Matthew 5:8
The sermon emphasizes the importance of purity of heart in Christianity, highlighting that only those who are pure in heart shall see God.
Chuck Smith emphasizes the significance of purity in heart as a central tenet of Christianity, explaining that true blessedness comes from a sincere and undivided heart that seeks God. He contrasts the external righteousness of the Pharisees with the internal transformation that comes from a pure heart, which is essential for seeing God. Smith highlights that the heart is the source of all human troubles and that only through divine cleansing can one achieve purity. He encourages believers to focus on their relationship with God, as the desire to see Him should drive their pursuit of holiness. Ultimately, the sermon calls for a heart aligned with God's will, prepared for an eternal encounter with Him.
Text
"BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART"
"ESSENCE OF CHRISTIANITY"
I. WHY IS THIS PLACED HERE IN ORDER?
A. You would expect this at the front, very first.
1. To see God is purpose of all religions.
B. Verse 6 central verse of beatitudes.
1. First three concerned with our needs or our
consciousness of need.
2. Verse 6, God's provision for our need.
3. Results from being filled.
a. Merciful, purse in heart, peacemakers.
4. The attitude of world toward such an individual.
C. Closer relationship.
1. Poor in spirit, merciful.
2. Mourn, pure in heart.
3. Meek, peacemakers.
D. Who are the pure in heart?
1. Those who have mourned because of impurity.
II. "HEART."
A. The gospel of Christ concerned with heart.
1. Great charge against Pharisees. Outer vessel clean.
B. Emphasized heart not head.
1. Today's emphasis on intellect. Blessed are intelligent.
2. Christianity is essentially not a matter of doctrine,
or understanding.
a. It is an attitude of heart.
3. Intellect is important and first step.
a. "How shall they believe on Him of whom they
have not heard."
b. Don't stop there, "believeth in his heart."
C. Emphasized heart - not externals and conduct.
1. Pharisees always ready to reduce righteousness to code
of ethics.
D. What is meant by heart?
1. Center of personality.
a. Emotion - intellect - will.
2. Fount out of which all your life flows.
E. The heart is seat of all our troubles.
1. "Out of the heart proceeds evil thoughts, murders,
adulteries, fornications, thefts, lies, blasphemies."
a. Terrible mistake of this generation is the idea
that all man's problems due to environment.
1. To change a man just change
environment.
2. It was in paradise man fell.
b. Man's problems lie at the center of his being
and to deal with intellect not going to solve
problem.
III. "BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART."
A. We have been looking at human heart.
1. Anyone here ready to say you qualify?
2. Can anyone make himself a Christian?
a. Only those pure in heart shall see God.
B. What is meant pure in heart?
1. Without hypocrisy.
a. Singleness of heart, single eye, no folds.
b. Psalm 86:2, "Unite my heart to fear thy name."
c. Our greatest problem is divided heart; one side
of us desires to serve God, other side wants
something else.
2. Cleansed.
3. To be like Christ Himself; perfect, spotless.
4. To live to God's glory should be supreme desire of our
heart.
IV. WHAT IS MEANT BY "THEY SHALL SEE GOD."
A. Moses, back parts only, suggests looking at God impossible.
B. Jesus said, "Ye have neither heard His voice at any time or
seen His shape."
1. "He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father."
2. We just don't know.
3. The very being of God is so transcendent and eternal
that all our efforts to arrive at an understanding are
doomed to failure.
4. The scriptures do not attempt to give us adequate
conception of the being of God, why?
5. His glory and being so great, and our terms and minds
so inadequate that there is danger at any attempt to
describe.
C. In a sense we see God now as those in sin cannot.
1. Nature, history.
D. Do you realize you are being prepared for this? Do you ever
stop to meditate on this?
V. HOW CAN OUR HEARTS BECOME PURE?
A. Two views:
1. Monastic.
2. Let God do it. Cleansed by Word. The Holy Spirit
washing of regeneration. You are going to see God? Is
this your supreme desire and objective? Time is short,
you have not long to prepare. You will soon have an
audience with the King? Don't you feel ashamed, that at
this time you are wasting so much time on things that
will have no value at that moment, but will only bring
shame. You and I, creatures of time are going to see
the eternal God, and bask in His love forever and ever.
"He that hath this hope in Him, purifieth himself, even
as Christ is pure.
Sermon Outline
- I points: - Why is purity of heart placed here in the beatitudes? - Verse 6 is the central verse of the beatitudes - Closer relationship with God - Who are the pure in heart?
- II points: - The gospel of Christ concerns the heart - Emphasized heart not head - Emphasized heart - not externals and conduct - What is meant by heart?
- III points: - We have been looking at human heart - What is meant pure in heart?
- IV points: - Moses could only see God's back parts - Jesus said, 'Ye have neither heard His voice at any time or seen His shape.' - In a sense we see God now as those in sin cannot
- V points: - Two views on how our hearts can become pure
Key Quotes
“Only those pure in heart shall see God.” — Chuck Smith
“The very being of God is so transcendent and eternal that all our efforts to arrive at an understanding are doomed to failure.” — Chuck Smith
“He that hath this hope in Him, purifieth himself, even as Christ is pure.” — Chuck Smith
Application Points
- We should strive to have a single-minded desire to serve God and live to His glory.
- Our hearts can become pure through the power of God's Word and the washing of regeneration by the Holy Spirit.
- We should not waste time on things that will have no value in eternity, but instead focus on preparing our hearts to see God.