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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/allan-christopherson/give-me-thine-heart/
Proverbs 23 reading it verse 26. My son give me thine heart. My son give me thine heart. We have the privilege of living within 22 assemblies three hours. I can be at that many lampstands in Wisconsin, in Iowa, Egg Harbor, I think Black River Falls is beyond three hours for me.
But what has struck me about Proverbs 23 and verse 26 is simply this, that in those particular lampstands that I have become linked with and thankfully so and associated with, there are people that I have discovered have given the Lord their heart.
They could not operate the way they do. They would not be able to function in continuation and with a spirit of fervency without giving them, without giving that lampstand and the Lord their heart. So I thank God that I was ever raised in Iowa.
Whoops, sorry you Wisconsinites, but I'm sorry about that. But for I was ever raised in a place where there was assemblies all around us and 13 assemblies at the present time in northeast Iowa or rather in Iowa that we are in fellowship with.
I detect something about those assemblies, about those beloved people, that they've got their heart in it. They've put their heart into the things of God and they're there. They can be counted on and they have definitely commitment again to that particular work because they have given the Lord their heart.
Proverbs is known for instruction from heaven for life on earth. So if I want to have instruction for earth, I can only read the book of Proverbs and I discover very simply that there is a, there's a, the precept and there's commandments that helped me live in this land in which we live 2012 and helped me live for his glory.
But I also noticed something in the book of Proverbs that of all the Proverbs that are listed, 876 Proverbs verses in the book of Proverbs. Maybe Mr. Dryberg didn't even maybe know that one, but there was those particular Proverbs that is listed.
I noticed that one out of 11 verses, the heart is mentioned. So over 80 times the, the word heart is mentioned in the book of the Proverbs. And of course it only tells me very simply that the heart is something that is very, very important.
I cannot, I cannot go without, without having my heart and without having my heart in it. In the book of the Proverbs, there are 22 times where this phrase, my son, younger brethren, I wish you would make a little mental note of that 22 times my son is mentioned.
It'd be a lovely study. And perhaps maybe I will venture into a more myself of those 22 times. What is the Lord saying? The writer, most of these Proverbs as given by Solomon himself, obviously the last two chapters of the Proverbs are not Solomon's and perhaps maybe the majority of them are.
I'm wondering, is there a message behind every one of those phrases, my son, but I was struck, dear Christian, when only one of those 22 times does the writer ask for something and it's the heart. He doesn't ask for materialism as we've been reminded.
He doesn't ask for wealth or his fame or his money or his time or what ability. He only asks for the heart. I'm reminded in Proverbs chapter two, that verse two, that incline thine heart. No, incline thine ear.
First of all, if I can have before the heart is given, incline thine ear. And in the same verse, apply thy heart to understanding. So I apply the understanding of what I receive. I listened to his word.
I let the word into my heart. I receive it. And I use that particular wisdom that he has given me. And then I make the practical application. Isn't it sad that the world claims my heart? You dear businessmen, and they want more of your time.
They want more of your brains. They want more of your energy. And am I right in saying that you come home from work, whether you're farming or whether that is any other in the office, and you come home at night whipped.
The world says, give me more. The world says, give me more of your time. And if you put in 10 hours, the world, the boss wants 11 and a half. And if you give 11 and a half hours, the boss perhaps maybe will try for 12.
And I believe our dear young people, especially if you have to, if you have to, and if you can, with all your courage that you can say no, when you can say no, because they will want you more and more and more.
The heart. Satan says, give your heart just a little bit of your heart. Don't be so out and out for God. Just give a little bit to God. Maybe go to most of the most of the exercises in the assembly and give your time most of the time, but hold back a little bit for me.
And even old self gets in there and self says, I've worked hard. I don't need to deny myself. I deserve this. We need a tested heart. I would love to have a tender heart. My wife said to me the other night, what you said in the Bible reading come off kind of sharp.
I regret that. I can't even remember what I said, but it apparently come off kind of too forward. Who was it? Mr. Brandt said something as Bruce Yolenop was pushing him across to the nursing home. Mr. Brandt, Godly esteemed man among us in the wheelchair and Bruce was pushing him.
And it was a lively Bible reading. I remember. And quite, there were several men that was involved with the discussion. Mr. Brandt says to Bruce, you want to be careful in a Bible reading that you don't become too dogmatic.
And Bruce says, why, that you might offend somebody. No, Mr. Brandt says, you could be wrong. Where was I? I would love to have a tender heart. I would love to have a, a father's heart, a nurse's heart as Paul urges Timothy to have, you know, that tender heart that if I'm going to have a tender heart at all likelihood, it will have to be a tested heart.
That tested heart will likely have to be tested because I need to trust him more. And like Abraham, who had to have a test and he did have that tested heart. Is it, is it true, dear Christian, that a lot of times I can have a troubled heart and perhaps a troubled heart without really that much to be troubled about.
But do I know what it is to give the Lord my heart? I want to look at it in three simple ways in about 10 minutes that I've left at my disposal. He wants the heart to appreciate. God wants my heart to appreciate at least three things.
He, he wants me to appreciate the word of God. He wants me to appreciate the walk with God. And then he wants me to appreciate being able to be weaned from a world that is dark, washing through the word.
When I come to John chapter 13, I discover that there is a washing that I will submit myself to. In fact, these three things are enjoyed when the heart is given. Perhaps maybe I know that in only theory only.
I would love to know it in a practicality way. And Mr. Lively told me one time, he says, I'll don't forget that what you know and what you think about a message that you are giving. There are people in the audience that has, knows more about it.
I never forgot that. So even as I speak this morning, I'm aware that there are saints that know more about this than I do, but I can see something Christian. I can see something that if a heart is given, I know something then of being washed and being able to have that, to have that daily cleansing and bring me into a real sweet communion with him.
Obviously, verse 10 of John chapter 13, perhaps John chapter 13, reading at verse eight, if I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Can you imagine? I can't imagine to go through life and having no part with him.
I wonder if Peter couldn't imagine that either. And he says, no, not only my feet, but all my head and my hands and everything. No, says the Lord, you were once bathed. And of course, there's two Greek words in the verse 10 of John chapter 13, telling us of two different, two different meanings of the word.
The first one is that I am worse, a once and for all cleansing. I am brought to Christ as a believer. The second of all is that daily cleansing. Years ago, I was visiting in Eastern Iowa and I heard constantly this little phrase, I gave my heart to Jesus.
Maybe there are some that are, are believers here today, and that's your story. I'm not finding fault with that, except I talked to so many people in that particular time where I was working and they gave their heart to Jesus and there was no fruit behind the life.
After all, the Lord didn't want my heart because it was defiled. And of course it needed cleansing. So I come home from visiting and I sat down with Gloria's mother and I said, mom, I had forgotten how she got saved.
And I said, mom, tell me, I was frustrated. I said, tell me, how did you get the savior? How did you trust the Lord Jesus? Well, I became troubled one day listening to a man and, and, uh, the neighbor came over and slipped John, uh, slipped a God's way of salvation under my pillow.
I became troubled about my sin. And one morning I just gave my heart to Jesus. Well, there's a, there was a full dependence upon that transaction. But we're talking about this morning, dear Christian, about not giving our heart to Jesus.
I'm talking about being cleansed, being cleansed from that daily defilement, that washing, uh, that can only come by, by sitting, uh, by sitting at his feet. First John chapter one would remind us of the fact that we can confess our sins.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And in this world in which we live, uh, who would ever dare say we don't live in a defiling scene.
And there is that time when I must come aside and I must take this book and I must get my, my, my, my feet cleansed, my mind cleansed. And if my mind is not being cleansed by his word, then who knows, dear Christian, how far I can, how far I can go.
Ephesians chapter five reminds us of the, uh, that he might sanctify and cleansing, uh, cleanse it with a washing of word, with a washing, with a washing of water, uh, by the word. So by the word, I am being cleansed and I am being sanctified and I'm being cleansed from the defilement, uh, that, uh, we are, that we are rubbing shoulders with.
Malachi chapter three, um, I've often thought is, is that I might, uh, that they, that fear the Lord speak often one to another and a book of remembrance. So I can, I can see something there, Christian.
And those of you that are given the Lord, your heart, you know what it is to have that cleansing effect and to be able to be cleansed from all unrighteousness. Those that feared one, those that feared the Lord, they speak often one to another.
And a book of remembrance was made, was written. And I like what one man said not too long ago, that feet washing is the ministry of Christ from one believer to another. Is that correct brother? The ministry of Christ from one believer to another.
And what happens when I sit down with you and you tell me of some of the things that you've been enjoying. You're washing my feet, you're washing my, you're cleansing me and I'm vice versa. It was with yourself.
So when my heart is given and he has my heart, I'm going to enjoy joy having being washed through the word. The second thing I'd like to suggest that when my heart is given that there is a walking with the Lord.
Enoch, he, he walked with God and he was not for God took him. He had this testimony that he pleased God. He walked with the Lord. And I've often wondered what it must have been like for Enoch who walked hand in hand with God.
What moments dear Christian, what precious moments that that must have been. What as Enoch walked and it was no picnic then back then because my Bible tells me that their thoughts and the imaginations of the heart was only evil continually.
So walking with God and the defiling scene, don't say dear Christian, it can't be because it can be. And then the defiling scene, we can walk, we can walk with God. I'm thinking of a Ephesians chapter five, just for a couple of different walks in Ephesians five.
We are told in verse two, walk in love. Verse eight, walk in light. And in verse 15, walk circumspectly. So when I walk in love, I give others the place in my life. I make room for others. Like that dear Christian lady, just not too long ago, drove 45 miles to pick up another Christian lady, bring her back to the little restaurant where other believers had met.
She was a mother with two small children, no car. She lacked and wanted Christian, Christian fellowship. This believer went and drove 45 minutes, brought her to the place of the restaurant, took her home again.
That believer had others in her heart. And when I walk as dear children, when I walk in love and view of the children, I am walking in love as far as the children are concerned, walk in love and giving ourselves to them.
Ephesians chapter five in verse eight says, walk in the light, telling others, telling others of what we have, telling others of what I know. My brother-in-law is here today. I wish I could talk to the unsaved like Dick could.
Why is it easy for Dick to talk to the lost? Because he's got his heart in it. You don't have to pump it up. He's got his heart in it. And he lives for those occasions when there's the opportunity. He takes the opportunity.
My little granddaughter out in Denver, she has a little puzzle that she was given in the first grade. When she's naughty, pieces of the puzzle are removed and kept in the teacher's desk. Teacher's conference comes by and Tammy sits down with her little daughter.
Ella, how come the pieces of the puzzle are missing? There were several pieces of the puzzle missing. Ella, were you naughty in school? And down goes the head. Were you talking in school? And down goes the head.
So you were talking, Ella. And finally she couldn't stand it anymore. And she says, well, mommy, I've got so much to say. We have so much to say, don't we? We have a lot to say. We could be talking far more than I do.
When I think of the opportunities that I pass by, I'm ashamed of it, even exhort others. Few times there are gospel tracts in my pocket. Few times there are magnets in my pocket. How about it, dear Christian?
We have a lot to say, but when I walk in the light and in the book of Ephesians, I'm telling others. And when I'm walking circumspectly, I am watching my step as to where I step. And so in Ephesians five, I noticed that there is the warm hearted walk.
There's the witnessing walk and there's the wise walk. My heart is given to him. I will be able to know what it is to walking with the Lord. Now, weaning from this world, we live in a world, dear Christian, and I don't have to tell you what kind of a world we live in.
We live in a dark world. So few interested in spiritual things. The world has a way of creeping in into my soul, into my heart, into that which is that which is shouldn't be there. Be careful, dear Christian, dear younger Christian, be careful.
You don't let the world get into that heart. But that world will take you and slowly take you away. I'm reminded that in Galatians chapter one that Paul says who gave himself to deliver us from this present evil world.
And also in Titus chapter two, teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lust, that we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this world. So it's so easy. I don't have to look any farther than myself.
It's so easy to let the world creep in, to become like the world. And perhaps maybe without reason, one of the reasons why our brother Driver was reminding us of the Midianites and those people that were subject to the Midianites and, of course, materialism and so on.
Maybe there are there were people then that just lost heart. I don't want to lose heart. Don't lose your heart, dear Christian. Dear Christian, don't lose the heart. Don't lose your desire to to be able to continue on as we are in simplicity and in godliness.
First John chapter two, there's the decay of this world. The world passes away and the lusts thereof. So the world is in a decaying where it's soon going to disappear. It's heaven and earth is going to pass away and it's soon going to be burned.
Darkness of the world in first John chapter three of the world knoweth us not. Why doesn't the world know us? Because they know him not. And as well in first John chapter four, there's the deceivers of the world, false teachers among us, false teachers that were in the world and have taken the saints of God away.
Oh, dear Christian, don't lose our heart. Let's not lose our heart. And if I lose our heart and our spirit and our enthusiasm and our endurance factor, we've lost a great deal. Let's not lose heart, but we might apply our heart unto wisdom and unto understanding.
I like what Solomon says, my son, give me thine heart.