Keeping the Heart

TEXT:  Proverbs 4:23

INTRODUCTION:

A.      OUR TEXT TALKS ABOUT KEEPING THE HEART.

          1.       KEEP, natsar,  a primitive root; to guard, … (to protect, maintain)(Strong).

          2.       Similar admonitions (Deut. 4:9;  15:9;  Prov. 22:5;  23:19).

B.      IT ALSO TELLS US HOW IMPORTANT THE HEART IS

                   – OUT OF IT ARE THE ISSUES OF LIFE.

C.      WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT ALL THIS?  LET’S STUDY.

I.      WHAT IS THE HEART?

A.      NOT THE PHYSICAL ORGAN.

          1.       Our body is the temple of God (1 Cor. 6:19-20).  We need to take care of it.

          2.       Exercise is good, but godliness is greater (1 Tim. 4:7-8).

          3.       Of greater concern are spiritual goals and growth (2 Cor. 4:16-18).

B.      OT – leb;  the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and

          even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything (Strong).

C.      USAGE HELPS US TO SEE THE MEANING.  IT IS THE SEAT OF:

          1.       Intellectual processes ( Heb.4:12;  Mar.2:8;  Mat.13:15; Rom.10:10 ).

          2.       Emotional processes ( Matt. 22:37;  2 Sam. 6:16 ).

          3.       Processes of the will ( 2 Cor. 9:7 ).

D.      THE HEART IS THE ENTIRE MIND!

II.     HOW IS IT TO BE KEPT?

A.      IT IS THE SEAT OF THE INTELLECT.

          1.       Since the heart is the seat of our understanding, we must grow in knowledge

                   (2 Pet. 3:18;  1 Pet. 3:15;  2 Tim 2:15).

          2.       Since the heart is the seat of recollection, our memory must be filled with the things

                   of God (Psa. 119:11;  2 Pet. 3:1-2;  Col. 3:16).

          3.       Faith is an intellectual process (Rom. 10:10, 17;  Heb. 11:6).

B.      IT IS THE SEAT OF EMOTIONS.

          1.       We are told to hate evil and love good (Rom. 12:9).

          2.       We guard our emotions be not sawing on them with temptations

                   (Jas. 4:7-8;  2 Tim. 2:22).

          3.       What is important to us?  What is our treasure?  (Matt. 6:19-21).

          4.       Our love for good grows as we see its importance (Matt. 6:21;  16:26).

          5.       And as allow our minds to dwell on it (Phil. 4:8;  Col. 3:1-2).

C.      IT IS THE CENTER OF THE WILL.

          1.       Our fate will be determined by what we decide (Rev. 22:17).

          2.       Salvation is offered to all (1 Tim. 2:3-4) but is up to us (Acts 2:40;  1 Tim. 4:16).

          3.       We must determine who we will serve (Rom. 6:12-13, 16).

          4.       Salvation is then in submission (Matt. 7:21;  Acts 2:36).

III.    WHY IS THE HEART TO BE KEPT?

A.      SOLOMON’S ANSWER (Prov. 4:23).

B.      THE ANSWER OF JESUS (Luke 6:43-45;  Matt. 15:18-20).

C.      MAN OBSERVES THE EXTERNALS, BUT GOD LOOKS ON THE HEART

          (1 Sam. 16:6-7) AND JUDGES THAT (Prov. 24:12;  Heb. 4:12-13).

CONCLUSION:

IS YOUR HEART RIGHT WITH GOD?

HOW DO YOU KNOW?