10/8/23 Heart Transformation not behavior modification

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Intro - The two sides of the coin - The Doing and the Being

I have been listening to some sermons and podcasts about God looking at the heart

Then I had a conversation with a gal last week about her trying to figure out what’s next and what she is suppose to do next

Then we went to Friday night fire at Riverside Christian Center and Shane wanted me to share on Rev 2 and the church at Ephesus. Jesus commends that church for calling out false apostles and standing against those who are evil but then rebukes them for forgetting their first love.

When God starts highlighting a theme in your life you should pay attention.

Talking to a friend a long time ago and the statement she said -

So this morning I want to do a heart check. We can say we love God and want to walk in his ways but what does your heart say? Let’s look at Mark

Mark 7:21–23 ESV

21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

We can try and stop sinning, or stop being angry or stop being anxious and depressed but if we simply try to change the way we act we are treating the symptoms instead of the cause.

The starting point

When we get saved we know that we become born again. Old things have passed away, behold all things have become new.

Ezekiel 36:26 ESV

26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

So we start out with a new heart. Things are amazing but then life happens. If you are not careful your heart becomes clogged and you need to do some cleaning.

I think of it like going to the dentist.

There is a good chance that most of you have been saved for quite a while and you know right and wrong but if you are like me, you focus on that doing good instead of where your heart is.

Let’s look at what Jesus had to say to the “religious” people

Matthew 23:25–28 ESV

25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. 27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Dangerous prayer for a heart check

Psalm 139:23–24 ESV

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Protect your heart

You see we have to protect our hearts let’s look at a scripture.

Read Prov 4:23

Proverbs 4:23 ESV

23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

(nāṣar). vb. to guard, keep, watch, to prevent, to observe, to be besieged† — to be surrounded (by armed forces),to tend† — to have care of or look after. This verb primarily means “to guard.”

We know our weaknesses, what we struggle with. Guard yourself, put your shield up.

Worship team to come up

So what do we do if we find that we need to clean it up?

Psalm 51:10 ESV

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

How do we prevent it

Psalm 119:11 ESV

11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.