Search Me - Part 2
Notes
Transcript
This morning, we are continuing in our sermon series “Dangerous Prayers.”
I want to remind us of classic definition for Christian prayer that we find in The Bake Encyclopedia of the Bible:
“an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies”
Three weeks ago we began with this idea that we need be willing to pray bold prayers. We talked about how in a biblical sense boldness is not a personality trait and that we are to ask God for boldness. Even introverts can be bold! We were reminded that bold pray often triggers spiritual opposition, but that it often releases God’s miracles. We talked about how God is still in the miracle working business, but that we are often to busy to see them. We concluded with the idea that boldness take faith - belief that if we really do pray the bold prayers that are in line with God’s Spirit and Word that we need to truly believe that God is capable of doing so. We were challenged to pray bold prayers, because we will never fulfill the mission that God is calling us to from our comfort zones.
Two weeks, we talked about God speaking to us, and that we need to be better listeners and do less talking during our time with God. We talked about the importance of finding the quiet time alone with God to have space to hear him speak to us.
Be Still
God speaks through His Word
God speaks through others
God speaks through circumstances
Be Willing
Be Ready
Last week we started to look at this prayer of search me. This is a prayer that I am more convinced all the time is one that is about our attitude and willingness to be vulnerable before God. It is a prayer that requires faith, because the road that comes with it may not be easy or safe or comfortable. We also must be ready to deal with whatever it is that God brings forward - otherwise we quickly move into disobedience. This is only a prayer to pray when we are serious about doing so.
“It is strange that, while praying, we seldom ask for change of character, but always a change in circumstance.”
If you have your Bibles or your phones, turn with me to:
23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Last week we covered two of the four things that will happen when we pray this prayer.
The first is that when we pray dangerous prayers, we will need to make hard choices. First among these is the decision to pray it first. We pondered this decision, asking ourselves if we would be ready right now to pray the prayer search me right now and if we are ready for what God will point out to you and are you ready to deal with it? Are you ready to be blindsided with the depths of yourself that you have rationalized for far too long?
We talked about needing to talk the talk and walk the walk, but that we need to allow God to search us, convict us, change us, and send us for that to happen.
When we pray search me, it is a different type of prayer. We are not praying for God to give us something or provide some sort of blessing, but to do a work in us, on a deeper and personal level. You see, in my experience we are hesitant to pray these types of prayers because we know what God is going to point out. Maybe it is our lust, maybe it is our critical spirit, maybe it is pride, maybe it is selfishness, maybe it is any number of things.
The second thing we see happen when we pray this prayer of search me - when we pray dangerous prayers such as search me God will reveal our fears.
Here are some things about fear that we need to understand, because they can keep us from praying this prayer of search me (or any other bold prayer for that matter):
Fear cripples
Fear stops us
Fear terrifies us of letting go of those things we are hanging on to
Fear can paralyze us when we are anxious about things we cannot control - or things that we don’t want to trust God with
Our Fears show where we are relying on our own effort, not on God - we are inadequate and need God - we cannot do it on our own
To please God, to serve Him, to honor him, to live for him, we cannot be driven by fear - we MUST be led by faith!
This morning, we are going to talk about two more things that will happen when we pray this prayer of search me.
Edwin Cooper was famous across America, yet almost no one knew his real name. Coming from a family of circus clowns, Cooper began performing before audiences when he was just nine years old. After a stint with the Barnum and Bailey Circus, he became a fixture on television in the 1950s as Bozo the Clown. In addition to entertaining both young and old, Cooper had a message for his “buddies and partners” every week: get checked for cancer. Yet Cooper was so busy working that he neglected to follow his own advice. By the time his cancer was discovered, it was too late for it to be treated. Edwin Cooper died at just forty-one years of age from a disease he had warned many others to watch out for.
Sin is far more deadly than the most aggressive and fast growing cancer. Sin kills and destroys everything it touches. From the Fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden until now, sin takes no prisoners. This is the purpose behind everything Satan does. Jesus said, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10). Because of his evil nature and his hatred of everything good, the devil brings destruction to everything within his reach.
When we regard sin as God does, we find nothing amusing or humorous about it. We will not make it the subject of the jokes we tell or those we hear. We will not allow ourselves to be tempted to get a little closer to the line to see if we are still safe. God hates sin with a holy and righteous fury, and so should we. When we find ourselves amused by sin, it is time for us to focus on the cross. Seeing the price paid for our sin reminds us that it is no laughing matter. (No Laughing Matter | Ministry127)
The first part of verse 24 is a doosy as if verse 23 wasn’t enough. See if there is any offensive way in me....... We are literally asking God to uncover our sins. Oooooh, if there was an uncomfortable feeling......When we ask God this question we better be ready. Remember that he already knows those things, and likely we do too and have become very good at hiding some of them. We’ve become very good at rationalizing some of them.
In May of 1948 three men robbed a bank in Hoyt, Kansas, getting away with $1,000. Shortly thereafter two men were killed in a car wreck, and police thought they were the robbers and the case was closed. Four years later, however, something unusual happened. On a Sunday morning at the Seward Avenue Baptist Church a young man named Al Johnson stepped to the pulpit and revealed to the congregation that the day before he had gone to the district attorney and confessed his role in the crime.
“I thought about the bank robbery many times,” Johnson, who was a teenager when the crime occurred, said, “I prayed about it and asked the Lord to give me an answer. It seemed that He would give me only one answer and that was to give myself up.” Johnson also revealed that he had borrowed the money to repay the bank his share of the stolen funds. The statute of limitations had expired, but Johnson said that even if it meant going to prison, he could not keep the secret any longer. Johnson agreed to help the authorities locate the other two men, who had not been, as was previously believed, the men involved in the car accident.
Sometimes we think the best approach is to hide our sin, either to avoid embarrassment and exposure, or to avoid the potential consequences. That approach never works in the long run. There is a God who sees everything—nothing is ever hidden from His view. His hatred of sin is so intense that He will never allow us to prosper by covering our sin. The toll of hidden sin on the physical, emotional, and spiritual health of the sinner is vast. It is far better for us to confess and seek the mercy and forgiveness of God. (Confessing a Bank Robbery | Ministry127)
This man could have continued to hide from what he had done. He could have never told anyone. Instead, we him allowing God to search him and he is then obedient to what God revealed to him.
Nothing is ever hidden from God’s view. This should give us something to think about. No matter how hard we may try to hide something or how much we might try to rationalize it, God knows the truth.
We need to be prepared when we pray this prayer. God will point out the things that we have been covering and rationalizing. Maybe it is gossip. Maybe it is selfishness. Maybe it is pride. Maybe it is any number of things, but God knows.
The last thing we see from these verses is from the last part of verse 24. Lead me in the way everlasting. This is the part where we see the young man following God’s leading regarding coming clean to what he had done. When we pray for God to lead us in the way everlasting, we are asking God to change us - to align us more with him. It is not God who moves, but we move to align more with God. We are asking him to lead us, guide us, and direct us toward his calling for our lives - who he wants us to be.
As we close this morning, I want us to take another look at
23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Search me - show me where I am a hypocrite. Show me where my words and my life don’t measure up.
Know my anxious thoughts - show me my insecurities - help me to give them over to you - help me not to worry about measuring up to someone’s standards, only to yours - help us give our fears over to you and trust in you
Uncover my sins - God show us those things that we have been hiding - turn us toward you and your word - show us those things we have been rationalizing for so long
Lead me - This is where the rubber meets the road - this is where life-altering change and transformation can happen. This is where God really can move us toward what he has for us and who he wants us to be.
We are asking God to make us different - stronger - more like Christ - more confident in our faith - more confident in our calling.
Listen for what God says as we pray this dangerous prayer - watch for what he shows you - watch for how he draws you nearer to him - watch for how he transforms you and shows you your deepest need - a need for him.
Along the journey of praying this prayer - don’t get discouraged. It will likely be a bit painful and uncomfortable.