Broken and Contrite Heart

The point: Ask what, if anything, the Lord requires of us at Christmas.

The gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh brought by the Magi are used as an example of external offerings, prompting the question of what acceptable gift we can bring to God.

What can I bring to Him that will be an acceptable offering unto Him? Wise men, the magi, those men about whom we know so little except for what the Scripture tells us, they brought gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. Should we do the same? Would this be acceptable to our Lord?

2:06 - 2:25 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon delves into the strong Hebrew words used for 'broken spirit' (shattered, dashed to pieces) and 'contrite heart' (bruised, pressed out), explaining that these refer to…

The breaking of a heavy yoke from one's neck illustrates the strong word 'broken' used for 'spirit,' conveying a sense of being freed from a burden.

Now, it's interesting that the word David used for a broken spirit is a very strong word. It's a word that literally translated means to break to shivers, to dash into pieces. It's the word God used when he spoke to his people in Leviticus 26, 13 and telling them of his deliverance from Egypt on their behalf, he said, I have broken the bars of thy yoke. Here's the picture of someone yoked with a heavy yoke and on that yoke a heavy burden and God says, I broke that yoke from off your neck.

10:45 - 11:17 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon delves into the strong Hebrew words used for 'broken spirit' (shattered, dashed to pieces) and 'contrite heart' (bruised, pressed out), explaining that these refer to…

The image of ships dashed into disjointed pieces on reefs illustrates the intensity of the word 'broken' for 'spirit,' signifying complete shattering.

That's the word used here. It's the word used in 1 Kings 22, 48 where it speaks of ships that were broken at a certain place. You've all seen pictures of ships that have run aground on reefs and then have been dashed into nothing but a disjointed collection of boards and wood. That's the word he uses.

11:17 - 11:38 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon delves into the strong Hebrew words used for 'broken spirit' (shattered, dashed to pieces) and 'contrite heart' (bruised, pressed out), explaining that these refer to…

Someone snapping a bow until it's splinters illustrates the strong word 'broken,' emphasizing utter destruction.

Here, a broken spirit. It's the word used in Psalm 3, 7. Thou hast broken the teeth of the wicked. In Psalm 37, 15 where it says that God shall break the bows of his enemies.

11:38 - 11:52 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin explains that 'despise' in this context means to regard lightly or with indifference, assuring listeners that God will not treat a broken and contrite heart as worthless…

Esau despising his birthright by trading it for pottage illustrates that 'despise' means to regard lightly or with indifference, not necessarily with hatred.

It says that Esau despised his birthright. He didn't turn and say oh that birthright I hate it. He just said birthright smirthright. I'm hungry.

14:26 - 14:35 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin explains that 'despise' in this context means to regard lightly or with indifference, assuring listeners that God will not treat a broken and contrite heart as worthless…

David's sin with Bathsheba is used to illustrate that he 'despised' God by regarding His claims as unworthy of consideration, not by actively hating Him.

Birthright. God when he indicted David through the prophet Nathan said thou hast despised me in doing what you did. Well when David committed his sin he didn't stand upon that rooftop and clench his fist and cry out in a venomous declaration of hatred to God and his law. No at that point he simply regarded God his claims and his law as unworthy of his consideration and the only thing that matters was the gratification of his appetite.

14:47 - 15:15 Read in full sermon

The point: Hear and appropriate the message of this passage to draw nigh to God in the pathway of brokenness and contrition.

The story of Nathan confronting David is used to show that God's mercy would not be conferred until David's heart was broken, and Nathan was the instrument to achieve this.

And he sees our inseparable David could sing as any of us could sing could my tears forever flow could my zeal could not atone but he knew that that saving work of God was never realized by a broken spirit. Brokenness and contrition were no substitute for grace and mercy. They were no addition to the provisions of grace and mercy but all to them. That's why God had to send Nathan because David being a child of God was still the object of God's delight as his child. Now he had come under his fatherly frown because of his sin and he was a candidate for discipline but he loved him with an everlas...

18:39 - 19:44 Read in full sermon

The point: If not savingly joined to Christ, cry to God to open your eyes to see your sin and bring you to grief over it.

Matthew Henry's observation that an Old Testament sacrifice was bound, bled, and burnt is used as an analogy for the sinner being bound by conviction, bled with contrition, and burnt with zeal against sin.

Matthew Henry has a very quaint observation on this very passage and embodying this principle he said when a man brought a sacrifice in the Old Testament that sacrifice was first bound and then it was bled and then it was burnt it was bound then it was bled then it was burnt and so he says the sinner offering this acceptable sacrifice is first bound by conviction bled with contrition and then burnt with zeal against his sin and for the glory of God. Now an interesting analogy here is that that sacrifice of a broken heart must have an altar upon which to be offered if it's going to be acceptabl...

23:36 - 25:04 Read in full sermon

The point: If not savingly joined to Christ, cry to God to open your eyes to see your sin and bring you to grief over it.

The act of 'slapping a little of the salve of self-absolution upon my conscience' is used to describe superficial confession without true brokenness.

in a contrite heart as an acceptable sacrifice unto God but beloved we must offer that sacrifice if you're here tonight and not savingly joined to Christ mark it down and you'll be if you do not know something of some true grief over your sinfulness you're in a terrible terrible state and the best thing you can do is begin to cry to God that he'd somehow open your eyes to see your sin a little bit as he says if you're a child of God and have been in a cursed habit that I so often fall into of just coming into the presence of God with my conscience smarting about this thing or that thing and qu...

25:04 - 26:34 Read in full sermon

The point: Ensure your worship is biblically instructed, not just going through motions, but offering the worship of a prepared heart.

The 'computerized concept of conversion' is used to describe a superficial understanding of salvation that bypasses the heart and spirit, focusing only on record books.

all the ceremony I'm tired I'm sick and deaf of the whole business that's just a paraphrase of the first chapter of Isaiah now how did David know how did David know that God wanted something more than just the offering of an animal well you see David's approach to God in worship even in confession was governed by the principles of divine revelation he was fairly enough acquainted with the scriptures to know in answer to the question what shall I give God he said certainly he wants something more than just one of the sheep out of my backyard he wants a broken heart now you see how practical thi...

32:28 - 33:57 Read in full sermon