Lesson 1: March 18, 2015

Thanks for being here tonight!

(remember the days of black and white TVs?)

Some things are just black and …white

1950s

1963

1964

1969

1974

1977

We only have a certain amount of time on this earth…

Two things…

What is the heart of the matter???

Some things are just black and …white

Jesus

Becoming like Him

Philippians 2:1-4Therefore if you have any encouragement

from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any

tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, united in spirit and intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility of mind, value

others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus.

In this class…

Look closely at the heart of Christ.

Look closely at our own hearts.

Over $40 billion is spent each year monitoring and treating the human heart.

The physical heart…

us with

another

heart…

This Heart is … the emotional or moral (part of a person) as

distinguished from the intellectual nature. generous disposition, compassion “a leader with heart” courage, ardor “never lose heart” one's innermost character, feelings, or inclinations

(“knew it in his heart”.. “a man after my own heart”) the central or innermost part of a person.

Why is “this” heart so important to

God?

What did

Jesus say

about the

heart?

Matt. 15:8.. “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their heartsare far from me.”

Mark 12:29-30...The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart…

Matthew 6:21“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Luke 16:15He said to them, “You are the ones who

justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts.What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.

Matt. 15:18-19…But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these make a man unclean. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery,

sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.

Matt. 18:35.. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

In this class…

Look closely at the heart of Christ.

Look closely at our own hearts.

Look closely at the Spirit’s transformation in our hearts.

Ephesians 1:17 – 18 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe.

Romans 8:27

And he who searches our heartsknows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

The Ten Week Challenge

Pray daily for the eyes of our hearts to be enlightened.

Monitor our hearts daily by monitoring what is coming out of our mouths.

Pray daily for God to search our hearts and transform them into the heart of

Christ.

What was

Jesus really like?

ZacchaeusLuke 19:1-10

Luke 19:1-10Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.

A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down

Luke 19:1-10immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’”

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone out of anything, I will pay him back four times the amount.”

Luke 19:1-10

Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost.”

ZacchaeusLuke 19:1-10

Let’s look at the three hearts:

1. Zacchaeus• He had become corrupt and cheated

people.• He was hated by the people.• He knew something was missing and

desperately wanted to see Jesus.

ZacchaeusLuke 19:1-10

Let’s look at the three hearts:

2. The People• They didn’t want to give him a

second chance.• They were angry with Jesus’ mercy.• They couldn’t see past their hatred.

ZacchaeusLuke 19:1-10

Let’s look at the three hearts:

3. Jesus• He loves and is seeking to save

people.• He knows what has happened to

Zacchaeus.• He calls Zacchaeus by name and

wants to enter his world.

Zacchaeus(Luke 19:1-10)

Let’s look at our hearts:• How far out of our

comfort zones will we go to find Jesus?

• How do we judge people?• What is missing in

our hearts tonight?

Revelation 3:20

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my

voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”

Let’s look at scripture.

Acts 2:36-39

What does it mean to be filled with the

Holy Spirit?