SF455 - THE HEART OF THE MATTER (Matthew 5 8)
SF455
THE HEART OF THE MATTER
Matthew 5:1-10 key v. 8
INTRODUCTION
Series Background
“The Attitudes that Ought to Be”
“Blessed” = satisfied, secured, complete, full of joy
Guiding principles
Ø All Christians are to be like this.
Ø All Christians are to have all of these characteristics.
Ø These are supernatural in origin.
Ø These show the difference between Christians and non-Christians.
Ø Jesus is more interested in who I am than what I have.
Sermon Background
Someone has said...
A child rejoices in what he has
A youth rejoices in what he does
An adult rejoices in what he is
Jesus wants us to be more concerned about our character than our possessions.
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Definitions
“Pure” - to purge, cleanse
Used to describe the refining process to be unmixed, single-minded
(Matthew 6:24) ""No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
(James 4:4) "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."
“Heart” - The center of the personality, the
control center of the mind, will and emotions!
(Proverbs 4:23) "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."
(Luke 6:45) "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks."
“See” - Emphasis is on fellowship, experience - not just physical sight.
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1A. THE PLEA FOR PURITY
1B. Because Of Man’s Sinfulness
Jeremiah 17:9-10
1C. The heart is deceptive (v.9)
“deceptive” = same word for Jacob
2C. The heart is diseased (v.9b)
Matthew 15:18-20
2B. Based On God’s Standard
(Matthew 5:48) "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
(Psalms 24:3-4) "Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? {4} He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false."
(Psalms 73:1) ".... Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart."
(Matthew 23:25-26) ""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. {26} Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean."
(1 Samuel 15:22) "But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams."
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2A. THE PLAN FOR PURITY
1B. Seek God Cleansing and Power
1C. Recognize your weakness
(Proverbs 20:9) "Who can say, "I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin"?"
(2 Corinthians 7:1) "..., let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."
2C. Go to God in humility
(Psalms 27:8) "My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek."
(Psalms 51:10) "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."
(James 4:8) "Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."
(Hebrews 9:14) "How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!"
2B. Stay In God’s Word
(John 15:3) "You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you."
(1 Peter 1:22) "Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth ..."
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3B. Submit To The Leadership Of The Holy Spirit
(Galatians 5:16) "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature."
(James 1:27) "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
4B. Spend Quality Time In Prayer
(Ephesians 6:18) "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."
(Luke 18:1) "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up."
(1 Thessalonians 5:17) "pray continually;"
3A. THE PRODUCT OF PURITY
“they will see God!”
1B. A Living Perception
(Acts 17:28) "'For in him we live and move and have our being.'..."
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2B. A Living Presence
(1 Corinthians 3:16) "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?"
(Galatians 2:20) "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. ..."
3B. A Living Precept
(Hebrews 4:12) "For the word of God is living and active. ... it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
Nice Palace But No King
The favorite wife of the Mogul emperor Shah Jahan died. Devastated, he resolved to honor her by construction a temple that would serve as her tomb. Her coffin was placed in the center of a large parcel of land, and construction of the temple began around it. No expense would be spared to make her final resting place magnificent.
But as the weeks turned into months, the Shah’s grief was eclipsed by his passion for the project. He no longer mourned her absence. One day, while walking from son side of the construction site to the other, his leg bumped against a wooden box. The prince brushed the dust off his leg and ordered the worker to throw the box out.
Shah Jahan didn’t know he had ordered the disposal of the coffin - now forgotten - hidden beneath layers of dust. The one the temple was intended to honor was forgotten, but the temple was erected anyway.
Today what do you see? The Temple or The Savior?
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APPLICATION
(Jeremiah 24:7) "I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart."
(1 John 1:9) "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."