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.