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The muscle known as the heart is considered to be the center of physical life. It is the focus for all the vital functions of the body. However, in the figurative sense, the heart has come to be known as the center of a person's mental and spiritual life. It describes the person as a whole. The heart, in biblical language, is closely connected with a person's intellect
(Mat. 13:15), thoughts
(Luke 6:45), attitudes
(Heb. 4:12), decisions
(Prov. 16:1; 2 Cor. 9:7), desires
(Ps. 37:4; Rom. 1:24), emotions
(Ps. 4:7; John 16:6) and true character
(1 Sam. 16:7).
Taking all this into consideration, it is important for us to know the nature of the heart. The Bible clearly teaches that the heart is something that is not to be trusted. Consider what Jeremiah said in
Jer 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" Of course, the phrase "who can understand it" is a rhetorical question. The answer is obvious: no one can understand it, except the Lord, who sees its contents. Jesus said that out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony and slander
(Matt 15:19). What makes us filthy is not what goes into our mouths, but what comes out of the heart
(Matt 15:17-18,20). The heart is the source of hindrance when we put our trust in it and not in the Lord. That is why
Prov. 28:26 (NASV) says,
"He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But he who walks wisely will be delivered." How should we walk? Wisely. Where does wisdom come from? The Lord and His word
(Prov. 2:6; Ja. 1:5; 2 Tim 3:15). It is God who directs our steps
(Prov. 20:24).
Pray continually for a pure heart and allow the Word of Christ to dwell richly in you. And let your motive be Christ and His love!
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Becoming Like Christ
Hindrance: The Heart |
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Key Text:
Matthew 15:18-20a
But
the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and
these make a man 'unclean.' For out of the heart come evil
thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false
testimony, slander. These are what make a man 'unclean'...
Theme:
The
Bible speaks of the heart as what makes us what we are. A
man’s heart gives rise to all thoughts and actions. It is
imperative that as disciples of Christ, we should be taught to
guard our heart--to keep it sensitive and open to God’s
word. Knowing the nature of the heart, we ought to take hold
of the Gospel and allow God to purify our hearts through the
blood of Christ, through the indwelling of the Spirit and
through the rich dwelling of the Word of Christ.
Application:
Here
are some practical suggestions:
1.
Pray for a pure heart.
2.
Confess sin and be humble.
3.
Implement the exhortation of
Colossians 3:14-16 in your life:
a. Clothe
yourself with love!
b. Submit
yourself to the peace of
God. Seek peace and
unity!
c. Be
thankful!
d. Let
God’s word dwell richly in
your heart! Write
them on your
heart! Especially
verses that pertain
to you personally.
May the Lord richly bless you!
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| Sermon
Outline |
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The Hindering Heart
I. Jeremiah 17:1-10
A. God convicts the Jews concerning sin
1. Response from question asked in 16:10
a. Sin is written with an iron tool
-- Iron tools were used to engrave
permanent inscriptions
-- Their sin was very legible and written
in unerasable letters
2. Issue: Sin is never erased until forgiven
3. Later on, He would promise restoration
(Chapters 30-33)
B. The Cause: The Heart
1. Cursed is he who trusts in the flesh--vs 5
a. They didn't rely on the Spirit of God
for their strength and protection
b. Outcome: Ruin--vs 6
2. Blessed is he who trusts in the Lord--vs 7
a. Those who live by faith even in the
worse of times.
b. Outcome: Unfailing productivity
C. The Nature of the Heart
1. False and Deceitful
2. It is foolish to trust in it (Pr
28:26)
a. See Israel's outcome in trusting
their hearts, and not God.
3. It's what makes us unclean (Matt
15:19)
4. We cannot know it:
a. Peter didn't know it
b. Only God knows it
5. The result of following it is death
(Rom 6:23)
II. The Nature of God
1. Only He can save us--John 3:16
2. Only He can give us a new heart
a. He promised this to Israel (Ez
11:19)
--through Christ, we are spiritually
circumcised. (Col
2:11,12)
III. Conclusion: Prov 16:3
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| Small
Group Study |
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Warm-up:
Apart
from communication, what do you
consider
to be an important element in a relationship?
See To It
Matthew 15:1-11
1.
From these verses, list some of the problems
the Pharisees had.
2.
What seemed to be the root or focal point of
their problem?
3.
Define the word hypocrite.
From verses 8 and
9, describe what a hypocrite does. How do
they appear to others?
4.
Why is their worship in vain?
5.
From verse 11, what two truths does Jesus
establish regarding spiritual uncleanness?
Seeing It
Closer:
1.
In what ways can worship be done in vain
today?
2.
Is worshipping the Lord in vain always
obvious? Explain.
3.
Read Proverbs 23:26. What does the Lord
require of us?
4.
How can we give Him our heart? How do we
go about doing that?
5.
Describe how your worship of the Lord has
been since you met Jesus.
Getting To It:
Pray for one another that our worship of the Lord
would be out of a heart near to God.
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This
week's Quiet Times:
Becoming Like Christ/Hindrance: The Heart
MONDAY
According to the Old
Testament, the heart (Hebrew lebab)
is the center of the physical, mental, and spiritual life of humans. This
contrasts to the normal use of kardia
("heart") in Greek literature outside the Scriptures. The New
Testament follows the Old Testament usage when referring to the human heart in
that it gives kardia a wider range of meaning than it was generally accustomed to
have. First, the word heart refers to
the physical organ and is considered to be the center of the physical life.
Eating and drinking are spoken of as strengthening the heart. As the center of
physical life, the heart came to stand for the person as a whole. Read carefully
1 Samuel 16:7. What does man look at? What does God look at?
Write 1 Chronicles 28:9 on an index card, learn it, and seek the Lord
with an earnest heart. Get together
with a brother/sister and confess your sins to one another. Practice
earnestness!
TUESDAY
Closely related to
the mind are acts of the will, acts resulting from a conscious or even a
deliberate decision made in the heart. Connected to the will are human wishes
and desires. Not only is the heart associated with the activities of the mind
and the will, but also it is also closely connected to the feelings and
affections of a person. Read Jeremiah 17:9-10. What is the most deceitful thing? Can you
trust your feelings to tell you what is right and what is wrong? The heart is
exceedingly deceitful and treacherous, especially in propagating the idea that
man's heart is naturally good. This lie, planned and dispersed by Satan himself,
has been responsible for efforts at self-reform on both individual and social
levels. The source of all evil desires is the heart (Mark
7:20-23). Who can clean up our heart? Write Psalm 51:10 on an index
card and meditate on it throughout the day. After doing this Quiet Time, take
some time out to pray with a brother/sister for a pure heart.
WEDNESDAY
The heart is spoken
of in Scripture as the center of the moral and spiritual life. The conscience,
for instance, is associated with the heart. In fact, the Hebrew language had no
word for conscience, so the word heart
was often used to express this concept. In the New Testament, the heart is also
spoken of as that which condemns us (1
John 3:19ff). All moral conditions from the highest to the lowest are
said to center in the heart. Reflect carefully upon Hebrews 3:12-13. What will
a sinful, unbelieving heart do? What must you do to prevent your heart from
hardening? Encouraging one another is vital to our spiritual survival. Not only
must you let others encourage you, but you must also give encouragement! Write 1 Thess. 5:9-11 on an index card and memorize it. Call a
brother/sister today and remind them of the wrath we have been saved from.
THURSDAY
Because the heart is
at the root of the problem, this is the place where God does His work in the
individual. For instance, the work of the law is "written in their
hearts," and conscience is the proof of this (Rom. 2:14-15). The heart
is the field where seed (the Word of God) is sown (Matt. 13:19; Luke 8:15).
In addition to being the place where the natural laws of God are written, the
heart is the place of renewal. Reflect upon Titus 3:5-6. Are you saved
by what you do? Who has renewed you? (Also see John 3:3-6) Now check this
verse out: Col.3:9-10. Why should we be truthful? How are we
renewed? Write Rom.12:2 on an index card and commit to it in your renewed
heart.
FRIDAY
Finally, the heart is
the dwelling place of God. Two persons of the Trinity are said to reside in the
heart of the believer. God has given us the "Spirit in our hearts, as a
deposit..." (2 Cor. 1:22). Ephesians
3:17 expresses the desire that "Christ may dwell in your hearts by
faith." The love of God "is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy
Spirit which is given unto us" (Rom. 5:5). The job of the Holy Spirit has always been to create
since the beginning of the world. Now
His job is to re-create you from the inside out. He orders our life, causes it to have a purpose, meaning;
causes it to make sense. He's good at it! Let Him do it! Write 2 Chron. 16:9 on an index card and memorize it.
**A
good deal of the quiet times this week came from notes in the Believers Study
Bible and the Holman Bible Dictionary.