“THE LORD LOOKS AT THE HEART”
1 SAMUEL 16:7

I. Introduction
How is your heart? We hear a great deal today about the condition of our hearts, don’t we? The American Heart Association is always reminding us of diseases of the heart and what we can do to prevent them, lessen them, or treat them. They tell us about things like angina, congestive heart failure, and a wide variety of other maladies that directly or indirectly affect our hearts.

We hear of congenital heart disease, coronary heart disease, inflammatory heart disease, organic heart disease, pulmonary heart disease, structural heart disease, and vascular heart disease. And there are others. Not only that, but each of them can be broken down in-to variations and categories and sub-categories. In fact, the medical community tells us that heart disease is the number one killer of all the diseases that we know exist.

But if you are a Bible-believing Christian, you don’t need a physician to tell you that. You already know that there’s a disease of the heart the medical community doesn’t talk about. It doesn’t talk about it because it can’t deal with it. And it’s a disease that, if left untreated, is always fatal. That’s the disease the Scriptures call sin. It’s a terminal disease that only the Lord Jesus Christ, the Great Physician, can treat. But more that treat it, He can cure it.

This terminal disease called sin is not one that you acquired sometime during your life. You were born with it. That’s why it’s called “original sin” and we all have it. The OT tells us much about what that sin has done to our hearts. This morning I want to begin by looking at two passages that speak to the condition of the human heart in its natural unregenerate state.
*Ecclesiastes 9:3
3 (There) is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for all men. Furthermore, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil, and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards they go to the dead.

King Solomon is saying that the fate of every man, woman, and child is determined by the depravity of the human heart. His statement speaks to the issue of original sin. It’s this sin that fills our hearts with evil. And it’s this evil that’s tied directly to what Solomon called insanity. The Hebrew word translated “insanity” is “hôwlêlêh.” (ho-lay-lawʹ) The definition of this word is fascinating. “Hôwlêlêh.” is defined as the madness that is willing to try any-thing just for the thrill of knowing its outcome. This is precisely what Solomon said he had been trying to do.
*Ecclesiastes 7:25-26
25 I directed my mind to know, to investigate, and to seek wisdom and an expla-nation, and to know the evil of folly and the foolishness of madness.
26 And I discovered more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are chains. One who is pleasing to God will escape from her, but the sinner will be captured by her.

Solomon says that he wanted to know all about wisdom, but he admits that he also wanted to know all about “…the evil of folly and the foolishness of madness.” Do you see what he was trying to do? Does that sound familiar? It should.
Genesis 3:5b (Satan tempting Eve)
5b “…your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Knowing wisdom (good) is what God wants us to do, but knowing madness (evil) is what Satan wants us to do. Solomon is teaching us that such madness, such insanity, is the polar opposite of godly wisdom. Yet the “evil of folly and the foolishness of madness” are the forces that drive every depraved and unregenerate human heart.

Now turn with me to the Prophet Jeremiah. What does he say about the human heart?
*Jeremiah 17:9
9 “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?

The context of this well-known verse has Jeremiah prophesying the coming Babylonian cap-tivity. He tells the people that God will bring this national judgment on them because of their willful and deliberate sin. That sin finds its root in the depravity of the human heart. The reference to original sin is again clear.

In v. 9 the word “deceitful” is translated from the Hebrew “âqôb.” (aw-kobeʹ) It carries with it the idea of something being crooked, fraudulent, and polluted. The words “desperately sick” are translated from a word that means “terminal.” God, speaking through Jeremiah, is saying that the heart of man cannot be cured by man. Our hearts have an incurable terminal disease. No matter how skilled our cardiologists may be, they can’t fix it.

Not only is the human hearts’ disease of sin so far beyond the realm of human cure, it is so corrupt that no man – not even its owner – can understand the depths of its depravity. So at the end of v. 9 Jeremiah asks the rhetorical question, “Who can know it?” The answer comes in the very next verse.
*Jeremiah 17:10
10 “I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.

Only God (Yahweh – the Great I AM) knows the whole truth about the human heart, and He will be the final judge of everyone’s works, believer and unbeliever alike. This is a funda-mental truth that is taught again and again throughout the Scriptures.
For unbelievers the judgment of their works will take place at God’s great white throne judg-ment. This judgment will determine the severity of their eternal punishment in hell.
Revelation 20:13
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them accord-ing to their deeds.

For Christians the judgment of their works will take place at the judgment seat of Christ. This will determine the degree of our eternal reward.
2 Corinthians 5:10
10 For we must all appear at the judgment seat of Christ, (so) that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

This truth is not meant to be a source of fear for us, but a source of encouragement and joy. Listen to Jesus as He speaks to us, His own, in the last chapter of the Bible.
*Revelation 22:12-13
12 “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what He has done.
13 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

Those of us who will be rewarded for our work will have been saved by God’s grace through faith in God’s Son. He will have cured our heart disease, but the outworking and final proof of that cure is yet future. In the meantime you and I continue to struggle against the hearts we still have.

Why? Because, as Solomon told us, our hearts are full of evil and insanity. And as Jeremiah told us, our hearts are deceitful and sick. Only God understands how evil, how insane, how deceitful, and how sick. And while everyone can see what we do, only God’s Word has the power to see and expose why we do what we do. Only He knows that.
*Hebrews 4:12
12 For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

As we approach the table this morning, and as we prepare to take these elements, the thoughts and intentions of our hearts are laid bare before Him.
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II. Text
One day, after Jesus and His disciples had eaten some bread without first going through a certain ritual hand-washing, He was confronted by the Pharisees.
It seems that our Lord had broken another one of their precious laws. He said…
*Matthew 15:11, 15-20
11 “(It is) not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.”
15 And Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain the parable to us.”
16 And He said, “Are you still lacking in understanding also?
17 “Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated?
18 “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.
19 “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, (and) slanders.
20 “These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”

Look again at v. 19. Since the hearts of men are evil, insane, deceitful, and sick, why would anyone be surprised that evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, (and) slanders overflow out of them?

Do you remember why God destroyed the earth with the flood? It was because of the evil that dwells in the heart of man.
Genesis 6:5
5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

But, you say, “We’re Christians. That’s not us.” Well, we know Acts 15:9 says that our hearts have been “cleansed by faith” in the Lord Jesus Christ. We know Ephesians 3:17 tells us that by that faith Christ “dwells in our hearts.” We know 2 Thessalonians 3:5 says that the Lord “directs our hearts into the love of God.” And we know that Paul says…
*Romans 10:9-10
9 …if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.
10 for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

“Confesses” means far more than man simply admitting he is a sinner. It means that he agrees with God about his own sin, and about the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. These are the two things – believing and confessing – that every true Christian has both done and continues to do. Therefore, the heart of the Christian is no longer terminally ill. Yes, the physical organ in our chests will eventually stop its beating and die. But our spiritual hearts, if I may call them that, that place where our emotions, desires, and understanding, dwell has been changed by God.
That heart, our spiritual heart, is the part of us that has been born again to eternal life. Our hearts that were once evil, insane, deceitful, terminal, and could not live, have been – by God’s matchless grace – revived, regenerated, and remade into hearts that cannot die.

That’s the good news. But there’s some not so good news as well. As long as we remain on this earth we will continue to battle our flesh. That battle will go on until we are released from what Paul called, “…this body of death (Romans 7:24).” Do you remember how Paul agonized over this ongoing battle with the flesh?
*Romans 7:18-19
18 For I know that nothing dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing (to do good) is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.
19 For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish (to do).

Oh, how I can relate to that! But it isn’t just me. Every believer who is honest with himself knows all too well about this battle with the flesh. Yet even in the midst of the battle we know that, as Christians, we can be used by God to produce good things. Let me give you just two concrete examples of those good things.

First, we’ve all had glimpses of what Jesus promises to those of us who believe in Him.
John 7:38
38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being (his heart) shall flow rivers of living water.’”

Second, we all know that, as Christians, we are the vessels through whom God produces the fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23
22 …the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith-fulness,
23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

What a joy it is when we see those things in our lives! And when we do see them, don’t we sometimes think of the reward? Now I know that some would say we shouldn’t do that, but why shouldn’t we? Isn’t the anticipation of eternal rewards a legitimate motivation to do good things? We know that doing good things can’t buy salvation for the unbeliever, but aren’t believers called to do them? Of course, we are!
Ephesians 2:10
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Titus 2:14
14 (Jesus) gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
So Christians are not only created and saved to do good works, Christians are to be excited – zealous – about doing them. Why? Because we are to do them for the Lord. And when we do, when Jesus is our motive for doing them, we should look to our reward. Moses did!
*Hebrews 11:25-26
25 (Moses chose) rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin;
26 considering the reproach (contempt and abuse he endured for the sake) of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.

Why shouldn’t we apply this thinking to every area of our lives? What about our work? Shouldn’t we work for the sake of Christ, and with our reward in mind?
Colossians 3:23-24
23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men;
24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

What about the use of our money? Shouldn’t we give for the sake of Christ, and with our reward in mind? It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.
Matthew 6:20-21
20 “…lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;
21 for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

What about our Christian service? Shouldn’t we serve for the sake of Christ, and with our reward in mind? It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.
Mark 9:41
41 “For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as fol-lowers of Christ, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”

It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. Jesus said that when we serve, when we care for, when we give to, when we visit, “…one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you do it to Me (Matthew 25:40b).”
1 Corinthians 15:58
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

God will always accomplish His purpose with your toil, your good work. He will do so even if the work you do is not so good. That’s what a sovereign God does. But what about the reward? What if you do good work for the wrong reason? What then?
Proverbs 16:2
2 “All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the LORD weighs the motives.”

It was Shakespeare’s Hamlet who said, “And therein lies the rub.” “The rub” is the prob-lem, the obstacle, the snag, as it were. The good work we do is one thing, but the motive behind it is the other. Regardless of how we view our motives, God views them through the lens of His perfect righteousness. We tend to see them as we want to see them. But God sees them as they are!

When the time of the Israel’s judges was past, the people wanted to make Saul their first human king. God told Samuel that the people “…have rejected Me from being king over them (1 Samuel 8:7).” Why did the people want Saul? They were concerned about how things looked, how things appeared to be. We might say that they were more concerned with perception than reality. And the perception of Saul was that he was, “…a choice and handsome man…he was taller than any of the people (1 Samuel 9:2).”
*1 Samuel 16:7
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Saul looked good, but his heart wasn’t good. The good deeds of God’s people can be just like that. The analogy is that you and I can do the right thing for the wrong reason. How futile is it to try to deceive God when He “looks at the heart” and sees the reality?

As we come to the table this morning I want to give you a few examples of doing good things for all to see, but doing them with wrong motives. Henry Blackaby, in his devotional book, Experiencing God Day-By-Day, lists a number of these. Here are just four of them.

1. How about coming to church? Can you attend a worship service with a heart that is any-thing but worshipful? Israel did that, and God said,
Isaiah 1:15
15 “So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you, yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen.”

2. How about showing concern for the poor, but having a heart that opposes God? Judas did that when he said perfume used to honor Jesus should have gone for money for the poor.
John 12:6
6 Now (Judas) said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it.

3. How about seeming to love Christ, but actually promoting the work of Satan. Even Peter, admittedly ignorant of God’s plan, did that when he implored Jesus not to go to the cross.
Matthew 16:22
22 And Peter took (Jesus) aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.”
4. How about praying with wrong motives? James says you and I do that, and he pulls no punches when he says it.
James 4:3
3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

Do you see? The issue is our hearts. The real issue is always our hearts. Why do we do what we do? Are we driven by compassion, generosity, and real love for the Lord and His people? Or are we driven by pride, insecurity, and guilt? Why do we do the right things?

Taking communion is one of those “right things.” But we can take communion for the wrong reasons, can’t we? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

III. Conclusion
Just before we partake of the Lord’s Supper we’re going to take a few minutes to look into our own hearts. This is a time for a serious “heart check.” Proverbs 16:2 says that the Lord weighs our motives. And 1 Samuel 16:7 says that the Lord looks at the heart.

Ask Him to show you your heart as He sees it. Ask Him to reveal the truth about your motives for the good things you do – even the good thing of coming to this table. Let it be that your motive for coming to this table is to glorify our Lord. Let it be all about Him. Then take the next few moments to confess whatever it is you need to confess.

And then join me in receiving these elements that remind us of the body that was broken and the blood that was shed to give us new hearts.