Pure In Heart Series

Sermon-Blessed are the Pure In Heart-Matt. 5:8

Read Sermon on the Mount

Pray

Cleaning room as kid-outward cleanliness-stuff it in closet & under bed etc. (still do that), not really clean just hiding the junk

That’s the point Christ is trying to make in the verse we are looking at tonight.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

In the same way that “poor in spirit” emphasized the type of poverty he was talking about (spiritual), pure in heart puts the emphasis on the type of purity that matters to God.

Lived in a religious climate that emphasized external cleanliness, the religious leaders of the day were the Pharisees, a name probably given to them by outsiders, which possibly meant “purist”. We know from ancient rabbinic text’s and the writings of Josephus that the Pharisees were meticulous in their following of the purity regulations given in the OT Law.

Went beyond the given law & took great pride in remaining ceremonially clean-ceremonial washing before every meal (not required under the law).

X making the point, ceremonial cleanliness will not get you into the presence of God, a pure/clean heart.

Ps. 24:1-6-Only one way to enter into the presence of God, be cleansed through the blood of Jesus X. Nothing we can do on our own.

My heart X’s home by Bob Munger

Metaphor of heart as a house

New believer follows X-invites Him into his home/ his heart

Begin relationship spending time w/ X regularly, plan his day, enjoy each others company.

One day, running late-see’s X and say’s I’m in a hurry, I’ll see you tomorrow, rush’s out the door-no time w/ X for several days

Begins to feel far from X, comes home one day and says “lord I’ve missed You.”

X says “I’ve missed you to.”

By the way, while you were gone I noticed that there was this horrible smell somewhere in the house, I went to investigate and found that it was coming from this room upstairs but the room was locked.”

The man says “Lord, I’ve given you may whole house, all I’ve kept for myself is that one room, can’t you just forget about it?

I can’t live in a house w/ that smell– we’ve got to get rid of it.

Actually I’ve tried to clean it up for along time but I don’t think I can

Will you give me permission to clean it up for you? Just give me the key and I’ll take care of it. And he did.

Think about your life-any rooms you need to clean out a closet you’ve tried to keep for yourself

Let him in-

Write it down-throw it in the trash, give it to him allow him to clean it up and keep it clean.