Title: Cleanliness is Next to Godliness Summary: In order to approach God, we need to do so with a clean heart, hands, and intentions. God hides himself from an impure heart. The only way to be clean before God is initially through faith and baptism, and continually through confession and repentance. Purpose: To motivate the hearers to evaluate their sincerity to holy God, and they way they treat others when they come to God in prayer. Text: Psalm 24 Intro: 1. A newly promoted Colnel new office during Gulf war a. Saw private with toolbox coming his direction b. Wanted to appear important, picked up phone and began to talk c. Yes General Swatzkoff, thanks for consulting me Norm, let’s do lunch d. What can I do for you private? I’m here to hook up the phone. 2. We may not have access to important people, but have access to God a. Normally, when approaching important people, some preparation b. Is there any preparation for approaching God? 3. Proverb: Cleanliness is next to Godliness a. This is not in the Bible, but the idea is b. Psalm 24 - Who can approach God? I. Those with a pure heart A. Undivided devotion to God 1. Greatest command to love God 2. True love comes from pure heart 3. Blessed are pure in heart - they shall see God B. There is a problem when come to God with impure heart 1. (Matt 6:5-6) a. Jesus calls an impure heart hypocrisy b. A hypocrite is an actor 2. (Matt 23:27-28) a. Jesus describes what hypocrisy is like to God b. Hypocrisy is putting on a mask c. It is only surface devotion 3. (Mal 1:6-10) - An example of hypocrisy 4. Root of the problem - Insincerity a. Don’t want to downplay the importance of sincerity b. An insincere heart will bring God leftovers c. An insincere heart puts on an act C. Darrell and his bet to get Allison to go on date with him 1. Wooed her with flowers, gifts, etc. 2. Finally got her to go on date 3. She found out about the bet through a freind 4. What do you think her reation was? All those things were fake D. God is repulsed by an insincere, hypocritical heart 1. If Allison was repulsed, how much more would God be 2. Need to de-compartmentalize God a. Compartmentalizing life, not bad b. But not compartmentalize God c. He needs to be in every compartment 3. Make his will your will II. Those with clean hands A. Where do dirty hands come from? B. (Isa 19:1-3) - Defiled hands comes from mistreating others 1. Notice the effect dirty hands have on God a. (Micah 3:1-4) - Says essentially the same thing b. But wait, we don’t kill, oppress etc. c. So it can’t be that bad right? 2. (2 Tim 2:8) - Holy hands without wrath or disension a. What are holy hands? b. Holy hands are hands of peace, grace, love c. If raise wrathful hands to God, would he be pleased? d. But this passage doesn’t say anything about prayer 3. (1 Pet 3:7) - What hinders your prayers? a. If you mistreat others, Bible shows prayers hindered b. Can hack up a person with gossip or meaness 4. Need to understand what we are a. In the church, we fellow heirs, brethren b. 1 Tim 5:1-2 - We to treat each other as family C. A lady baptized in Russia 1. Single with no family 2. Came out of water, hugging and saying - you are my brother 3. Mt 12:50 - Jesus said he who does will of God is family D. Need to understand that we are all family 1. Rom 12:17 - Outdo one another in showing honor 2. No gossip, wrath, dissenssion, leaving, pulling away 3. In commitment to God, we commited to each other 4. Support each other III. Thos with clean lips (do not life soul up to falsehood - honest) A. Sometimes that means being honest with ourselves 1. Matt 23:26 - Have to acknowledge what is inside 2. Does no good to try and hide from God (ask Jonah) B. What do I do? I know my righteousness is a filthy rags C. For those who are not converted 1. (Heb 9:13-14) - We cannot make ourselves clean 2. Only Christ can cleanse us inside a. Washing of rebirth - Tit 3:5 b. Renewal by the Holy Spirit 3. ILL: Like carpet I had in College a. Had foot odor smell from roomate b. Carpet freshner covered it up temporarily c. I needed it removed d. Only blood of Christ removed filth D. For those who are converted 1. Luk 18:11ff a. The one who didn’t ask for anything not justified b. The one who humbly asked for mercy received it 2. Need to confess and acknowledge sin 3. (1 Jno 1:9) - He will forgive if we confess Concl: 1. Cleanliness is next to Godliness - How true a. Clean heart, clean hands, clean lips b. Finally - He who has not sworn deceitfully - clean intentions c. Do you intend to do something about this? 2. If you are unclean, what do you need to do? a. Repentance and Baptism b. Repentance and Confession 3. If you come in humility, God wont turn you away - He will cleanse you Questions for Small Group Study