Blessed Are The Pure In Heart Series

BE-Attitudes

Blessed are the Pure in Heart Sunday AM

Trans: We’re in a series focusing on the (8) attitudes Jesus said we’re to have as His disciples. Each of these attitudes determines our altitude. They testify to our disposition and determination in life. Jesus offered these be-attitudes to remind us that God isn’t focused on man’s outward performance but w/ what is on the inside.

Trans: This AM we’re going to look at the next attitude – blessed are the pure in heart...

Word: Blessed – fortunate or happy. We some times think of happiness is an experience of elation fueled by feelings and circumstances, but Jesus says that it is – to have an inward contentedness unaffected by surrounding conditions. It’s to be graciously approved by God and to receive the applause of heaven.

Quote: To be blessed isn’t a superficial feeling of well-being based on circumstances, but a deep supernatural experience of contentedness based on the fact that one’s life is right w/ God. MacArthur

I The CONDITION

A The CALL to Purity

Word: Pure (katharos) from catharsis meaning to cleanse one’s mind and emotions.

Note: Scholars suggest the word has (2) meanings. (1) To make pure by cleansing from dirt, filth, or contamination like metals being refined by fire until they were free from impurities. (2) It refers to being unmixed, having no double allegiance.

Quote: The basic idea is of integrity, singleness of heart, as opposed to duplicity, or a divided heart. Wiersbe

Note: Purity isn’t just being clean; it is to be single-minded and intentionally focused. In this instance, God wants us to be focused on His kingdom and righteousness.

Verse: 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. Mt. 6:24

Note: Put these (2) definitions together. A person w/ a passion for purity is one who has been cleansed in his character so that the way he looks in public is the way he is in private. You’re just like Jesus even when no one is watching.

Story: A deacon and son were driving down a country road and saw a watermelon patch a little way off the highway. The deacon told his son to keep a lookout while he went to get a melon. He snuck into the patch, took a melon and called to the boy, "Is anyone coming? Look both ways." The boy wisely responded, "But Daddy, shouldn’t we look up too?" Our Daily Bread, 6.18.99

Note: Having a pure heart is to be so close to God that we don’t have to look up to see if he’s watching. It means we have a personal relationship w/ God and we only have to look w/in our heart to see Him.

Verse: Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? 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. Ps. 24:3-4

Insert: (1) DIVINE Purity – This is the holiness belonging solely to God and is intrinsic in His nature. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty. Is. 6:3

(2) CREATED Purity. When God first created the world, everything was pure and good. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. Gen. 1:31

(3) POSITIONAL Purity. Once a person is saved, the purity of Jesus is accredited to him, and God sees him as robed w/ the righteousness of Christ. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Cr. 5:21

(4) ACTUAL Purity. It’s not just a declaration of God that we’re pure; it’s also a reality by the deposit of God’s Spirit into our lives. If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old is gone, behold, all things become new. 2 Cr. 5:17

(5) PRACTICAL Purity. Here’s the challenge – it is at this point that we must live out our lives in purity. We live responsibly and obediently before God. Since we have these promises, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. 2 Cr. 7:1

(6) FINAL Purity. A day is coming when Christians will be totally cleansed and purified – standing holy before God. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 1 Jn. 3:2 (MacArthur Com.)

Trans: Jesus didn’t say, “Blessed are the pure, for they will see God,” If he had then the religious would’ve been happy b/c they were experts at outward purity. They had all sorts of rules on what to eat, wear, and how far you could walk on the Sabbath. They did everything trying to make the outside look good, but they covering up the inside.