FOLLOWING AFTER GOD (series) BY HAVING A HEART FOR GOD I Kings 14:8

KEY VERSES “The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart.” I Samuel 13:14 “I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who WILL DO ALL MY WILL.” Acts 13:14 “…My servant, David, who kept my commandments and who FOLLOWED ME WITH ALL HIS HEART…” I Kings 14:8

I. FOLLOWING AFTER GOD BEGINS WITH THE HEART “…My servant, David, who kept my commandments, and who FOLLOWED ME WITH ALL HIS HEART…” I KINGS 14:8

WHAT IS MEANT BY A PERSON’S “HEART”???

FOLLOWING AFTER GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART MEANS FOLLOWING AFTER GOD WITH THAT PART OF YOU WHICH IS: YOUR IMMATERIAL NATURE THAT MAKES UP WHO YOU ARE. “And the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a LIVING SOUL” Genesis 2:7

YOUR IMMATERIAL NATURE INCLUDES 1. YOUR WILL 2. YOUR “BENT IN LIFE” 3 YOUR IMMATERIAL NATURE INCLUDES 1. YOUR WILL 2. YOUR “BENT IN LIFE” 3. THAT WHICH DETERMINES YOUR VALUES, PRIORITIES, DIRECTION, DESIRES, ETC.

ALL OF WHICH SHOWS WHO YOUR REALLY ARE YOUR SOUL OR YOUR IMMATERIAL NATURE DETERMINES YOUR CHARACTER WHICH DETERMINES YOUR CONDUCT ALL OF WHICH SHOWS WHO YOUR REALLY ARE

 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the HEART, and these defile them. For out of the HEART come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. Mt. 15:18-19

II. HOW IMPORTANT IS A PERSON’S HEART? THE IMMATERIAL HEART OF A PERSON IS JUST AS IMPORTANT IF NOT MORE SO THAN THE PHYSICAL HEART OF A PERSON!!!

THE PHYSICAL HEART DETERMINES THAT YOU LIVE! THE IMMATERIAL HEART DETERMINES HOW YOU LIVE!!!

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE HEART? “GUARD YOUR HEART WITH ALL DILIGENCE, FOR OUT OF IT FLOWS THE ISSUES (ALL THE SUBSTANCE) OF LIFE!” -Proverbs 4: 23 “for it is the WELL SPRING of life.”

III. WHAT ARE THE MARKS OF FOLLOWING AFTER GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART?

A. HONORING GOD’S NAME! David was a defender of God’s name, reputation and honor! “Then David said to Goliath, ‘ You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you IN THE NAME OF THE LORD OF HOSTS. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands….that all this assembly will know THAT THE LORD does not deliver by the sword; for the battle IS THE LORD’S. I Samuel 17:45-47

B. EXALTING GOD IN WORSHIP David sought to habitually worship God! “I will give Thee thanks with all my heart; I will sing praises to Thee before the gods. I will bow down toward Thy holy temple, and give thanks to Thy name for Thy loving kindness and Thy truth… Psalm 138:1,2

C. SEEKING AFTER GOD’S WILL David made God’s will a priority over His own will! “And the men of David said to him, “Behold, this is the day the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you.’ Then David rose and cut off the edge of Saul’s robe secretly. And it came about afterwards that David’s conscience bothered him because he had cut off the edge of Saul’s robe. Far be it from me that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the LORD’S anointed.” I Samuel 24:4-7

D. DESIRING TO PLEASE GOD David wanted to please God by building the temple of God! “Now it came about when the king lived in his house, and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See, now I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in tent curtains.” II Samuel 7:1

“And David said, My son, Solomon, is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the LORD shall be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all the lands. Therefore now, I will make preparation for it. So David made ample preparation before his death. II Chronicles 22:5

E. ESTABLISHING A FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD! David valued God’s friendship above all other relationships! “The Lord is my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my deliverance (salvation), my stronghold and my refuge; my savior (the one who rescues me) II Samuel 22:2,3

F. MAKING GOD’S WORD A PRIORITY David loved, valued and treasured God’s Word! “The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.

“They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Thy servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward.” Psalm 19:7-11

G. TREAT SIN WITH CONTEMPT AND SORROW David treated his sin with a contrite and broken heart! “For I know my transgression and my sin is ever before me…let the bones which though hast broken rejoice…Create in me a clean heart, O God,…do not cast me away from your presence…Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation…a broken and contrite heart you will not despise…” Ps. 51

TRUTH TO LIVE BY: 1. THE CONDITION OF THE PHYSICAL HEART DOES NOT DETERMINE THE CONDITION OF THE IMMATERIAL HEART! (they are not related)

TRUTH TO LIVE BY: 2. THE IMMATERIAL HEART OF A PERSON IS SO IMIPORTANT AS IT DETERMINES AND DEFINES YOUR VERY LIFE!

TRUTH TO LIVE BY ONLY GOD CAN REGENERATE THE HEART, AND RESTORE AND RENEW THE HEART OF A MAN! (“CREATE IN ME A CLEAN HEART, O GOD!”) Ps. 51:10

TRUTH TO LIVE BY: 4. FOLLOWING AFTER GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART IS THE KEY TO A BLESSED LIFE!