If you will open your Bibles
tonight to the book of Proverbs. I want to speak to us from the
words of one of these Proverbs in chapter 23 and verse 26. Proverbs
chapter 23 and verse 26. My son, give me thine heart. and let thine eyes observe my
ways. These words are not the words
of Solomon speaking to his son, but these are the words of the
Lord Jesus Christ speaking to one of his sons. My son, give me thine heart. I say this for two reasons. First of all, in the book of
Proverbs, many times it is wisdom, that is Christ, who is speaking,
and this is one of those times. If you look back to chapter 8,
Proverbs chapter 8, and here in verse several verses but just
a few verses we will notice tonight we say that the person of Christ
in verse 23 I was set up from everlasting from the beginning
or ever the earth was this is speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ
that his person now I'm not saying that his body was set up from
everlasting his body was prepared by God the Holy Spirit just over
2,000 years ago when he became incarnate but the person Christ
the mediator he was set up from everlasting from the beginning
or ever the earth was and notice down in verse 31 Proverbs 8 in
verse 31, this is wisdom speaking, this is the Lord Jesus Christ
speaking. Rejoicing in the habitable part
of his earth, and my delights were with the sons of men. The person of Christ, his delights
were always with the sons of men. That is, His seed, those
who were chosen and given unto Him in that covenant of grace. John Gill made these comments
upon that last verse, My delights were with the sons of men, He
said the word for delights is not only in the plural number.
You notice it's not delight, but delights. It's not only in
the plural number, but it's two first radical letters. Now remember,
the Hebrew alphabet had no vowels. So he said the first two radical
letters are doubled, which in the Hebrew language increases
the signification of the word. And so expresses the exceeding
great delight and pleasure which Christ took in his people from
everlasting. Remember the word here says,
my delights were with the sons of men. John Gill says this expresses
the exceeding great delight and pleasures which Christ took in
his people from everlasting. His love was then a love of the
utmost complacency and delight and continued, notwithstanding
their fallen Adam, though by nature children of wrath and
transgressors from the womb. This appears by his early engagement
as a surety for them, by his espousing their persons and their
cause, by assuming their nature in time, By suffering and dying
in their room instead, and working out salvation for them. By bearing
them on his heart in heaven, and there interceding for them.
By taking them out of a state of nature. by visiting them with
his grace and presence and by bringing them through a variety
of trials safe to his kingdom and glory. The person of Christ
was set up from everlasting and it is he here in Proverbs 8 who
confesses that his delight were with his people in the habitable
part of the earth, rejoicing always before him. Now Christ was given a people,
he was given a seed. Remember in Isaiah 53 the scripture
says he shall see his seed. He shall see his seed. The Lord
Jesus Christ in Isaiah chapter 9 is given the title of the everlasting
father. Now we know in the Godhead, there's
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But there in Isaiah
chapter 9, in verse 6, which speaks of a virgin shall conceive
and bring forth a son, and his name shall be called Wonderful
Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince
of Peace, and the government shall be upon his shoulders.
The Lord Jesus Christ, the government, Did you hear me? The government
of the world is upon his shoulders. He reigns, he rules over all. He has a seed which were given
him, a people which were given unto him. And so I say to us
tonight, first of all, in our text, my son, give me thine heart. that these are the words not
of Solomon, the king, to one of his sons, but to Christ, speaking
to his children, his sons. And I say that, number two, the
fact that they are words to Christ's sons in the new birth. Now think
about this. Christ saying, my son, give me
thy heart. In the new birth, he gives a
new heart. He gives a new heart. But here
He asks for that heart. And it shows that He is speaking
to His Son. He would never, Christ would
never ask for the heart of a lost man. The heart of a lost man
is filthy, vile, contemptible. He would never ask for the heart
of a lost man. No, this is his son that he is
speaking to, one of his sons. You and I, those of us who know
him here tonight, he's speaking to you. He's speaking to me. My son, give me thine heart. The heart that he's asking for
is not the heart of a lost person because that heart is a deceitful
heart and desperately wicked. There was a man doing some work
here at the church building recently and I was speaking with him,
talking with him, and he said, you know, I just believe if everyone
does what they believe is right in their own heart, that everyone
will be alright. And I said, well I don't agree
with you there. He said, you don't. I said, no. I said, do you know the Bible
says that man's heart is deceitful above all things and desperately
wicked. I said, that's one problem that
man has. A man's heart will deceive him. A man's heart will deceive him
into believing that everything is okay. just do the best you
can and God surely will accept it but that's not the truth now
it is to one of his sons that he is speaking who has a broken
and a contrite heart a new heart that heart he will not despise
my son give me thine heart Now as we look at this passage in
the light of the scriptural teaching about the heart, the heart being
made up of the understanding, the affections, and the will. That's the way we will think
of it. First of all, my son give me thy heart, thy understanding. Paul exhorted Timothy, who was
a preacher, But surely this applies to all of God's children. Study
to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not
to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Remember the
Apostle Peter said that in some of Paul's epistles there were
some things hard to be understood. You're not going to get the truth
of the Word of God by just casually reading over it. Just telling
yourself, well, I need to read a chapter or two chapters or
three chapters every day and you do that and now I'm finished. That's it, you know. No, I'm
talking, my son, give me the heart. Give me the understanding.
Apply yourself to the study of the Word of God. God is not going
to just bore a hole in your head and pour knowledge into it. It's
not going to work like that. It never has and it never will. My son, as a child of God, give
me your heart. Give me your understanding. Dedicate
your understanding to me. Apply yourself. Set apart time
to study the Word of God. In Philippians, the Apostle Paul
tells us of things that we should think on, and the Word of God
meets each and every one of these criterias. He said, think on
those things which are honest. Well, that's the Word of God,
isn't it? The Word of God is honest. It doesn't pull any punches. Not at all. It tells us the truth
about ourselves. It doesn't flatter us in any
way. Think on these things. The Word
of God. Those things that are honest.
Those things that are just. That are pure. Holy. That's the Word of God. Things
that are lovely. And things of a good report. Think on these things. Well,
what could meet every one of those qualifications better than
the Word of God? Nothing. Nothing. And the Word
of God is unlike any other book, isn't it? It's unlike any other
book, my friends. You say, well I've been reading
that book for a long time. I know you have. But you haven't
mastered this book. Not by any means. Not by any
means. Listen to some of the things
that the psalmist David tells us about the Word of God. He
says the word of the Lord, or the words of the Lord, are pure
words, as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Now seven times, when you put
a piece of what you believe to be silver in the furnace, and
take the impurities off, and then you let it cool down, you
put it back in the furnace. Take the impurities off. Put
it back in. The Word of God is like silver
that has been fried in the furnace seven times. Seven, of course,
in the Scripture is a number of perfection or completion.
Every Word of God is pure. That's another word we read from
David. Thy Word is very pure. Therefore
doth my servant love it. The commandment of the Lord is
pure, enlightening the eyes. And so I ask each of us here
tonight, how much time do we give to the Word of God? To reading,
to studying the Word. My son, give me the heart, give
me the understanding. Do we read good books, which
help us to grow in our understanding of the Word of God? I trust that
we do, that we have books in our homes that we have bought,
and most of the good books you can get online now. You don't
even have to buy them. They're free. Good books. That's a way to grow. Grow in
understanding. Grow in the grace and knowledge
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Give me thy heart. Give me thy
understanding. And second, My son, give me thy
affections, thy affections. It's always, turn with me to
Revelation 2, but it's always convicting to me when I read
Revelation chapter 2, the letter to the church, to Ephesus. Revelation chapter 2. And unto the angel, the messenger
of the church of Ephesus write, These things saith he that holdeth
the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst
of the seven golden candlesticks. I know thy works, and thy labor,
and thy patience. Now this is a church that labored. This is a church that had works. This is a church that exercise
patience, and the Lord said, I know thy works, and thy labor,
and thy patience. And then he gives an example
of how thou canst not bear with them that are evil. And thou
hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and
hast found them liars, and hast borne, and hast patience, and
for my name's sake hast labored, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless,
Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee. Notice, because
thou hast left thy first love. Think about that. According to
verse 2, they continue to work, they continue to labor, they
continue to exercise patience, but all without their love. And thus it was all empty. It was all in vain. In all our worship, like we are
doing here tonight, in all of our worship, all of our hymn
singing, all of our prayers, all of our preaching and teaching
the Word of God, all of our attendance upon that, without our heart,
without our affections, is like what the Apostle Paul said in
1 Corinthians 13 verse 2, a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. Now obviously there are some
that are called gods, that may be worshipped, that may be served
without the heart, without the affections, without love, but
God isn't one of those gods. Our heart must be engaged. Every so often I notice on the
news some mountain climbers over there trying to or attempting
to climb Mount Everest and usually they will have a report in the
base camp there in Tibet and you will see if you notice that
they have these prayer wheels, prayer wheels and the wheels
are blown, they're turned by the wind and supposedly they're
efficacious, they're effectual, to get Buddha's attention. You
know, why don't you just get you a recorder? I started to say a tape recorder,
but you wouldn't know what that is. Get a recorder, turn it on,
and pray! And tomorrow, just put that tape
in, play it again. Next day, just play it again.
No, our heart must be engaged. God would have our heart. My son, give me thine heart. Give me thine affections. You
know, Peter, when he was restored, we think about the Apostle Paul,
especially as the Apostle of Grace, but when you look at the
life of Peter, if you just Kind of follow his life. Oh, how we
see the grace of God. You know, one of the first occasions
that we find him, do you know what he said to the Lord Jesus
Christ? He said, depart from me. He saw that miracle of the fish,
depart from me, for I'm a sinful man. And the next time, I believe
we see him, he takes the Lord aside and begins to teach the
Lord and tell the Lord, don't be talking about going up to
Jerusalem and there being crucified and dying. And that earned him
our Lord's rebuke when he said, get behind me, Satan. And then we see him as he denied the Lord three times. After the Lord had told him he
was going to do it, and yet he was so cocked sure that he was
not going to deny the Lord, even though everyone else might. Not
him. Not him. Do you wonder why the
Lord taught us to pray, lead me not into temptation, but deliver
me from evil? Peter was led into temptation,
wasn't he? And he fell. But oh, don't we
see the grace of God when he fell, when he said the third
time, I do not know the man with oaths. The Bible says the Lord
turned. I don't know how close he was
to the Lord, but if the Lord could hear him saying he didn't
know him or not, but I know they were close enough that the Lord
turned and looked and saw Peter. And Peter went out and wept bitterly. And then on the day of our Lord's
resurrection, you know, he sent word, he told those women, go
and tell my disciples and Peter, I go before you. You see the grace of God. And
then on the banks of the Sea of Tiberias when he restored
Peter, Simon son of Jonah. Now that name Simon, our Lord
had given him another name, hadn't he? When he first called him,
made him a disciple, thou shalt be called Peter. But our Lord
called him now Simon, thou son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Three times over, as he had denied
the Lord three times. And finally Peter said, Lord
thou knowest all things. You know that I love thee. Do you know the next time we
see him? We see him standing on the day of Pentecost preaching.
And 3,000 souls were saved. God is a God of grace and mercy,
isn't he? And he would have our affections,
our love. My son, give me thine heart,
thine affections. Don't just go through the motions. Give me thine heart. Simon, lovest
thou me more than these? And then third, my son, give
me thy will. The heart, and you've heard me
say this before, but once again, in the scripture, the heart refers
to these three things. It's not talking about the organ
in our bodies that pumps the blood, but it's talking about
our understanding and our affections and our will. And again, I say
always in this order. This is the way the Lord deals
with men and saving sinners. Always in this order. The understanding. God who commanded the light to
shine out of darkness in the beginning has shined in our hearts
to give us the light of the glory of God. To see the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ. Our understandings. But now we
come to our will. My son, give me thy will. We read when our Lord was in
the Garden of Gethsemane praying, in his prayer he submitted to
God's will. He prayed, O my Father, if it
be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as
I will, but thine be done. Thy will be done. I was speaking
to someone here this morning and they explained to me something
that they had desired so much. They desired to be able to do
something but it just wasn't going to happen. It just was
an impossibility. But this person told me, I'm
reconciled to it. I'm reconciled. My will is submitted
to God's will. And the testimony was, what peace,
what peace I have. And I would say that's always
the case. When we willingly submit our
will to His will, not my will, but Thy will be done. When we
are enabled by God's grace to pray that from our heart, Not
my will, but thy will be done. There's a peace. There's a peace
that comes. A peace that passeth all understanding. Look with me at one other place
in Acts chapter 21. Acts chapter 21 and beginning
with verse 10. Luke writes, And as we tarried
there many days, there came down from Judea a certain prophet
named Agabus. And when he was come unto us,
he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said,
Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind
the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the
hands of the Gentiles. And when we heard these things,
both we and they of that place besought him. We begged Paul,
don't go up to Jerusalem. Don't go up to Jerusalem. You
see, the prophecy here, the man who owns this girdle, he's going
to be bound in Jerusalem. We besought him not to go to
Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, what mean
you to break mine heart? For I am ready not to be bound
only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
And when he would not be persuaded, we cease saying, the will of
the Lord be done. And that's usually the way all
of us are. After we've tried our way and our will and desired
it, and God's not going to give us that, and in the end we say,
well, the will of God be done. God's will be done. Why not from
the very beginning say, not my will, but thy will be done. Full surrender. My son, give
me thine heart. Paul was warned, but he wasn't
moved. If you look back to chapter 20
of Acts and verse 22, He said, But behold, now I go
bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall
befall me there, save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every
city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things
move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself. so that I might
finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received
of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God."
When Paul was saved, it was revealed unto him that he would bear our
Lord's name before kings and rulers, both Jews and Gentiles. And he was surrendered to God's
will. And I trust and pray that all
of us are tonight. Let this be as personal to you,
if you are a child of God, as though Christ were here in my
stead, in my place, and he spoke to you tonight, and he said,
my son, my daughter, give me thy heart. Give me your understanding. Give me your affections. Give
me your will. I pray that the Lord would bless
these words to all of us here tonight.