MATTHEW 5:8 BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART, FOR THEY WILL SEE GOD
AS WE CONTINUE OUR SERIES ON THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT AND PARTICULARLY NOW THE BEATITUDES, WE ARE BROUGHT TO OUR TEXT TODAY WHICH CHALLENGES US TO HAVE A PURE HEAR. THIS STRUCK ME AS INTERESTING, BECAUSE WE ARE NOT ASKED TO HAVE A CLEAN HEART, BUT A PURE HEART. THIS REMINDED ME OF AN OLD COMMERCIAL WHICH BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION THAT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CLEAN AND PURE.
LET ME SHOW YOU!
TRANSITION: SO THIS MORNING, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE SOME TIME AND UNPACK THIS BEATITUDE IN LIGHT OF TWO THINGS:
FIRST, ITS RELATIONSHIP TO RIGHTEOUSNESS
SECOND, WHAT THE TEXT MEANS WHEN ENCOURAGES US TO HAVE A PURE, NOT JUST CLEAN HEART
I. REVIEW TO PROGRESS
MATTHEW 5:6–8 (NIV84)
6 BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS, FOR THEY WILL BE FILLED. 7 BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL, FOR THEY WILL BE SHOWN MERCY. 8 BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART, FOR THEY WILL SEE GOD.
a. SINCE THERE IS SUCH A CONNECTION HERE WITH THESE BEATITUDES IT IS A GOOD THING TO REVIEW WHERE WE HAVE BEEN AND HOW WE GOT THERE.
b. RIGHTEOUSNESS
i. RIGHTEOUSNESS IS AN ACTIVITY BASED ON THE ENVIRONMENT WE CREATE WHERE WE HUNGER AND THIRST FOR WHAT IS RIGHT
ii. GOD THEN GIVES US THE DESIRE WE ARE THIRSTING FOR – RIGHTEOUSNESS
c. MERCY
i. ONE OF THE CHARACTERISTICS WE DEVELOP IN OUR SEARCH FOR THE ENVIRONMENT OG RIGHTEOUSNESS
ii. THIS WAS THE FIRST CHARACTERISTIC WE EXPERIENCED FROM GOD AT SALVATION
iii. MERCY ALSO REVEALED TO US THAT WE ARE TO BE GIVING PEOPLE IN REGARD TO MERCY IN ORDER TO ALSO BE THE RECIPIENTS OF MERCY OURSELVES.
II. MOVING INTO THE REALM OF OUR HEART
a. WITHIN THE BIBLE, OUR HEART IS THE CENTER OF OUR PERSONALITY
i. OUR MIND
ii. OUR WILL
iii. OUR EMOTION
b. OUR HEART IS WICKED
JEREMIAH 17:9 THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS AND BEYOND CURE. WHO CAN UNDERSTAND IT?
MARK 7:21 FOR FROM WITHIN, OUT OF MEN’S HEARTS, COME EVIL THOUGHTS, SEXUAL IMMORALITY, THEFT, MURDER, ADULTERY,
ROMANS 1:21 FOR ALTHOUGH THEY KNEW GOD, THEY NEITHER GLORIFIED HIM AS GOD NOR GAVE THANKS TO HIM, BUT THEIR THINKING BECAME FUTILE AND THEIR FOOLISH HEARTS WERE DARKENED.
c. WE HAVE BEEN PROMISED A NEW HEART
EZEKIEL 36:26–27 I WILL GIVE YOU A NEW HEART AND PUT A NEW SPIRIT IN YOU; I WILL REMOVE FROM YOU YOUR HEART OF STONE AND GIVE YOU A HEART OF FLESH. 27 AND I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT IN YOU AND MOVE YOU TO FOLLOW MY DECREES AND BE CAREFUL TO KEEP MY LAWS.
2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 THEREFORE, IF ANYONE IS IN CHRIST, HE IS A NEW CREATION; THE OLD HAS GONE, THE NEW HAS COME!
d. THE EXAMPLE OF SAUL – 1 SAMUEL CHAPTERS 10 AND 16
i. WHEN SAUL WAS ANOINTED KING BY SAMUEL WE READ THAT AS A RESULT HIS HEART WAS CHANGED
ii. 1 SAMUEL 10:9 AS SAUL TURNED TO LEAVE SAMUEL, GOD CHANGED SAUL’S HEART, AND ALL THESE SIGNS WERE FULFILLED THAT DAY.
iii. LATER IN THE LIFE OF SAUL, HE DEPARTED FROM HIS WALK WITH GOD AND THIS HAPPENED.
iv. 1 SAMUEL 16:14 NOW THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD HAD DEPARTED FROM SAUL, AND AN EVIL SPIRIT FROM THE LORD TORMENTED HIM.
e. NEW HEARTS ARE NOT PERFECT HEARTS
i. WE STILL HAVE A SIN NATURE
ii. WE STILL STRUGGLE WITH OUR OLD NATURE
YET GOD WANTS US TO HAVE A PURE HEART
III. HOW TO HAVE A PURE HEART
a. REALIZE THAT THE STRUGGLE IS REAL
i. PAUL GOES TO GREAT LENGTHS TO TEACH THIS IN ROMANS7
ii. PAUL WANTS TO LIVE A LIFE PLEASING TO GOD, BUT CANNOT
iii. HE STRUGGLES CONSTANTLY WITH HIS OLD NATURE
iv. HE CANNOT DO THE GOOD HE WANTS TO DO
v. THE STRUGGLE HE HAS AFFECTS EVERY PART OF HIS PERSON – VS. 23, …WARRING AGAINST MY MEMBERS.” OUR HEART WOULD BE INCLUDED THERE.
b. REALIZE THAT THE ONLY RELIEF IS THROUGH THE POWER OF GOD’S SPIRIT
i. ROMANS 8:1 THEREFORE, THERE IS NOW NO CONDEMNATION FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS,
1. HOLY SPIRIT IS THE ANSWER TO KEEPING A HEART DIRECTED TOWARDS GOD.
c. REALIZE THAT THIS BEATITUDE ASKS US TO GO FURTHER
i. GOD IS ASKING US FOR A PURE HEART, NOT JUST A CLEAN HEART – PSALM 51:10; DAVID ASKS GOD TO CREATE A CLEAN HEART WITHIN HIM
ii. THIS BEATITUDE IS ASKING FOR A PURE HEART
iii. MANY THINGS CAN BE CLEAN WITHOUT BEING PURE
1. REMEMBER THE VIDEO. WHAT MAKES IVORY SOAP SO PURE IS THAT THERE ARE NO PERFUMES, ADDITIVES, OR COLORING
2. 99.44% PURE
iv. THE WORD HERE FOR PURE MEANS:
1. TO BE FREE FRONT TAINT
2. TO BE UNMIXED WITH OTHER THINGS
d. MOVING FROM CLEAN TO PURE
HEBREWS 12:1–2 THEREFORE, SINCE WE ARE SURROUNDED BY SUCH A GREAT CLOUD OF WITNESSES, LET US THROW OFF EVERYTHING THAT HINDERS AND THE SIN THAT SO EASILY ENTANGLES, AND LET US RUN WITH PERSEVERANCE THE RACE MARKED OUT FOR US. 2 LET US FIX OUR EYES ON JESUS, THE AUTHOR AND PERFECTER OF OUR FAITH, WHO FOR THE JOY SET BEFORE HIM ENDURED THE CROSS, SCORNING ITS SHAME, AND SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE THRONE OF GOD.
i. FIRST, WE ARE TO THROW OFF
1. THE WORD MEANS TO THROW OFF QUICKLY.
2. JUST THINK IF YOU WERE SPRAYED BY A SKUNK. YOU WOULD WANT TO GET THAT SMELL OFF YOU AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THAT SMELL AFFECTS EVERYTHING YOU DO.
ii. WE ARE TO THROW OFF SIN
1. CAN’T DO THAT ONE OURSELVES. WE NEEDED CHRIST
2. WHEN WE ACCEPTED JESUS AS OUR SAVIOR
a. WE BECAME A NEW CREATURE
b. WE GOT A NEW NATURE AND A NEW HEART
3. WE CAN NEVER BE BURDENED WITH THIS SIN EVER AGAIN
iii. WE ARE TO THROW OFF EVERYTHING THAT HINDERS US
1. DIFFERENT CATEGORY THAN THE SIN WE THROUGH OFF THROUGH CHRIST
2. THIS IS ANY ENCUMBRANCE THAT KEEPS US FROM LIVING FOR CHRIST
a. THEY COULD BE ACTIONS
b. THEY COULD BE ATTITUDES
c. THEY COULD BE ACTIVITIES
3. THE ONLY WAY WE KNOW WHAT HINDERS US FROM LIVING THE LIFE CHRIST WOULD HAVE US LIVE IS TO ACTUALLY DO IT HIS WAY.
a. WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT HINDERS UNTIL WE START RUNNING
b. I HAD A MUSIC TEACHER IN SCHOOL. MR. LUNDY. WELL, MR. LUNDY LEFT PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF BIBLE TO PURSUE A DOCTOR’S DEGREE IN MUSIC.
c. MR LUNDY WAS ALSO THE FACULTY SPONSOR FOR THE BILLIARD CLUB. THOSE OF US IN THE CLUB PAID A FEE, AND THAT MONEY WAS USED TO MAKE SURE THE TABLE WAS KEPT UP, POOL CUES WERE PURCHASED AND MAINTAINED, CHALK WAS AVAILABLE, ETC. MR. LUNDY ALSO RAN TOURNAMENTS. HE PLAYED QUITE A BIT HIMSELF. HE WAS NOT THE BEST PLAYER, BUT YOU COULD SEE HE ENJOYED THE GAME.
d. WHAT MR. LUNDY SOON REALIZED WAS THAT HE COULD NOT PURSUE HIS DOCTORATE AND PLAY POLL. SO HE MADE THE DECISION TO STOP PLAYING POOL UNTIL HE COMPLETED HIS DOCTORATE.
e. FOR TWO YEAR, MR. LUNDY NEVER PLAYED A GAME OF POOL, NEVER PICKED UP HIS POOL CUE AND NEVER WENT NEAR A POOL TABLE.
f. THE EVENING AFTER ALL HIS DOCTORAL WORK WAS COMPLETED AND ACCEPTED, SOON TO BE DR. LUNDY WENT OUT AND PLAYED THE MOST SATISFYING GAME OF HIS LIFE.
g. DR. LUNDY UNDERSTOOD THE MEANING OF LAYING THING ASIDE THAT WOULD KEEP HIM FROM ACHIEVING HIS GOAL.
4. SO HERE IS THE CHALLENGE: YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE TO ITS FULLEST
a. DON’T FORSAKE CORPORATE WORSHIP
b. DON’T NOT USE YOUR GIFT AND TALENTS FOR THE GLORY OF GOD
c. DON’T NEGLECT BEING IN IS WORD
d. DON’T FORGET TO PRAY
e. DON’T FORGET TO SHARE YOUR FAITH
f. DON’T FORGET TO INVOLVE GOD IN YOUR DECISIONS
g. DON’T FORGET TO LET HIS SPIRIT HAVE CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE
HERE IS THE PROBLEM: YOU WILL NOT KNOW WHAT THINGS YOU ARE DOING ARE HINDERANCES THAT YOU HAVE TO LAY ASIDE UNTIL YOU START LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CLEAN HEART AND A PURE HEART IS THAT A PURE HEARTED FOLLOWER OF CHRIST IS SINGLE MINDED COMMITTED TO CHRIST FIRST, REGARDLESS OF THE COST
WHEN WE ENGAGE WITH GOD, WE NEED TO REALLY ENGAGE WITH GOD, OR NOTHING HAPPENS BUT TURMOIL AND INSTABILITY.
JAMES 1:6–8 BUT WHEN HE ASKS, HE MUST BELIEVE AND NOT DOUBT, BECAUSE HE WHO DOUBTS IS LIKE A WAVE OF THE SEA, BLOWN AND TOSSED BY THE WIND. 7 THAT MAN SHOULD NOT THINK HE WILL RECEIVE ANYTHING FROM THE LORD; 8 HE IS A DOUBLE-MINDED MAN, UNSTABLE IN ALL HE DOES.
IV. THE BLESSING OF HAVING A PURE HEART
a. WE GET TO SEE GOD!
b. NOT A PHYSICAL SEEING, BUT SEEING HIM ALL AROUND US
i. THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD
ii. WE SEE GOD IN CIRCUMSTANCES AND NO LONGER FEAR EVENTS, OR EVEN STEPPING OUT IN FAITH
iii. WE SEE THAT GOD IS ACTUALLY WORKING IT ALL OUT FOR GOOD
AND THE LESS TAINTED AND MIXED OUR HEART IS THE MORE OF GOD WE WILL SEE ALL AROUND US
SO, AS WE FINISH THIS BEATITUDE TODAY, ARE YOU WILLIG TO LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE THE WAY GOD INSTRUCTS AND SEE IF THERE ARE THINGS IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU NEVER THOUGHT WOULD HINDER YOUR WALK WITH CHRIST, BUT HAVE NOW BECOME EVIDENT?
AND PERHAPS A MORE SIGNIFICANT QUESTION – ONCE YOU SEE THEM ARE YOU WILLING TO GIVE THEM UP FOR THE BENEFIT OF A PURE HEART AND A GREATER CLARITY OF SEEING GOD IN THE HERE AND NOW AND IN THE EVERY DAY?
NOW HERE IS THE PROMISE OF GOD IF WE ARE UP TO THE CHALLENGE
MATTHEW 6:33 BUT SEEK FIRST HIS KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU AS WELL.
