Rick Warren - What It Really Means to Be Pure in Heart (Part 2)

The word for pure in heart. Today is the word integrity. Integrity. Now,

the Bible uses the word integrity a lot, but it

actually even.

Uses the word blameless. More.

Now, what does it mean to have integrity? Because if

God says I bless those who have integrity, what does

it mean to have integrity?

Well?

In Psalm chapter fifteen, the fifteenth Psalm, David gives us

eight characteristics of what it means to walk or live

with integrity. Let me read it to you, Lord, who

may stand in your sanctuary and who may live on

your holy mountain?

And what's he talking about here?

This is a metaphor, he said, God, who gets to

be close to you? Here's the answer, the one who

walks with integrity? Circle that walks with integrity. And then

he gives us eight characteristics of a man who has

integrity or a woman who has integrity. Here's what they are.

Number one, he speaks the truth from his heart. You

don't lie when you have integrity. He refuses to slander

others with his tongue. He won't listen to gossip. Oh

now we're meddling, says, if you listen, not not share it.

But even if you just listen, to it, you've lost

your integrity. He will not cast a slur on his

fellow man. Instead, he honors those who fear the Lord,

and he keeps his promises even when it hurts. He

lends his money freely without charging interest. In other words,

he's very, very generous. That's a mark of integrity, and

he cannot be bribed by money. Whoever does these things,

these things will never be shaken. You won't have security

in your life. You want to get rid of all

the insecurity in your life.

Get into in your life.

You want to have stability in your life, Get integered

in your life. You want to have the confidence Tom

was talking about. Then you've got to get integered in

your life. When you lack integrity, you go through life insecure.

The Bible says, the man of integrity walks securely. And

the whole reason you don't have security, the whole reason

you feel insecure so much time, is because you lack integrity, wholeness, authenticity,

and an unmixed motivation. What I want to do now

is give you a little checklist. It's a pretty quick checklist.

It's not going to take a lot of time for

me to explain it. In fact, I don't have to

illustrate it, because once I say these things, you'll understand it.

Integrity demands that every area of your life is treated

with the same intensity that you say. I'm going to

have the same commitment to excellence in my marriage as

I have in my career. I'm gonna have the same

commitment to excellence in my my ministry and in my

parenting as I do in making money. I'm going to

have as much commitment to the right motivation as I

do and too doing the right thing. So let me

just give you six of the common ways you can

work on these this week from the Bible. Number one,

you become a person of integrity by keeping your promises.

By keeping your promises.

People of integrity keep their word. If they say they'll

do it, they'll do it. If they say they'll be there,

they'll be there. They say you can count on it,

you can count on it. People of integrity keep their promises.

This is verbal integrity, and the Bible says in Proverbs

twenty five, verse fourteen, people who promise things that they

never give. He says, they're like clouds and wind that

bring no rain. He said, they're worthless. There's been a

hot bunch of hot air. This is vapor. There's nothing

to them. They don't bring wind, they don't bring rain,

they don't bring any benefit.

They're just all smoking mirrors.

So my question to you is this, what promises have

you made that you have not kept? And you need

to keep them? Before integrity saying, have you made some

promises your kids? Broken promises are the number one cause

of bitterness in children.

The number one cause of bitterness.

Broken promises that parents said, I set up, Mom, you said, Dad,

you said, they break promise. Have you made a promise

to your spouse about something you're going to change and

you haven't done it?

It's a broken promise.

Have you made a promise to God, a spiritual promise,

a vow and you haven't kept it? That is a

lack of integrity. Now I know that what happens is

we say, well, the circumstances have changed, doesn't matter. If

you made a promise, you got to keep your word,

even if it is not beneficial to you. Do you

remember that Psalm fifteen we just read let me look

at it again here on screen, So I'm fifteen verse four,

God blesses the one who walks with integrity, who keeps

his promises even when it hurts, even when it.

Costs you more.

And you thought I was gonna cost you, you keep

your promise, I said, I sult to you for that.

I'm gonna sell it to you for that, even though

it's worth a whole lot more or whatever. You keep

your promises even when it hurts. Number two, you become

a person of integrity by paying your bills. Now you

may not think this is a big deal, but it's

a big deal to God. This is financial integrity. And

the Bible says over and over and over and over

again that the way you use your money is a

test of your integrity. Do you spend more money than

you make That is a lack of integrity. Do you

get yourself in debt to things that you can't pay off,

That is a lack of integrity. The Bible says, people

of integrity pay their bills. It's like keeping your promises financially. Now,

I'm not going to go into all the different ways,

but let.

Me just give you a couple. Here's a couple verses.

First, you don't default on loans, and you pay off

your credit card Psalm thirty seven to twenty one says

the wicked man borrows and never pays back. And not

only that, this one's really meddling. Some of these are

going to get a little personal here. You don't defraud

the government of taxes. The Bible says in Romans thirteen,

verse six and seven, the authorities working are working for God.

Pay what you owe them. Pay your personal and property taxes.

You say, but Rick, the government is wasting my money.

Of course, I know that, okay, and they don't. The

government lacks integrity because they're spending far more than they

take in. Okay, and they're doing deficit spending. But you

don't get to do that if you have integrity. What

they do with my taxes going to be accountable to

God for But I am accountable to God to pay

my taxes that do not cheat on them, because if

I do, I lack integrity.

The Bible says, to do that. Okay.

Number three, you become a person of integrity by keeping

your promises, paying your bills. And number three, this one's

really meddling. By refusing to gossip. That's what the Bible says.

This is relational integrity, and that is you don't talk

one way with one group of people and then go

talk about them behind their back. If you flatter somebody

and you butter them up and you act like they're

best friends, and then behind them you cut them off

at the knees and you say one.

Thing here and one thing there.

And you gossip, the Bible says, you lack integrity.

You don't have it, and you're.

Not gonna have God's blessing on your life if you

keep on gossiping like that. And the Bible says, if

you listen to it, did you know that accepting stolen

goods gets the same criminal indictment as stealing it, and

so accepting gossip is the same thing as offering it up.

It's a wrong thing. Every time you gossip, you lose integrity.

Do you talk about other people behind their back? Can

you keep a secret? The Bible says this in Proverbs eleven,

verse thirteen. A gossip can't be trusted with a secret,

But somewhat of integrity won't violate a confidence.

You know what we need today?

We need men and women of integrity who know how

to keep a secret and not put it on Facebook

or blab it on Twitter. Or pass it around on

social media. You know, one of the rules of our

small groups is what's said in the group stays in

the group. Why because everybody needs a safe place of

a few friends where you can be real and be

yourself and have not other everybody go publish it about you.

Real friends walk in to your life when everybody else

walks out. And when you mess up and you really

blow it, you need a few friends in your life.

You don't rub it in, they rub it out. And

that's the purpose of a small group, one of the purposes.

And so what said in the group stays in the group.

Can you keep a confidence? Or as soon as somebody

says now, I've never told this to anybody, you immediately

go tell somebody else. If you do, you lack integrity.

The Bible says this there on the screen Proverbs ten eighteen.

Anyone who spreads gossip, God says you're a fool. Anyone

who spreads gossip is a fool. It's a foolish, destructive

thing to do, all right. Number four, I'm just going

through these pretty quickly. Integrity is developed by keeping your promises,

paying your bills, refusing the gossip. Number four, by faithfully tithing.

Did you know that the Bible says that tithing is

a test of integrity. One of the ways God tests

my integrity is through tithing. Do I trust Him with

my finances? Do I put him first? Whatever? Wherever you

put your money first is what's most important to you.

Let me say it again, Wherever you put your money

first is what's most important to you. And the Bible

says that tithing is a test of integrity because Jesus said,

wherever your heart is, wherever your treasure is, that's where

your heart's going to be. So you can always know

what's important people by looking at it and where they

spend their money. And here's what God says about this

Malachi chapter three.

Is it right for a person to cheat God? Of

course not. Yet.

You are robbing me, says the Lord. How yes, you're

spending my money by withholding your full tithe and offerings.

Bring to me the full amount of your tithe to

my house, me to the test, and you'll see that

I will open the windows of heaven and pour out

so much blessing on you that you won't even have

enough room to receive it.

All.

This is a test, and this is a promise. It's

the Pepsi challenge verse. Jesus God says, I dare you

to trust me on this?

How dare you to trust me?

Do you have the integrity to put me first in

your finances? Hi? Everybody, this is pastor Rick. Because of

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You become a person of integrity, keeping your promises, paying

your bills, refusing the gossip, faithfully tithing by doing.

Your best at work.

By doing your best at work, this is business integrity

or vocational spiritual integrity. Tithing and relational integrity, not gossiping

and financial integrity paying your bills. This is vocational integrity

of having integrity where you work. Do you do your

best at work? Are you to just slough off when

the boss isn't watching? See, some people only work hard

when the boss is around, when the supervisor's around, and

the rest.

Of the time they're goofing off.

They're playing around, they're standing in the water coolor gossiping.

They're playing solitaire on the computer or reading some online magazine.

They're they're taking supplies home to their house, ripping off

the office. They're you know, taking breaks, coming in late.

As long as they're not being noticed. You may have

never realized what a serious sin God considers it for

you to give a full day's work when you're paid

a full day's wage. You don't have the right to

goof off. He said, Well, everybodybody else is slacking off.

Nobody else works hard in my office. Well, so what,

They're not a follower of Christ, and maybe they don't

care about integrity. And maybe they don't care about leaving

a legacy rewards fraternity and personal stability, but you do.

And so whether they work hard and well or not

is irrelevant. Let me show you some just a few

verses about this.

Here in the screen.

Proverbs eighteen, verse nine says this, slack habits and sloppy

work are as bad as vandalism.

That's what God says about it.

He says, you know, if you're just goofing off and

you do poor work and you don't really that's good

enough for this. You know, nobody's gonna even notice. He said,

that's like vandalism. Let me show you in the Living Bible.

The Bible says this, a lazy employee is as destructive

as a saboteur.

Oh, now we're really getting deep here.

He's saying that if I am not given a full

day work for a full day's wage, I may hate

my job. It doesn't matter if I hate it or not.

I am actually vandalizing and I'm sabotaging somebody else's business

if I'm not giving it my best. If I don't

give it my best, then I lack integrity. Let me

show you a couple of The verses Ephesians six six

says this, don't work hard only when your master, that's

your supervisor, is watching. And then sure when he isn't looking,

work hard and work with gladness, and that's enthusiasm all

the time, even if you hate your job, as though

working for Christ, doing the will of God with all

your heart. It is God's will that you work hard

and with gladness all the time, as if you are

working for Christ. You see, if you're a believer, your

boss is your boss. Your real boss is God. And

whether anybody else sees it or not, you said, nobody's

going to see whether I worked or not.

God does and he's your boss.

Your boss isn't watching you all the time, but God

is watching you all the time. And this is a test,

it's a test of integrity. And as God's will that

I not waste the time and the money and the

resources of the owner of the business or my employer.

I'll show you another one.

Colossums three twenty two says this, and don't just do

the minimum that will get you by, do your best.

That's integrity. Are you doing your best at work? If not,

you need to change. You need to what's called repent.

I need to not just do the minimum. I need

to give it my best shot, do your best. In fact,

the next verse Colossums three twenty three, it's on your

outline says this, work hard and cheerfully is whatever you

do as though you're working for the Lord rather than people.

That is a mark of integrity. What kind of witness

would we have in the world if we were all

like that? Let me give you one more, anyone, you

become a person of integrity by being real with others.

You become a person of integrity by being real with others.

You don't fake it. You are yourself. You don't pretend.

It's what we were talking about earlier. You're authentic, you're genuine.

You're not a hoop of crete dose. You don't wear

a mask and talk a certain way with this group

and then go over here and wear another mask and

act a certain way with this group. And you don't

act one way in church and one way at work,

and then another way in the golf course or when

you're playing shooting some hoops or whatever. No, you're always

the same. You're not perfect, you're not sinless. It's not

that you don't make mistakes. You do make mistakes, but

your heart's in the right direction, and you are real

with other people. You're not a phony, not a fake.

You're not trying to be something that you're not really.

Two Corinthians four to two says this. We refuse to

wear masks, we refuse to play games. We don't maneuver

and manipulate behind the scenes, and we don't twist God's

word to suit ourselves. In other words, we say, well,

I think this means this when we just don't like

what it says. Rather, we keep everything we do and

say out in the open. Your life is an open book.

You're authentic. What you see is what you get. You

are not a phony, You're not a fake. You're into integrity,

not into image. How in the world do you keep

it real? There's only one way. It's only one way.

You got to care more about God's approval than the

approval of other people. That's the only way you'll ever

become a man of integrity. That's the only way you'll

ever come become a woman of integrity, because if you

care about what God thinks, then you're going to do

the right thing. If you care about what other people

think you're going to typically often do the wrong thing

because what God thinks is sometimes I'm popular, sometimes it's difficult.

The only way you.

Can maintain integrity is to care more about God's approval,

well done, good and faithful servant than to care about

the approval of other people. Psalone nineteen nine says this,

how can I keep my way? Pure? Blessed are the

pure in heart? They get to see God? How can

I keep? How do I live a life of integrity?

By living according to your word? You must stay in

this book. And if you don't stand in this book,

you will not have the strength and the stamina to

live with integrity. Now, this is why, friends, we need

a savior. Okay, what we just talked about today, this

is why you need a savior. This is why we

need the cross. This is why we need grace. This

is why we need forgiveness. Why because none of us

measure up, none of us are perfect. The Bible says,

there's not a just man on the earth who always does.

What is right and never does what is wrong.

The Bible says, we have all sinned, and we have

all fallen short. So each of us have our own

unique falling shorts. You have your falling shorts, and I

have my falling shorts. But thank God he forgives all

our falling shorts, all of sin and fallen short of

the glory of God. This is why you need grace,

You need a savior, because there's no way I can

measure up to God's perfection. There's no way you can't either.

God doesn't expect you to be perfect. He does expect

you to have integrity, which means you own up.

And the starting point to be a man of.

God or a woman of God is to say, I

admit it, I just don't have integrity in some of

these areas.

What really matters is the direction of your heart.

When you come to God and say, God, this is

my heart and I really want it to be in

this direction, then God could say about you like he

did about David. Remember the guy who committed adultery and murder.

There's a guy after my own heart. He looked past

all the mistakes that had been made, and he looked

at the direction of David's sarpsis the guy's got a

good heart. He's going in the right direction. He wants

to do the right thing, and that comes from the

power and the grace of God. Let's power heads. I'm

going to pray a prayer and you can just follow

me in it. Make it your prayer. To God, to

Jesus Christ, I thank you that you were sinless, you

never sinned, You were the ultimate example of integrity, and

so you could pay the price for all my sins.

Thank you for dying on the cross for me.

Just say that in your mind, thank you for dying

on the cross, for paying all my sins. There is

no way God that I could measure up to your

standard of perfection. And that's why I need your grace,

and that's why I need your forgiveness, and that's why

I need your salvation. And Jesus, thank you for loving

me enough to pay for all my sins. The confession

of bad works is the beginning of good work. So

why don't you just have a little confession time with God?

Why don't you say, God, I admit that I don't

always keep my promises, but I want to. And God,

I admit that I've spent more money than I make,

and I've got myself really deeply in debt and I

haven't paid off all my debts. But I want to,

and I ask you to help me stop spending more

than I make so I can start paying off my

debts and be a person of integrity. And God, I

admit that I have gossiped, I have shared secrets, I've

listened to gossip. I've slandered other people, and I'm sorry.

I don't want to be that way. And God, I

haven't put you first in my money. I've paid everything

except my tithe. I put you in last place, not first.

As an act of integrity, I'm going to start tithing.

And God, I admit that I don't always do my best,

and I don't always work hard cheerfully. A lot of

times I just slack off because I don't really like

my job.

Some days.

Help me to remember that whether anybody else notices what I.

Do, you notice.

Help me to do my work with excellence, with quality,

and with integrity, knowing that I'm working for you as

my real boss. And God, I need you to give

me the courage to be real with other people. I'm

tired of wearing masks. I'm tired of playing games. I'm

tired of maneuvering and manipulating behind the scenes. I want

to live my life as an open book, not perfect,

not sinless, but authentic and whole. I want today, Jesus Christ,

to commit to becoming a man or a woman of integrity.

I want a pure heart that you can bless. Help

me to stand the word every day, that it is

your word that keeps me pure. If you've never invited

Jesus Christ to forgive all your sins and to be

the savior in the Lord of your life, say Jesus Christ.

I don't understand it all, but I want to thank

you for dying for my sins. And I ask you

to become the leader, the Lord, the manager, the boss

of my life.

And I want your purpose and peace and plan and power.

And I humbly ask this in your name. Amen.