Have You Looked at Your Heart?

6 · Exposes the heart condition behind Israel's demand: instead of trusting God's faithfulness despite difficult circumstances, their hearts are drawn to what they see around them—the worldly strength of other nations

Now Israel's face is before, if you remember Eli, his sons were not the best either. And now they're like, again, okay, Lord. At this point, Israel, instead of looking at the faithfulness and care of the Lord, becomes primarily concerned with their own well being and taking their own well being into their own hands. Instead of going to God, their hearts are drawn to what they see around them. Now around them are strong nations, nations that seem to have strong kings, that seem to have strong armies and resources, and all the things that the world seems to be like, yeah, that's good. So instead of remembering, okay, even though there's all this strength and even though this situation seems weird with Samuel's sons, they're not very trustworthy. But I can trust God. You'd think that would be a good thing for Israel to do. They don't do that. In chapter eight, Israel says, goes to Samuel and says to him, we demand a king and a judge to judge them like all the nations.

7 · Exposes the theological gravity of Israel's demand—it is not merely political frustration but outright rejection of God's kingship

Now this isn't just a group of worried dudes going like, can we, can we like get what they have? This is a group of God's chosen people rejecting the kingship and rule and reign of God. As Samuel speaks to God, he expresses his frustration with Israel, can you imagine? You're leading this God's people. Things are going well. You're seeing the faithfulness of God and a bunch of people come up and go like, yeah, we don't trust God though. Can we look like them? Imagine how Samuel feels right there. So he's expressing his frustration to God. And then God reminds Samuel. He says, they're not rejecting Samuel's judgment, they're rejecting God's kingship. And then what happens throughout 1st Samuel 8 is Samuel warning Israel about the king they're asking for. God's going to give him the king they ask for. And if you read the account of God setting this, this, the, the account of Saul coming to power, the warning that Samuel gives is marked by three words he will take. Samuel reminds Israel that rejecting the kingship of God will come with specific and very real consequences. Yes, yes, the king will establish an army, but that army will need to be supported by the people of Israel. And this king will take all the best of their efforts, all the best of their people, all the best of their livestock, all the best of their land, all for his own gain, all for the king's own glory. The regular pattern for Israel is that God shows his care and faithfulness to his people. And time again, time and time again, Israel looks around them when life gets hard or when they don't understand what's going on and goes, I think we should do that. Put more simply, Israel gets focused on their external experience or image over committing to obey the God who has promised to preserve and multiply them in his own way and place plan. If you look at chapter nine one and two, it gives us a picture of where the focus of Israel was in seeking a king. Pay close attention as I read this to how the king that the people asked for is described. Now I will say for a moment, when you have an opportunity to preach in the pulpit from the Old Testament, it would be wise to practice the names that are there. I did not. And we made it in the first service and we're going to make it here. But I need to thank you, Neil, for the amen. So bear with me as I read these names, but pay attention to the details. There was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zer, son of Beckerath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he from his shoulders upward. He was taller than any of the people.

8 · Traces Saul's trajectory from initial obedience to ultimate failure

The people desired a king that looked like a king and that's what God gave them. And for a while it goes well. Saul is following the Lord and finding victory over the enemies of the Lord. Then in Samuel's farewell address in chapter 12, he gives a final warning. He says, obey the Lord and it will go well for you and your king. Disobey the Lord and you will be swept away, you and your king. We know from what Ricky preached last week that chapters 13 through 15 recount three very clear instances of Saul's self centered disobedience to God's decrees. Saul trusts his own strength, his own reputation and his own wisdom over the Lord.

9 · Identifies the devastating climax of Saul's story: his rejection of God's word results in God's rejection of him as king

One of the most devastating verses of chapter 15 is the end of verse 23. Samuel says to Saul, because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king. What follows in the rest of First Samuel is the epic self destruction of King Saul, the king the people wanted. This is why Samuel is grieving. Even though he knew the Lord was in control. Even though he had judged Israel and spoken for God so many times, the disobedience and fall of Saul was grieving to him.

10 · Synthesizes the Saul narrative into a single theological claim via Richard Phillips: worldly qualifications are no substitute for spiritual qualities in God's economy

Richard Phillips sums it up this way by saying, king Saul, chosen by the people because of his worldly qualifications, proved to have none of the spiritual qualities needed for leading God's people.

11 · Draws a dual theological claim from Samuel's grief: it reveals both Israel's misdirected trust in worldly wisdom and Saul's misdirected focus on himself and his own glory

The grief of Samuel illustrates both the misdirected heart of Israel to saviors found in the world's wisdom, as well as the misdirected heart of Saul toward himself and his own glory.

12 · Applies the Saul narrative to the congregation by challenging the assumption that we are immune from Israel's failures

Now it's easy from our seats in the 21st century to look back at Israel and go, like, come on guys, like, has not the Lord been faithful to you? Haven't you strayed enough times and been brought back by the Lord enough times? Haven't you experienced the consequences of your sin enough to just trust the Lord with what he's gonna do? Just trust Him. He is your God, you are his people. He says that over and over and over again, right? I mean, yes, that's the answer. We see that it is true. We might ask, why do you need a king Israel like everyone else, when the God of the universe is on your side? But let's be honest. Thinking our own hearts immune from the pull of the external is a dangerous game. How often are our hearts pulled in directions similar to Israel? How often have we experienced the faithfulness of the Lord in our lives? How often have we sinned and been restored by a faithful God and still go Back to the slop, thinking it's better than the plan of the King of the universe. John Newton wrote a pretty popular song that you may have heard of. It's a song that's sung at funerals. It's sung all sorts of different places. It's called Amazing Grace. It's also one of the most famous songs in history. And prior to his salvation, he was an objectively terrible human who was primarily focused on his own external circumstances. He resonates with the John Newton resonates with the words of the apostle Paul in describing himself as the chief of sinners when the Lord radically saved him, changed his heart, and made him an instrument for gospel proclamation. This is how Newton described the tendency of his own heart. He says this My heart is like a country, but half subdued, where all things are in an unsettled state and mutinies and insurrections are daily happening. I hope I hate the rebels that disturbed the king's peace. I'm glad when I can point them out, lay hold of them, and bring them to him for justice. But they have many lurking holes, and sometimes they come disguised like friends so that I do not know them until their works discover them.

13 · Extends the application by calling the congregation to self-awareness about their own heart condition

Even John Newton, who had been apprehended by the gospel of grace, who had been apprehended by the Lord, whose life had been radically changed by the Lord, was acutely aware of the fickle nature of his own heart. When we see something that, like 1 Samuel 16:7, and see that God is concerned with the state of our own hearts before our outside appearance, then we must also be aware of what God is aware of. Where in our own lives church might we be tempted to look to external affirmation or comfort or worldly wisdom over obedience to the Lord in our hearts? Where might we turn first to the wisdom of the world rather than the wisdom of the Lord? We're not immune from misdirected hearts church, which is where the story of David becomes really instructive for us.

14 · Signals the structural shift from Saul (chosen the people's way) to David (chosen God's way)

We've seen a king in Saul chosen the people's way. So now let's look at the king chosen God's way in David. As we explore a heart redirected, it's important that we take the time to look with honesty at our own propensity toward wandering.

15 · Introduces the David narrative by framing God's sovereign action in 1 Samuel 16 as a deliberate inversion of worldly standards

But look how the Lord reminds Samuel that he's sovereign and he has a plan. God here in 1st Samuel 16 turns the worldly paradigm on its head. As he chooses his own king, he demonstrates care for his people in saying he has chosen a new king for them. But he also demonstrates that the way the people looked for a king is not the way he had planned to choose his king. God redirects the attention, even for Samuel, from the external to the heart.

16 · Prepares the congregation for the scripture reading by directing them to turn to the text

Go ahead and turn to 1st Samuel 16. And we're going to read the first number of verses.

17 · Scripture reading of 1 Samuel 16:1-7, capturing God's command to Samuel to anoint a new king, Samuel's fear, God's provision of a cover story, and the pivotal moment when Samuel assumes Eliab is the chosen one based on appearance—only to be corrected by God's direct instruction to look at the heart

The Lord said to Samuel, how long will you grieve over Saul? Since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I will send you to Jesse, the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons. And Samuel said, how can I go? If Saul hears it, he'll kill me. And the Lord said, take a heifer with you and say, I have come to sacrifice to the Lord and invite Jesse to the sacrifice. And I will show you what you shall do, and you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you. Samuel did what the Lord commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him, trembling and said, do you come peaceably? And he said, peaceably, I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves. Come with me to the sacrifice. And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, surely the Lord's anointed is before him. But the Lord said to Samuel, do not look on his appearance, on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees. Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.

18 · Exposes the deliberate contrast between Saul's appointment (focused on external descriptors like height) and God's instruction to Samuel regarding David (don't look at appearance)

I appreciate what Richard Phillips says about what the Lord demonstrates in this text. Remember that for the appointment of Saul, the primary descriptors were physical and external. In fact, it says he stood from his shoulders up, taller than anyone in Israel. The height matters. That detail matters. Because then in this text he says, don't pay attention to that. God allowed Israel to be enamored with the external and also suffer the consequence of disobedience and misdirected hearts. The Lord says, I have provided for myself a king, in verse one.

19 · Prepares the congregation for an extended quotation from Richard Phillips

Listen to what the commentator says here.

20 · Phillips' commentary establishes that God's provision of David is an act of sovereign seeing—God sees what Israel in darkness cannot

It's noteworthy. The word translated as provided is a form of the word ordinarily meaning to see. By his sovereign provision, God sees what his people in darkness cannot see. Just as later on we'll note that while man can only see appearances, God can see the heart. God sees the true king he has desired because God himself has provided this king. He is the product of God's providential oversight and God's gift to his people. The king whom God himself has Chosen.

21 · Exposes the key instruction God gives Samuel: don't judge the new king by the old paradigm

When Samuel is instructed to go to Jesse in Bethlehem, this is a significant detail, and we're going to look at that in just a couple minutes. But it's who God tells Samuel to look for that's most important. God says specifically that Samuel should not look at the appearances or the height of the sons of Jesse. In other words, don't judge the new king of Israel based on the old standards, the old paradigm of external excellence or commanding appearance.

22 · Exposes the dramatic reversal in David's anointing: the sons who looked kingly were rejected, and the runt shepherd boy was chosen

This is one of the things that makes the story of the choosing and anointing of David so compelling. The sons of Jesse that looked kingly were specifically the ones that were not chosen. Enter David. Dale Ralph Phillips. Nope, just kidding. Dale Ralph Davis points out that what happens next is the stuff songs are made of. In comes David, fresh from the fields, unwashed and still smelling of the sheep. From what we learn later of his family life, his older brothers perhaps stood aloof as he drew near, looking down on the runt of their pack. Our text tells us that he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. As soon as he appeared, the Lord spoke to Samuel, Arise, anoint him, for this is he. So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brother, in the most unlikely and humble place God had found the king of his own choosing, the youth whom God himself had fashioned for his own purpose of grace. Now, notice, it didn't say that David was bad looking, but he wasn't what would be expected for the king of God's people, this runt of a little brother. Shepherd boy, why is this in Scripture? Why is this text here? And why is this story important for Israel?

23 · Synthesizes the theological function of the David narrative for Israel: it demonstrates God's trustworthiness and faithfulness while warning against disobedience

Reading these events would have been common history. Looking at these events helps them see that God can be trusted. It's a picture of God's faithfulness and also of warning of what happens when God's people disobey him and try to go their own way. Israel has been set apart, and for them, God's way must be the only way. Obedience to God is the best way to be cared for by God. In other words, attend to your heart and trust God's plan.

24 · Signals the shift from exposition to application by returning to John Newton as a model for self-examination

Now, part of understanding how to apply this in our lives means looking with realistic lenses to our own hearts. Earlier, we looked at how our hearts might be misdirected. But let's look back to John Newton for a moment to see how we might understand how the Lord redirects our hearts.

25 · Establishes via Tony Reinke and John Newton that conviction of sin is not just a preliminary step but an ongoing grace

Tony Reinke wrote a great book called John Newton on the Christian Life. And in it he says it's not enough just to read in the Bible about our remaining sin sin. It's not enough to hear from a preacher that our sin remains even after redemption. We are so totally depraved, Newton wrote, is a truth which no one ever truly learned by only being told it. We must discover our sin. We must feel our own sin, and it must shake us. And this feeling of our sin is a sure mark of the work of grace in Christ. There is all sufficient hope and forgiveness for a murderer who has killed 1,000 people. But there is no hope for any sinner who has not come face to face with the indwelling disease of sin. We must feel our malady before we rightly prize our physician and appeal to him as our all sufficient solution. The pain is a necessary grace given pain. Newton again, the Gospel affords no hope but to those whose hearts are contrite and broken by a conviction of sin. For while we feel not our malady, we cannot duly prize or rightly apply to the only physician. Our noticing of our sin is a grace gift of the Lord that we may bring to our physician, the only one who can heal our hearts. Amen.

26 · Synthesizes Israel's dual experience: they are suffering the consequences of their disobedience (Saul's failure) while simultaneously receiving God's mercy in the provision of David

Israel is in the midst of realizing the cost of rejecting God's plan. But they're also in the midst of experiencing the mercy of God and bringing about his plan. Despite their failings.

27 · Contrasts Saul and David by focusing on the Spirit's movement: the Spirit rushes upon David (empowerment) while the Spirit departs from Saul (judgment)

Any of us could put on an outward display of piety or worldly standards, but that means nothing if we're not concerned with our hearts. Sometimes the standard of the heart doesn't match the standard of the outward appearance. If the story of Saul is one of disobedience and a misdirected heart, then the story of David is the one of sovereignty and the care of God. The story of David is the one that redirects the hearts of Israel, and it's the one that redirects our hearts today. The text in verse 14 this text before verse 14 describes the Spirit capital S rushing on David. Then in verse 14 it describes what happens to Saul upon David receiving the empowering ministry of the Spirit for the task of being king. Verse 14 says that this now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and a harmful Spirit of the Lord tormented him. From this moment forward, Saul suffers the consequences of his sin and rebellion against God. He attempts to govern without the empowering of the Spirit of God and things continue to fall apart.

28 · Exposes how David is introduced to Saul: described primarily by inner qualities (valor, prudence, presence) with the capstone declaration 'the Lord is with him

Meanwhile, it's important that we look at what happens to David. So I want to meet this servant one day. The Saul's servant suggests that a musician might Be helpful when he's struggling. I agree as a musician myself, but let's look at this account of what happens with David and some of the details that are included. Chapter 16, verse 18. One of the young men answered, behold, I have seen a son of Jesse, the Bethlehemite who was skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence. The Lord is with him. Therefore, Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, send me David, your son, who was with the sheep. And Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a goat and sent them by David, his son, to Saul. And David came to Saul and entered his service, and Saul loved him greatly and he became his armor bearer. And Saul sent to Jesse saying, let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight. And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him. Look at how David is described primarily. Yes, he's skilled, but he's a man of valor, of war. He's prudent, a good presence. Most importantly, the Lord is with him. These are all characteristics demonstrating inner quality. Rather than focusing on a traditionally kingly external quality, the Lord sovereignly places him in a position of influence in the court of the king whom he will replace.

29 · Elevates the David narrative to its Christological significance: David is an unexpected king from Bethlehem, from the line of Jesse, pointing forward to Jesus, the ultimate King and Savior

The anointing of David is the anointing of an unexpected king. A shepherd boy anointed as God's chosen king. A shepherd boy from where? Bethlehem, whose dad was Jesse. A shepherd boy from whose family lineage would come the long awaited Messiah, Jesus, the Savior of the world.

30 · Establishes the typological relationship between David and Jesus via Isaiah 11

He is the one who redeems our hearts. As we look to a heart redeemed, we see that this Savior of the world shows God's heart not to just redirect misdirected hearts, but to redeem heart hearts. If we see in Saul what is known as an antitype of Christ, in David we see a gracious precursor to Christ. He is a type or a foreshadowing of Jesus. David was God's gift to his people then. And Jesus is the true and better David, God's gift to us. Now God uses the story of Saul as one of judgment for Israel, following its own heart and the world around it, rather than trusting God. And the story of David is a picture of God's care for Israel even in their failings. The story of Jesus is the story of the ultimate redemption of the hearts of God's People. Earlier we noted that David being a son of Jesse from Bethlehem was an important detail. What we see in Isaiah the Prophet four hundred years after David's death. Isaiah speaks of the coming Messiah in this way in Isaiah chapter 11 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And I drew out a minute ago the Spirit was capitalized, and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge, and the fear of the Lord and his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear. But with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth. He shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his Lord coins.

31 · Traces the typological connections between David and Jesus through Isaiah 11 and 53

David was from the house of Jesse. Jesus is from the line of Jesse. The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David, and the Spirit of the Lord is now with us through Christ. The picture of the Savior of the world in Isaiah 11 was foreshadowed by David and fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The world was looking for an outwardly victorious Savior as their Messiah. And just as David was described by his character, Jesus is described as delighting in the fear of the Lord, judging not with aggression, but with righteousness, equity, justice, faithfulness, and so on. David is put forward as a wise king. Jesus is the wiser king. Isaiah goes even further in chapter 53 when the Prophet is clear that the Messiah Jesus would not be one who would be adorned with outward majesty or particular beauty. Jesus through his ministry showed us time after time that his focus was inward. The inward is what produces the outward fruit that God has determined. Isaiah 53 who has believed what he has heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows acquainted with grief, and as one from whom men hide their faces. He was despised, and we esteemed him not.

32 · Synthesizes the Christological argument: Isaiah predicted humanity's continued obsession with external appearance, yet Jesus came anyway—living perfectly, dying willingly, and providing hope

Church this is the king of the universe, Israel. Isaiah even predicts that we will continue to be enamored with the outward appearance over the inward. But Jesus still chooses to come to live a perfect life, to die a willing substitutionary death on our behalf and provide a future and a hope for us now and in eternity. We didn't plan I did not give Andrew my manuscript before he planted the worship center. We sang about our all sufficient merit. Who is Christ? The one foreseen in Isaiah 53 and 11, the one foreshadowed in David. That's who we are singing about even now.

33 · Establishes the soteriological consequence of Christ's work: Jesus' death covers our failures and His ongoing work reshapes us into His image

Jesus sees our desires, sees our failings, sees our shortcomings, and still died for us because of what Christ did. It changes what we're trying to become. He covers our failures and reshapes us himself into his image.

34 · Signals the shift from theological exposition to direct application

So if our focus today is to attend to our hearts and trust God's plan, then there's a real clear warning and admonishment for us, as well as a brief encouragement.

35 · Issues the core admonishment: don't ignore your heart and don't trust your own plan over God's

Here's the admonishment. Simply put, don't ignore the importance of your heart and don't trust your plan over God's plan. As you navigate the highs and lows of life, may I ask, where is your primary attention? Are you more concerned with how you look to the world or how you look to the Lord? Do you find yourself focusing primarily on the things held out by the world or on the state of your heart? I want to be careful to avoid both legalism and hyper spiritualization here. I don't want you to go away from this message going just be better please. That's not what the Lord is calling us to, but the Lord might be calling us to be a little better. But I don't think if I were to guess that our problem is over spiritualization of our circumstances, I would wager that it's maybe more we are more prone to under spiritualization?

36 · Provides concrete examples of how to spiritualize ordinary life: in relationships, prioritize God's glory over external attraction or compatibility; in marriage, pray for hearts knit together for God's glory rather than merely for practical help

Here's what I mean. What if in relationships our primary question before the Lord was is this relationship honoring and glorifying to God? In other words, if you're dating instead of asking the Lord for somebody you're compatible with, someone that looks the way you want, someone that acts the way you want, what if the question was Lord, would you provide a partner for my life whose desire is for your glory, who honors and trusts you above all things? Again, it's not that those other things don't matter, especially when we're young, but even when we're old, attraction matters. But skin gets wrinkly and saggy and things don't work like they did before. And at that point is, if all you fell in love with was the physical attraction of the person you're with, then that's a hard thing to build a relationship on that's a hard thing to go through sickness and pain and wayward children and all and death, death of your spouse and whatever it is, unless the foundation is God himself in marriage. What if the prayer of our spouses in the morning moved from things like help us relate to one another well, help us budget well, help us stay in shape and control our life. What if it moved from prayers like that to a prayer to honor and glorify God in all things? Things. What if our first prayer with our spouse each day was, lord, knit our hearts together in all things for your glory. We trust you with all of our life. Practicals matter, but true wisdom comes from the Lord. Now we just did an exercise as a pastoral team called A Journey of Generosity. So let's move into the realm of finances for a second. This journey begins with some brief comments by the late Tim Keller. He says something to the effect of your idol are revealed by where your money flows most freely. He's not saying here hyper analyze everything you spend money on. What he's saying is that when we take inventory of both the way we think about money and use our money, it can be revealing of where we're placing our hope, trust and desire. That simple quote helps us take even finances out of simply spreadsheets and put them into the realm of the heart.

37 · Applies the heart-focused framework to work and vocation: instead of praying for escape from difficult circumstances, pray first for understanding of what God is teaching through the trial

What about work vocation? Maybe you're in a job that's absolutely terrible. Maybe you're just, you can't stand it, you're having a terrible job and you've been praying, lord, I cannot believe you want me in this. Please get me out of this. But what if even in that situation, your first prayer was, lord, what are you teaching me through this trial? It moves it from primarily focusing on what's challenging in our external life to putting it in the heart before the Lord.

38 · Steps outside the admonishing tone to address a different pastoral concern: those tempted to despair over their external inadequacy rather than to pride in their own plans

I want to finish by looking one more time at John Newton. But before that, I want to give you an encouragement. You may be listening to this and have a different sort of temptation. Maybe your problem isn't thinking your plan is better. Maybe you look at your life and you're like, yeah, my plan is terrible. I'm terrible. I'm bad at everything. Everybody dresses nicer than me. Everybody's got more money than me. Everybody is prettier than me. Everybody got better skin than me. Everybody is thinking that I'm the worst. And you could be described as maybe an Eeyore in your life to borrow the Winnie the Pooh character. Hear the encouragement here. For the Lord sees not as man sees. Man looks at the outward appearance. But the Lord looks on the heart.

39 · Brief transitional aside acknowledging time constraints and the pastor's self-awareness about the previous service delivery

Now, I want to. Because I have just a minute. I'm going to do this in this service, too, but probably hopefully better than the last service I was listening to.

40 · Sets up the closing application by posing the 'so what' question: why does attending to our hearts matter for how we live?

I want to just kind of bring it home for a second. What does this matter? What is the attention to our heart? What does this matter? How does this matter? Why does this matter in our life?

41 · Introduces Stephen Curtis Chapman's song '2 B True' as an illustration of the necessity of living out what we profess to believe

And I wanted to just bring the words of the great prophet Stephen Curtis Chapman to us for a moment. I was in my car on the way here this morning, and a tune came on the old radio. By radio, I mean, my phone. And the title is Got the number two, the letter B, T, R, U. Got to be true. And he is. It's Stephen Curtis Chapman's foray into the rap music industry. If you know anything about. Yeah, if you know anything about Stephen Curtis Chapman, this is a challenge. And he's like. He's like a happy dude with a mullet at this point going like, well, you'd be normally at this point hearing me do my acoustic guitar thing. And so you're wondering what's going on. Cause this is really starting to sound like one of those rap songs. And so he starts to say this and he goes, you see, I grew up in a state where the grass is blue. So if it's going to be believable, it's got to be true. And at this point, you're wondering, what in the world are you talking about, John? He's talking about the truth of living out what we believe. Living out what's in our heart.

42 · Continues the Chapman illustration by introducing the song's character Toby, whose neighbor is watching his behavior to see if his Christian profession is true

His friend Toby, as what he says is his homeboy Toby wants to talk to you. He says, I got. I wanted to wrap this, but it's probably better if I don't. Toby has a next door neighbor. I can tell he's been watching my behavior. Toby says he's heard that I'm a Christian guy. He wants to know if that's the truth or a lie. He has a lot of reasons not to believe, like doubt, disillusionment, hypocrisy. Now, this is silly, but do you have those people in your minds in your own life? It's gonna take living proof to break through those walls. So it's gotta be true if he'll believe it at all.

43 · Applies the Chapman song directly: what happens in our hearts will overflow into our lives

And then the chorus says this. This is a declaration from Stephen Curtis Chapman. And I think it's helpful for us. I have to be living what I say. I believe it's gotta be true. Even when nobody but Jesus is watching. Me, it's gotta be true every single minute of every day. If anybody's ever gonna look at me and say, hey, it's gotta be true, true, look, what happens in our hearts will be what happens with our lives. So if we're not attending to our hearts, then that's going to come out. If we're not attending to our personal holiness before a holy and just and merciful and loving God, then what's going to come out of our mouths is an overflow of our hearts, good or bad. So let's listen to the words of both God and Stephen Curtis Chapman and say, let's live the life God's called us to live. Let's attend to our personal holiness. Let's not think that we're above heart problems.

44 · Returns to John Newton as the final illustration: a man who was objectively terrible, immune from no sin, yet apprehended by God's grace and transformed into an instrument of gospel proclamation

John Newton. This is what Tony Reinke says about John Newton in his book. John Newton's moral life prior to Christ had already sunk. He was a wicked and insubordinate young man with a profane tongue, flesh driven appetites and a stone cold heart. He had gambled his way into debt and dabbled in witchcraft. What is clear, Newton was immune from no sin. He delighted to lead others into temptation, later calling himself a ringleader in blasphemy and wickedness. If you read the story of Newton, you feel like this is a caricature. It's some fake made up thing about a depraved man. But he truly was bad. And the Lord apprehended his heart, changed his heart and used him as an instrument of grace. Amazing grace as it were. That over and over and over again, people that have no idea about the gospel of grace are singing this song, this famous song, singing the gospel of grace.

45 · Applies the Newton illustration directly: even if we're not as obviously depraved as Newton, our sins are no less serious and we are no less in need of a Redeemer

Now we may not be where Newton was, we may not be that depraved, but let's not pretend that our own sins are any less important or in need of a redeemer.

46 · Synthesizes the sermon's entire argument into a single theological claim: attending to our hearts means using the biblical narratives (Israel, Saul, David) to diagnose our own misdirections, recognize God's redirecting work, and rest in Christ's redemptive grace

Attending to our own hearts and trusting God's plan looks like using the story of Israel, Saul and David to help us notice where our own hearts might be misdirected, where the Lord is helping to redirect our actions and affections, and understanding the grace and mercy of God, redeeming our hearts through Christ.

47 · Signals the final use of the Newton/Reinke material before moving to the conclusion

One last moment with Tony Reinke and John Newton.

48 · Establishes the theological resolution via Newton: awareness of our depravity paired with awareness of Christ's infallibility is the path to hope

And so these two convictions stand as marvelous evidences of grace. An awareness of our own heart's depravity and an awareness of our physician's infallibility. Newton says, the sum of my complaints amounts to this, that I am a sick sinner, diseased in every part but then, if he who is the infallible physician has undertaken my case, I shall not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord. When it comes down to the deeply entrenched sin in our hearts, we can complain of sin maladies all day long. Our all is little, our best is defiled. But as Newton grew more and more aware of his own sin and the evil that debased his best service, he was careful not to take his eyes off of Christ. I could go on complaining. Newton wrote of a friend, wrote to a friend, but I check myself. I am vile indeed. But Jesus is full of grace and truth. He leads and guides, he feeds and guards, he restores and heals. He is an all sufficient Savior. Under the care of such an all sufficient Christ, the chief of sinners does not despair, but presses on towards holiness.

49 · Applies the entire sermon pastorally to three possible heart conditions in the congregation: misdirected (wandering), being redirected (aware of sin and being restored), or convicted of sin

Church, you cannot attend to your hearts by yourself. If you do that, we have no hope. We will be misdirected with no hope but God because of the great love with which he loved us. Us while we were still what Christ died for us. That is the hope. Maybe your heart's misdirected this morning. Maybe you're finding yourself in a season of wandering from the Lord. Trust a faithful God to bring you back. Maybe you're in a season of being redirected gently by the Lord where you are aware of your sin and the Lord is bringing your back, bringing you back, restoring you to right relationship with Him. Lean in. That is a picture of love. Church, when you recognize sin in your own life, remember this. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. That recognition of sin is recognition of the Holy Spirit's work in your life and a kindness of the Lord to remind you of his grace. Deal with the sin, confess it, because he is faithful and just to forgive you your sins and what cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

50 · Final application and evangelistic call

Let this sermon not be. Let this word not be just. Be better. Christ was the best on your behalf. Turn to him today. If you have not turned your life to Christ yet, do it today. He is drawing you to Himself. He is causing your eyes to go open. Come to him today. Church, as you go through your week, attend to your hearts. Trust God's plan for your life. Let's take a inward gospel informed inventory and trust that all sufficient Christ, his plan for our lives and press on towards holiness together. Amen.

51 · Closing prayer that synthesizes the sermon's themes: asking God to help the congregation look at their hearts as He does, attend to personal holiness not out of legalism but to experience grace, and trust in Christ as their all-sufficient Savior and Good Shepherd

Let's pray together. Lord. Let us not be primarily preoccupied with external affirmation, adoration and circumstances, but let us, like you do, look on our hearts. Lord, help us to attend to our personal holiness. Not to be better, not to check off boxes, but to experience the grace and mercy bought through the blood of Christ. Lord, help us to know that you are our all sufficient merit. You are our hope in life and in death. You are our help when we go astray. You are the good shepherd who goes after us, picks us up, bandages us up and puts us back on the road. Good shepherd King, we trust you even now, Lord. And as we sing, oh great God, occupy our lowly hearts. Lord, make that true of us. Let our prayer be that you own all of our lives. You reign supreme over everything, that there's no nothing worth clutching to more than you. We are yours forevermore. In Jesus name, Amen.