On a recent Sunday morning, Dr. Vorce delayed the start of a series with a different message that he felt the Lord had given him that day: “Jesus Christ is Coming Soon.”
He was planning to begin a study on “Covenant Living,” but instead, he turned to a short prayer David prayed after a terrible failure, Psalm 51:10-13, and then to Jesus’ own answer about the last days in Matthew 24. When you compare those two passages, you get something very practical. If the return of Christ is near, the first thing to focus on is the state of your heart.
If Jesus could return any day, today is a good day to pray Psalm 51.
David had a deep connection with God. He would pray on the hills near Bethlehem-Judea, and when he stood up to Goliath, the Holy Spirit helped him. God even said, “You are a man after my own heart.” But then Bathsheba came into his life, and Uriah, her husband, was killed by David to hide the truth. Dr. Vorce noted that this happened to someone who had be anointed by Samuel the prophet to be king and had spent most of his life in the presence of God.
He made it clear to everyone in the room: you can attend church whenever you want, contribute to the church, and help out on teams, but if you don’t actively engage with God, you might still miss out on truly knowing Him.
David’s journey begins in verse 10: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Dr. Vorce pointed out something David didn’t mention. He wanted a new heart, but for his spirit, he asked for renewal. That spirit already knew how to respond to God. It had just been resting while life, worries, and pride took over.
Verse 11 says, "Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me." David prayed that because he was used to being near to God. Dr. Vorce described it as the God hug, those moments in prayer when you can feel the Lord's arms around you.
He also reminded the congregation that we have a different relationship with God than David had. In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit came upon people. Since Acts chapter 2, He comes into us and flows out of us. To make the point, he used his own son as an illustration. He said, "A close friend cannot walk into my bank and draw money from my account, but Jeremiah can. Why? Because Jeremiah carries his bloodline and his name." Under the blood of Jesus, you carry the family name too.
For more on living in that nearness every day, read God's presence is available right now.
Verse 12 is a plea to God to bring back the happiness of His salvation. Life’s challenges can leave you feeling low, weighed down, and a bit crushed. In these seasons we challenge you to hold onto the memory of the day you were born again. Remember the moment when you took that first step, the burden lifted, and things seemed to be looking up. That’s the joy David longed for again.
God calls us to repentance in His Word. Crocodile tears are not repentance, that's Godly sorrow. The scripture teaches us that Godly sorrow works repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10), and repentance means you change direction.
Then the sermon moved to Matthew 24, where the disciples asked what the sign of His coming would be. Nobody knows the day or the hour (Matthew 24:36), but Dr. Vorce reminded us that Scripture invites us to know the season. Jesus began with a warning: "Take heed that no man deceive you" (verse 4). He added that real anointing never needs an announcement, because it shows up in how you talk, walk and the fruit you bear. Jesus said wars and rumors of wars should not trouble us, since these things must come to pass.
The verse that landed hardest was verse 10: "And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another." His answer was practical. An offense only works when you take it. So he decided to decline the offer, walk in forgiveness and keep love flowing, because verse 13 says "he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." If betrayal is a wound you are carrying, this post on betrayal may help you.
Verse 14 gives the church its job in the middle of all this: the Gospel of the Kingdom is to be preached in all the world as a witness to every nation, and then Jesus will come. Jesus coming again is nothing to be afraid of. When these things begin to come to pass, Jesus said to look up, because your redemption draws nigh (Luke 21:28).
If your waiting has felt long, this post on what to do while you wait may help. And if you read David's prayer and recognized yourself, the altar is open at the foot of the Cross, and you can pray those four verses in Psalms 51 wherever you are right now.
To keep pressing into His presence, get your free copy of Dr. Vorce's ebook, Presence Driven, at jonathanvorce.com.
Remember..."The Word Will Work, If You Work the Word."
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