John Lloyd - The Sermon On The Mount - Purity

Seeking God First: A Study on the Sermon of the Mount
Blessed are the Pure in Heart Matthew 5:8

May 20, 2018
Pastor John Lloyd

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus expresses His desire for us to live for
Him in an upside down world. This greatest sermon ever given, is uplifting,
yet challenges us to live a life with Jesus that is far better than any other! It
is our prayer that you will be encouraged and challenged by studying and
applying this great sermon to your life. Small groups are also available
throughout the week to further discuss and put into practice the lessons
taught from the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 5:3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for
him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. 4.God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the
earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they
shall be satisfied. 7“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Psalm 24 NLT)
Big Idea: Purity in heart is a gift given to those surrendered to God. Purity
brings fresh power and vision.
Pure- Katharoi- single devotion/undivided in heart
I. The cry of our heart is for purity.
Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
Proverbs 20:9 Who can say, “I have made my heart pure; I am clean from
my sin”?
A. Purity is not an outward expression only.
Matthews 23:25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you
clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed
and self-indulgence. Matthew 23;27-28
Common misconception: I can make myself pure on my own.

B. Understand how God purifies hearts.
Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
In heart-Kardia- refers to the inner self, including the volition, the mind and
the desires.
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick;
who can understand it? (Mark 7:21-23)
“The gospel of Jesus is always concerned about the heart: all its emphasis
is upon the heart. Jesus is always talking about heart in the Gospels.
Pharisees did things externally right but were not pure in their hearts.
The heart is the whole center of his teaching.” E. Stanley Jones
Hebrews 9:14 How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the
eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience
from dead works to serve the living God. (Hebrews 10:22, Acts 15:9)
Titus 3:5 He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness,
but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and
renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus
Christ our Savior,
Hebrews 1:3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of
his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After
making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on
high,

Increase my vision of the cleansing power of Jesus!
II. Purity grows through expressing mercy and righteousness.
Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for
they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive
mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
“Passion for righteousness and compassion for men--- this is purity of
heart.” E. Stanley Jones

How do we stay pure? How do walk in purity each day?
A. Purity is preserved by replacing lesser desires with a greater desire.
Psalm 24:4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up
his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. (Ps. 24:5-6)
“Your chief defense against sinful lust is an all-out offensive of sanctified
lust. If you will set your hearts upon the supremacy, sufficiency and beauty
of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is in this posture of continual satisfied delight in
Jesus that the lusts of our flesh and this world evaporate into vapors like
the steam on our morning coffee.” Kevin DeYoung
Psalm 27:4 One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I
may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon
the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. (Colossians 3:1)
God, reveal your glory and majesty to my soul!
B. Immersion and interaction with God’s word renews His majesty.
Psalm 119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it
according to your word. (Psalm 119:11, Colossians 3:16)
John 15:3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to
you. (2 Corinthians 7:1)
C. Obedience to God increases my vision of God’s majesty.
See- to experience, to undergo, to understand. (Matt. 5:8, I Peter 1:22)
I John 3:2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not
yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him,
because we shall see him as he is. 3And everyone who thus hopes in him
purifies himself as he is pure. (Revelation 22:3-4)
Psalm 51:10. Create in my a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast
spirit in me.

It goes well with those who walk in purity
because they continually see the majesty of God!

Growth Group Questions for May 20th

Icebreaker: Share what comes to your mind when you hear the word
purity.
1. Read Matthew 5:3-8. Discuss how the six beatitudes build on each
other. From the world’s point of view, how is it surprising that the
“pure in heart” shall find happiness?
2. Read Mark 7:21-23, Jeremiah 17:9. Discuss these verses and this
quote: “The tragic fallacy of the last hundred years has been to think
that all of man’s troubles are due to his environment, and that to
change the man you have nothing to do but change his environment.”
D.Marytn Lloyd Jones. What was the environment like in the Garden
of Eden? What tragic thing happened there? Genesis 3:6-7
3. Reflect on Galatians 2:21, Titus 3:5, Proverbs 20:9. Discuss how
these verses show us we cannot make ourselves pure. Why is it not
just about external observations but the heart?
4. Study Matthew 5:8, Hebrews 1:3, 9:14, 10:22. What do these
passages teach about how our souls are purified? Why is this
understanding key in maintaining purity?
5. Discuss Kevin DeYoung’s statement of fighting lust with lust. “As we
considered the fact that lusts are desires, and in the Scriptures these desires can
be good or bad, this depends on how they line up with the will of God. So how do
we fight these desires? We do it with desires. Your chief defense against sinful
lust is an all-out offensive of sanctified lust, if you will. It is to set our hearts upon
the supremacy, sufficiency, and beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is in this
posture of continual satisfied delight in Jesus that the lusts of our flesh and this
world evaporate into vapors like the steam on our morning coffee.” Read
Colossians 3:1-5. What is Paul teaching?
6. Read Matthew 5:8, Colossians 3:16, Psalm 119:9. What role does
the Word of God have in giving us a greater vision of God and purity?
Pray for each other for God to increase our vision of His majesty!

Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”