Desires of Your Hearts (06/30/2002)

Being in the Way Through Union With Christ

Last time if you remember we started with Proverbs 16 1 it wouldn't hurt for you to turn to that one just to give you a Springboard for this message. How does it come to pass that our way? Can be in the way.

Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life. No man coming from to the father, but by me if we're going to be in the way, it's only by Jesus Christ. We must be in fellowship with him. Many ways the Bible expresses this that I believe are the same thing.

But God approaches it from different directions to get us to think about it and try to learn about it. We might call it being spirit filled. It is a union between our spirit the new man and the Holy Spirit in union.

Just as a husband and wife have union. Physically, we have spiritual union with the Lord in that way and only when we are in that union. Are we truly walking? In unity with God. Which then allows us to be in fellowship with one another and with him?

He and us us and him. Many verses dealing with all these sorts of ideas that God reveals to us as he reveals himself and his relationship. It's beautiful relationship that he's created for us. Probably the most beautiful and often used example of this salvation.

Relationship that we have is marriage. Given many times in the scriptures. It's taught that when we're filled with the spirit. We are one with the Holy Spirit. There's a unity there connection a vital union.

And that's the only way we're really in the way. Because it is not a process or a list of things that Jesus wasn't just an example. He was not one who came and pointed the way he is the way. So we must be Attached.

Jesus said it another way once he said if you're not attached if the vine is not attached. I'm sorry. The branches are not attached. To the vine and then ultimately to the root you can do nothing. And he is the root the root of Jesse.

God Sovereignly Governs the Words We Say, Plans We Make, and Steps We Take

So Proverbs 16 one says the preparations of the heart in man. And the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. The last time we started to see that by way of thinking of us being in the way that that means it has to do with a Union with God himself.

And we began to see some things that the scripture Specifically says that God is doing in the life of his own. For example, let me give you The ones we covered last time. Number one. The words we say and that's what I want you to write on the back of your bullet.

Number one the words we say. That's found in Proverbs 16 one. You might when you put the words we say put parentheses beside it, but PR 16 .1 Give you the reference for later. The preparations of the heart in man.

Yes, man is responsible. Man has responsibility. God holds him responsibility. He is responsible for what he thinks he's responsible for his motives. But when man comes to the point of answering with his tongue, the Bible says that's from the Lord.

Why is that? Because God is sovereign. Man cannot change God's history. Man is a part of it, but God has ordained everything. Back. God has already seen it happen come to pass because he's the eternal I am.

He's not in time. He's the eternal now. He has seen your glorification just as surely as he saw your justification just as surely as he saw your calling. Just as surely as he knew you with a loving knowledge before anything was created.

If you're his child this morning. Your salvation did not surprise God. God has known you and Loved you with a loving knowledge forever and ever. If you were in adult Sunday school class, you know those things already but God has also seen the end and he's also seen all the means to the end and though we have the responsibility and the right to think.

Praise God to thank God to think upon God to meditate upon his word. To think about our motives and our actions and what we may may not do. It comes to the speaking of it. That's from the Lord now as we look at the second point when we make plans God establishes that we think we're doing it.

I understand that and I cannot explain to you how these two work together. All I can give you is what God has revealed to us in his word and we wouldn't know it if he hadn't. Because if all we had was our own observation and thoughts we think we were doing everything wouldn't we.

Wouldn't we think we're in control? We'd be the perfect humanists all we'd be the center of the whole universe. I Mean you're here just for my sake. You're here for my benefit so I can have fun in this life.

That's how the humanist looks at it and he will use you by the way to accomplish that in. Most of us who are raised in the public or should say the government schools have been taught that philosophy.

Well Look out for number one. Sometimes even mama teaches us men that Look out for number one. Look out for the family but when we look at the fact that God really is the one who is sovereign. He's revealed that in his word He holds us responsible and yet at the same time he establishes these things the words that come from our mouths Are from the Lord.

He says very clearly in verse 3 of Proverbs chapter 16 Commit thy ways unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established. You commit your long-range plans. Jesus said you got enough evil in today not to worry about tomorrow, but he never said don't try to make some plans.

But the point is this verse says you'll commit your plans. Commit your ways your works to the Lord. Then the thoughts will be established in your heart by God and he will begin to direct you and show you What to do right now and sometimes what to do in about an hour.

And sometimes maybe tomorrow. Sometimes a little further down the road, but you know what he gives it when you need it. The information is there and it's established by him. So the first thing is the words we say the second thing is the plans we make.

The third thing is the Bible Says that God directs the steps we take so number three would be the steps we take and we find that in Proverbs 16 9 a Man's heart devises his way. You see God acknowledges that we think we're doing it all and it seems that way to us.

But then he says but the Lord Directs his steps. God is sovereign. He's in control of his children. You know what you back up to verse 4. You'll see he's in control of Satan's children, too. He's in control of Satan as a matter of fact.

The verse 4 says the Lord hath made all things for himself. Yeah, even the wicked for the day of evil. That's just a little rabbit trail that the scripture has those in there to not just preachers. It's not really a rabbit trail because when you put it together with verses 3 through 9 We see God is sovereign.

He is in control. I Don't know why we sometimes wish to think he wasn't because where would be we be if we were in control? Where would we be this morning? Can you men absolutely promise me that you have the wherewithal to perfectly take care of your children?

So that no harm will come to them and your wife. And to be the perfect husband so that she would not be tempted. So that nothing could happen to her. I did I say wife and it'd be the perfect husband. So that she wouldn't be tempted and nothing could happen.

Can you do that gentlemen every day? Let God Let God be sovereign and rest in that. Yes, we're responsible. He does not work just without us. He works together with us the Bible says and within us, but I sure like the emphasis on the heat.

The Choices, Desires, and Energy Behind Our Lives Come From God

Now the fourth thing we saw. Is that the Lord also? Disposes of the choices that we make in Proverbs chapter 16 verse 33. This interesting picture that God places in our minds of a Person with a perhaps with an apron and this apron filled with choices things going on in the life gifts God given us.

Children friends everything is in this lap. Everything is in this apron. It's all there. God puts it there for us and we think about it. We Prepare our hearts inside of our own minds. But look what it says, but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.

So who is it ultimately who is in control of how you dispose of the things God's given. God is amazing thing to think about but a wonderful thing. Then if we go into Psalm chapter 21 verse 2 and Psalm 37 for we see That God is even in control of the desires that we have.

So long as we are in that vital connection with the Holy Spirit when we're spirit filled we are connected with God. Then the desires that come into our hearts will be from him. The only way that you can have an evil desire is to be out of fellowship with the Lord Jesus.

Not filled with the Holy Spirit not connected in unity with the Holy Spirit and I understand. Doctrinally, it is a fact that he never leaves you if you're his the Holy Spirit and dwells your body. Your body is the temple of the Living God and he is there.

But ladies and gentlemen. If you're if you're married, you can probably answer this question. There have been a time that you and your wife are out of fellowship. You were both in the same house because you're still married.

But you just weren't in unity doesn't mean the marriage isn't real doesn't mean that both spouses aren't walking around in the same house and. So the born-again child of God has times when for whatever strange reason he chooses.

To be out of fellowship with God and it doesn't mean God leaves you. Doesn't mean the Holy Spirit is not still in dwelling here. Body your temple, which is his temple. Just means you are not connected with him in unity.

You're in your spirit and his spirit are not one and you might have an evil desire even as a Christian at that time. Sometimes we bad just call it backslide. Bible uses that word few times as well. But God is even sovereign over there.

Because you know that sometimes you and I grow the most when hard times are there. I Can't understand that but if you as a parent ever allowed your child, you knowingly allowed them to perhaps Do something that brought them a slight little bit of harm.

Because you knew they would learn a lesson from it if they were wanting to do it. Anyway, and you've already told them before not to do it. And you're watching and you can protect them and under your protecting eye.

You just let them do this thing and guess what? It's not academic anymore. All of a sudden they've experienced the bruised knee. And they know not to do that thing. Will you do that as a human as a father as a parent as a mom?

We don't like the thought it greats against us that God is in control of us. But I will say this Psalm 37 for delight thyself also in the Lord. You see that's the vital connection. You can't delight in the Lord unless you're in spirit field.

You your flesh can't do that. You see. That has to start with God and go through that connection to your spirit and go from that spirit to your soul. And mind and go from that mind to control that body, which is not saved yet.

By the way the body fleshly part. It is merely an instrument that God uses and that you use to get God's work done in this world. But when you are delighting yourself in the Lord He shall then give thee the desires of your heart.

You discuss some in that old Sun is go about how to know God's will. I mean it wasn't the exact topic. But some of that came into the lesson this morning. One of the ways to do that is to be delighting in the Lord be start with being thankful start with Praising him for who he is start with thanking him for all that he's brought to pass in our lives and then praise him and then Be aware of his presence and begin to worship him and but then begin to delight in the Lord.

Then he shall give you the desires of your heart. The desires that come into your heart during those times Are from him so we see that he Gives The answer of our tongue. He Gives the plans of our hearts.

He directs the steps of our feet. He gives the choices that we make. He's in control of those. He places the desires in our hearts that we have that cause us to go out and do things and Accomplish things in him and with him actually he accomplished those things in us.

And with us then that brings us to another. Look at first Corinthians 12 for and this is where we stopped last time. The sixth point is That God is sovereign and controls the energy Behind our works and our gifts.

Now remember last time the question I asked was after we finished this list. Ask yourself what's left for us to do? What does God do in us and what's left for us after that? Because this list is Amazingly complete almost everything that we do in our lives.

These scriptures say God is doing those things in us. It's really wonderful to know that when you understand the flesh. And it's incapacity to do anything good. Perhaps the greatest Christian that lived Was Paul.

We don't know that but many say that and he said in this flesh Dwelleth no. Zero good thing not one. So isn't it wonderful that as we become attached to the Lord by the Holy Spirit in our hearts and we're one with him that he Controls these very issues we've discussed.

Now this one in first Corinthians 12 for and some of these following verses show very clearly that God is the one who provides the energy. Now you have to see the Greek a little bit to get this but I'll show it to you when we come to it first Corinthians 12 for now there are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit.

There are differences of Administrations, but the same Lord there are diversities of operations and that word in the Greek is the same word. It's actually erg. Our word erg comes from it. We use it in physics and it means work.

It's the unit of measure for work. Which is the energy required to play move an object from one place to another in time and space. God is the one who provides that energy in our lives whether it be to manifest a gift.

Whether it be to do a work. Whether it be to praise him to thank him to come to him. We don't really initiate any of that. He does within us. What a wonderful thing he's created this beautiful example of the bride and the groom.

To try to teach us that he's made us to be responders the the groom is the one who initiates. He's the one that woos and pursues the young woman that he loves. She could think nothing of him perhaps at first.

And he begins to bring her flowers. He begins to say beautiful poetry. He begins to bring her things. She likes and do things. She enjoys together and all of a sudden she responds and finds boy. I love you.

But he started it now he initiated it. God made it that way so it's supposed to be. Because that's a beautiful illustration of our relationship with the Lord. The Lord pursues us. He woos us even after salvation.

Come to a place in your life. He brings his thought of himself into your mind first and then you begin to love him. I don't know where we would be if he didn't bring that thought. I'd like to think I'd think of him on my own.

But I don't want to find out. Not this side anyway. So he says the diversities of operations, but it's a set the same God. That's the father because the Holy Spirit and the Lord Jesus has already been referred to in that passage.

This is the father which worketh all in all and provides the urge the energy. It caused you to love him to praise him to thank him to do good works. He is in us. Working together with us both to will.

Which means to make us want to do and to do is good place. So that brings us to the seventh point this morning and this one is new at least in this study for us turn to Philippians chapter 1 and verse 6 and then we're going to look at verse 29, but I wanted to have verse 6 because it it continues to add weight to the sixth point and then verse 29 will go into the seventh point the sixth point the energy behind our works is brought by God himself the Sovereign Father.

How is it that we that he himself is the way Jesus talked about a narrow path that few would walk down. That path is the way. How can we be in the way only by being in God only by being in unity with the Lord?

Verse 6 says being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it. Until the day of Jesus Christ. You see how he supplies that energy. He's the one who began the work in you the day.

He saved you the day. He let you know you were his the day you received the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. On that day. He began a good work. Remember the word work comes from the Greek word ergos.

Energy for the work. But he says he will continue to perform this until Jesus comes back for us. That is a promise that until the Lord comes back for us that energy will be there. It will cause you to respond to him in love.

From your heart. He will not leave you alone like the Lord. Jesus was left alone on that cross when he said my God my God. Why has thou forsaken me? God will never leave you alone like that. Because as we learned again in Sunday school, he died for.

In our place substitute. We don't have to experience that God promises here again in Philippians chapter 1 verse 6. He'll continue to perform this urge this energy this placing of the energy within us to have the wherewithal to love him and praise him and Think of him throughout the day pray without ceasing is the admonition to the born-again Christian this side of the cross.

In the olden days Daniel used to come before the Lord in the morning at noon and at night. We can't do that. That's not it for us us is as we walk all the time continual attitude of prayer. That's impossible without being spirit-filled and walking with that oneness with the Holy Spirit.

But with that oneness We have the energy. It's from God. It's God's energy. Now look at verse 29. It brings us to the seventh point. And that is that our very faith comes from God. The very faith that saved us comes from God.

It didn't actually save us we say that but that faith was merely a hyssop weed. That applied the blood to the doorpost of our life and that's what saved us. Really? It wasn't just the blood. That's the dearest part to us probably but it was his finished work.

Goes back to Jesus the person that's who saved us. I'd have to agree with brother MacArthur when he got so much trouble for saying it wasn't the blood. Isn't it funny how we love to what's the old saying we love to shoot our wounded, you know.

You get them down a little bit. He said maybe put something just slightly could have made it more clear in a book. So everybody just said he's a heretic. Yeah, we'll go meet him and then say that He might be the only man left with a voice in this country.

That is still true to the word I don't know. They're probably others. But I mean it's out there. It's out there where people know his name. I don't know how important that is. I guess God will show us because when there's none like that, we'll know it's not important to God.

But right now he's still out there with the name and with a voice and he reads the scriptures and interprets the scriptures and exegetes scriptures and teaches the scriptures. And he made the comment once that everybody said he said well, he doesn't believe in the blood.

That's. He meant what is the person? It's Jesus. The blood was given. All a part of that I think he was trying to emphasize the person of Jesus. I can't fault him for that. For unto you Philippians 129 look for unto you it is given in behalf of Christ.

Not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake. So there are two things in that verse that are given as a gift from God. The first one has to with our topic this morning to believe. Even the belief that we thought when we were new babes, we thought well at least that's my part and Many theologians write books on salvation and they make the mistake at least to me.

It's a mistake of Saying well if there's any the part that we play in salvation is to believe. Well humanly speaking that's absolutely true and all of us when we first got saved that's exactly what we thought.

I remember I was in my car driving to work one day halfway between Waco and Mahalia when I got saved. And it came into my heart to pray and I began to pray and I said Lord for the first time in my life I've always known about you.

I've always believed you were there because my mama taught me that but for the first time in my life I give myself to you. I want you to be only way I knew to say it was. I said I want you to be my boss instead of me being my boss.

That I think I'm in war. My life changed that day never will be the same. Thank him for that. But you know who gave me that gift. The one who knew me before the foundation of the world before anything was made that was made he knew me with love.

That day in that car. He delivered that love in the space and time and put it in my heart. All of a sudden he turned on my receiver. And my response Transmitter all from Point eight that we clear up here second Thessalonians chapter two.

We've come from the words we say to the plans we make the steps we take. Choices we have the desires of our hearts the energy that's in us to do good things. Our very faith is from God. And now we see an eighth thing.

This is the hardest to believe for some the works we do the things that God Describes and would think of himself as a good work. Not that we say is a good work, but the things that God himself in your life and mine would recognize as a good work initiate and Come from him to us by the Holy Spirit into our heart and mind and then we do it.

And sometimes we want to take credit can't do that. We need to keep those crowns secret. So we can toss them in his feet when we get there to see him because they're from him. Why else would we toss? Why do we see the Saints tossing these crowns at his feet?

They recognize this verse and others second Thessalonians 2 16 this truth I should say now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father which hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace comfort your hearts and Establish now remember this is talking about the Lord himself.

Establish you in every good word and work. We can't take too much credit for that. Can we then? Second Thessalonians 3. I'm sorry second I'm gonna go you don't have to turn to this but I'm gonna go to another one in second.

That's only but it's a different point. But I want to give you Philippians 2 13 for this point for it is God which worketh in you both the will. Covered this point on the part of will but now look what he says and to do that's the work.

To do his good pleasure. It is God that works in us to do his good pleasure. You know that it's not even acceptable. You know how you can prove that. Go on the Bible and see what happened to a man named Yuza or if you're Texan as a cousin as a They reached up and touched the ark of God when they were trying to move it on a cart rather than carrying it with the stage like they were told by God to Man's attempt to create worship to create religion to create a stairway to heaven.

God does not accept. God only accepts his own way and Jesus said I am the way. And the life the truth and no man. No man comes to the father but by me God works in us both to will but also to do his own good pleasure.

Security, Love, and Rest in God

So now we see that the very works that we do come from God now. Let's move on to second Thessalonians 3 and verse 3. We see our ninth point you say now how many points we're gonna have? It's almost lunchtime.

Well, a good round number is 10 and we're on number 9. So number 9 is this but the Lord is faithful who shall establish you and Keep you from Evil. Some would say that the Greek indicates there that that could say the evil one so number 9 our security Comes from God not from us those Who claim that you can lose your salvation.

And a born-again child of God could lose his salvation. They're wrong on two points. Number one. You can't lose it because you didn't supply the security in the first place. God did. Says here that the Lord is faithful.

Many think it has to do with our faithfulness whether we'd be saved or not. Boy, I'm glad that's not true. Aren't you and this whole half over on brother Rogers side is not here today. Yeah, you need to do some pew packing my brother this part of the building is gonna cave in over here and we'll be like this but uh I'm glad it has nothing to do with our faithfulness.

Bible says but the Lord is faithful who shall doesn't say might shall establish you and shall not might Shall keep you from evil and the evil one. So our security comes from him. Second thing is they always universally teach that if you can lose your salvation if you'll come to church and tithe you can get it Back, you know what that violates Hebrews chapter 6, which says it would be impossible if you could lose your salvation.

To gain it again because you would have to recrucify Jesus and put him to open shame. Totally bad doctrine my brother to say you can lose it, but it's heresy to say you could get it back. So let's don't go there.

God gives us security of our eternal life. First John chapter 5 verse 12 could not have been plainer. That one's written for our little ones among us. It says he that hath the Son hath life. Not about our faithfulness.

It's about having him and where'd that come from? That was a gift. And it says these things have I written to you that believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know. That you have which means in the grammar you already have Eternal which means it can't stop because it lasts forever life.

Which is his anyways, not ours. Jesus said I'm the way the truth and the life. How can you lose something? That's eternal. It's his if you already have it. Because of the belief that God's given you so.

It's amazing the doctrines churches come up with. It's amazing the way we can get off. I've asked the Lord to keep us through the word. That's what we want and where we aren't fix it. Keep us through the word.

So the ninth point is our security comes from the Lord and the tenth point is our love. Look at second Thessalonians chapter 3 verses 5 and 6 and the Lord direct your hearts Into the love of God. You know what?

You could interpret that a couple of ways if you wanted to. You could say may the Lord direct us To have the kind of love God has or you could say may the Lord direct us To love God. Or you could say may the Lord direct us to the place where God loves us, which is impossible doctrinally.

That's bad doctrine because he doesn't love us because the place we're in or a thing we do. He loves us because we were his before the foundation of the world in his mind and heart. So that one's out so that leaves to it could mean the Lord direct us To have the kind of love God has or it could mean the Lord direct us to have love of God.

Let's read it the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ. Now we command you brethren in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. That you withdraw yourself from every brother that walketh disorderly and not after the tradition which he received from us.

I Believe the verse means that the Lord Apostle Paul is praying for his converts saying Lord Would you direct their hearts? into the love of God. Would you direct their hearts so that their heart is surrounded by baptized into God's love.

It will cause them to both be aware of his love for them. But also for that responder to be turned on. For them to love God. So Lord, please direct their hearts into that love and keep their hearts there.

One of the rebukes of one of the churches in the book of Revelations is they lost that They went away from that first love Will be unto us if we go to that place. We don't want to go there. We don't want the candlestick to be taken away.

Do we? It's gonna be interesting enough before it comes. We don't want him not to be here in this local church. So there I ask you we have ten things. The words we say plans we make the steps we take the choices we make.

The desires we have in our heart. The energy to do things and the Will to do things from God. The faith that we have both for salvation and both to move the mountains. He wants us to move the works that we have that we do for him.

The security of eternal salvation that he's given us and the love and patience in our heart that we have towards one another and towards God all of that comes from him and is of God the Sovereign Father.

So what's left for us to do? Rest. It's what the word Sabbath means. We as Christians should be in an eternal everyday Sabbath. Why it's not as important at least not in the Hebrew sense of keeping the Sabbath which is one day.

We have it every day. Same injunctions that are said of the Sabbath are true. However. Just as the Ten Commandments says not to murder and Jesus comes back and says if you hate your brother in your heart.

You've murdered him already. And the Ten Commandments say to keep the Sabbath and the Lord would come back and say if you don't keep the rest In your heart moment by moment every day. You've broken the Sabbath already.

It's all about the relationship. It's all about being in the way in God. Vital connection vital union oneness. Let's stand and have prayer together. Father we thank you so much for your word. It is our light and our guide.

Light meaning that which enlightens our understanding in this world. It is that which you've given us and yet without the Holy Spirit We could not understand it. You could not and would not reveal your mind and heart and self to us without the Holy Spirit brings the energy.

And Enlivening quickening the words right off the page and placing them in our hearts. We thank you that you've chosen this way to speak to us. You have fellowship with us. We thank you that you place within our hearts.

Prayer that we might converse back with you and have that side of the relationship. Lord keep us in the way moment by moment today and Monday and as we leave this place and go out into this world. Keep us in the way keep Energizing our hearts and minds and keep us responding and loving you.

Keep us in the love of God as we walk among our fellow men and our families our spouses our children our church brothers and sisters. Here and everywhere in the world. Promise to do this and we see so much.

That the doing is from you first. The energy the will and the doing. We thank you for this. We thank you that now when we properly see these things we truly can someday. Cast all of our crowns at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We await that day. Lord cause us to be servants we need to be give us the faith. Give us bravery. Give us the purpose that we need to have until that day. Father bless the meal. We're about to have together and the fellowship and we ask it in Jesus name.