The Illusion of Choice: Why We Must Stop Trying to See God

• The Beatitudes ([Matthew 5](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5&version=KJV)) [00:26:07 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor continues a study on the Beatitudes, moving through poverty in spirit, mourning, meekness, hunger for righteousness, mercy, and purity of heart.
• Repentance and Meekness [00:27:50 ▶️ 📄]
  > Defines meekness not as weakness but as control over emotions and self-will, choosing God's will over fleshly desires, and distinguishes deep, lifestyle-changing repentance from superficial apologies.
• Mercy and Forgiveness [00:31:18 ▶️ 📄]
  > Explains mercy as compassion put into action and the choice to forgive others because God has forgiven us, clarifying that forgiveness does not necessarily require restoring close personal relationships.
• Purity of Heart [00:32:49 ▶️ 📄]
  > Defines purity as internal cleansing and unmixed devotion, contrasting it with external religious performance (hypocrisy) and divided loyalties between God and the world.
• Worldliness vs. Godliness [00:39:23 ▶️ 📄]
  > Cites James 4:4 to assert that friendship with the world is enmity with God, requiring a binary choice between 100% devotion to God or following the world.
• Purity of Heart and Loyalty [00:40:08 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor defines 'pure in heart' not merely as freedom from physical sin, but as having unmixed dedication and loyalty to God, rejecting divided loyalties.
• Worldliness vs. Godliness [00:39:23 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor contrasts friendship with the world (which makes one an enemy of God) with friendship with God, emphasizing that one cannot serve both.
• Internal State vs. External Circumstances [00:46:34 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that God cares more about the inward state of the heart than outward wealth or circumstances, warning against prioritizing material success over spiritual devotion.
• Grace and Human Choice [00:52:55 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains that while humans cannot achieve perfect purity on their own, they must choose to rely on Jesus Christ's grace and mercy to transform their character.
• Purity of Heart and Divine Perception [00:54:10 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that God demands an 'impossible character' of purity, which is achieved through grace and human choice, resulting in the ability to 'see God' more clearly.
• Modes of Seeing God [00:55:32 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor lists various ways believers experience God's presence: through reading the Bible, witnessing healing and repentance, observing creation (thunderstorms), and recognizing God's hand in life events and hardships.
• Humility and Compassion vs. Judgment [01:00:04 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor contrasts the 'flesh's' tendency to judge the homeless or struggling with the 'pure heart's' response of compassion, humility, and recognizing God's work in others, citing biblical figures like Job and Isaiah.
• The Call to Action and Repentance [01:04:42 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor concludes with an urgent appeal to 'make a choice' for purity, stop 'playing church,' and let God change the heart to see the lost with compassion and fulfill one's role in the church.

• Sermon Illustration [00:26:24 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recalls memorizing the Beatitudes in elementary school at Avery Sherrill School, noting that while memorization was the goal then, the current study aims for heart-level understanding.
• Sermon Illustration [00:28:19 ▶️ 📄]
  > Uses the analogy of children saying 'I'm sorry' without meaning it to illustrate the difference between superficial apologies and deep, sorrowful repentance that changes one's lifestyle.
• Sermon Illustration [00:30:17 ▶️ 📄]
  > Desires for a large new TV that fills the wall, which once obtained, proves too big and blurry, illustrating how physical things fail to satisfy spiritual hunger.
• Sermon Illustration [00:36:52 ▶️ 📄]
  > References the Living Bible translation of Matthew 23, describing Pharisees as polishing the outside of a cup while the inside is full of greed, and comparing them to beautiful mausoleums full of dead bones to highlight the need for inner purity over external appearance.
• Sermon Illustration [00:38:16 ▶️ 📄]
  > Uses the analogy of pure water versus water with chemicals added to explain the Greek concept of 'pure' as 'unmixed,' illustrating that a divided heart cannot see God.
• Sermon Illustration [00:41:26 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the example of King David, noting that while David was not sinless, he had a devoted heart that recognized God, making him a man after God's own heart.
• Sermon Illustration [00:42:57 ▶️ 📄]
  > An analogy is used where someone is talking to a person who looks around at others behind the speaker, illustrating how divided attention prevents full devotion to God.
• Sermon Illustration [00:45:02 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references modern distractions, specifically smartphones, noting that people don't know what to do without their phones and often prioritize Bible study on phones over social media to draw closer to God.
• Sermon Illustration [00:55:05 ▶️ 📄]
  > A quote from Helen Keller is used: 'It's better to be blind and see with your heart than have two good eyes and see nothing,' to illustrate the value of spiritual vision over physical sight.
• Sermon Illustration [00:55:05 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recounts Helen Keller's response to being asked if it was terrible to be blind: 'It's better to be blind and see with your heart than have two good eyes and see nothing.'
• Sermon Illustration [00:57:42 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references John Wesley reading the newspaper to see what God was doing in the world, and Job's declaration that he had 'heard about you' but now had 'seen you' after his hardships.
• Sermon Illustration [01:01:01 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor cites biblical examples of spiritual sight leading to humility: Abraham calling himself dust and ashes, Job repenting in dust and ashes, Peter asking Jesus to depart because he was a sinful man, Paul calling himself the chief of sinners, and Isaiah crying 'woe to me' upon seeing God.
• Sermon Illustration [01:01:59 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor retells the story of Isaiah in heaven, hearing the angels worship 'Holy, Holy, Holy' and God asking 'Whom shall I send?', to which Isaiah responds, 'Send me, Lord, I'll go,' illustrating that seeing God leads to a sense of purpose and mission.
• Sermon Illustration [01:04:51 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor observes the empty pews in his own church compared to a nearby church with full attendance, attributing the difference to whether the people's hearts are truly focused on God rather than just the physical building.

• Pastoral Charge [00:38:38 ▶️ 📄]
  > Decide to follow Jesus and give Him 100% of their lives.
• Pastoral Charge [00:45:24 ▶️ 📄]
  > Replace social media usage (Facebook) with Bible study on mobile devices.
• Pastoral Charge [00:53:16 ▶️ 📄]
  > Pray for God to transform the believer's character from fleshly to kingdom-oriented.
• Pastoral Charge [00:54:31 ▶️ 📄]
  > Make a conscious, frequent choice to prioritize God in daily life.
• Pastoral Charge [01:06:20 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor invites the congregation to physically bow their heads in prayer.

[00:07:35] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:07:35] Rejoicing Comforter, once my heart was full, came a peace so sweet, now the Comforter abides with me, happy as a bird, and just as for the Spirit has satisfied my soul, since the Comforter abides with me.
[00:10:00] and day for the comforter abides with me there's no thirsting for the things of the world they've taken long ago i gave them up and instant was turned to dance rolled away now the comforter
[00:10:31] abides with me oh sing it out church rejoicing night and day the narrow way for the comforter Oh, yes, rejoicing.

[00:11:30] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:11:30] Thank you that he abides with you.
[00:11:32] Amen.

[00:11:34] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:11:34] Yes, your name is love.
[00:14:41] Shine through the shadow.
[00:15:42] Your name, your name, your name.
[00:15:55] Break every strong.
[00:15:58] Shine through.
[00:16:41] I speak Jesus.
[00:16:42] Forgive me for taking so long to.
[00:17:17] That you're all I With every My chest Lord I surrender The days yet to come Days in the past With lifting Cause that's how You rush through my veins I'm wrecked and aged at my
[00:18:23] Come on With every Heart beat in my chest Lord I surrender The days in the past With lifted heaven or grave, there is no place I can go to escape your love.
[00:19:12] I can't go to escape your love.
[00:19:18] So with every heart beating, Lord, I surrender.
[00:19:31] The days yet to come, the days in my past.
[00:19:35] We bless you, Lord.

[00:20:15] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:20:15] How many can say that we need to surrender everything to the Lord?
[00:20:19] Amen.
[00:20:19] We need to give Him all that we have.

[00:20:30] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:20:30] Lord, I surrender all that I have.
[00:20:36] The day's yet to come.
[00:20:40] The day's in the new world.
[00:20:45] We bless you, Lord.
[00:21:11] Hallelujah, hallelujah.
[00:21:14] This world will satisfy the cut that won't run dry.
[00:21:50] I'm thankful that you are here this morning again.

[00:25:13] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:25:13] We appreciate you being here and supporting the service today.
[00:25:18] And, you know, before we even get started, I want to say again, Happy Father's Day to all our fathers.
[00:25:25] Let's give them a hand, guys.
[00:25:27] Amen.
[00:25:28] I appreciate you being part of the Wave family.
[00:25:32] And so for all that you do to help us, all the fathers, we appreciate you.
[00:25:38] Thank you for caring about your family so much that you chose to be in the house of God with them.
[00:25:43] And we appreciate that.
[00:25:45] And thank you.
[00:25:46] And I hope that you have a wonderful Father's Day.
[00:25:49] And for those of us who don't have a father here with us, we thank the Lord that we did have a father and that he is hopefully there all where they need to be with the Lord.
[00:26:01] and we will have that opportunity to see them again. Amen?
[00:26:05] Well, today I want to talk to us.
[00:26:07] I want to continue our study on the Beatitudes. Amen?
[00:26:11] I hope that you're reading this chapter through the week because there is so much that we can learn from these Beatitudes.
[00:26:21] It's a journey that we've been going through.
[00:26:24] I remember when I was in elementary school, we had to memorize the Beatitudes.
[00:26:30] At Avery Sherrill School, that was something we had to do.
[00:26:34] We had to memorize the Beatitudes in the sixth grade.
[00:26:38] And at that time, all you're trying to do is memorize them.
[00:26:43] But as we have been going through them, I hope we have grasped a hold of the Word, put it in our heart, and see what Jesus was talking to them.
[00:26:51] So let's start off with Matthew chapter 5, and we're going to start with the first verse.
[00:26:57] and y'all can read the scripture with me as we start, and we'll start with, And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
[00:27:11] Those that are favored of God are those who realize that they are bankrupt without God.
[00:27:18] They realize that they need Jesus to come into their lives and believe that Jesus is the payment of their sins.
[00:27:29] That is those that are poor in spirit, those that recognize that they need a Savior.
[00:27:34] I don't know about you this morning, but I know that I need a Savior.
[00:27:37] I need a Redeemer.
[00:27:39] Number four goes, Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.
[00:27:50] Those are ones who are so sorry for their sins and their failed choices of their life and they know that they failed God and they are so sorry for all that they have done and the differences that they have went against God
[00:28:08] that their repentance is so deep and they are mournful.
[00:28:14] But when the repentance is this deep, there comes a change.
[00:28:17] You remember, we talked about this.
[00:28:19] You know, we make our children say, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
[00:28:22] and they do something to their little friend.
[00:28:25] But, you know, unless they truly mean it, it's just words.
[00:28:29] And so we've grown up and, yes, sometimes we say, Lord, I'm sorry that I did that against you.
[00:28:34] But did we truly mean it?
[00:28:37] Was it a deep, sorrowful repentance that changed our lifestyle?
[00:28:44] All right, the next one goes.
[00:28:45] blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth the meek are those who have control over their emotions and self-will they can make right decisions based on what god wants rather than what self wants the meek are those who will allow the holy ghost to work in their lives to make a choice
[00:29:13] to listen to God's Word, to follow Him, and not the fleshly desires of this life.
[00:29:21] The meek is not somebody that is weak.
[00:29:24] It's not someone that don't.
[00:29:26] It's those who truly have control over the will and the emotions to make the right choices.
[00:29:34] You know, we hear a lot of times people say, well, the devil made me do it.
[00:29:37] No, the devil tempts you and you chose to do it.
[00:29:41] That is what meek is.
[00:29:43] Meek is saying, you know what?
[00:29:45] Lord, I'm coming to you.
[00:29:47] I need your strength and I need your power to overcome whatever this may be.
[00:29:53] Number six.
[00:29:55] Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.
[00:30:02] Hunger and thirst are those that want the spiritual things of life, not the physical things.
[00:30:09] The physical things no longer fills them.
[00:30:13] The physical things no more satisfies them.
[00:30:16] We can put an example.
[00:30:17] We want us, let's say, a new TV set.
[00:30:22] And we want one of those great big ones, you know, that fills the whole wall.
[00:30:26] And we want it so bad.
[00:30:28] And that's all we want.
[00:30:30] And so our mind is on getting it.
[00:30:32] But once we get it, we realize, you know, that's too big for this room.
[00:30:36] And everything's really blurry.
[00:30:38] That's sort of what I'm talking about this morning.
[00:30:41] You know, we have to hunger and thirst after righteousness, the things of God, and not the fleshly stuff.
[00:30:48] Now, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with getting the things that we like.
[00:30:53] I'm not saying that.
[00:30:54] But I'm saying our desire should be for God more than anything in this world.
[00:31:00] Our fleshly desire should be nothing compared to our desire of God.
[00:31:06] and we should be so hungry and so thirsty that we would give up the things that hinder us.
[00:31:13] Seven.
[00:31:16] I feel the Holy Ghost this morning.
[00:31:18] Blessed are the merciful.
[00:31:24] Let's say that one more time.
[00:31:31] Wow.
[00:31:32] Mercy is not only having compassion, but it is putting that compassion into action.
[00:31:41] We've got to do something about it But it also means that we have got to learn to forgive others Because we know what forgiveness is too Our Father has forgiven us of our sins, our debts
[00:31:56] Our sins that to the world may be unforgivable But yet Jesus paid the price that we could have our sins forgiven So being merciful means that we put our compassion into action And that means we're able to forgive others even though the flesh may not want to forgive them.
[00:32:16] It is a choice.
[00:32:17] Now, let me tell you, that don't mean that you have to invite them back to your cookouts anymore.
[00:32:22] That don't mean they have to be your best buddy.
[00:32:24] But it does mean you have to forgive people even though the flesh may not want to.
[00:32:30] That is being merciful.
[00:32:32] Why? Because our Father in heaven has forgiven us.
[00:32:36] Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord.
[00:32:38] So Matthew 5 and 8 is where we're going to start today, continuing on with the Beatitudes.
[00:32:49] Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
[00:32:55] Let's say that again real loud.
[00:32:57] Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
[00:33:02] Jesus says blessed those that are approved of God that are pure in the heart for they will see God in other words Jesus is telling us that a changed heart will affect your spiritual insight when your
[00:33:21] heart is changed if your heart is different what you see is going to be different um anybody ever know anybody that's negative on everything? That makes you wonder where their eyesight is at because you can always see the goodness of God. But here's my question this morning. Do you really
[00:33:43] want to see God? Don't we all want to see God? Then it's a choice that you and me have to make on a daily basis every day of our life we can choose to follow God we can choose to follow
[00:34:04] his ways we can choose to obey his word and only when we decide to follow him only when we decide or see that our heart is pure will we see God but do you really want to see him what does blessed
[00:34:23] are the pure in heart means.
[00:34:26] It means two things this morning.
[00:34:28] There are two things that we have to look at.
[00:34:30] First of all, having a pure heart means an internal cleansing.
[00:34:36] And I'm not talking about the kind you go to when you go to the GI doctor.
[00:34:40] I'm saying you have got to have an internal cleansing from the top of your head to your soles of your feet.
[00:34:48] There's got to be something changed in your life.
[00:34:52] Do you know that you can quote Scripture?
[00:34:55] And you can say you prayed all day long.
[00:34:57] But if there is not a change within you, you do not have a pure heart.
[00:35:03] The Old Testament talks about this.
[00:35:06] In Psalms 24 and 3.
[00:35:08] Psalms 24 and 3.
[00:35:10] And Jesus referred to this Scripture.
[00:35:13] Who shall ascend to the hill of the Lord?
[00:35:17] Or who shall stand in His holy place?
[00:35:22] He that hath clean hands and a pure heart, who hath not lifted his soul into vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
[00:35:35] Think about this.
[00:35:36] God is saying those who have clean hearts and hands, those that don't lie or practice deceitfulness will get to see him.
[00:35:46] Even the Old Testament prophets look forward to the time when God would give His people clean hearts.
[00:35:54] Ezekiel 36, starting with the 24th verse, says, Ezekiel 36 says, For I will take you from among the heathen and gather you out of the countries and will bring you into your own land.
[00:36:10] But listen, then I will sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
[00:36:21] I will cleanse you.
[00:36:25] A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit that I will put within you and I will take away that stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you what?
[00:36:38] A heart of flesh.
[00:36:41] Jesus himself spoke of having a clean and pure heart.
[00:36:46] when he spoke to the Pharisees about their fake spiritual lives.
[00:36:50] You remember that?
[00:36:52] In the Living Bible, it says in Matthew 23, it says, Woe to you Pharisees and you religious leaders, you hypocrites.
[00:37:00] You're so careful to polish the outside cup, but in the inside is a foul extortion and greed.
[00:37:08] You blind Pharisees.
[00:37:09] First you cleanse the inside of the cup, and then the whole cup will be clean.
[00:37:14] But woe unto you Pharisees and you religious leaders.
[00:37:17] You are like beautiful mausoleums full of dead men's bones and foulest corruption.
[00:37:24] You try to look like saintly men, but underneath those Prius robes of yours is a heart that's merged with every sort of hypocrisy and sin.
[00:37:34] What Jesus is calling here is for a radical inner purity of the heart.
[00:37:41] Why? Because only people who have a pure heart will see God.
[00:37:48] No one else. You must have a pure heart.
[00:37:52] You may know the Word. You may even quote the Word.
[00:37:55] But until you're living the Word with a pure heart and clean hands, your motives will cause you to either see Him or not to see Him.
[00:38:08] It calls for purity, to devotion of God.
[00:38:11] The word that is translated pure has two basic meanings.
[00:38:16] One is clean.
[00:38:18] The other one is unmixed.
[00:38:20] It can be used in the sense of pure water or the water that has chemicals added to it.
[00:38:27] In other words, it speaks of the idea that no person will ever see God whose heart is divided between God and the world.
[00:38:38] We have to make a choice this morning.
[00:38:40] We have to decide, are we going to follow Jesus and give Him 100% of our lives?
[00:38:46] Are we going to have that pure heart, the clean hands that we need to have before God?
[00:38:51] Or are we going to follow Him just enough to straddle the fence?
[00:38:56] We have to make a choice this morning.
[00:38:59] For the pure in heart shall see God.
[00:39:03] You have to make that choice.
[00:39:05] is either following the Word of God and His direction or we're following the world.
[00:39:12] We have to decide.
[00:39:15] And in James 4 and 4, James 4 and 4, the Scripture says, Very strong, you adulterers, you adulteresses.
[00:39:23] Know you not the friendship of the world is enmity with God?
[00:39:27] Whosoever therefore be a friend of the world is what?
[00:39:33] an enemy of god the bible tells us clearly the living bible says it like this don't you realize that making friends with god's enemies the evil pleasures of this world makes you an enemy of god
[00:39:51] i'll say it again that if you your aim is to enjoy the pleasures the evil pleasures of an unsaved world you cannot be a friend of God wow that's some powerful words this morning we must understand
[00:40:08] only the pure in heart will see God now we often misunderstand this the word pure carries the idea of being free from every speck of evil and we sometimes misunderstand the pure in heart to mean
[00:40:26] being pure in our minds about sinful physical pleasures.
[00:40:31] And yes, sometimes it does mean that, but it means so much more than that.
[00:40:36] Pure in heart speaks of a heart that does not bring mixed motives and divide loyalties to its relationship with God.
[00:40:45] Understand this.
[00:40:46] Are you loyal to the Lord today?
[00:40:48] Are you living between good and evil?
[00:40:52] You know the truth, yet your daily life doesn't show it.
[00:40:56] It speaks of having a mind and a heart that's devoted to God, but pure, unmixed dedication to God.
[00:41:05] So we have to make a choice.
[00:41:07] We're either 100% God or we're not.
[00:41:10] That is the pure in heart.
[00:41:13] We can't live for the enemy through the week and then on Sunday sing, Oh, I love Jesus.
[00:41:18] It don't work that way.
[00:41:19] We can't stand behind a holy pulpit and do things ungodly and think it's okay because it's not.
[00:41:26] Listen, David is an example to us all.
[00:41:31] David did not have a sinless heart.
[00:41:33] Amen.
[00:41:35] David, just like we don't have a sinless heart, but David did have something.
[00:41:42] He had a devoted heart and he recognized when he felt God.
[00:41:47] And that's what made him a man after God's own heart.
[00:41:51] James speaks about this idea when he says, and when you draw close to God, God will draw close to you.
[00:42:00] Let your hearts be filled with God alone.
[00:42:04] Our hearts is not big enough for the world and God.
[00:42:08] It don't work that way.
[00:42:09] We don't want to be an enemy of God.
[00:42:12] Do you know how many people is walking around thinking they're saved, thinking they're born again, but they live like the world, but they can quote scriptures.
[00:42:22] Listen, God is calling us.
[00:42:24] Those that have a pure heart, what?
[00:42:28] Will see God.
[00:42:31] He's saying get rid of your mixed devotion.
[00:42:34] Get rid of the double-mindedness.
[00:42:36] Make sure your heart is pure to God.
[00:42:40] Stop riding the fence.
[00:42:43] Have you heard that before?
[00:42:44] You either have to be on one side or the other.
[00:42:47] You can't straddle the fence.
[00:42:49] You've got to either live for God or you don't live for God.
[00:42:53] You don't have a pure heart if you're not living for God.
[00:42:57] I think it's sort of like this.
[00:42:59] This is a good example.
[00:43:00] I think it is.
[00:43:01] It's like when you're talking to somebody, and you're talking to them, and you're really wanting to tell them something, and all of a sudden you see their eyes go around you.
[00:43:12] They're looking at somebody else behind you, or they're wanting to hear what somebody else is saying.
[00:43:18] Has anybody experienced that?
[00:43:20] They're not giving their full attention to you.
[00:43:25] That's the same thing we do with God.
[00:43:27] Do we give God our full attention?
[00:43:29] Do we recognize Him?
[00:43:31] Do we make Him our all in all in our lives?
[00:43:35] Do we make our heart pure?
[00:43:38] Do we choose Him over this world?
[00:43:41] Being devoted to God is just like that.
[00:43:44] He is number one in everything we do, we think, and we say.
[00:43:49] Just because the world says it's okay does not mean it's okay.
[00:43:53] oh come on just because the world says it's okay does not mean it's okay now if you and i do focus our relationship with god then we're having we will grow we will become pure of heart
[00:44:13] but when we don't focus our attention on god when we play half half world and half christ we're not going to see God.
[00:44:25] When we are tempted we will easily fail if we are straddling the fence.
[00:44:32] Listen, what we must do is have our focus all of our attention and concentration on God for us to be devoted to Him.
[00:44:42] Then we will see God.
[00:44:44] And I know this is one of the greatest challenges we have as Christians.
[00:44:49] We're more busy with our jobs and are building our own empires and focusing our intention on things of the world, the government, the politics, whatever's going on.
[00:45:00] Our mind is easily distracted.
[00:45:02] You know, I don't know what we did without the phone.
[00:45:07] Because I want to tell you, you take that phone away from us and we don't know what to do anymore.
[00:45:13] Life is competing for our devotion of God.
[00:45:18] Regardless of what we do, well, I've got to do this, this, and this.
[00:45:21] well, you know what, this takes you away from God.
[00:45:24] If I would ask, hands raised, and I'm not, but if we would look at our Bible study on our phone rather than Facebook, how much closer would we be to God?
[00:45:40] See, we've got to change what we're thinking.
[00:45:43] Sometimes we're more devoted in spending our attention on our paychecks than spending our devotion on God.
[00:45:51] We're spending more of our devotion on the cars we want to drive or the homes we want to live in or what company we want to work for, what education to get.
[00:46:00] We are more involved in everything else than where our heart should be.
[00:46:07] How sad to see a family with more money and no joy.
[00:46:11] No wonder so many Christians are confused.
[00:46:14] That's why they never see God move for them.
[00:46:17] They question, God, I'm not seeing you work out things.
[00:46:20] God I'm not seeing you do this or that it's because they do not have their hearts pure for him they do not have a devotion for him their heart is divided between God and this world
[00:46:34] we must remember that God is more concerned about your inward state than your outward circumstances he cares more about your heart than the stuff you have or the things you surrounded yourself with However, this fleshly body is just the opposite.
[00:46:51] We're more concerned about our stuff and what we have around us than what is in our hearts.
[00:46:59] Wow, that's a tragedy.
[00:47:02] Lay up treasures where rust and moth cannot destroy.
[00:47:09] It's what the Word tells us.
[00:47:11] We must remember that God is more concerned about the inward man than what we drive or where we live or the company we work for.
[00:47:20] Jesus never said, blessed are the rich in circumstances.
[00:47:24] Blessed are those in the prosperous life.
[00:47:27] No, he said, blessed are the pure in heart.
[00:47:32] No wonder some of us, we pray and we pray, but we never hear from God.
[00:47:37] we wonder where is God a lot of times our motives are not godly Jesus said blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God those that are not blessed are the poor in heart
[00:47:53] those that are not pure in heart they will not see God sadly only a few people are capable of the spiritual tension that this beatitude calls for So what kind of devotion does God call for?
[00:48:11] If we want to understand what the devotion that God wants from us, we have to look at the word heart in this verse.
[00:48:19] In the Bible, heart means more than just the mind.
[00:48:22] Because it also includes my emotions and my will.
[00:48:28] It includes everything that I think about.
[00:48:32] What I feel, what I decide.
[00:48:34] In other words, pure in heart means not only in our minds, but also our feelings and actions should be so consecrated, traded on God that He's all we want.
[00:48:47] His answers is all we need.
[00:48:51] What that means is that if I only think of God, then I'm not pure in heart.
[00:48:56] No, it must include my actions and my feelings.
[00:49:01] You know, going back to those with mercy, we want to show mercy we have compassion for somebody else but until we take it into action we're just showing our compassion right we need to understand that God wants
[00:49:19] all of me, not part of me not part of you, he wants all of you, God wants a radical, complete cleanliness of my heart that I would be totally focused on God So why does God call for our hearts to be clean?
[00:49:36] Because He says that it is from the heart that all human problems will come from.
[00:49:44] Think about it.
[00:49:45] If it's not pure, we're going to produce what?
[00:49:51] Sin.
[00:49:53] If our heart is pure, it's going to produce the goodness of God.
[00:49:58] We have to think about it.
[00:50:00] We will see things as God sees it.
[00:50:02] I still hear my mama praying, Lord, give me your eyes.
[00:50:06] that I can see the way you see.
[00:50:09] Lord, give me your ears that I only hear what you want me to hear.
[00:50:14] And give me your mouth that I will only speak what you want me to speak.
[00:50:19] God wants our hearts to be clean because that is where all other things flow from.
[00:50:25] In Jeremiah 17 and 19, Jeremiah 17 and 19, it says, The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it though i the lord searched the heart i try the reins even to give every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his
[00:50:53] doings and thus said nine verse nine think about this god is telling us that our heart is deceitful and wicked why because we've not made it pure because we've not put god first he also says in
[00:51:16] matthew he says far from far from excuse me for from the heart come evil thoughts of murder adultery fornication thieves lying and slander all you and i have to do is look inside of our
[00:51:32] hearts to know if it's pure or not. Just let something not go your way real quick. We'll find out how pure our hearts are. Let something upset us or make us mad. And what do we do? We'll see
[00:51:49] how pure our hearts are. All you have to do is look inside of your own heart. How in the world can I have a pure heart?
[00:52:00] Isn't that what Jesus is talking about here that is beyond any person's accomplishments?
[00:52:09] In Matthew 5 and 48 on down, it says to be perfect, therefore is your heavenly Father is perfect.
[00:52:16] Well, how in the world can we do that?
[00:52:19] All we know is that we cannot be perfect on this side of heaven.
[00:52:24] Do you agree with that?
[00:52:25] The fleshly body cannot be perfect.
[00:52:28] None of us shows perfectly the poor of spirit.
[00:52:34] None of us perfectly mourn over our sins.
[00:52:38] None of us are perfectly humble and gentle.
[00:52:41] None of us are perfectly hungry and thirsty after righteousness.
[00:52:46] And none of us are perfectly pure in heart.
[00:52:50] So how is it possible?
[00:52:52] What are we to do?
[00:52:53] Well, it's the only thing we can do.
[00:52:55] We must throw ourselves on the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.
[00:52:59] And we must understand that His mercies are renewed every morning.
[00:53:07] We must understand we must make a choice to choose to do the right.
[00:53:13] But He has to do the change in us.
[00:53:16] We must ask Him to change the character of the fleshly man or woman into the character of His kingdom.
[00:53:23] And in these qualities, they'll take root and grow with us.
[00:53:29] That's how we can do that, to have a heart that's after Him.
[00:53:36] The Beatitudes, blessed or approved by God, or the smile of God, are those that have pure in heart.
[00:53:47] We must ask ourselves this morning, is my heart really clean?
[00:53:51] You know, a lot of things people think will never come out, But let me tell you, sin is always comes out.
[00:54:00] And you think nobody sees the sins that we do behind closed door.
[00:54:04] Well, you know what?
[00:54:05] He sees it.
[00:54:06] And he knows if our heart is pure.
[00:54:10] God demands from you and me to have an impossible character.
[00:54:16] You think, you know, how can I be like Christ?
[00:54:19] How can I do what he wants us to do?
[00:54:22] It is by his grace and our choice.
[00:54:26] His grace allows us.
[00:54:27] His mercy forgives us.
[00:54:29] And yet, what do we do?
[00:54:31] We've got to make a choice to put Him first in our life.
[00:54:34] It's a daily choice.
[00:54:37] Sometimes it's an hourly choice.
[00:54:40] Sometimes it's a minute-by-minute choice.
[00:54:43] But what happens, there is a reward that comes from being pure in heart.
[00:54:48] Our reward is a vision of God Himself.
[00:54:52] When the heart is pure, then the vision of God is clear.
[00:54:56] In other words, as you become pure in heart, so you'll see God more and more and more and more.
[00:55:05] Helen Keller once was asked a question.
[00:55:08] And the question said, isn't it terrible to be blind?
[00:55:15] Helen Keller responded as, It's better to be blind and see with your heart than have two good eyes and see nothing.
[00:55:26] Wow, how impactive is that?
[00:55:30] How and when do we see God?
[00:55:32] We know, of course, when we make to heaven, we're going to see him face to face.
[00:55:36] Now, on earth, maybe we won't see him.
[00:55:41] There's some people that had visions of God, and there's some that's had encounters with God.
[00:55:46] But maybe the majority of us will never see him in the physical until we get to heaven.
[00:55:52] But if your heart is pure, you will experience seeing God when you read your Bible.
[00:56:04] It's when you read your Bible, the Bible will come alive.
[00:56:08] Have you ever read something and you go back and read it again and it was like, wow, I didn't catch that the first time.
[00:56:15] The Bible comes alive to us.
[00:56:18] We see God when we see people being healed and delivered.
[00:56:23] We see God when we see somebody repenting of their sins and coming to Christ.
[00:56:28] In other words, we see the mercy of God at work in people's lives.
[00:56:36] We also see God at work in His creation.
[00:56:42] We can see God in the beauty that He's put around us.
[00:56:46] In Psalms 29, verses 3 and 4, Psalms 29, 3 and 4, David writes about watching a thunderstorm.
[00:56:56] The voice of the Lord is upon the waters.
[00:57:00] The God of glory thundereth, and the Lord is upon many waters.
[00:57:07] The voice of the Lord is powerful, and the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
[00:57:13] We see God in creation.
[00:57:16] We see God in people's lives.
[00:57:21] We see God also in the events of life.
[00:57:24] When Matthew wrote his gospel, he used the word fulfilled almost a dozen times, showing us that if you and I are in the will of God, then our hearts will be devoted to God, and we will see God in all the circumstances of life.
[00:57:42] John Wesley once said that he read the newspaper to see what God was doing in the world then on a different front we can even see God in the difficulties of life you know at the moment
[00:57:58] you're going through a hardship you may not have seen God in it matter of fact we may even question God why but there and there's times we look back and we say thank you Lord
[00:58:09] You've seen what I did not see Job wrote of his experiences And he says But now I say I have heard about you But now I've seen you When you see the goodness of God revealed to you
[00:58:29] You're seeing God work in your life We sing that song The goodness of God And we all get excited Why?
[00:58:36] Because we have seen God Through His goodness to us wow and unlike any other book we can read the bible demands preparation of a heart if the message is to be understood the double minded person
[00:58:56] will never see God in the bible we must see God more and more as we become more and more like Christ you know 2nd Corinthians tells us but as Christians we don't have a veil
[00:59:10] over our face there is nothing to divide us or separate us from God.
[00:59:15] But we can look in the mirror and be brightly reflect the glory of the Lord.
[00:59:20] And the Spirit of the Lord works within us as He's working, as we have turned our devotion to God, as we have given Him a pure heart, not divided with the things of the world.
[00:59:34] We will see God.
[00:59:36] We can see God in our own life, in the things we do, the things, the way we react the things we want to do when we try our compassion what we do for him we can see
[00:59:49] Christ in us see the more you focus on God the more you become single minded towards God the more you will see him and when you start to see God you'll also see what God
[01:00:04] sees and it humbles us You know, we're easily, and I say this, and I don't mean to be ugly about it, but we're so easily judging the man or woman standing on the street.
[01:00:19] But yet, we don't do anything about it.
[01:00:23] Sometimes we drive by, sometimes we pray for them, and if the Holy Ghost gives us that option, we'll slip them a dollar or two.
[01:00:30] But see, the flesh is easy to judge.
[01:00:34] The flesh is easy to say, that or that or that.
[01:00:37] Yet we don't know what's really going on behind the closed doors.
[01:00:41] But when we are pure in heart, we will say, Lord, I don't know their problems, but I know you brought me through so much in my own life that I know that you're working all things out for my good
[01:00:52] and I know you can work this out for their good.
[01:00:56] You know, we will see God in a different life.
[01:01:01] Abraham stood and talked with God and called himself, but dust and ashes.
[01:01:07] Job saw God and said, I loft myself and repent in dust and ashes.
[01:01:13] Peter fell down at the feet of Jesus and said, depart from me, I am a sinful man.
[01:01:18] And Paul said he's seen himself as the chief of sinners.
[01:01:23] Isaiah saw God and he said, woe to me for I am undone.
[01:01:29] In other words, spiritual sight leads us to spiritual insight about ourselves and allows us to see what God sees even when He looks at us.
[01:01:41] Nothing robs the heart from a spiritual vision as sin in our lives.
[01:01:46] Lord, you know, I know, listen, we all have sin and come short of the glory of God.
[01:01:52] But it is up to us to get it right with Him.
[01:01:57] Think about this.
[01:01:59] We remember the story when Isaiah was transferred up to heaven and he's seen the angels and what did he say?
[01:02:08] He heard, he's seen holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty and the earth is full of his glory and the angels was just purposely constantly worshiping and then he heard, he says, the voice says,
[01:02:21] whom shall I send as a messenger to my people?
[01:02:23] Who will go and tell the world about me?
[01:02:27] Who will stand and have a pure heart and clean hands that will tell others about Jesus And Isaiah said, send me, Lord, I'll go.
[01:02:43] See, when you see God, you will see a purpose and a vision that you need to go forth and share the news.
[01:02:52] In other words, blessed are those peoples whose hearts are pure enough to see their role in the church world.
[01:02:59] To see their role as a Christian.
[01:03:01] Well, I don't know what the Lord wants me to do.
[01:03:03] get your heart right with God and God will reveal it to you you know a change of heart changes our eyesight we won't see the negative all the time we'll see the positive a change of heart enables you
[01:03:19] and me to see the world and see our place in it see one day we will see him face to face and this will be the greatest event in history but the scripture says it's only going to be those who have a pure heart think about that
[01:03:42] you know job says but as far as me i know my redeemer lives do you and i realize that our savior lives he's alive and well and he wants us to have a heart that's pure that will see him he
[01:03:59] wants us to have the eyes of christ that we can see the world as he sees it see our number one focus should be god our number one focus should be about him about his business what we can do
[01:04:14] we must be born again because to be pure in heart you must be given a new heart in other words it It is the work of the Holy Spirit that you may not see the physical at first.
[01:04:31] But as the Holy Spirit works on you, as you desire to have a pure heart, as you make a choice, you will see in all areas of our lives.
[01:04:42] You know, blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.
[01:04:48] We don't have time to play church.
[01:04:51] It's sad.
[01:04:52] we have a beautiful building we have the presence of god here but yet the people where are the people people's hearts are far from god the church down this street this way has god in their hearts
[01:05:06] in their lives and and they have pastors standing before him doing the work but yet the church the pews are empty why people's heart they're not making a room for god they're not making their
[01:05:20] heart room for God you know what we've got to make a choice this beatitude is teaching us Lord I want to see you and I want to see your works I want to see your handiwork I want to
[01:05:33] look at the beauty around I want to see the goodness of you and recognize that it's you but I want to see the lost and have compassion for them I want to see the drug addicted and
[01:05:43] have compassion for them I want to see the homeless and have compassion for Lord I want a pure heart But also it means stop looking at your failures and your past mistakes.
[01:05:56] Give it to God.
[01:05:57] Let God change you.
[01:06:01] The voice of the Lord is powerful and the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
[01:06:07] Where is your heart today?
[01:06:09] Do you want more of God revealed to you?
[01:06:12] If you want more of God, then you've got to let Him work on your heart and you've got to make a choice.
[01:06:19] Your heart can't be double-sided.
[01:06:20] you can't live for the devil and live for God your heart's got to be pure and it's got to be your choice because today is the day of salvation let us bow our heads gracious heavenly father
[01:06:38] you are so good to us and I have felt your presence in this place Lord I thank you I thank you that you have placed within this body a group of people that love you
[01:06:51] and want to grow and want to do for you.
[01:06:55] And Lord, I thank you for that.
[01:06:57] I thank you for the ones that come week after week and pray and believe for each other the needs that we have.
[01:07:03] Lord, you are good to us.

[01:07:05] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[01:07:05] Today, as we gather together, let us strip away the worry and anxiety in our lives and hold fast to the promises of God.
[01:07:23] Today, as we worship, let us exhale the chaos and stress of our day-to-day and breathe in God's grace and love today.
[01:07:42] We are no longer trapped in the regrets of the past, and we are no longer fearful of an unknown future because we don't seek the things of this world.
[01:07:58] We seek first God's kingdom, God's righteousness.
[01:08:05] Today, we stop worrying about tomorrow and start trusting in the promise that he will provide everything we need.
[01:08:18] We proclaim that we are heirs of salvation.
[01:08:22] We have been purchased through the cross of Jesus.
[01:08:25] Born of