Hot or cold

    As cold is the absence of heat so dark is the absence of light, is evil the absence of righteousness? Only available in Christ Jesus!

1 Corinthians 1:30 Philippians 3:9

Firmly

     I firmly believe in honor as the highest measurement of maturity; while our culture has largely left this concept in the dusty bins of history only to forget its meaning. As a result our nation has lost its vision and clung tightly to the precepts of immaturity. It is true that a man without honor has forsaken his calling as such, no longer seeking the privilege of a hard earned day or a job well done; ease is his delight. Rejecting honor we have become a people who forsake wisdom and slide to the position of slack handed idle babblers. It is not ease but the strenuous life which is a noble pursuit suggests Theodore Roosevelt and I concur but the pursuit of Utopia is a vain and ignorant one. I delight in the ideal that men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights and among them are the right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This christian concept encourages everyone to pursue their life with a reverent gratitude that also limits that pursuit when it harms their neighbor.


Thus honor is imitating the author of truth and goodness.

Liberty = the freedom to control yourself.

Escape?

When we become addicted to our escapist alternate realities, we loose the ability to understand and enjoy this one.

Proverbs 15:25, 33

                Andrew Murray “Humility before God is nothing if not proved in humility before men.”

25-The LORD tears down the house of the proud but maintains the widow’s boundaries.

33-The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

                                       a. Defined

                                                                 i. What is this Pride? n. 1. Inordinate self-esteem; an unreasonable conceit of one's own superiority in talents, beauty, wealth, accomplishments, rank or elevation in Webster’s

                                                                ii. What is proud? Adj --In linguistics, an adjective is a "describing word", the main syntactic role of which is to qualify a noun or noun phrase, giving more information about the object signified ---

                                          1. A person who’s life is described by pride- a pattern of life, a description of                                                   character, attitude, disposition, or perspective
                                          2. Disobedience (unfaithful) is pride- That secret quiet motive that says, I will do                                                it my way.

a.     Ignorance=failing to find out what God wants

b.     Idolatry=me and others know better than God

3.     Pride predates mankind!- Satan   

Isaiah 14:12-15-Ezekiel 28:15-17

a.     Two passages addressed to evil kings (of Babylon and Tyre) symbolically reveal Satan’s fall  

b.     Pride is the currency of Bad Leadership

1.     Directed by self, emotion

c.      Reserving for myself that which belongs to God

1.     Defining- truth beauty goodness

4.     Adam and Eve fallow =

a.     Genesis 3:6-7 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7Then the eyes of both were opened and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

1.     Keyword is saw-                                  

a.     A picture is worth a thousand words

b.     Seeing is believing

c.      Believing whatever I want or like; I should have.

5.     Korah  Numbers 16:1-50

a.     Cousin of Moses and Aaron

b.     Rebellion – not satisfied with God’s plan – carry ark

c.      I want to be the leader, who is this man over me.

b.     Warnings

                                                                          i.      God protects the week

1.     Proverbs 16:19 It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud. – no peace

2.     Proverbs 23:10 Do not move an ancient landmark or enter the fields of the fatherless -- warning

3.     Psalms 68:5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his habitation

4.     Psalms 146:9 The lord watches over the sojourners: he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

5.     James 1:27 True Religion=Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

                                                                        ii.      God rejects Pride

1.     James 4:6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

2.   Proverbs 6:17 There are six things that the LORD hates,
seven that are an abomination to him:17haughty eyes, a lying tongue,and hands that shed innocent blood,18 heart that devises wicked plans,feet that make haste to run to evil,19 false witness who breathes out lies,and one who sows discord among brothers. ß

3.     Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall – Gods mercy, we can see our pride and repent.

4.     Proverbs 29:23 Ones pride will bring him low

v God Judged Nebuchadnezzar (I built this city) Daniel 4:30-Nabal (I owe nothing to David) 1Samuel 25:10 and Jehoram (I decide how Judah is to worship, its working for Israel)2 chronicles 21:13.            

o   Pharaoh who hardened his heart for pride sake. Exodus 5-10

§  Who was Pharaoh?

·        The son of Re, claiming Godhood.

·        The emissary of Re- the sun God

·        The head of the government

·        The high priest of every temple

·        He was shepherd of the land

·        Oaths were sworn in his name

    Pharaoh was the counterfeit! The false son and shepherd; who standing on a kingdom of 3000 years could not turn. The servant of God is unassuming, pointing to humility and repentance which would mean freedom to a whole people group. But Pharaoh would not.

o   He is god of his heart and cannot obey

o   When we are prideful, God will hand us over to it making it swell within us, we will be blind to it becoming fat with self-righteousness and superiority.

o   Before you stone me hear me out, we all like sheep gone astray and justify ourselves, look at the Westminster confession of faith for a high standard of explanation and encouragement in God’s word.   Chapter 16 of good works, end of section 1.

§  They must be performed by a person who is justified by the righteousness of Christ, and renewed by his Spirit. 2. They must be done from a right principle–faith working by love. There must be faith or persuasion that what we do is commanded by God; and we must perform it from a respect to his authority.–Rom. xiv. 23. There must also be a faith of the acceptance of our works only through the mediation of Christ. Our obedience must likewise flow from love to God.–1 John v. 3. 3. They must be performed in a right manner. They must be done in the strength of promised grace, and in dependence upon the righteousness of Christ for acceptance–in the exercise of gratitude to God for all his benefits, and under a deep sense of our own unworthiness. 4. They must be directed to a right end. Our works cannot be accounted good, except our chief and ultimate end in doing them be the glory of God.–1 Cor. x. 31.

§  Signs of Holy Prideà if you speak of these with a sense of taking credit for them.

·        God picked me- spiritual insights-understanding- wisdom –Lovers of truth- Big families – the way we dress – right education – do courtship, no dating –

·        Separation- I’ll show them- un-forgiveness. See how they do without me. pride

·        Superiority- that’s not what I would choose. I know better –pride

·        Special knowledge – God told me -Pride

·        Comparing – were better than them –pride

·        Self-justification- is a legal act whereby we reject being completely justified by Christ and insert our own which is not. pride

·        Unrepentant- were sorry you misunderstood our actions – but there is no repentance. pride

o   With these strongholds in your life evil is free to grow.

§  How do you trap monkeys? You hollow out a small hole in the stump of a tree, making a wider opening a couple inches inside. Placing bait inside, the monkey will grab it and the monkey will not let go even if it means their life.

·        I’m talking of feeling justified or ok for any other reason than Christ!

o   It’s Idolatry , receiving comfort from falsehood – Galatians 2:20-21   I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

                                                                      iii. The antithesis

1.     Pride = I am the starting point; how I feel; what I think; what I want ; what I deserve; what I desire ; me myself and I –Mine

a. How often does this describe the church? We have all heard it.

2.     Humility= God is the starting point; thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Gods sovereign order in his time by his method.

3.   Defined --Humble [L. humilis.]1. Low; opposed to high or lofty. Thy humble nest built on the ground.2. Low; opposed to lofty or great; mean; not magnificent; as a humble cottage. A humble roof and an obscure retreat.3. Lowly; modest; meek; submissive; opposed to proud, haughty, arrogant or assuming. In an evangelical sense, having a low opinion of one's self and a deep sense of unworthiness in the sight of God. – Webster’s 1828

a.   Humility is knowing the real truth about who you are before God LOW! Seeing God for real - breaks us

                                                                                                 i.    Moses- Exodus 3:6 And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

                                                                                                ii.    Isaiah- Isaiah 6:5 5And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”

                                                                                               iii.    Job- job 42:5-6 5I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; 6therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

1.   Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

a.   Poor - to be thoroughly frightened, to cower down or hide oneself for fear; hence, one who slinks and crouches), often involving the idea of roving about in wretchedness "but it always had a bad sense till it was ennobled in the Gospels;

2.   Remember Paul before Jesus “what shall I do?” Acts 22:10

3. “Not to be occupied with our sin but to be occupied with God brings deliverance from self. - Andrew Murray

4. Gratefulness is an act of humility- walk in it.

4.   Example-Jesus- Philippians 2:7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

                                                                                                 i.    Philippians 1- expand 15 –

1.   For me to live is Christ –v21

2.   V2-7 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others

3.   Completely selfless talk- ie, humble

4.   2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. – No other way!

5.   Reality “If your words are laced with pride, love is not in it” A. Fischer

a. What is love in the bible? – Selfless service 1 Corinthians 13

b. Our humility is tested before others

                                                                                                 i. Spouse
                  ii. children

                                                                                               iii. Brothers and sisters in Christ

c.   1 Corinthians 2:15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.

                                                                                                 i. The context is that saved people really have the Holy Spirit and are instructed thereby.

                                                                                                ii. Judges- in this context –has insight- spirit of truth is in us. For the purpose of Loving and building up one another.
1. What do you do with it?

d. Galatians 6:1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

                                                                                                 i. Restore- repair/mend/ singular focus of restoration- no hidden agenda.

                                                                                                ii. This is love, service of one another

e.   God calls us to dwell together in unity and it’s one of the Spirits works Ephesians 4:1-7 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift

                                                                                                 i. Humble people will build relationships and leave a trail of unity in there wake, being filled with the Holy Spirit they don’t seek self.

                                                                                                ii. The best example of humility is Christ “ forgive them thy no not what they do”

                                                                                               iii. Stephen in Acts 7:60And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Pride is probably the most basic and earliest sin, subtle and slithering into every life lived; Humility on the other hand was purchased by Jesus Christ on the cross, free to all; we must first empty our heart of self and then be full to overflowing with life.

WE become addicted to our drunken euphoric self-righteous holy pride, you know the one we hide, wash and worship- the one that comforts us saying “you’re ok” you’re doing better than them; so don’t worry.All is idolatrous religious trash unless broken at the cross.

Walking in the Light  

5This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness; we lie and do not practice the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

insight

Our systematic idolatrous addiction to apathy is a symptom; the national weakness of character, and the rejection of historical mores. We then look around decrying the fall of our culture when it is we who killed. it

Proverbs 15:13,15

 

When we understand the heart we can gain access to these interesting verses.

>The heart is the key<

 

v I am more afraid of my own heart than of the pope and all his cardinals. I have within me the great pope, Self. à Martin Luther

 

v Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God. àMartin Luther

 

v Thou hast created us for thyself, and our heart is not quiet until it rests in Thee. àSaint Augustine

 

v You change your life by changing your heart. àMax Lucato

 

Ø What we have are our hearts, unsaved and saved—immature and mature. Our lives display that.

o   Matthew 15: 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person

 

What is a heart?

 

HEART, n. [L. cor, cordis, and allied to Eng.core, or named from motion, pulsation.]

 

1. A muscular viscus, which is the primary organ of the blood's motion in an animal body, situated in the thorax. From this organ all the arteries arise, and in it all the veins terminate. By its alternate dilatation and contraction, the blood is received from the veins, and returned through the arteries, by which means the circulation is carried on and life preserved.

2. The inner part of any thing; the middle part or interior; as the heart of a country, kingdom or empire; the heart of a town; the heart of a tree.

3. The chief part; the vital part; the vigorous or efficacious part.

4. The seat of the affections and passions, as of love, joy, grief, enmity, courage, pleasure &c.

The heart is deceitful above all things. Every imagination of the thoughts of the heart is evil continually. We read of an honest and good heart, and an evil heart of unbelief, a willing heart, a heavy heart, sorrow of heart, a hard heart, a proud heart, a pure heart. The heart faints in adversity, or under discouragement, that is, courage fails; the heart is deceived, enlarged, reproved, lifted up, fixed, established, moved, &c.

 

5. By a metonymy, heart is used for an affection or passion, and particularly for love.

The king's heart was towards Absalom. 2 Sam 14.

6. The seat of the understanding; as an understanding heart.

We read of men wise in heart, and slow of heart.

7. The seat of the will; hence, secret purposes, intentions or designs. There are many devices in a man's heart. The heart of kings is unsearchable. The Lord tries and searches the heart. David had it in his heart to build a house of rest for the ark.

Sometimes heart is used for the will, or determined purpose.

The heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Eccles 8.

 

 

    I.            The Antithesis - contrasting two opposing points in order to draw out more clarity.

a.     Light/Darkness  - Flesh/Spirit – Joy/Sorrow – the contrasting differences adds more value.

 

Antithetical parallelism is the contrasting of two ideas. The second line is often introduced by the word “but,” which contrasts the idea of the first line with that in the second:

 

--Not just emotional abstracts of reality with no mechanistic purpose.

 

Proverbs

a.     13A glad (joyful) heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.

 

Strengthens and brings healing to the body –

          Weakens the physical body

– What’s the attitude or disposition of your heart?

 

b.    15 All the days of the afflicted are evil (bad), but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.

 

          *Perception or perspective is key

                  

c.     Proverbs 12:25

     Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.

 

d.    Proverbs 14:30

      A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. – The life is in the blood which is made in the bones.

 

e.     Proverbs 18:14

      A man’s spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?

f.      This great contrast from one to the other as a normal part of life is Gods design for life to have life, interest and purpose. Think of it; no joy and no sorrow- what do you have? Nihilism! = the seeking of destruction and death.

a.     Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.--God wants both

b.    Taking away consequences for bad moral decisions as well as the benefits for them creates a lifeless culture that is self-destructive; this is what’s wrong with Socialistic concepts.

 

II.            The Value

a.     It is health to you – good or bad

                                                             i.      Proverbs 17:22

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

a.     People who are married live longer -He who finds a wife finds a good thing. Proverbs 18:22

a.     A new study by Duke University Medical Center found that Baby Boomers with permanent partners or spouses had a decreased risk of premature death during midlife years, Science Daily reports. Individuals who were never married were more than twice as likely to die early than individuals who had been in a long-term, stable relationship.

b.    heard of people dying of a broken heart

a.     Broken heart syndrome, also called stress-induced cardiomyopathy or takotsubo cardiomyopathy, can strike even if you’re healthy. (Tako tsubo, by the way, are octopus traps that resemble the pot-like shape of the stricken heart.) In broken heart syndrome, a part of your heart temporarily enlarges and doesn’t pump well, while the rest of your heart functions normally or with even more forceful contractions. Researchers are just starting to learn the causes, and how to diagnose and treat it.

                                                          ii.      Life is in the Spirit

a.     Luke 8:52-55 52And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.” 53And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.” 55And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat.

                                                       iii.      Gods hand is on those who are his

a.     Blessing- Romans 2:4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

b.    Chastening-Proverbs 3:11-12 f My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights. Hebrews 12:6

c.      Hebrews 5:8 although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.

d.    Proverbs 20:30 Blows that wound cleanse away evil; strokes make clean the innermost parts.

III.            The Purpose -in the right context

The gift of grace – redemption and hope àCheerful Christian contentment

 

a.     Gods mighty hand – a new heart

Ezekiel 36:26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.    

 

                                                             i.      Key definition-Contentment = Recognizing the sovereignty of God and being happy with it. –Maturity-

a.     Foundation of one supports the other- sovereignty – gratefulness- contentment – joy -maturity

b.    God loves it --Genesis 1:20-31 life multiplication jurisdiction work and then rest- Is this not maturity?

 

                                                          ii.      You play a part – why- for his glory

 

a.     Your job to protect your heart Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

a.     Personal life

b.    Home life

c.     Church life

b.    You are what you think-- Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, says he to you; but his heart is not with you. KJV

a.     John 14: 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him

                                                                                                                                     i.      Remember- contemplate hold dear- refer to- reference- relationship

 

b.    Continual feast of a cheerful heart – the power of Gratitude

                                                             i.      Genesis 50:20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

a.     How do you say that?-Faith in a sovereign God who loves you

                                                          ii.       Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

c.     Live with purpose – Blesses others

                                                             i.      Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

                                                          ii.      Ephesians 5:19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;

 

IV.            Conclusion – The Vision

a.     Eternal Sorrow

                                                             i.      By their fruit you shall know them –Matthew 7:16

a.     What they do- what you do

b.    Acts good or bad

c.     Is it an act or fruit how you handle joy or sorrow?

                                                          ii.      Philippians 3:19 17Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

a.     Minds set on earthly things- Then all our days are afflicted

b.    Everything that comes has a sour taste unless we see the sovereign hand of God.

b.    Eternal Joy

a.     Galatians 5:22 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  

a.     The work of God in you, so everything that comes is not about you but the God who saved you and dwells with you.

b.    Luke 10:20 nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

a.     Not doing the work that he has given you but in the gift you could not earn.

c.     Revelation 14:2-3 2And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, 3and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.

d.    1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.