How To Keep Your Heart Right

How To Keep Your Heart Right

Pro. 4:23

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life

I. WHY HEART IS IMPORTANT

1. As your heart is so are you

Proverbs 23:7

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

2. Heart controls speech

Luke 6:45

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

3. Heart produces action

Acts 5:3

But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 

4. Heart Controls Your Faith

Rom 10:10 

For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Mark 11:23

For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

II. HEART CONDITIONS WE MUST AVOID

1. A Removed Heart

Matthew 15:8

These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.

2. A Hard Heart

Mark 3:1-5

And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2 So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand,  “Step forward.” 4 Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.

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a. A Hard Heart Affects Relationships

Matthew 19:8-10

He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.” 10 His disciples said to Him, “If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.

b. A Hard Heart Grieves God

Mark 3:1-5

And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2 So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand,  “Step forward.” 4 Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.

c. A Hard Heart Blocks Revelation

Mark 16:14

Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

d. A Hard Heart is a Path to Destruction

Exo. 4:21

And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.

e. Can hinder your destiny

Psalm 95:7-11

For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: 8 “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As in the day of trial in the wilderness, 9 When your fathers tested Me; They tried Me, though they saw My work. 10 For forty years I was grieved with that generation, And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts, And they do not know My ways.’ 11 So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’ “

3. A Troubled Heart

John 14:27

27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

4. A Bitter Heart

James 3:14-16

But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.

III. PREFERRED HEART CONDITION

1. Tender Heart

1 Peter 3:8-9

Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

Eph 4:32

32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you

2 Kings 22:11,19

11 Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, that he tore his clothes. Thus says the Lord God of Israel“Concerning the words which you have heard—19 because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I spoke against this place…and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you,” says the Lord. 20 Surely, therefore, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place.

HOW:  Ask God help us keep a tender heart against a hard heart

2. A Clean Heart

Psalm 51:10

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Jer 17:9

“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; who can know it?

HOW: Stay before the fount.  Take a blood bath daily

3. A Steadfast Heart

Psalm 57:7

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise.

1 Cor. 15:58

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

HOW: Renew your heart with your will. Reset and redetermine it

4. A Wise Heart

Psalm 90:12

So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

HOW: Keep in mind you only have a short time

5. A Trusting Heart

Prov. 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

HOW: In all your ways acknowledge Him

  

6. A heart of Love

Proverbs 3:3

Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.