God Looks at the Heart

Praise God brothers and sisters. And it happens that today is Mother's Day. So I congratulate all the mothers. God bless everyone. Um, and I'd like to start the service by reading from Ecclesiastes chapter 14 or Ecclesiastes chapter 12 verse 14. And this is Solomon uh what he's saying after all of his years of experience and and thinking and wisdom. And he says, "Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. The wisest man, one of the most wisest mans that's that that has ever lived. Um, this is what he says. He says, "Fear God and keep his commandments." After trying everything, he tried the world. He tried to make himself the most the most beautiful gardens. um you know having the most woman he can have uh you know all the riches that the world can offer. He's tried it all and this is what he landed on. Fear God and keep his commandments. So we get this this beautiful verse in the Bible here in Ecclesiastes. So um with that being said, let's let's stand up and let's pray for the service. Lord God, we thank you for this day you've given us for this beautiful morning. Lord, we pray and we ask God fill us place the Holy Spirit. God guide us and lead us Lord in your word God and we pray and we ask speak to us through the music through the preaching Lord and we pray and we ask Lord bless the service Lord in the name of Jesus Christ we pray amen still standing we're going to be singing the song by the name of I sing praises to your [Music] name. I sing praises to your [Music] name, oh Lord. Praises to your name, oh Lord, for your name is great and greatly to be praised. I sing praises to your name, oh Lord. Praises to your name, oh Lord, for your name is great and greatly to be [Music] praised. I give glory to your name, oh Lord. Glory to your name, oh Lord, for your name is great and greatly to be praised. I give glory to your name, oh Lord. Glory to your name, oh Lord, for your name is great and greatly to be praised. I sing praises to your name, oh Lord. Praises to your name, oh Lord, for your name is great and greatly to be praised. I sing praises to your name, oh Lord. Praises to your name, oh Lord, for your name is great and greatly to be praised. Give thanks with a grateful heart. Give thanks unto the holy one. give thanks because he's given Jesus [Music] Christ his son. Give thanks with a grateful heart. Give thanks unto the holy one. give thanks because he's given Jesus Christ his son. And now let the weak say I am strong. Let the poor say I am rich. because of what the Lord has done for us. And now let the weak say I am strong. Let the poor say I am rich. because of what the Lord has done for us. Give thanks. Give thanks with a grateful heart. Give thanks to the holy one. give thanks because he's given Jesus Christ his son. Give thanks with a grateful heart. Give thanks unto the holy one. give thanks because he's given Jesus Christ his son. And now let the weak say I am strong. Let the poor say I am rich. because of what the Lord has done for us. And now let the weak say I am strong. Let the poor say I am rich. because of what the Lord has done for us. Give thanks. Praise God. Praise the Lord, brothers and sisters, for this morning that we can all come here together and worship his name and hear his word. And I want to read a quick Bible verse uh in Numbers and it says here, "The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. Praise God. And now we're going to have our brother from Tri City. Uh his name is Valentine and he's going to share a word for us. God bless. Praise God. Praise God. Hello. My name is like the brother said, my name is Valentine and I am from Tri Cities, Washington. I'm visiting some friends today and um it's a privilege to be up here and uh sharing uh the word with you guys. So, so thanks for having me. Um I want to start off by reading 1st Samuel uh chapter 16. I'll be reading uh verses 6-7. So, if you have your Bibles, that'll be uh 1st Samuel uh 16:es 6 uh through 7. When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed is before him." But the Lord sat said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or the height of his stature because I have rejected him. For the God sees not as man sees. For man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. Sorry guys, my voice is a little raspy. You know guys, uh God, he wanted um he wanted to choose a new king for Israel. Um at the moment Saul was king and and God has rejected him and he was looking for a new king and he told um the prophet Samuel he to go to Jesse's house and he was going to pick pick out the next king of of Israel and Jesse had many sons and as he they stood before Samuel you know Samuel looked at them like a man does and and I believe that Eliab stood out to him. He must have been a really tall guy like he he might have carried himself with a lot of authority, a lot of stature and and you know he in his mind he just had a thought this must be it you know and and he didn't even say anything out loud and God already spoke to his heart saying no that is not him and and he's and he's making it clear that us people you know first impressions matter so much to us we don't even know the person yet but but just on how they appear physically we're quick to judge what they who they are. But God, he doesn't look just on the outward appearance. He looks at the heart. He can already see what's inside the person. He even knows the person better than the person might even know themselves and and he makes it clear that he looks at the heart, you know, and and for God that is so important, you know, if you look at everything that God values in a man, right? You can you can look at how does what did the man accomplish in his life? Maybe he accomplished great things. Maybe he has, you know, made a lot of money in his days. Maybe he's helped a lot of people. Um done great works. All that stuff, sure, it's good. It's important. But to God through all of that, the most important thing is the is the is your heart. you know the condition of your heart. You know, I can do all these great things, but if the intention is not there, if I'm not doing it out of love, the Bible tells us it's all it's all useless. You know, there was a time where when Jesus was on earth and he was in a synagogue, he he sat across um the treasury and he was looking as as uh people were putting money, you know, into the treasury. You know, this was money they were they were donating, they were giving to God. and and it said that there was a lot of people that had a lot of money and he was watching as they were putting I'm guessing a lot of money in the in the treasury and and then this old lady comes up you know and and she only puts two copper coins you know you might think oh that that's nothing and Jesus honors her in that moment and he calls his disciples and he says look you see that woman she put more than anyone in here Okay. He said that all these people, they were putting in money from their surplus, but she out of her poverty put everything she had, all of all of her life savings in a sense she put into that treasury. You know, um I read that place many times and always I would think, well, it's a simple math equation, right? It's a ratio. You know, that guy had a lot and he put a lot, but it wasn't as much because it was only like what maybe on one10enth of his income, but when but she put 100%. You know, but it's not just that. It it's the fact of of the condition of her heart that she gave it with because I'm pretty sure she wasn't planning to die after that cuz she gave all everything that she had to live off. She put it in there. You could tell that she was trusting God. She was giving him everything that she had. She was giving it with a cheerful heart. You know, she could have put that money in there and made it clear to everybody, hey, I might not be putting a lot, but at least I'm giving everything I have. Right? She just quietly went up there and did her thing and and put those copper coins in there. And no one might have even noticed except Jesus. And and you know Jesus, he's God. And and he could see the condition of her heart. And and that satisfied him. That that brought him joy because he saw and valued not even what she did but but how she did it. Um I would like to read um Matthew chapter 11 um verse 29. So it be uh Matthew 11 29. And this is when Jesus says, "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you'll find rest for your souls." You know, Jesus, he he wants our heart to reflect his heart. He wants us to strive to to be like him, you know, and and and we look at at Jesus and we think, well, what kind of heart does he have? And he says, I have a gentle and humble heart, you know, and and Jesus, he demonstrates how humble he is because, you know, Jesus, he's God, you know, he he's the creator of this world. He made this world with his own hands. you know, he made all the plants, all the animals, he created the humans, he he set the whole universe into motion, you know, and and he demonstrated the greatest act of humbleness because to think that God came down to earth and to live amongst humans, you know, if we think of God, you got to understand that God, He's he's holy. He's a holy God. You know, nothing unclean can be around him. You know, when the priests would prepare themselves to go into the Holy of Holies, it was quite a process. And and when they would walk in there, there was a chance that if there was anything unclean, they would die. You know, when God came down to the mountain, um when Moses was there, you know, the earth shook, people got scared cuz that's how holy God is. You know, when God's in heaven, there's angels are praising him 24/7. You know, saying holy, holy. And here God comes down to earth and is living among sinners. God cannot be around sin. But he humbled himself so much to come down to this earth. And even as he ca came to this earth, you know, you think, "Oh, what a great God. Everyone's going to praise him." But no, that did not happen. From day one, they wanted to kill him. You know, he he came here to save the world, but people did not accept him. You know, when he was teaching in a synagogue in his own hometown, they even tried to stone him. He came to his own and his own didn't even receive him. You know, he could have gotten angry at that moment and just ended everything. And then as we know, they also crucified him, right? They didn't and they didn't just crucify, right? Before that, you know, they would spit on him, they would beat him, they would mock him, laugh from him. and and he took it all with so so much humility, you know, um dying on a cross, which at that time was like the considered one of the most disgraceful ways to die, you know, and he and he did no wrong and he he could have sent all his angels down on earth and killed all those soldiers at the time, but he decided not to. You know, Jesus when he came down on earth, he came as a servant. Even though he was God, he came to serve us, his own creation, even though we're the ones that should be serving him. Um, even his own disciples, he he demonstrated his humility by washing their feet. You know, he he sat down and and washed the dirt off every single one of their feet as an example that I am a servant. and he's told them, "I do this to you and you must do it to each other." You know, he didn't just say, "Oh, be humble and serve each other." He put it into action and showed it um himself. You know, God, he he opposes the proud but shows favor uh to the humble. You know, us as humans, we always like to build all types of hierarchies. We like to put people or sometimes even ourselves above other people. You know, we like to give some people status and some less status. You know, and and we look at history and and throughout time, all kinds of hierarchies, all kinds of people that considered themselves privileged and elite and treated other people worse than dirt. A lot of times, you know, if a person if thousands of people would die for a cause that they could care less about them, they would send thousand more. You know, people like to make themselves feel more important than pretty much better than other people because because we all, believe it or not, we we all get prideful. You know, people only like to associate themselves with with certain people of status and not anyone else that that that they consider to be in a lower class. You know, a lot of people, they spend a lot of money on all these items, fancy purses, fancy cars. Sometimes they can't even afford them and they they take out credit cards, but it's just to give themselves status, just to show that just to just so people can think higher of them, thinking that those things will make them better in in some kind of way. that that those physical objects some somehow will bring him some higher value in other people's eyes. Um I would like to read of Philippians uh chapter 2:es 3 and 1. So be a Philippians chapter 2 verses 3 to 5. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourself. Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourself, which which was also in Christ Jesus. You know clearly the Bible is telling us put others before yourself. Put other people's needs above your own. Imagine if every person had that attitude. How different the world would be instead of how can I profit from this is how can I raise the people around me up. You know many people today they do the opposite. You see it in schools a lot, kids getting bullied because other people think if I put down the people next to me, somehow that's going to elevate me. People are going to think I'm better. You know, instead of supporting the people around you, lifting each other up, they put the others down, thinking that, oh, people looking are going to think I'm better. you know, and and we live in a world where it's kind of hard to be um humble nowadays, especially with with social media and all those things, you know, when people they achieve something, what do they do? they have to post about it, you know, and and and now a lot of people are realizing that half almost well probably more than half of everything that you see on the internet, what people are trying to show off, it's it's all fake. They say the more someone posts the the sadder their life is, you know, cuz they feel like they have to shared that with the world. But but none of those people are their real friends. You know, everyone wants to show off their accomplishment even if they did a good deed. But the Bible says what your left hand does, don't let your right hand know. you know, do it in private because because if you're doing a good deed and then and then you're showing it showing it off, you're already getting your earthly reward, you know, but but what is a lot better is is our heavenly reward that what we do here, we're going to God's going to give us credit in heaven. I rather not get credit on earth because I guarantee it's going to be a lot better. the reward is going to be a lot better in heaven. Amen. Amen. You know, a lot a lot of people from of authority, they like their authority. They like to having control over people. They like saying, "Oh, I can tell this person do this and and they do it." You know, they like the status. They like that people know them. But you know true leaders they understand that it's not about that you know having authority having a position of status or authority you could say it's actually a very humbling position because you're not serving yourself you're serving the the people around you and and it's it's a big burden to carry a lot of times you know cuz cuz you're you're putting putting everyone else's needs ahead of yourself. You know, imagine if you're, you know, just just like a simple uh example from the Bible. If you're a shepherd, right, you're leading a flock of sheep and and you know, you could say, "Oh, yeah. I told the sheep where they can eat, where they can't, and you know, I tell them when to go to bed." It's like, "Okay, that's cool." But then also you understand that you know if one of your sheep gets sick who's responsible for it? Who's supposed to give it medicine and take care of it and make sure that it's well? The shepherd. You know if if you're walking with the sheep sheep to go uh graze somewhere and one of the sheeps breaks its legs, are you just going to let it stay there stranded? No. A good shepherd would pick up the sheep and carry it. And I'm sure that's not easy. You know, if a if a wolf tries to attack the flock, who's supposed to put their life on the line to protect them? the shepherd, you know, and it's a very humbling position, you know, and and that's what the Bible's telling us is that when we serve people, it shouldn't be about what can I gain out of this is how can I serve those around, you know, the the apostles were arguing with each other. It's even the apostles like everyone. Oh, who who's Jesus's favorite, you know, and and that's pride speaking right there. No, I'm Jesus's favorite. He loves me more. You know, again, it just shows that us humans, we have to think that we're better than someone in some other way. You know, they bring up they bring it up to Jesus and what does Jesus say? The least of you is the greatest. Right? We have to humble ourselves and serve one another and put other people's needs um before yourselves. You know, I'm a I'm a teacher at a public high school over at at Pasco High School in Tri Cities and and I've had that question asked a lot. Kids come up to am I your favorite student? You know, and and I always tell them I I don't show favoritism. I was like, I just have students I like and students I dislike, you know, and and God, he he doesn't have favorites, you know. A lot of times we can look at someone's life and we think maybe God loves them more. Look how much they have. They have a good job, a a good family. And and a lot of times we look at the world and we see good people but but they have so many struggles in their life. And you might think, well, is it cuz God loves him less? No. No, he doesn't. You know, if you look at Apostle Paul, you can say, you know, he was loved by God. But if you look at his life, I don't know if anyone would want his life. You know, he talks about how much he got beaten, how many lashes he had, how many shipwrecks he's been into. He's been in jail multiple times. And he considers himself the most happiest man alive, right? Cuz cuz he found his true joy in God. and and and he showed how much he loved God by loving all those around him by serving others. You know, he he didn't serve others just so he can have some kind of status, right? Cuz he was that person before, right? He he was a top guy in the synagogue, right? He wasn't just a normal person. He had Roman citizenship. right? He had a lot of authority. He was persecuting Christians thinking that he was serving God, you know, and and I'm sure he had a lot of pride behind that. And then we see how how Jesus changes his heart that the the ones that he was persecuting, he becomes one of them, you know. And we see that even in the Bible, Paul writes that that he has a thorn in his flesh, right? He doesn't give a an exact reason why God did that to him cuz he was praying for healing and he did he wouldn't receive it. And a lot of people are saying maybe it's cuz God didn't want him to get prideful. You know, maybe maybe with all the attention he was getting, maybe God needed to remind him that Paul, you're just a human being. You know, and and a lot of times we see that the apostles as soon as they'll be getting this huge following and as soon as all that's going to hap, all that happened, God would split them up. you know, one would go to prison, one would go serve somewhere somewhere else. And a and a lot of times, um, a lot of theologians are saying it's cuz God didn't want him, uh, not that even they would get prideful, but he didn't want the people to to start giving all the glory to the apostles versus God. You know, we see how much um how much the Hebrews would praise Moses and some of them it seems like it would almost put him above God because he led him out of the out of Egypt, you know. But if you look at Moses's life when he was taking them out of Egypt, it it didn't seem like it was so easy. It didn't seem like they honored him at that moment so much because they wanted to go back multiple times. you know, and and it's just human nature, you know, we achieve something, well, oh, I did something. You already think you're better than that person. Or you see how bad someone is and like like we see the story of of the Pharisee when he was praying. I'm sure the f the Pharisees seemed like he was a good guy in a lot of sense and but when he was praying, he was praying so pridefully. Oh God, I thank you that I'm not like this guy next to me. You know, I I do this, I do that, I I give my tithes and I'm not like this man, right? But then that man was praying and and he was praying with humility. He's beating his chest saying, "God, have mercy on me." The tax collector, you know, and and Jesus says, "Whose prayer did God hear? you know which which prayer did did God like better? It was it was the tax collectors even though he might have not been um a priest, right? But God was looking at the heart, you know, Jesus says, "Don't pray these long prayers. Don't pray super loud so other people can hear you." you know, but but understand why you're praying and who you're praying to, right? We're not we're not praying for other people to hear us. You know, we're not praying to the crowd. We're praying to God. And that's a that's an intimate conversation you're having with God. And so, it doesn't matter what other people think. It shouldn't be a show. you know, um, you look at unfortunately a lot of big mega churches today in America and it seems like they're becoming more of of like a theater of of a show to entertain people, you know, and instead of having that intimacy with God, you know, some people like to show off how much they know, you know, and God says, um, those who profess themselves to be wise, God has made them fools also, right? You you can have all these degrees. You can have a PhD, the highest, right? And God can humble you really quick. As as soon as you think you know something, God's going to show you that you don't know nothing, you know. And and that's our God, you know. He looks at the hearts of man and and he blesses humble people through all all we do in our highs and lows. You know, we always have to glorify God and not ourselves. Amen. and all standing. We're going to be singing, "Lord, I offer my life to you. [Music] All that I am, all that I have, I lay them down before you, oh Lord, all my regrets, all my acclaim, the joy and the pain. I'm making them yours. [Music] Lord, I offer my life to you. Everything I been through, use it for your glory. Lord, I offer my days to you, lifting my praise to you. as a pleasing [Applause] [Music] sacriice. Lord, I offer you my life. Things in the past, things yet unseen, wishes and dreams that are yet to come true. All of my hopes, all of my plans, my heart and my hand are lifted to you. Lord, I offer my life to you. Everything I've been through, use it for your glory. Lord, I offer my days to you, lifting my praise to you as a pleasing sacriice. Lord, I offer you my life. Lord, I offer my days to you. Lifting my praise to you. Rise up for your glory. Lord, I offer my days to you. Lifting my praise to you as a pleasing [Music] sacriice. Lord, I offer you my life. [Music] Praise God. My dear friends, our service has come to the end and I want to once again uh bless all our mothers. God bless you all and we have a little gift for each one. Um yeah, you can pass it out. Uh while she's doing that, I'm going to kind of go go over what was spoken, which I believe today the message was important for all of us to hear. Important for all of us to hear. Uh we look at the appearance yet God looks at the heart. And what we realize is that God himself has a serving heart. God himself has a serving heart. And the one who gets 24 hours of praise is the one who came to to earth to serve. And may each one of us have this kind of heart. When we see somebody in need, we help. when we see a need maybe not to somebody but but a need like we can say I'm ready to help I'm ready to serve and may we all have that kind of heart. Well, um once again, we're going to uh bless our mothers and we're going to pray for for all of you in this prayer. But other than that, does anybody have any needs that uh that you want us to pray for? Yes. I just want Okay. Yes. Okay. Yeah, we'll pray for that. Yes, Sylvia. Oh, no. Okay. Sure. Okay. Okay guys, you guys are putting me to the test, but I'll try to remember all of this. Okay, let's pray. Lord God, Lord, we thank you for the message that that you spoke today, Lord God. And God, you have a serving heart, Lord. And we see sometimes, God, we uh we can put others down. We can uplift ourselves up, Lord God. But in those moments, may we understand God, what kind of heart you had and what kind of heart you expect God from us. And that's a serving heart and to love one another. Lord, we also pray for their needs, Lord God. We also uh bless the mothers in this place, Lord God. You bless them, God. May everything go well in their life, God. And may you give them uh strength, Lord God, and wisdom like in their journey, Lord. And we also pray for the needs, God, for Allan. He's asking for healing on his back and his leg, God, in the name of Jesus Christ. God, touch his uh back and his leg, God, and make you heal him, Lord Jesus. And we also pray for uh the brother's need about those uh children and people starving in Africa and in Europe, Lord God. God, you are the uh provider, Lord God. And we pray that you take care of those people there, God. May you take care of them, Lord God. May you bless them, Lord Jesus. And may they not go hungry, Lord God, because you are there, God. And we also pray for Sylvia's need where her friend, God, she fell, Lord God, and you restore her as well. And give her healing, give her strength, Lord God, and you restore her, Lord. Thank you for the word that was spoken today. May it uh like enter into our hearts and may we come out of this place ready to serve others how you served Lord. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Our father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For your kingdom, your power, and glory forever are yours. Amen. Be blessed.