Preached by Chris Broom, 4/5/2009

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Tom Sperling (3rd from left and baptized last fall) sees his father Bob (center with towel) baptized into Christ.

Mark Series part 12, The Heart of the Message – Outline

Mark 7:1-13

• Another delegation of fact finding religious leaders have come from Jerusalem because they heard about Jesus’ ministry in Galilee.
• Instead of coming to learn because of the miracles, they came to criticize!
• Are we blown away or critical of Jesus and His disciples?
• Jesus calls these leaders hypocrites! Lips that praise God, but hearts that are far from God. (Putting on a mask.)
• Let’s get our hearts right before God! Let’s not get caught up in traditions and rules of men, and miss the heart of God.
• We cannot pick and choose from the Bible like it’s a menu. Instead, we must treat scripture like the plate of food mom puts in front of us… we better eat it all! Make a happy plate as my mom used to say!
• The greatest commandment says love the Lord your God with all your Heart! Not half or three-quarters, but ALL YOUR HEART.
• Half-hearted religion does not fullfil. You get what you put in. Put all your heart in and you will be amazed!
• People don’t read the Bible, don’t strive to obey it, and yet think they are saved! What’s wrong with this picture? The reason is that people live by traditions rather than the Word of God. 

Hebrews 5:11-6:3

• These are the elementary teachings.
• We expect a six years old to be in elementary school.
• If an 18 year old is in kindergarden, we would think that to be strange, but churches are full of people that don’t kow the elementary teachings.
• The way to learn is by constant use of the scriptures. Then we will be able to distinguish good from evil. Otherwise you are going to ruin your life by making stupid decisions.
• We have churches in America that are full of people that don’t know scripture because our religion is based on tradition. If our hearts are not there, it doesn’t matter if we go to church or what church we go to.
• Not all traditions are bad, but if they keep you from knowing the Bible and following it, then it is bad.
• We will all mess up, but it’s about making consistantly good choices.

1. A Heart for God

• Luke 10:27 … It’s all or nothing!

2. A Heart for God’s Kingdom

• Matthew 6:33 … Seek first my Kingdom!
• Hebrews 3:12-13 … A heart for God’s Kingdom is a daily heart!

3. A Heart for the Lost

• Mark 1:36 … Let’s go to other villages and preach there, for that is why I have come.
• Mark 2:13 … I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance!

4. A Heart for the Poor

• Proverbs 14:31 … When you are kind to the needy, you Honor God.
• Proverbs 19:17 … He who is kind to the poor, lends to the Lord.

God is watching our hearts! The same heart that helps the poor wants to help the lost (spiritually poor). Otherwise, we are justifying ourselves. While some look at our commitment and say we are radical, when I look at Jesus and the early disciples, I think we have a long way to go.

1 Corinthians 11:17-30

• Your meetings (in the church) are doing more harm than good.
• There must be differences among you to see who has God’s approval. (Look at the fruit of each and make a right judgment.)
• Some weren’t waiting for others before they ate and others were getting drunk!
• When we take communion we are proclaiming the Lord’s death until He comes.
• If we eat the communion in an unworthy manner, we are sinning against the body and blood of Jesus.
• We need to examine ourselves so that we don’t drink judgment on ourselves.
• Because of doing this, some are weak, others are sick and some have died. Wow.

Let’s not follow tradition and miss the heart!

-Chris Broom

Categories: Mark Series, Sermons
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