The heart is one of the most vital organs in the human body. Sadly it is also the one with which most people have problems over the years. This is not only true physically but is especially true spiritually. The heart of man is that from which every word and deed originates. It is what determines the character of a man and to maintain its purity is to await the glories of heaven eternal. However, the spiritual heart of man is also the single most thing with which most people have problems. Because of our weak state every individual at times needs to have a change of heart – to turn from trouble and reconcile one’s self back to God. Our sermon starter today examines this very concept:
Title: A Change of Heart
Text: Matthew 5:8
Main Point: New Testament Christianity is a religion of the heart (not the heart only, but our obedience stems from the heart), thus Jesus’ statement in the Sermon on the Mount – “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). Excluded from this number, obviously, are those whose hearts are impure and stained by the blemishes of sin. Thus we see that the single most thing that stands between much of this world and heaven is simply a change of heart. In order to accomplish that a few things about the heart must be understood:
Discussion Points:
- The Characteristics of the Heart – The Biblical heart has certain characteristics that allow us to identify what it is: it is intellectual (it thinks [Matthew 9:4], reasons [Mark 2:8], and believes [Romans 10:9-10]); it is emotional (it loves [Matthew 22:37], rejoices [Psalm 33:21], despises [2 Samuel 6:16], suffers anguish [2 Corinthians 2:4], and may be stolen [2 Samuel 15:1-16]); it is volitional (it purposes [2 Corinthians 9:7], and it determines [1 Corinthians 7:37]); it is conscientious (it can be pricked [Acts 2:37], it can be cut [Acts 5:33], and it can condemn or approve [1 John 3:20-21]). Thus in speaking of the heart we mean that intellectual, emotional, willful, and conscientious part of man – his mind, the driving force of his being.
- The Condition of the Heart – The condition of our hearts depends on how we have treated them. What happens if your daily diet consisted of greasy, sugary, fat-filled junk? You’d have heart trouble. As it pertains to our hearts and our overall health – garbage in, garbage out. This is not only true of our physical hearts but of our spiritual hearts as well. However, if we were to truly commit ourselves to healthy heart development what kind of prognosis might we have? Matthew 6:20-21 – laying up heavenly treasures deems the heart to be true and pure, meaning that we have made preparation of heart a priority and we have committed ourselves to study and application of God’s word for that preparation (1 Peter 2:2). If left to itself and the influence of the world our hearts will become wicked and hardened – this necessitates a change!
- The Change of Heart – In the parable of Matthew 21:28-29 the master’s first son changed his heart – what caused it? Generally speaking, hearts can only be purified by faith (Acts 15:9) – but specifically many things are involved: our intellect is changed by testimony (John 20:30-31), our emotions are changed by love (John 3:16), our will is changed by motives (Romans 12:1-2), and our conscience is changed by doing right (1 Timothy 4:2; Romans 6:17-18). The single over-riding factor that must exist, though, is desire. We must want to change above all else!
Our world is plagued with issues of the heart, serving as the underlying factor in our problem with sin. The only way we can cure this problem is to first commit ourselves to good heart health and second change our hearts!