I'm ever run out of things to preach and so such a such a wonderful book of just
amazing things dear God and I pray that you would bless this sermon tonight and use it for your honor and glory and in
Jesus name I pray amen
Now this is an interesting story in the Bible
It's about a man named Jehu and let me just give you a little bit of the historical background of the story before I get
Into the message this man Jehu was promised by God
Basically the king of Israel was a very wicked man at this time and it'd been a succession of many wicked kings
And so God had decided that he was going to take away the kingdom from that particular
Dynasty in the northern kingdom of Israel and give it to another man by the name of Jehu
So he sent a prophet to that man
with a box of oil in it or some kind of ointment and he came to Jehu took him aside privately and
Broke open the box and he poured the oil on the side and said God has anointed you to be the next king of Israel
And he is going to use you to carry out judgment on the wicked house of Ahab and his this wasn't actually Ahab
But this was one of Ahab's descendants in the third generation
And he said God is going to use you to clean house and get rid of this wicked kingdom
That's going on and you will be the next king of Israel
So the young man that anointed him the prophet that God had sent the young preacher
he ran out of the house and left and
The men that were there with Jehu because Jehu was a military man. He was the captain of the host. He was a
High-ranking general in the king's army and they said what did that guy? What did this mad fellow say to you?
What this crazy preacher?
What and he says well, you know, you know what he's like, you know that you know the man in his communication
And they said no tell us what he said
And he said well he said that I'm gonna be the next king of Israel
And so these guys that were with him they got excited they said cool and they said let's roll off the red carpet
And let's and they got out a bunch of trumpets. They were off the red carpet and said
Jehu the king we're with you. Let's do this. And obviously this was all ordained by God
God had a plan then so he was going to use Jehu and so his men were just with him on this and so
Jehu took these men and and and and keep in mind this message that Jehu was going to be the king was from the Lord
Whereas the current king right now wanted nothing to do with the Lord
This is a hab's grandson a hab was a wicked man
The Bible says that he worship bail was he's worse being Satan later bail is also called bail zebub or Beelzebub
and all these gods that they're worshiping the old decimal were satanic and
They involved a lot of filthy things in there in their worship and so forth and it was this ungodly wicked system
and so these men had nothing to do with God and
Jehu said
The Lord has ordained me to be king and these men are with me and they're going to come with me
And we're excited about this and we are going to turn this nation around for God
They said we're going to kick out all these stinking bail worshipers and all these devil worshipers
And we are going to bring in the worship of Jehovah God once again in this country
And so they went out and of course they fought these battles and so forth
I'm not going to go into the whole story for sake of time, but in the story that we find
Jehu is executing judgment on all these wicked politicians and leaders at that time and
Jehu is riding in his chariot, and he comes across a man named Jehonadab
That's a very interesting man in the Bible. We'll see more about him in the message, but he comes on this man, Jonadab
And he asks him a question he's riding in the chariot, and here's Jonadab now Jonadab was a well-known man
He wasn't any kind of an official or anything
but he was just a well-known man, and he was a man of great means and he came to this man Jonadab and
He asked him this question look at your Bible if you're still there in first Kings chapter 10 verse 15
He lighted on Jonadab that means he came across Jonadab the son of rehab coming to meet him, and he saluted him and
Said to him is thy heart right?
See that question that he asked him. He just asked him one question. He says is thine heart right as
My heart is with thy heart
And Jehonadab answered it is just pretty simple answer. I like I like that
He just doesn't beat around the bush, or he just cuts the chase. He says is your heart right?
And he says it is
then and
This is kind of confusing the way it uses the pronouns here, but then basically
Jehu is answering him saying if it be
If your heart's right
Give me thine hand and he gave him his hand and he took him up to him into the chariot
And he said come with me and see my zeal for the Lord
So they made him ride in his cherry and from then from this point on you'll see in the story
Jehu and Jehonadab are kind of a team and they go and finish the job for God
But I believe that there's more to these stories in the Old Testament
I want you to know this whenever you're reading these Old Testament stories. Yes get the surface meaning yes read the story
Understand the basic truth that's presented right on the surface
But realize that every story in this book is about Jesus Christ every single story
I don't care what it is every story is about Jesus Christ
And so as you're reading these stories try and see the spiritual application here
I believe in this particular passage that we're reading here Jehu represents Jesus Christ
Jehu represents Jesus Christ and
Jehonadab hopefully represents us and I believe that if Jesus Christ were here today
And and the situation was the same. I think Jesus Christ would want to ask you that same question
He probably wouldn't go into the I don't think he'd go into a big long dissertation with you
I think he'd want to just ask you this one question. It's an important question. It says is
Thine heart right is your heart right say what do you mean by that is my heart, right?
Well people do a lot of things for a lot of reasons
But God says I know your heart and I want to ask you is your heart right?
Why wait before you answer that question?
He puts a qualifier he doesn't just say is your heart right? Well, yeah, that's easy say wait, of course my heart's right
no, he says is thine heart right as
My heart is with thy heart. That's the qualifier. He says I I determine what's a right heart
And what's not a right heart and I'm asking you today is your heart right look at verse number
I'm sorry, Matthew 23 turn your Bible to the book of Matthew. I'm going to show you some things out of the book of Matthew
Because you notice when he answers the question he says it is yes, my heart's right and what's the next thing Jesus Christ
Jehu but representing Jesus Christ reaches down and takes him up into the cherry and says you then you can be with me
Then you can participate with me then we can work together and do something for God
You can come with me and see my zeal for the Lord, but look at Matthew chapter 23
Now if you remember we were in this passage a few weeks ago and we were kind of looking at the opposite meaning and so
I want to show you the other side of the coin Matthew 23 25 the Bible says we want to use scribes and Pharisees
Hypocrites for you may clean the outside of the cup and of the platter but within they are full of extortion and excess
Thou blind Pharisee cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter that the outside of them may be clean also
We'll want to use scribes and Pharisees
Hypocrites for a year like in the whited sepulchres which indeed appear beautiful outward
But are within full of dead men's bones and of all uncleanness
Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within you are full of hypocrisy
And iniquity boy, I hope that's not you today. I hope that you don't just appear righteous on the outside today
I hope you don't just dress right and you're all
Dialed in exactly the way somebody should dress and I hope that you're not just coming to church putting on some kind of a show
Carrying your Bible to church, but within you're full of hypocrisy and uncleanness
Let me ask you is your heart right? That's what I want to know tonight is your heart, right?
Look at Matthew chapter 5 same book of Matthew. I want you to turn back to the book of Matthew
Well, I love this verse this is commonly known as the Beatitudes
Matthew chapter 5 we're gonna look at verse number 8 but Matthew 5 the first section here is known as the Beatitudes very famous
It's on many greeting cards and you see it on the wall in people's homes and so forth and it's basically the prologue
To the great Sermon on the Mount which is chapters 5 6 & 7 probably the most famous sermon that Jesus ever preached
But I want to show you just this one verse in verse number 8 one of the Beatitudes says
Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God
Blessed are the pure in heart boy. I love that verse
I've meditated on that verse many times. I've thought about that verse for hours
What does it mean to see God does that mean that you're physically gonna see God
I don't think so because the Bible says no man had seen God at any time
God said no man shall see my face and live now
We said of course
John said we beheld his glory as of the only begotten of the Father
We looked at Jesus Christ physically on this work, but God the Father no man has seen God at any time
No man can see his face and live the Bible says but how can we see God? How do you?
Do you want to have what I'm trying to say is do you want to have fellowship with God?
do you want to have some kind of a
Bond with God like a like a father and a son has a bond Mike
I'm talking about the bond of a friend with their closest friend
Jesus Christ said he's the friend that stick it closer than a brother. You want to have a bond with God
That's like a man has with his wife that kind of a relationship
Do you want to have a kind of a bond with God like close friends like father to son?
Like a brother with his brother you want to have that kind of a of a closeness with God
Then he wants this no do you have a pure heart is your heart right?
What does it mean to have a pure heart it means you don't have uncleanness in your heart was one thing that we saw
It means that you don't have a double heart as the Bible says where you're not serving God with all your heart
What does it mean to be a have a pure heart I
Think it means that you cleansed yourself from the filthiness of the flesh as the Bible says I think it means that you're not
Meditating and filling your mind with all the world's garbage. I think it means that you're not
Meditating on things that are wrong the Bible says whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just
Whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely
Those are things are a good report if there be any virtue and if there be any praise
Think on these things God wants you to fill your heart with things that are good with things that are positive
Things that are lovely that are pure that are godly that are decent
Don't
You just desire doesn't your heart just burn to know God
Now a lot of people use the wrong nomenclature
They'll talk about somebody being saved and they'll say this person knows the Lord and that's the wrong
Terminology because the Bible says that in order to be saved he has to know you
You remember Jesus said depart from me. I never knew you and the Bible Paul said, you know, he said to know God
He says well rather to be known of him is what gets you to heaven. I forget the exact scripture
But once you're saved once God knows you and you're saved and you're his child
Don't you just desire to know God remember on Philippians chapter 3 on Wednesday night when I preached and and I was just actually I
Was just quoting what Paul said, but he said that I may know him
That was his desire. Just so I love those words that I may know him
He said I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ
He said why do I not mind that? I've lost everything
That I've lost all my money. I'm sitting in a jail cell. I've lost my health. I've lost all my friends
I've lost my my education my degree. I've lost my prestige, but I don't care. I got it, but done why?
It says for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ that I may know him and the power of his resurrection
And the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable that he said if suffering brings me closer to God then I want to suffer
Because I want to know him that's my goal. That's my desire in life. That's what drives me. That's what pushes me to know God
Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God
Now of course in the book of Job the Bible says who can say my heart is pure
I'm free from I've cleansed myself from sin obviously no one has totally cleansed himself from sin. No one has a heart. That's
Totally going to be pure, but the Bible says in first John every man that hath this hope in him purify himself even as he is
It's a process that you ought to be going through where you're trying to purify yourself
It sounds so good to say well, I love God I
Just feel so close to God I get these warm fuzzy feelings all over when I listen to my to my
Christian contemporary CDs, and I and I put in these praise worship songs and our God
Is an awesome God, and I just feel so close to God when I listen to that music
But that is not what brings you close to God what brings you close to God is when your heart is right?
Remember King Saul his heart was not right King Saul had a heart that was not right with God whatsoever
He started rebelling against God the preacher came to him and said you're wrong
He said you need to get right with God you're blowing it
You're gonna lose the kingdom and Saul said I don't care what God thinks he said honor me now
Before the people I want to look good in front of people. I don't care what God thinks
I don't care if I'm right with God care my heart's right and what happened
the Bible says that an evil spirit came from the Lord and troubled him and so he was disturbed mentally and he was
Enraged and he was flipping out and he was lashing out at people and he was losing his mind literally and so
What happened he said well his servants came to him and said well
We've got a great idea and
Boy, these servants are like typical churches
You know and they said here's what you do get this get this music
Get this music that'll soothe you and get some godly music get some Christian music and listen to this music
It'll make you feel good, and so he went and got David and David played with the harp and boy he felt great
he felt so much better that the
Things were okay now now. Did he change his heart? No did he change his actions?
No, he just turned on some music that was some kind of a surrogate Christianity to make him feel like he was spiritual when he
Wasn't and so boy he listened to that music and the Bible says the voice sued them and he fell great
He was fine, but watch the story after a few chapters. He keeps listening that music next thing you know
He's listening to music. He gets that evil spirit from the Lord's flipping out and and violent and he's he's preaching and he's
He's crazy he's losing and what does he do he calls for David David plays with a harp
It doesn't work anymore, and what happens he takes a spear while David's playing and throws a spear at
David and tries to kill him and David just barely ducks out of the way and gets out of there
Because it was just a band-aid it wasn't correcting the problem
Listening to music that makes you feel spiritual doesn't that's not
Christianity that's not what brings you closer to God
What brings you close to God is when you purify yourself when your heart is right with God is your heart?
right
I'm not asking you how many hours of
Christian feel-good music you listen to I'm asking you is your heart right with God
Stay in the book of Matthew and turn to turn to Matthew chapter 22
Matthew chapter 22 verse number 35 and the Bible says here in Matthew 22 35
Then one of them which was a lawyer
Now let me explain the word lawyer here
This isn't talking about like the guidance at court, and he's you know he's saying your honor
I'd like to request permission to approach the bench. Okay. This guy is a guy who studies the Bible
That's what a lawyer was back then because this was the law back then
Genesis Exodus Leviticus Deuteronomy in Numbers Deuteronomy was this was the law in the land of the Jews and so a lawyer was somebody who?
Just studied the Bible incessantly they knew the law upward backward and forward
Unfortunately they also stayed a lot of other books besides the Bible which confused them on a lot of things
But this lawyer asked him a question
Tempting him he's trying to test him out. That's what it means tempting him
He says he's trying to test him out see if he's legit, and it says he asked him a question tempting him and saying
master
Which is the greatest commandment in the law?
That's a good question. I like it. I don't think it's a bad question at all
He says which is the greatest commandment in the law?
Jesus said unto him
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart
That's the greatest commandment
That's the number one thing thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind
This is the first and great commandment
And then it says the second is like unto it thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself on these two
Commandments hang all the law and the prophets
He's saying I can wrap up the whole Old Testament for you in just two sentences
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might and thou shalt love thy
Neighbor as thyself he said if you obey those two commandments you're done
So the problem with somebody who won't obey the commands of God is not a disobedience problem, it's a heart problem
It's a love problem. It's a lack of love for God when you disobey God
You're saying that you don't love God the Bible says it. I'm not saying that it says in 1st John
If a man say I love God and keep it not as commandments. He's a liar
That's what it says
It's a you say that you that you know him who you say that you love remember we want to know God
He said if a man say that says he knows God and doesn't keep his man. She's a liar
Because God is saying if you love me with all your heart
You won't have any problem obeying me, and then he says if you love your fellow man if you love your neighbor as yourself
Well that wraps up the other commandment think about this when when Moses came down from the mouth
He had two tablets of sown right and he had two tablets of sown
They were actually engraved with the fingers of God with the finger of God, and it was the Ten Commandments
Now those two those Ten Commandments were obviously you had half of them on one tablet and half of them on the other tablet because there
were two tablets
Well, I've noticed in the Bible that when God quotes the commandments sometimes. He'll just quote the last five by themselves
He'll just quote six through ten sometimes in the New Testament when he's talking about us dealing with other people sometimes
He'll just quote those six through ten like here's an example
You don't have to turn there
But I'll read this for you, and you have to have a King James Bible tonight
Or else you wouldn't you wouldn't see this because they change it in other Bibles, but in Romans 13. It says right here
for this
Thou shalt not commit adultery
Thou shalt not kill thou shalt not steal thou shalt not bear false witness thou shalt not covet
Those are the last five commandments six through ten
and
If there be any other commandment it is briefly comprehended in this saying namely thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself
Love worketh no ill to his neighbor
Therefore love is the fulfilling of the law and so do you notice how God takes these commandments six through ten?
And he says if you want if you just love your neighbor as yourself
You will do these six you will do these five commandments
And so we can ascertain from this that the other five commandments the first five have to do with your love for God
So Commandments one through five are
Love the Lord thy God with all your heart and the commandment six through ten are just wrapped up and love your neighbor
So if you love your neighbor, you're not gonna kill him if you love your neighbor
You're not gonna commit adultery with his wife if you love your neighbor
You're not gonna lie to him and bear false witness against him if you love your neighbor. You're not gonna
I don't know. I got a little mixed up on the work there, but you're not gonna covet his stuff if you love him and
Then you got the first five commandments
It's that he said that's that have no other gods before me don't worship anything above me. I'm the only God
I will not share my glory with another
Commandment number two is thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image
He says commandment number three says thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain
Don't cuss my name around don't say oh my god
Don't say this kind of garbage where you throw my name around like it's meaningless like it's piece of trash to you
Said don't take my name in vain
Reverence the name of God and then commandment number four remember the Sabbath to keep it
Holy which it was if we if you were there for Hebrews after for God explains that Jesus Christ is our rest
That's like my thus honoring Jesus Christ and and then commandment number five honor thy father and thy mother
And so God is our father, of course
So the problem with somebody who disobeys the problem with us when we disobey is a lack of love for God
That's just the simple truth if we would love God
It wouldn't be a big issue think about it if I love my wife, which I do
if I love my wife
Probably I'm not gonna do things that hurt her
Just intentionally if I what if I could get away with doing something that would hurt her am I just gonna do it
No, cuz I love my wife right now if my wife loves me
Is she just gonna purposely do things to irritate me and injure me and hurt me? No
Not at all and so the love is the key here
Now think about this
There are a lot of things that are maybe not right and wrong that my wife might have a preference about
Well, I'm just gonna do it right. I mean if it's not a big deal
I mean who cares if she says I want to squeeze the toothpaste from the middle or what? You know, it's like big deal
Who cares? I'm not gonna get all wrapped up in some fight about some stupid thing, you know
Or if she has a problem with where I put my dirty laundry, she's just gonna let it go right cuz you love me
All right, we'll talk about it later
We'll go through that later, but the bottom line is hey, what's the big deal?
You know don't I want to get along with my wife though? I love my wife
I want to have a sweet relationship with my wife. Don't know that some stupid little thing get between me and my wife
I'm gonna do whatever I can to have peace with my wife within you know
Obeying God's laws and within those type of things
I'm gonna do whatever I can just to try to keep things right and by the way, that's what you have to do that
In a marriage, that's the only way you're gonna make marriage work. You have to work at it
you have to work at it because nobody just
Automatically rides off in the sunset and just gets a long grade and never has any problems. Everything's fine, but
except us
But anyway the bottom line is
Who cares right I mean if she says well, you know, I don't want you to to you know
Eat at midnight or I don't know whatever. You know, I don't care whatever
I'll do what it takes to get along and then she does it's gonna do the same thing
We're both gonna have to give in a little bit and so forth. Look that's the problem with your relationship with God you're saying
God's saying listen now. I want you to dress a certain way
So I want you to dress now you don't think I want my wife to dress
I mean, let's bring it back to the the marriage you think if my wife walked out of here
Wearing a miniskirt and a halter top and so you think I'm gonna go for that
No, it ain't happening
It would be like hellfire and damnation. It'd be the wrath of
Steve okay. Now it would be it would be heads would roll. Okay you now look
It's the same thing with God God says look I want you to dress a certain way
I don't want you to dress sleazy and and you say well
Say dress how I want, you know, it's like why are you making such a big deal out of something? That's so minor
It's just clothes. I mean, it's a piece of fabric. Just put on what he told you to put on big deal
Do you love God enough to dress the way that God wants you to dress according to the Bible?
Or is your love for God so shallow that you say no my personal preference of how I dress is going to
supersede my love for God
We're talking about Jesus Christ who died on the cross for us who was nailed to a cross who was beaten beyond recognition
and said
The way they told you to dress now you you can't you can't explain that to me that doesn't make any sense
Why clothing or you know or a haircut, you know
You see men so often now with long hair and God has a preference about it
God says I want you to have short hair on a man. He says I want you to look distinctly masculine and yet
You see people who even in church with long hair and they just say well, this is just how I wear my hair
Well, we can tell how much you love God, sir
Because God commanded you to do it and you're getting all bent out of shape over some little man
You say well, these are the smallest Commandments
Tiny things the more important things the weightier matters of the law or love and mercy and and you know
Reading the Bible and so and those are the important things. Yes
They are the important things and so it's amazing to me that somebody can't obey the little things
I mean the big things would be harder to obey if anything
What's harder to go to the barber and get a haircut or to read the Bible every day?
What takes what's harder? What's harder to?
Put on a skirt that's at least as long as you're down to your knees
So it's not showing your thighs what's harder to do that or to go soul winning every week
Tell me which one's hard
It seems like it's easier to obey the little Commandments that that are so unimportant in your mind
Seems like those are really easy to obey seems like the big commands of the heartless obey
So maybe you should start with some of the ones that are a little easier and then maybe you could get to the ones that
Are harder that are bigger. Yeah, how hard is it to get baptized?
It's pretty easy right somebody just dunks you under water. You're done
You say well, that's a little thing. What's the big deal? Why do you emphasize baptism?
I emphasize baptism because God said it and I the Bible promises me and I'm riding on this promise. He says whoever
Takes the least Commandments in here and does them and teaches people to do them
He says he'll be called the greatest in the kingdom of heaven
And he says those who don't obey the least commandment and teach people not to obey them like those aren't a big deal
He says they'll be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. So mr
Preacher who won't preach on the little commandments in this book. It's gonna be called. Mr
Least in the kingdom of heaven according to the Bible and you say well
Why do you get so hung up on these things that are so not important like the way people dress and and and the way?
They listen to their music or well because I just want to be called great when I get to heaven. That's all
You say well it makes people mad it turns people away I don't care my heart is right that's what I care about
That's all I care is your heart right?
With my heart. That's why he said he didn't say
John a dad son of Rica is your heart with right with everybody
You know is your heart right with everybody in your family is your heart right with all your friends is your heart right with you
with your with your co-workers is your heart right, but he said no is your heart right as
My heart is with thy heart that's what he said
He said the only only one thing that matters don't have is your heart right with me and he said it is
boy
That's the goal of my life. Is that if God asked me that question, I just want to be able to say it is
Now I'm not perfect and I'll never be perfect and there are things I mean there are things right now
Right now that I can tell you right now. This is what I'm working on to try to purify myself
This is what I'm working on right now to try to be closer to God, and if I didn't then
I'm going backward in life. If I don't if I couldn't tell you right now and say this is what I'm doing right now
This is the improvement that I'm making this is how I'm trying to get closer to God right now
This is the sin that I'm trying to defeat in my life
This is what I'm trying to purify out of my heart right now if I couldn't tell you that
I'm probably moving backward in my Christian life because I just be oh, I guess I've arrived
I hope I arrived good night. Nobody's arrived
Nobody has reached the point where they're they're they're perfect and pure and right that's why we always need to be saying
This is what I'm working on. What are you working on? I'm not abscess rhetorical questions. So I was the kids
Start telling you, but what is it that you're working on right now? What can you say right now?
This is what I'm trying to improve in my Christian life
I'm trying to read my Bible more or I'm trying to go soul anymore right now
I'm trying to improve the way I dress. I'm trying to cut out some of the bad things
I'm trying to do this and that what are you doing now to purify yourself because the Bible says every man
They have this hope in and purify themselves
Everybody who loves God is trying to purify themselves don't get stuck in a rut don't get stagnant where you think well
I've crossed all the checklist of being an independent fundamental Baptist because I've done the five things that I've been taught
I read my Bible every day. I pray every day. I go so any I
Tied I go to church three times a week three that's live
You have not arrived. That's like spiritual kindergarten
That means you're just getting started and now it's time to purify yourself now. It's time to move forward
I'm pressing on the upward way new heights. I'm gaining everywhere still praying as I'm onward bound
Lord my feet on higher ground
Will always be moving forward the Christian life is like being in a river
As soon as you stop swimming
You start going backwards unless you're actively swimming forward you just this is the way it is
David said my heart cleave it to the dust
It's like there was some kind of a gravitational pull on him that says it's just something's always bringing me down
And I have to just constantly be rising above it and constantly working to move forward to move to higher ground
What are your goals for the year of 2006? What is your goal for the month of April?
What's your goal for this year to say I'm not going to be the same as I was last year because next year
This is how I'm going to be closer to God
But back to the subject at hand God is saying is your heart right and
he says
It is and then what he says if so he says okay
Well anybody can say it's right you know and so John of death said it is right
Well anybody can say that so he says if it is then give me your hand
He gave him his hand, and he said all right come up here with me into the chariot
And you're gonna ride with me for a while, and you're gonna see my zeal for the Lord you're gonna learn of me
I'm gonna teach you I mean would you do you want Jesus Christ to teach you how to serve God how to live the Christian?
Life you want Jesus Christ say here come with me. Let me show you how it's done, sir
Let me show you how it's done, ma'am. I want to show you my zeal for the Lord
Boy wouldn't you love to just be side by side working with him?
Partnering with him turn to first John chapter 1. I want to show you this
First John chapter 1
First John chapter 1 and you know John has always been my favorite character of the New Testament
Because
John seemed to have the closest relationship with Jesus he seemed to be the closest with Jesus
Do you notice that he was one of the inner three?
Peter James and John that are whenever it's just Jesus and a few disciples. It's always Peter James and John
And and you know at the Last Supper guess who was sitting right next to Jesus John was sitting right next to Jesus
He he actually was leaned up against Jesus. I mean he could hear the heartbeat of Jesus Christ
This is how close John was to Jesus and you just kind of notice
There's something different about John in the Bible
He was probably the disciple that seemed to be the closest to Jesus of anybody in the New Testament
And I love reading the books that John wrote and I love reading about John in the Bible
But
We talked about this before but the book of John was written in
And I believe I preached on this recently but the book of John was written and it says this in John chapter 20 in the
Last verse it says these things are written says if we wrote all the things down that Jesus did he said it would fill all
The books in the world we couldn't write it all down
But he said these are written what I did write in the book of John
He said is written that you might believe on the Son of God and that believing in him you might have life
You know by his name. I'm
Quoting that loosely unfortunately, but the point is the book of John was written by John and notice throughout the book of John
Have you noticed how he never refers to himself as John?
He just calls himself that other disciple or the other disciple, but then he calls himself the disciple whom Jesus loved
Well, that's it. That's quite a title, isn't it?
The disciples whom Jesus loved but then he writes the book of first John the book of John was so that you could get saved
The only book in the Bible that claims to be telling you how to be saved and boy great book for soul winning is the
book of John
but then first John
He says what the purpose is in first John 1 4 and these things rightly unto you that your joy may be full
So he said the first job in the book of John. Let's get you saved and in first John
I want your joy to be full. He said don't just be saved
Live in the fullness of joy of the Christian life
Be close to God like I was close to God. He's saying but look at first John 1
I want to show you this and this is a phenomenal thing that I noticed here
First John 1 4 says these things rightly unto you that your joy may be full
This I'm sorry. Let's look at verse 3. I mean, I want to build a little foundation and show you a picture here
Look at verse 3 it says that which we have seen and heard declare
we unto you that you also may have fellowship with us and
Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his son Jesus Christ and these things rightly unto you that your joy may be full
This then is the message which we have heard of him and declare unto you that God is light and in him is no darkness
At all what God is what John is saying here. He says I'm I'm writing this to you
I want to tell you that I have fellowship with God. That's what he says in verse 3
I want you to know that I have fellowship with the Father and with his son Jesus Christ
And I'm writing this to you so that your joy can be full
He says now he's going to tell us how to have fellowship with God the joy of the Christian life is
The fellowship that we have with the Father and with his son Jesus Christ
The joy and the Christian life will not be full until you're in the chariot with Jesus
Until your heart is right, and he says okay come with me, and you're having fellowship with the Father and with his son Jesus Christ
That's the joy in the Christian life. That's the excitement. That's where you enjoy it now look at verse number five
He's going to tell us how
This then is the message which we have heard of him and declare unto you that
God is light and in him is no darkness at all if
We say that we have fellowship with them and walk in darkness
We lie and do not the truth
But if we walk in the light as he is in the light
We have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all sin
But then he follows up by saying if we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us
So not that we're totally free from sin
But the difference is between walking in the light and walking in the darkness now God
There's no darkness in him at all. He said he said oh you want to have fellowship with God
You want your joy to be full?
John
How do you have so much joy John? How is it that you just have so much joy?
I mean look what you've been through you've gone through all this persecution
Yet you seem to have a joy that no one no man can take from you
Where does the joy come from he says it comes from the fact that I have fellowship with the Father and with his son Jesus Christ
It comes from the fact that my heart is right
And I have a closeness and a relationship with God that you can only have when you walk in the light because he is in
The light he's not in the darkness you say well
I want to know God God's not going to come to the casino with you and
Come hang out with you when you're sitting in front of the television watching some queer
God doesn't want to have fellowship with you when you're in the darkness
Have you ever noticed that when you go to a bar or a casino is very dark have you ever gotten it?
It's just light fluorescent lights
No, because the Bible says men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil and so the darkness is where sin seems to
Abound at night is when the crime happens kids
When it's dark be in the house, okay?
The chances are bad stuff is going on when it's dark
And you're outside if you're in the house after dark
You'd be a lot safer and bad things won't happen to you, and you won't get into trouble so when it's dark
You need to be where?
In the house or with mom and dad
Because the darkness is where men do wicked sinful things you go into the bar
And it's dark and dismal you go into the casino the lights are turned way down low, and it's dark
Let me ask you something is Jesus Christ gonna come with you into that bar and have fellowship with you know
You see I just feel so distant from God
I just feel like I just feel like I'm just he's just not there
And I prayed it just seems like he's not listening to me
And I just I just don't feel any kind of a fellowship with God
And I just kind of reach out and try to feel is it's not there
Get out of the darkness and get in the light, and you say well, that's just
That's not nice that that God won't come to me
And I just understand why God won't you know reach out to me and pull me up into his chariot look
Jesus is sitting out there waiting. He's sitting in the light. He's sitting in the chariot saying
Hello
Where are you, but you're you're so far in the darkness? You can't even can't find them you get into the light
Where he is?
You'll find them right away because he's just sitting there
He's gonna be like well
It's about time you came where I am in the light in the light of righteousness in the light of living good life look at
this and
This is a discovery that I made this week. I was I was reading my Bible
And I'm constantly finding new things in the Bible constantly daily
I'm finding new things in the Bible, and I've been studying the book of first John
I mean for years
But look at look at first John 1 4 these things rightly unto you that your joy may be full now look at chapter 2 verse 1
My little children these things right I unto you that you said not you see that so what's he saying?
Well wait a minute John
I thought you said you wrote it to me so that my joy would be full now
You're saying you wrote it unto me that I sin not make up your mind John
Well, it's the same thing. He says you want your joy to be pulled and sin not
The joy in the Christian life is when you're living a life of not sinning that seems really basic and maybe stupid, but
If you could grasp this it would help you to understand, maybe how to increase your joy in the Christian life
He says my little children these things right I knew that you sin not and if any man sin
We have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous
He says if you do sin Jesus Christ will stand up for you Jesus Christ will still love you forgive you of course
But he says if you want your joy to be full
don't sin if
You want to have joy don't sin if you want to live a life of misery and heartache and sadness and hurt
Just go ahead and sin
Live a life of sin, and that's the way you'll feel, but he says if you want your joy to be full
Then sin not these things right I am to you that your joy may be full
These things right I unto you that you sin not because it's the same thing. That's what God is saying
All that to say this is your heart right tonight, and I'm not really this isn't really a specific type of sermon
you know attacking a certain problem or
Edifying us in a certain way or maybe bringing up a certain point of how we could be closer to God
Or how we could love God?
But it's a sermon that's telling you to examine yourself. This is only between you and God
Only you can answer that question nobody can look at you, and they might see the clean platter on the outside
But only you know whether your heart is right only you know nobody else can tell because I've seen people who seem like their heart
Was right turned out their heart was not right at all
Because their heart was was wicked on the inside, and it was clean on the outside
But it was wrong on the inside, and so God is saying here
look at yourself and
tell me is your heart right and
Don't come up with some complicated answer about well. You know you don't understand what I've been through you don't say my past
You don't understand the things that I'm dealing with you don't understand
It's it's some kind of an addiction or it's something that was taught to me growing up
And and you don't understand my finances, and and you don't understand my home life, and you understand my problems
He said I didn't ask for all that
I just want to know one thing is your heart right and just have a quick answer prepared it is
That's all that's the only answer that's acceptable
It is it is right
Maybe I don't have all my ducks in a row not perfect
And I if I said that I didn't have any sin I'd be deceiving myself, but God my heart is right
I love you, and I want to serve you
And I'm trying and I love you and that's evidenced by the fact that constantly I'm at least trying to purify myself
Because I love you, and I want to be close to you
And I wish you'd come and be with me and spend time with me
But I know you can't because there's no darkness in you at all so God. I love you so much
I'm gonna step out of the darkness, and I'm gonna get closer to you God because I want to know God
I want to have a pure heart so that I can see God
You want to go see the R-rated movie, or do you want to see God?
That's the question do you want to go see all the all the pornography and the filthy billboards?
Or do you want to see God because your heart's pure?
Do you want to go see the world and the flesh and the devil, or do you want to see God?
Now if you don't want to see God
Then the sermon's not for you, and maybe this sermon's not for everybody, but this sermon is for those who say wow
There's something inside me that says I
Want to know God just like the Apostle Paul said I want to know him. I want to see God
I don't want to just have some shallow Christian life where I go to church and say I
Made it to church again
I'm good for another week. I'm good till the next service
But I read my Bible today for for five minutes and 59 seconds
And I've done my little devotion, and I've said my little now I lay me down to sleep
No, this sermon is for those who say no. I want to know God in a special way
I want to be close to God. I want to be in the chariot with God
I don't want to be across the table from God. I want to be sitting right next to him
I want to be right where he is and
God says I want you there too, and I'll tell you exactly how to get there
Have your heart, right?
Now you may not be able to be perfect
And you may not be able to straighten everything out today
And you may not be able to have everything just dialed in today
But there's one thing that you can do today right now. You can say God
Have thine own way Lord. My heart is going to be right with you right now. You can say in your heart
Nothing between my soul and the Savior God whatever you tell me to do
Maybe I don't know it all maybe I haven't read it all in the Bible yet. Maybe I haven't learned enough
Maybe I'm working toward these things, but right now you can say God
There's nothing I won't do for you God if it's going to keep me from being close to you. Show me what it is
Create in me a clean heart God search me
Oh God and know my thought heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me
You could have a heart like that. They said it's a heart
That's that's receptive to God's leading a heart that says no God. I'm not holding anything back. I
Want you to search me and see if there's any wicked way in me
And if there is then reveal it to me God because I don't want anything to stop me but from being close to you
I'm not holding anything back
You could do that right now. You do that today. You could say now I will yield myself to God
I will yield myself to the Holy Spirit, and I'm not holding anything back
I'm gonna love them with all my heart all my soul all my might
that's a tall order, but God said that's the first commandment and
it and it's for your benefit because that's how you have the joy in the Christian life if you
Put your all on the altar and say I'm not holding anything back
Well, but there's just this one area that I know everything and say it's all yours God
Where do you where do you what do you want me to do with my life?
How do you want me to dress? How do you want me to act? What do you want me to say?
What do you want me to be? How do you want me to act just tell me and I'll do it
That's the attitude of a John Adab and I didn't even get to it in the message for sake of time
there's a whole chapter about John Adab in Jeremiah 35 and
This is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible
Jeremiah 35 write that down maybe and you could look at it later if you would but
Jeremiah 35 the whole chapters about John Adab the son of recap and that chapter I didn't get to the chapter and I could have
Explained to you some of the greatness of this man John Adab who said it is it is right
The man who got to be in the chariot with Jesus Christ
but let me read to you just the final verse of Jeremiah 35 and I'll close with this and
This chapter highlights John Adab and what a great man
He was but in the last verse it says therefore thus saith the Lord of the hosts the God of Israel
John Adab the son of recap shall not want a man to stand before me forever
And this is talking about his descendants if you read the chapter
He says there's never until the end of the world not going to be somebody from his loins
Somebody one of his children
That serves me and loves me. His kids aren't going to go to the devil
Because his heart was right. That's why his kids turned out right and that's why he said your kids are always gonna be turning out
Right, he prophesied this in Jeremiah 35
You want your kids to turn out right is your heart, right
Because you can put on the motions you go the most well, we took them to church Sunday morning Sunday night Wednesday
I know I didn't turn out right they won't turn out right unless your heart is right
Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer
God we love you so much and father, please just help us to have a heart. That's right. Dear God
Please just
Find us worthy to be in the chariot with you. God. I want I I know I want to be close to you God. I
want to know you God I want to see you God and
So father, please just bless all that are here myself included
To get out of the darkness and get into the light where you are and to just right now
Yield our heart and say my heart is right now with every head bowed and eyes closed and my eyes are closed
Also, I want to ask this one question
Who would say right now the best I know how and I'm not perfect but but the best I know how I
Want to get my heart right right now. Would you slip up your hands?
Want to get my heart right right now
would you slip up your hand if that's you and you this is between you and God my eyes are closed and
You just want to tell God you know what God I?
Want my heart to be right because I want to know you I want to see you God. I love you
I love you as a person God
And I want to get to know you and so if that's you slip up your hand and say God
I want my heart to be right now and slip it up if you mean it and say God
My heart's right it is
Father thank you so much for the word of God, and thank you so much that you even want to be our friend boy
Thank you so much. God that you love me, and you actually want to spend time with me
You're so much greater and holier than I am but father you love me
And and you want to be my father and you want to be my brother and you want to be my friend God
Thank you so much for
Reaching down to me and inviting me up into your chariot man praise the Lord
God I love you so much
and I and I believe that these people love you also, and I believe that's why they're here in church tonight and
So God, please just help us all by your grace
It's not going to be done on our own help us to be pure and help us to purify our hearts that we can see
you and know you and love you and
Jesus for the and Jesus for the and Jesus for the and Jesus for the
you