Mark 7_14_23 Outline

And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Genesis 6:5

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9

Jesus says our hearts are defiled.

There is nothing that can go into us that defiles us.

Jesus and pharisees over their tradition of washed hands.

Illustration: Tony was little he loved the mud/ mud bog in his truck/ PICTURE of him in the mud/ No telling how much he ate but that didn’t go into his heart.

Jesus says there is nothing without that comes in that will defile us.

DEFILE “pollute” to make us unclean

Food Laws – (Lev. 11 _ Deut. 14) ultimately was to remind them of who they are and that they were set apart unto God.

Not eating items that had an undivided hoof that chewed the cud – “camel”

Eating a rabbit, or pig, shell fish,

this was not true defilement but was a notice for them to remember that they were God’s people.

44 For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 45 For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy Lev 11:44–45.

These Laws were shadows of what was to come.

Upon the fuller revelation of the N.T. we see that weather we eat or drink we are to do this remembrance of the Lord and what He did.

Our hearts are wicked and deceitful, defiled due to our sin nature and Ceremonial Cleansing can’t cleanse this!

Jesus diagnosis us with a heart problem, every one of us.

The words of Jesus is like an X-ray machine it reveals to us what lies under this flesh

Prognosis of the heart Vs. 17-23

What comes out of our heart shows us that our outcome left UNTRETED is not good.

Jesus explains to His disciples what He meant by it’s not what enters into you that defiles you.

What you eat is digested and flushed out…. Not only the food but what is also on the food…. Ie: dirt particles from your hands

MARK MAKES THE CONNECTION of JEUS DECLARING ALL FOOD CLEAN

Peter probably recalled the story: Acts 10

Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” Ac 10:15.

“For from within, out of the heart of men” Vs. 21

Heart – in the bible is a symbol of the rational , intellectual, decision making element in human beings…. And not the emotional, affectionate element. (like we think of today)

Vs. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. Mk 7:21–23.

Is it interesting that the 1st on this list is evil thoughts?

Sin normally starts out as a thought in your mind

3 steps of sin is….. seeing it, saying it, doing it

David and Bathsheba 2 Sam 11:2-4 Saw her / inquired about her / took her

Condition of your heart reveals itself

Illustration: Follow your heart – Deal or deal – Mom “follow your heart” gave up 100,000’s of dollars and left with -$0.00-

David followed his heart and it led him to trouble

Heart has been diagnosed…. and it is wicked

The Prognosis of your wicked heart if left untreated is “Not Good”

Application: Evil thoughts come out of the heart and lead to this dreadful list!

*** Notice the 1st 7 - Evil Thoughts, Adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, ALL of these are plural

The idea of attitudes and vices – things that we repeat over and over again

Evil Thoughts – that designs the attitudes that produces the following VICES not just one of the vices but all of them

Notice that these are relational sins

*** Notice the 2nd 6 are singular

Deceit, lasciviousness , an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness

*** our Attitudes – filthy, immoral, violent acts towards others

*** inward state – deceitful, lustful, prideful, foolish

Jesus is saying this is who we are – there is no ceremony that will clean this up

Wait! I’m not an adulterer, a murderer, Slanderer, a fool - YES YOU ARE…. WE ARE ALL THESE THINGS

Jesus said if you look at the opposite sex with Lust then you have committed adultery

If you have looked at your brother with hate in your heart then you have committed murder

These are continual characteristics of the human heart

We are continually wicked - wicked - wicked

But there is a cure! It is a two-step cure.

1st step Justification

Depends solely on Jesus

Salvation – forgiveness of our sins / reconciliation

This is a heart transplant

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Jn 3:3.

Regenerated heart - reformed or spiritually reborn

Faith in Jesus! Explain

Justification is the first step but it is not the end to the means

2nd step Sanctification

Born again believer is changed but we still have the ability to sin

Our heart still has flesh – forgiven wickedness can still shine and will from time to time until our day of glorification

Unlike Justification – we have a say in this – It is a process that occurs over time as Christ works in us and we walk close to Him

How do you do this?

Be careful what you take in. Jesus said that it is not what goes into us that defiles us but there are things that we can take in that hinders our growth.

Alcohol – effects are decision making and it may not defile us as it comes in but it will make things come out of us that are sinful, wicked,

Visual intake – input/out put – soaking in wickedness - implanting images and corruptness in our minds and heart. Ie: Pornographic material, slasher movies, anything that could lead our train of thought to wickedness, lustful desires

whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Php 4:8.

Renew your mind - We must be renewed – day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute, second by second

do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Ro 12:2.

Study your bible

Meditate on God’s word

Apply God’s word – ask yourself “what does the bible tell me to do in this situation” (Eph 4:29)

Read biographies of saints – Spurgeon, Newton, Moody etc

Watch wholesome things -

Be cautious of your surroundings and who you are surrounded by

Have good solid Christian friends (inner 3)

Don’t let the wicked get to close to you (SHOWS / Travel)

Be cautious of your dealings with the other sex – men watch out for flattery – women watch out for kind understanding conversation (it can deceive your heart)

Spend wholesome time with your family – turn off Facebook / T.V. / sit down with your family and talk – have bible study - game

Know you are never alone.

The LORD is always there watching (No Secret sin – YOU HAVE BEEN CAUGHT!)

Bask in His presence

All that you do, do it in remembrance of the Lord and what He has done for us.

These will help us draw near to God if we do them consciously but the goal is to be conformed to Christ.

Transformed life is the life of a child which is never conscious; we become so abandoned to God that the only thing we are conscious of is our dependency on God.

Conclusion: We have a heart problem diagnosed by Jesus – wicked to the core

Left untreated our prognosis is a life filled with brokenness/ sinfulness.

But it doesn’t have to be that way, what will you do?

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