Blessed Are the Pure in Heart 120421

[background music] [Speaker 1] Churches and fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God waitly desires a godly home front. These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Tent Ministry. May ye be blessed as ye listen. [background music changes to choir singing in Yoruba and English] [Speaker 2] Almighty God, we thank you. Almighty God, we give you glory. Almighty God, we lift you high. We thank you for the privilege of another Monday discipleship class meeting. We thank you Lord our God that you have preserved us, you have helped us, and you have brought us again into this day, this hour. We say be thou exalted in the name of Jesus. King of Glory, we commit ourselves into your hand as we gather, O Lord, again this evening to look into scriptures, to learn from your word. Lord, we pray, inspire our spirit by your spirit in Jesus’ name. Lord, cause the light of your truth to shine into our situations, into our life. Let darkness give way for light. Let confusion, let them give way for direction. Eh, Lord, let there be healing, let there be salvation, let there be instruction in righteousness, O Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ. Lord, our eyes on you, again and again and again. Nothing will prevail against your purposes in our lives in Jesus’ name. Thank you immortal Father. Blessed be your name our God. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Yeah, for the past couple of weeks now, we have been considering the beatitude in Matthew 5. Matthew 5. In that conversation between Jesus, his disciples, and the multitude. Matthew 5. That was where Jesus raised the matter from verse 1. It says, "And seeing the multitude, he went up on a mountain, and when he was seated, his disciples came to him, and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.'" And last week we looked at "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." My own way of putting these things sometimes is to say that mercy and kindness is attributes or gifts or investment, anyhow you want to call it. Mercy and kindness, they are actually things that you cannot give away. You cannot give them away. The more you try to give away mercy, the more mercy returns to you. The more you do everything to give kindness away—let me just be kind, let me give this to people—you will be surprised that the more you give it, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, you will find men giving back to your bosom. So, it's so difficult to give away mercy. It's so difficult to give away kindness. In fact, giving them is a sure means of getting them according to this beatitude. Giving them is like sowing seed. And what you reap when you sow seed, like the Bible says in the Old Testament, it says you have sown the wind and you will reap the whirlwind. So, you don't reap the same measure in which you sow. So, you don't get back in the same measure with which you sow. So, we considered that last week and honestly, it is always good to remember that mercy and kindness, they are traits that you cannot give away. In fact, this scripture is saying that if you don't learn to give them away, you will not get them. If you don't learn to give them out—give out mercy, give out kindness—it is a sure way of obtaining them. May mercy not elude us and may kindness not elude us. And they must not elude us. You must understand that the sure way to them is to give them out. Our focus for today is the next beatitude, which is "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. When you look at this verse of the scripture, it is important to quickly remember that this pronouncement is not something that is coming from somebody that is trying to expose or make comment on what Jesus said. This verse, if you check some Bible versions, they will write it in red letter, meaning the word of Jesus Christ. This is a direct word of Jesus, and what the Lord said here is something that calls for serious consideration. It calls for us to evaluate our life, to evaluate the way we live, to evaluate our value system, to evaluate our philosophy about life, to evaluate the things we prioritize, to evaluate whether or not we are actually in the faith. The scripture says that "Blessed are the pure in heart." The blessedness of being pure in heart is that you will see God. It appears to me from this verse that if a man really desires to encounter God in his life, if a man really desires to encounter God in his ministry, if a man really desires to encounter God in his career, if anybody is really desiring to see God in anything—whether in his children, whether in his family, whether in his marriage—just mention anything. In any matter in which a man wants to see God, if there is a desire to see God, to see the hand of God, to experience the workings of God, to see the operation of God, to receive the visitation of God, if a man is really desiring that, "Ah, I want to experience God in my situation," the Lord Jesus said then the heart must be pure. The heart must be pure. That thing that makes a man to see God is purity of heart. And as we try to move on, I want us to consider carefully this matter of pure in heart. This matter of being pure in heart. And in doing that, I want us to look at a test in the Old Testament, 1 Chronicles 28. 1 Chronicles 28. I want us to look at something that David was raising or that David raised with Solomon. In 1 Chronicles 28:9, David said something. David said, "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father. You need to know Him. You need to know Him. And serve Him with a loyal heart." I'm talking about a pure heart. Another translation—I will soon read another translation—I want to explain the meaning of being pure in heart. David said serve Him with a loyal heart—that is the New King James Bible. It says serve Him with a loyal heart. The next thing that follows is "and with a willing mind." A loyal heart and a willing mind. "For the Lord searches all hearts." I wonder why it is a matter of search and not that the Lord looks at all hearts. I will come to that later. He says the Lord searches. Why is the Lord searching? Why is He not just looking? Why is He searching? Because this word was not only used in this place. This word was also used in Jeremiah 17, this matter of searching the heart. It says, "For the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intents of the thoughts." Now, what follows? David said, "If you seek Him," hallelujah, David said, "He will be found by you. But if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever." Now, my question first as we try to look at this verse in relationship with the beatitude that we are considering is that: Where, when God want to know whether or not a man is seeking God, where does God go? God goes to the heart. When God want to evaluate whether a man is really seeking God, whether God want to know if a man is really interested in God—David was telling Solomon that: Look, serve God with a loyal heart and with a willing mind. Because if God want to search whether you are really seeking Him, it is a matter of your heart. It is not so much what you say. It is not so much what you do. No, when God want to crosscheck whether you are really seeking Him and you are seeking Him as you ought, God goes to check the heart. So David was telling Solomon that: See, you must serve God with a loyal heart and a willing mind. The reason is that God searches all the hearts and therefore He understands all the thoughts of the mind. I will take another translation, NLT. It says, "Know the God of your ancestor. Worship and serve Him with your whole heart." So a pure heart is a loyal heart. A pure heart is a whole heart, a heart that is wholly dedicated to God. You will find the same thing in Proverbs 3. It says, "Trust in the Lord with how many of your heart?" It says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart." You see, when the matter of a man's heart is not all, then it is not pure. When the matter of a man's heart is not loyalty, then it is not pure. It must be all the heart, it must be a loyal heart. It says serve Him with your whole heart and with a willing mind. Look at the next thing: "For God sees every heart and understands and knows every plans and thought." I take NIV. It says, "And for you, Solomon my son, acknowledge the God of your father and serve Him wholeheartedly." Serve Him wholeheartedly. We're talking about a pure heart, and we are seeing the way to explain this purity. Number one, it's a loyal heart. Number two, it is serving God wholeheartedly, the whole heart and a willing mind. I will move on to check the King James Version. The King James Version says, "And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve Him with a perfect heart." So a pure heart, a pure heart is one: a loyal heart; is two: a perfect heart; is three: a heart that is wholly, wholeheartedly dedicated to God. Once a man is not trusting God with all his heart, that heart is not pure. So "Blessed are the pure in heart" and I'm trying to define, I'm trying to explain, I'm trying to put into proper perspective what actually is a pure heart. So a pure heart is that heart that comes before the Lord perfectly, that comes before the Lord loyally, that come wholeheartedly. That heart is coming with a willing mind. Why? Because the Lord searches the heart. Anytime God want to deal with a man, anytime God want to relate with a man, anytime God want to do something with a man, what God first—the first thing He does—is to search his heart. And when God is searching the heart, what is He searching for? Whether the heart is committed wholly, whether the heart is loyal. Are you getting it? Whether the heart is completely resting on God. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart." Whether the heart is not trusting in God to some extent, and then to some other extent it's not sure. He's trying to check whether the heart is not double-minded. He's checking and crosschecking. And so David was telling Solomon that: See, there is something I found out about God. God has a way of forsaking people. You wouldn't know Baba has forsaken you. He has a way of setting men aside. And you will be thinking that He's with you. He has a way of doing it. He will just set you aside. And what normally leads to that is what David was telling Solomon. That: See, if you don't want God to forsake you and set you aside, if you want to see God in your reign, in your kingdom, in your life, you want to be seeing God constantly, consistently, you want to constantly be seeing God, then there is something you must do. You must serve God with a perfect heart and with a willing mind. Or you must serve God wholeheartedly. You must serve God with a loyal heart. Or you must serve God with all the heart. If it is not like that, what will God do? God will forsake you. Look at what he said. He says, "If you seek Him, He will be found of you, but if you forsake Him, He will cast thee off forever." So when we are talking about seeing God—because people have asked severally either we will see God physically, is like Jesus meant that we will see Him, God will appear. That is not the object of debate. What Jesus is saying is talking about experiencing God, encountering God, seeing God in your situation, seeing God manifesting in your circumstances, seeing the hand of the Lord, being able to say, "Wow, this is the victory of God." Just like the way the prison door was opened for Paul and Silas. Who did they see? Who did they see? They saw God. When that prison door opened, who did they see? Who did they see? They saw God. They saw God. So it is so, so crucial in trying to understand this matter of a willing mind, a pure heart is to understand that that heart must be—must be a heart that is perfect, that is loyal, that is wholehearted. Must be a mind that is willing or that is eager. In the Amplified version, it says, "Know the God of your father, have a personal knowledge of Him, be acquainted with Him and understand Him, appreciate Him, heed Him and cherish Him, and serve Him with a blameless heart." Another way to look at a pure heart. Another way to look at a pure heart is to look at it from the point of: one, it is perfect; number two, it's loyal; number three, it's wholehearted; number three, it was to say it is blameless. These are the things that come together to make up what we call a pure heart. And the reason why this is so important, so crucial, so crucial, is that when God want to relate with us, what does David say God does? God searches the heart. If God want to know what to do with your life, whatever you may be doing for God, whatever you may seem to be doing for God, if God want to know what you are doing for Him, if God want to know how to respond to you, what will He first do? What will He first do? He will search the heart. And I said something at the beginning: Why is it a matter of searching and not a matter of seeing? He say God searches. Why is God searching and not just seeing? Have you ever thought about that? Why is He searching and not seeing? And I said for that I will read Jeremiah 17. Jeremiah 17. Are we there? Jeremiah 17. It says what? "The heart is deceitful above all things and what? And desperately... desperately what? Desperately wicked. Who can know it?" Have you seen that? Have you seen that very seriously? That actually the heart of a man is actually deceitful. The heart of a man, a man—let me give you this very popular or well-known example among us. Hope you still remember Brother Judas. When that woman broke the alabaster box of oil and was pouring it at the feet of Jesus, what did Judas say? What did Judas say? He said, "Uh-uh. Why all this waste? Why all this waste? What ought to have been done is what? Is to sell this thing and give to the poor." But do you notice something that the Bible says very quickly? What did the Bible say very quickly? It says he did not say this because he loves the poor, but actually because he was a thief. You know he was a treasurer. And so if money in the purse, if it is not many, when you take out of something that is small, they will know on time. But if something is in millions and you remove ten thousand, will they know on time? They will not know. So that even sometimes when you see men making godly statements, they may be very, very godless. People may be making godly statements with a very godless heart. Godly statement, but from where? From a godless heart. So some people will say, "Oh Lord, I just worship you." Baba will be crosschecking. Is this one really a worship or there is something else about it? God searches the heart. So what I'm trying to make us see is that it is so crucial for us to know that when Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart," he was talking about blessed is that man whose heart wholeheartedly follows God. Blessed is that man who trust God with all his heart. Blessed is that man whose heart wholly stays on God. Blessed is that man whose heart is blameless. By blamelessness we are saying blessed is that man whose heart has a conscience that is void of offense towards God and towards man. Blessed is that man. Blessed. That man is blessed. He's a blessed man. The blessedness of that man is that the man will see God. Oninu funfun. [Yoruba language]. White, if you want to take it literally. Oninu funfun. There is no stain, there is no spot. So [Yoruba language] is what I've been taking time to put in place, to let it clear to us. Oninu funfun. [Yoruba language]. And that's the point. And the other point that I stressed in the book of Acts the other time is where I want to begin from. That Acts 24. That Acts 24:16. I want us to go to that place. Acts 24:16. That is where I want to talk more as I try to lay biblical example on this seeing God. This matter of seeing God. Paul said, "Because of this, I always try to maintain a clear conscience before God and everyone else." That is a pure heart. That is a pure heart. I'm trying to define a pure heart. What did Paul say? He says, "This being so, I myself strive to have a conscience without offense towards God and who? Man." That is a pure heart. A heart that carries a conscience that is void of offense towards both God and man. What Jesus is saying is this: Blessed is that man number one, whose heart is loyal to God. Blessed is that man who trust God with all his heart, number two. Blessed is that man—Isaiah 26:3 says, "Thou will keep in perfect peace the man whose heart stays on you." Blessed is that man whose heart wholeheartedly stays on the Lord. Four, Jesus saying, "Blessed is that man whose heart is blameless." By blamelessness we are saying blessed is that man whose heart has a conscience that is void of offense towards God and towards man. Blessed is that man. Blessed. That man is blessed. He's a blessed man. The blessedness of that man is that the man will see God. [Yoruba language]. Bless is that man. Bless, that man is blessed. He's a blessed man. The blessedness of that man is that the man will see God. [Yoruba language]. If you are like that, you will experience God. If you are like that, you will experience God. See, it is not how much prayer. It is not sometimes prayer... no. First check your heart. Because I'm going to show you biblical example. So it is so crucial to get these things clear. People don't understand these principles about God. It is not sometimes doing so many things. Jesus affirmed categorically that if you want to experience God, if you want to see God intervening, if you want to—if you want to have result and that thing is actually God... you know there is a way you can have result and it is not God. Do you understand me at all? You can have result and it is not God. But if it is God that will be—that will be at work for you, if it is God that is actually doing the thing, and it's actually God that is taking you somewhere and not self-deception... because sometimes people think that every time a man prosper, it means God is with him. No, it's not true. You may not have God and still prosper. You may not have God and still get result. You may not have God and... but we are talking about seeing God, that it is God that is working for you. It is God that is making this thing to happen. And that thing that God is doing is to make you rich and add no sorrow. Jesus said the heart must be—must be pure. That's why the Bible talk about the prosperity of the wicked. Have you read about the prosperity of the wicked? Eh-heh. They look blessed, but are they blessed? Why are they not blessed? He says he makes them to prosper so that they can be slaughtered. You will see that in Psalm 73. So I want us as we—I want you to reflect on this matter. This is the Lord speaking. And he said anybody that truly want to experience God, that's what Jesus is saying. If you want to experience the almightiness of God in your life, then you must make up your mind: one, to have a heart that has a conscience that is void of offense towards God and man; two, to serve God wholeheartedly; three, to trust in the Lord with all your heart; four, to be sure that your heart stays only on God. When a man is like this, Jesus said he will be seeing God. And this seeing God is—I want to make biblical example. I want to divide this thing into two: seeing God in life and then seeing God in eternity. Seeing God in life is experiencing the hand of God, maybe on your marriage, on your career, on your investment, just like it happened with Job. That God placed a hedge around him. Nothing could... you understand me? What was Job seeing? What was he seeing? He was seeing God. Satan could not do anything to him. Satan had to testify that you didn't allow me to touch him. Why? What did God do for Job? He placed what around him. Even though Job could not see that hedge, but his life was seeing God. God did something. There was God around him. There was God around him. His investment, his properties, the things that he had, his wife and his children, everything. What was going on? Job was doing what? He was seeing God. That's one aspect to it. [Yoruba language]. That's one aspect to it. And that is one aspect today that people are not taking very seriously. People think that... okay... please... even look at prayer. Let's look at prayer. Whose prayer avail much? Whose prayer avail much? James 5:16. Whose prayer avail much? It is the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous. Do you see it again? Remove the righteous from there and then pray. Your prayer cannot be effectual. You cannot see God. You cannot see God. It is the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous that avail much. So Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart." There is a blessing upon the pure in heart. And that blessing is that in this life, they will do what? They will see God. He's not only talking about seeing God in heaven. That one we are coming to that. That's another dimension. But there is a seeing God... I give another example of this seeing God and this matter of having a pure heart. This time, I want to talk about Joseph. What happened between Joseph and Potiphar? What happened? Joseph was taking care of Potiphar's investment. Is that not? At a point, the wife of Potiphar became interested in Joseph. Please, what was the reason? What was the singular reason for which Joseph will not sleep with her? Yes, but it is true he doesn't want to sin against God. But that reason came out of something. He said, "My master has not kept any other thing except you, because you are who?" So when Joseph said, "How will I do this wicked thing?" what make the thing wicked? It will be a betrayal of trust to a man. A conscience void of offense towards God and towards man. He was looking at man then God. And when Joseph acted that way, what was the conclusion of that story? He became the master of Potiphar. That led to his imprisonment because Joseph must not remain in that house. There is a glorious place for him. But if he had been unfaithful, if he had not been pure in heart, what would have happened to him? He would have remained in that house and have left the part of destiny. That's the second example. And that's the truth about it. There is a blessing for the pure in heart, those that are trying to ensure that they have a heart that is void of offense towards God or towards man. Those that are like that, they cannot but see the power and the hand of God in their lives. It is not possible. Why? Jesus has said those who are like that, they will see God. You cannot but see God. You will see God. And I want you to know that. You will see God for lifting, you will see God for promotion. Look, look at the case of Mordecai. Another biblical example. What brought Mordecai to that great height? What saved him from death? What preserved him from being killed by Haman? The Bible says the king was going through records, and he saw in a place where Mordecai has acted as he ought to have done. He was a security man. He was somebody at the gate. He got to know that they're about to kill his master. And he did not keep quiet. He risk his life. He's supposed to secure his master. And he went, and he brought the message to him. And those people were arrested. And the king's life was preserved. Eventually, what preserved his own life? What did God use to preserve his own life? Having a conscience that is void of offense towards who? Towards God and man. We saw God in the book of Esther, acting even though God was not mentioned. All those intervention, were they not God? So what I'm trying to say, see, for anybody that want to experience this almighty God, that's what Jesus is saying. If you want to experience the almightiness of God in your life, then you must make up your mind: one, to have a heart that has a conscience that is void of offense towards God and man; two, to serve God wholeheartedly; three, to trust in the Lord with all your heart; four, to be sure that your heart stays only on God. When a man is like this, Jesus said he will be seeing God. Then seeing God the other way. The one of eternity now. That one we will be taking that from a very popular verse and then we will pray this evening. Hebrews 12:14. We should be able to quote that scripture offhand. Who can say it? "Follow peace with all men and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." Are you seen another way of putting it again? Follow peace and holiness with all men, without which no man shall see the Lord. In that direction, it's addressing another dimension that is in Ephesians 5. Ephesians 5. Ephesians 5. Are you there? Thank you. Yes, I'm also rounding up now. This should be about the last scripture for us to read and then we pray. Ephesians 5. We're talking about the second seeing God, about eternity now. It says, "But fornicators, but fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you as fitting for saints, neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which is not fitting, but rather giving of thanks." Verse 5 and 6. What does it read? Please, whatever translation you have, can we read it together? "For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience." Once your heart is not pure, don't let anybody deceive you. You have no part in God's kingdom. You have no part. These are clear scriptures. They are not arguable. You have no part. So when Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, they will see God," what is he saying? Eventually on the last day, hallelujah, what will happen? They will see God. Let us do as Paul said. He said, "I endeavor, I do everything to have a conscience, a heart, that conscience, that heart, that is void of offense towards God and man." Let us go ahead to pray this evening. Let's pray this evening. Let's talk to the Lord this evening. Please talk to the Lord. Blessed are the pure in heart. These are the direct words of Jesus Christ. There is wealth. He said, "Blessed are the pure in heart." Talk to God this evening. Make a resolution, propose in your mind, be deliberate, be intentional about this matter. Be intentional. Queen that: Me myself, me, me, me. I am going to have a conscience, a heart, that is void of offense towards God and man. Pure heart, clean heart, following God with all your heart, with the whole of your heart. Following with a loyal heart, a perfect heart. Because God searches the heart. God searches the heart. He searches it, God search, He search, He search. He looks through. He considers the heart. He considers the heart, He searches the heart. He wants to know which kind of heart with which you are coming to God. Which kind of heart are you coming to Him? With which kind of heart are you coming? God searches the heart. Thank you Father. Thank you Holy Spirit. Blessed be your name our God. In Jesus’ mighty name we pray. Amen. Let me invite Godwin to close the meeting. [Speaker 3] Father, once again we want to say thank you for your word. The right word. The word in season. The just-in-time word. We thank you for the word and thank you for the heart, all the heart that have received your word. Father, we are saying be thou glorified in the name of Jesus Christ. Father, the word have gone forth. Father, let this word begin to make impact in our life. Let this word begin to transform us, that as from this moment we begin to live a pure heart in the name of Jesus Christ. Daddy, the fruit of our life will be pure. That the fruit of our life will be just, and the fruit of our life will be a pleasing sacrifice before you in the name of Jesus Christ. Father, we pray that you will search our heart. As you search us henceforth, that you will find us true, only and pleasing unto you in the name of Jesus Christ. Father, we pray for your servant, that your hand continue to be upon him to strengthen him, to guide him, and to help him in all of his endeavor in the name of Jesus Christ. As we go Lord, we ask that you will go with us. Your hand will be upon us. We will return next week with testimony in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you precious Daddy. We give you praise and glory. In Jesus’ mighty name we pray. Amen. Let's together share the goodness together. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever. Amen. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. [Speaker 1] This message is coming to you from Family Tent Ministry, a Christian ministry involved in reaching the lives of singles and married through preaching and teaching of God's word, discipleship, family life enrichment, social and community development, and mission aid. Our regular activities are: Discipleship class, every Monday 5:00 PM; Adolescents and Singles' club, every first Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM; Marriage Forum, second Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM; family life seminars, regular school outreaches, and everyday counseling. For further counseling, you can reach us at our location, Life Camp by the first bridge, Ilere community, opposite Very Joy filling station along Idjare Road, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. You can also reach us through our social media handles: familytent@yahoo.co.uk, familytentministry01@gmail.com, www.familytentministry.org. Our phone numbers are 08033861136, 07033613848. God bless you all.