Preached at Riverview Baptist, 798 Santa Fe Pike, Columbia, TN 38401 Sunday morning 8:30 & 11 AM. All are invited – come as you are!

Mark 7:14-23 (KJV)14 And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. 16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. 17 And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable. 18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; 19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? 20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

1 Who Is The Real You? Are YOU Your Body – Or Are YOU Something Else? We just came from a wonderful time of Thanksgiving where we gathered with our families, stuffed our bellies – and moaned. Don’t worry, I’m not going to preach a sermon on the sin of gluttony today.

Gluttony is a sin, by the way. But the word “glutton” or “gluttons” is only in the Bible six times (see Deuteronomy 21:20; Proverbs 23:21; Proverbs 28:7; Titus 1:12 & Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:34) – the latter two of those times were when the Pharisees accused Jesus of being “a glutton”. The word “gluttony” is not in the Bible at all!

Furthermore “gluttony” and “being fat” are not the same thing. Some of the thinnest people I know are gluttonous. You don’t have to be a glutton to be fat! Your body produces fat when you do not burn the energy of all the food you have consumed. You can eat normal portions of food, not be as active as you could be, and gain weight. Your metabolism could be low, and you would be fat. Of course, if you’re laying around eating and not working at all that gets to another sin called “sloth” or “laziness”.

Being FAT, By The Way, Is Not A Sin Unless You Are Fat Because Of Gluttony. The Bible promises us that:

Isaiah 58:10-11 (KJV)10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul … the LORD SHALL GUIDE THEE CONTINUALLY … AND MAKE FAT THY BONES…

Proverbs 28:25 (KJV) He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD SHALL BE MADE FAT.

Psalms 92:13-14 (KJV) Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; THEY SHALL BE FAT AND FLOURISHING;

Who is the real you? The real you is NOT what I or others see. The real YOU is the soul inside of what I see.

When the Bible says “You are made in the image of God” (Genesis 1:27) it was not talking about your body. Your body is separate from your soul. When you hit your finger YOU go ouch because that which is YOU is attached to your body. But your BODY is not YOU. Your SOUL is YOU. The Bible says that when man was made:

Genesis 2:7 Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL

God formed man with His hands, and breathed into us life. Man was made to be the “offspring of God” (Acts 17:26-29). When you believe on Him, God the Son remakes us with His nail scarred hands, and breathes into every one of His Faith Children His Holy Spirit. When our bodies die WE DO NOT DIE. The Bible tells us that:

Ecclesiastes 12:7 …. the dust {our bodies} returns to the earth as it was, and THE SPIRIT {OUR SOULS} RETURNS TO GOD WHO GAVE IT.

We are – the Bible says – “body, soul, and spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:33). God is “Father, Son, and Spirit” and “these three are One”. We do not see Father or Spirit. The Son is the Manifest Member of the Godhead. God is a Trinity – we are a Trinity. We are in His image. We are Outwardly Body, but Inwardly Soul and Spirit. We are in His image.

God is “the father of spirits” (Hebrews 12:9). It is God Who:

Zechariah 12:1 (KJV) 1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and FORMETH THE SPIRIT OF MAN WITHIN HIM.

When the body loses it’s ability to sustain physical life it ceases functioning – but the spirit of man – the soul – does not cease to be. Physical death is but a “putting aside of our earthly dwelling” (2 Peter 1:13-14). But your Soul, the real You, will return to the Lord.

2 It Is God Who Made Us, And We Are His. He made us to be His Vessels, To Live In His Presence. He calls all who will come to Him. He made us to be indwelt with Him, to walk with Him, to be blessed by Him. But He made us with Free Will. We read:

Mark 7:14 And when {Jesus} had CALLED ALL THE PEOPLE UNTO HIM, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:

Jesus called ALL the people to Him. Not everybody came, but He called them ALL. There was no one that Jesus excluded. Jesus calls all, but we choose to come or not.

• He called first the Fishermen Peter and Andrew. “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men”. They had a choice. They could come, or not come. None were compelled.
• He called Tax Collectors. Matthew could come or no. “Follow Me”. He had a choice.
• He called Zealots, people of a political party that wanted Rome overthrown. Judas Iscariot was not forced to follow, but he chose to do so – for a while, at least.
• He called angry young men, James & John the sons of Thunder. They were called to stop their bickering and come.
• He called prostitutes and publicans. Mary Magdalene and Zacchaeus were called.

He called then told everyone a terrible truth. I have had people ask me “Why does God allow evil people in the world?” Usually this statement is made after something horrible happens. ISIS or ISIL attacks and kills. Someone molests a child, or is involved in human trafficking. A murder is committed. “Why does God allow evil in the world?” The answer is the same every time, but few want to hear it. Jesus called all the people to them and said:

Mark 7:15 (KJV) There is NOTHING from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but THE THINGS WHICH COME OUT OF HIM, THOSE ARE THEY THAT DEFILE THE MAN. 16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

What causes evil in the world? What defiles a person? Is it something exterior. Is evil something we can blame on the fallen angels, or on nature itself? Jesus said “it is NOT that which is without that defiles us, but THE THINGS THAT COME FROM INSIDE US THAT DEFILES US.” Evil comes from within. It comes from inside of every person.

Mark 7:17 (KJV) And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.

Jesus called all the people to Him and told all the truth. Sadly, few understood. Later on when they got into the house and the crowd was gone the disciples were burning with questions. “What did you mean by that statement Jesus? Explain that to us.” Jesus told them:

Mark 7:18-19 (KJV) And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; 19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?

It is not that which comes from WITHOUT that defiles us. The word “defile” is the Greek κοινόω koinoo (koy-noh’-o) which means “to make (or consider) profane (ceremonially), to pollute or make unclean”. The source of evil is not physical stuff interacting with your physical body.

Medical doctors say the pork is bad for you. I was amused as I read of Susannah Mushatt Jones of Brooklyn, New York. She is now 116 years old and currently the world’s oldest person. When asked “What is your secret to long life? She says “bacon!”. A sign hanging in her kitchen declares “Bacon makes everything better.” According to her niece, “she’ll eat bacon all day long.”

Now is bacon necessarily good for your body? No. But Jesus says “bacon – nor anything you put in your mouth – makes you unacceptable or defiled before God”. What you eat fuels your body, and you can eat some pretty bad fuel. But what you eat does not effect your soul, the real you.

Mark 7:20-23 (KJV) And he said, THAT WHICH COMETH OUT OF THE MAN, THAT DEFILETH THE MAN. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

“That which comes out of a person, that defiles the person”. Sin is not something OUTWARD that works INWARD to defile. Where does sin start? In the heart. Every person carries a terrible thing inside from the moment of birth. When the Scripture says:

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

It means that God made us to walk with Him, to bask in His glory. But we all have a problem, for sin is resident in us.

3 God Made Us To Be His Vessels, To Be Filled With His Glory And Not With Our Own. The Pharisees did not see this, nor did they understand it. The self righteous rarely understand the true things of God. They thought that sin came from without, and defilement was from without.

Mark 7:1-2 (KJV) Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. 2 And when they saw some of his disciples EAT BREAD WITH DEFILED, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.

They thought what defiled came from the outside inward. “Look at those disciples of Christ. Don’t they know that to eat with unwashed hands is to become unclean before God?” But Jesus said “No, that’s not where sin comes from”.

Sin comes from within. It comes from the unwashed HEART not the unwashed HAND. It comes from the heart not yielded to the Word of God in Christ.

The Pharisees would not hear the Word of Christ. They directly confronted the Savior, saying:

Mark 7:5 (KJV) Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?

“The Elders” (Your Betters, Jesus) made a tradition that to eat with unwashed hands defiles you. Why aren’t You heeding this tradition? But Jesus did not back down. Quoting Isaiah 29:13 Jesus said:

Mark 7:6-9 (KJV)… Well hath Isaiah prophesied of YOU HYPOCRITES, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

Turning away from God and what His Word said the self righteous developed religious things that everyone was to do, traditions that, if not done, they condemned others. Yet they rejected the Commandments of God.

The Ten Commandments were given to establish a basic rule of righteousness. I believe that the Ten Commandments ought to be posted in every public place throughout America and every nation. The Pharisees – like many children do today – routinely broke the Fifth Commandment “Honor Your Father and Mother”.

As their parents grew older and needed financial help the Pharisees – who outwardly were religious but inwardly lost – looked for a way not to spend their funds on their widowed mothers or infirm fathers. They created a tradition called “Corban!”. That word “Corban!” means “dedicated to God”. Jesus said:

Mark 7:10-13 (KJV) …. Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: 11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. 12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; 13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

When someone asked the Pharisee “Why aren’t you taking care of your elderly parents” they would say “Corban! My money is earmarked for God’s Temple”. In so saying they excused themselves from loving their aging parents as God called them to love. How did they come up with this scheme? Because “the heart is desperately wicked – Who can know it?” Evil comes from within, not without. We are all capable of sinking to the lowest place possible if we stand in this life apart from God.

People need the Lord. We don’t need more tradition – we need more JESUS! We all need the Lord. Apart from the Lord we can and will do the worst of things!

4 We Cannot Fix Ourselves. We Cannot Wash Nor Purify Our Souls. But God Can, And Jesus Will. Jesus can change the water in the well. He can fix the human heart.

As Jesus spoke to His disciples He held nothing back. Look at those words once more.

Mark 7:21-23 (KJV) For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

From WITHIN, OUT of the HEART OF MANKIND. All are fallen creatures. No self help program will fix us. What is inside of every person, no matter who they are? Jesus lists thirteen things that separate us from God. The first He speaks of is “evil thoughts”. Is there ANYONE in here who has not had evil thoughts? We all have had them.

People make light of THOUGHT but much of action. “Well, you can think it, but as long as you don’t DO it you’re ok”. No, that’s not true. When you think evil thoughts, and dwell on the wrong thing long enough, it is not long before you are doing it. If you stoke the black flames of the heart, dwelling on and thinking of the wrong thing, inappropriate thought turns to godless action.

Jesus said:

Matthew 5:28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Jesus said “out of the heart proceeds evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications”. It starts on the inside. The beautiful woman dresses in an immodest manner and goes to an inappropriate place. The wayward man looks on her, thinks on her, approaches her while hiding his wedding ring. Here is adultery. Here is a father doing what he ought not to do. A family is destroyed. An abortion is considered, and perhaps done. Why? Because out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders. I was listening to a comedian the other day who said:

“Guns don’t kill people. Husbands who come home early kill people.”

and everyone laughed at that which is profane. Why? Because the unregenerate heart, the lost heart, the heart without God is capable of the most atrocious things.

Mark 7:20-23 (KJV) And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Please note that the first seven things in this text are PLURAL not SINGULAR. What Jesus literally said was “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness,”

These evil things come from within and defile the man. What hope do we have? What self help program do we have? Listen Beloved – what is down in the well comes up in the bucket, and if the water is foul in the well it will be foul in the bucket.

This is why God gave Himself for us. Messiah came from Heaven to earth to show what is in our hearts. “There is no room in the inn – but you can have your baby Mary in the stable”. God our Messiah was born in a manger. His midwife was shepherds called from the fields. Heaven held its breath and watched as God became man, but man did not know. The politicians feared Him. Herod killed all the babies in Bethlehem, trying to stop His entrance. Growing up in Nazareth none suspected Who He was. When John the Baptist said (John 1:29)

“Behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world”

No one understood. When Jesus walked and talked on this earth foretelling of His death, none understood. When He stood before Pilate and was asked “Why are You here” and Jesus replied:

John 18:37 (KJV) …. Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

What is the truth that Jesus witnessed to? See an innocent Man hanging on that Tree of Calvary. Why is He there? Because of the human heart. Because mankind is fallen, enslaved to sin. Why was Christ nailed to that Tree between two thieves? Because we have all sinned. We are the source of evil. Out of man’s heart evil comes. Our Hideous Discovery is that we were made to walk with God, we were made to be vessels of His glory, but Adam fell and we too are fallen. But God was not satisfied with that fall.

Romans 5:8-11 (KJV) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Many years ago nearly every home had some unique source of water. I talked with a man who had a cistern, an underground storage area for water. When it rained, water ran down into the cistern. Periodically, the man told me, he had to climb down into the cistern to clean it, getting mold and critters out of it. Jesus climbed down into the cistern of death for us. He Jesus died for us. He saved the unsavable. He gave to the ungivable. Sinners all, He died for us. He did not remodel us, but came to REGENERATE us, to make us born again. Once saved, Jesus through His Spirit operates in our hearts, leading us into paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake. We are told:

1 Peter 3:18 (KJV) For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (KJV) … if one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

The Grand Theme of Scripture is that Jesus Christ gave Himself for “Whosoever will”. Will you not give your hearts to Him today? Let Him take the defiled, and take up residence in that soulish room. He will cleanse it. He will cleanse you. He will remake you, and bring you from lost to found, from churl to child of God, from a vessel of dishonor to a vessel that glorifies God in Christ.

Will you come? May God’s Holy Spirit lead you to Him today!