!
This is why we need relationship with one another ! Of course our brothers and sisters are not perfect.
I’m not perfect and I can show my imperfections!
I always say to Shalom’s Leaders : Be prepared because I’m going to make mistakes and I might fail you !
By the way , if you are perfect , this is the wrong church for you !
There are not perfect people here !
Shalom Church is a place where imperfect people are been transformed by a perfect God !
And we need to open our faults to one another (specially to our leaders), we need to recognise our mistakes and say forgive me , pray for me , let’s pray together !
We all in process , we all need the help of Jesus and we need to pray: Search my heart God , reveal my fears , uncover my sins !
That points to my need for Jesus , that points to my need of His Grace ,
Whatever he shows you :
I’m addicted – you need his power to overcome your addiction!
Or liar , or full of pride – you need his power to be humbled and depend on Him, or I’m lustful and this issue is out of control – you need His truth to renew your mind and transform your heart .
Or God can show you that you’re loving this world – you need to fall in love with Him cause this world is not your home but heaven is your home.
4th point David prayed – Led me in the way of the everlasting
“My home is in Heaven. I’m just traveling through this world”
Billy Graham
We need to cry out: Jesus I want to be prepared for eternity ! Here is not my home.
At most, you will live a hundred years on earth, but you will spend forever in eternity!
I need your power , Jesus I need your grace , Jesus I need your freedom.
Our identity should be complete in Jesus.
Please stop looking to your brothers and sisters failures , look to yourself ! Don’t say you are okay !
Ask God for forgiveness and go to your brother and fix it , pray for one another and be healed !
When you pray this prayer God is going to show things in your heart that are not pure . Because God wants to bring you into deeper intimacy with Him as His Holy Spirit transforms you to be conformed to the image of Christ !
You have to be courageous and sincere to pray this prayer!
If you do so , you can be so close to God and our lives can be transformed !
Because David prayed this prayer, God said : He’s a man whose heart beats to my heart !
“I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’”
Acts of the Apostles 13:22
May God can find you as a man / woman / young person after His heart !