Sermon Outlines

By Frederick F. Schwindt, Evangelist

THE HEART

1. The heart the center of life:
   1. The physical heart is a large group of muscles placed between the two lungs and acting as the fountain of life.
   2. It is the central organ of the body, and the soundness and health of man depend upon it, as indicated in our text.
2. But the Bible locates in the heart the center of our personal being. To the Hebrew thinker the heart is the invisible center of:
   1. Man's thoughts - "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he" - Prov. 23:7
   2. His emotions - Acts 21:13; Ps. 84:2; Song of Solomon 4:12- 16; Matt. 15:19, 20

1. God guards very carefully the heart He has put in our body:
   1. He has put the strongest bones all around it so that, though other parts of the body may easily be hurt, the heart is safe.
   2. The reason is most obvious; if the heart cannot function, the body cannot live.
2. Four specific reasons for guarding the heart, as suggested in the opening text:
   1. It is the seat of our thoughts which are basic to our actions; if the fountain is polluted, our life is polluted also - Jas. 3:11-14; Matt. 15:19, 20
   2. The heart has its enemies. Satan is chief of them. If he gets into the heart, man becomes a slave to his will - Rom. 6:16; 2 Tim. 2:26
   3. This is a very important fact to keep in mind as we consider this important subject, because all the issues of life come out of the heart, which is the fountain of life.
   4. Experience shows that the heart is very susceptible to the outward world - 1 John 2:15, 16 EXAMPLES -
      1. The lust of the flesh: David's heart fell for this sin - 2 Sam. 11:2, 3; Samson's life was ruined by this sin - Judg. 16
      2. The lust of the eye: Achan became a victim to this power of lust, and he brought destruction upon himself and defeat to the army of Israel - Josh. 7:1, 20; Eve, too, fell for this sin, and she brought sorrow and death to the human race - Gen. 3:6
      3. The pride of life: Nebuchadnezzar learned of the power of this tool of the devil - Dan. 4:30; Lucifer sinned against his Maker when he became self-centered - Ezek. 28:12-18
3. The heart is to be the abode of the Holy Spirit:
   1. "What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" 1 Cor. 6:19
   2. "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" 1 Cor. 3:16

1. Man has shown that he is not able to keep his heart; he lost the controls to Satan, who has taken possession of the natural heart:
   1. That was the difficulty before the flood - Gen. 6:5; 8:21
   2. That is what God told Israel through Jeremiah - Jer. 13:23; 17:9
   3. He knew this heart condition when he entered into a covenant relation with Israel at Mount Sinai - Deut. 5:29
2. The Holy Spirit is the guardian of the heart: Isa. 59:19
   1. He uses the Word - Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-9; Heb. 4:12; Ps. 119:9
   2. Earnest prayer is another weapon against Satan - 1 Thess. 5:17; 1 Pet. 5:9