I. EXORDIUM:
Is your heart right before GOD?
Yes. because of JESUS
John 16:10 (Amplified Bible)
About righteousness (uprightness of heart and right standing with God), because I go to My Father, and you will see Me no longer;
II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:
Believers/unbelievers
III. OBJECTIVES:
To prove that GOD looks in the heart and knows our heart that it's evil before Him, but He chose to reside in it.
IV. TEXT:
Proverbs 23:7 (Amplified Bible)
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. As one who reckons, he says to you, eat and drink, yet his heart is not with you [but is grudging the cost].
V. THESIS:
Praise, worship, glorify, adore, bless, honor, acknowledge and thank You very much LORD JESUS for You are greater than my heart and You will teach my heart to follow after You.
VI. TITLE:
As a man thinks in his heart so is he
VII. EXPLICATION:
A. Author: Solomon
B. Chief Purpose: to give moral instruction
C. Key text: Proverbs 1:4 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young.
D. Key thought: fear of the LORD
VIII. MAIN BODY:
Proverbs 23:7 (Amplified Bible)
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. As one who reckons, he says to you, eat and drink, yet his heart is not with you [but is grudging the cost].
Proverbs 23:7 (New King James Version)
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. "Eat and drink!" he says to you, But his heart is not with you.
A. A man thinks in his heart so is he.
"For as he thinks in his heart, so is he."
We have been given by GOD a very powerful mind, now that we are born again, GOD made it more powerful.
1 Corinthians 2:16 (Amplified Bible)
For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart.
Romans 12:2 (Amplified Bible)
Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].
Our transformed life comes from our renewed mind. It's very important that we read, meditate, memorize, sing the WORDS OF GOD in our hearts for it to be part of our everyday life. We live the WORD OF GOD daily in our lives. Let GOD'S WORDS mold and renew our whole way of thinking and our life will be transformed obeying and following a renewed mind. That's why an unbelievers can't live transformed lives, yes they will boast of it, but it's not real, it's fake, it's hypocrisy.
Proverbs 19:22 (Amplified Bible)
That which is desired in a man is loyalty and kindness [and his glory and delight are his giving], but a poor man is better than a liar.
We desire loyalty and kindness in a man's heart or in a man's attitude towards us, not the things that he can give us. We go for the "invisible" qualities that money can't afford such as loyalty and kindess (heaven's currencies) and while we're here on earth, we gather much of these two currencies, so when we get to heaven, we are richer. We become loyal to people who can't be loyal to us, we become kind to people who are cruel to us. We gain riches here on earth that goes ahead of us in heaven. We attain "spiritual Zion" while here on earth.
Matthew 9:3-4 (Amplified Bible)
And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, This man blasphemes [He claims the rights and prerogatives of God]!
But Jesus, knowing (seeing) their thoughts, said, Why do you think evil and harbor malice in your hearts?
If JESUS CHRIST is not GOD that became man, how can He read thoughts and the hearts of people? Only GOD can do that! Awake, and stop calling JESUS CHRIST a mere man only, but know from GOD'S WORDS that JESUS CHRIST is indeed GOD Himself. The LORD JESUS CHRIST never looked at these scribes outward appearances though in man's eyes they look great and luxurious and rich, but the LORD JESUS CHRIST looked at their heart and motives.
1 Samuel 16:7 (Amplified Bible)
But the Lord said to Samuel, Look not on his appearance or at the height of his stature, for I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.
Matthew 5:8 (Amplified Bible)
Blessed (happy, enviably fortunate, and spiritually prosperous—possessing the happiness produced by the experience of God’s favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His grace, regardless of their outward conditions) are the pure in heart, for they shall see God!
Look at our partnership with GOD, GOD sees our hearts and if our hearts are right with Him, GOD will allow us to see Him. What a partnership!
Luke 7:39 (Amplified Bible)
Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw it, he said to himself, If this Man were a prophet, He would surely know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching Him - for she is a notorious sinner (a social outcast, devoted to sin).
The Pharisee Simon is looking at the outward appearance of the sinful woman, but the LORD JESUS CHRIST is looking at the heart and motives of the sinful woman. A great difference.
B. Eat and drink but his heart is not with you.
"As one who reckons, he says to you, eat and drink, yet his heart is not with you [but is grudging the cost]."
If someone offers you food and drink, ask him/her this question, "Is your heart with me?" If he/she laughs or ignores the question, then don't eat the food and drink the drink he'/she's offering you. As simple as that. It might be rude or offending on human side but on GOD'S side, you are just making sure that what you eat and drink are spiritually healthy for you and that you will not vomit it later on.
Judges 16:15 (Amplified Bible)
And she said to him, How can you say, I love you, when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times and have not told me in what your great strength lies.
Even the harlot Delilah who's the cause of the fall of Samson knew this, of course, we can say by experience, because it's the profession or career of Delilah to give love for men, because she's paid to do it. And she knows the hearts of men, that it's weak, that's why GOD is with us men and inside of us, because whenever our hearts are weak, GOD is stronger that our hearts.
1 John 3:20-21 (Amplified Bible)
Whenever our hearts in [tormenting] self-accusation make us feel guilty and condemn us. [For we are in God’s hands.] For He is above and greater than our consciences (our hearts), and He knows (perceives and understands) everything [nothing is hidden from Him].
And, beloved, if our consciences (our hearts) do not accuse us [if they do not make us feel guilty and condemn us], we have confidence (complete assurance and boldness) before God,
GOD has given us a heart that thinks of what we do in life and often condemns us, but remember GOD is greater than our hearts. GOD knows us better than we know ourself or much even better than our parents know us. I'd rather listen to what GOD tells me and follow them, rather than what my heart will tell me. For the heart is deceitful.
Jeremiah 17:9 (Amplified Bible)
The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick! Who can know it [perceive, understand, be acquainted with his own heart and mind]?
Ephesians 4:20-24 (Amplified Bible)
But you did not so learn Christ!
Assuming that you have really heard Him and been taught by Him, as [all] Truth is in Jesus [embodied and personified in Him],
Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion;
And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude],
And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God’s image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.
IX. CONCLUSION:
Praise, worship, glorify, adore, bless, honor, acknowledge and thank You very much LORD JESUS for You are greater than my heart and You will teach my heart to follow after You.
