Purity of Heart

Happy Valentine’s Day - This Friday February 14th

Anyone know the history of Valentine’s Day? (take a few answers from the audience).

Back in 496…that’s the year 496…not an area code…St. Valentine was martyred for marrying persecuted Christians.

There is also another story that says he prayed for the daughter of his jailor and she was healed.

Another story says right before he was executed, he wrote a letter to the girl that was healed and signed it “My Valentine”.

Candy remains the most popular gift and online is the top shopping destination for Valentine’s.

27.5 Billion will be spent

While some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death or burial—which probably occurred around A.D. 270—others claim that the Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February in an effort to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of 

Lupercalia

Celebrated at the ides of February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

We even have the cheesy cards - that kids give out

So why does this matter?

Because God wants our whole heart!

Who wants some chips?

Now just think of this bag of chips as the heart - how many hands went into the bag, how many chips were given away?

You might think what does this have to do with the heart?

How much of your heart you have given away?

In Exodus 20:1–3 “Then God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before Me.”

God is a Jealous God and He wants to be first in our lives !

This is before everything.

As you your reaching your hand in the bag to get a chip - I was willing to give some away, but the more I gave away the more I did not have to give to the Lord.

How we give our heart away -

To the love of sports

To the love of self

To the love of money

To the love of things / clothing?

To the love another

Now those things by themselves not necessarily an evil but when it gets in the way of God being #1 in your life.

To the love of sports willing to say to no to a practice or game when service is going on?

To the love of things/clothing willing to spend money on self but not give to God?

To the love in a relationship - does that come before God?

In Revelation and John is writing to the 7 churches that Jesus spoke to him, we see what is said to the church of Ephesus.

Bible: Revelation 2:1–7

Read Revelation 2:1-7.

Jesus is saying I know your works, your labor, and your patience. They are doing a good thing. You do not like evil. But then the word Nevertheless......

2:4. In spite of the many areas of commendations, the church in Ephesus was soundly rebuked: Yet I hold this against you: you have forsaken your first love.

The order of words in the Greek is emphatic; the clause could be translated, “Your first love you have left.”

Christ used the word agapēn, speaking of the deep kind of love that God has for people.

This rebuke contrasts with what Paul wrote the Ephesians 35 years earlier, that he never stopped giving thanks for them because of their faith in Christ and their love (agapēn) for the saints (Eph. 1:15–16).

Most of the Ephesian Christians were now second-generation believers, and though they had retained purity of doctrine and life and had maintained a high level of service,

they were lacking in deep devotion to Christ.

This warning to us today

Christ wants believers’ hearts as well as their hands and heads.

But the passion was gone. / We have given our hearts to other things that take the place of God.

Are you passionate for God right now, or are you merely doing what you always do? 

Do you love to hear His word? 

Do you love to share His truth with others? 

Do you want to see others come to Him because they need what he has to offer?

On the outside, everything looks great and wonderful at this church in Ephesus, but God can see what we can’t, and that is the heart.

1 Samuel 16:7 “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.””

Jeremiah 17:10 ““I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.”

But if God were to look at your heart, what would he say?

We can not replace what we have given away but we can ask God for:

Forgiveness - 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

A Clean heart - Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

Give a daily sacrifice - Romans 12:1 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

Avoid temptation - Matthew 6:13 “‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’”

Ask for pure heart - James 4:8 “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

Finally guard your heart - Proverbs 4:23 “Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.”

(Note: This is a lesson the church needs to learn today. When we look for leaders, we often seek those who possess certain characteristics that we think spell success and ability. We look for people of influence, power, intelligence and means. God, however, looks for people of integrity and character. He wants people who are faithful and holy. What a contrast! God is not nearly as impressed with people’s achievements as we are. He is not concerned about the beauty of our outward man. He is caught up in the condition of our heart!