Proverbs 17, 20, he that hath
a froward heart findeth no good. And he that hath a perverse tongue
falleth into mischief. First of all, these two go together.
These are not describing two different types of people. This
is everybody by nature. Scriptures are very clear on
that. We are all born with a froward Heart which means habitually
disposed to disobedience and opposition Anybody who's had
children can testify to this we are born with a nature that
is habitually disobedient and and in opposition to that which
is good, we have a heart problem by nature. Our nature is disobedient to
God. Being disobedient to parents
is to be disobedient to God, to God's established authority
in the home. God establishes authority in
this world. He establishes authority in the
home. He establishes authority in his
church. and we are disobedient by nature. Romans 8, 7 says, because the
carnal mind is enmity against God, enmity, hatred, opposition. And here's the thing, because
the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to
the law of God. The carnal mind, which is just
who we are, the way we think, by nature, is enmity against
God. It is not subject, that is, it
is not submissive to the law of God. And don't miss
this last very important part. Neither indeed can be. People change. No, they don't.
Not with regard to what matters. Neither indeed can be. Your old heart cannot obey God. the heart you're born with by
nature. A froward heart is always a froward
heart. You are incapable of submitting
to God by nature. And I wanna remind us this morning
why we use that phrase by nature a lot. And I want us to understand
what we mean by it, to remember. Turn with me to Ephesians chapter
two. by nature, we cannot submit to
God, we cannot bow, we cannot, we have a habitually disobedient heart of opposition against God. And that explains our disobedience
in every other way. We're not submissive to God's
authority in any of its manifestations in this world. but primarily
and most important, spiritually, we say in our heart, no God. Ephesians 2.3, among whom, among
the wretched, vile, sinful people of the world, we also, also we
all, had our conversation, our conduct, we were in with them,
in times past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires
of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children
of wrath, even as others." By nature, we are subject to God's
wrath. Now, notwithstanding that we
understand that all of God's sheep have always been God's
sheep, God loves us with an everlasting love without beginning or end,
his people, his elect, but by nature, it's describing us by
nature, what we are when we come into this world, we are subject to God's wrath.
So when we say by nature, we're talking about our condition as
we're born into this world, dead in trespasses and sins, enmity
against God, and can't be anything else. It's that simple, it's
not that complicated. And as our text says, in that
condition, as we are born and live in this world, we can't
find any good. There used to be a bumper sticker
that said, I found it. You all might have seen that
if you're old enough. I found it. Well, I don't know what it
is, but if it's something good, you didn't find it. Not without the grace of God,
you didn't. The only good thing, think about
what in this world is good. I'm talking about inherently is good in its nature, in everything. It really is a short list, isn't
it? You say, well, it's good to be
blessed with the things of this world. Not to people that don't
know God, it's not. It's just gonna take them further
from God. They're just gonna be distracted. by those things
and think that's good when it's not good. What is good in this world? Well, you're gonna be on shaky ground
if you say anything but Christ. You think about that. You say
anything in answer to that question but Christ and you're on shaky
ground. And this is the simple, clear
message of our text. You're not gonna find him. He's gonna have to find you first. In our depraved condition in
which we are born, we will never find God. We are, our Lord said
in his word, as sheep going astray. Turn with me to, I think it's
2nd Peter, let's see, 2nd Peter chapter two. Verse 24. No, it must be 1st
Peter. 1st Peter 2.24. who his own self bear our sins
in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sin should live
unto righteousness by whose stripes you were healed. What a wonderful
condition to be in. We're dead, not in sins anymore,
but to sins and alive under God and we live unto righteousness.
We were healed of our natural condition of not being able to
find any good, we live unto righteousness now. We were healed of that,
how? By the stripes of our Lord Jesus
Christ, by his victory on the cross, by the shedding of his
precious blood for our sins. And look, for you were as sheep
going astray. but are now returned. It doesn't say you returned. You
are returned unto the shepherd and bishop of your souls. By nature, we
can't find any good. We can't find the Lord. We can't
find the Savior. If we could, we wouldn't. We
can't stand him by nature. No, we just can't. We were as
sheep going astray. That says a lot about us, don't
it? What is it about sheep going
astray? Look at Luke chapter 15, verse
one. What is the thing about sheep when they've gone astray? Verse one of Luke 15, then drew
near unto him, the Lord, all the publicans and sinners for
to hear him, and the Pharisees and scribes murmured. The publicans
and sinners drew near to hear him. But that's not why the Pharisees
were there. What have you come here for this
morning? What have I? And they murmured, saying, this
man receiveth sinners and eateth with them. And he spake this parable unto
them, saying, what man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he
lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness
and go after that which is lost until he find it? And when he
hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. Now,
why in the world would that shepherd go after that one sheep? Leave
the others in the wilderness and go after that one sheep?
Two simple reasons. He loves it. It's valuable to
him. He's the shepherd. He's not a
hireling, you see. He's the shepherd and he wants
that sheep back. What other reason? What's the
second reason? Because he knows sheep. He's a shepherd. That's what
he does. He knows sheep and he knows that
sheep's a goner unless he goes and gets it. That's how we're
described by nature. We're not coming back. We're
not gonna find any good. What's that wandering sheep gonna
find out there? No good. He not gonna find any
protection out there. He's not gonna find any of that
green pasture that was planted for him out there. Nope, he's not gonna find any
good out there. The shepherd goes after that
lost sheep, and that's why. Because it's worth it to him. And because you're not ever gonna
come to Christ on your own. No man can come to me except
the father which hath sent me, draw him. Always remember when you hear
that verse, it's an oft quoted verse for this very good reason
to show that we're helpless by nature. A man with a forward heart's
not gonna find any good. But also this, where does the
father draw the sheep to? Me, Christ said, me, me. Not religion, me. And then the latter part of our
text, perverse lips, they are the product of a froward heart.
They go together, as we said. Having perverse lips, let me
say this, is not a matter of just saying bad words, what we
call cuss words. You might say that about somebody,
you know, that's always just a trash mouth, you know. That's not what this is talking
about, and it's important to understand that. Turn with me
to Matthew chapter 15. Verse 15, Matthew 15, 15. Then answered Peter and said
unto the Lord, declare unto us this parable. And Jesus said,
are you also yet without understanding? Do not you yet understand that
whatsoever entereth in at the mouth. They were talking about
eating unclean things and becoming unclean because of what you eat.
That was the Pharisees, one of their laws that they adhered
to. But it's not about that, the
Lord said. What whatsoever entereth in at
the mouth goeth into the belly and is cast out into the drought.
But those things which proceed out of the mouth, that's the
problem. It's not what goes in your mouth
that defiles you. This is a key, basic gospel truth
that this religious world does not know. We are not defiled by things. We are the defiled thing. That which comes out of your
mouth, where'd that come from? That came from the heart. And
that's where the defilement is. You see how that has to do with
our text. They go together, a defiled heart
and perverse lips. Now, what is it that comes out
of the lips? Is it just, you know, swear words
and things like that? Well, You know, that can be an
indicator of somebody that's not a real savory character,
it can be. But look at verse 19. For out
of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications,
thefts, false witness. Here's the one that comes out
of the mouth, blasphemies. It's to say something false about
God. That's the problem. People think that what defiles
people is cussing and swearing and being in the wrong crowd. Nothing
outside of you can defile you. Even, you know, you say, well,
if you drink enough, you know, that'll defile, no, that's just
gonna make you spew out what's already in you. We might get a little bit better
glimpse of how defiled you are if you put enough alcohol in
your mouth, but that's not what defiles you. blasphemies, false witness, lying
about God and saying falsehoods, wrong things about God. That's
our problem. That's what Satan did. That's
the first thing. That's the first time sin entered
into paradise was a blasphemy. Well, we're out of time, but
what solves all of this? You know what solves all of this?
A new heart. A brand spanking new one. Your
old one's not gonna get any better. Your old one can't find any good.
You're not ever gonna find God as you are in this world. God's
gonna have to do something for you. That's why we don't preach
to try to get sinners to do something for God. What are you gonna do
for God? You need God to do something
for you. And so pray with me always to
that end, that God would do something for us. We never stop needing
him to do something for us. I need this morning for God to
do something for me. God must give you a new heart,
a new nature, The natural heart hates God. The new heart loves God. Peter,
do you love me? Lovest thou me? Yea, Lord. You know all things. You know
that I love you. Now it wasn't Peter's love for the
Lord that restored him, was it? Peter showed his true colors
in denying the Lord. That's how great our love is.
But bless God, we love him because he first loved us and it was
the Lord's love for Simon that restored Simon. The old heart rebels against
God. You know what the new heart does? You remember Saul of Tarsus? He went from persecuting the
Lord in every way, every bit of authority he had, he used
to persecute the Son of God. And the Lord Jesus confronted
him about it, didn't he? Why persecutest thou me? If you
persecute my people, you have a personal problem with me. But
he went from that to what? Lord, what would you have me
do? The new heart serves God. We read while ago how that the,
out of the old heart proceeds false witness and blasphemies.
You know what comes out of the new heart? Confessing the Lord Jesus Christ,
Romans 10, nine and 10. And confession is made unto salvation. I was going to have you turn
to Ezekiel 36, 22. Let's do it. We'll run a little
over, but not too bad. Ezekiel 36, 22. Therefore saying to the house
of Israel, thus saith the Lord God, I do not this for your sakes,
O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which you have
profaned among the heathen, whether you will." What was coming out
of their mouth? They profaned God, the people
of God. in an earthly sense, profaned
God among the heathen. Verse 23, and I will sanctify
my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which you
have profaned in the midst of them. And the heathen shall know
that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified
in you before their eyes. for I will take you from among
the heathen and gather you out of all countries and will bring
you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water
upon you. Now this is spiritual language,
of course. And you shall be clean from all
your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you. How are they gonna be clean?
How are they gonna stop profaning God among the heathen? How are
they gonna be, how is God gonna be sanctified in them in such
a way that the heathen, they don't hear us profaning God anymore.
They hear us praising God and telling of his greatness. A new
heart also will I give you. And a new spirit will I put within
you and I will take away the stony, the rebellious, the hard,
stiff necked heart out of your flesh and I'll give you a heart
of flesh. I'll give you a real heart. Not
flesh in the sense of fleshly lusts, but a real heart that's
not a stone of rebellion against God. Verse 27, and I will put
my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and
you shall keep my commandments and do them. A new heart. By nature, our heart is incapable
of finding any good. And what comes out of our mouth,
evidence is that, that we have found no good. But when God gives
a new heart, something else comes out. Praise unto our God. Not unto
us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory. Bye.