On the first
Sunday of each month -- we celebrate Communion (the Lord’s Supper) here at
Wynne Chapel.
The Bible says
-- “every time you eat this bread & drink this cup -- you are announcing
the Lord’s death until he comes again” (1 Cor.
The first
Sunday of October is also considered to be World
Wide Communion Sunday -- which means that Christians around the world are
encouraged to celebrate the Lord’s Supper together on this given day! -- Tonight some other churches in the area will
be joining us right here at Wynne Chapel in a special joint Communion Service.
Reading through the Apostle Paul’s instructions to the
Church at
That -- my
friends -- is a good practice!
It is always a
good thing -- for a Christian to take the time to reflect-- to examine their
heart -- & to do a spiritual
inventory.
Are we willing
to allow the Lord to search us -- to turn His light of grace into every corner
of our hearts & lives?
I cannot think
of a better passage in the Bible to help us -- to assist us -- in this process
of examining ourselves -- than that which is found in
It is good for us as Christians to have a time
of honest introspection -- & to evaluate our walk with the Lord.
This passage
should lead to introspection; -- self-analysis -- & soul searching.
“Search me, O God -- & know
my heart;
Try me, & know my thoughts:
And see if there be any wicked
way in me,
and lead me in the way
everlasting.”
--
Would you make
this prayer of David -- your very own prayer today?
Here is a
prayer that comes from the true servant of God.
It comes from a
heart that is sincere!
You cannot
truly pray this prayer without being sincere.
There are five great verbs that stand out: -- search
(examine) me; -- know me; -- test me; -- see me; -- lead me.
There is a
need for such a prayer -- across this great land of ours -- & even within
the walls of our church.
I need to pray this prayer; -- you need to pray this prayer.
We all need to pray this prayer!
We cannot
sincerely pray this prayer without taking a good look within; -- &
as we look within -- we must consider the motives -- the thoughts
-- the desires -- the purposes -- which continually work away at our hearts
Search me, O
God; -- Investigate my conduct; -- examine my heart; -- put me to the test; --
examine my thoughts -- get a clear
picture of what I’m about.
I desire to be
free from all sins -- & sinfulness.
I desire to
walk -- to live in the way of true righteousness -- godliness -- holiness!
My friends --
will you join me -- in making this your prayer today?
In allowing God
to search your heart?
In allowing the
spot light of God to shine within us today?
Let this be a
time of personal spiritual inventory.
My intent is not to unchristianize anyone -- but to give opportunity for the Holy
Spirit to help evaluate your relationship with God.
This kind of
prayer -- when prayed in true sincerity -- cannot fail to move the heart of God to forgive
& to cleanse!
There are three elements about this prayer which
ought to be noticed:
1. It Is an Honest Prayer!
Abe Lincoln
once said: -- “You can fool all the
people some of the time -- & some
of the people all the time -- but
you cannot fool all the people all the time.”
I would add to
that thought -- you cannot fool God any
of the time!
There is no
need for pretense with God! -- He already knows us -- & He knows who we are
-- & what we are. -- God knows you from beginning to end; -- more importantly, He loves you!
So here is a
prayer that strives to be totally honest
with God!
Open honesty
with the Lord is the best way to make spiritual progress.
Some people
find it easier to play games with
God -- then to really be honest & open with God.
The Bible is
filled with the stories of people who played those games -- & found they
didn’t work.
Adam unsuccessfully played a game of hide & seek with God -- trying to
hide his guilt behind the leaf-age of the Garden of Eden.
Jacob, whose name means “the Schemer”,
played games with God -- when he tricked his brother Esau into giving away his
birthright.
Finally Jacob
got honest with God in an all night wrestling match & had his nature changed -- as well as his name -- to
Jonah played games with God’s message
-- then tried to run away -- only to find that it wasn’t possible to run far
enough to get away from God
Being honest
with God means to quit playing games
-- & frankly admit our needs -- even our sinfulness -- before God.
Don’t play
games with God!
Don’t try to
put on a good face while hiding sin away in your heart & life.
You can deceive
me -- & get away with it.
You can deceive
even the church -- & get by.
But you cannot
deceive God!
He knows what
is really going on in your heart & mind.
When we try to
deceive God -- we are only fooling
ourselves.
Let’s be open
& honest before God! -- Openness with God is the key to finding God’s will -- & keeping in alignment with His will.
God is always
clear & specific in His instructions -- if we request Him to search
us.
The prophet
Isaiah is a good example. --
Isaiah stood tall in his own eyes --
& in the eyes of the people -- until
he saw the Lord “high & lifted up.”
Following this vision of the Most Holy
God -- Isaiah’s eyes turned inward.
In this
searching gaze -- Isaiah saw himself as he really was.
He confessed:
-- “Woe is me! -- for I am undone; -- because I am a man of unclean lips.”
Upon his honest
confession before God Almighty -- God
was able to call Isaiah to even greater service!
When we pray
this prayer in openness & honesty -- God can cleanse us -- & use us as
a channel of grace & blessing to others.
2. It Is a
Practical Prayer!
So many times
we want people to see us as we wish we
were -- or as we hope to be someday.
But more
important than what I think of you -- or what others think of you -- or what
you think of me -- is what God thinks of
you & me!
This prayer
attempts at seeing ourselves as God sees
us!
It is not
asking what the world thinks; --
newspapers, books, & gossip may give the very opposite report of us to what God would give.
They may praise
-- where God condemns; -- or they may condemn -- where God praises.
This prayer
does not even ask for the opinion of our nearest & dearest friends; -- even
they may be deceived by us.
You may be
successful in the eyes of this world -- & be poverty stricken in the eyes
of God.
Or you may be
poverty stricken as the world sees you -- & be rich in the heart of God
through His marvelous grace!
Men look on the
outward appearance -- but God looks on the heart.
The practical
aspect of this prayer is to discover what
God thinks of us!
Someday we
shall each one stand face to face with God!
Then we shall
be unveiled -- & the innermost secrets of our hearts will be laid bare.
It is far
better -- & far more practical for us to find out now what God thinks of us; -- for
now we can make up at once what we lack in order to be right with God!
In that Day of
Judgment it will be too late!
So we need to know now if there is “some wicked way” in us: -- some unbelief; -- some
pride; -- some selfishness; -- some worldliness; -- some covetousness; -- some
envy -- some thing that God finds offensive.
Lord, -- “point
out anything in me that offends You” (
“See for
Yourself, Lord, whether I’m doing anything wrong.”
My friends -- it is the practical thing to do!!
The story is
told of a home which had a secret chamber that was always kept locked. -- An
elderly member of the family had ordered the servants never to unlock it.
After his death -- curiosity prompted someone to find the key -- & inspect that forbidden closet.
They were shocked to find that it contained a glaring skeleton!
Is there a
corner in your life -- you have never opened to God?
Is there a
chamber we prefer that other eyes do not see -- & into which we wish the
light would never shine?
Be wise -- be
practical -- & open it by
repentance & confession.
If you don’t --
sooner or later God will have to break the seal -- & reveal its dreadful
contents.
Oh that we
might pray with the psalmist -- “Search me, O God, & know my heart; -- try
me, & know my thoughts; -- &
see if there be any wicked way in me.”
3. It Is a Personal Prayer!
One of the most
difficult tasks we have in life is to come face-to-face with ourselves.
It is easier
for us to see the faults in others -- than it is to admit a fault within
ourselves.
Jesus
illustrates this with the story of our being critical of a speck in someone
else's’ eye -- while having a beam in
our own eye!
The standards
we have for ourselves are rarely as strict as those we hold for others. -- We condemn in others -- what we excuse in our own life
But here is a
prayer that looks within! -- It is
personal!
Note the personal pronouns: -- search me,
O God; -- know my heart; -- try me; -- know my thoughts;
-- see if there be any wicked way in me;
-- & lead me.
As the old
Southern Spiritual says: -- “It’s not my brother -- nor my sister -- but it’s me, O Lord -- standing in the
need of prayer.”
The problem is
-- the greater the guilt in a man’s
heart -- the more he points his
finger at others.
But in this
prayer -- we are not pointing our
finger at others; -- we are pointing our finger at ourselves!
Ask yourself some personal questions: --
Am I cheating
-- lying -- hiding -- stealing?
Am I envious
-- jealous -- proud -- resentful?
Is there any
self-pity -- or selfishness in my
heart?
Is there any
unresolved conflicts; -- any unconfessed sin?
Am I warm toward the things of God?
Or have I
become cold in my heart?
What mask do I
wear? -- What games do I play?
What misleading
impression do I try to leave behind?
What will
happen when the curtain is finally lifted?
Never mind how
much I blunder -- (we all do at times); -- The question is –
“Am I genuine & sincere; --
a stranger to hypocrisy?”
If my motives
are right -- God will overlook my mistakes.
I may make
mistakes -- but is there any mistaken
way in me?
Charles Wesley
was a great hymn writer; -- many of his songs are still favorites in the
Church. -- He wrote the words: --
A charge to keep I have, -- A God to glorify;
A never dying soul to save, --
& fit it for the sky.
Help me to
watch & pray -- & on Thyself rely,
Assured if I my trust betray -- I shall forever die.
I am responsible first of all -- for
myself!
You are
responsible first of all -- for yourself!
Conclusion:
This kind of
prayer is never a comfortable exercise.
There is some
kind of reluctance to bare our soul
voluntarily to the searching gaze of God.
But it is
nevertheless -- wholesome -- & spiritually rewarding!
There are rich spiritual rewards in submitting
ourselves to the heart searching of the Holy Spirit.
In fact -- if we are going to experience the best that God has for us -- then
the prayer for God to search our hearts is necessary!
And God -- Who
is ever so faithful to us -- will reveal the inward pollution within our soul!
He does so -- not to condemn -- but so that He can
lead us in the paths of spiritual
victory! -- He does so that He might cleanse us!
To pray --
“lead me” -- suggest a willingness on our part -- to follow -- to obey -- to
respond -- to His gentle leading.
This kind of honest & practical & personal prayer will bring genuine spiritual renewal & victory -- as we walk on
the road of everlasting life.
One of the
conditions of experiencing spiritual
victory -- is to allow God to search the soul -- until inward defilement is
frankly & honestly admitted -- confessed & cleansed away by the
precious blood of Christ.
My friends --
don’t settle for anything less than the best
that God has in store for you.
This prayer can
be a wonderful new beginning -- as we
ask God to search us -- pointing out our hurtful ways
-- & to lead us on the path of everlasting life.
Today -- if you
are feeling a lack of love & power in your Christian life; -- &
spiritually you are treading a “dry & thirsty land” -- maybe there is some soul
searching that would be beneficial to you -- in order for the Lord to cleanse
you -- & to pour His joy into your heart.
We are going to
move now into that part of the service where we will partake together of the
Lord’s Supper.
Please remain
seated; -- take your hymn books -- & turn to #516 -- & let’s sing the
words first verse of that great hymn -- “