The Heart of the Matter

Jesus Christ to come into your heart and you're asking Jesus to take up residency inside the real you to control the real you all the forces and function the will the mind, the intellect, when US Jesus to come into your heart.

You are literally asking them not to inhabit the little muscle that beats you're asking him to inhabit your life. Whether those were deceived by Sally eyes gazing onto my heart and they live like the devil to see Wes command means he dominates the inhabitants reside were not careful when Jesus takes over your life.

Everything changes, it's possible to be sincere in your beliefs and practices and still be sincerely wrong that's because there's a difference between religion and our relationship with God. Religion revolves around what you can do while a true relationship with God revolves around what he has done and what he's doing in your life.

That's the theme of the current series.

Stephen Davey has been working through it's called got religion and today Stephen brings the series to a close with this lesson called the heart of the matter in the last verse or two Roman chapter 2 Paul uses contrasting vocabulary subtly yet forcefully as he reveals the difference between a religious image and a relationship with God. If you have your Bibles and you have open them already to chapter 2 notice verse 28, Paul writes, for he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. Verse 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly and circumcision is that which is of the heart by the Spirit, not by the letter and his praise is not from men but from God. So you have the outwardly here, contrasted with the inwardly the flesh contrasted with the heart. The letter of the law contrasted with the spirit and man's praise contrasted with God's praise, such as the contrast between religion and the relationship, a religion that talks about God, but a relationship that knows God, and it's hard for us to perhaps identify with the Jews. Most of us. Perhaps her Gentiles, and it certainly would have been hard to identify with the fact they would been so stunned by this paragraph. It was shocking for them to hear that even though they had descended from Abraham and the markings of the covenant on their bodies. They had been given the guardianship of the Torah or the law that a past history with God's unmistakable blessing that did not automatically make them right with God. Circumcision of the flesh. Papa said is not as important as having a circumcised heart. In fact, Paul's point is really less not having a circumcised heart makes null and void circumcised flesh.

Remember what the Lord said to Samuel many many years ago when he said God sees differently than man. See man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the what the heart in other words, being right with God is a matter of the heart.

It struck me as I was studying this passage in Romans chapter 2 Paul uses the same exact vocabularies. Jesus Christ did 30 or 40 years earlier in a conversation with a faithful Jew. In fact, Paul explains what is already been illustrated in John chapter 3, so would you turn there where Jesus is a private conversation with a faithful Jew. It's a conversation that will eventually revolutionize this man's life will appear later in the Gospels is the man alone just to to the Messiah subtle loss, Jesus will only need it for a few days, but this is where he meets with the Lord while you're turning perhaps you're aware of the most famous of verses is found also in the same chapter John chapter 3 verse 16 stayed with me for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believe it in him should not perish but have everlasting life. That's right. Many of us know that verse that many perhaps know to whom Jesus said those words were told in John chapter 3 verse one that there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, we ought to stop her long enough to know what this man was who were introduced to it.

If the faithful Jew that Paul referred to in Romans chapter 2 was not good enough to get into heaven.

Well, this man here represented among the Jews, the most likely of candidates to enter heaven because of what were told were told that he was a Pharisee.

Now the truth is when you and I think of Pharisee we think of a hypocrite.

Don't because we think of all the times.

The Lord called them hypocrites. And he dealt with the religious leaders and with harshest of terms.

We think of them as proud, legalistic people played our religious game, but live another life in that would be a correct perception of of Psalm. If not, many of them, but there were, however, others who work, deeply devoted to the wall they dedicated their lives to the keeping of the law.

In fact, the apostle Paul was once Pharisee. These were the Jewish men because of their passion for the God of Abraham joined.co Bora. This was the brotherhood known as the Pharisee they entered into this brotherhood by taking a pledge in the presence of three witnesses that they would dedicate their lives to obeying every statement of the law. Both Mosaic law and scribal law and that's where it really got interesting is the scribe that spent generations developing what they called the scribal law codified in the Mishnah.

There was also the Taliban, which was a commentary on the Mishnah that explained and developed in and tried to answer all of the questions that would emanate from simple commands of God through Moses. A good illustration would be the command of God for Moses to keep the Sabbath day holy. They were to work well. The question would be how do you define work. What does work mean it would be the scribes who would codify with thousands of regulation.

What work truly meant and the Pharisee then would keep it here. Some of what they came up with on the Sabbath day they could only drink enough milk for one swallow at a time more than one swallow the time would be work for the amounts they could not lift a spoon to their lips weighing more than one thing more than that would be lifting a burden. The Pharisees and scribes were embroiled over the debate is whether a woman on the Sabbath could pick up her baby was he could move the chair from one room to the other or or even if a man could wear his wooden denture on the Sabbath now is considered in the Mishnah to be work to tie a knot and one time however they went on to say was permissible for a woman who was getting dressed on the Sabbath was permissible to tie a knot in her girdle. Thank heaven for that it was permissible to draw water from the well of the Sabbath, but if the rope broke you're in trouble because you couldn't tie a knot with a new rope and an old rope that would be work. However, you could take your wife's girdle tie one side to the road. Tie the other side of the bucket and draw water from the web. I'm not kidding. This is this is codify the law here just in case the rope breaks you know what to do you think that's a little ridiculous yet on the other hand, what strikes me is here as a people so committed to the incredible inconveniences keeping thousands of regulations that they did so in order to please God and I wonder how many inconveniences would we be willing to go through in our walk with Christ. My observation that most of us allow only one or two inconveniences before we begin the grumble, but God is in all that we can bargain for our text says that Nicodemus was one of the Camorra. He was one of the dedicated men to the Mishnah to scribal law. The latter part of verse one also tells us something.

It tells us that Nicodemus was a ruler of the Jews were our phone indicates that he was then a member of the Sanhedrin one of the select 71 men in Israel fact later on in the text. Jesus refers to him as the teacher with the definite article V.

This man was probably the most popular teacher of scribal law in the days of Christ. He was a member of the Sanhedrin the teacher that was respected and well-known.

So here is this man by the way, one of the roles of the Sanhedrin us was to examine Amanda claim to be a prophet to see if he indeed was a true prophet of God's what you have here is Nicodemus coming to Jesus at night to examine them to see if he's truly a prophet of God, man, well respected well-known so well known that he comes under cover of night. He didn't want to start tongues wagging with is coming. He came to them by night verse two says and he said to him, Rabbi, we know that you have come from God as a teacher for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. That was a wonderful introduction in this conversation because you understand here the debate has already been raging as to the source of Jesus's power by now. There is an entire sect of these religious leaders believe that Jesus was empowered by be eligible.

They believe that he had satanic power to do the signs or miraculous things that he had done what Nicodemus is telling them here's he's just letting them know that he's not one of those men. He says I know that your empowered by God. I know that you've come from God, but this was also a polite way of basically asking Jesus. What is the heart of your message. He must've seen earlier in the day Jesus cleansing the temple and claiming it to be his father's house. That really I'm sure picked is interesting is asking him what is your message as a prophet from God.

Jesus responds by giving him his primary message.

In verse three.

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.

This is shocking statement.

Why, because Jesus said, in effect, truly I say to you Nicodemus leisure morning and you can go to heaven. So what Jesus and if I just told one of the leading Jewish candidates for heaven was he wasn't going Nicodemus, the Lord, in effect, this saying has done a lot of right things but he hasn't done the right thing in order to get into heaven.

Verse four Nicodemus said to him how to demanding more. And when he is old colored your Tony got in the morning. I will highlight how I get back in my mother's womb and be born. Verse four words what you mean I have to be born again, he was confused and so would we be if we deny passages like John chapter 3 will Jesus will explain himself to Nicodemus with two propositions. These two truths will change his thinking forever and it will stand on its year typical Judaism of that day.

It will reveal the first inklings of this dramatic change that is about to happen. The first proposition is this the physical birth into Abraham's family is insufficient for redemption that you know if you been studying with me that Paul is been saying basically the same thing in Romans chapter 2 Jesus goes on here in verse five to say truly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit is not going to explain this birth, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. Unless one is born of water and the spirit now if you want to know in verse five. Means go to verse six that explains it.

That which is born of the flash is flash that is. This is the natural first birth and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. This is the second birth, and this one is supernatural, so he explains it here in his analogy being born of water is a reference to physical natural birth. It's interesting to know that the Greek words here are X who do toss can be literally translated born out of water. We all in this auditorium were born X coup d'état.

We were all born out of water would. Verse five is referring to X who do toss the physical work. Jesus goes on to say, there has to be a second birth why they make the mention of the first birth to a Nicodemus mean and that a mood point will yes if you're a good Jew. That's the way you're thinking the first birth doesn't you're boring related to Abraham all you have to do is be born and that's it then uses well you have that one but you need another one. You have to be born again. The physical birth is not enough for redemption he is on number seven essay don't be amazed that I said you must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going so is everyone who is born of the Spirit. In other words, you don't see this birth is no labor and delivery room. This is an invisible transaction. This is an invisible birth. You'll see it to see the results of the like the wind that blows through a tree.

You don't see the window to see the effect of the wind on the limbs of the tree. Nicodemus said to him in verse nine.

How can these things be. Jesus answered and said, and argued the teacher of Israel do not understand these things. Truly I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify what we've seen and you do not accept our testimony.

If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things no one has ascended into heaven, but he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man, that was about to give him the second rather startling proposition. The first one was that his physical birth was not sufficient for redemption. The second truth is this the second birth cannot occur until the Messiah experiences death and that would be totally foreign to the Jewish mine that the Messiah, the true Redeemer would calm and not instituted kingdom, but die would be shocking to them, but he will say unless Messiah dies, you can be born again. Verse 14 as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up verse refers here back to one of the most unique stories in the Old Testament the book of numbers.

You may remember if you've read it. Chapter 21, where Israel is rebelling against God and judging his regards and poisonous snakes into their camp.

The Bible called them fiery serpents, perhaps because of the hot fever that ultimately overtook them and led to their death approach a predominant result of the serpent's venom while the people. If you read the story. Remember cried out for mercy and in God instructed Moses to do something very unusual instead of administering some sort of antidote. Instead of creating some sort of cure.

He said simply make a brass serpent like the ones you see on the ground and attach it to a long wooden pole and lifted up, and if anybody looks at that serpent.

Toby healed say from death, why not develop medicine when it require their hands to work for a cure. It would have given them all something to do. It would've satisfied every natural instinct on behalf of man to work for his QR. The fact that were not told to make a human remedy is indicative of the greater fact that there is no human remedy for sin. Nothing but death awaits us and it is the proving fact that we have been bitten by sin in that we will all die.

We are all mortally wounded. We just don't know when will the what is religion do Donald Ray Barnhouse and his wonderful commentary wrote this in the religious fashion of our day in the religious fashion of mankind, there would have been an immediate rush to incorporate or form the society for the extermination of the fiery serpents.

There would've been die just for the couple tell cards for district workers, secretaries for organizational branches, pledge cards and mass rallies, there would've been a publication office formed in a weekly Journal printed to tell of the progress of the work there would've been photographs of heaps of serpents that had been killed by the faithful workers.

All of them feverishly trying by human effort to overcome the serpent's bite of sin. Let us accompany one of the zealous workers as you might take a pledge card into the tent of the stricken victim. The management bitten and the poison has already affected his limb. He lies in feverish agony. The glaze of death, already coming to his eyes. The zealous member of the Society for the extermination of fiery serpents tells him all has been done to combat the serpents and urges the man to pay and join the dying victim fumbles in his pocketbook for money and then takes a pen in his hand's fingers are held by the worker who helps inform his signature on the pledge and membership card and the man signs in full and then dies the incident in Numbers 21.

The prefiguring of Jesus Christ, who became sin for us. The one was lifted up, the one who literally became wicked, evil on our behalf, salvation, spiritual healing rebirth.

All of those synonymous comes from simply going looking to him, not in our hands, not in some religions effort to make things better not to find a QR not to somehow solve the problem but look to him believing in him alone provides the remedy.

My friend, you can join the society called the church inside a pledge card you give your money where you need Bible lessons and catechisms.

You can get baptized and you can die without God, after having done all that we have all been bitten and her only hope is to look to the cross. He goes on to say verse 15 whoever believes may in him have eternal life. But is it mean to believe it's a good question.

What did Philip mean when he asked the Ethiopian eunuch in acts chapter 8 verse 37.

Do you believe with all your heart, what we mean when we say US Jesus to come into your heart when did Paul mean in Romans 10, verse nine, when he said to believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead will remember the heart is more than a pump inside your chested beat 70 7580 times a minute right in biblical terms, the heart refers to the inner person the inner function and forces of soul and spirit, mind and intellect.

In other words, the heart refers to who you really are. So when Paul said to believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, and you shall be say somebody can say okay I believe all that stuff. I never denied that I was raised in a home on the believe that and from from the time I was knee-high. I believe that is in saying that he saying that all the forces and functions of soul and spirit will and electric driven by the truth of Christ being alive: effects as if you are so gripped by the truth that Christ is the living resurrected Lord. So much so that he controls, and dominate your interbeing you shall be saved, when you asked Jesus Christ to come into your heart. If you're using the word heart biblically, then you're asking Jesus than to take up residency inside the real you to control the real you all the forces and function the will the mind, the intellect, when you asked Jesus to come into your heart, your literally asking them not to inhabit the little muscle that beats you're asking him to inhabit your life with why there are those who are deceived by saying only eyes gazing onto my heart and they live like the devil deceived to ask a man means he dominates. He inhabits he resides within you say will I know people that don't believe they live good lives, their ethical sound good.

There committed to their family there good in business. They have upstanding reputations.

How do you know that the truth remember ladies and gentlemen. Religion is passionate about the outside so that it looks good and it sounds good so that it is ethical and those things are all good and moral and upstanding. Those are all wonderful, but it focuses on the work of the hands and what we do to remedy that mortal wound. What we do to somehow cure the fact that we will die. All the while ignoring the sin inside the heart. The sinful who we are.

What is religion done Paul in Romans two said it's insufficient. It is enough. Jesus Christ told Nicodemus it wasn't enough. Let me illustrate it this way.

Imagine that you've come to an old farmhouse.

There's nobody there. Just you and your thirsty looking for water and behind a crumbling old farmhouse is that farmyard and its windswept in the dirt is hard baked his spot over the way that wooden platform and attached it on top coming up through there is the well pump with the handle told Rusty think there is you go over and you step up onto the wooden platform and you begin to pump that handle them pump five minutes later nothing but air. 15 minutes later you're exhausted now and thirstier than ever and not one drop has come out of that pump. Why is the well is dry and will religion would do religion will scrape away the rust paint that handle make it look good and invite people who are thirsty to come in, pump, people will know it'll do more than that. It'll get rid of that old Pompano put in a new one made of brass and others in common think that's a good idea at all that farmyard they will dig their shallow holes in they will place over those holes platforms not connected to water. Remember religion isn't in the water.

It's in the palm of painter will come in and paint a portrait of that landscape that is now littered with pumps that do not produce one drop of water for the thirsty lips of humanity. Jesus Christ basically said you got a great looking handle and and you look religious and everything looks fine, but I friend you're not connected to the living water wells dry were your drinking from trying to need to look to me that's how you come looking to the Son of Man, it came to earth to die for sinners.

Those who will admit their hopelessly bitten. Believe in their interbeing Jesus Christ is truly alive and that belief leads to the domination of that living Lord in and through them. The apostle Paul basically delivered the same verdict to the impressive looking Jew of his day. He found the best exhibiting code for a religious man. He's talked about the immoral man in chapter 1, and how their guilty before God.

He's talked about the moral man in and how he is he is upstanding but also guilty before God. And then he ends with this religious man and he shows how religion is simply another way to hell.

He has said three things.

Basically, the faithful Jew will not be saved by his law.

Secondly, the faithful Jew will not be saved by his liturgy. Finally, the faithful Jew will not be saved by his lineage.

In other words, what he saying is don't put all the stock on the name is on the outside of the car. Don't depend on the marketing don't depend on the map that someone is attached. It says here's the way to go.

Religion is the road to hell simply because it cares only about the outside of the package looks good. It sounds exotic cells. Christianity is the road to heaven focuses on the condition of the heart, true Christianity is not into appearances and it doesn't sell anything, but it transforms every beginning with a heart because the core of Christianity leading the matter of the heart.

It's a good reminder for us today is this is wisdom for the heart. The Bible teaching ministry of Stephen Davey, this lesson was the conclusion to a series called got religion if you missed any of the lessons in this series we posted them all to our website which you'll find that wisdom online.org, the series comes from Romans chapter 2 and you'll find it on our site. If you'd like to own this series as a set of CDs we have that available as well. You'll find our store on our website or you can call us today and we can give you information right over the phone number here in the office is 86 648 Bible and would like to talk with you and help you now how you can own this series for yourself. We also want to make sure you know about our monthly magazine and devotional guide entitled heart-to-heart since this is the beginning of a month to be a great time to start receiving it. Ask about that when you call and then join us tomorrow.

Right here on wisdom