13/09/2018
HEART ISSUES. GUARD YOUR HEART
1. THE GUARDED SPACE
Proverbs 4:23
Keep thy heart with all diligence;
for out of it are the issues of life.
Proverbs 4:23
Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.
WHY?
The forces of life
1.1. Desire is force, a driving force
A Focus Force
Mark 4:18-19
Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.
A Force and source of Fights
James 4:1 NKJV
Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?
James 4:1
WHAT LEADS to strife (discord and feuds) and how do conflicts (quarrels and fightings) originate among you? Do they not arise from your sensual desires that are ever warring in your bodily members?
1.2. Health Forces
Proverbs 17:22
A merry heart does good, like medicine,
But a broken spirit dries the bones.
2. HEART THE WORDS ENGINE
The heart directs dictation, pronouncements
Psalms 19:14
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.
Proverbs 16:23
The heart of the wise teaches his mouth,
And adds learning to his lips.
Matthew 12:34
Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
3. THE TREASURE STORE
Deuteronomy 32:46-47
he said to them, “Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”
4. HEART IS A GOD ATTRACTION OR REPELLANT
Psalms 73:1
Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.
VS
Proverbs 12:20
Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil,
but those who promote peace have joy.
Psalms 73:7
From their callous hearts comes iniquity;
their evil imaginations have no limits.
Examples:
Cain
THE GOOD HEART
IT IS AN UNDIVIDED HEART
Psalms 86:11
Teach me your way, Lord,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.
DAVID KNEW THE KEY AND GAVE IT TO SOLOMON
1 Chronicles 28:9
“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.
THE LOYAL HEART IN PRAYER
2 Kings 20:3
“Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
2 Kings 20:4-6
And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord. And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David.” ’ ”
COMPETITION FOR A LOYAL HEART
BAD COMPANY - RELATIONSHIPS
1 Kings 11:4-5
For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
THE DISLOYAL HEART IN THE DAY OF TROUBLE FAILS
Psalms 78:8-10
They would not be like their ancestors —
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
whose spirits were not faithful to him.
The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows,
turned back on the day of battle;
they did not keep God’s covenant
and refused to live by his law.
THE REWARD OF A GOOD / PURE HEART
NATHANIEL
John 1:45-51
Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote —Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.
“Come and see,” said Philip.
When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”
“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”
Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”
Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”
THE BLESSING OF THE PURE IN HEART
Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
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S Khoza I Team Leader I
