Clean Inside
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
The heart is desperately wicked; our hearts are seeking to do what’s wrong. This is not the way we like to see ourselves, especially as Bible carrying Christians. We like to believe that we are good and are capable of Good Deeds, Good things, and participate in Good Causes.
That is precisely whats wrongs with our Bible Belt southern Christianity. Our worldview forces us to think that we are something the Bible says we are not. It’s not what the Dells or the Five Heartbeats say: “A heart is a house for love . . .” There’s much that has to be done to get to this point .. . .
We must see ourselves according to what the Bible says, for us to understand our condition
A few passages that talk about the condition of our heart:
The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.
There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”
For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
The scriptures are replete with warnings about the condition of our hearts; however we are ok with glossing over and living life in a superficial Spiritual Bubble, and are not in touch with reality.
All of us have sinned, all of us have fallen short. . many of us have surrendered to Jesus and have been justified by faith; however our hearts are not operating at full capacity and some of us need to have a valve replacement while others need full blown heart operations to get us in line with the Word of God.
Our hearts are evil.
One scholar said many years ago, that are hearts are idol factories. This is nothing new for us at Brown. Our hearts are making idols all the time; this is one way that makes our hearts evil and wicked.
We make idols out of anything: people, places, ideas and this causes us to take our eyes off the Lord.
Our hearts are so bad that even our actions and motives are not pure; many times because their are Agendas attached to everything we do.
I remember years and years ago attended a funeral of a family member of leader I served with on a board in the city. I didn’t personally know his mother but wanted to be there to support the family as they grieved. As I am heading there, my phone rang and I had a discussion with another who was contemplating on whether/not they should attend.
Finally, the person said they would attend because it might assist with making a good impression and possibly upward mobility with the company.
By that conversation my impression; although I can’t peer into his heart, is that he went with the wrong intentions and the wrong motivation.
Jesus says only the Pure in Heart shall see God, our hope is to investigate this in order to to develop a framework for a pure heart.
The Sermon on the Mount calls us to a different way of living, those who are Pure in Heart shall See God.
What does is mean to have a Pure heart?
This is a hard question; i have pondered all week all morning on what it means and how this plays out in our lives. The answer is important because this attribute lived out with the other beatitudes allows us to see God.
How do we develop a pure heart; is it even capable to be done? In my short time here on this earth; i have come to the conclusion No. . . We alone can’t produce a Pure heart. The Bible shows us time and time again; that our natural bent in life is against God. Paul, in Ephesians 2 calls us children of wrath from birth. Isaiah 64 tells us that all of righteousness is filthy before a Holy God.
Romans 3:10 maintains that none are righteous not even one. So, no we can’t cultivate a pure heart in the same way Steph Curry and Diana Terassi develop their pure jumpshot. Or the Way Sabrina Williams developed her dominance on the Tennis court; or Alice Ball and her efforts to develop a cure for leprosy ; or How Oprah changed talk show and entertainment history.
These individuals worked on their craft and developed greatness. Our hearts need help from Someone else.
Jesus gives us a task that is outside of our ability without his gracious help.
Remember God’s words:
Ezekiel records God’s words:
“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” (36:25, 26)
Hence Jesus’ warning:
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” (Matthew 23:25–28)
We desperately need God to Clean us from the Inside Out.
The Heart- the heart represents more than the seat of emotions; it refers to one’s innermost being, that which shapes a person’s life.
heart means more than just the mind; it also includes the emotions and the will. It is the totality of our ability to think, feel, and decide.
So “pure in heart” means that not only our minds but our feelings and actions are to be concentrated singly on God. If our focus is merely intellectual, we are not pure in heart.
The great tragedy in the Church is that many have been trained to only have an intellectual understanding of God. Its memorizing facts, scriptures. . its having a handle on fine points of Theology. . Its knowing what to “say when praying”. . . . .
. . . . . its being able to sing of the grace and mercy of God and not fully experiencing or extending it to others.
The novel corona-virus has unearth many deficits in our lives; as I scroll through social media I am reminded of “christians” who only have a Intellectual knowledge: it shows in a lack of compassion for others, being overly critical on issues school districts are trying to figure out for our kids,
I see many white-washed tombs
3 points on having a clean heart
Desire for God
Create in me a clean heart
The saints of old would say “i need thee O, I need thee, every hour I need thee. . O bless me now my savior.”
“Cast me not oh gentle savior, hear my humble cry”
“Without Him, I would be nothing without him, I would fail, without him life would be nothing like a ship without a sail.”
The old saints had a desire for God, knowing that without His powerful presence in their life they would be in utter despair.
They gleaned from the life and pen of david who gave us a glimpse into our desire for God and what that looks like.
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.
do you desire God? Do you desire God more than the things in this life?
Devotion to God
Bless the Lord, oh my soul and all that is within me
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
Deeds to God’s People
Do good to all, especially those in the household of faith
So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
serve others