Gatekeeper

Saint is when things are fine, nothing is wrong what is keeping you from coming and attending services and hearing the truth but there's assortment of the Sunday school, Bible study, what is keeping you and is not just at the daily reading of the word of God living in the 1500s are living in. It is been the medieval times were people did not have the Bible, it was just in the Latin. You have a Bible, we have five most what is keeping you from opening the Bible, virtually on as many of you have not cracked open the Bible weeks if we do a just a verse or two just to argue with someone old will you know open gap right and I can guarantee you many of your apps will say it's been 32 weeks, 15 days or whatever else this Bible sits on the coffee table collecting dust on the backseat of the car that Stays unopened. How can you go about saying Jesus loved Pastor Sean I'm glad you do most Christianity is not just loving me.

It's about loving Christ is about keeping the door of the gate of your house, your life open to Christ and his word use a portion of the upcoming sermon titled gatekeeper by Dr. other in shock I could be church here in Henderson. Here Clearview. Our goal is to make Christ visible in the way that we worship in the way that we serve others.

Would love to see you one of our services here 3485 Oxford Rd., Kinison, NC. For more information on our church. Check out our website.

Clearview BC.org, but for now the student this week's message going up in Sunday school. They used to have this song would set all be careful little lies. What you see and if remember that song singing.

I some of you do it out of the still saying and the children's ministry, but the stances would go on and talk about all be careful little ears what you hear the careful little mouth, what you say in hands what you do and feet where you going.

The last line of that song is all. Be careful little heart whom you trust. As such an important song for the children to learn, but I believe we as adults need that song just as much what you agree with that but we can have John lead us in that song that would be something.

What it but you know that song is at least 3000 years old, 3000 at least. Because see that in the book of Proverbs. Today how this all actually comes from the word of God is the gist of the messages. This you are the gatekeeper to your heart, you control what comes in and what goes out. You can either let in things that bring you closer to Christ.

Or you can let things into your heart. The drive you further away from Christ, you are the gatekeeper and keep in mind that the attack against your gates is real is intense is constant and it is devastating in our series on the book of Proverbs. Just a miniseries for weeks is all going to be. The series is called skillful learning to live skillfully and today's message is about being the gatekeeper to your hearts. If you have a problems with your turn to Proverbs chapter 4 starting in verse 20, and let's all stand once again for the reading of God's word. Proverbs chapter 4 and verse 20. Solomon is speaking to his son Redbone listen to what he says my son give attention to my words.

Incline your ear to my sayings that pay attention to your body parts that he is mentioning in this verse. Pay attention to my words.

Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes and eyes, is much more than vision. It's also parts for they are life to those who find them and help to all their flesh. Verse 23 keep your heart with all diligence for out of it spring the issues of life, to give you a better translation from the Hebrew in a few moments without verse still is so powerful.

Keep your heart with all diligence for out of your heart spring.

The issues of life. Put away from you, a deceitful mouth and put perverse lips far from you.

Let your eyes look straight ahead and your eyelids look right before you ponder the path of your feet which direction are you going ponder the path of your feet and that all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or to the left remove your feet or your foot from evil this morning as we prepare our hearts and as we pray for God's guidance and wisdom. The question is how secure is your heart as you saw on that video we got our homes. We got our vehicles. We got our property, but our hearts we let anything and anyone coming and don't be a temptation this morning to say I was to young people would hear this. I wish so-and-so would be there if you say that Libby said as clearly as possible.

Satan has you duped, because the message is not for some young people.

The message is not for some person the message is for you and is Christ in your heart you know him as your safe if you don't would you join me in this simple prayer never prayed to receive Christ. The prayer that says Jesus I need you to come into my heart, I believe, to the best of my ability that you are God's son, who came as promised.on the cross for my sins, was buried in you rose again.

And I believe and I need you to come into my life come into my heart be my Savior and my King and I will follow you as you help me got I would fall you the rest of my life to understand the true meaning of this passage which is verse 23 I want to actually of backup and and not begin verse 20 but actually go to verse 23 and then we can go forward and then we can go backward so I hope you will understand the reason to focus on verse 23 listen to that verse again.

Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it spring the issues of life. As I mentioned to you a few moments ago there's a better translation. The liberal Hebrew translation goes like this keep your heart more than any guarded thing for from it come the origins of life. Let me repeat that again.

Keep your heart more than any guarded thing for from it come the origins of life to start with the word for origins literally refers to the exits of his cities on the trauma hand at drawing here are not very good at this, but I practice really well. I did the best I could. So imagine looking at the gates of the city right there. This is pretty good.

If I may say like a city with gates. The imagery is awfully fortified city. Bob and Israel. Many times, and some of you have gone with me and my friend Jackie was an Israeli. Our guide good friend Wendy come to ancient cities or we stand before the gates of the city of what's left of it, mostly most of the time is nothing but a hole in the rock, and that's where the hinges. The doors would fit in and he will and he asked the same question that I've heard him ask.

Many times I try not to answer because I want the newcomers to answer him and his question is this what is the most vulnerable part of the city. The most vulnerable part of any city where the gates the gates.

Is it wise that the case because how do you get inside the city. What is the easiest access into the city.

The gates all that needs to happen is for someone from the outside, get into the mind of someone from the inside with bribe and say hey listen really give you this much money or if we come in and we win the city over the you get this position or you get to rule and all it takes is for someone from the inside to open the gates and let the enemy commit the most vulnerable part of any city is the gates now Solomon calls it the heart guard your heart more than any guarded thing for from it come the exits of life, the heart is the gate to your life know what is the heart. Let's talk about that for a few moments. What is the heart and ancient near Eastern understanding the heart represents a combination of both the inner and the outer workings of life. What is the inner workings. Your thoughts, your conscience, what are the auto workings.

Your words, your actions, but unfortunately this mind this hard. These gates have been damaged by sin are gates are damaged and that's why we have difficulty letting God in their were designed to let God in but they have been broken. They have been damaged.

The hinges are all what else do we know about the heart, the mind, it has been uniquely designed by the combination of our genetic ancestors good and bad. What else do we know about the heart and the mind, the heart or the mind.

The gates are either softened towards God or they are hardened towards them based on our upbringing.

That's why so important for people to lead their children to church our heart, our mind is redeemed is fixed when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior is our King or the it is condemned when we reject I'm kind of going outside the text, because unless we do that we will not understand the deep meaning.

The more we grow in Christ.

The more we study his word.

The more we made the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives, the more heart or mind become open to the things of God, the less you walk with Christ.

The less you obey his word, the less you will be the Holy Spirit, the more your heart remains close to the things of God, our hearts, our minds. These gates are tarnished or transformed based on how we handle daily circumstances of life that have practical you claim your Christian you claim your believer how you treat your husband how you treat your wife determines how those gates will stay open Christ, somebody's been mean to you, so much as been better to you. What have you done he went and gossiped about them. Those hinges will have trouble moving. That's why Solomon says son. Guard your heart more than any other guarded thing for from it come the origins of life from here come comes out the stuff the people.

The caravans, how do you how do you keep your hearts open wealth. Solomon tells us back up to verse 20 he says my son give attention to my words. Words of wisdom words of God. Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your hearts of your heart which means this.

There is no substitute yells to listening. There is no substitute to the daily listening, reading, or weekly attending the services from saint is when things are fine, nothing is wrong what is keeping you from coming in attending services and hearing the truth when there's a sermon of the Sunday school, Bible study, what is keeping you and is not just that the daily reading of the word of God were not living in the 1500s are living in it and in the medieval times where people did not have the Bible, it was just in the Latin folks. We do have a Bible we had Bibles what is keeping you from opening the bombs were truly honest.

Many of you have not cracked open the Bible in weeks and if we do a just a verse or two just to argue with someone over folks will you know but with a nap open.

You have right and I can guarantee you many of your apps will say it's been 32 weeks 15 days or whatever you dealt with with me. This Bible sits on the coffee table collecting dust on the backseat of the car. The app stays unopened.

How can you go about saying while of Jesus love, past Sean glad to do but most Christianity is not just loving me. It's about loving Christ is about keeping the door of the gate of your house, your life open to Christ and his word not just hearing messages not just reading the Bible. But listen, the marriage conference.

The marriage conference. What is keeping you from signing up for the marriage conference on talking about just couples but also singles you look at a given matter is all you have a boyfriend maybe is time you turn the marriage conference give you some tips how to listen while our marriage is great.

Do it for you children do it for the people and the reason I like this couple is because when they come and speak the deal with all issues. What is the cost of ignoring this command is in verse 22 jump ahead for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh, which means this if you let the truth of God the Word of God with the two sermons seminars godly books messages there's going to be life in the city when Solomon tells his son son if you let the word of God come into your life and don't let it depart from your eyes.

There will be life. There will be health again going back to our flu season. How do you feel when you're sick, everything hurts right you can sleep your Kaufman your way. Your back is hurting your temperatures riding rising. It's a horrible feeling I die a field terrible in this cough not going away or who gave it to me who gave a verse of some miserable when the word of God doesn't come into our hearts like is supposed to.

There is misery inside the city folks when truth comes in.

It has a way of purging the sickness it has a way of purging the virus of sin.

Sin will wear you down.

And what happens.

This life is the full life, the fullness of life in Jesus talked about in John chapter 10 and verse 10. Listen to what Jesus said he's in the thief does not come except to steal and kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life. You see, the Old Testament and New Testament go hand-in-hand. You do know that the book of Proverbs is really about Jesus right because he is the wisdom of God. He is the wisdom incarnate. I have no doubt your wonderful people I have no doubt that you know Jesus Christ right now is there that full life in your home in your relationships.

We can pretend everything is fine ever done that you are feeling horrible but you had to go to work how you feel Dick feeling great.

There is a test. There is a test based on what you're letting in because what you leading is what's going to come out room of the old adage garbage in garbage out. Will Solomon gives us three tests the first one is the speech test. Listen to verse 24. Put away from you, a deceitful mouth and put her verse lips far from you listen if garbage is going in, garbage is going to come out of the gates. Garbage is going inside the city garbage is coming out of the city. So here's a test speech. What does Paul say in Colossians 39 do not live to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man who is renewed this and who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him. If you have become a new person in Christ Jesus live up to the knowledge that you have received second test. The vision test. Listen to verse 25. Let your eyes look straight ahead and let your eyelids really the Hebrew is the eyeballs look right before you would have your eyes been lately what what movies have you watched that you had no business watching folks. I'm not a legalistic pastor.

I refuse to be making a bunch of rules but here this is biblical if you allowing trash into your eyes.

Well I just want to see what the young people are doing these days I did was terrible. We said that he wants that whole YouTube video that you had no business watching you blame the young people for that amazing weekend sickness take that one look because you can help it.

A person is coming by ladies that man or of or over men that that person. That lady could walk via since you solved the person, the first allies there a second looking apart, look in a gazing look. Why is it and why is it happening a lot that every time that person or that person of the opposite sex, walks by you. You keep declaring your key gazing.

Why is that is that okay Matthew 622 the lamp of the body. Did you know there's a lamp that shines inside your body, figuratively speaking, the lamp of the body is the Jesus says this.

If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be for the flight but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore listen of this is so powerful. The word of God is so powerful. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that dark. Finally, for test Solomon gives his son is the direction test the direction test. Now he talks about the feet. He talked about the mouth talked about your eyes.

Now he talks about the direction listen to verse 26 again ponder the path of your feet and that all your ways be established. Ponder means, meditate, take time to think about which way you keep going.

It is always doesn't have to be less. Sometimes it has to be with things that are just so appropriate to your weakness, your insecurity, do not turn to the right or to the left remove your foot from evil. Why is it that your truck goes by that house. Why is it that you make it a point to go by that person's desk.

Why is it how to do anything at this being a friend, as I have someone say about the hands Solomon in saving about the hands you get to the hands too late. If Yorty put your hand on someone or doing something shady. We need intervention, you don't need to worry about the gates very get that mouth. The eyes the feet the direction gets to the hands. Matthew seven verse 13 very quickly.

Enter by the narrow gate.

For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.

Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life and there are few who find I can go on and on, will begin to do is a lot of sickness inside the city's life, the fullness of life. Jesus promised, let's check the gates is maybe parts full of sicknesses and rats are coming in and wreaking havoc inside the city and was coming out is not joy and peace send the fruit of the spirit was coming out is is a speech that is contrary to the truth of God of what's coming out is a vision that you looking at things that you should not what's coming out our feet, going in the wrong direction. What needs to happen today is for you to be awaken this message to just get on to you and facet you hope you don't take it like that still waking you as a way the gates have been compromised. The enemy is here and somehow they've gotten. We gotta stop if you never received Christ as your Savior. Paul tells us in Romans chapter 10 and verse nine. Again he talks about the mouth and the heart.

Listen to what he says that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart. You see, that immaterial part of you that's where you have to believe that God has raised him from the dead, you will be safe but with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Then to begin the race right, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher nature of our faith, we run towards him as we close, we need to really take account of our lives are we really letting the word of God come into our life. We listen to the truth really studying the word how hard the gates of the open to Christ as their health inside the city is a life of joy messing problem free. Is there fullness of joy, if not today, and confess make things right. If you do not know Christ open the gates. Let him commit.

Thank you so much for listening this week's sermon. If we don't guard our hearts in our Christian life. We left filth and misery to enter is so important that we keep watch over where we look the things that we say in where we allow our feet to take us for more information and for this sermon's notes. Check out Dr. Shah's blog had been on shop.com for more ways and how to get plugged in here cleared check out a website that clearly VC.org one awesome waiting plugged in here. Clearview is coming up on March 7.

The one marriage conference hosted here Clearview will be led by Tony and Alisa DeLorenzo.

This conference will revolutionize your marriage and revolutionize how you think about your relationship to sign off.

You can visit one lab events.com for more information you can contact us in the church office at 252-438-8433