Proverbs: The Heart: Sermon Notes

Proverbs: Mars Hill Church

The Heart Mark Driscoll

Jesus says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart.”

Jesus cares a lot about the heart. We are to LOVE God with all of our heart. If we want to see God, we must have a pure heart.

Proverbs 20:9

Who can say, “I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin”?

Ultimately, we have a sin nature. It stems all the way back to Adam. We inherit this sin nature from one man.

The Heart is the essence of who we are. The Truth. The bottom line. Not just talking about the physical organ.

Proverbs 4:23

Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

Matthew 5:28 – lusting in your heart, you commit adultery

Matthew 6:21 – where your treasure is, there your heart is

Luke 6:45 – watch your tongue, by controlling your heart’s passions

Mark 7:20-21 – what comes out from a person defiles them

Evil comes from within, not just from the world. They defile a person.

What can we possibly do with this “sin problem”?

1) Behavior modification. Think “better thoughts”. Have self-control. The Bible wants more than this “behavior modification”.

Problems with it:

1) Just rearranges the flesh.

2) Leads to pride and despair.

3) Conditions in us from parenting.

2) Heart issue. Selfishness.

Doctrine of Regeneration.

Ezekiel 36:26-27

New heart and new spirit is a gift that God gives us. God will remove the heart of stone. It is a gift aka through grace.

New heart = New Lord, New Power, New Purpose, New Community, New Desires.

New heart does not mean perfect heart.

New heart allows you to be a New Creation.

New heart:

1. Has Faith

2. Desires Obedience

3. Is Corrective

4. Teachable

5. Has contentment

6. Loves wisdom

7. Cheerful

8. Helpful

9. Discerning

10. Persuasive

11. Humble

12. Intelligent

13. Beautiful

14. Repentant

Prov. 20:5

The purpose of a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.

Psalm 37:4

Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

When your heart changes, you get new desires.

It’s not about what you don’t get to do, but what you get to do.

There will be “conflicted” desires, but those are sinful desires. You will have “deep” desires though, that are God’s desires for you.

A few questions to think about:

1) Do you have a new heart? How do you know?

2) What is God showing you about your heart lately?

3) What can you do to nourish your new heart?

4) What desires are even deeper than your desires for sin?