Sermon Central
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Who Are You?
Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Oct 18, 2000 (message contributor)
Summary: It is not what you do but who you are that counts!
Who Are You?
When people think of God, church, religion or things of that nature they usually think of a code of ethics, rules or rituals. When asked what is important to God they will quote several "thou shalts or thou shalt nots". They may mention baptism, membership or giving. Many of the things they might mention are well and good in their place, but they are not the most important things to God. Who you are is the most important thing.
Ps 51:16-17
16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. (KJV)
A lot of the things that people think of when trying to determine what is important to God involve some sort of sacrifice or self-atonement. They give up some habit for a time or permanently. They will not go to certain places or participate in certain activities. Again, all these things may have some value and prove "will worship," but what are most important to God are a broken spirit and a contrite heart, which indicates who you are. (Col 2:23) Who you are inside will dictate what you do or it should. This heart condition is what God knows about you. Broken and contrite speak to humility and repentance. It is that type of heart and spirit that will seek God and God will respond by making Himself known and in the process knowing intimately that person.
Prov 23:6-8
6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:
7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
8 The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words. (KJV)
You see the heart is where the truth of the man lies. It is the core of his being and he may lie to others and even to himself out loud so to speak but his true character will eventually come out. The evil eye man is saying good words of hospitality and friendship to the man in this passage, but his heart is plotting something evil. When the timing is right the guest will feel the poison in those words and in essence vomit up all the benefits he has received from the evil eyed man. He will be sickened in his core because he thought he knew this man and now he finds everything he thought he knew was a lie. Who a man is means more than what he does.
Prov 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. (KJV)
It is indeed an excellent instruction to keep or protect your heart. What you see, hear and believe will take control of your heart/mind. Your life will be governed by what is in control. Being diligent means to set a guard over what is deposited in your mind. All that hooha about keeping an open mind can destroy your life. Most of the time if you are with someone that is telling you to keep an open mind it is because they are fixin’ to dump a pile of garbage in it and they want your life to stink like theirs and attract the same flies they do. Be careful of what you let in for it will come out and you may not like the fruit it brings forth.
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (KJV)
Fruit or works are important to men because they are the only way men can have a clue as to what is in the heart. The problem is that the heart is wicked and deceitful. We are men of deceitful and wicked hearts trying to ascertain the true intent of other men of deceitful and wicked hearts. Who can know them? (Jer 7:9,10) Only God can see through the smoke screens perfectly.
