Breastplate Of Righteousness Series

Breastplate of Righteousness

Ephesians 6:10-14, John 3:16, Isaiah 11:1-5, 59:12-17, 1 Thessalonians 5:8, 2 Corinthians 11-13

March 14, 2004

I. Living in the world that we do we hear a lot about heart disease.

A. There are many organs in the body that medical science has made us able to live without.

B. I have personally given up my Gall Bladder, others live without their Pancreas, and part of their intestines.

C. But the heart isn’t something that we can live without.

D. Heart disease is one of the major causes of death for Americans and there is no doubt that we are a society that struggles with heart disease.

E. Our bodies are hindered or just can’t function correctly with a diseased heart.

F. In the same way the life of a Christian is non-functional if the heart isn’t right.

G. The Hebrew people, way before the advances that we have in medicine saw the heart as vital to life.

H. The word heart at the time the bible was written had a lot of different uses and a lot of that has carried over to today.

I. It’s funny how we think that the things that we hear are new or are only a result of our time or our knowledge when many times they are nothing more than a carry over from a past time.

J. There are a lot of things that we associate with the word heart that came from a long time back. The word heart was used to describe a lot of things about a person.

K. The heart was seen as the core of a person, and it really is. Without the heart the rest of the body can’t be fed and kept alive.

L. But, in the bible the word heart was used to describe a person’s physical being. In other words they saw the heart as the thing that made life possible.

M. But, the heart was also associated with a their personality.

N. How many times have you heard somebody say another person is big hearted, hard hearted, cold hearted or soft hearted.

O. This isn’t anything new to us. People have been saying it for hundreds and thousands of years. Maybe just in different way.

P. The word heart in the bible was many times used to describe someone’s emotions.

Q. Have you ever heard someone say that something tugged at their heart.

R. Or that something tugged at their heart strings.

S. And why do we give heart shaped boxes of candy on Valentines day. Because the heart represents emotions.

II. The Jews also saw the heart as the seat of the intellect that’s a fancy way of saying it is a part of our thinking, effecting how decisions are made.

A. How bout the phrase let your heart be your guide?

B. The heart was seen as a part of a persons will.

C. When I played football my coaches said I had heart.

D. I wouldn’t give up! My heart was in it. I was tenacious. I would never quit. No matter what the score was I wouldn’t stop trying to win until there was no time left on the clock. The heart was associated with the will.

E. Our heart was also used to describe our relationship with God.

F. Today we still say, Jesus has come into our heart.

G. Our heart has a lot to do with who we are.

H. Our hearts are a vital part of what we are! Change slide and leave it up for a while.

III. Why does this armor have a extra thick place right here?

A. Because, a body can’t function without a heart. It’s important and needs to be protected.

B. In the Old Testament there are only a few places that the word heart actually refers to the organ in the body that pumps blood.

C. But, there are 854 places that it means something to do with what the person is!

D. The heart was used to describe the psychological and emotional or physical or spiritual condition of a person many times.

E. In relation to peoples problems what do you hear about more than anything today? You hear about health problems, psychological problems, emotional problems.

F. God made sure in the bible that we know that these things are associated with the condition of our hearts.

G. The condition of our heart plays an important role in coping with life. That is why it has to be protected!

(Eph 6:10-14 NIV) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,