Oct. 04, 2020

Pure in Heart

 Primary Text:  Matthew 5:8                                                            October 3 & 4, 2020

 Last Week’s Teaching:   God Alone

 1)  You Only

 Psalm 51:1-4:  Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.  Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.  For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.  Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.  

DQ 1) Why did King David say he had sinned only against God when he had wronged several other people?

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2)  Consequences of Sin

 2 Samuel 12:9-10:  Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes?  You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own.  You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.  Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.

DQ 2) What were the long-term ramifications of David’s sins?

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 3)  A Broken and Contrite Heart

 Psalm 51:7-17:  Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.  Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.  Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.   Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me….  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

DQ 3) What does Psalm 51 reveal about the nature of God’s forgiveness?

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 This Week’s Teaching:

 1)  A True Heart

 Acts 13:22:  After removing Saul, he made David their king.  He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'  [see also 1 Samuel 13:14]

DQ 1) If King David was a man after God’s heart, how could he have strayed so far into sin with Bathsheeba and all the wickedness that surrounded that affair?

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 2)  Purify Your Hearts

 2 Corinthians 7:1:  Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

James 4:8-10:  Come near to God and he will come near to you.  Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded….  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

1 Peter 1:22:  Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.

1 John 3:2-3:  But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

DQ 2) What responsibility does God delegate to Christians in purifying our hearts?
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 3)  Purified

 Acts 15:9:  He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.

1 John 1:8-9:  If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Titus 2:13-14:   …our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

DQ 3) Describe how God purifies us?  What are the methods, means and ramifications of His purification process?

DQ 4)  Why is a pure heart important in God’s eyes?

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 4)  May Your Face Shine

 Matthew 5:8:  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Psalm 80:17-19:  Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself.  Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name.  Restore us, O LORD God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.

DQ 5) Do you long to see the face of God…to see His glory?  Why?

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