God Sees your Heart

Sermon March 30, 2014  God Sees your Heart

I Samuel 16:1-13

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t  look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him: for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

Jesse brought all 7 of his sons pass before Samuel and God rejected them all.

Samuel said to Jesse, “ Are all your sons here?” and  he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.”

Samuel told Jesses to send for him.

So the runt – David was brought in and the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him: for this is the one.”

A man after God’s heart.

We can put on our false faces before one another But God knows the intent of our heart.

In the life of the church, too often conflicts erupt, opportunities are missed, people are hurt and/or disheartened, and the community takes several steps backward because the boundaries of our covenant and purpose are ignored and broken.

Psalm 23 UMH 754

The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want…..this should be our daily motto. Meaning that we put our complete faith and trust in the Lord to take care of us.k

The shepherd walks with you in the midst of your trials.  The darkness is not changed, but rather you are changed when you receive the gift of his presence.

Ephesians 5:8-14

Live as children of light – for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. 

Sleeper; awake!

Rise from the dead;

And Christ will shine on you.

Matthew  John 9: 1-41

“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

Blind man’s eyesight was restored.

The Jews began to question him wanting to know who this man was that healed him. They drove him out of the synagogue.

Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, And who is he , Sir?  Tell me, so that I may believe in him.”  Jesus said, I came into the world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.”

The importance  of hearing and seeing comes into full relief when Jesus’ words in 10:1-21(Read today) are heard along with the healing of the blind man.  In this discourse Jesus integrates seeing and hearing with believing.  Jesus reiterates that those who Know him, his sheep, hear his voice and follow him.  In the Gospel of John, such “knowing” articulates relationship.  In the figurative language of the sheep and the shepherd, Jesus recasts the importance of seeing and hearing by creating new images for what has already occurred in chapter 9 between the blind man and Jesus.

God looks at our hearts. Even though we may not be completely whole on the outside God sees the intent of our heart.   Our daily prayer should be ‘help us see others as you see them…Amen

Hymn of Reflection  474 Precious Lord