A Clean Heart Part 1

This pickup a lot of dust in the race of life just clogs wars of our soul. We need to come to Christ for cleansing every day. Today, from the upper room will begin to learn what that process is all about why believer it's not optional from church in Chicago. This is going to win with Dr. Sir, whose clear teaching make it across the finish line after Luther you're taking us into John's Gospel 12 lessons on what happens when Jesus has your so what's our focus today. Dave, you know, one of the remarkable things about Jesus is that he surprises us, and perhaps as I emphasize last time when the disciples were gathered together it is he who takes the towel, and the basin and washes their feet and after that of course he has some wonderful words for them words of warning, but also words of encouragement and comfort is one of the most tender passages in all the Bible.

Now, at the end of this broadcast.

I'm going to be giving you information as to how you can get a copy of the book I've written, entitled the church in Babylon because indeed today, it is difficult for us to have a clean heart and a very dirty world.

But what should we be doing about it for now. Stay tuned want you to begin today by taking a deeper look into your heart and you tell me in silence.

Of course what it is that you really see no doubt you see some good, but you also see if you're honest, a lot of ugly thing. That's why not a one of us would like to have our thoughts made public. Running them across the screen for everyone to see.

The fact is that because we are sinners, and the more holy, we understand God to be. Sometimes the more overwhelmed even we are with the small things in our life in comparison to the holiness of God way back in 1986 there was a fire in this church and we discovered something about so it in about so much. It goes everywhere where the error goes and we found it in the most unlikely places. Even to this day in my study, there are some books if they haven't been opened for about 15 years and many of them have an end. You would find within them sometimes are along the covers some smudge from that fire so many years ago. I want you to know that when Adam and Eve sinned at the smudge of sin settled on human heart and we've all experienced that sense of guilt that sense of recognition that we are alienated from God that sense of conviction that we have broken his laws. The sin that resides there in places where no detergent is able to reach it. As a matter fact we live in a time when there are many people who believe in new age religion. Strictly speaking, New Age religion says that there is no sand. Therefore, since there is no personal God.

You do not need forgiveness I you can sort of forgive yourself.

But that's all you need.

The problem is that the smudge of sin goes down so deeply that we desperately want to hear a word from God because we know intuitively. We have violated his laws, remember the words of Nietzsche regarding God.

We have killed him. But now who will wipe the blood from our hands.

We want someone to wipe the blood from our hands. But if God is dead. If God is impersonal. There is no one to look us in the eye and say to us with authority, you are forgiven. Remember Macbeth, was it not Lady Macbeth who said a little water reads this of this deed. After she had killed the king Duncan, then the blood was on her hand a little water and her hand shall be clean, but as she begins in that soliloquy nine only paraphrasing it. Recall that she ends up saying, rather than the oceans being able to clean my hand, my hand will make the oceans Bilotti and there is no detergent to make those hands clean today if the truth were known, as you sit out here in the congregation or you listen by radio. The fact is I'm speaking to some people at least have done some very terrible thing and you are afraid that if what you did it ever became known, or if the truth ever leaked out, it would be a very sad day for you, perhaps even criminal things.

Things that cannot be repaired. Things that are so serious that other lives have been affected and they have been messed up. And if the truth were known, you would find this great heaviness upon you because you've done some things that are very, very awful well today I'm here to give you a message of hope in the messages that he who washed the disciples feet is the one who can also wash our hearts and that's the message of John chapter 13 and I encourage you to turn to it as we begun this exposition of what is sometimes called the upper room discourse. Last time we talked about the humility of Christ in being able to wash the disciples feet and in doing so, and today we get to the real meat of the idea of what was involved in the washing. John 13 on picking it up at verse five then he poured water into the basin and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded.

So he came to Simon Peter.

He said to them, Lord you wash my feet Jesus answered and said to him what I do, you do not realize now, but you'll understand later, Peter said to him, never will you wash my feet are just so glad that Jesus didn't agree with Peter and the corrected him. If I do not wash you, you have no part with me.

Simon Peter said to him, Lord, not my feet only but also my hands in my head. Jesus said to him, he who is bathing needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean and your claim.

Not all of you.

Ouch. Not all of you that I pause here and say that I speak to a group of people I congregation here at the Moody church and it can be said that there of us, as it was said in the disciples, and you are clean, but not all of you are some of you here have never trusted Christ as Savior you've never believed on him, and you're not clean. Now let's look at this text and find out what's going on what's happening here in the story. Obviously there's some symbolism what I'm doing now. You will not understand now what you'll do afterwards if I don't wash your feet, you have no part with me. How do we interpret the text. What were going to interpret it today by answering the five questions and the text will answer the story will answer the five questions that were going to ask it today about cleansing and the cleansing of our hearts. The first question is simply this, who needs to be cleansed. Who needs to be cleansed and the answer of course is everyone knows if you have never trusted Christ, you need to be cleansed, as well as those of us who have trusted him and we have had, as we shall see the bath of regeneration. We need to needed to be cleansed because the world is a very dirty place spiritually speaking, and our hearts are dirty and we constantly need to make sure that our hearts are cleansed by God, as we shall say who needs to be cleansed.

Everyone now when Jesus said, he who is been David does not need except to wash his feet.

What's the symbolism that Jesus is speaking about here is talking about two different kinds of bad. There is the bath of regeneration.

That's when you become a Christian.

That's when you accept Christ as Savior and you have the assurance that your name is written in the Lamb's book of life that is the bath that all of us need in order to get into heaven but then Jesus speaks of another kind of washing it is the washing of the feet. He says that after you've had a bath.

If you're walking along the dusty path.

If you had a bath before you leave home and you arrive. Now all that you need is to have your feet washed and Jesus said that if you have your feet washed, then you are in full fellowship with me because even though you had the bath of regeneration use in, and that sin has to continually be confessed so that we are reconciled. I need to put in a parenthesis here. You don't become a Christian. By having her feet washed by confessing your sins, you become a Christian. By having that bath of regeneration. All of us have met people who do not have baths but they do keep their hands washed and after we meet them. We remember them very well and we remember that we have met them you member Martin Luther.

He is to confess his sins. After six hours a day raise small insignificant sin was confessed and he was still not born again of the spirit he still did not have the bath of regeneration. So when Jesus is saying is all of us need his cleansing. Some of you listening need that bath. That is to say you need to accept Christ as Savior. Many of you who know Christ as Savior. The smudge of the world, and the smudge of your heart has built up and you need to be cleansed so that you might be back in fellowship with him first question who needs to be cleansed. The answer is everyone. Second question, how are we clans, how are we clans will how was Peter cleansed. At first he says you shall never wash my feet and Jesus said if I do not wash you, you have no part with me and Peter responds by saying not only my feet but my hands and my head.

Heather was he saying give me a whole bath because Peter loved Jesus very very dearly. So how did he receive cleansing of the answer is that he agreed with Christ. He came to agreement and that's what cleansing is all about the cleansing of the heart when it says in first John 19 if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from every single individual unrighteousness that word confess means when we speak of the same thing as God, like, get out, to say the same thing as God. So when we confess our sins, what do we do, we agree with God that we have sin garner all the rationalizations going over all the excuses gone is all the secrecy as to what we are doing, where we hide the sin like a morsel under our tongues. It says in the book of Proverbs we cease doing that and we open and expose our lives to God, and we say, I have sinned. I agree with you I speak the same word as God that the first thing we have to agree with but there's a second thing that we have to agree with that is that Jesus Christ is capable of cleansing us from every individual in equity you have many people, particularly if they have sinned greatly. They committed some sins that pollute their consciences sins that hurt other people, possibly because of addictions or whatever and they come to the point where they say yes, I have sinned, and I realize my sin, but there is no relief from the nagging guilt and from the harangue of conscience and from the siren that is within their soul constantly reminding them of their failures and their sins and they can get no relief.

Why because they're willing to admit their sin that they do not see the wonder and the completeness of Jesus Christ death on the cross and that yes it does include that sin.

My friend yes that's one member told you before how that Billy Graham was being interviewed in Toronto by Peter Burton, the well-known Canadian atheist. The peer said to him, are you telling me that if Hitler accepted Christ on his deathbed he could go to heaven.

Where is good saying taxpayers who don't accept Christ. Go to hell and you member what the answer is, regardless of how Billy answered it.

Here's the answer. The answer is yes, I know that that's hard to say particularly when you think of the crimes that were committed but I'll tell you why.

The answer is yes.

Listen to me very, very carefully. God says I think so much of what Jesus Christ did when he died on the cross that I can even forgive a murderer if he trusts in me but I cannot forgive a good decent citizen who refuses to trust me. So I say to you today that the answer to your dilemma. If you cannot find forgiveness and if you say I've sinned greatly, but there is no relief from this nagging conscience is to see the wonder and the beauty of what Jesus did and it's completeness my friend or you for that sin. Yes, that one is that wonderful that we have such a gospel to preach now if you don't know that. And if you don't know how to handle the devil.

I taught a Sunday school class a few Sundays ago, and I discovered that there were people in that Sunday school class who did not know these verses let me quote them to you and then I'll tell you what I told them who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect is God that justify who is he that condemns it is Christ that died in a rather that is risen again, it is even on the right hand of the throne of God also maketh intercession for us. And so you can save big on Satan, for it is written, I discovered that there were some Christians who'd been saved for years who didn't know those verses and I told him quite candidly.

If you don't memorize verses like that the devil will have you for lunch you'll have you for lunch and you will not know how to handle his accusations long after you've been forgiven, then memories will be able to destroy you. They will overwhelm you. The sense of regret will wash over your soul again and again and you'll because in a trap. Not knowing how to respond and probably will respond simply by confessing your sin again and again and again and again and there will be no relief because the accuser of the brethren accuses us during the day and during the night, you must you must know the word and stand on it.

Who needs to be cleansed. Everyone how are we clans by agreeing with God that we sinned, and that Jesus is adequate you say where's that verse that you quoted those verses is that what you want to know there's some of you here who don't know those verses. That's overwhelming to me there found in the eighth chapter of Romans.

Don't look now but memorize them when you get home you do that please number three third question, what is the purpose of cleansing.

Let's look at the text again the story as it is here, Jesus said in verse eight. If I do not wash you, you have no part with me.

Ouch. You are not going to be a part of me to be joined to me if Jesus doesn't do the washing you will die with that polluted conscience.

What does that mean it means first of all that an inheritance Jesus is saying if I don't wash you, you don't have an inheritance with me or not going to be a part of my kingdom you're not going to sit with me on my throne, as I overcame and sat with my father on his throne. You do not receive the blessings and the promises that are given to the people of God. That's the first answer to the question of what is the purpose of cleansing the second obviously is fellowship, fellowship, yes, even though we have had the bath even though we belong to Jesus Christ and the been regenerated that we needed to be in agreement with God morally and spiritually so that we can enjoy the Lord. Remember, he says. I stand at the door and knocked.

If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and were going to dine together were going to eat together were going to have fellowship together and notice this, we will dine together. He with me and I with him.

Jesus enjoys the fellowship to and sin Mars that sin puts us in a position where the fellowship and the radiance of Jesus Christ in our lives is caught off received a letter this week from someone who wrote to me about the doctrine of assurance he cannot find assurance of salvation.

And that's remarkable to me and I say this a facetiously, of course, even after reading my book on assurance he still doesn't have assurance of salvation exactly how that's possible is a little puzzling to me but nevertheless, so I read the first part of the letter and thought well, what he needs is another exposition of the great doctrine of assurance. I read the last part of the letter and he said that he is in love with a divorced woman whom he feels he cannot marry because Jesus is opposed to divorce. So rather than being married. They are living together in fornication. All that's an interesting that's an interesting juxtaposition of stories he lacks assurance. I wonder why hello are you doing there friend and you put it together. The simple fact is what sin does is even if we are believers and I don't know whether he is or not. I don't know whether or not he had the bad generation, but as as sinners who come to God and had received his forgiveness and we belong to God and we are saved, as the New Testament speaks about if we live in sin fellowship with God is cut off a cloud develops and we can't come to the table of fellowship with dirty hands were dirty feet, and so the purpose of cleansing is that we might be in fellowship that we might enjoy God because the Scripture says we have that remarkable opportunity to be filled to the fullness of God. Will this is Pastor Luther, how do we experience the fullness of God in a culture that is contaminated. This is the last week. We are making a resource available to you titled the church in Babylon, for example, one of the chapters has to do with finding God in enemy territory, keeping the faith in a hostile work environment. It speaks to the issues that people are facing today. As we look around us. There's so much to discourage us and God says we must be faithful. We must experience his fullness. When everything seems to be working against us now for a gift of any amount.

This book can be yours. Here is what you do go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com and I'm going to be giving you that info again or if you prefer you can call us at 1-888-218-9337 thanks in advance for helping us because together we are making a difference for the glory of God go to RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 ask for the book the church in Babylon.

How do we navigate the cultural waters in such a way that Jesus is glorified in the midst of all that is taking place around us. It's time again for another chance for you to ask Master Luzerne a question about the Bible or the Christian life sometimes we get questions about what clothing styles are appropriate today. The question is about wearing no clothing at all. Cindy from New York asks, I need some direction for a matter with my nephew.

He does not think social news is him is a sin, he claims. Genesis 225 confirms his reasoning. I think this social nudism hobby makes him feel more accepted.

He is commented on how well the people in this group treat him compared to other people in his life. What do you think well it is true, of course, that before sin entered into the garden of Eden. You know that Adam and Eve. The Bible says were naked and they were not ashamed.

But when sin entered into the world.

It is interesting that then Adam and Eve. The Bible says they clothe themselves. They had fig leaves. Indeed, God gave them fig leaves God sewed fig leaves because now there's going to be a certain amount of shame when clothes are taken off and as a result they wanted to cover themselves. This is the most normal response that we have in society, to want to be covered when we are in the presence of others. Of course in marriage because they become one flesh. That is something entirely different. Now here's the point. Those who engage in social nudism.

They want to go back to Eden. But you can't go back to Eden. As a matter fact God didn't even allow Adam and Eve to go back to Eden because Paradise has been lost and what they want to re-create is that Paradise and as long as everyone in a certain colony wears no close as somehow they are able then to set aside their shame, but the bottom line is this, that in the rest of the Bible.

There are warnings about those who have absolutely no shame so your nephew is wrong. He is seeking acceptance in the wrong way and in the wrong place and I might say, from the wrong people. You can try to convince him of that and if you can't, you simply have to let him go on his way and hope that someday his eyes will be opened and he'll know that this is not the place to find what he's looking for some wise counsel from Dr. Erwin Blitzer. Thank you Pastor Luther if you'd like to hear your question answered. Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor Luther or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago line 60614.

No Christian can get through a single day without the need to confess sin. That's why Jesus washed the disciples dusty feet to show us that we need daily cleansing. Next time I'm running to win will cover some practical issues on keeping short accounts with God running to win is all about helping you understand God's roadmap for your race of life for Dr. Erwin Blitzer this is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the church