Good morning. This morning we are going to take a look mainly at an Old Testament passage. We are going to focus on a life changing time in David’s life. It was a time that he looked at himself, and realized that he needed to make a change in the way that he lived. If you want to go ahead and turn with me to Psalm 51:1-12, that is where we will be in just a moment.
Before we move on this morning, let’s just open our time with a word or prayer. Let’s Pray!
There comes a time in each and every one of our lives that we need to take a good look at where we are and what we are doing. We need to examine ourselves and ask the question, “Am I doing my very best to serve the Lord?” Unfortunately, a lot of us when asking this question see things in ourselves that we wish we could change. We have feelings, thoughts, problems, attitudes, and actions in our lives that we know we need to change.
Everybody here should continue to take a look at themselves and realize that there are some things in your lives that are not the way you want them to be. More importantly, there are some things in our lives that are not the way that God wants them to be. We need to make a conscience effort to make a change in the way we walk, the way we talk, the way we think, and the way we act. We need to make a change for the better. We need to take on the attitude that it is time for a new me; time for me to give my very best to God.
I want you to know this morning, that that change can take place today! It is time that we make a change for the betterment of us all. If we are going to make things better for any of us, any type of change, it must begin within us. It is said that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Well when we come to church, we are one big family. We are here to help one another, and to love one another. We are also here to serve God and to share His word with others. But you know what; our family is only as strong as its weakest member. We need to make sure that we are not allowing ourselves to remain the weakest link.
So many times we are able to see the tiny faults that others have, we see the small speck in their eye, and focus on them so much that we miss our own giant faults, or the trees that are sticking in our own eyes. In fact, in Matthew’s gospel, he addresses this issue. The Bible says in Matthew 7:4-5, “How can you say to your brother, “Let me take the speck out of your eye,” when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out or your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
To put it plain and simple, Michael Jackson so rightly put it in one of his songs. He said, we need to start with “The Man in the Mirror.” We must begin with “The Man in the Mirror,” the one that we see everyday, and ask him to change his ways. Before we try and change the problems in other people’s lives, we need to make sure that we can see clearly. That means that we need to start with ourselves. We need to make the necessary changes in order to see clearly.
Just think, if every one of us changed something about ourselves that we know is not a good trait, what a wonderful place this world would be. If every one of us started with “The Man in the Mirror,” we wouldn’t have time to find fault in one another. Why, because we wouldn’t have time to find fault in another because we would be too busy improving our own lives.
The thing about starting with “The Man in the Mirror” is that once we see what’s wrong we must understand that a change needs to be made. When we look in a mirror it reflects back a true image of what and who we are. Each morning as we prepare for work or whatever we are to do that day we generally don’t leave the house without looking in the mirror. For some, it is a quick glance, and for women, it is an hour or two. You see, the mirror enables us to see if there is anything out of place and it gives us a chance to correct the problem.
In James 1:23-24 it tells us, “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” In other words you see your true reflection but forget what and who you are. The only way a mirror is useful is if we see the problems, and then we fix them. When we start with “The Man in the Mirror,” we need to take notice of the problems and then fix them.
In our text this morning, David knew that he had a problem. He knew that he needed to get fixed up. David knew that it took God to make the changes necessary for him to be what he once was. David had seen the error of his ways and had lost the joy that he once enjoyed. At one point, he was enjoying being in the presence of the Lord. Now, David had taken a close look at “The Man in the Mirror” and realized that he needed to make a serious change in his life.
Let’s see what happened when David took a look at “The Man in the Mirror.” Psalm 51:1-12 says, “1”
At this point in his life, David realized that something needed to change. In the same way, all of us have come to a point in our lives at one time or another that we realized we just couldn’t go on the way we were. We realized that it was time for a change. Some changed, others denied a true change and trying to cover over the need for change. As we look at our text this morning we see in verse 1, David appeals at once to the mercy of God, even before he mentions his sins. In order for us to change, that is what we need to do as well.
You see, God is a merciful God and is willing to forgive us. We need to ask God for mercy, before we even state what we have done, we need to ask for His mercy and His forgiveness. David then asks God to wash him. A lot of us need a good washing don’t we? Now I’m not talking about just a quick shower or a bath. Instead, we need a complete and thorough scrubbing.
Just the other day, I had to give Sophie, our little dog a good bath. I put her in the tub, and began scrubbing. Now Sophie didn’t like that too much and she looked like a drowned rat. But you know what, that bath made here a better looking dog afterwards.
When we come to the point in our lives that we take a good scrubbing, it may not be the most pleasant of times or the prettiest. But when we come out on the other side, after we have been cleaned and dried off, we will be a better us. In order for us to change we need to be washed thoroughly.
Now let me stop here for a moment and say that just because you go through a thorough washing, that does not mean that you are done sinning. Once you have been washed before God, you need to do things that will help keep you from sinning in the future. But realize that you will sin again. In fact, after that bath that I told you I gave Sophie, we let here out the next day so she could run in the grass a little bit. When Sophie gets out, she runs non-stop with her head right against the ground. Needles to say, when we picked her up, she had grass stains all over her paws and her neck. So once again, she needed a good scrubbing.
David came to a point in his life when he realized it was not enough to just blot out his sin, but that he needed to be washed through and through. David then acknowledges his transgressions. Too many times we try to hide our bad traits. We won’t reveal them to our family and friends or even to ourselves.
But in order for us to be cleansed we must admit that we have a problem. We must admit not only to others but also to ourselves and to God.
Even though half the times others already know, we just refuse to see it ourselves. God already knows what the problem is, He just wants us to own up to it and truly seek His help. It is just like a drug addict or an alcoholic, before they can be helped they must admit they have a problem. David continues on and by the time he reaches the 10th verse David asks the Lord to create in him a clean heart and renew a right spirit within him. This is the change David is looking for. David is asking for a newer and a better him.
David wants to be new and improved. David, at this point, wants to be more like Jesus. And I’ll tell you what, that should be our aim as well. We should all want to be just like Jesus. We should want to be more like Him and less like us. We should want to fashion our every move after His. Because of this change, David says in verse 13 that he “will teach others God’s ways and that sinners will turn to God.” That is what we should be all about doing as well.
When we have taken a good look in the mirror, and we have allowed God to thoroughly wash us, then we need to take His message to others. We all know the Great Commission when Jesus said in Matthew 28:19-20 to “Go and teach all nations … baptizing them, and teaching them to obey everything He has commanded…”
But too many times we get wrapped up in our ways that we forget about the ways of the One whom we serve. The best way to teach others is to set the example. A good example is better than any words that can ever be said. As the old saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words.” If we take a good look at “The Man in the Mirror,” and truly decide to change what we see, we need to start by making a commitment to do God’s will.
We need to commit to love one another!
We need to commit to work harder for God!
Instead of waiting for somebody else to do something when something needs to be done, we need to pick up the ball and run with it!
Instead of waiting for someone to ask for help and watch them fall flat on their face, we need to volunteer to help in whatever ways we can!
Instead of talking about one another, running their name into the ground, we need to talk to one another!
Instead of running one another down, we need to pick each other up!
Instead of criticizing each other’s ideas, we need to come up with some of our own!
Instead of finding fault with one another, we need to start with “The Man in the Mirror!” We need to ask him to make a change! We need to ask him to be changed by God!
God so loved us that He sent His only Son! The Son gave His life! His head was crowned with thorns! He was marched up a hill called Calvary! He was hung on an old rugged cross! Those who watched mocked and scorned Him! He was speared in His side! His blood came streaming down! He was buried in a borrowed tomb!
He stayed there all night Friday night! All day Saturday! All night Saturday night! But early Sunday morning, Jesus stepped out of that tomb proclaiming that all power was in His hands! Not just some power! Not just a little power! Not just the power we give Him! But all power! Wonder working power! Heart fixing power! Mind regulating power! Attitude changing power! Jesus got up with all power in His hands!
The great news about that is this; Jesus has the power to change “The Man in the Mirror!” Jesus has the power to make him a new creature! Jesus has to power to make him or her better than they were before! Michael Jackson was right when he said in his song, “we’ve got to get it right while we have the time!” You see, tomorrow is not promised to us, and yesterday is already gone! All we have is the here and now!
If we start with “The Man in the Mirror,” then we can start to make the world a better place one person at a time! If we start with “The Man in the Mirror,” then we can begin to make Fly Branch Church of Christ what God wants it to be as well! If we start with “The Man in the Mirror,” then we won’t have time to worrying about fixing somebody else! If we start with “The Man in the Mirror,” and let God make the changes, we will come out a new creature!
As we begin to wrap things up this morning, we are going to end with a song in moment called, Create In Me A Clean Heart. This song is taken from this 51st Psalm. It simply says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, O Lord, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and renew a right spirit within me.” May that be our prayer as we take a look in the mirror?
So I challenge you to take a good look at “The Man in the Mirror” and see what changes need to be made with him! Take a good look at “The Man in the Mirror” and see what will make him better! Take a good look at “The Man in the Mirror” and ask God to take control! Take a good look at “The Man in the Mirror” and let him be led by God!
Take a good look at “The Man in the Mirror” and change him before trying to change anybody else! Take a good look at “The Man in the Mirror,” and make him the very best that he can possibly be! Because our homes, our jobs, our church, our schools, our community, and our world could be a better place if everybody would start with “The Man in the Mirror!”
Let’s Pray! |
