Expert: Pastor Don Carpenter - 12/29/2007

Question
how can i restore my passion and joy in the things of God

Answer
Hi Catonya,

Thank you for this great question.  A while ago, I preached a message on this very subject.  I will paste the notes and scripture references below.  I know that it is a lot, but I think that it will help you.

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Restore the Joy of thy Salvation
Psalm 52:12
Preached Sunday Morning February 29,2004  

Introduction:

  Do you remember the joy of Godˇ¦s salvation? Do you remember when you heard the Gospel and truly understood it for the first time? The blackness of your sin and extent of your guilt before the wrath of almighty God was heavy on your soul. The weight of hopelessness almost crushed your very being. There was no worldly pleasure that could ease the pain of your life. The temporary numbness that sin would bring would only serve to drag you deeper into despair. In desperation, you turned to religion, but still the pain persisted. The more you practiced the rights and rituals, the more you became aware of your incurability carnality and eventual condemnation.

  Then one day someone shared with you the real reason Jesus died on the cross. All of the sudden you saw that Jesus purchased your redemption with his own blood! You accepted Godˇ¦s free gift by grace through faith and that tremendous burden fell off of your shoulders! You were set free! Free from guilt! Free from dread! Free to serve God with your whole heart.

  There was a smile on your face, a spring in your step and a song in your heart! This is the joy of salvation. For many Christians this is but a distant memory. Many here today dragged themselves to worship out of a sense of drudgery and duty not out of gratitude and unspeakable joy.

  What changed? God is still the same as he was when he saved you. His promise of salvation and the fact of your redemption has not changed. But you have lost the joy of your salvation.

  Today we will study an Old Testament saint who experienced the same thing. King David was known as a man after Godˇ¦s own heart. When he first found salvation by grace through faith, he wrote of the joy he experienced.

  David fell victim to his own lust and committed adultery with Bathsheba and the murdered her husband to cover his sin.
  Our passage this morning shows Davidˇ¦s repentance and the path that leads back to the joy of salvation.

I.   True salvation brings great joy


Isaiah 61:10
10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.  

Psalm 40:1-4
1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
1  I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.  2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.  3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. 4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

A.   Saved from the pit

- Condemnation
Romans 3:10,23
10 As it is written,  There is none righteous, no, not one: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.


B.   Saved from the hopelessness of works.

„»   The miry clay

Ephesians 2:1-2
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

James 2:10-11
10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.  

C.   Given a new direction

2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

1.   Set my feet upon solid rock
2.   Helped me learn to walk  

D.   Given a new song

1.   No longer a song of lamentation  and hopelessness.
2.   A song of the redeemed
3.   A song of praise that draws many to come to the faith.

„»   salt that makes people thirst for the water of life
„»   If you no longer feel like singing the songs of redemption, you have lost the joy of your salvation
„»   Those songs help preserve your joy.

Ephesians 5:18-20
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;



E.   Given a new testimony

„»   I am glad that I have trusted the Lord!

II.   Sin can rob the believer of his joy.

A.   Fleshly lusts

2 Samuel 11:1-5


And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.  2 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the kingˇ¦s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. 3 And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?  4 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.  5 And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.

1.   When we are idle.v.1
2.   When we wonder from our place v.2
3.   When we gratify the flesh v. 3-4

Psalm 106:13-17
13 They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:  14 But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.  15 And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul. 16 They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the LORD. 17 The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.

  B.  Bitterness, anger, and envy

  Ephesians 4:30-31
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

Hebrews 12:15
15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;  

James 3:13-18
13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.  16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.  17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.  18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

  C.  Lack of love

  1 John 3:18-21
18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.  
20 For if our heart condemn us,  God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

  D.  Fear of man, denial of Christ

  Matthew 26:69-75
69 Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. 70 But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. 71 And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. 72 And again he denied with an oath,  I do not know the man. 73 And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. 74 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. 75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.


III.   There is a path back to the joy of salvation.

  A.  Repentance

  Psalm 51:3-6
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.  6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

1.   Complete confession v.1

1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2.   Contrition
3.   Plead the blood
Psalm 51:7
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

„»   Hyssop was used to apply the blood on the doorposts.


  B.  Restoration

  Psalm 51:10-12
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.  11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

1.   Clean heart
2.   Right spirit
3.   Holy spirit control
4.   Joy of salvation
5.   Assurance of salvation
Romans 8:16
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

C.   Reformation

Psalm 51:13
13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
     
„»   Proclaim the good news once again!


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I hope that this is a help to you.

In Christ
Pastor Don