The Heart: The Realm of Christ's Kingdom

The Heart: The Realm of Christ’s Kingdom

Matthew 13:10-17, 19, 23

Luke 8:15 NKJV - "But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.

Part One: The Importance of the Heart

The Heart is Important for Our...

PURPOSE. Eccl. 2:3; Prov. 4:23

Ecclesiastes 2:3 NKJV - I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives.

Solomon understood that self-gratification gave no true fulfillment to his heart.

Our hearts are made so that we seek to have a PURPOSE in life.

Proverbs 4:23 NKJV - Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.

LIFE. Eph. 3:17-19

Ephesians 3:17-19 NKJV - that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

REPENTANCE. Deut. 4:25-29; Acts 8:21; Heb. 8:10

Deuteronomy 4:25-29 NKJV - "When you beget children and grandchildren and have grown old in the land, and act corruptly and make a carved image in the form of anything, and do evil in the sight of the LORD your God to provoke Him to anger, "I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you will soon utterly perish from the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess; you will not prolong your days in it, but will be utterly destroyed. "And the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the LORD will drive you. "And there you will serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. "But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Acts 8:21 NKJV - "You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God.

Hebrews 8:10 NKJV - "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

JUDGMENT. Rom. 2:3-6

Romans 2:3-6 NKJV - And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who "will render to each one according to his deeds":

David’s Heart

David was called according to his heart. 1 Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22

1 Samuel 13:14 NKJV - "But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you."

Acts 13:22 NKJV - "And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.'

David focused upon the heart. 1 Chron. 29:17-29

1 Chronicles 29:17-19 NKJV - "I know also, my God, that You test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things; and now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here to offer willingly to You. "O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the intent of the thoughts of the heart of Your people, and fix their heart toward You. "And give my son Solomon a loyal heart to keep Your commandments and Your testimonies and Your statutes, to do all these things, and to build the temple for which I have made provision."

Israel did not follow God with their whole heart Jer. 3:10; Matt. 23:27

Jeremiah 3:10 NKJV - "And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense," says the LORD.

Matthew 23:27 NKJV - "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.

God Intends to Reign in our Hearts

God’s Desire - 1 John 2:15-17; 2 Cor, 10:5; Deut. 6:5

From the beginning, it has never been God’s plan to institutionalize morality, benevolence, or social improvement. It has always been His purpose to SAVE man by “conversion” (a change of HEART) and, through the changes in INDIVIDUAL subjects, bring improvements in the overall human condition.

Once men “came short of the glory of God” and brought a curse upon both man and earth, the ultimate purpose He instilled in man was to go to HEAVEN, not make the world a better place! In fact, He warns His disciples to not become too attached to the world

1 John 2:15-17 NKJV - Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

The time long aim of God has always been to be sanctified in the human heart.

2 Corinthians 10:5 NKJV - casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

Deuteronomy 6:5 NKJV - "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

Human viewpoints are in Conflict with the Godly Heart.

There are two world views in conflict here, and it is seen significantly among brethren in the sort of activity they propose.

Institutionally-minded brethren are involved in collective efforts to rehabilitate drug addicts, divorcees, and disfunctional families (all worthy goals within the context of life on earth, but not fundamental to either the collective’s or individual’s true ambition for mankind)

Even in their functions the earthly and carnal appeals are prominent (“fellowship” dinners, theatrical dramas, appeal to sensuality even in worship –dim lights, hold hands, “feel good” efforts, etc.)

For those whose ambition is to please God (2 Cor 5:9), and go to a home in heaven, rather than “get in touch with themselves”, and do “busy work” that makes them feel good, they seek to grow in knowledge and understanding, to develop and enhance a spiritual heart and life, and strengthen themselves to endure and profit from the trials of life.

This is the wrong emphasis for the heart because:

It emphasizes the carnal over the spiritual, and makes earthly improvement the goal

It ignores God’s emphasis

It focuses on human achievement, rather than exalting God

It minimizes the VALUE of adversity as an avenue for growth, and fails to

Encourage enduring THROUGH them, rather than seeking prematurely to be removed from them.

God appeals to our hearts. Lk. 14:24-33

In practical terms, both the focus of God’s appeal, and the demands He makes upon men, are directed toward the heart:

Generally speaking, God’s plan is to prepare and persuade the human heart to “conversion”, and willing submission to the rule of God:

In preparation, God does not appeal to “easy”!

Calls upon man to “count the cost” Lk 14:24-33 Read!

Consider the difficulty of “the strait and narrow way” – Mt 7:13,14

Deny all earthly priorities!

Through the life and teaching of Christ, demands a high and inflexible standard for discipleship. (Cf. Mt 15 – woman of Canaan)

Makes it clear that the life of a disciple involves hardship, sacrifice, self-denial and persecution. Matt 5:10-12; 2 Tim 3:12, 13

Allows nothing (even the NECESSITIES OF LIFE) to be considered before serving God – Mt 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

The Christian’s relationship and service makes the Heart integral. Matt. 15:7-9

In speaking of the service of His people even before the kingdom came, Christ distinguished “heart” service from “lip” service:

Matthew 15:7-9 NKJV - "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"

Based on who Jesus is, and what He has done for each one of us, He will not let us (and we should not “settle” for less) be anything other than TOTALLY submissive to Him, WITH ALL OUR HEART!

Many of our hymns have caught the essence of the separated life:

“ALL to Jesus I surrender”

“Jesus is ALL the world to me”

“None of Self, and ALL of Thee”

“He’s My King”

“Living For Jesus”

Do we really think about such as we sing them? Do we really mean them?

God can cleanse our Hearts

Salvation BEGINS with the heart. Acts 15:9; Rom. 10:9-10

Acts 15:9 NKJV - "and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

Romans 10:9-10 NKJV - that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Faith is how the heart is purified. Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:8-9; James 2:21-24; Col. 3:15

By teaching the evidence for faith, and commanding the act of faith, the Spirit purified the “heart” of those who would be disciples.

Sometimes the word “faith” is used comprehensively – that is, it is a term which describes the WHOLE process of conversion:

Romans 5:1 NKJV - Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

b) Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV - For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

From this perspective, “faith” is THE condition of forgiveness. But, this “faith” includes the actions which “faith” demands. In other words, it is a “faith” that includes the “works of faith”. (Gal 5:6).

When he speaks of a mere mental attitude, God is careful to point out that this is not sufficient.

James 2:21-24 NKJV - Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

5. Faith in God brings peace to our hearts.

a) Learned in proper purity.

b) Colossians 3:15 NKJV - And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

God uses reason and testimony to bring about faith. Rom. 10:17; Lk. 24:25-27

Romans 10:17 NKJV - So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Luke 24:25-27 NKJV - Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! "Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

NOT a supernatural event, but a clear explaining of everything concerning the prophecies of the Messiah and how they are fulfilled in Him.

God’s appeal expressed throughout time: Ps. 147:3; Is. 61:1; Lk. 4:18; Acts 16:14

Psalm 147:3 NKJV - He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.

2. Isaiah 61:1 NKJV - "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

3. Luke 4:18 NKJV - "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

4. Acts 16:14 NKJV - Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.

The condition of the heart determines our response. Acts 2:36,37; 7:54-57; Gen. 22:12; Acts 15:9; 1 Pet. 1:22; Rom. 6:17-18

It is worthwhile to point out that the condition of the heart makes all the difference when it is impacted by the gospel.

Lydia was taught nothing by Paul that he did not teach in other places. That message caused her to respond by obedience.

The same message that softened the hearts of those on Pentecost (Acts 2:36,37) stopped the ears of those to whom Stephen preached (Ac 7:54-57).

The gospel works from two different aspects in conversion:

It reveals the condition of the heart which (the “honest and good heart”) will receive the seed, enabling it to be fruitful. Thus, by looking at the fruit of conversion, we can see which heart is an “honest and good” one. God himself uses this standard to determine which hearts belong to “kingdom people”.

Genesis 22:12 NKJV - And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."

For the “honest and good heart” it brings about obedience, and brings forth fruit.

One “believes” with the heart (Romans 10:9-10).

The heart is purified by faith.

Acts 15:9 NKJV - "and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

1 Peter 1:22 NKJV - Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,

Gospel obedience is rendered from the heart

Romans 6:17-18 NKJV - But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

None of this is possible if we have a mindset against God. Lk. 12:10; Rom. 1:20-21

Luke 12:10 NKJV - "And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.

Romans 1:20-21 NKJV - For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

We can corrupt our hearts

Our hearts can grieve God. Gen. 6:6; Ex. 14:8

Genesis 6:6 NKJV - And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

Exodus 14:8 NKJV - And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness.

We can harm the hearts of others! Lev. 19:17; Ps. 73:13-14; Gal. 1:23; 2 Tim. 2:18

Leviticus 19:17 NKJV - 'You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.

Psalm 73:13-14 NKJV - Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, And washed my hands in innocence. For all day long I have been plagued, And chastened every morning.

Galatians 1:23 NKJV - But they were hearing only, "He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy."

Recall inter-relationship of the heart and faith!

2 Timothy 2:18 NKJV - who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some.

Your heart is exposed by your actions. Matt. 12:33-36; 15:7-9

1. Matthew 12:33-36 NKJV - "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. "Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

Matthew 15:7-9 NKJV - "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' "

Suggestions for the Heart

Make sure to have an “honest and good” heart! Matt. 15:15-20

Matthew 15:15-20 NKJV - Then Peter answered and said to Him, "Explain this parable to us." So Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding? "Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. "These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."

Determine that you will not allow anything but God’s word to inform you about your heart! Ps. 119:11

Psalm 119:11 NKJV - Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

“my parent’s religion is good enough for me...” “people are nice, friendly, and helpful”

We say these things instead of considering the real heart of the issue - the doctrine and practice of a group. We must measure it by the word of God.

Continue to seek the true seed, the pure “word of the kingdom”. Acts 11:23

Acts 11:23 When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.

Know your purpose! Prov. 20:5; 19:21

1. Proverbs 20:5 NKJV - Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, But a man of understanding will draw it out.

2. Proverbs 19:21 NKJV - There are many plans in a man's heart, Nevertheless the LORD's counsel--that will stand.