A Perfect Heart (Part 2 Of 4) Series

Title: A Perfect Heart

Text: Psalms 101:2

Psalms 101:2 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.

Intro: I am not perfect, no matter how much Heather thinks that I am, I am not perfect. No one is perfect Paul said that “there is none righteous no not one.” But that does not mean that we cannot stand before God with a perfect heart. It is what God expects of us. So, what is a “Perfect Heart”? Is it doing the right thing?

II Chronicles 25:2 says that Amaziah did the right thing but not with a perfect heart. Having a perfect heart goes beyond just doing the right thing or saying the right thing.

I. A Heart That Has Been Touched By God

1 Samuel 10:26 And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched.

1. God is in the business of touching people

A. When you have been touched you will be changed.

- Jacob wrestled with God until he was touched

- No longer was he “deceiver” But now he was Israel, “Prince of God”

- He was never the same.

B. When God touches your heart

- You will not be the same

- Your whole lifestyle will changed

- You will be God centered rather than self centered

- No longer “I” but “HIM”

- You will hunger for the things of God

- You will desire to be in God’s presence

- You will desire to please God

C. When God touches your heart FEAR is gone

- NO FEAR

- God fills us with strength and courage to walk through the fire and trust that He will see us through.

- David knew that sustaining courage when he wrote “yea though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will FEAR NO evil for thou art with me.”

- Fear is one of Satan’s most powerful weapons

- Wants to make us worry and fret but I know who loves me and I gave my life to Him and He touched my heart

ILL. In the days of war the Japanese policeman who had absolute power said that within three days everyone in a certain Formosan mountain village must come to the police station and swear that he would not be a Christian, or he would be tied hand and foot, and stones tied to him, and he would be thrown from the high bridge into the rushing river below. The Christians met at midnight to decide what to do. Some said, "We’ll have to give it up. We cannot be Christians now. He will surely kill us."

Then a young boy arose. "But don’t you remember that Jesus said not to be afraid of those who can only kill the body, but to be afraid of those who kill body and soul? If he kills us, it will only be our bodies. Our souls will go to be with Jesus." They all said, "That’s true." When the vote was taken, every hand was raised--all voted to die. Next day the policeman laughed cruelly, and said, "Tomorrow you die."

Now the policeman liked to fish, and waded out into the river. A rock or tree in the current struck his leg and broke it. While the mountain people were praying, a messenger rushed in, and said, "The man who was to kill you tomorrow has been drowned in the river." --Child Evangelism

II. A Devoted Heart

1. Fixed on Christ

Psalms 57:7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.

2. One of the biggest problems in the church today is that many never make up their minds to follow Christ.

ILL. Like the donkey that died between two bales of hay undecided which way to go.

ILL. Need to be like Salmon trying to get up stream never giving up and even if they die trying they die with their heads pointing up stream.

3. Children of Israel at the death of Joshua said that they would follow God. Made their decision but never fixed it in their hearts or their children’s hearts.

ILL. The Community Orchestra

The conductor of the community orchestra was almost out of his mind. At every single rehearsal, there had been at least one member who had been missing.

Planning for a well organized concert was almost impossible. At the last rehearsal, he called for attention and said, "I would like to thank the first violinist for being the only member of the orchestra to attend every rehearsal." The violinist smiled shyly and humbly said to the conductor, "Well, it seemed the least I could do since I won’t be at the concert tonight." C. Welton Gaddy in SERMONS AND SERVICES FOR SPECIAL DAYS, Jack Gulledse, Ed. Convention, 1979.