Luke I: Luke 6:41-45

Luke I: Heart Check

January 10th, 2021/The Lookout

Intro: Riverside Location Launch/Launch Team Interest Meeting

Passage: Luke 6:41-45 CSB

What’s in my eye?

41 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? 42 How can you think of saying, ‘Friend, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.

Where is my fruit?

43 A good tree doesn’t produce bad fruit; on the other hand, a bad tree doesn’t produce good fruit. 44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs aren’t gathered from thornbushes, or grapes picked from a bramble bush.

How is my heart?

45 A good person produces good out of the good stored up in his heart. An evil person produces evil out of the evil stored up in his heart, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.”

NLT Version: “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart.”

Pray:

Title: Heart Check

Big Idea:

I want to discuss a few questions to consider as we examine Jesus' teachings on life and living.

Main Points: Questions to consider…

1. What’s In My Eye?
   1. 41 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? 42 How can you think of saying, ‘Friend, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.

   2. Illust: Two Huge Logs

      1. Questions: What have you been critical of lately or who have you been judging? These are simple questions to determine the splinter in your friend's eye.
      2. Everyone has flaws. Everyone is imperfect and makes mistakes. Everyone has momentary lapses of judgement. The point is, it’s not hard to find specks or splinters in your friend’s eyes.
      3. Jesus is pointing out the reality that we have lost our sense of awareness of our own shortcomings and sin. We are so fixated on others' problems, that we miss the “log” in our own eyes. He never says to not call things out, but there is a process He establishes. “First” get rid of the log in your eye.

      4. Benefits of removing the log before helping with the speck.

         1. You will see more clearly to help your friend
         2. You will be less judgemental
         3. You will be more loving
         4. You may admit your shortcomings first to your friend, then come alongside their problems

         5. You may realize you exaggerated something entirely and never bring up said thing. 5. “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns.” - Psalm 139:23 CSB

         6. Repentance & awareness

            3. Application:

      5. People will often be critical towards others as a way to cover up something worse in their own lives.

      6. We can also rationalize sin or wrong doings in our own lives by being critical towards others.

      7. If we take time to slow down, seek our own thoughts, intentions, and heart, I think we’ll find that we have a whole lot less to say about others.

         4. Being a “hypocrite” is not about being weak or falling short, it is about striving for the appearance of something you are not!

      8. The realization that we have a log in our eyes, helps us live a surrendered, submitted, and humble life before God and others.

      9. Where Is My Fruit?

         1. 43 A good tree doesn’t produce bad fruit; on the other hand, a bad tree doesn’t produce good fruit. 44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs aren’t gathered from thornbushes, or grapes picked from a bramble bush.
         2. “Either make the tree good and its fruit will be good, or make the tree bad and its fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.” - Matthew 12:33
         3. “So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.” - Matthew 7:20
         4. Illust: The dead plant

      10. Question: Is this a good tree or a bad tree?

      11. Isn’t it telling that we are not known by our knowledge, but by our fruit. We are not known by our intentions, but by our fruit. We are not known by our charisma, but by our fruit.
      12. The Story of the Seeds (Luke 8:11-15)
      13. 11-12 “This story is about some of those people. The seed is the Word of God. The seeds on the road are those who hear the Word, but no sooner do they hear it than the Devil snatches it from them so they won’t believe and be saved. 13 “The seeds in the gravel are those who hear with enthusiasm, but the enthusiasm doesn’t go very deep. It’s only another fad, and the moment there’s trouble it’s gone. 14 “And the seed that fell in the weeds—well, these are the ones who hear, but then the seed is crowded out and nothing comes of it as they go about their lives worrying about tomorrow, making money, and having fun. 15 “But the seed in the good earth—these are the good-hearts who seize the Word and hold on no matter what, sticking with it until there’s a harvest.” - The Message
      14. Which story do you relate with? Are you seizing the Word and holding tight until there’s a harvest? This is what will produce lasting and sustaining fruit.

      15. How Is My Heart?

          1. 45 A good person produces good out of the good stored up in his heart. An evil person produces evil out of the evil stored up in his heart, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.”
          2. The quality of your words rests solely on the quality of your heart.
          3. “Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way. 11 Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water.” - James 3:10-12
          4. Illust: Your outputs cannot change unless your inputs change. Period. Bottles of the same substance.

      16. Bottle - Your storehouse, your treasury, your heart

      17. Water - Your inputs, content, and environments
      18. Spout - Your mouth, what you say and how you say it

      19. It’s less true to say “that’s not who I am”, and it’s more true to say “That’s not who I want to be”. For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.

          5. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” - Deuteronomy 6:5
          6. Illust: The Shred & Fasting

      20. Changing my inputs has changed my life

Closing: Who Do I Follow?