Blessed are the Pure in Heart
Upside Down Kingdom • Sermon • Submitted
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What do I want them to know? Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God and have an encounter with God
Why? We all want to see God
What do I want them to do? Be pure in heart (undivided) by Trusting (worship), Pressing On, Confessing, Praying, Protecting, and Fleeing
Why? You will see God
ME/WE
How do we see God? Or experience God? Have an encounter with God?
If you would have asked that question 2000 years ago at the time Jesus was giving this sermon they would have responded.....I know how you see God or have an encounter with God. It happens in one of three ways.
They would have said the way you connect with God is you need to.
Travel 70 miles south to Jerusalem to the temple, not just to the temple but to the Holy of Holies because that is where God resided.
SHOW PICTURES OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE NOW
But to enter the Holy of Holies you need to be a high priest and not only a high priest, but a high priest who has done the ritual purification…that you have performed the ritual purification, purifications such as taking a purification bath, performing the purification offering offer an animal a bull to cover your impurity, and you needed to take off the normal priestly garments and put on the clothes that were all white....This was such a big deal the ritual purification that if you it was done wrongly God would kill the high priest when he came into the Holy of Holies to meet with God and make atonement for the people’s sin.
The only way you could see God was to be a PURE High Priest.
Purity was a big deal
Nadab and Abihu
Nadab and Abihu
TENSION
Is this is not how we sometimes think today?
Pastors, priest, Pope’s they can see God, have an enconter with God. They have special access to God.
Or (in addition or it is opened up to those )
We think those who can see God, encounter God are those who are ritual pure....they are people who comes to church, tithe, pray, serve....outwardly they as pure as gold...
BUT IS THIS HOW THE KINGDOM OF GOD OPERATES AT THE TIME OF JESUS?
If you are a priest, pastor, or pope
Or if you are ritually pure, going to church, tithing, serving
NO
(notice none of these are bad things).
Why
A reality arose that the old system limits who can encounter God, you do not know how many times people say to me, when I am out in the public “Pastor can you pray for me because I know God can hear you.”
2. A huge problem arose before the time of Jesus, at the time of Jesus, and still exists today is that People where tying to cheat God’s the system (the ways of God)
What is the potential problem with what they are doing(that existed before Jesus, at the time of Jesus, and now)? You could be external pure, pure as gold, you could be the model externally speaking.…but internally your heart could be far from God, full of impurities, full of selfishness,
IN reality though externally they look pure outwardly, they were blinded them from seeing God, because God cares about the heart
- and you can do all these things but be blind
Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.
Jesus says a similar thing
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Jesus says, if you want to encounter me, see me, connect with me (see means not just to see with your eyes but to connect with God )
If you want to see God....it is available to anybody, not just priest, pastors, pope…in fact being a pastor, priest or pope does not grant you access… Jesus says
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Jesus says you want to know me, see me, connect with me…it is a availbe to anyone who has a? pure heart, not outward ritual purifications.....but in a pure heart eternally
God cares more about your heart being pure, caring internally over externally....WHY??
God knows and you know wherever has your heart has all of you....where your heart goes, your body follows
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE A PURE HEART?
Does a pure heart mean that we eat fruits and vegetables and stay after from candy? Is this what Jesus is saying.....people of Galilee eat your fruits and vegetables? NOPE
A pure heart means to have an undivided heart
People who have a pure heart are undivided.
There heart is set on Jesus and Jesus alone…not Jesus…that’s division....this is what happened then and happens today
Paul communicates what this means in Phil 3:12-14
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
If you heart is divided you ability to see God becomes cloudy at best, blind at worst in your ability to see God.
This hit beatitude hit me like a ton of bricks and gave me great hope when I gave my life fully to God.
Those who are pure in heart can see God.
HOW DO WE HAVE A PURE HEART? HOW DO WE BECOME UNDIVIDED? 1. There is active role we have in cultivating a pure heart, where we learn to cultivate a pure heart (I am going to talk about that first )
2. There is a receiving role we play, and it is only through the receiving something that we can live into the active role
HOW DO WE HAVE PURE HEART an UNDIVIDED HEART?
4 Ways
It starts with TRUSTING THE LORD
TRUST THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART
Jesus is like air for you…That your heart completely trust…put my whole trust in Jesus .
To be undivided in your heart is starts by giving your HEARTS TRUST TO GOD...
BUT WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE TO TRUST GOD
Prov 3 shows us 3 ways
Prov 3 spells this out in more detail.
First way we show TRUST in PROV 3 says
My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,
for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.
A pure heart trust the LORD’S COMMANDS....whatever the word of God says I will do, even when I do not like it because of my flesh to sin and even when I do not understand it.
He said it, He is good.
We start to become divided when we take cut out parts of the word of God we do not like...
What is popular today and popular back then was to create your own Bible…They had the Mishnia. .. We create our scripture and our own God....what God do you trust? this one, it has the parts I do not like, and I have added the book 10th Peter
When we do this we have divided heart and cannot see God…WE can see the God we created.
Those who are pure in heart are people who say “What God says I will do because in He is good, and His words bring life.”
2. Those who trust God with their heart are also those who love God with their whole heart, not like how we love our favorite food, but a faithful abiding and evident love
When people look at your people say that person is a lover of God.
Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.
How do we know if we love God? Do the love God test....it is a starting point
Ask 3 questions
Where do I spend my time? What do I spend time doing? Is God apart of that?…I my time spent doing only the things I want?
What do I think about? Is God in your thoughts? or is he or she, or that thing in your thoughts more
Where do I spend God’s money (all the money you have is from God)? Do we give a 10th back to Him? Or do we kee pit all
MONEY IS NOT AN IDOL…MONEY REVEALS WHAT YOU WORSHIP
COVICITON IS A COURSE CORRECTION
But it is a course correction on to the path of purity, purity in heart
Trust His Commands
Love Home
3rd way Prov shows us have to TRUST IS THE LORD’S LEADING, WHICH SOMETIMES DO NOT MAKE SENSE with HUMAN EYES
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
I am not going to be divided but true
Where you GO I’LL GO,
I was reminded and convicted this week, through scripture, Holy Spirit, and friends that my heart was moving in the direction of being about Pete’s kingdom.
I was becoming a little divided.
And what do I when this happens or what do you do when you start to see your heart become divided.....you look at means to be undivided and pure and say I am not that.
Do you sit and shame? Is this what God wants for you? Shame?
Do you say its over for me I cannot do it? I am not God enough for God....
This is where some people land I tried Christianity and I could n’t do it....hears the deal, no one can....we all fall short
The God News with God is God is not the God who says welp....it’s over for you,....He is the God of second chances, and third chances....and not only that He is the God we can pray and confess to help us return to purity of heart.
Look what David prays in Ps 51:10 after
- David prays this prayer after his heart was impure by having an affair with Bathsheba…had Bathsheba’s husband Uria murder....God I have fallen
2. Prayer and Confess
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
What does God do?
He purifies David’s heart
God throughout the Bible to His people says if they CRY out to me, call out with their heart (not actions) to me in confession and repentance that He will act.
if we say God
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
God will act
What is said of David even today? He was a man after God’s heart
He was a man who trusted the Lord and confessed when His heart was not right.
And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’
3. People with Pure Hearts Preserver…We do not just confess. We get back up after our heart has been divided.
We put the past behind us. We learn from it.
We praise God that our sins have been forgiven
as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
Then we do what Paul says
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
This is what David did after Bathsheba…he got back up and was
This is what Paul did, Paul did not wallow in his past sins of being complicit with murder…he got back up
This is what God is calling some of you to do…get back up…God has forgiven you…FOLLOW HIM
This side of heaven we will do this over and over…God says you have been forgiven, get back up.
Don’t be divided by what you did, rejoice in what has done in your life.
4. To have Pure Heat we need to protect the heart…and flee from sin
Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.
Our hearts left to themselves can be like a kid in a candy store
We need to protect our hearts from what we watch, what we see, what we hear.
We are not ment to watch, see, and hear everything. Our hearts are not strong enough.
Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”
We think I can go see that girl and not be tempted, hear that music, watch that movie, listen to that Podcast and not be changed.
We all would like to think we are so strong....those who are the strongest in the faith who realize they weak in and of themselves.
We are seeing the testimony of this…People have ridiculed Billy Grah2
am for having such high standards....he does not go to dinner with woman who are not his wife or family…he would not even get on a elevator with a woman alone…that’s high standard…but Billy knew what was at stake, his ablity to see God.
and give no opportunity to the devil.
If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”
We have witnessed over the past 20 years ministry leader after ministry leader fall into moral failure.
Some times we need to not just protect but we need flee…It is not putting armor on but running shoes.
So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.
My addiction to pornography back in the day…part of my healing was fleeing....It was not remaining home alone by myself as an 18 year old....my first step in recover was flee....
This true with some of our temptation…We need to run! To have a pure heart.
Our active role in having a pure heart
TRUSTING THE LORD
PRAYING AND CONFESSING
PEREVERING (GETTING BACK UP)
PROTECTING THE HEART AND FLEEING FROM SIN
GOSPEL
And the only reason we are able to play an active role in our purification is because through Jesus the great high priest, who enters the holy of holies and tears the vail to the holy of holies that anyone can have access and see God has given us a new heart, not of stone, but of flesh
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.
Heb 9:11-10:18
But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation)
he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh,
how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.
For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established.
For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive.
Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood.
For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,
saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.”
And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship.
Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.
Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own,
for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,
so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.
Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins?
But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.
For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me;
in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.
Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’ ”
When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law),
then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second.
And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,
waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.
For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,”
then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.