THE HEART GOD REVIVES

The Heart God Revives

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart,
O God, though wilt not despise.” Psalm 51:17

Proud People:

¨ Focus on the failures of others; Have a critical, fault-finding spirit.

¨ Look at every one else’s faults with a microscope, but their own with a telescope.

¨ Are self-righteous; look down on others. Have an independent, self-sufficient spirit.

¨ They think of what they can do for God.

¨ Claim rights; have a demanding spirit; have to prove that they are right.

¨ Are self-protective of their time, their rights, and their reputation.

¨ Desire to be served; desire to be a success.

¨ Desire self-advancement; have a drive to be recognized and appreciated.

¨ Are wounded when others are promoted and they are overlooked.

¨ Have a feeling, “This ministry/church is privileged to have me and my gifts.”

¨ Feel confident in how much they know; are self-conscious.

¨ Keep at arms’ length; are quick to blame others.

¨ Are unapproachable or defensive when criticized.

¨ Are concerned with being respectable, with what others think, working to protect their own image and reputation.

¨ Find it difficult to share their spiritual needs with others.

¨ Are blind to their true heart condition.

¨ Don’t want others to find out when they have sinned; their instinct is to cover up.

¨ Tend to deal in generalities when confessing sin.

¨ Have a hard time saying, “I was wrong; will you please forgive me?”

¨ Are concerned about the consequences of their sin.

¨ Are not remorseful over their sin, only sorry that they got found out or caught.

¨ Wait for the other to come and ask forgiveness when there is a misunderstanding
or conflict in a relationship. Don’t think they have anything to repent of.

¨ Compare themselves with others and feel worthy of honor.

¨ Don’t think they need revival, are sure that everyone else does.

Broken People:

¨ Are compassionate; can forgive much, knowing how much they have been forgiven.

¨ Have a dependent spirit; recognize their need for others.

¨ Yield their rights; have a meek spirit; are willing to yield the right to be right.

¨ Are self-denying; are motivated to serve others, to be faithful
and to make others a success; they want to esteem all others better than themselves.

¨ Desire to promote others; eager for others to get the credit and
rejoice when others are lifted up.

¨ Have a heart attitude that says; “I don’t deserve to have a part in any ministry.”

¨ Know they have nothing to offer God except the life of Jesus flowing through their broken lives. Are overwhelmed with a sense of their own spiritual need.

¨ Are humbled by how much they have to learn; are not concerned with self at all.

¨ Are willing to risk getting close to others and to take risks of loving intimately; accept personal responsibility and can see where they are wrong in a situation.

¨ Receive criticism with a humble, open spirit; are concerned with being real; what matters to them is not what others think but what God knows; are willing to die to their own reputation.

¨ Are willing to be open and transparent with others as God directs.

¨ Once broken, don’t care who finds out; are willing to be exposed because they have nothing to lose; are able to acknowledge specifics when confessing their sin.

¨ Are quick to admit failure and to seek forgiveness when necessary.

¨ Are grieved over the cause, the root of their sin.

¨ Are truly, genuinely repentant over their sin, evidenced in the fact that
they forsake that sin.

¨ Take the initiative to be reconciled when they are misunderstanding or conflict
in relationships; they race to the cross; they see if they can get there first,
no matter how wrong the other may have been.

¨ Compare themselves to the holiness of God and feel a desperate need for His mercy.

¨ Walk in the light. Realize they have need of continual heart attitude of repentance. Continually sense their need for a fresh encounter with God and for a fresh filling of His Holy Spirit.