HAVE A HEALTHY HEART (Outline)
August 24, 2008 --
PENTECOST 15 --
Mark 7:1-8
INTRO: How is your heart? Today, more than ever people are keenly aware of the importance of having a healthy heart. Exercise helps our hearts to be healthy. Beyond that there is medicine or even procedures that help our hearts. Physically speaking we do not always know when we are sick. Spiritually speaking we know that our hearts are always infected with sin. This is the simple truth of the Scriptures. Jesus was often taken to task because of his association with “sinners”. "Jesus answered them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance’"(LUKE 5:31). Sin-sick hearts always need help. Once again Jesus calls us sinners to repentance.
HAVE A HEALTHY HEART.
I. Recognize our problems.
II. Recognize God’s solution.
I. RECOGNIZE OUR PROBLEMS
A. We note the determination of Jesus’ enemies to confront him, verse 1. They came from Jerusalem.
1. Jesus was teaching near Capernaum. This was 70 miles from Jerusalem.
2. These church leaders walked a week in order to condemn Jesus not commend him.
B. Verse 2. The Pharisees were upset that the disciples ate with unwashed, unclean hands.
1. Washing hands before meals to be clean was the Pharisees’ teaching, verse 3.
2. Verse 4. The word “washing” gives us our word for baptizing.
a. Cup, pitchers were immersed. b. Kettles were not immersed but wiped with water.
C. Verse 5. The Pharisees finally challenge Jesus with “why”. They thought to have Jesus trapped.
1. The Pharisees did not recognize their own problems – faith was a matter of the heart.
2. Problem: They valued traditions of men more than the teachings of God’s word.
3. Problem: It was what was on the inside that made one unclean, not the outside.
D. Mankind still faces the same problems today. Many look only at exterior appearances. But inside our hearts are only evil all the time. This is not a pleasant message to hear. But it is the truth. There is no one who can do good, not one. All our righteous acts are like filthy rags. The imagination of our hearts is only evil all the time. Our hearts cause us problem after problem because of the infection of sin. "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander" (MATTHEW 15:19). These sins of our hearts reveal themselves in our words and actions.
E. On this side of heaven there is not one person who can escape the effect of sin. Our every waking moment is tainted with sin because of our sinful hearts and flesh. We think terrible thoughts, utter worthless words, and act with evil intent. Again, not pleasant to hear but it is the problem we face daily. Unless we see and admit our problem we will never recognize that we need a cure. On our own and by ourselves we are completely corrupt. "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out"(ROMANS 7:18). This is our problem.
F. We live in a society that places great emphasis on the wisdom of man rather than God. At times, worldly wisdom can creep into the very teachings / traditions of the church. Consider the morality, or lack of it, in our day and age. Things that would make us blush only a few years ago are now overlooked by our enlightened society. At times, even the church “winks at” behavior that is morally wrong. The rate of divorce, unwed mothers, and people living together without the benefit of marriage are only a few behaviors that are widely accepted. "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ"(COLOSSIANS 2:8). We will want to hear, read, and study God’s word more and more in order to know, believe, and base all our teachings on the “basic principles…of Christ” , not this world.
HAVE A HEALTHY HEART. It seems impossible on this side of heaven. Sin infection is always with us. Sin lurks in our hearts waiting to lunge out into our lives. Christ gives and is our solution!
II. RECOGNIZE GOD’S SOLUTION
A. The Pharisees made the mistake of asking Jesus, “Why?” Now they would hear Jesus’ answer.
1. Verse 6a. Jesus quotes Isaiah. The Pharisees held this prophet in high esteem.
2. Isaiah prophesied of these church leaders, they were hypocrites.
B. In case they did not understand Isaiah defines what that word hypocrite meant.
1. Verse 6b. Their lips would say one thing but their hearts believed something else.
a. They called Jesus “master, teacher, Rabbi” b. Their hearts did not believe these titles.
2. Verse 7. They had only an outward, empty worship. They followed man’s traditions.
C. The Pharisees had rejected God’s word. Verse 8. They admitted how they valued man’s traditions.
1. “God’s commands” were not just the Ten Commandments. Love summed up God’s law.
2. Jesus spoke his word to these Pharisees. God’s word, God’s love, God’s Son = the solution.
D. Rejoice that our eternal salvation does not depend on us. Rejoice that the simple solution to all our heart problems is our loving Savior, Jesus Christ. Our eternal salvation is so very important that God does not entrust it to our sinful, human choices. By grace, through faith, the Lord God Almighty saves us. The Lord God Almighty changes our hearts so that we will live with him forever. "I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart"(JEREMIAH 24:7). The Lord does this that our hearts return to him.
E. The message of salvation is so simple that it is difficult for some to believe. This happens whenever people think like humans and not God. Today’s gospel (MATTHEW 16:21-26) has Jesus rebuking Peter. Only a few verses earlier Jesus praised Peter and his confession. What changed? Peter’s thinking changed. Peter’s thinking misled him. Jesus reminded Peter that he did “not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men”. The solution for our sin-sick heart is to trust in the Lord and not lean on our own understanding. "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones"(PROVERBS 3:7,8). Shun evil and discover health.
F. The days of this life quickly pass by from one month to another, year after year. We look at our lives and are reminded of our own mortality. The aches and pains seem to increase with the passing of time. The health of youth fades. BUT God renews our spirit through his refreshing word. "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all"(2 CORINTHIANS 4:16,17). Yes, in our lives we may have health problems. We may have emotional problems. We may have many other difficulties that we face. In the end, God’s word remains the same. God’s word is our sure foundation. Our hearts are healthy because our sins are forgiven.
CONC.: From time to time we might be tempted to question God, “Why?” We might want to challenge God and his wisdom. If so, then be ready for the answer God gives. Clearly and accurately the Lord will remind us of all the evil that lurks in our hearts. Sin is still sin and it is alive and well in this world, in our lives, and in our hearts. Thanks be to God that sin is not the only thing living in our hearts. Christ is also very much alive and well in the hearts of every believer. "If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him"(1 JOHN 4:15,16). God lives in us – this pushes out sin. Our problem is sin. Our solution is the Savior. Our Savior is far, far greater than sin. Because of this we do HAVE A HEALTHY HEART. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
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BIBLE STUDIES: TUES. -- 6:00pm (Min) + 7:30pm (Med) @ NCF /
10:55am @ Redeemer (Sun)
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PENT. 15 readings:
JEREMIAH 15:15-21;
ROMANS 12:1-8;
MATTHEW 16:21-26;
(PSALM 121)
