Blessed are the Pure in Heart
Categories: Sermon Outlines, Textual Sermon Outlines Tags: Sermon Outlines on the Heart, Sermons on the HeartBlessed are the Pure in Heart Sermon
INTRODUCTION: Matthew 5:8, Blessed are the pure in heart…
A. We continue our study of the beatitudes which serve to introduce the Sermon on the Mount by Jesus
1. Together, the beatitudes teach us about faith – how to have faith and how to be a person of faith
a. The beginning of faith – poor in spirit / mourners / the meek
b. The growth of faith – hunger & thirst after righteousness
c. The maturing of faith begins with being merciful
2. Today we will have more on the maturing of faith
B. Matthew 5:8
1. “At some point in life, each of us must decide what is his highest joy; for the thing that delights us directs us … What we are determines how much we enjoy what we have and what we do.” (Warren Wiersbe)
2. We will discover that it is the heart of man that determines who and what he is – it is his true identity
3. Who we are, what we are – determines life
4. The gospel of Jesus Christ is concerned about the heart: all its emphasis is upon the heart.
C. I read somewhere that scientists have discovered that at the heart of every snowflake there is a tiny speck of dust
1. On the outside it is a wonder of beauty, it looks clean and pure
2. In reality – it’s a dirty-hearted little snowflake
3. Someone may say, “Well, doesn’t that disprove your point since the snowflake is known for its beauty and its symbol of purity?”
4. The answer is no – I’m not talking about what it is known for, I’m talking about what it is at its core
5. When it comes to human beings, it’s the same – what are we at our core when you look beneath the facade or the dressing
D. A mature faith reflects the tremendous change in the man or woman who has discovered their great need for God and who has sought him with intense desire
1. Faith changes a person on the inside
2. The result is not a cover, but a reflection of the image of God in the heart of the person
DISCUSSION:
A. DEFINING THE TERMS
1. The word “pure” comes from kaqaros
a. Carries the idea of cleansed or purified.
b. Unmixed (a pure substance – one not mixed with something else, like oil and water)
c. Note the use of the word
1) Matthew 23:25-26
2) John 15:3
d. “The basic idea is that of integrity, singleness of heart, as opposed to duplicity, a double heart, a divided heart” (Wiersbe)
1) Psalm 78:70-72
2) Psalm 7:8
3) Psalm 25:21
4) Psalm 41:12
e. This singleness of heart, the clear, clean purpose of the heart is that which keeps us focused on God
1) Psalm 86:11-12
2) A pure heart cannot be mixed with worldly or ungodly things
3) A pure heart cannot be characterized by that which is unclean
2. The Heart
a. Sometimes it is the emotions
1) John 14:1
2) Nehemiah 2:2
b. Sometimes it is the intellect or the mind
1) Mark 2:8
2) Hebrews 4:12
c. Sometimes it is the will of man
1) Daniel 1:8
2) Luke 21:14
d. Altogether, the biblical picture of the heart is that it is the entirety of the inner man
1) Proverbs 4:23
2) Matthew 15:8
3) Ephesians 6:6
e. It is the heart that is the source of all man’s trouble
1) Jeremiah 17:9
2) Genesis 6:5
3) Mark 7:21-23
B. PURITY OF HEART IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF A MATURE FAITH
1. True Christianity is not simply a matter of reformed behavior. It is a matter of the condition and state of a person’s heart
a. The poor-in-spirit person is the one without the prideful heart, and is the one willing to acknowledge he is nothing without God
b. The mourner is the one who realizes and admits to the true condition of his heart, damaged and wrecked by sin
c. The meek person is gentle, having lost any need or desire to take vengeance on the world, knowing his own need instead
d. The person hungry and thirsty for righteousness is the one whose heart has yearned to be fed with godliness
e. The merciful is the person filled with pity and compassion in his heart for others
f. Now we see that the pure in heart is the person who has begun to reflect the presence of the Lord in his life
g. At every point, it is not the outward behavior but the inner man that has become something new, something better
2. Illustration
Hindu trader in India once asked a missionary, “What do you put on your face to make it shine?” With surprise the man of God answered, “I don’t put anything on it!” His questioner began to lose patience and said emphatically, “Yes, you do!” All of you who believe in Jesus seem to have it. I’ve seen it in the towns of Agra and Surat, and even in the city of Bombay.” Suddenly the Christian understood, and his face glowed even more as he said, “Now I know what you mean, and I will tell you the secret. It’s not something we put on from the outside but something that comes from within. It’s the reflection of the light of God in our hearts. (M. Lloyd-Jones)
3. Note the emphasis the Bible places on that which God does with our hearts
a. Matthew 6:21
b. John 7:38
c. 2 Corinthians 3:3
d. Hebrews 10:21-22
CONCLUSION:
A. How’s your heart? What is it filled with? How would it be described?
B. Faith matured is a wonderful blessing – it brings us into the very presence of God, and allows us to reflect the image of God in our lives
C. Invitation