Title: A Perfect Heart
Text: Psalms 101:2
Psalms 101:2 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
Intro: I am not perfect, no matter how much Heather thinks that I am, I am not perfect. No one is perfect Paul said that “there is none righteous no not one.” But that does not mean that we cannot stand before God with a perfect heart. It is what God expects of us. So, what is a “Perfect Heart”? Is it doing the right thing?
II Chronicles 25:2 says that Amaziah did the right thing but not with a perfect heart. Having a perfect heart goes beyond just doing the right thing or saying the right thing.
I. A Heart That Has Been Touched By God
1 Samuel 10:26 And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched.
1. God is in the business of touching people
A. When you have been touched you will be changed.
- Jacob wrestled with God until he was touched
- No longer was he “deceiver” But now he was Israel, “Prince of God”
- He was never the same.
B. When God touches your heart
- You will not be the same
- Your whole lifestyle will changed
- You will be God centered rather than self centered
- No longer “I” but “HIM”
- You will hunger for the things of God
- You will desire to be in God’s presence
- You will desire to please God
C. When God touches your heart FEAR is gone
- NO FEAR
- God fills us with strength and courage to walk through the fire and trust that He will see us through.
- David knew that sustaining courage when he wrote “yea though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will FEAR NO evil for thou art with me.”
- Fear is one of Satan’s most powerful weapons
- Wants to make us worry and fret but I know who loves me and I gave my life to Him and He touched my heart
ILL. In the days of war the Japanese policeman who had absolute power said that within three days everyone in a certain Formosan mountain village must come to the police station and swear that he would not be a Christian, or he would be tied hand and foot, and stones tied to him, and he would be thrown from the high bridge into the rushing river below. The Christians met at midnight to decide what to do. Some said, "We’ll have to give it up. We cannot be Christians now. He will surely kill us."
Then a young boy arose. "But don’t you remember that Jesus said not to be afraid of those who can only kill the body, but to be afraid of those who kill body and soul? If he kills us, it will only be our bodies. Our souls will go to be with Jesus." They all said, "That’s true." When the vote was taken, every hand was raised--all voted to die. Next day the policeman laughed cruelly, and said, "Tomorrow you die."
Now the policeman liked to fish, and waded out into the river. A rock or tree in the current struck his leg and broke it. While the mountain people were praying, a messenger rushed in, and said, "The man who was to kill you tomorrow has been drowned in the river." --Child Evangelism
II. A Devoted Heart
1. Fixed on Christ
Psalms 57:7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
2. One of the biggest problems in the church today is that many never make up their minds to follow Christ.
ILL. Like the donkey that died between two bales of hay undecided which way to go.
ILL. Need to be like Salmon trying to get up stream never giving up and even if they die trying they die with their heads pointing up stream.
3. Children of Israel at the death of Joshua said that they would follow God. Made their decision but never fixed it in their hearts or their children’s hearts.
ILL. The Community Orchestra
The conductor of the community orchestra was almost out of his mind. At every single rehearsal, there had been at least one member who had been missing.
Planning for a well organized concert was almost impossible. At the last rehearsal, he called for attention and said, "I would like to thank the first violinist for being the only member of the orchestra to attend every rehearsal." The violinist smiled shyly and humbly said to the conductor, "Well, it seemed the least I could do since I won’t be at the concert tonight." C. Welton Gaddy in SERMONS AND SERVICES FOR SPECIAL DAYS, Jack Gulledse, Ed. Convention, 1979.
ILL. The Italian Film GENRAL DE LA ROVERE
There is an interesting scene in the Italian film GENERAL DE LA
ROVERE. During the occupation of Italy, the Nazis rounded up a group of people in a frantic effort to crush the resistance movement in the land. Hasty actions resulted in the capture of several people who were not members of the resistance forces. The officer in charge tried to identify the resistance leaders. When his efforts failed, he ordered execution of all--both the resistance members and the innocent bystanders. On the morning of the execution, one man began to cry out, "I’m innocent; I didn’t do anything." One of the resistance leaders approached him and asked, "You didn’t do anything?"
The man replied, "No, I didn’t do anything." The resistance leader spoke again: "I don’t understand. Our whole way of life was being destroyed. Minds were being warped; institutions were being subverted; and you didn’t do anything?" When the man replied once again, "No, I didn’t do anything," the resistance leader commented, "Then you deserve to be punished." C. Welton Gaddy in SERMONS AND SERVICES FOR SPECIAL DAYS, Jack Gulledse, Ed. Convention, 1979.
4. Have you made your decision; have you fixed it in your heart?
5. A perfect heart is a fixed heart.
III. A Tender Heart
1. We must possess a Heart of compassion.
Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
2. Not manly to cry for lost, to have compassion for others.
- Jesus was more of a man than anyone here and his heart broke for lost, hurting dieing people.
Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
3. It is easy to hurt over our losses in this life. But to brake inside for a lost world takes a tender heart.
ILL. Compassion of Lincoln
- I never cease thrilling at the heart of Abraham Lincoln. There is a story of two women relatives of General Lou Wallace who came to the White House when Lincoln was president asking about General Wallace. He had been involved in a vicious battle and they wanted to make sure he had survived. After learning he had survived they spoke rather glibly of their gladness. There had been a casualty in the battle named Wallace but they were thankful that it was not "our Wallace." Lincoln responded soberly, "Yes, but it was somebody’s Wallace, wasn’t it?"
4. How to have true compassion for others
A. Keep your spiritual life at a high level
- So that you are able to hear God’s voice.
B. Remember your our own salvation
- Remember from where God plucked you and that but for God’s covering grace you would be headed for an eternity in Hell.
C. Keep a vision before you of a lost world.
- Even if we were to double in size in 5 years, Satan’s
kingdom is still bigger.
Conclusion: You don’t have to be perfect to have a perfect heart. Our righteousness are as filthy rags to God. But when the blood of Jesus is applied to our hearts imperfection becomes, perfection; Flaws and scares of sin become holiness and righteousness by the power of His great love and grace. Because though we were yet sinners Christ died for us. And now we can have a perfect heart because of His perfection.
