Preached May 16, 1999 at Faith Baptist Church
By Pastor Steven E. Mays
The Right Kind of Heart
Prov. 4:23
Text: Prov. 4:23 "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life".
Serve God with all of the heart
De 11:13 And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,
14 That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.
(Too much Half Heartedness today)
Do the will of God from Heart
Eph 6: 5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
Definition. In the Bible the heart is a term for the center of man's thinking, emotions, and will. From the heart proceed all the actions and motivations of man, that is what our text is say… Prov. 4:23
It would seem that if God was a Dr. (By the way He is…) He'd be a Heart Surgeon. The Scriptures tell of all kinds of things God does to the Heart.
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A. GOD TRIES THE HEART 1CH 29:17 JER 12:3
B. GOD KNOWS THE HEART PS 44:21 JER 20:12
C. GOD SEARCHED 1CH 28:9 JER 17:10
D. GOD UNDERSTANDS THE THOUGHTS OF THE HEART 1CH 28:9 PS 139:2
E. GOD PONDERS THE HEART PR 21:2 24:12
F. GOD INFLUENCES THE HEART 1SA 10:26 EZR 6:22 7:27 PR 21:1 JER 20:9
G. GOD PREPARES THE HEART 1CH 29:18 PR 16:1
H. GOD OPENS THE HEART AC 16:14
I. GOD ENLIGHTENS THE HEART 2CO 4:6 EPH 1:18
J. GOD STRENGTHENS THE HEART PS 27:14
K. GOD ESTABLISHES THE HEART PS 112:8 1TH 3:13 |
Take heed lest it to be deceived # De 11:16
He that trusts in, is a fool # Pr 28:26
This Morning I want to think for just a moment about the Heart that God wants us to Have…
I. The Broken Heart
Psalms 34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Psalms 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Hardened hearts are something we all need to keep on guard against..
Harden not, against God # Ps 95:8
Heb 4:7 Harden not against the poor # De 15:7
Broken over Sin--- Where is this today?
Broken over Needs--- To complacient…
2 Kings 22:19 Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD.
Part of the Ministry of the Lord was to…. Isaiah 61:1 he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted….
II. The Believing Heart
Psm. 112:6-8
6 Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.
7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.
8 His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies.
Psalms 118:6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:
A lot of talk today about the Y2K problems… This week I got a fax to buy a year worth of food… Hey! What about a Trusting Believing Heart?
We live in perolious times without a doubt, but so did the Psalmist..
Psalms 27:2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
A Believing Heart produces happiness…
Psalms 146:5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:
You are going to have to have a Believing Heart if you are going to be Happy!
III. The Burdened Heart
Rom. 9:1-3
1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
Rom. 10:1
Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
We live in an hour of indifference…
God has a Burdened Heart… Where is our Burden.. our busy lifestyles have robbed us…
Ezekiel 18:31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
Ezekiel 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
IV. The Brand New Heart…
The heart of fallen man is desperately wicked (Ge. 6:5; 8:21; Je. 17:9;)
Jer. 17: 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
This is what brought on the Judgement of God in the very beginning..
Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Yet People constantly go on the dictates of their Heart…
Proverbs 28:26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.
We need to be like David and say…
Ps 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Ezekiel 18:31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Faith the means of purifying
Ac 15:8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; 9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
Listen to the Words of Scripture…
Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Romans 3:30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Romans 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
What does God see today when He see's your Heart?
1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
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