Psalm 51, we're going to read verses 10 through
13. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew
a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me
away from your presence, and do not take your
Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of
your salvation, and sustain me with a willing
spirit. I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will be converted to you. As we come
to Psalm 51 once again, our emphasis today will
be in verse 13, which reads, Then I will teach
transgressors your ways, and sinners will be
converted to you. There's three simple things
we have to examine and spend time considering
this morning. The endeavor spoken of first. The
endeavor's success, as it's described, secondly.
And the endeavor's conditional nature, third.
We'll follow this. with a few applications for
our lives. Beginning with the first, the endeavor
spoken of. David says in verse 13, I will teach
transgressors your ways. David is determined
that he is going to teach transgressors the ways
of God. David is determined that he is going
to undertake, that he is going to carry out this
task, that he's going to clearly communicate
and instruct sinners in the ways of God. He's
going to teach them about God's dealings with
man, how God deals with men. He's going to teach
transgressors and sinners about God's grace.
About God's mercy. David is determined. He has
resolved that he is going to undertake this service,
this ministry. He's going to witness and testify
and proclaim about the work of God and the work
of God in his life. We read in Psalm 71. Of David's
determination. To do the same thing. We read
in verses 15 through 18. My mouth shall tell
of your righteousness. And your salvation all
day long. For I do not know the sum of them.
I will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord
God. I will make mention of your righteousness.
Yours alone. O God, you have taught me from my
youth and I still declare your wondrous deeds.
And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not
forsake me until I declare your strength to this
generation, your power to all who are to come.
David is determined that from forth or coming
forth from his lips will be the praises and the
works and the deeds of God. And so he here resolves
to do that. He's determined to do it. Who is
it that David's going to teach the ways of God?
Who is he going to clearly communicate and clearly
instruct in how God deals with men? Transgressors
and sinners. It's not the assembly of the righteous
that David is going to minister to. It's not
the assembly of the saints and God's godly ones,
his holy ones, that David is going to proclaim
the good news to. In this text, it's transgressors,
it's sinners, it's those who need to be converted,
it's those who don't know God. It's wicked men
that David is going to proclaim these grand realities
and the works and deeds of God to. He's not talking
about backslidden and sinful people who have
fallen into lack of repentance that are in the
assembly of God's people. He's talking about
haters of God. He's talking about fools and mockers.
He's talking about people who don't know the
ways of God. That is who David has determined.
He's resolved that he is going. to teach the
ways of God to those in need around him of knowing
the ways of God. David is determined that he
will be useful for God's purposes and God's plans
in this world by teaching transgressors and sinners
the ways of God. There's a few interesting, with
regards to verse 13 in particular and the flow
and the context of Psalm 51. Notice that this
is the first time that David has mentioned anybody
other than himself and God. Now he's talking
about transgressors and sinners. This is the
first time. That David has actually mentioned
doing anything at all. He's determined to speak
these things, to teach these things, to proclaim
these things. This is the first time David said,
I'm going to do this. And this is the first time
David's eyes have turned from God in his repentance
to other men, to people around him in need. Now
that's important for us to understand in the
context of this psalm. Because this is following.
This is following David's repentance. We'll see
a little bit later that this work, this endeavor
that David is determined to undertake is conditional
on his being restored with God. This flows from...
repentance, as a result of repentance, this is
not part of his repentance, brothers and sisters.
This good deed, this work, this service, this
ministry that he's about to undertake, this is
not part of his repentance. This is a result.
This is something that true repentance leads
to. That's important. Because it shows us that
true repentance, genuine repentance, is always
between a person and God. It doesn't involve
other people. You don't repent for someone else.
You don't forsake sin on somebody else's behalf.
When you repent of sin, when you go to God in
prayer, it's you and God, nobody else. And out
of that will come the desire to be used, the
desire to look and see the need of others. Out
of that will result and come works which are
pleasing to God. Out of that will result ministry.
In service. Witnessing. Testifying of God's grace.
Speaking the word of God. Influencing and impacting
and affecting others around you for the sake
of the gospel. This is not part of your repentance.
This flows from your repentance. We don't do
things for other people as the Roman Catholic
Church teaches in penance. We deal with God in
our sin and repentance. And as a result of true
and genuine repentance, we will then go and serve
our fellow man. So we see this endeavor. that
David is speaking of, that he's determined to
undertake and carry out in his life. But we also
see the endeavor of success as he has described
it in this text. The second part of verse 13
says, and sinners will be converted to you. Consider
that statement for a moment. And sinners will
be converted to you. David's speaking with...
Surprisingly, he's speaking with confidence and
certainty regarding the effectiveness of his
ministry to transgressors and sinners. He's not
talking in wishful thinking. This is not hopeful.
This is certain. Confidence that his ministry,
he will be useful to God. He is certain and he
is confident that God will use his proclamation.
That sinners will in fact be converted to God.
This is ultimately what we all hope for, isn't
it? Don't we all long not just to be useful for
the Lord and to do good deeds and works and to
be instruments and to be used by God in mighty
ways? Don't we all long to be used by Him, but
not just to be used, but to be used in an effective
manner that He would accomplish His purposes
and His plans in us and through us? We don't
want to just be used to speak the word of God.
We want to see the word of God effectively work
through us in the lives of our children and the
lives of our loved ones. We want to see the word
of God effectively change people. We don't want
to just see the ministry carried out and conducted.
We want it to be effective and powerful to accomplish
that which it's intended for. Isn't that what
you long for in your life? If you're a believer
in Jesus Christ, don't you long to be used unto
the glory of God in the life of your children,
in the life of your wife, in the life of your
husband, in the life of those around you? Don't
you want God to bless your service? Don't you
want God to speak through you in His words? Don't
you want God to use you as a vessel and an instrument
for his kingdom and for his purposes? We all,
as believers in Jesus Christ, long for that.
But how do we have a confidence that he's going
to do that? How do we have the hope, not just
the hope, but how do we have the certainty and
the confidence that God will, in fact, work effectively
through us. That he will use us in the life of
our loved ones. That he will use us through our
preaching, through our evangelism, through our
teaching, through our instruction, through our
correction. How do we have this certainty that
David was in possession of? Because he certainly
has it. Sinners will be converted to you. This
leads us to the third thing. The endeavor's conditional
nature. This helps us answer that question of
how can we be certain, how can we have confidence
that God will use us? We see the word then. At
the very beginning of verse 13, notice that it
is italicized. This means the translators have
supplied it because the verbal form of the Hebrew
verb cannot accurately and fully be expressed
in English one for one. So they provide the word
then. It carries this idea that once this occurs,
after this takes place, then, I will do this.
So this helps us understand when David will undertake
this endeavor to teach transgressors and sinners
the ways of God. When he will find and be met
with success in his ministry and his service.
So when is it? It's once. He has been restored
by God. David cannot undertake this endeavor
in his current state and his current condition.
He cannot teach transgressors and sinners the
ways of God with his conscience bearing down
on him and guilt and shame. He cannot communicate
and proclaim and announce the gracious and merciful
ways of God when corruption is active in his
heart. It's not until it follows genuine repentance
and God answers his prayer for restoration that
then David can be useful to God. It's not until
God has made purity and created purity in his
heart. It's not until God has restored a steadfast
spirit in his heart. Until David has experienced
steadfastness in his life. It's not until God
has restored the joy of his salvation to David's
soul. It's not until God is upheld. David's spirit
with a willing and steadfast spirit. It's not
until the spirit of God begins to intimately
work and exert his gracious influence in David's
heart, in David's soul, in David's life again,
that then David will be able to be useful and
he will find success in this endeavor. It's then
and only then. That David can be used of God.
It's not until God has restored David in sweet,
unbroken, good fellowship with him. It's not
until he's been cleansed and purified of his
sin that David will undertake this endeavor.
David knows. certain realities. He understands
certain things. He understands that his usefulness
is dependent on genuine repentance. He understands
that successful usefulness and effective ministry
is dependent on genuine and sincere repentance
of sin. David, that those who lack or those whose
hearts are weighed down by sin and corruption
will not undertake such an endeavor. Think about
that. David is consciously aware of the fact
that those who have corruption and pollution
actively present within their heart, those people
will not endeavor to be used by God. Whether
you know Christ or not, you won't do it. There's
several reasons for this. There's several reasons
that the heart where corruption and pollution
are present, will not undertake to be used by
God. To take part, to participate in the things
of God. When corruption is sensed, when it's
present, when it's predominant in a heart, the
flesh will not willingly. Take part in that which
the heart is at enmity with. Meaning when you're
in sin, you don't want to talk about Christ.
When you're in sin, you don't want to worship.
When you have not repented of sin and corruption
is running wild in your heart. When your affections
are entangled by pollution because of sin in
your life. You will not desire to talk to your
children about the gospel. You will not long
to speak with your wife about the truths of scripture.
Because you're being held back, you're being
restrained by the corruption within you. The
flesh and the conscience will not eagerly or
willingly submit itself to such utter hypocrisy.
Brothers and sisters, do you know that when we
remain in sin and corruption has a grip on our
hearts, what it steals from those around us?
Do you know what it takes away from your children?
Do you know what it takes away from your co -workers?
Your usefulness. It takes away your willingness
to be used of God. When there's corruption and
pollution present, the flesh and the conscience,
they just say, we'll abstain. We'll withhold
this time. We won't take part. We aren't going
to go against it, but we're not going to actively
take part in that which is good, that which is
righteous, and that which is holy. Because there's
corruption, there's sin, there's pollution that
remains. It's because you haven't repented of
sin and God hasn't cleansed you of that corruption
in your heart. David understood this. David understood
that those who lack repentance lack usefulness.
God will not use, God will not bless those who
willingly cling to their sin. He will not work
in or through those Who willingly give themselves
to that which he is displeased with. Consider
David's year where he was in sin up to this point.
A whole year of his life. Where there was no
vital godliness or power within his soul. Consider
the... The usefulness that he lost for the entirety
of that year. The godly influence that he could
have exerted on those around him in that year.
If the Spirit of God had not been grieved in
his soul. If the Spirit of God had actively been
exerting and exercising his influence in and
through his life. No power. No vital godliness.
No divine activity present in the soul and the
mind. No gracious influence of the Spirit of
God. No enjoyment of God. Just dullness and coldness
and uselessness for the whole year, brothers
and sisters. Why? Because of sin. He gave it
up. When he willingly clung to and he chose his
sin, God didn't use him. He wouldn't use him.
Consider this. When you cling to sin and you
refuse repentance unto God, he's not going to
bless the work of your hands. He's not going
to work through you in the life of others because
the Spirit of God is going to withdraw. Your
words will fall flat. How much time have we lost
where we could have been making a significant
impact in the life of our children, in the life
of our loved ones, in the life of those around
us? Why? Because of sin. How much godly influence
have you given up? Because you won't give up
sin, brothers and sisters. It should cause us
to think and consider. If we continually lay
our head in Delilah's lap, don't be surprised
when your hair Is cut off. Don't be surprised.
When you have no usefulness. When you have no
power. In your witness. In your testimony. In
your communication. Of the things of God. In
your discussions with your children. And your
wife. We lose usefulness. when we choose to remain
in sin. David knew this. He knew that those whose
hearts were weighed down by sin and corruption
would never undertake such an endeavor. And he
knew that those who lack repentance lack usefulness.
But he also knew that there's a relationship
between the condition of your heart And your
usefulness in this life. He understood this.
That's why he knows this is conditional. David
understands that his heart is not right with
God. He knows that the condition of his heart
is in no place to be useful to God Almighty.
He knows this, brothers and sisters. He knows
that he is not in right fellowship with God.
He knows that the Spirit of God is not actively
exerting his influence. He knows that he has
no joy. He knows that he's not steadfast. And
he knows that he's not willing. And he knows
that if he's to be useful in this life, if he's
to carry out and undertake this endeavor of teaching
transgressors the ways of God, then he must have
his heart right. He knows that if he wants to
lead others to know Christ, then he himself must
know Christ himself. He knows that if he wants
to teach others what it means to be godly and
holy and to know God, then he has to be godly
and holy and know God himself. How do we... Think
we're going to teach our sons and our daughters
and our wives and those around us who Christ
is if we don't know Christ ourselves. We want
our children to study the Word of God. We want
our wives and our daughters to study the Word
of God. But we don't study the Word of God. How
can we teach others to be that which we are not?
How can we encourage others unto holiness and
godliness if we ourselves are not giving ourselves
to holiness and godliness in our lives? There
is a relationship between our hearts and our
usefulness in this life. This is not a secret
formula to being useful. That's not what this
is. But it's to know God himself. It's to have
experiential religion in our hearts where our
affections, our desires, and our longings and
our thoughts are entangled by Christ. Where they're
caught up in heaven. That's what this is about.
It's not a secret path to usefulness. Brothers
and sisters, your heart has to be right with
God if you're ever to be useful to God in this
world. How is your heart? What's the condition
of your soul? What are you doing to care for
your soul? What are you doing to look over your
soul? What are you doing to examine your heart?
Do you think about your heart? Do you think about
your soul? the condition of it. There is a deep
connection between God using who God uses as
instruments and vessels to accomplish His purposes
and His plans and the condition of the hearts
of those individuals that God uses. David understood
this very clearly. He knew that he couldn't undertake
this task, and he knew that he would find no
success whatsoever in teaching transgressors
or sinners the ways of God if he himself was
not right with God. Let me offer you three things
for application. Firstly, don't seek to be restored
through your endeavors. The temptation that I
think we've all given into and all considered
at times is this. I've sinned. I'm going to do
more for Christ. I've broken the moral law of
God. I've committed immorality. Therefore, I'm
going to work harder than the next person. I'm
going to serve better. I'm going to be more faithful.
But brothers and sisters, listen. David's endeavor
is not his repentance. There is no substitute
in the Christian life. for repentance in your
life. Our ministry, our service, our good deeds,
our work is meant to result and flow from our
repentance. We can't work our way back into good
fellowship with God, just like people can't work
their way to the righteousness of Christ. We
must trust in Christ and repent of our sins,
then labor unto his glory. There's no substitute
for repentance in the Christian life. Secondly,
we must pursue holiness above usefulness. In
some ways, usefulness is kind of... A glorified
state. Because in some ways, people still get
recognized when they're useful. Oh, you teach
transgressors God's ways. You teach sinners about
God. There's some sort of recognition involved
in it. Everybody wants to be used of God. Everybody
wants to be used for his glory. They want to
do the mighty things. They want to do the big
things. They want to serve. They want to minister.
They want to witness. They want to testify concerning
his grace. Brothers and sisters, do you want
to pursue holiness in your life? Do you want
godliness in your soul? Because if you don't
want holiness, if you don't want godliness and
the diligent, ongoing pursuit of it, then you
don't truly want usefulness in your life. What
comes before? And what's underneath the ministry
and the service? What comes before and what's
underneath teaching transgressors their ways
as David has committed himself to? The work of
God in his soul. The experience of the grace
and mercy and the work of the divine spirit working
in his sanctification. A heart that's right with
God. Remember, a restoration. must precede his
usefulness in this life. It's no coincidence
that those the Lord has used throughout history
to do the mightiest things for the glory of his
name and the majesty of Christ are also those
who diligently gave themselves to the pursuit
of holiness. and godliness in their life. It
was a battle. It was difficult. It was a struggle.
And it remained and it continued. But those men
of old and men throughout history and men of
our day, they persevered in godliness and holiness
in their lives. And it's no coincidence that
they are the ones that God used to work through.
in this world. Brothers and sisters, if you want
to influence your children and be used in their
lives, if you want to be used in the life of
your wife and your husband and those around you,
what ought you to focus on? What ought to be
your aim in life? Usefulness? Or godliness? What
is great gain? Personality? Charm? Talent? Giftedness?
What is great gain? Persuasiveness? Readiness?
No. Godliness is great gain. If we truly want
to be useful in the life of those around us,
then we must diligently give ourselves to the
pursuit of holiness over and above usefulness
in our lives, day in, day out. Every day. We
must commit ourselves to it. But if we will do
this, we can have a confidence that God will
use us. Even If the effects aren't rolling in
as we so desire. Even if sinners and transgressors
are not being converted. If we are pursuing holiness
and faithfulness according to the word of God,
you can be confident that you are in the will
of God. There's a lot of questions about what
should I be doing? How should I be used? What's
the best way to make me useful? What should I
be doing in order to be useful? You know, I'm
a school bus driver or whatnot. Can I really
be useful to God? The emphasis of the Bible is
not so much on what you do. But the emphasis
of the Bible is on who you are in the Lord. The
emphasis of the Word of God is how you live,
who you are in Christ, the holiness and godliness
of your life, not what you're doing. And if you
will pursue those things, you can have a confidence
that no matter the circumstances, no matter the
effects, that you are in the will of a sovereign
and a good and a holy God, because it is his
will that you be holy and godly in this life.
Lastly, for application, I want to encourage
all the people of God. Care for your own soul
before you care for the souls of others. This
is a vital necessity. If you want your ministry
service, witness and testimony to be useful.
We might say, listen, I don't have time. To give
myself to knowing God. I don't have time to study
the word of God and to spend time in prayer.
I can't afford it. I can't do that. I've got
other more important things to do. There's more
significant things which I have to take part
in at this time. The reality is you can't afford
not. To take care of your own soul. The souls
of your children depend on it. Your usefulness
in this life depends on you caring and you nurturing
your soul before God. Do you want your words
to be meaningful and impactful and life changing
because of the words of life? Then care for your
own soul before you care for others. Then it
will be full of vital godliness and holiness
and grace at work through the Spirit of God.
So that when you interact with those around you,
it will be meaningful and impactful. The Spirit
of God will use it for the purposes of God in
this life. So we've seen that... The endeavor
which David undertook was to teach transgressors
the ways of God. The endeavor's success, that
sinners would be converted to God, and we see
that this endeavor was conditional upon David's
genuine repentance and God's restoration of him.