Stealing Dead Men’s Words: Sermons from Church History

The Ministry of John Bunyan: The Imprisoned Baptist Preacher

• Born 1628 at Elstow, England
• Death of his mother and sister at the age of 16
• Joined Cromwell’s army and fought in the English Civil War
• In 1648 married a God-fearing woman
• In 1651 came to faith in Christ
• In 1655 Bunyan began preaching and published first of many books
• In 1657 his wife died, leaving him with four kids, including his oldest daughter who was blind from birth
• Bunyan married to Elizabeth
• In 1660 arrested for preaching without the king’s permission and spent twelve years in prison
• In 1675 rearrested and spent months in prison
• Started Pilgrim’s Progress during first prison term
• Bunyan died in 1688

The Acceptable Sacrifice: The Excellency of a Broken Heart, Psalm 51:17

Background to Psalm 51: The Sin of David and His Request for Forgiveness

I.    What are the Symptoms of a Heart that is Not Contrite?

1. A stubborn heart that is obstinate against God
2. A heart that is deceitful and easily deceived
3. A heart that would rather gather vanity than good for the soul
4. A heart that turns away from God and turns toward sin
5. A heart that is not prepared for God or His Word
6. A heart that is not single but double in motive, pretending to serve God but ultimately serves sin
7. A heart that is proud and loves to be in control of self

II.  What Breaks the Hard Heart?

1. The Word of God
2. Seeing sin as it truly is in God’s eyes
3. Being deeply grieved and sorrowful for sin
4. Being deeply fearful of the justice of a Holy God
5. Seeing God as infinitely more beautiful than any and all sin

III.    What Attributes Show in the Contrite?

1. Humility before God
2. Humility before others, especially fellow believers
3. A love and fear of God’s Word
4. A distain for the folly of sin
5. Immediate, joyful, heart-felt repentance when confronted with sin