Yesterday I was out of town all day attending the Getwell Lectures therefore unable to post our sermon starter, but it will follow below. If you are within a reasonable driving distance of Memphis, TN I would highly encourage you to take a day and go to Getwell this week. Their lectures will continue through Thursday night and they are examining some marvelous topics under the general theme of “Power Packed Parables.” It was my privilege to speak yesterday at 2:00 PM on “The Parable of the Good Shepherd.” I have already scanned through the book and look forward to digesting it fully in the near future.Christianity is a religion of balance. When we fail in Christianity it is because we have become imbalanced. For instance a preacher may constantly belittle the brethren with negative preaching, openly rebuking and condemning their every action. On the other hand a preacher may never speak out against sin specifically or generally. These are extremes in the pulpit and must be avoided. The Biblical approach to preaching is balance – “reprove, rebuke, exhort” (2 Timothy 4:2). Another imbalance that often occurs in Christianity pertains to the heart. Some make Christianity a matter solely of the heart implying in their teaching that there is no outward action necessary. On the other hand others make Christianity solely a matter of doing the right things regardless of the heart’s condition. Again the Bible emphasizes the need for balance, as the heart must be right but in order to control the actions of the body (Proverbs 23:7). Our sermon starter today discusses a matter key to Christianity succeeding in our lives – we must have “A Change of Heart.”
Title: A Change of Heart
Text: Matthew 5:8
Main Point: Christianity is a religion of the heart (not heart only, but obedience stems from the heart), thus the statement of the Lord in our text. Our hearts must be made pure and made to maintain purity else we shall not be able to one day see God. But in order for our hearts to be made pure, we must have a change of heart.
Discussion Points:
1. The Characteristics of the Heart – the heart of which we speak is not the aortic blood pump; the Biblical heart has certain characteristics that allow us to identify it:
- It is intellectual – It thinks (Matthew 9:4); it reasons (Mark 2:8); it believes (Romans 10:9-10).
- It is emotional – It loves (Matthew 22:37); it despises (2 Samuel 6:16); it rejoices (Psalm 33:21); it suffers anguish (2 Corinthians 2:4); it may be stolen (2 Samuel 15:1-16).
- It is volitional – It purposes (2 Corinthians 9:7); it determines (1 Corinthians 7:37).
- It is conscientious – It can be pricked (Acts 2:37); it can be cut (Acts 5:33); it can condemn or approve (1 John 3:20-21).
2. The Condition of the Heart – the condition of the heart depends on how it is treated (what happens if your daily diet consists of nothing but greasy, sugary, fat-filled junk? You’ll have heart trouble! Physically and spiritually the fact is true: garbage in, garbage out!). If we would be truly committed to healthy heart development, what kind of prognosis would we have? Matthew 6:20-21 – if we lay up treasure in heaven our hearts are deemed true and pure which means they have prepared their hearts through a study and application of God’s word (1 Peter 2:2). If our hearts are left to the influence of the world is will become hardened and wicked as the children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3).
3. The Change of Heart – in Matthew 21:28-29 a young man changed his heart, but why? The heart must be purified by faith (Acts 15:9) which means a number of things are involved:
- Our intellect is changed by testimony – just as lawyers convince the jury based on evidence the gospel contains evidence by which we can be convinced (John 20:30-31).
- Our emotions are changed by love – young men win the affection of young women by acts of love, and the divine love of God will change our feelings toward God (John 3:16).
- Our will is changed by motives – a disobedient child or deserted father must change their motives to change their will, and God’s will must become our own (Romans 12:1-2).
- Our Conscience is changed by doing right – some have seared their conscience with a hot iron (1 Timothy 4:2), but we must understand the need for right in order to soften our hearts (Romans 6:17-18).
What a change of heart can develop in our lives if we go about it according to the Divine plan! Let’s help the world know how a change of heart can make all the difference in our lives now and eternally.
-Andy Brewer