A reminder to consider others Please:  Turn off your cell phone or set to vibrate only  Use the nursery or cry room if your child is fussy  Get up during the preaching only if absolutely necessary (please sit in back if you must leave early)

Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

Rejoice, Ye Pure In Heart #169 Rejoice, ye pure in heart, Rejoice, give thanks and sing. Rejoice, ye pure in heart, Rejoice, give thanks and sing. Plumptre, Edward Hayes / Messiter, Arthur Henry © Public Domain ARR UBP – CCLI License No

Your festal banner wave on high, The cross of Christ your King. Your festal banner wave on high, The cross of Christ your King.

Rejoice, Rejoice, give thanks, And sing! Rejoice, Rejoice, give thanks, And sing!

With all the angel choirs, With all the saints on earth, With all the angel choirs, With all the saints on earth,

Pour out the strains Of joy and bliss, True rapture, noblest mirth! Pour out the strains Of joy and bliss, True rapture, noblest mirth!

Rejoice, Rejoice, give thanks, And sing! Rejoice, Rejoice, give thanks, And sing!

Yes, on through life’s long path, Still chanting as we go; Yes, on through life’s long path, Still chanting as we go;

From youth to age, By night and day, In gladness and in woe. From youth to age, By night and day, In gladness and in woe.

Rejoice, Rejoice, give thanks, And sing! Rejoice, Rejoice, give thanks, And sing!

Still lift your standard high, Still march in firm array; Still lift your standard high, Still march in firm array;

As warriors Through the darkness toil ‘Til dawns the golden day. As warriors Through the darkness toil ‘Til dawns the golden day.

Rejoice, Rejoice, give thanks, And sing! Rejoice, Rejoice, give thanks, And sing!

Praise God who reigns on high, The Lord whom we adore; Praise God who reigns on high, The Lord whom we adore;

The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost One God forevermore. The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost One God forevermore.

Rejoice, Rejoice, give thanks, And sing! Rejoice, Rejoice, give thanks, And sing!

Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

A reminder to consider others Please:  Turn off your cell phone or set to vibrate only  Use the nursery or cry room if your child is fussy  Get up during the preaching only if absolutely necessary (please sit in back if you must leave early)

Blessed Are the Pure in Heart Matthew 5:8 A proper fear of God leads to knowledge, wisdom & salvation An improper fear of God can result in either fleeing Him or defiant anger and hatred toward Him Those who are pure in heart have a longing to see and be with God

Seeing God The unrighteous will see God - once when they are judged –  Revelation 20:11-15  2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 The “pure in heart” will see God continually – Matthew 25:34; 1 Thess. 4:16-17; Revelation 21:3-5

The Context Matthew 5-7 The theme of the Sermon on the Mount is the nature of true righteousness needed to enter Jesus’ kingdom The Beatitudes are the blessings received by those who have the listed characteristics of true righteousness

The Context Matthew 5-7 The Beatitudes are a progression of righteous characteristics that build upon one another Poor in spirit ➔ mourning ➔ meekness ➔ hunger & thirst for righteousness ➔ ➔ merciful ➔ pure in heart

The Context Matthew 5-7 There is a symmetry within the Beatitudes with hunger and thirst for righteousness as the center The first three Beatitudes are why the person hungers and thirsts for righteousness (Poor in Spirit; Mourning; Meek)

The Context Matthew 5-7 The 5th - 8th Beatitudes are the results that come from being filled with righteousness (Merciful, Pure in Heart, Peacemaker) The final Beatitude is the world’s reaction to the righteous

Purity That which is pure ( kaqarovV / katharos) is unmixed with any other matter - without contamination Cleanse - to have the impurities removed so that it is pure (Matt. 23:26; Rev. 3:18) A human with a pure character is a person who is holy, a necessity to see God - Hebrews 12:14

Purity This word is used consistently in the Septuagint to describe ceremonial cleansing to make something holy Exodus 19:10; Leviticus 8; Numbers 8; Leviticus 11, 12, 13-14, 15, 18 The traditions of the Pharisees were established in the effort to be cleansed / be pure by their own standards

Pure in Heart The purity of true righteousness is inward. Outward cleansing is not enough (Psalm 51:10). Inward corruption cannot be whitewashed outward ritual (Matthew 23:27) God already destroyed the world once because of man’s sinful hearts - Genesis 6:5.

Pure in Heart The Law given through Moses was meant to be obeyed from the heart Deuteronomy 4:9, 29; 5:29; 6:5-6; 8:5,14,17; 9:4-5; 10:12,16; 15:9; 17:17

Pure in Heart God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7) so that outward worship without it is vain (Matthew 15:8-9) Professing Christians who are like the Pharisees are in great danger - Matthew 15:18-19

Becoming Pure in Heart Matthew 5:3-4 1)In poverty of spirit (Mt. 5:3), seek God as a spiritual beggar - Deut. 4:29; Hebrews 11:6; James 4:8 2)Humbly recognize your sin – mourn over it (Matt. 5:4), repent from it (1 Cor. 7) and confess it (1 Jn. 1:9)

Becoming Pure in Heart Matthew 5:5-6 3)Be meek (Matthew 5:5) in submitting yourself to God’s will as did Jesus (John 4:34) 4)Hunger and thirst for righteousness – a craving to be like Jesus in all of your character (Matthew 5:6)

Becoming Pure in Heart Matthew 5:7 5)Recognize the mercy you have received from God and extend that to others (Matthew 5:7) Purity of heart is the craving of hungering and thirsting for righteousness to be inward as well as outward

Becoming Pure in Heart Purification begins at salvation - Hebrews 1:3; 1 John 1:7; Acts 15:9 Purification continues in sanctification - Hebrews 9:14; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 2 Timothy 2:22

Conclusions The pure in heart will see and be with God throughout eternity - Revelation 19:18; 21:18; 22:5 Titus 1:15-16 Turn to Christ and let Him cleanse you from sin - walk by the Holy Spirit and let Him purify your life

Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

O For a Heart to Praise My God O for a heart to praise my God, A heart from sin set free, A heart that always feels Thy blood So freely shed for me. O for a heart to praise my God, A heart from sin set free, A heart that always feels Thy blood So freely shed for me. Composer © Copyright Info ARR UBP – CCLI License No

A heart in every thought renewed And full of love divine; Perfect and right and pure and good, A copy, Lord, of Thine! A heart in every thought renewed And full of love divine; Perfect and right and pure and good, A copy, Lord, of Thine!

Thy nature, gracious Lord, impart; Come quickly from above. Write Thy new name upon my heart, Thy new, best name of Love. Thy nature, gracious Lord, impart; Come quickly from above. Write Thy new name upon my heart, Thy new, best name of Love.

Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ