It’s all in your Heart
A heavily booked commercial flight out of Denver was canceled, and a single agent was rebooking a long line of inconvenienced travelers. Suddenly an angry passenger pushed his way to the front and slapped his ticket down on the counter. "I have to be on this flight and it has to be first class!" he insisted. "I’m sorry, sir," the agent replied. "I’ll be happy to help you, but I have to take care of these folks first." The passenger was unimpressed. "Do you have any idea who I am?" he demanded in a voice loud enough for the passengers behind him to hear. Without hesitating, the gate agent smiled and picked up her public-address microphone. "May I have your attention, please?" she broadcast throughout the terminal. "We have a passenger here at the gate who does not know who he is. If anyone can help him find his identity, please come to the gate." As the man retreated, the people in the terminal burst into applause.
I have a question for you this morning on this Sunday between Thanksgiving and Christmas. By next week we will be talking about Christmas and the holiday season, the birth of Christ and what it needs to mean in your life, but before we go there we need to deal with this question. Do you really know who you are?
We tend to judge ourselves by how everyone else perceives us. What kind of an impression we are making on those around us. People are driven by this, especially in our country. Most people have this deep need to conform to our culture. I touched on this recently when I asked who you were taking your clues from on how you live your life.
You see, what you are on the outside is really not all that important. Whatever you are in your heart is what you are going to be on the outside. It is what is going to come out in your life. You can’t hide it because that is who you are.
I want to tell you a story from the life of Jesus today. It is found in Mark 7:1-23.
“The Pharisees, along with some religion scholars who had come from Jerusalem, gathered around him. 2They noticed that some of his disciples weren’t being careful with ritual washings before meals. 3The Pharisees--Jews in general, in fact--would never eat a meal without going through the motions of a ritual hand-washing, 4with an especially vigorous scrubbing if they had just come from the market (to say nothing of the scourings they’d give jugs and pots and pans). 5The Pharisees and religion scholars asked, "Why do your disciples flout the rules, showing up at meals without washing their hands?"
6Jesus answered, "Isaiah was right about frauds like you, hit the bull’s-eye in fact: These people make a big show of saying the right thing, but their heart isn’t in it. 7They act like they are worshiping me, but they don’t mean it. They just use me as a cover for teaching whatever suits their fancy, 8Ditching God’s command and taking up the latest fads."
9He went on, "Well, good for you. You get rid of God’s command so you won’t be inconvenienced in following the religious fashions! 10Moses said, "Respect your father and mother,’ and, "Anyone denouncing father or mother should be killed.’ 11But you weasel out of that by saying that it’s perfectly acceptable to say to father or mother, "Gift! What I owed you I’ve given as a gift to God,’ 12thus relieving yourselves of obligation to father or mother. 13You scratch out God’s Word and scrawl a whim in its place. You do a lot of things like this." 14Jesus called the crowd together again and said, "Listen now, all of you--take this to heart. 15It’s not what you swallow that pollutes your life; it’s what you vomit--that’s the real pollution."
17When he was back home after being with the crowd, his disciples said, "We don’t get it. Put it in plain language."
18Jesus said, "Are you being willfully stupid? Don’t you see that what you swallow can’t contaminate you? 19It doesn’t enter your heart but your stomach, works its way through the intestines, and is finally flushed." (That took care of dietary quibbling; Jesus was saying that all foods are fit to eat.)
20He went on: "It’s what comes out of a person that pollutes: 21obscenities, lusts, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22greed, depravity, deceptive dealings, carousing, mean looks, slander, arrogance, foolishness-- 23all these are vomit from the heart. There is the source of your pollution." Mark 7:1-23
This teaching is directed at people in Jesus day who were most entrenched in the church and a system of rules that were man made. They had long ago marginalized the commands of God in favor of their own way. Following man-made rules will take you away from the teachings of Christ.
These were churhed people who begin to make up their own rules as they went along. They soon completely left God’s teaching and began imposing their rules on everyone else. If Jesus were to return to today’s church environment, He would have plenty of man made ideas to cut through to get to truth. Every denomination and religious movement that has ever started starts out by writing things down. (Nazarene Manual) One could defend the creeds of most major denominations. You could argue your point and I could argue mine but in the end it needs to come down to what Jesus taught.
In the book of Acts which is the description of the early Christian church you will find amazingly little form or creed. There is no official form for liturgy described in the New Testament. No form of worship, no formal creed, nothing but freedom in Christ and His Spirit. Following the recorded history in the book of Acts, men and women have found ways to write systematic ways of doing Christianity. Some generations will have a vision for the future of the church and press forward into uncharted waters and others will hunger to go back for creeds and systems from previous generations. Rituals, creeds, forms, systems, ancient future, future ancient, or any other system will in the end not take you closer to God if you are not dealing with the heart of the matter.
Jesus is teaching and doing ministry when these Pharisees decide to take Him on about some man made rules his disciples are not keeping. They pushed His button so to speak. I don’t think they were prepared for what they heard are you?
Here’s what Jesus had to say to these people who were so concerned about things that were really not important.
1. The culture says, “It’s all about the presentation and the show. Make the outside look good and try to please everyone.” Jesus says, “Lip service means nothing to me.” Be Real.
6Jesus answered, "Isaiah was right about frauds like you, hit the bull’s-eye in fact: These people make a big show of saying the right thing, but their heart isn’t in it. 7They act like they are worshiping me, but they don’t mean it. They just use me as a cover for teaching whatever suits their fancy, 8Ditching God’s command and taking up the latest fads."
If there is anything that is important in being a Christ follower it is this. Be real. Be authentic. Don’t be a hypocrite. Don’t come here on Sunday and act religious and in love with God and then go home and do something else. Don’t come in here to offer your worship through music and then go out into the world and act just like the culture.
To understand what Jesus was referring to you have to ask yourself why did He refer to Isaiah? Here is what Isaiah had to say, “. . . these people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor me with their lips but have removed their hearts far from me.”
The bottom line is this, don’t come in here and do one thing and go out into your everyday world and do something else. Your walk needs to match your talk.
How are you doing with being real? Before God this morning I am asking you to reflect on your spiritual life and your everyday life. Do they line up? Have you come here today with stuff that you would rather not deal with?
The culture says it is all about labels and logos. What you wear is what you are. Clothes make the person and so it goes. What are you wearing today?
"Golfer Tiger Woods is a head-to-toe Nike man. He wears Nike footwear, clothing, gloves, and hats, and now uses the Nike Precision Tour Accuracy Ball," said a recent article.
The apostle Paul told the church in Colosse that as God’s chosen people we must dress "head-to-toe" in Christ’s wardrobe. "Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" (Colossians 3:12, [NIV]).
What are you wearing? Get real. Be real. Be authentic.
2. The culture says, “Live and let live. There are no absolutes. Make it up as you go and don’t ever tell anybody they are wrong in what they believe.” Jesus says, “My commandments matter!” Be obedient.
9He went on, "Well, good for you. You get rid of God’s command so you won’t be inconvenienced in following the religious fashions! 10Moses said, "Respect your father and mother,’ and, "Anyone denouncing father or mother should be killed.’ 11But you weasel out of that by saying that it’s perfectly acceptable to say to father or mother, "Gift! What I owed you I’ve given as a gift to God,’ 12thus relieving yourselves of obligation to father or mother. 13You scratch out God’s Word and scrawl a whim in its place. You do a lot of things like this."
Do you sense the frustration in Jesus response? We are living in a society that doesn’t want to deal with any absolutes. You will find many people that want to talk and pursue spirituality but don’t try to tell them that it is going to effect how they live. Don’t talk in terms of wrongs and rights, black and white, or commandments.
It is amazing to live in a time when much of the church culture is drifting right along with the culture we live in.
I will remind you over and over without apology. Pick up this book and read it, memorize its principles, love it and live it. Conform yourself to Christ and His ways.
John Piper, “ It astonishes me how many Christians watch the same banal, empty, silly, trivial, titillating, suggestive, immodest TV shows that most unbelievers watch—and then wonder why their spiritual lives are weak and their worship experience is shallow with no intensity. If you really want to hear the word of God the way He wants to be heard in truth and joy and power, turn off the television and read something beautiful and pure and honorable and excellent and worthy of praise. Then watch your heart un-shrivel and begin to hunger for the word of God.”
The fact is that today there are many people claiming to be Christians and yet they are engaging in activities that clearly are contrary to the word of God. You wouldn’t believe what goes on in the lives of people who claim to be Christians and participate in church on a regular basis. I was reading the other day of a pastor who was distraught because a member of his worship team owns a business that deals in pornography. How many more times do we have to hear of people who bear the name of Christ, even work in the ministry of the church, who have drifted so far from the commandments of God that they are morally bankrupt. They have no sense of right and wrong. They have lost their ability to tell truth from lies.
Listen to me this morning. Following Christ is just that. Follow Him. Not Satan, not this world and its pleasures, not our own way, but His way.
One of the most graphic illustrations of how God feels about all this is found in Isaiah 1,
10Listen to the LORD, you leaders of Israel! Listen to the law of our God, people of Israel. You act just like the rulers and people of Sodom and Gomorrah. 11"I am sick of your sacrifices," says the LORD. "Don’t bring me any more burnt offerings! I don’t want the fat from your rams or other animals. I don’t want to see the blood from your offerings of bulls and rams and goats. 12Why do you keep parading through my courts with your worthless sacrifices? 13The incense you bring me is a stench in my nostrils! Your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath day, and your special days for fasting--even your most pious meetings--are all sinful and false. I want nothing more to do with them. 14I hate all your festivals and sacrifices. I cannot stand the sight of them! 15From now on, when you lift up your hands in prayer, I will refuse to look. Even though you offer many prayers, I will not listen. For your hands are covered with the blood of your innocent victims. 16Wash yourselves and be clean! Let me no longer see your evil deeds. Give up your wicked ways. 17Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows.”
Bottom line, your Saturday nights ought to match your Sunday mornings. How you live during the week ought to match how you appear on Sunday morning. For some of you, this may sound harsh because you just recently started trying to walk as a Christ follower. You need to hear this message but there are some who once lived this way who have drifted significantly away from Christ and they must hear this message.
3. The culture says, “Nothing is really wrong as long as you don’t hurt anyone else.” Jesus says, “What’s in your heart is going to come out.” Be Clean.
14Jesus called the crowd together again and said, "Listen now, all of you--take this to heart. 15It’s not what you swallow that pollutes your life; it’s what you vomit--that’s the real pollution." 17When he was back home after being with the crowd, his disciples said, "We don’t get it. Put it in plain language." 20He went on: "It’s what comes out of a person that pollutes: 21obscenities, lusts, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22greed, depravity, deceptive dealings, carousing, mean looks, slander, arrogance, foolishness-- 23all these are vomit from the heart. There is the source of your pollution."
It’s true. Whatever is in you is going to come out. Not food but the things you treasure in your heart. Why is sin so appealing? It is appealing. It wouldn’t be tempting if it weren’t appealing.
The thing is you need to decide today if you are a Christ follower or just interested in hanging around the crowd. Christ had big crowds. Thousands and thousands crowded around Him for the show. The miracles, the healings, dead people coming to life, all these things drew a crowd. But when He started talking about picking up your cross and following, denying oneself, and obeying what He commanded the crowd disappeared and all that was left were followers. There were about 120 of them. That’s all.
What’s inside of you? What junk have you allowed into your life that is weighing you down? What sins are you indulging in that have taken you so far from Christ today? It’s an old song we never sing much anymore but it brings back moments from my youth. They were holy moments around an altar when someone had stumbled there with the weight of sin and before my young eyes they were transformed into something new. And someone would start this song,
I have decided, to follow Jesus,
I have decided, to follow Jesus,
I have decided, to follow Jesus,
No turning back, no turning back!
Later it became a personal testimony when in my teens I turned to Christ for myself. When so many of my peers were doing self destructive things the words became a personal fight song. Standing at before God as a 17 year old, I would sing this song,
Though none go with me, still I will follow,
Though none go with me, still I will follow,
Though none go with me, still I will follow,
No turning back, no turning back!
And then there was His call to ministry in my life. Yes Lord, I will follow you. Yes Lord, I know the church is not perfect. I know people will always want to seek the easy way, I know it will be hard work to call people to repentance and to follow you. Yes Lord, I will forsake the ways of this world in favor of your ways.
The world behind me, the cross before me,
The world behind me, the cross before me,
The world behind me, the cross before me,
No turning back, no turning back!
After those harsh words from Isaiah quoting God regarding sacrifices and feasts with no obedience He followed them up with these words.
18"Come now, let us argue this out," says the LORD. "No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool. 19If you will only obey me and let me help you, then you will have plenty to eat. 20But if you keep turning away and refusing to listen, you will be destroyed by your enemies. I, the LORD, have spoken!"
22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. James 1:22-25
This is God’s call to you today. We are between Thanksgiving and the start of all the Christmas hype. I am calling you today to focus on what matters in your life. Go into this Christmas season seeking the Christ of Christmas. To do His will to be like Him.
Action steps:
Be real.
Be obedient.
Be Clean.
In Character Forged from Conflict, Gary Preston writes:
Back when the telegraph was the fastest means of long-distance communication, there was a story, perhaps apocryphal, about a young man who applied for a job as a Morse code operator. Answering an ad in the newspaper, he went to the address that was listed. When he arrived, he entered a large, noisy office. In the background a telegraph clacked away. A sign on the receptionist’s counter instructed job applicants to fill out a form and wait until they were summoned to enter the inner office.
The young man completed his form and sat down with seven other waiting applicants. After a few minutes, the young man stood up, crossed the room to the door of the inner office, and walked right in. Naturally the other applicants perked up, wondering what was going on. Why had this man been so bold? They muttered among themselves that they hadn’t heard any summons yet. They took more than a little satisfaction in assuming the young man who went into the office would be reprimanded for his presumption and summarily disqualified for the job.
Within a few minutes the young man emerged from the inner office escorted by the interviewer, who announced to the other applicants, "Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming, but the job has been filled by this young man."
The other applicants began grumbling to each other, and then one spoke up saying, "Wait a minute—I don’t understand something. He was the last one to come in, and we never even got a chance to be interviewed. Yet he got the job. That’s not fair."
The employer responded, "I’m sorry, but all the time you’ve been sitting here, the telegraph has been ticking out the following message in Morse code: ’If you understand this message, then come right in. The job is yours.’ None of you heard it or understood it. This young man did. So the job is his."
God uses many means to demonstrate his care—not only through his Word, his Spirit, and the midnight sky. We need only to be alert to these signs. Gary Preston, Character Forged from Conflict (Bethany House, 1999)
How will you be remembered? Clair Booth Luce once told Richard Nixon that the significance of any person in history, no matter how complex, can be summarized in just one sentence. Think about the following people and see if it’s true: John F. Kennedy, Helen Keller, Jonas Salk, Jim Jones, Neil Armstrong, Babe Ruth, and Richard Nixon. Like these notable figures of history, the significance of your life will most likely take no more than one sentence to summarize. What will those brief words include? Time, May 2, 1996, p. 28
Do you know who you are? Are you willing to admit who you are? Are you willing to deal with it? Are you satisfied and resting in the abiding presence of Christ in your life?
