The Man In My Mirror Pastor Alli Munsey | 10:00am Service

Introduction

● A Man After God’s Own Heart

● A Life That Reflects God Has These 3 Qualities:

1. Humility

2. Living Under Authority

3. Forgiveness

Main Scripture:

James 1:22 says “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what is says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it- not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it- they will be blessed in what they do.” Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”

Introduction:

Pastor Alli starts by disproving the phrase “you are what you

eat.” You aren’t necessarily what you eat, but according to

Proverbs 23:7 you are what you think. The thoughts you think

trickle down into your heart and from your heart is where the

issues of life flow (Proverbs 4:23). Benjamin Disraelis says it all

with this quote “Nurture your mind with great thoughts. For

you will never go any higher than you think.”

Pastor Alli continues to explain that we often believe the grass

is greener on the other side. The truth, however, is that the

grass is only greener where you water it. We can often get into

the mind trap that life would be so much easier if everything

and everyone around us changed while we remained the same,

yet God’s desire is to change and transform us from the inside

out.

Just like sometimes we look into mirrors and we don’t like what

we see, sometimes we also don’t like what we hear from God.

The transforming factor however is that God does not want to

give you an image boost, He wants to completely create a NEW

thing in you and your life.

A Man After God’s Own Heart

David symbolizes God’s transformation and goodness. David

was a man after God’s own heart and gives the everyday

person hope. David wasn’t perfect. He fell as many times as he

stood, and stumbled as many times as he conquered. David had

set backs and comebacks. His highs were high and his lows

were low. However, through all of that David never let it stop

him. David seeked to please God and succeeded.

David lived within the Old Testament and didn’t even have the

provision of Jesus. Yet, he was still the only person within the

Bible to be a man after God. We however have Jesus’ sacrifice

for our sins.

A Life That Reflects God Has These 3 Qualities:

1. Humility

If we want to reflect the character of God we have to center it

on having a humble heart.

David had a humble heart and complete dependence on God

even in the wilderness. So often in life we try to run from the

wilderness but there are some lessons we can never learn on

the mountain tops. God desires for us to be in a place of

complete dependency on Him.

Pride disqualifies, but humility promoted David to eventually be

king. In scripture, we see that David was never in the original

line up for king but he was faithful and God found him exactly

where he was at. David was exactly in the right place because

he was pursuing God.

2. Living Under Authority

A life that reflects the heart of God is one that lives under

authority.

David lived his life under the authority of God. It is so easy to

lose our footing between the process and the product. It is the

sacrifice between the process and the product that creates

greatness.

In 1 Samuel 24:3-7 it shows how David lived under authority.

King Saul was out to kill David and God told David He would

deliver Saul to him, for him to do with him what he wished. The

Lord sent Saul into David’s cave and David cut his robe. He felt

burdened and could not bring himself to hurt Saul because he

respected him as authority. This story symbolizes that when

you operate under authority you operate under God’s covering.

The opposite of authority is rebellion and the root of rebellion

is arrogance and pride. Pastor Alli said it best when she said

“pride is like a beard. Shave it everyday.”

We can often find ourselves leaning towards rebellion during

uneven circumstances. However, we need to use those

circumstances and situations to be trained and taught how to

live a more Godly life. David understood that rebellion leads to

no fruit, he understood God’s heart.

3. Forgiveness

David was a man of emotion but he understood the forgiveness

of the Lord. It is impossible to change what you don’t name.

David asked the Lord to do four things:

1. Search me

2. Try me

3. Know me

4. Lead me

It is through those four things that we can identify what we are

struggling with and need to be forgiven of.

Conclusion: God desires to transform us and recreate us into His image. We

can live a life completely pleasing to God by acknowledging the

thing that needs to be changed about us.

Additional Scripture:

Mark 7:15-16 “There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man. If anyone has ears to hear let him hear!” Proverbs 23:7 “For as a man thinks in his heart so is he.”

Acts 13:21-22 “Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of kish, of the tribe of Benjamin who ruled for 40 years. After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him; I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart, and he will do everything I want him to do.”

1 Samuel 24: 3 “He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there so Saul in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. The men said, “this is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish. Then David crept up Unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. Afterwards, David was conscience stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. He said to his men the lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, or lay my hand on him. For he is the anointed of the lord. With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went on his way. Romans 13:1-2 “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves." Psalms 139: 22 “I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. Search me oh God, and know my heart; test me and know my

anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way of the everlasting. “