The Renewed Steadfast Spirit

The Renewed Steadfast Spirit
Psalm 51:1-17
December 9-10, 2023

This is a Psalm written by David. We know the exact reason and time that David wrote it because it tells us. It was when Nathan the prophet confronted David because he had sinned against the Lord when he took Bathsheba to himself. Of course, it's one of the most famous of the Psalms. Many, many songs have been written over the years based on the words of this Psalm. When you read the Psalm, I mean you really must hear the passion of David's words. Maybe this is the most passionate of all the words that David has ever written.

After David sinned, his soul was just crushed within him. He was carrying anguish in the depth of his soul. He could not rest; his sin was constantly ever before him. He writes he couldn't sleep. He would lie down on his bed and just hot tears would come down his face night after night, after night, after night. That's how deeply David was feeling the trouble and the anguish because of his sin.

Now, that is important to note because some people sin, and it doesn't trouble them at all. It doesn't bother them in the slightest. The only time they get bothered is when they get caught, and then instead of being humble and contrite, they get angry at the one that caught them. That's a whole different thing. David, why was David so deeply broken and anguished so deep in his soul, why? Well, because David had known the heights of glory.

David had tasted how good the presence of God was in his life. David understood so much, and all of that now it's gone. His relationship to God meant so much to David, and now he's at risk of losing it all. Now, someone watching that whole scene might have said to David, "David, was it worth it? Was it worth it?" What did you gain that made you risk so much? Of course, the answer is, "No, it was not worth it."

In fact, interestingly, Paul wrote something very similar to this in his letter than he wrote to Rome, it's in Romans 6:21. I mentioned last week that when I was in my 20s, I memorized Romans 6 and Romans 8. When you're memorizing a whole chapter, you meditate on it, and you recite it to yourself over and over. Verse 21, at first, you just memorize it and then you start to think about it.

I thought, that's a really great question. Romans 6:21 says, "What benefit did you gain from the things of which you are now ashamed? The outcome of those things is death." Again, I'm reading that, meditating on it, and then I thought, that's a good question. What did I gain? I didn't gain anything, and the outcome of that is death. Paul writes a very similar thing, no, it's never worth it. I mean, you ask anyone who's crushed their lives, and they will tell you, "No, it wasn't worth it." The problem, of course, is that at that moment, right their flesh was being drawn into the disaster, they weren't calculating the consequences. They weren't considering the cost, no, their flesh was blinding them to the consequences.

The very definition of spiritual wisdom is the ability to foresee the consequences, the ability to consider the cost and to understand, "I don't want that," and to choose that which is better. That is what spiritual wisdom is, because, see, many cannot see that there are external disastrous consequences. Then there are the consequences in the inner man, in the soul within, the anguish of the soul.

I mean, if you've ever done a disastrous thing, you know what I'm saying. There is such a yucky condition, it's like you've just got to get rid of this poison thing. It's like, oh, it's anguish in the soul, and the anguish is much deeper when you know the value of what you lost. Now, in order to understand Psalm 51, we really need to be reminded of the back story that led David to write such a passion-filled Psalm.

The story of that is found in 2 Samuel 11 and 12. It starts out by saying, it happened in the spring, at the time when Kings go out to war. David did not go out to war, David remained in Jerusalem, and then it says. "One evening, David arose from his afternoon nap," which says a lot right there. "David arose from his afternoon nap, and then walking about on the roof of the king's house," roofs were flat in those days. "He looked out from the roof and he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was beautiful." David inquired about the woman, and then someone responded and said, "Is this not Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam, wife of Uriah the Hittite?"

Now, when David heard that, that should have put an end to it right there. Daughter of Eliam, wife of Uriah the Hittite. That should have put an end to it right there, but it did not. David, blinded, pursued, sent word, and she came. As we know the story, they had sexual relations and then she sent word to David, "I'm pregnant." Then David tries to cover, hide, which is so typical of men, right? To try to hide and cover the thing. David, this is what he did, he sent a message to the commander of the forces. Uriah was serving in the war, "Send Uriah the Hittite to me."

When Uriah came from the battlefield to David, David said, "Go down to your house and wash your feet," wink, wink. The next morning, someone said to David, Uriah did not go to his house, he camped outside the king's house. He spent the night outside the king's porch. David said to Uriah, "Why didn't you go to your house?" Uriah responded, "The soldiers of the king are camping in the open field, shall I go to my house and eat and drink and lie with my wife? By your life and the life of my soul, I would never do such a thing." This man's got character and God is going to use Uriah's character to convict David's lack of character.

David amps it up. He steps it up to the next level, he invites Uriah to dinner and then serves him wine. Then keeps serving the wine and keeps serving the wine until he's drunk, and then he tells him to go home to his wife. No, Uriah spent the night again camping outside the king's house. This man's got character even when he's drunk. Now, David is desperate, so he wrote a letter to Joab, the commander of his forces. He sent it by the hand of Uriah, and in that letter he wrote that Uriah was to be placed at the front of the fiercest battle. Then have the men withdraw so that he would die in battle. Then shortly after, David got word Uriah is dead.

The thing that David had done was evil and displeasing in the sight of the Lord. This was one terrible disastrous sin after another, nothing is hidden from the sight of the Lord. The Lord sent Nathan the prophet to confront David. Now, this will not be easy, and so Nathan told David a parable. Now, the point of the parable was to open David's eyes to injustice so that David would indict himself.

Now, it's important to note that David did not know that it was a parable. He thought this was real circumstance. Nathan said to him, "Now, there were two men in your kingdom, one was very rich, wealthy, and he had many flocks and herds. There was another man who was poor, but he only had one lamb, only one. This lamb was like a dear pet to him, he even would had him in his house and

it was like almost raised it like his own daughter, but one day a guest came to visit the rich man, but instead of taking from his own flocks and herds, no, he went and he stole the lamb from the poor man, and he took it and he butchered it and then he served that to his guest.

David heard that and he became enraged. "The man who did this thing, that man deserves to die." Then Nathan said, "You are the man." Oh, David knew right then. He had indicted himself, but then Nathan said to him, "Thus says the Lord God of Israel, I anointed you king over Israel. I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah and if that had been too little, I would've added even more. Why have you despised the word of the Lord by doing evil in his sight?"

Then David broke and he said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." Nathan said, "The Lord has taken away your sin, you will not die." Now, David of course, knew, recognized that he deserved to die, but he said, the Lord has taken away your sin you will not die. Now, the word in Hebrew taken away your sin. The word in Hebrew is passed over. God has passed over your sin. You will not die. To which I say, really? It's that simple? God just passes over. Is that it? God just passes over to sin? After all that David did that was so disastrous, God just passes over it? Is it that simple? To which I say, oh no, it is not that simple.

No, God didn't simply pass over it. No, this sin must be paid for, and it must be paid in full. What David did was wrong on every level. It was wrong. It was offensive, it was ugly. If righteousness will prevail, then there must be a reckoning. There's got to be a payment and there will be, there would be. There would one day come a descendant of David who would not only be called the King of Israel but the king of the whole earth.

One day they would be born in the city of David, a child. A child who was called the Son of God. God would send forth his only begotten son, the descendant of David, who would bring that reckoning to David's sin, that sin must be reckoned for. God's going to reckon it in his Son by taking that sin and the sins of every one of us and laying them on that Son who would be called the Son of the living God and the Son of David who would be king of all the earth. That is a glorious, wonderful truth.

Let me give you a great verse that helps us to see that so beautifully, maybe one of the most important verses in the Bible. Roman 3:19-26, where Paul wrote this. He said, "Now all the world has become accountable to God for all have sinned, but the righteousness of God has been manifested. The righteousness must prevail." He says, "The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. That righteousness," he says, "that those who believe would be justified as a gift. It's a gift through grace, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus," he says, "whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation."

Propitiation meaning the satisfying of God's wrath, the satisfying of God's judgment, the satisfying of the demand of sin, that propitiation is done in his blood through faith. This was to demonstrate his righteousness but would you notice then, because in the forbearance of God, he passed over the sins previously committed? Do you see the direct connection?

He said for the demonstration I say of his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just, and the justifier of the one who has faith in Christ Jesus. That means everything to us because all of us are implicated in the story. All of us need to realize that it was the mercy of God that brought the reckoning for all of our sins to bear on the cross that Jesus paid for us and he paid it all and we are all very thankful for that. Amen. Let's give him praise and glory for that. Amen.

That was all the introduction, which is the longest introduction in the history of the world. Now let's read it. Psalm 51. We begin Verse 1 and we'll just read 17 verses, "Be gracious, have mercy, God, according to your loving kindness." See, David knows God. He knows that God is love and your loving kindness, "have mercy, according to the greatness of your compassion, blot out my transgressions." In other words, I cannot carry this anymore. If this thing is poison in my soul, I can't carry this anymore. "Wash me," Verse 2, "wash me thoroughly from my inequity. Cleanse me from my sin. I know my transgression from my sin is ever before me. I can't get away from it. I cannot escape it. It's always there."

Then he says, interestingly, Verse 4, "And against you and you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight." That's interesting. We'll look at it, "so that you are justified when you speak and you're blameless when you judge." In other words, you're right, God, I don't deny any of it. You're absolutely right. "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin, my mother conceived me." What does this mean? We'll look at it. "Behold, you desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part, you will make me no wisdom. Build it again, Lord, in me. Then purify me with hyssop and I will be clean. Wash me and I will be whiter than snow." Very interesting. We'll see it.

"Make me to hear joy and gladness. Let the bones which you have broken, let them rejoice. Restore me in other words, hide your face from my sins. Blot out my iniquities," and then that beautiful Verse 10, "creating me a clean heart. Oh God, renew, do it. Renew a steadfast spirit within me. Don't cast me away from your presence. Do not take your Holy Spirit from me. No, restore to me the joy of my salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit, then I will teach transgressors your ways and sinners will be converted to you." Now, I love that verse.

"Deliver me from my blood guiltiness God, oh God, on my salvation. Then my tongue will joyfully sing. You do this, God, I'm going to rejoice. I'm going to sing. I'm going to shout of your righteousness. I'm going to shout, I'm going to praise your righteousness." This is very interesting because God doesn't just pass it over. God's going to demonstrate righteousness by the applying of blood, by his-- We're going to see it very beautiful. "My tongue is going to joyfully shout, open my lips," Verse 15, "that my mouth may declare your praise, for you do not delight and sacrifice, otherwise I would give it. That's not sufficient for the righteousness of God to be satisfied. You're not pleased with burned offerings. No, the sacrifice of God is a broken spirit. Oh, a broken and contrite heart. Oh God, you will not despise." That's what God desires to see.

I. God Washes Thoroughly

Oh, what a passion field amazing Psalm. Again, we'll look at the other verses around this after Wednesday, verse-by-verse service, but I want us to see how God would apply this right to our lives as well, and that is that God washes thoroughly. He does. He washes thoroughly. You must hear the compassion of David's plea and recognize also that we are part of the story. It's something for us to take hold of for ourselves that God would do the same. He's crying out from the very depths of his soul that God would blot out

his transgressions, wash him thoroughly from his iniquity, cleanse him from his sin.

Notice Verse 7 where he says ''Purify me with hyssop, and I'll be clean, wash me, and I'll be whiter than snow.'' What does this mean? Well, on the original Passover there in Egypt, anyone who took a branch of hyssop and then dipped it into the blood of a innocent lamb would therefore die, give us his life, his poor blood, dip the hyssop into the blood of the lamb and then apply that blood to the lintel and the doorpost of the house and then when enter through that blood into his house that the angel of death, the angel of condemnation would pass over that house because of the blood of the innocent lamb applied to that house.

God would pass over because the payment of that life had been made. Notice then that when the commandment given to Moses had been spoken there to all the people in Mount Sinai that then afterward Moses took the blood of a calf mixed with water. Then he took a branch of hyssop, interestingly, blood mixed with water should remind you of something, and then he dipped the hyssop into the mixture and then he sprinkled the book of the law and then interestingly he walked through the people sprinkling them with blood from hyssop, throwing blood on all the people, indicating what we know is a great truth in Hebrews 9:22 that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin.

A. God is gracious because He loves

That's why David says, "Take your hyssop Lord, that which you do, take your hyssop and you purify me and then I'll be clean. Wash me. You wash me and then I'll be whiter than snow. Take your hyssop." Look, when Jesus was dying on the cross being crucified, they took a branch of hyssop and they dipped it into-- with a sponge full of sour wine and brought it to his mouth. Very interesting. Would you notice back to Psalm 51 he's crying for mercy because God is gracious because he loves. David knows God and he knows that God is love and so he's appealing to that.

"Be merciful according to your great love," he says, "because," Verse 3, ''I know my transgressions and my sin it's ever before me.'' David feels terrible about what he did. Now, again, it's important to see that only people with conscience feel terrible. He cannot escape it. Agony and anguish of his soul brought him to tears every night, but David knew where help comes from. David knew that God and only God could help him now. He wants this washed out of his soul. He wants this stain, this ugly thing, I don't want to carry this anymore. If anyone has ever done something disastrous in your life, you know exactly what David is saying. I don't want to carry this thing anymore. This thing is poison to me, but God I know that you can do it.

Now notice in Hebrew 10:22, it's almost an exact parallel. Notice where the writer there in Hebrews 10 says ''Let us draw near right to the Living God with a sincere heart in full assurance of our faith having our hearts sprinkled clean'' See, again, there's that idea, the hyssop, the sprinkling of that blood, the blood of the Son of the Living God sprinkled upon your life. He says ''let us draw near in full assurance of faith having our hearts been sprinkled clean from an evil conscience'.' See that conscience? That, oh, that thing, it's in my soul, it's a stain, I don't want that anymore.

B. This is between you and God

No, your conscience even has been washed and our bodies washed, cleansed inside and out. You can see the direct parallel. David cries for mercy because he knows the greatness of God's compassion and loving-kindness. That is everything to David. Then notice this part of the story Verse 4, "That this is between you and God," very personal. Notice Verse 4, ''Against you and you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight''

Now some people say wait, wait, what about Bathsheba? He hurt her. What about her? What about Uriah? What about all the results of consequences in his family? What about the whole nation of Israel? What about them? David hurt every one of them. Right, you true. Yes, he most certainly did, but what makes sin to be sin is the fact that it's against God. See, every man is accountable to God. In other words, this is the very definition of what sin is, that it is against God. Notice for example Romans 14:23, ''Whatever is not from faith is sin.'' It has everything to do with your faith.

Leviticus 6:2 is very clear there. ''If anyone sins and commits a breach of faith against the Lord by deceiving his neighbor in a matter.'' You see the point? He's clearly deceived his neighbor and he's offended his neighbor, but he calls it a breach of faith. Now if you hurt someone, yes, you should ask for their forgiveness because you hurt them. Yes, you must. You should redirect it to ask forgiveness and to forgive. David knows and recognizes that in order for anything else in his life to be right, it has to start by settling this between him and God. We've got to settle this God. Until this is settled between God and David, nothing will be right.

Now would you notice that David doesn't try to minimize it, but he owns it outright? This is a great key. He owns it outright. He doesn't minimize it, doesn't try to tuck it, and ''Oh, let's not make--'' no, no. David owns it outright. "Look, you are right, God. You are justified when you speak. You are blameless when you judge. This is for all of us to receive." We got to get this right between us and God's. Between me and God, is between you and God. Don't minimize it, don't ignore it. Don't pretend it never happened, but you can trust God's love, his compassion, his grace, his mercy.

II. Renew a Right Heart within You

You can trust God that God will pour out that love, that he will hear your heart. That when you come to him, notice where it goes next in the psalm, he says ''Renew a right heart'' That's what God will do for you, renew a right heart within you. Would you notice though how he leads up to it Verse 5? ''I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin my mother conceived me.'' Now this is an expression which means I was born with a sinful nature. Now some people which is of course true, every person is born with the nature of man, the nature of sin. We're all born in a sinful nature.

Now some people would use that to minimize their sin. In other words, they would say, ''Look, this is who I am, okay? That's just the way I am, okay?'' Yes, you got to see that way of like they're trying to excuse it. ''All right. Look, this is just the way I am, okay?'' What are they saying? What they're saying is, look, this is my disposition. Okay? This is the DNA I inherited, okay? Now, that is true of the animal kingdom. The nature of hyenas pretty much dialed into its DNA. It's probably going to act like a hyena all his life.

I was thinking of an illustration. We were visiting some friends in Eastern Oregon and we were on a walk, and on the path there was a rattlesnake, a baby rattlesnake. There's a baby rattlesnake, isn't that cute? All right, get along little buddy because he's blocking our path, right? There's rocks here. Come on now. Come on now, get out of the way. Come on. Anyone. That thing's not afraid of us. He's just a little baby, right? He's not afraid of us at all. Like, no, you go around and I can see attitude, I could see in his eyes. You go around, I'm not budging, you go around. I'm thinking that thing's not afraid of us at all. Little baby. Attitude right away. No, you go around. Take me on, you want to try it? Try it. You want a little bit of this? Come on, you try it.

Yes,

it's dialed into his DNA, but is that true of us? Well, you did inherit a disposition, true, but I know my God, and I know that God can change that. Oh, I can tell you so many people who have lived in the disposition of whatever they inherited, whatever addiction, whatever anger, whatever thing. I tell you, I know my God, and I have seen over and over and over and over again that God can take a broken soul and he can heal it, he can transform it because God is still doing it today and God's not done yet. Amen. Let's give him praise for that, right?

See, this is not David. David is not going to use this as an excuse. No, it's the opposite. What David is saying is, I was born with this thing and unless you intervene in my life, it will ruin me. Now, there's the right heart. See, that's the prayer, I was born with this thing, this disposition. My flesh is so drawn to it, and every one of us knows exactly what I'm saying here. I was born with this thing, my flesh is so drawn to it. God, if you don't intervene, if you don't put your hand on my life, I am done for. That's what David is saying. That's why he says, "Behold," Verse 6, “you desire truth. In the innermost being, this is what you desire and you will do it. In the hidden part, you will make me know wisdom. I need that. Do that in me.”

A. “Create in me a clean heart, O God”

That's what he says in that beautiful Verse 10. Really, Verse 10 is like the peak of the mountain here. “Create in me a clean heart.” God, I want my heart clean. I don't like this thing, this ugly thing in my life. I don't like, I don't want it anymore. I want a clean heart and I know that you can do it. That's why he's asking God to do it. See, so many people they've got it wrong, they think that God is saying you, “You get your act together. What are you doing, doing all these things? You get your act together there.” Many people think that's the way God is. No, David says, “No, this is what you do. God will do it.” God is saying to you, “Look, you give me your life. You let me come in and fill, I'll do it. I'll create in you that clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within you.”

It's as though David is saying, "Can I come back? Can I come back? I want my heart right again. Can I come back? I need you, God. I'm asking that you would create in me a clean heart, that you would renew a steadfast spirit." He knows only God can do this. Only God can change the nature of which you were born. Only God can create in you a clean heart and renew that right spirit. David knows that if his heart isn't right, then nothing's right. David knows if this thing with God isn't right, nothing's right. He's desperate, passionately crying out to God.

Notice what he says next in Verse 11. “So cast me not away.” Don't cast me away. Don't take your Holy Spirit from me. It says, though David is saying, “Don't give up on me, Lord. Don't reject me. Don't give up. Don't cast me away. Don't toss me aside. Don't take your Holy Spirit from me.” Now, on this side of the cross, looking back on all that God has done for us through his son, we have a deeper understanding of this. We understand. See, if you are away from God's presence, it's not because God has cast you away. It's because you chose that.

No, God is the one. It's the opposite. God is the one drawing you near. God's not going to reject. God's going to draw you near. In fact, this is so important because people, so many people have it wrong. So many people, so many have it wrong when it comes to this perspective on God. That's why I want to just-- like we're going to say this over and over until it is locked into our soul. So many people believe that they do some disastrous thing, some sin of great depth and that God looks at that and says, “I am done with you," and he cast them. I'm so offended at what you've done, right? God be gone. I have nothing to do with you. I cast you away. I reject you. I'm so offended.

They believe that God is looking for retribution in his anger. Nothing could be farther from the truth. That is the enemy wanting you right there to judge, to give up. I'm not worthy and God wants you to quit and give up. Excuse me, the enemy wants you to quit and give up, but God is the opposite. God said that he sent his Son to seek out sinners. Go find them. Go, go find them and bring them home. That is the complete opposite. God isn't rejecting. God is pursuing. That's what I'm reading.

God is pursuing. Go get them, find them. No matter how deep the sin, no matter how bad the soul, go get them and bring them home. Reconcile them to God, their father. You might say, “Well, but God is offended at sin.” You know why? Yes, he is. You know why? Because it hurts people he loves. That's why God is offended at sin because it hurts people that he loves. He loves. God so loved the world that he gave his only son. He loves, he's offended at sin, yes, because I love you and it's hurting you. It's destroying you. I want you to come and find life. I sent my Son to seek and to save that which was lost.

Now, it's important to recognize too that if you have trusted by faith Jesus for the forgiveness of sin and the promise of eternal life, that God will not take the Holy Spirit from you. You can understand this from this side of the cross. We understand that when you receive the Lord Jesus Christ, that you are sealed by the Holy Spirit. You are sealed in the courtroom of God. You are sealed and unless you got more authority to God, nothing's going to undo that. Amen.

Yes, let's give a little praise. Absolutely right. Can there be more of the Holy Spirit in your life? Can you ask for more? You've been sealed and you've been given the Spirit, but can you ask for more? Yes, absolutely you can. Ephesians 5:18 says, “Be ye filled by the Holy Spirit.” Therefore, if you can ask for more and be filled with the Spirit, then can you have less? Yes. If you don't abide, if you don't abide in that relationship, then less. You're not walking in the life of the Spirit, then less.

David is asking for more. Create in me a clean heart, renew a right spirit within me. Then verse 12, “And restore to me the joy of my salvation.” That's everything. David knows the beauty of the presence of the living God. David understands that glory is beautiful on the soul. Restore it to me, I want to rejoice again. I want the joy in my soul again and sustain me with a willing spirit. It's like saying, I want my soul restored to you, Lord. Do that which is beautiful in being again.

B. God uses restored sinners

Then lastly, we'll close with this. Would you notice that God uses restored sinners? God uses restored sinners. Do this in me, God. Create in me a clean heart. Renew a steadfast spirit. Restore to me the joy of my salvation. Wash me and I will be whitened in snow. You do this, God. Verse 13, “And then I'm going to teach transgressors your ways and sinners are going to be converted to you.” I love that part of the story. David has gone to the deepest pit of regret and sorrow over his sin, but has been restored and renewed and he's going to find the joy again of his salvation. He's going to experience again the heights of glory.

David's got something to say to sinners. I want to teach transgressors the ways of God. I want sinners to be converted to you, God. What a grand conclusion. What a grand conclusion. So many are convinced that their sin and sorrow mean that God is so ashamed, that God sets them aside. Well, I guess we're done here, aren't we? Well, I guess you're blown, and I guess that's it, huh? Set you aside? No, nothing could be farther from the truth if you have been restored, if God has created in you that joy again of your salvation, you've got something to say to sinners.

I'll tell you what, there are so many people today that have crushed their lives. There are so many broken people today. There are so many who are just buried in their sin and God says, "But you have tasted and seen how good God is." You know that God can restore. You know that God can create in you that which is beautiful. You've got something to say to those sinners, say it. God's not done. God's going to restore you to meaning and purpose and significance. He's not going to set you aside. He's going to bring you here and say, "Say it. Tell people how glorious it is to be restored. God is not done. God doesn't quit. God doesn't give up on sinners. God restores them." That's the glory of God to do that. Say it, because you know it's true, and God will give you meaning and purpose in your life.

You know how gracious God is? In this circumstance, God's grace was poured out so amazingly that the next king of Israel came from Bathsheba. Solomon was the Son of Bathsheba. That's grace. That is nothing but grace, and it makes me love the Lord even more to know that God will have that same grace on all of us. Amen. Father, we are so thankful. What can we say? Restore the joy. God, we know that what you do is beautiful on the soul. Restore the joy. Create in us a clean heart. Renew a steadfast spirit. God, that's what we want. We see now the beauty of that which you do in our lives, we need you to put your hand, intervene, otherwise, all is lost. We need you, and then, God, use us for the King, use us for the Kingdom.

There are people all over this room, God, who've got something to say, the sinners because God's done it, God's restored, God has used them. Church, if you're here today and you would say to the Lord, "God restore the joy of my salvation, create in me that heart, that heart after God. I want that heart within me, and God, I want your purpose. I want your significance. I want the meaning that comes by me being used of the King. I want to tell transgressors about the ways of God. I want to see sinners converted. God, use me for the Kingdom."

Church, is that you? Would you just raise your hand and that's your prayer, your desire that God would do that in your life? God, we're so thankful for you. Oh, thank you, Lord, for your grace, your mercy, for the greatness of your love poured out upon us. We give you glory and honor in Jesus' name and everyone said, Amen. Let's give the Lord praise.