Worship from the Heart

(Isa. 58:3-9a)

Heart

What does the heart represent in Scripture? (Prov. 23:7)

God searches/tests/knows what is in our hearts (Gen. 6:5, Deut. 8:2, Job 23:10, Jer. 17:10, 1 Sam.
16:7, 1 Kings 8:39, 1 Chron. 29:17, Ps. 17:3, Jer. 17:10, Luke 2:34-35, 9:47, 16:15, Acts 1:24, 15:8,
1 Cor. 4:5, 1 Thes. 2:4, Heb. 4:12, Rev. 2:23)

What comes out of our mouths can reveal the contents of our hearts (Matt. 12:34-37, 15:18,
Luke 6:45, James 1:26)

Our hearts are inclined towards evil (Gen. 8:21)

We can change that (Josh. 24:19-23, Gen. 4:7, Ps. 51:10)

God can put good things in our hearts (1 Kings 10:24, 2 Chron. 9:23, Acts 16:14, Rom. 5:5,
Rev. 17:17)

Can He also put in bad things? (Ps. 141:4, Ex. 7:3, John 12:40)

We must guard our hearts (Deut. 4:9, Prov. 4:23)

Our hearts can be deceived (Deut. 11:16, 1 Kings 11:4, Jer. 17:9, Matt. 6:21, Rom. 16:17-18)

God wants our gifts & sacrifices to come from the heart (Ex. 25:1-2, 35:4-5, 21, 26, 29, 2 Kings 12:4,
1 Chron. 29:9)

God wants us to love, seek and serve Him with our whole heart (Deut. 4:29, 6:5, 10:12, 11:13, 13:3,
26:16, 30:2, 6 & 10, Josh. 22:5, 1 Sam 12:24, 1 Kings 2:4, 8:23 & 48, Jer. 24:7, 29:13, Matt. 22:37,
Mark 12:30-33, Luke 10:27)

We can only demonstrate a perfect/complete heart by obedience to God’s direction (1 Kings

8:61, 1 Kings 15:9-15, 2 Chron. 15:17)

God abhors a hypocritical, “divided heart” (Hos. 10:2, Matt. 6:16-18, Eph. 6:5-8, 1 Tim. 1:5)

If our heart is not right we have no reason to expect our worship to be acceptable to Him or prayers
answered by Him (Acts 8:18-21, 2 Tim. 2:22)

If is right, should expect (Isa. 58:9, 2 Chron. 16:9, Ps. 7:10)

What will God find in your heart? (Job 23:10, 27:6)

Works/Evidence of a Right Heart

 Set Oppressed Free (Isa. 58:6)

How can you/we set the oppressed free?

Share Food (Isa. 58:7)

Provide Shelter (Isa. 58:7)

Clothe (Isa. 58:7)

One day a student asked anthropologist Margaret Mead for the earliest sign of civilization in a given
culture. He expected the answer to be a clay pot or perhaps a fish hook or grinding stone. Her answer
was "a healed femur." Mead explained that no healed femurs are found where the law of the jungle,
survival of the fittest, reigns. A healed femur shows that someone cared. Someone had to do that
injured person’s hunting and gathering until the leg healed. The evidence of compassion is the first sign
of civilization. -- R. Wayne Willis, Louisville, Kentucky. Leadership, Vol. 16, no. 4

Reward

Light will break through/healing quickly appear (Isa. 58:8)