We need a PURE HOME. A home that is Pure is safe from all kinds of evil. A home that is pure is also BLESSED!
We remember to protect our homes from physical intruders, but we often forget to secure our homes from spiritual intruders. Jesus tells us of a thief that only comes to kill steal & destroy. This thief has already marked your house and is attempting to get inside.
Jesus promises a blessing for those with pure hearts. How do we bring purity into our homes, marriages, and children?
Bless this Home 2 – Pure Home – Redemption Church Plano Tx from Redemption Church on Vimeo.
Bless This Home 2 – A Pure Home
Sermon notes by Chris Fluitt
Redemption Church Plano Tx
Bumper VIDEO2:
Video: “You’re only out for yourself. You’re always trying to get your own way.” “That’s ridiculous! You know I’m right and you’re just being stubborn as usual.”
“You are not going out in public dressed like that! Put some clothes on.” “Oh, Mom, you have no idea what’s in style. This is how everyone’s dressing. Plus, I get lots of attention looking this good.”
“You will never guess what she did. I’m telling you, I would never act that way. Plus, she’s such a gossip. You can’t trust her with anything. Don’t tell her anything you wouldn’t want the world to know. Oh, I can’t stand her!”
“Look around you, kids. Isn’t God so good? The trees, they’re all so beautiful! And the sun, it’s peeking out of the clouds and it’s breath taking! God is such a wonderful creator!” “Don’t forget about the birds, Mom.” “Yeah, and the squirrels too.”
Bless this Home Title
Welcome back to the 2nd week of our Bless this Home Series.
My name is Chris Fluitt and I am the lead pastor here at Redemption Church in Plano Tx. We are not a Mega Church but we are a Mighty Church that is impacting lives all over the Metroplex and supporting missions all around the world. We would love for you to join us in person! If you are too far away please continue to join us through Podcasts, facebook live stream, or Youtube. Thank you for liking, commenting, and sharing.
How many want a blessed home? Raise your hands if you want a blessed home.
Last week we talked about a Hungry Home
Jesus said blessed are those who Hunger & Thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. We talked about hungering for the RIGHT THINGS of God. We told you that Legalism & Lukewarm-ness do not work for a blessed life
Today we will continue looking at the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5. Beatitudes comes from a Latin word that simply means blessedness. If we will follow these teaching of Jesus in Matthew 5 our homes will be blessed.
Have you ever been robbed?
I was 16 years old and I will never forget coming home from school one day to the sight of our front door kicked in. It was an unsettling feeling.
Now as a parent I feel a responsibility to protect my family from robbers and those that would cause us harm. Do you feel that responsibility to protect your family and home?
It is normal in society to attempt to protect your children. We put headgear, knee & elbow pads on them when they ride bikes. We make sure they look both ways before crossing the street. These kind of acts are viewed as good parenting, but yet if you try to protect your child’s heart, innocence, and morals, you are often called an over protective parent.
People applaud you for trying to protect your kids physically, but ridicule you for protecting the morally.
Parents are called to protect their kids physically, but to also protect their hearts.
Just like there is an enemy who wants to rob your family in the physical, there is an enemy who wants to rob your family of their innocence, morality, and spirituality.
John 10:10 (NIV2011) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
We had baby dedications last Sunday. You saw these sweet babies in this church. There is a thief who has only come to steal, kill, and destroy those babies. You can call me an alarmist if you want to, but I tell you the truth. There are enemies who want to steal your children’s peace, kill their purity, and destroy their potential.
Jesus gives a very specific blessing in Matthew 5.
Matthew 5:8 (NIV2011) Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Today I want to talk to you about a Pure Home.
The word for heart is kardia. It is where we get the word cardiac.
Jesus is not talking about the physical blood pumping organ inside your chest. The Lord is using the heart as a metaphor for your inner self. When he says heart he is talking about your emotions, feelings, and motives.
Blessed are the PURE in heart. Blessed are those with clean emotions. Blessed are those with genuine motives. Blessed are those whose inner self is not filthy.
We will often describe people this way… They have a good heart. We use this phrase like this usually…
My boyfriend doesn’t have a job, doesn’t go to church, and has a foul mouth… BUT he’s got a good heart.
I have a rough statement for you today. You might not like this, but hang with me.
Without Christ, there is no such thing as a pure heart
This is true of all of us. It is impossible to have a pure heart without Jesus working in your heart.
Jeremiah 17:9 (NIV2011) The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
Jeremiah 17:10 (NIV2011) “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind…”
The heart is deceitful… Only the Lord can search the heart and mind…
Ephesians 4:18 (NIV2011) They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.
Ephesians 4:19 (NIV2011) Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
They have hardened hearts… it leads to every kind of impurity…
Could the reason our home isn’t blessed be the condition of our heart? Could there be impurity in our hearts and in our homes?
Ephesians 4:19 says “having lost all sensitivity…”
Could it be that we have lost our sensitivity? Could it be that we use to feel conviction about some things that we now no longer feel?
We need a home with a heart that FEELS. We don’t need a home with a dull insensitive heart. We need hearts that fall on the floor and repent of our wrong. We need hearts the cry when we FEEL the conviction of God.
How can we be pure?
Psalm 119:9 (NIV2011) How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.
Psalm 119:10 (NIV2011) I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
Don’t follow your heart! Have your heart follow after God! A Pure Heart follows God.
We are not just a Christian Family, we are a Christ Centered Home.
We are not just inviting Jesus to be one part of our life, we are building our entire life around Jesus. Our hearts have Jesus at the center. Our words have Jesus at the center. Our thoughts have Jesus at the center. Our actions have Jesus at the center.
Purity doesn’t happen by accident. I want to give us 4 steps for a pure home.
1 Get your own heart right
Proverbs 4:23 (NIV2011) Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
King Solomon’s advice to you is to ABOVE ALL ELSE, GUARD YOUR HEART. Everything flows from your heart.
In a few minutes we will be talking to God. What if we invited God to convict our hearts today? What if we left Redemption Church today with Pure Hearts?
2 Parent to the heart (not the action)
We need to parent to the heart and not the action. We need to focus on the heart of the matter. This is tricky. We often just think about the action. The Lord looks past the action… to the heart.
1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV2011) The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Jesus taught to the heart. He tells us about lusting in our heart… murdering in our heart… He goes beyond the physical action and addresses the heart.
Here is what parenting towards actions look like.
Will go apologize to your brother for hitting him in the face with a baseball bat? Will says “I am sorry you big cry baby who isn’t quick enough to dodge my swing…”
Technically Will did what I asked. He apologized, but was his heart right?
3 Pursue Perfect Purity of Heart
We can’t do this on our own. We need God. We will pursue a Pure heart through God.
We need perfect purity, because anything less than complete purity is not purity.
Ephesians 5:3 (NIV2011) But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.
Not even a hint of sexual immorality or impurity or greed…
Is there a hint of immorality in your tv or movie watching? Is there a hint of impurity in your thoughts or the way you speak? Is there a hint of greed in your spending habits?
As Christians are we aiming low? We should be aiming high. We should be aiming to be like Christ.
4 Receive a new heart
Ezekiel 36:26 (NIV2011) I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
A new heart is something only God can give.
A new Spirit is something only God can give.
God let the Holy Spirit come into my life.
Matthew 5:8 (NIV2011) Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
They will see God. Do you see God in your home? Do you see God in your marriage? Do you want to see God?
If you want to see God then I want you to stand and come and talk to God. I want to challenge you to step from your chair and come talk to God.
Some of you felt conviction today. Some of you are really going through some questions. Some of you just want to feel God’s presence today. I want you to come to the first 2 feet of this stage. We want to pray for you today.
Come and receive a new heart.