THE HEART

1. Doctors recently performed heart bypass surgery on former president Bill Clinton.

2. Several others have gone through this same procedure.

3. In our world the heart receives a lot of attention.

4. We hear about heart attacks and heart blockages. Heart disease is a major aspect of medicine.

5. Sometimes in our world a figurative meaning of heart is also used.

6. It might be said that a person has a good heart, bad heart, kind heart, of a hard heart.

ONE OF THE MOST BASIC WORDS IN ALL THE BIBLE IS THE WORD “HEART.”

a) This term is found over more than 800 times in the ASV and KJV.

b) In fact, it is the most common body part ever mentioned by Bible writers.

2) In New Testament Greek, when writers spoke of the heart they used the word kardia.

a) That sounds a lot like our English word “cardiac.”

b) Almost every book in the New Testament makes use of the word heart (kardia).

3) The books that do not are Titus, Philemon, Second and Third John, plus Jude.

4) Tonight we want to see what God says about man’s heart.

5) We first encounter this word in Mt. 5:8.

a) Jesus spoke about people who want to “see God.”

b) He had in mind those people who want to go to heaven.

c) Jesus said that in order to be saved, “purity of heart” is required.

d) It is not enough to come to worship, pray, or even read the Bible.

e) All these items are important, but there is something more fundamental than all these points.

f) There must be “purity of heart.”

6) What is the heart?

a) It is our inner nature; the very foundation of who and what we are.

b) Our heart is the core of our being. It is what moves and guides the rest of our body.

c) Our heart (and this is not the organ that controls blood), controls our attitude.

d) It governs what we look at, what we think about, and our general behavior.

e) Lk. 16:15 says that God knows our heart; He knows the essence of who we are.

7) Back in the Old Testament (1 Sam. 16:7), we learn an important principle about the heart.

8) As human beings we typically look on what is outward (what can be seen).

9) Samuel said God looks upon the heart.

10) Jesus was so aware of this He said this in Mt. 6:21 – READ.

11) Where our “treasure is” helps is a good gauge of our heart.

a) At various times several of us have visited with people who have been very ill or immobile.

b) One of the things I have heard from many Christians is, “I wish I could be there.”

c) “I wish I could participate with the saints as I once did.”

d) “My desire is there but my body will not cooperate.”

e) When a person says these kinds of things, what are they telling us?

f) They are giving us a glimpse into their heart.

12) What interests us and what we do help demonstrate where our hearts are.

13) As an example of this we have two key passages in the 5^th chapter of Acts.

14) Acts 5:4 says that Ananias “conceived” a scheme in “his heart.”

15) In the innermost part of this man, an evil plot was formed.

16) Not only was a plot formed, this man “filled his heart” with Satan and a lie (Acts 5:3).

17) To let the force of the information sink in I am going to read both these verses – 5:3-4.

18) In view of these two verses, our hearts are going to be filled with someone and something.

19) This is why Jesus said in Mt. 11:29 He was “meek and lowly in heart.”

a) If we could boil Jesus down to His most basic essence, He told us what He would find.

b) We would see someone who had the deepest kind of love and compassion for others.

c) Jesus did not have an evil heart like some did (Mt. 9:4).

d) Neither did He have a heart that was “waxed gross” (Mt. 13:15)—hardened; obstinate.

e) The Lord’s innermost being was filled with goodness and love.

20) A study of the Bible shows us that many people need to change their hearts.

21) Acts 2:37, for example, says people on the Day of Pentecost were “pricked in their hearts.”

22) When it came to thinking about Jesus, many Jews had a bad heart.

23) Their innermost thoughts and intentions towards the Lord were evil and corrupt—murderous.

24) Through the preaching of the gospel these people altered their thinking.

25) A similar statement about the heart is found in Acts 8:37.

a) There was a preacher who took the time to teach just one man the gospel.

b) After the sinner had received sufficient instruction he saw water.

c) He asked the preacher about baptism.

d) The preacher said, “if you believe with all your heart.”

e) Conversion was not a matter to say “yes” to today and change our mind tomorrow morning.

f) There is nothing wishy washy about the Christian faith.

g) Politicians may change with the wind, but the gospel is a matter of the heart.

h) A sinner was asked if he was absolutely convinced that Jesus was the Son of God.

i) Was he ready to turn his life over to the Lord, lock, stock, and barrel.

26) Paul said a similar thing in Rom. 6:17.

27) He reminded Christians that they had “obeyed from the heart.”

a) When we read these verses we realize why early Christians lived as history describes.

b) People left their homes to cling to their religious faith.

c) Others lost their jobs. Many were punished. Several were cast into prison. Others died.

d) What would make Christians hold to a belief so strongly that they would endure hard persecutions?

e) Their heart was sold on Jesus Christ and the system of religion He brought to the world.

28) Today people often try to persuade someone to do this thing or that thing or believe something.

29) A salesman might try to convince us to buy his product.

30) He doesn’t care what we think about that product a year from now or five years from now.

31) All he can see is the immediate sale.

32) Matters such as this relate to our pocketbook or a one time event; not a true change of heart.

33) Christianity is a way that forever changes the heart. It is a life altering way.

34) When we become Christians we begin to literally reprogram the mind.

35) We say to God, “My heart needs a major overhaul and your word is the instruction manual.”

36) While this is God’s will, not everyone is willing to do it.

a) We know from Ex. 8:15 that Pharoah “hardened his heart.”

b) His innermost being was opposed to God’s will and he would not change.

c) Paul (Rom. 1:21) spoke of hearts that had been “darkened.”

d) There are people who have a core nature that is either wicked or resistant to spiritual things.

e) New Testament writers expressly said God’s will is for these hearts to be “enlightened.”

f) Listen to 2 Cor. 4:6 and Eph. 1:18 in this regard – READ.

WHEN OUR HEART HAS BEEN CHANGED BY THE GOSPEL, THERE WILL BE MANY, MANY CHANGES IN HOW WE LIVE OUR LIVES.

a) Several examples of this could be given but I will only cover a few.

b) We take a collection every Sunday.

c) Have we stopped to think about how the collection is described?

d) Listen to 2 Cor. 9:7 – READ.

e) We are to base our giving on our “heart.”

2) This passage would stun many members of the church if they would stop to consider it.

3) We are not instructed to give based upon our leftover or “extra” income.

4) We look at our heart, the most personal part of who we are.

5) Christians look at their lives and say, God is the most important thing in my life.

6) He is the one on whom my life is based and fixed.

7) He has said I can make an offering in regard to His service.

8) Since my faith is the most important part of my life, what will I give?

a) A few years ago I was at the Freed Hardeman lectures.

b) About midway through this program they always take up a collection.

c) They say these funds are to pay for the speakers and other items related to the week.

d) Before everyone assembles little envelopes are put out and later baskets are passed.

e) The amount that is collected is quickly relayed to those who attend an evening elcture.

f) On this particular night the president said someone had put a penny—1 cent—in an envelope.

9) I don’t recall his exact words, but they were something like this.

10) “That’s cheap, and frankly, I would like to meet you.”

11) “If a penny is all you think this week is worth, let me know.”

12) 2 Cor. 9:7 links our heart with our giving.

13) While in the context this giving involves literal money, other types of giving also reveal the heart.

14) Eph. 5:19 also uses kardia.

15) Singing is a matter of the “heart.”

16) Is our heart fully committed to God and His word and living as a Christian?

17) If it is, Paul said that will come out in our worship.

a) We will be present, we will pay attention, and we will participate.

b) If our heart is interested in a ball time, child’s school activity, or racing, it shows.

c) We will support those things with our time, money, and attention.

d) God says this is also true in the spiritual realm.

e) We have heard the old expression, “his/her heart was not in it.”

f) We can take those words an apply them in the spiritual realm because this is a Biblical statement.

18) This past week someone sent me a little piece about a man who wanted to sell a building.

19) This structure was a warehouse that was in a terrible state of disrepair.

20) Vandals had smashed all the doors and windows; trash was strewn throughout the structure.

21) One prospective buyer was escorted through the warehouse and the owner said,

a) “What you see is all going to be changed.”

b) “I will bring in a clean up crew and repair all the damage.”

c) “Al the trash will be removed.”

d) The potential buyer said, “forget it. I want the land, not the building.”

22) God is interested in our exterior (building), but this is not the main point of emphasis.

23) He is keenly concerned with our heart (the land).

24) Even in the Old Testament we see this part of man’s being emphasized.

25) Gen. 6:5 says that people had wicked thoughts in their “hearts” continually.

26) Humanity was not just sinning; wickedness was imbedded in the core of almost all people.

27) The problem was so bad God promised a flood.

28) God wanted people to have a good heart and be obedient to His word so the world was destroyed.

29) Do we not remember what Jesus said when He was asked about the great commandment in the law?

30) This question is in Mt. 22:36, and Jesus’ answer is in Mt. 22:37.

31) Jesus said, love God with all your heart.” Make God the centerpiece in your life.

32) Tonight if we look into the deepest part of our being we can see our heart.

33) What is it like? Good, bad, or are we somewhere in the middle?

34) Has our heart been fully committed to God?

35) Has our heart been pricked by sin like those on the Day of Pentecost?