Revelation: Christ and the Churches

Purpose Of Heart

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2018-11-19

Synopsis: Pastor John Weaver examines Acts 11:19-24, focusing on Barnabas's exhortation that believers should 'with purpose of heart cleave unto the Lord.' He diagnoses the failure of many professing Christians as a lack of fixed, determined resolution to adhere to Christ and His Word. The sermon defines 'purpose of heart' as a settled, single-minded plan to hold fast to the Lord, requiring daily renewal and a turning away from sin. Applications emphasize perseverance, avoiding distraction, and giving God the benefit of the doubt in doubtful matters.

[John Weaver] Acts chapter 11, and we're going to be reading verses 19-24. Acts 11, 19-24. The title of the message is Purpose of Heart. Purpose of Heart. Acts 11, beginning there with verse 19.

[John Weaver] Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose around Stephen traveled as far as Venice, Athens, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord.

[John Weaver] Then tidings of these things came into the ears of the church, which was in Jerusalem. And they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch, who when he came, and had seen the grace of God, and was glad, and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost, and of faith, and much people were added to the Lord.

[John Weaver] Let me give you a question to consider momentarily. Why do so many professing Christians fail in the things of God? How is it that many professing Christians do not even read their Bibles, much less study them? And for some, really and truly, the only time they ever really genuinely pray is when they get in an emergency situation. and will think about prayer until they are in desperate straits. And many today treat attendance at the house of God as something that is either painful or relatively unimportant. We do not today, generally speaking, rejoice in the preaching and the exhortation of the word of God. We do not really value it, nor do we really count it absolutely necessary. Most professing Christians today kind of view preaching as optional.

[John Weaver] You can come, or you can not come, or you can take it, or you can leave it. Interestingly enough, as you read through the Old Testament, there were many Old Testament saints that really, genuinely valued the Word of God. For instance, Job, in Job 23, verse 12, said this, Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips, I've esteemed the words of thy mouth more than my necessary meat." So Job said, I'd rather hear the words of God than to eat, or to eat a T-bone steak. I value that. I esteem His words more than my necessary meat.

[John Weaver] And then David said it like this in Psalm 19, verses 9 and 10. He said, the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than fine gold, and sweeter also than honey in the honeycomb. So David said that the word of God is of far greater value than gold, even fine gold. And then Jeremiah, Jeremiah 15 in verse 16 said it like this.

[John Weaver] Thy words were found and I did eat them. And they were the joy and the rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts." So he said, thy words were found and I did eat them. They were the joy and the rejoicing of my heart. John Owen was an old Puritan, and he's known as the Prince of the Puritan, said it like this.

[John Weaver] He said, at the word of Jehovah, we must stoop and bow down our souls before it. and captivate our understandings to the obedience of faith. The word is that revealed will of God, which is our sanctification, and the instrument whereby he works our holiness. According to the prayer of our Savior, sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth. John 17, 17. When you look at Acts chapter 11, you understand that Barnabas is the key person in this passage. He was the preacher. He was the teacher. He was exhorter.

[John Weaver] And I'm probably sure that he was thankful that some of the success of the gospel in this area happened to be from men from his part of the country. If you look in verse 20, the Bible said, and some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. Men of Cyprus and Cyrene. And if you will turn back very quickly to Acts chapter 4 and look at verse 36, you will find a little bit something there concerning Barnabas. The Bible said in Joseph, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, which is being interpreted the son of consolation, a Levite and of the country of Cyprus. So obviously, I'm sure that he was thankful that some of his own were there involved in the preaching of the gospel. But I want to call your attention to the fact of verse 23. The Bible says who, when he came and had seen the grace of God. Have you ever thought about the fact that you can see the grace of God?

[John Weaver] How in the world is it possible for you to see the grace of God? And the answer is, you can see the grace of God in the lives, in the attitude, in the faith, in the action, in the conduct of the people.

[John Weaver] Now it may have taken a day or several days, maybe even a week for him to observe a lot of things, but the Bible does say that he saw the grace of God. There are two very important truths before we even get to our text that we've got to learn from verse 23. The Bible says, first of all, who when he came and had seen the grace of God, the first truth is this. That God's grace always produces fruit. And that fruit is always evident in the lives of those who are converted. It is absolutely impossible for someone to be saved and transformed by the grace of God and not have fruit in their lives. The Bible says that the fruit, of course, is produced by the Holy Spirit. In Romans 18, verse 9, the scripture said, if any man have not the spirit of Christ, then he's none of his. So if there's no fruit in an individual's life, then the Holy Spirit is not there. And if the Holy Spirit is not there, then the person's not a Christian.

[John Weaver] Now, if you look in your Bibles, hold in Acts 11, but turn right over to the book of Galatians chapter five and begin reading there with me with verse 22. He will tell you point blank what the fruit of the Holy Spirit is. He says, but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, or faith, meekness, temperance against such there is no law. In other words, when the Holy Spirit of God is indwelling a person, to some degree there is going to be some love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. In other words, it may not be to a degree of perfection, but it's going to be there. It's kind of like our Lord said at the parable of the sower there.

[John Weaver] when the good seed fell on the good ground, some forth tenfold, some sixtyfold, some a hundredfold. So there's going to be some kind of fruit. It's just that simple. So whenever God works in a person's heart, it's going to be evident. It's going to be able to be seen. The second truth is this. Look at it in verse 23. Who, when he came and had seen the grace of God, was glad. And in other words, Barnabas is now thankful and happy and glad to see the work of God in the lives of these Grecians. They were not Jews. But they were Grecians. And he's thankful. He's glad.

[John Weaver] Let me put it to you like this. God is absolutely sovereign. God works when he pleases. where he pleases, how he pleases, in whom he pleases, and in the places that pleases him to work. God oftentimes will work in the hearts and in the lives of people that we don't like. Do you realize there was one man in the New Testament, and you know who he is.

[John Weaver] He was undoubtedly the most loathed, despicable, lowdown, scoundrel. And if a poll had been taken in the first century of the man most likely to bust hell wide open, then Saul of Tarsus would have won it hands down. But yet God, in his mercy and grace, saved Saul who became the Apostle Paul. So God is not obligated to work where we want him to work. He works where he pleases.

[John Weaver] The point I'm trying to make is this. Would I like to see God start a revival right here? The answer is yes. Would I like to see him add people to this study? and the hearing of the Word of God? Yes. But may I point something out? If God did it in another church, in another county from here, it really wouldn't matter to me. I would just be thankful that God did it. God is not obligated just to bless us or to bless our ministry or to bless our work. He can work wherever He pleases.

[John Weaver] And we cannot be jealous. We have to be thankful that God is working anywhere. And so since God was working there, they sent Barnabas. And if you look, if you would, in verse 23, the Bible says, who, when he came and was glad and had seen the grace of God and was glad and exhorted them all. Notice, if you would, he exhorted them all. Now, Barnabas was given the opportunity to exhort. The word exhort is a very interesting word. It's actually the Greek word parakaleo, which means one that is called alongside of to help. It is the same word that is translated as comforter in our Bibles. It is the same word that is used of the Holy Spirit, what he's called the divine paraclete, which is from parakaleo. So if you look in your Bibles, hold Acts 11, go back in your Bibles to John chapter 14, and look, if you would please, at verse 26. You will see it. John 14 and verse 26. Notice what Jesus Christ says. John 14, verse 26.

[John Weaver] Our Lord says, but when the comforter, there it is, parakletos, but the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I've said unto you. If you'll look in John chapter 15 and verse 26, you will see it again. But when the comforter, the paracletos, the paraclete is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the spirit of truth, which proceeded from the Father, he shall testify of me. So the Bible gives us this word, exhort, in Acts 11 verse 23.

[John Weaver] He was glad and he exhorted them all. Now let me tell you what the word exhort means. It actually means to beseech, to encourage, to strengthen, to entreat, to instruct, and to teach. So Barnabas did some very able exhorting in this short passage.

[John Weaver] Now, in all probability, this exhortation included a lot about tests and trials, tribulations, persecutions. Now, I don't know that for a fact, but I'm assuming that it did, because if you'll skip down to verse 19, Acts 11, verse 19, Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen. They traveled as far as Venice and Cyprus and are now preaching the word to none but the Jews only. Note, if you would, he talks about the persecution that arose around Stephen. If you will turn back in your Bibles to Acts chapter eight, you will find that Stephen has been martyred. He's been murdered.

[John Weaver] And of course, they laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man by the name of Saul of Tarsus. But Saul was one of those individuals who was not content with taking the life of one of the brethren. The Bible says this, and Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time, there arose a great persecution against the church, which was at Jerusalem. And they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentations over him. And as for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and hailing men and women, committing them to prison. Therefore, they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word." So obviously, there has been a great persecution.

[John Weaver] Then it is still going on when you get to Acts chapter 11. And all of the disciples that were in Jerusalem were scattered. with the exception of the apostles. So we're not told everything that Barnabas exhorted these people. But we are given the crux and the highlight of his exhortation. And this is the exhortation that we need to understand and we need to apply. So look at it in verse 23. You will see this exhortation. He says who when he came and it seemed the grace of God was glad and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. Do you realize that one of the main graces, one of the main virtues, one of the main principles that happens to be missing in our life is what you and I would call purpose of heart. His exhortation was that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. So let me ask you, what does purpose of heart mean?

[John Weaver] How would you describe it? Where is it? And what is it?

[John Weaver] Now you may not be able to sit there and give me a working definition of purpose of heart. But I'll guarantee you, in reality, you know what it means. I never will forget years ago, when I was in college, I had to take a voice and diction class. And one of the students in that class, I have never forgotten, he was a Japanese student. His name was Jung Ho Lee. And so during this voice and diction class, we would have to read, we would have to enunciate words, you know, like how, now, brown, cow, this kind of thing. So we were in the class and Mr. Pratt had sent a book around and we were taking turns reading a sentence out of the book. And when it came Young Ho Lee's turn, he read this sentence.

[John Weaver] She gave me the cold shoulder. He stopped, he looked at Mr. Pratt, he said, Mr. Pratt, what cold shoulder? Mr. Pratt said, young, you know it's when you're trying to flirt with a pretty young girl and be sweet and nice to her and she just kind of goes, oh, and turns around and walks away or at least looks the other way and ignores you. I never will forget. He said, oh, that.

[John Weaver] different culture, but he understood what it was. He did not understand the terminology. So if I say, can you give me a working definition of what it means to have purpose of art? You may not be able to give me a working definition, but you have said, and you heard other people say something like this. He has no heart for the work of God. Or his soul is not in this ministry. He doesn't care.

[John Weaver] And the truth of the matter is this. Most professing Christians today really and truly have no heart for the things of God. Stop and think. Most professing Christians are so absolutely wishy-washy, characterless, spineless, off and on, up and down, inconsistent, unstable, undependable, and unpredictable. There's no consistency. and the lives of the average professing Christians. I want to show you how James describes it. I want you to hold Acts chapter 11, but look in your Bibles to the book of James chapter 1 and verse 8. Hebrews, James. Notice if you would. James chapter 1, look in verse 8. James says it like this. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. A double-minded man is unstable in all of his ways.

[John Weaver] The Greek word there is actually dipsukos, dipsukos. Literally, a double-souled man is what he's saying. It's translated double-mind, but it's someone who has two souls or two minds. It's someone who has a divided interest. It's someone who cannot be consistent. It's someone who is highly and totally unstable. He's restless. He's wavering. He's doubting. He's inconsistent. Because, obviously, he's got two souls. How could he have purpose of heart when he's double-minded? There's nothing in his life on which he has a real genuine purpose.

[John Weaver] Now, the truth of the matter is James 1 in verse 8 pretty well describes and nails what you and I would call modern-day Christianity. We do not have the singleness of purpose nor the singleness of heart that the early Christians had. And I would submit to you that one of the reasons that we're in such a horrible state in Christianity is because there is no Purpose of heart. So I'm going to explain this purpose of heart to you. I want you to go back to verse 23. Look at it because this purpose of heart is in connection with cleaving unto the Lord. The scripture says who when he came and had seen the grace of God was glad and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart. they would cleave unto the Lord. So the word for purpose here is the Greek word prothesis. It is translated in our Bibles as purpose.

[John Weaver] Here's what it literally means. It means a setting forth of a thing with a firm mind. It means having a fixed and subtle resolution. It means to put the mind in place. Let me say it another way. It means to lay the law down to the mind, especially in regard to present and future conduct. So when you're talking about a purpose of heart, you're talking about a single mind. You're talking about the law being laid down to your mind.

[John Weaver] And it's going to be made evident and clear. For instance, this same word is used in connection with the showbread. The only difference is, is the Greek word artos, which is the word bread, is added to it. Prothesis artos, the showbread. The showbread refers to the 12 loaves of wheat and bread that corresponded to the 12 tribes of Israel. They were loaves that were offered to God every Sabbath day.

[John Weaver] They were laid in two rows and they laid there for seven days straight in the tabernacle and later in the temple. Every Sabbath The old loaves were taken out and new loaves were placed there. Anyone could see the loaves. They were there. So when we're talking about a purpose of mine, it's going to be something that's going to be plain. It's going to be evident to us. And it's ultimately going to be evident to someone else as well. Now let me explain something about this showbread.

[John Weaver] So many people think that, you know, once I have been saved and once I've dedicated my life to the Lord, then there's no more necessity to renew my dedication or to renew my determination. But yet you stop and think. This showbread was basically renewed every week. There was a fresh batch put out.

[John Weaver] Now, God commands us on numerous items that we are to hold fast certain things. It is impossible to hold fast in these areas without a purpose of hurt. If there is no determination, there will be no holding fast. I want you to turn in your Bible whole acts 11. We're coming back there. But look in first Thessalonians chapter five versus only in chapter five. And then we're going to go to second Thessalonians. But notice first Thessalonians chapter five and look if you would please it. Verse 21. I'm just going to show you some things that the word of God commands us to do. First Thessalonians 5, notice verse 21, the scripture says, prove all things, hold fast that which is good. Hold fast. Hold fast that which is good. Whatever is good, whatever is righteous, whatever is holy, God says we better hold on to it. There must be a determination. There must be a resolution. There must be a purpose in mind to do it. Look in your Bibles to 2 Thessalonians 2 and verse 15.

[John Weaver] 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 15. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word or our epistle. Now he's not talking about traditions of men. He's talking about biblical traditions. Those that have been taught by the word or by epistle. Notice if you would, he said, you stand fast and you hold these things. If you would turn right over to second Timothy, just a few pages over second Timothy chapter one. And look, if you would please at verse 13. So Paul tells Timothy this whole fast, the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me in faith and love, which is a Jesus Christ. The form of sound words, of course, would refer to sound doctrine. Hold that fast. Let me point something out to you about holding fast.

[John Weaver] I don't know how I could give you a better illustration. Everyone has seen a tug of war between two teams. Usually, they're on the opposite side of a creek. and one team's trying to pull the other team into the water. What does each team do? They each have a hold on that rope, and they're holding fast in the sense that they're using all of their strength, they're using all of their determination, all of their resolution, they're holding everything they can to keep from being pulled into that creek, and what they want to do is pull the other team in. What would happen If, say, six of the eight people on one side decided, well, I'm not going to hold fast. Well, obviously, they're going to lose. They're going to be pulled in. Every time God tells us to hold fast on something, there is something somewhere trying to take advantage of us or get us to lose something or to drop something.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles to Hebrews over just a few books. Hebrews chapter 3. Look, if you would please, at verse 6. Hebrews 3, verse 6. The Scripture says, But Christ, as a Son over His own house, whose house we are, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. So what are we to do? We are to hold fast our confidence and our hope unto the end that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. Look in chapter 4 and verse 14. He says, seeing then that we have a great high priest that has passed in the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. We cannot give in or give up on the fact that Jesus Christ is God, Jesus Christ is Lord, Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. We are to hold fast. Look, if you would, to Hebrews 10 and verse 23. Hebrews 10, verse 23. Again, he says it like this. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful that promised.

[John Weaver] So God tells us we've got to hold fast our profession of faith. Two other passages. If you would look in the book of Revelation, chapter two, And in these two passages, our Lord is speaking particularly to the churches. In Revelation two and verse twenty five, he's actually talking to the church of Tara Tara, and he says this, but that you which you have already hold fast till I come. Whatever you've got, hold on to it. Don't throw it away. Don't give in. Don't give up. Then if you look in Revelation chapter three, And verse three, he says to the angel of the church of Sardis, verse three, remember, therefore, how thou has how thou has received and heard and hold fast and repent. Now, every one of these passages, God has told us to hold fast on to something.

[John Weaver] How do we do that? And the answer is we have to have a purpose of heart. What is a purpose of heart? A purpose of heart is a regular, fixed, determined plan or determined design in our minds that we will now and forever adhere to the Lord Jesus Christ and to His Word and to His truth. One of our greatest failures in Christendom today is when God does save someone when there is a new convert.

[John Weaver] Very few people take them under their wings and teach them. And consequently, a lot of these young Christians wander around needlessly for several years until all of a sudden, somehow, someway, in the grace and the mercy of God, they figure out, you know, there has to be a purpose of heart in their life. There has to be a determination. Purpose of heart includes more than just the understanding. Yes, it is in our understanding. It's in our entire minds, but it also includes our will and affections as well.

[John Weaver] It is to be the leading principle. It is to be the strongest affection. It is to be the guiding principle of our lives that always leads us and guides us to the adherence to the Word of God. Let me put it to you like this. There will never be any growth and there will never be any maturity apart from purpose of heart. It just will not work. If you do not have purpose of heart to study, If you do not have purpose of heart to pray, if you do not have purpose of heart to be faithful, there's no way in the world anyone is ever going to mature in the faith.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look back in Acts 11 verse 23. I want you to see what Barnabas is exhorting these people to do. The Bible says, Who, when he came and had seen the grace of God, was glad and exhorted them all. that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. So the word cleave is the Greek word prosmino. It means to continue with, to abide fast with, to tarry with, to stay with, and to hold fast unto. We understand what the word cleave means. The Hebrew word is used. In the Old Testament, I have not looked up the Septuagint, what the Greek word would be, but man shall leave his father and mother and shall what cleave into his what? Once he marries her, he is to stay with her. to carry with her, to abide with her, to live with her. So once you cleave to the Lord, it means, of course, that you are indeed forsaking everything that's contrary to Him. Now, let me show you one good illustration of what it means with purpose of heart to cleave unto the Lord.

[John Weaver] I want you to look in your Bibles to John 15. John 15. And I want us to read the first 10 verses. Look in John 15 and we will begin reading there with verse one. John 15 verse one. Watch carefully. Remember, I told you the word cleave means to abide in and to stay with the whole fast to Our Lord said, I am the true vine, and my father is the husbandman.

[John Weaver] Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away. And every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

[John Weaver] Now you're clean through the word which I've spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abideth in me and I, and him that sing, bringeth forth much fruit. For without me you can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered. And men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit. So shall you be my disciples as the father loved me. So if I loved you, continue you in my love. If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love, even as I've kept my father's commandments and abide and his love.

[John Weaver] Now, obviously, when you look at this passage, the branch has to cleave to the vine or the branch has to cleave to the tree, ever how you want to say it. Every branch that is severed from the vine or severed from the tree withers and dies. And I don't know about you, but all of those limbs that get severed from the trees in my yard, I usually pick them up and put them in a burn pile and burn them. There is no limb There is no branch that can bear fruit when it is separated from its life source.

[John Weaver] Now, you're going to say, but Brother Weaver, this is a picture. And I'm going to say, yes, it is a picture, but a picture of what? Here is a picture in John 15. Of one who does not abide in Jesus Christ. He's come to the point that he thinks he does not need Jesus Christ. Well, he was never in Christ to begin with, and therefore he falls and he withers and dies, and then men gather them up, the Bible says, and cast them into the fire. Wow. Evidently, cleaving to the Lord Jesus Christ requires purpose of heart and is very, very important.

[John Weaver] because we cannot live apart from him. He is our nourishment. He is our strength. We have to receive Jesus Christ as he's fully and freely offered in the gospel. We take him as he is presented to us and not dividing him as some people try to do. No, we have to have the whole Christ. John Trapp, the old Puritan, said it like this. Listen carefully. It stands men upon to see that their work, though it be but mean, that is small, yet it may be clean, though not fine, yet not foul, soiled and slubbered with the slur of a rotten art. Let them consent to take the whole Christ in all of his offices and efficacies and depart with him nevermore. Wow. Let me try to show you just a couple of very simple illustrations of purpose of art. If you look in your Bible, Romans 1 and verse 1, here's a very simple illustration.

[John Weaver] And yet at the same time, it's one that you and I must understand that every positive has a negative. Every negative has a positive. I want to deal with the purpose of heart just momentarily. But if you look at Romans 1 in verse 1, the Bible says this, Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God. Now, the Bible tells us that Paul was separated into the gospel of God. That's the positive. So if Paul is separated to the gospel of God, and that's the positive, then you have to ask, what is the negative? What is it that he was separated from? We know what he separated unto. He separated unto the gospel. If he separated unto the gospel, he separated from something, and that which he would be separated from would be the world, sin, error, For instance, look in your Bibles to the book of Galatians chapter 5. Galatians chapter 5. And notice if you would please verse 24. Galatians 5 verse 24. Paul says it like this.

[John Weaver] And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. Then if you'll skip down to chapter 6 and verse 14, he says, But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. So, when you read Paul an apostle separated from the gospel of God, you have to ask what he was separated from. Okay?

[John Weaver] Let me give you one more simple illustration. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Daniel chapter 1. Daniel chapter 1. Everybody knows the story. Of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Daniel chapter 1.

[John Weaver] Look if you would please. Daniel 1 verse 8. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank. Therefore, he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as well were with Daniel on this. Daniel is purposing in his heart that he's not going to defile himself with the king's meat or the king's wine. Now, I don't know what was wrong with the king's meat.

[John Weaver] The Bible doesn't tell us. It could have been some unclean things, but it may not have been. It could have been venison. It could have been steak. It could have been lamb. It could have been goat. All of that would have been clean. But it also could have been that, although it might have been clean food, it may have been dedicated to an idol. I don't know. The Bible doesn't say.

[John Weaver] But there was something about the king's portion that Daniel viewed would be defiling to him. So the Bible said he purposed in his heart. that he was not going to defile himself. I'm not going to eat that. I'm not going to drink that. Now, I'm going to come back to this, but listen, if there is a purpose of heart and cleaving to the Lord, there also has to be some negative implications. Just like there were negative implications here in Daniel, if we with purpose of heart have to cleave unto the Lord, then we have to understand that sin and holiness do not mix. If we're cleaving unto Him, other things have to go. So I usually say it like this.

[John Weaver] When I married Alice, 55 years ago, all the other women lost. No, you see what I'm saying? The rest of them are gone. I mean, they're not mine. Only have one. So the point I'm trying to make is this. When we cleave to the Lord, that's the positive. The negative means we have to turn our backs on anything and everything that would be contrary and against the cleaving unto the Lord.

[John Weaver] For instance, most, well, not most, everyone has weaknesses. Everyone. You say, I don't have a weakness. That's yours, pride. Everybody has a weakness. Our flesh, is weak. The spirit indeed is willing, our Lord said, but the flesh is weak. Everybody has a predominant sin or fleshly desire. So if we are going to cleave to the Lord with purpose of heart, that means we've got to be particularly careful in the area of our predominant sin or specifically in that area in which we are weak. For instance, in Amos 5 in verse 15, God said, hate the evil and love the good. You can't love the good without hating the evil. You can't cleave to the Lord without hating anything and everything that would destroy that cleaving. So there has to be negative implications as well.

[John Weaver] So it's important for you and I to know this. When Daniel purposed in his heart that he was not going to defile himself with the king's meat and the king's wine, He had to replace that with something. Did he not? And so what did he replace it with? Pots and water. Peas and water. That's it. Are you listening to me? Whatever, whatever is going to be put away. You have to replace it with something that is good and right and holy. You can't replace something with nothing. So if you're going to replace that which would harm you, you're going to have to replace it with something that is going to help you. Let me show you.

[John Weaver] Turn in your Bibles to 1 Peter 1. 1 Peter 1. And let's begin reading there with verse 13. First Peter 1 verse 13. Here it is. First Peter 1 verse 13. Wherefore, gird up the loins of your mind. Be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, Not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts of your ignorance.

[John Weaver] But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. Because it is written, be ye holy, prime holy.

[John Weaver] Now, watch if you would. He said in verse 13, wherefore, gird up the loins of your mind. That is, get ready to think. Get ready to lay out your plan. Get ready to purpose in your heart. Purpose in your mind. You gird up the ones of your mind, you be sober. Then he tells you in verse 14 as obedient children. Not fashioning yourselves according to the former lust of your ignorance. Now, wait a minute. An obedient child, of course, is a child that obeys.

[John Weaver] But the fact of the matter is. Each one of us have been, in times past, disobedient children. Even David. All of us.

[John Weaver] Now, here's what he said. If we're going to be girding up the wounds of our mind, if we're going to have a purpose of heart, we cannot fashion ourselves according to the former lust of our ignorance. We can't do it. we have to change. For instance, if lust happens to be my weakness, and I know that's a weakness, then I better stay away from the TV set and from movies and a lot of magazines and sometimes the beaches and whatever else that would tend to promote lust in my life. If I have trouble with drunkenness, I better stay away from the bars. I better stay away from the social clubs. In other words, if I'm going to be an obedient child, he said, not fashioning yourself according to the former lust of your ignorance. I can't live and I can't do the way I used to. I've got to change everything now and fashion my life for holiness and fashion my life for obedience. I've got to have a plan. I've got to have a purpose.

[John Weaver] I've got to have a determination to do this. So it should be patently obvious to you that sin and holiness do not mix. They do not go together. And moreover, he goes on to say in verse 15, But as he who has called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation, because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy, saith the Lord. Wow.

[John Weaver] So the purpose of heart is that which leads me to cleave only into the Lord Jesus Christ, to his truth and to his word, and to turn from anything and everything that's contrary to him. Now, with purpose of heart, you're to cleave unto the Lord. Let me explain something about this. I mentioned earlier that showbread was replaced every week. I could sit here today and say, I have purpose of heart that I'm going to stay faithful and true to the Lord Jesus Christ. I've got purpose of heart that I don't want to sin against him. I don't want to grieve him. I don't want to vex him in any way whatsoever. And that's wonderful for me to say that.

[John Weaver] But tomorrow, I face a very severe temptation. You know what I must do? I must say, with purpose of heart, I refuse that temptation with purpose of heart. Although my flesh might like that, my mind might like that, I refuse that. It's wicked. It's wrong. It's contrary to God. And I'm not going to do it. So what I'm doing, I am renewing my purpose of heart, even on a daily basis. Sometimes I might have to do it on an hourly basis. So the point being, is this once you have a purpose of heart doesn't mean that, well, I had a purpose of heart 20 years ago. No, it's going to have to be renewed, because you're going to be facing tests and trials and temptations on a daily basis.

[John Weaver] Let me make an application or two. The first one is this. It is not sufficient to start well. One must also finish well. You don't win a race by starting it. You win the race by ending it and coming in first. So you have to finish well. There are many individuals who start out well, kind of like that grain fell in the thorny ground and on the stony ground, it sprang up immediately.

[John Weaver] But when the sun was up, it withered away and died. 1 John 2 and verse 19 says this, they went up from us, but they were not of us, for had they been of us, they would have no doubt have continued with us. But they went out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not of us. So the proof that you're really, genuinely a child of God is that you continue in the faith, and you continue in repentance, and you continue with the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1, verse 6, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will perform it unto the day of the Lord Jesus Christ. If God started a work in you, He will finish it. Someone says, well, I used to be saved. No, you never were saved. Because if God starts a work in you, He will finish it. That's why the Bible says in Hebrews 12 and verse 2 that He's the author and the finisher of our faith.

[John Weaver] There is no preservation in Jesus Christ apart from perseverance. The very fact that He gives us persevering grace demonstrates that He has preserved us in Christ. When you claim to be preserved in Christ, but you never persevere, your claim has no basis in scripture. For those whom he preserves in Jesus Christ, he enables to persevere in the faith as well. The second application is this. A distracted heart or double mind is the bane of a Christian. When you have a singleness of heart. When you have a purpose of heart and Christ is the object and His truth and His word are the jewels set before you, then you have no interest in the trash of this world. And when Christ lives in us and we see something that is tempting to us, And our flesh would come up and say, well, what's wrong with that?

[John Weaver] What harm is there in doing this? Well. If I'm unsure. I just better say no. I'm better be willing to give our Lord the benefit of the doubt. I've always told people if there is a question, if you're unsure, always say no. It's always easier to change a no to a yes than a yes to a no. So when in doubt, don't. Just give the Lord the benefit of doubt. So when Barnabas now is exhorting us with purpose of heart, we cleave unto the Lord.

[John Weaver] We need to follow the counsel of the Apostle Paul in First Thessalonians 5 in verse 22, when he says, abstain from all appearance of evil. give the Lord the benefit of the doubt. So what is it going to keep us going? What is it that's going to keep us straight? What is it's going to help us to live holily and righteously? It is purpose of heart. And that is what's missing today. That is why Barnabas exhorted these people that with purpose of heart, they would cleave unto the Lord. That purpose has to be laid out on a daily basis in your mind.

[John Weaver] Every morning when you wake up. After you thank God for life and health and sleep and rest and allowing you to awaken, the first thing that come to your mind is you should say, Lord, help me today not to sin against thee, not to grieve thee, not to quench thee, not to vex thee, Help me, enable me with purpose of heart to honor and to hallow them. We need purpose of heart to enable us to stand straight and do that which is right. Let's pray. Father, help us, we pray in the name of Jesus Christ. How desperately we ask Thee, Father, for purpose of heart, a holy determination deliver thee, something, Lord, that can be renewed daily and hourly if need be, and that we would serve thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In thy name we pray. Amen.

[John Weaver] ♪ ♪

Purpose Of Heart

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	Cf9FaVSGiyU
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Revelation: Christ and the Churches
Genre	Sermon
Date	2018-11-19
Dictation Name
Book	Book 139: Revelation: Christ and the Churches — Chapter 19
Source Timed Segments	72

Formatted Transcript

Opening

Scripture Reading — Acts 11:19-24

Acts chapter 11, and we're going to be reading verses 19-24. Acts 11:19-24. The title of the message is "Purpose of Heart." Purpose of Heart. Acts 11, beginning there with verse 19.

Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord. Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.

Introduction: The Problem of Failing Christians

Weaver opens by asking why many professing Christians fail to read the Bible, pray, or value preaching, contrasting them with Old Testament saints who esteemed God's Word above food and gold.

Let me give you a question to consider momentarily. Why do so many professing Christians fail in the things of God? How is it that many professing Christians do not even read their Bibles, much less study them? And for some, really and truly, the only time they ever really genuinely pray is when they get in an emergency situation, and will think about prayer until they are in desperate straits. And many today treat attendance at the house of God as something that is either painful or relatively unimportant. We do not today, generally speaking, rejoice in the preaching and the exhortation of the word of God. We do not really value it, nor do we really count it absolutely necessary. Most professing Christians today kind of view preaching as optional.

You can come, or you can not come, or you can take it, or you can leave it. Interestingly enough, as you read through the Old Testament, there were many Old Testament saints that really, genuinely valued the Word of God. For instance, Job, in Job 23:12, said this, "Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food." So Job said, I'd rather hear the words of God than to eat, or to eat a T-bone steak. I value that. I esteem His words more than my necessary food. And then David said it like this in Psalm 19:9-10. He said, "The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb." So David said that the word of God is of far greater value than gold, even fine gold. And then Jeremiah, Jeremiah 15:16 said it like this.

"Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts." So he said, thy words were found and I did eat them. They were the joy and the rejoicing of my heart. John Owen was an old Puritan, and he's known as the Prince of the Puritans, said it like this.

Barnabas Sees the Grace of God

Barnabas observed the evident fruit of God's grace in the lives of the Grecian converts at Antioch, demonstrating that true conversion always produces visible fruit.

How in the world is it possible for you to see the grace of God? And the answer is, you can see the grace of God in the lives, in the attitude, in the faith, in the action, in the conduct of the people. Now it may have taken a day or several days, maybe even a week for him to observe a lot of things, but the Bible does say that he saw the grace of God. There are two very important truths before we even get to our text that we've got to learn from verse 23. The Bible says, first of all, "Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God." The first truth is this: that God's grace always produces fruit. And that fruit is always evident in the lives of those who are converted. It is absolutely impossible for someone to be saved and transformed by the grace of God and not have fruit in their lives. The Bible says that the fruit, of course, is produced by the Holy Spirit. In Romans 8:9, the scripture said, "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." So if there's no fruit in an individual's life, then the Holy Spirit is not there. And if the Holy Spirit is not there, then the person's not a Christian.

Now, if you look in your Bibles, hold in Acts 11, but turn right over to the book of Galatians chapter 5 and begin reading there with me with verse 22. He will tell you point blank what the fruit of the Holy Spirit is. He says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." In other words, when the Holy Spirit of God is indwelling a person, to some degree there is going to be some love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. In other words, it may not be to a degree of perfection, but it's going to be there. It's kind of like our Lord said at the parable of the sower there.

Barnabas's Gladness and Exhortation

Barnabas rejoiced at God's sovereign work among the Grecians and exhorted them all, using the Greek word parakaleo, meaning to encourage, strengthen, and instruct.

Let me put it to you like this. God is absolutely sovereign. God works when he pleases, where he pleases, how he pleases, in whom he pleases, and in the places that pleases him to work. God oftentimes will work in the hearts and in the lives of people that we don't like. Do you realize there was one man in the New Testament, and you know who he is. He was undoubtedly the most loathed, despicable, lowdown, scoundrel. And if a poll had been taken in the first century of the man most likely to bust hell wide open, then Saul of Tarsus would have won it hands down. But yet God, in his mercy and grace, saved Saul who became the Apostle Paul. So God is not obligated to work where we want him to work. He works where he pleases.

The point I'm trying to make is this. Would I like to see God start a revival right here? The answer is yes. Would I like to see him add people to this study and the hearing of the Word of God? Yes. But may I point something out? If God did it in another church, in another county from here, it really wouldn't matter to me. I would just be thankful that God did it. God is not obligated just to bless us or to bless our ministry or to bless our work. He can work wherever He pleases.

And we cannot be jealous. We have to be thankful that God is working anywhere. And so since God was working there, they sent Barnabas. And if you look, if you would, in verse 23, the Bible says, "Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all." Notice, if you would, he exhorted them all. Now, Barnabas was given the opportunity to exhort. The word exhort is a very interesting word. It's actually the Greek word parakaleo, which means one that is called alongside of to help. It is the same word that is translated as comforter in our Bibles. It is the same word that is used of the Holy Spirit, what he's called the divine paraclete, which is from parakaleo. So if you look in your Bibles, hold Acts 11, go back in your Bibles to John chapter 14, and look, if you would please, at verse 26. You will see it. John 14 and verse 26. Notice what Jesus Christ says. John 14:26.

Our Lord says, "But the Comforter," there it is, parakletos,

Scripture Reading — John 14:26

"but the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

If you'll look in John chapter 15 and verse 26, you will see it again. "But when the Comforter," the parakletos, the paraclete, "is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me." So the Bible gives us this word, exhort, in Acts 11:23. He was glad and he exhorted them all. Now let me tell you what the word exhort means. It actually means to beseech, to encourage, to strengthen, to entreat, to instruct, and to teach. So Barnabas did some very able exhorting in this short passage.

Now, in all probability, this exhortation included a lot about tests and trials, tribulations, persecutions. Now, I don't know that for a fact, but I'm assuming that it did, because if you'll skip down to verse 19, Acts 11:19, "Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only." Note, if you would, he talks about the persecution that arose around Stephen. If you will turn back in your Bibles to Acts chapter 8, you will find that Stephen has been martyred. He's been murdered.

The Exhortation: Purpose of Heart to Cleave to the Lord

The crux of Barnabas's message was that they should with purpose of heart cleave unto the Lord, a fixed resolution to adhere to Christ.

Then it is still going on when you get to Acts chapter 11. And all of the disciples that were in Jerusalem were scattered, with the exception of the apostles. So we're not told everything that Barnabas exhorted these people. But we are given the crux and the highlight of his exhortation. And this is the exhortation that we need to understand and we need to apply. So look at it in verse 23. You will see this exhortation. He says, "Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord." Do you realize that one of the main graces, one of the main virtues, one of the main principles that happens to be missing in our life is what you and I would call purpose of heart? His exhortation was that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. So let me ask you, what does purpose of heart mean?

How would you describe it? Where is it? And what is it? Now you may not be able to sit there and give me a working definition of purpose of heart. But I'll guarantee you, in reality, you know what it means. I never will forget years ago, when I was in college, I had to take a voice and diction class. And one of the students in that class, I have never forgotten, he was a Japanese student. His name was Jung Ho Lee. And so during this voice and diction class, we would have to read, we would have to enunciate words, you know, like "how, now, brown, cow," this kind of thing. So we were in the class and Mr. Pratt had sent a book around and we were taking turns reading a sentence out of the book. And when it came Young Ho Lee's turn, he read this sentence.

Defining Purpose of Heart

Purpose of heart (Greek prothesis) means a firm, settled resolution, a laying down of the law to the mind regarding conduct, illustrated by the showbread that was renewed weekly.

Here's what it literally means. It means a setting forth of a thing with a firm mind. It means having a fixed and settled resolution. It means to put the mind in place. Let me say it another way. It means to lay the law down to the mind, especially in regard to present and future conduct. So when you're talking about a purpose of heart, you're talking about a single mind. You're talking about the law being laid down to your mind.

And it's going to be made evident and clear. For instance, this same word is used in connection with the showbread. The only difference is, is the Greek word artos, which is the word bread, is added to it. Prothesis artos, the showbread. The showbread refers to the 12 loaves of wheat bread that corresponded to the 12 tribes of Israel. They were loaves that were offered to God every Sabbath day. They were laid in two rows and they laid there for seven days straight in the tabernacle and later in the temple. Every Sabbath the old loaves were taken out and new loaves were placed there. Anyone could see the loaves. They were there. So when we're talking about a purpose of mind, it's going to be something that's going to be plain. It's going to be evident to us. And it's ultimately going to be evident to someone else as well. Now let me explain something about this showbread.

So many people think that, you know, once I have been saved and once I've dedicated my life to the Lord, then there's no more necessity to renew my dedication or to renew my determination. But yet you stop and think. This showbread was basically renewed every week. There was a fresh batch put out.

The Necessity of Holding Fast

Scripture repeatedly commands believers to hold fast to good, sound doctrine, and their profession of faith, which requires a determined purpose of heart.

Now, God commands us on numerous items that we are to hold fast certain things. It is impossible to hold fast in these areas without a purpose of heart. If there is no determination, there will be no holding fast. I want you to turn in your Bible, hold Acts 11. We're coming back there. But look in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 21. And then we're going to go to 2 Thessalonians. But notice 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and look, if you would please, at verse 21. I'm just going to show you some things that the word of God commands us to do. 1 Thessalonians 5, notice verse 21, the scripture says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 5:21

"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."

Hold fast. Hold fast that which is good. Whatever is good, whatever is righteous, whatever is holy, God says we better hold on to it. There must be a determination. There must be a resolution. There must be a purpose in mind to do it. Look in your Bibles to 2 Thessalonians 2 and verse 15.

2 Thessalonians 2:15.

Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 2:15

"Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle."

Now he's not talking about traditions of men. He's talking about biblical traditions. Those that have been taught by the word or by epistle. Notice if you would, he said, you stand fast and you hold these things. If you would turn right over to 2 Timothy, just a few pages over, 2 Timothy chapter 1. And look, if you would please, at verse 13. So Paul tells Timothy this: "Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." The form of sound words, of course, would refer to sound doctrine. Hold that fast. Let me point something out to you about holding fast.

I don't know how I could give you a better illustration. Everyone has seen a tug of war between two teams. Usually, they're on the opposite side of a creek, and one team's trying to pull the other team into the water. What does each team do? They each have a hold on that rope, and they're holding fast in the sense that they're using all of their strength, they're using all of their determination, all of their resolution, they're holding everything they can to keep from being pulled into that creek, and what they want to do is pull the other team in. What would happen if, say, six of the eight people on one side decided, "Well, I'm not going to hold fast"? Well, obviously, they're going to lose. They're going to be pulled in. Every time God tells us to hold fast on something, there is something somewhere trying to take advantage of us or get us to lose something or to drop something.

Look in your Bibles to Hebrews, over just a few books. Hebrews chapter 3. Look, if you would please, at verse 6. Hebrews 3:6. The Scripture says,

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 3:6

"But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end."

So what are we to do? We are to hold fast our confidence and our hope unto the end that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. Look in chapter 4 and verse 14. He says, "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession." We cannot give in or give up on the fact that Jesus Christ is God, Jesus Christ is Lord, Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. We are to hold fast. Look, if you would, to Hebrews 10 and verse 23. Hebrews 10:23. Again, he says it like this: "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)"

So God tells us we've got to hold fast our profession of faith. Two other passages. If you would look in the book of Revelation, chapter 2, and in these two passages, our Lord is speaking particularly to the churches. In Revelation 2:25, he's actually talking to the church of Thyatira, and he says this, "But that which ye have already hold fast till I come." Whatever you've got, hold on to it. Don't throw it away. Don't give in. Don't give up. Then if you look in Revelation chapter 3, and verse 3, he says to the angel of the church of Sardis, verse 3, "Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent." Now, every one of these passages, God has told us to hold fast on to something.

How do we do that? And the answer is we have to have a purpose of heart. What is a purpose of heart? A purpose of heart is a regular, fixed, determined plan or determined design in our minds that we will now and forever adhere to the Lord Jesus Christ and to His Word and to His truth. One of our greatest failures in Christendom today is when God does save someone, when there is a new convert.

Cleaving to Christ as the Vine

Using John 15, Weaver illustrates that cleaving to Christ is like a branch abiding in the vine; apart from Him we can do nothing and face withering and judgment.

I want you to look in your Bibles to John 15. John 15. And I want us to read the first 10 verses. Look in John 15 and we will begin reading there with verse 1. John 15:1. Watch carefully. Remember, I told you the word cleave means to abide in and to stay with, to hold fast to. Our Lord said, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman."

"Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love."

Now, obviously, when you look at this passage, the branch has to cleave to the vine or the branch has to cleave to the tree, ever how you want to say it. Every branch that is severed from the vine or severed from the tree withers and dies. And I don't know about you, but all of those limbs that get severed from the trees in my yard, I usually pick them up and put them in a burn pile and burn them. There is no limb, there is no branch that can bear fruit when it is separated from its life source.

Now, you're going to say, "But Brother Weaver, this is a picture." And I'm going to say, yes, it is a picture, but a picture of what? Here is a picture in John 15 of one who does not abide in Jesus Christ. He's come to the point that he thinks he does not need Jesus Christ. Well, he was never in Christ to begin with, and therefore he falls and he withers and dies, and then men gather them up, the Bible says, and cast them into the fire. Wow. Evidently, cleaving to the Lord Jesus Christ requires purpose of heart and is very, very important. Because we cannot live apart from him. He is our nourishment. He is our strength. We have to receive Jesus Christ as he's fully and freely offered in the gospel. We take him as he is presented to us and not dividing him as some people try to do. No, we have to have the whole Christ. John Trapp, the old Puritan, said it like this. Listen carefully. "It stands men upon to see that their work, though it be but mean, that is small, yet it may be clean, though not fine, yet not foul, soiled and slubbered with the slur of a rotten heart. Let them consent to take the whole Christ in all of his offices and efficacies and depart with him nevermore." Wow. Let me try to show you just a couple of very simple illustrations of purpose of heart. If you look in your Bible, Romans 1:1, here's a very simple illustration.

The Negative Side of Purpose: Separation from Sin

Cleaving to the Lord requires turning from sin and the world, as seen in Paul's separation unto the gospel and Daniel's purpose not to defile himself.

And yet at the same time, it's one that you and I must understand that every positive has a negative. Every negative has a positive. I want to deal with the purpose of heart just momentarily. But if you look at Romans 1:1, the Bible says this, "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God." Now, the Bible tells us that Paul was separated unto the gospel of God. That's the positive. So if Paul is separated unto the gospel of God, and that's the positive, then you have to ask, what is the negative? What is it that he was separated from? We know what he separated unto. He separated unto the gospel. If he separated unto the gospel, he separated from something, and that which he would be separated from would be the world, sin, error. For instance, look in your Bibles to the book of Galatians chapter 5. Galatians chapter 5. And notice if you would please verse 24. Galatians 5:24. Paul says it like this.

"And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." Then if you'll skip down to chapter 6 and verse 14, he says, "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." So, when you read "Paul, an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God," you have to ask what he was separated from. Okay? Let me give you one more simple illustration. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Daniel chapter 1. Daniel chapter 1. Everybody knows the story of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Daniel chapter 1.

Look if you would please. Daniel 1:8. "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself." Now Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as well were with Daniel on this. Daniel is purposing in his heart that he's not going to defile himself with the king's meat or the king's wine. Now, I don't know what was wrong with the king's meat. The Bible doesn't tell us. It could have been some unclean things, but it may not have been. It could have been venison. It could have been steak. It could have been lamb. It could have been goat. All of that would have been clean. But it also could have been that, although it might have been clean food, it may have been dedicated to an idol. I don't know. The Bible doesn't say.

But there was something about the king's portion that Daniel viewed would be defiling to him. So the Bible said he purposed in his heart that he was not going to defile himself. I'm not going to eat that. I'm not going to drink that. Now, I'm going to come back to this, but listen, if there is a purpose of heart and cleaving to the Lord, there also has to be some negative implications. Just like there were negative implications here in Daniel, if we with purpose of heart have to cleave unto the Lord, then we have to understand that sin and holiness do not mix. If we're cleaving unto Him, other things have to go. So I usually say it like this.

When I married Alice, 55 years ago, all the other women lost. No, you see what I'm saying? The rest of them are gone. I mean, they're not mine. Only have one. So the point I'm trying to make is this. When we cleave to the Lord, that's the positive. The negative means we have to turn our backs on anything and everything that would be contrary and against the cleaving unto the Lord.

Replacing Sin with Holiness

When we put away sin, we must replace it with that which is good and holy, girding up our minds and not fashioning ourselves after former lusts.

So it's important for you and I to know this. When Daniel purposed in his heart that he was not going to defile himself with the king's meat and the king's wine, he had to replace that with something. Did he not? And so what did he replace it with? Pulse and water. Pulse and water. That's it. Are you listening to me? Whatever is going to be put away, you have to replace it with something that is good and right and holy. You can't replace something with nothing. So if you're going to replace that which would harm you, you're going to have to replace it with something that is going to help you. Let me show you.

Turn in your Bibles to 1 Peter 1. 1 Peter 1. And let's begin reading there with verse 13. 1 Peter 1:13. Here it is. 1 Peter 1:13. "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance."

"But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." Now, watch if you would. He said in verse 13, "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind." That is, get ready to think. Get ready to lay out your plan. Get ready to purpose in your heart. Purpose in your mind. You gird up the loins of your mind, you be sober. Then he tells you in verse 14, "As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance." Now, wait a minute. An obedient child, of course, is a child that obeys.

But the fact of the matter is, each one of us have been, in times past, disobedient children. Even David. All of us. Now, here's what he said. If we're going to be girding up the loins of our mind, if we're going to have a purpose of heart, we cannot fashion ourselves according to the former lusts of our ignorance. We can't do it. We have to change. For instance, if lust happens to be my weakness, and I know that's a weakness, then I better stay away from the TV set and from movies and a lot of magazines and sometimes the beaches and whatever else that would tend to promote lust in my life. If I have trouble with drunkenness, I better stay away from the bars. I better stay away from the social clubs. In other words, if I'm going to be an obedient child, he said, "Not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance." I can't live and I can't do the way I used to. I've got to change everything now and fashion my life for holiness and fashion my life for obedience. I've got to have a plan. I've got to have a purpose.

I've got to have a determination to do this. So it should be patently obvious to you that sin and holiness do not mix. They do not go together. And moreover, he goes on to say in verse 15, "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." Wow.

So the purpose of heart is that which leads me to cleave only unto the Lord Jesus Christ, to his truth and to his word, and to turn from anything and everything that's contrary to him. Now, with purpose of heart, you're to cleave unto the Lord. Let me explain something about this. I mentioned earlier that showbread was replaced every week. I could sit here today and say, "I have purpose of heart that I'm going to stay faithful and true to the Lord Jesus Christ. I've got purpose of heart that I don't want to sin against him. I don't want to grieve him. I don't want to vex him in any way whatsoever." And that's wonderful for me to say that.

Daily Renewal of Purpose

Purpose of heart must be renewed daily, even hourly, as we face temptations, refusing sin and giving the Lord the benefit of the doubt.

But tomorrow, I face a very severe temptation. You know what I must do? I must say, with purpose of heart, I refuse that temptation. With purpose of heart, although my flesh might like that, my mind might like that, I refuse that. It's wicked. It's wrong. It's contrary to God. And I'm not going to do it. So what I'm doing, I am renewing my purpose of heart, even on a daily basis. Sometimes I might have to do it on an hourly basis. So the point being is this: once you have a purpose of heart doesn't mean that, well, I had a purpose of heart 20 years ago. No, it's going to have to be renewed, because you're going to be facing tests and trials and temptations on a daily basis.

Let me make an application or two. The first one is this. It is not sufficient to start well. One must also finish well. You don't win a race by starting it. You win the race by ending it and coming in first. So you have to finish well. There are many individuals who start out well, kind of like that grain fell in the thorny ground and on the stony ground, it sprang up immediately.

But when the sun was up, it withered away and died. 1 John 2:19 says this, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." So the proof that you're really, genuinely a child of God is that you continue in the faith, and you continue in repentance, and you continue with the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6, "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." If God started a work in you, He will finish it. Someone says, "Well, I used to be saved." No, you never were saved. Because if God starts a work in you, He will finish it. That's why the Bible says in Hebrews 12:2 that He's the author and the finisher of our faith.

There is no preservation in Jesus Christ apart from perseverance. The very fact that He gives us persevering grace demonstrates that He has preserved us in Christ. When you claim to be preserved in Christ, but you never persevere, your claim has no basis in scripture. For those whom he preserves in Jesus Christ, he enables to persevere in the faith as well. The second application is this. A distracted heart or double mind is the bane of a Christian. When you have a singleness of heart, when you have a purpose of heart and Christ is the object and His truth and His word are the jewels set before you, then you have no interest in the trash of this world. And when Christ lives in us and we see something that is tempting to us, and our flesh would come up and say, "Well, what's wrong with that?"

"What harm is there in doing this?" Well, if I'm unsure, I just better say no. I'm better be willing to give our Lord the benefit of the doubt. I've always told people if there is a question, if you're unsure, always say no. It's always easier to change a no to a yes than a yes to a no. So when in doubt, don't. Just give the Lord the benefit of doubt. So when Barnabas now is exhorting us with purpose of heart, we cleave unto the Lord.

We need to follow the counsel of the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:22, when he says, "Abstain from all appearance of evil." Give the Lord the benefit of the doubt. So what is it going to keep us going? What is it that's going to keep us straight? What is it's going to help us to live holily and righteously? It is purpose of heart. And that is what's missing today. That is why Barnabas exhorted these people that with purpose of heart, they would cleave unto the Lord. That purpose has to be laid out on a daily basis in your mind.

Applications: Perseverance and Avoiding Distraction

True believers must finish well, not just start well; a double mind is the bane of a Christian, and we must abstain from all appearance of evil.

Every morning when you wake up, after you thank God for life and health and sleep and rest and allowing you to awaken, the first thing that come to your mind is you should say, "Lord, help me today not to sin against thee, not to grieve thee, not to quench thee, not to vex thee. Help me, enable me with purpose of heart to honor and to hallow thee." We need purpose of heart to enable us to stand straight and do that which is right. Let's pray. Father, help us, we pray in the name of Jesus Christ. How desperately we ask Thee, Father, for purpose of heart, a holy determination to cleave to Thee, something, Lord, that can be renewed daily and hourly if need be, and that we would serve thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In thy name we pray. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

The Necessity of Purpose of Heart

Summary: A fixed, determined resolution to cleave to the Lord is essential for Christian growth and perseverance; without it, believers remain unstable and unfruitful.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'There will never be any growth and there will never be any maturity apart from purpose of heart.'

Cleaving to the Lord

Summary: Believers are exhorted to abide in Christ continually, as a branch in the vine, turning from all that is contrary to Him.

Evidence: The sermon centers on Acts 11:23, 'that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord,' and expounds John 15 on abiding in Christ.

The Evidence of True Conversion

Summary: Genuine salvation always produces visible fruit of the Spirit; a lack of fruit indicates the absence of the Holy Spirit and true faith.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'It is absolutely impossible for someone to be saved and transformed by the grace of God and not have fruit in their lives.'

Perseverance as Proof of Preservation

Summary: Those truly preserved by God will persevere in faith and repentance; starting well is not enough, one must finish well.

Evidence: Weaver cites 1 John 2:19 and Philippians 1:6 to argue that continuance in the faith demonstrates genuine conversion.

Separation from Sin and the World

Summary: Cleaving to Christ requires a deliberate turning away from sin, worldly lusts, and anything that would defile or distract the believer.

Evidence: Using Daniel 1:8 and Romans 1:1, Weaver emphasizes that every positive commitment to God has a negative implication of separation from evil.

The Danger of Double-Mindedness

Summary: A divided heart leads to instability in all areas of life; modern Christianity suffers from a lack of singleness of purpose.

Evidence: Weaver references James 1:8, describing the double-minded man as unstable, and applies it to the inconsistency of professing Christians.

Key Arguments

Purpose of heart is a fixed, settled resolution of the mind.

Summary: The Greek word prothesis means a firm setting forth of the mind, a law laid down for conduct, renewed regularly like the showbread.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'It means a setting forth of a thing with a firm mind. It means having a fixed and settled resolution.'

Without purpose of heart, believers cannot hold fast to God's commands.

Summary: Scripture repeatedly commands holding fast to good, sound doctrine, and profession of faith, which is impossible without determination.

Evidence: Weaver cites 1 Thessalonians 5:21, 2 Thessalonians 2:15, 2 Timothy 1:13, and Hebrews passages to show the need for holding fast.

Cleaving to Christ is abiding in Him as the true vine.

Summary: John 15 illustrates that apart from Christ, believers can do nothing and face judgment; abiding requires purpose of heart.

Evidence: Weaver reads John 15:1-10 and concludes, 'Evidently, cleaving to the Lord Jesus Christ requires purpose of heart and is very, very important.'

Purpose of heart includes turning from sin and replacing it with holiness.

Summary: Daniel purposed not to defile himself and replaced the king's food with pulse and water; believers must replace sinful habits with holy practices.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Whatever is going to be put away, you have to replace it with something that is good and right and holy.'

Purpose of heart must be renewed daily to resist temptation.

Summary: Like the showbread replaced weekly, determination must be renewed daily or even hourly when facing severe temptation.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'I am renewing my purpose of heart, even on a daily basis. Sometimes I might have to do it on an hourly basis.'

True conversion is evidenced by perseverance, not just a good start.

Summary: Those who fall away were never truly saved; God finishes the work He begins, enabling perseverance.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'If God started a work in you, He will finish it... There is no preservation in Jesus Christ apart from perseverance.'

Scripture References

Acts 11:19-24

Context: The primary text of the sermon, describing the scattering of believers, the preaching in Antioch, and Barnabas's exhortation to cleave to the Lord with purpose of heart.

Job 23:12

Context: Cited to show that Job esteemed God's words more than his necessary food, illustrating the high value Old Testament saints placed on God's Word.

Psalm 19:9-10

Context: David's declaration that God's judgments are more desirable than gold and sweeter than honey, used to contrast modern disregard for Scripture.

Jeremiah 15:16

Context: Jeremiah's words were found and eaten, becoming the joy and rejoicing of his heart, exemplifying delight in God's Word.

John 17:17

Context: Quoted within a John Owen citation: 'Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth,' emphasizing the Word as the instrument of holiness.

Acts 4:36

Context: Identifies Barnabas as a Levite from Cyprus, connecting him to the men of Cyprus and Cyrene who preached in Antioch.

Romans 8:9

Context: Used to argue that if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His; thus, fruitlessness indicates absence of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23

Context: Lists the fruit of the Spirit to show what evidence of grace looks like in a believer's life.

John 14:26

Context: Shows that the Comforter (parakletos) is the Holy Spirit, linking to the word 'exhort' (parakaleo) used of Barnabas.

John 15:26

Context: Another reference to the Comforter (parakletos) to reinforce the meaning of exhortation.

Acts 8:1-4

Context: Describes the persecution after Stephen's martyrdom and Saul's havoc, explaining why believers were scattered abroad.

James 1:8

Context: A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways, used to diagnose the inconsistency of modern Christians.

1 Thessalonians 5:21

Context: Commands to prove all things and hold fast that which is good, requiring purpose of heart.

2 Thessalonians 2:15

Context: Exhorts believers to stand fast and hold the traditions taught by word or epistle.

2 Timothy 1:13

Context: Paul tells Timothy to hold fast the form of sound words, i.e., sound doctrine.

Hebrews 3:6

Context: We are Christ's house if we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of hope firm to the end.

Hebrews 4:14

Context: Let us hold fast our profession of faith in Jesus as the great high priest.

Hebrews 10:23

Context: Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for He is faithful that promised.

Revelation 2:25

Context: Christ tells the church in Thyatira to hold fast what they have until He comes.

Revelation 3:3

Context: Christ tells the church in Sardis to remember, hold fast, and repent.

Historical References

John Owen (Puritan)

Context: Quoted as saying, 'At the word of Jehovah, we must stoop and bow down our souls before it...' emphasizing submission to Scripture.

John Trapp (Puritan)

Context: Quoted: 'It stands men upon to see that their work... may be clean... consent to take the whole Christ in all of his offices and efficacies and depart with him nevermore.'

Persecution about Stephen

Context: The scattering of believers after Stephen's martyrdom, as recorded in Acts 8, which led to the preaching in Antioch.

Saul of Tarsus's persecution

Context: Saul made havoc of the church, entering houses and imprisoning believers, causing the scattering mentioned in Acts 11.

Showbread in the Tabernacle/Temple

Context: The 12 loaves of showbread (prothesis artos) renewed every Sabbath, used as an illustration of purpose of heart needing regular renewal.

Important Quotes

There will never be any growth and there will never be any maturity apart from purpose of heart.

Significance: Summarizes the central thesis that spiritual progress is impossible without a fixed determination to cleave to the Lord.

It is absolutely impossible for someone to be saved and transformed by the grace of God and not have fruit in their lives.

Significance: Establishes the visible evidence of true conversion, countering easy-believism.

A purpose of heart is a regular, fixed, determined plan or determined design in our minds that we will now and forever adhere to the Lord Jesus Christ and to His Word and to His truth.

Significance: Provides a clear working definition of the sermon's key concept.

There is no preservation in Jesus Christ apart from perseverance.

Significance: A succinct doctrinal statement linking God's preserving grace with the believer's active perseverance.

When in doubt, don't. Just give the Lord the benefit of doubt.

Significance: Practical advice for avoiding sin by erring on the side of caution in questionable matters.

Whatever is going to be put away, you have to replace it with something that is good and right and holy. You can't replace something with nothing.

Significance: Highlights the necessity of positive replacement when turning from sin, using Daniel's pulse and water as an example.

Discussion Questions

What does it mean to have a 'purpose of heart' in your daily walk with Christ, and how can you cultivate it?

Context: Weaver defines purpose of heart as a fixed resolution and emphasizes its necessity for growth.

How can we discern whether the grace of God is evident in our lives, as Barnabas saw in the Antioch believers?

Context: The sermon states that grace always produces fruit, listing the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5.

In what areas of your life do you struggle with double-mindedness, and how does James 1:8 challenge you?

Context: Weaver diagnoses modern Christianity as double-minded and unstable, lacking singleness of purpose.

What are some practical ways to 'hold fast' to sound doctrine and your profession of faith in a culture that opposes biblical truth?

Context: Multiple Scripture passages are cited commanding believers to hold fast.

How does the illustration of the vine and branches in John 15 deepen your understanding of what it means to cleave to Christ?

Context: Weaver uses John 15 to explain abiding in Christ and the consequences of not abiding.

What 'king's meat' or defiling influences do you need to purpose in your heart to avoid, and what holy replacements can you put in their place?

Context: Daniel's example of purposing not to defile himself and replacing with pulse and water is applied.

Why is perseverance essential evidence of genuine salvation, and how does this truth affect your assurance?

Context: Weaver argues that those who fall away were never truly saved, citing 1 John 2:19 and Philippians 1:6.

What does it look like to 'give the Lord the benefit of the doubt' in areas of uncertainty, and how can this practice protect your purpose of heart?

Context: Weaver advises abstaining from all appearance of evil and saying no when in doubt.

Applications

Renew Your Purpose Daily

Summary: Each morning, purpose in your heart to honor God and avoid sin, asking for His help to cleave to Him throughout the day.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Every morning when you wake up... the first thing that come to your mind is you should say, Lord, help me today not to sin against thee.'

Replace Sinful Habits with Holy Practices

Summary: Identify areas of weakness and deliberately replace them with godly alternatives, as Daniel replaced the king's food with pulse and water.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Whatever is going to be put away, you have to replace it with something that is good and right and holy.'

Give God the Benefit of the Doubt

Summary: When uncertain whether something is sinful, abstain from it to maintain a clear conscience and avoid grieving the Lord.

Evidence: Weaver advises, 'When in doubt, don't. Just give the Lord the benefit of doubt.'

Hold Fast to Sound Doctrine

Summary: Make a determined effort to learn, retain, and adhere to biblical truth, resisting the pressure to compromise.

Evidence: Weaver cites 2 Timothy 1:13 and other passages commanding believers to hold fast the form of sound words.

Examine Your Life for Fruit

Summary: Regularly assess whether the fruit of the Spirit is evident in your life as proof of genuine conversion and abiding in Christ.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'It is absolutely impossible for someone to be saved... and not have fruit in their lives.'

Persevere in Faith and Repentance

Summary: Continue in the faith, not just starting well but finishing well, trusting that God who began a good work will complete it.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'It is not sufficient to start well. One must also finish well.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T15:43:35Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T05:34:08Z

Clean Transcript

Purpose Of Heart

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Acts chapter 11, and we're going to be reading verses 19-24. Acts 11:19-24. The title of the message is "Purpose of Heart." Purpose of Heart. Acts 11, beginning there with verse 19.
#1 | 0:05 to 0:13 | cleaned
Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.
#2 | 0:35 to 1:02 | cleaned
Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.
#3 | 1:03 to 1:30 | cleaned
Let me give you a question to consider momentarily. Why do so many professing Christians fail in the things of God? How is it that many professing Christians do not even read their Bibles, much less study them? And for some, really and truly, the only time they ever really genuinely pray is when they get in an emergency situation, and will think about prayer until they are in desperate straits. And many today treat attendance at the house of God as something that is either painful or relatively unimportant. We do not today, generally speaking, rejoice in the preaching and the exhortation of the word of God. We do not really value it, nor do we really count it absolutely necessary. Most professing Christians today kind of view preaching as optional.
#4 | 1:32 to 2:35 | cleaned
You can come, or you can not come, or you can take it, or you can leave it. Interestingly enough, as you read through the Old Testament, there were many Old Testament saints that really, genuinely valued the Word of God. For instance, Job, in Job 23:12, said this, "Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food." So Job said, I'd rather hear the words of God than to eat, or to eat a T-bone steak. I value that. I esteem His words more than my necessary food.
#5 | 2:36 to 3:21 | cleaned
And then David said it like this in Psalm 19:9-10. He said, "The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb." So David said that the word of God is of far greater value than gold, even fine gold. And then Jeremiah, Jeremiah 15:16 said it like this.
#6 | 3:21 to 3:54 | cleaned
"Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts." So he said, thy words were found and I did eat them. They were the joy and the rejoicing of my heart. John Owen was an old Puritan, and he's known as the Prince of the Puritans, said it like this.
#7 | 3:54 to 4:17 | cleaned
He said, "At the word of Jehovah, we must stoop and bow down our souls before it, and captivate our understandings to the obedience of faith. The word is that revealed will of God, which is our sanctification, and the instrument whereby he works our holiness. According to the prayer of our Savior, 'Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth'" (John 17:17). When you look at Acts chapter 11, you understand that Barnabas is the key person in this passage. He was the preacher. He was the teacher. He was exhorter.
#8 | 4:19 to 4:59 | cleaned
And I'm probably sure that he was thankful that some of the success of the gospel in this area happened to be from men from his part of the country. If you look in verse 20, the Bible said, "And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus." Men of Cyprus and Cyrene. And if you will turn back very quickly to Acts chapter 4 and look at verse 36, you will find a little bit something there concerning Barnabas. The Bible said, "And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus." So obviously, I'm sure that he was thankful that some of his own were there involved in the preaching of the gospel. But I want to call your attention to the fact of verse 23. The Bible says, "Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God." Have you ever thought about the fact that you can see the grace of God?
#9 | 4:59 to 6:19 | cleaned
How in the world is it possible for you to see the grace of God? And the answer is, you can see the grace of God in the lives, in the attitude, in the faith, in the action, in the conduct of the people.
#10 | 6:21 to 6:38 | cleaned
Now it may have taken a day or several days, maybe even a week for him to observe a lot of things, but the Bible does say that he saw the grace of God. There are two very important truths before we even get to our text that we've got to learn from verse 23. The Bible says, first of all, "Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God." The first truth is this: that God's grace always produces fruit. And that fruit is always evident in the lives of those who are converted. It is absolutely impossible for someone to be saved and transformed by the grace of God and not have fruit in their lives. The Bible says that the fruit, of course, is produced by the Holy Spirit. In Romans 8:9, the scripture said, "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." So if there's no fruit in an individual's life, then the Holy Spirit is not there. And if the Holy Spirit is not there, then the person's not a Christian.
#11 | 6:38 to 7:49 | cleaned
Now, if you look in your Bibles, hold in Acts 11, but turn right over to the book of Galatians chapter 5 and begin reading there with me with verse 22. He will tell you point blank what the fruit of the Holy Spirit is. He says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." In other words, when the Holy Spirit of God is indwelling a person, to some degree there is going to be some love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. In other words, it may not be to a degree of perfection, but it's going to be there. It's kind of like our Lord said at the parable of the sower there.
#12 | 7:50 to 8:44 | cleaned
When the good seed fell on the good ground, some brought forth thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, some an hundredfold. So there's going to be some kind of fruit. It's just that simple. So whenever God works in a person's heart, it's going to be evident. It's going to be able to be seen. The second truth is this. Look at it in verse 23. "Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad." And in other words, Barnabas is now thankful and happy and glad to see the work of God in the lives of these Grecians. They were not Jews. But they were Grecians. And he's thankful. He's glad.
#13 | 8:45 to 9:33 | cleaned
Let me put it to you like this. God is absolutely sovereign. God works when he pleases, where he pleases, how he pleases, in whom he pleases, and in the places that pleases him to work. God oftentimes will work in the hearts and in the lives of people that we don't like. Do you realize there was one man in the New Testament, and you know who he is.
#14 | 9:34 to 10:19 | cleaned
He was undoubtedly the most loathed, despicable, lowdown, scoundrel. And if a poll had been taken in the first century of the man most likely to bust hell wide open, then Saul of Tarsus would have won it hands down. But yet God, in his mercy and grace, saved Saul who became the Apostle Paul. So God is not obligated to work where we want him to work. He works where he pleases.
#15 | 10:20 to 10:55 | cleaned
The point I'm trying to make is this. Would I like to see God start a revival right here? The answer is yes. Would I like to see him add people to this study and the hearing of the Word of God? Yes. But may I point something out? If God did it in another church, in another county from here, it really wouldn't matter to me. I would just be thankful that God did it. God is not obligated just to bless us or to bless our ministry or to bless our work. He can work wherever He pleases.
#16 | 10:56 to 11:41 | cleaned
And we cannot be jealous. We have to be thankful that God is working anywhere. And so since God was working there, they sent Barnabas. And if you look, if you would, in verse 23, the Bible says, "Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all." Notice, if you would, he exhorted them all. Now, Barnabas was given the opportunity to exhort. The word exhort is a very interesting word. It's actually the Greek word parakaleo, which means one that is called alongside of to help. It is the same word that is translated as comforter in our Bibles. It is the same word that is used of the Holy Spirit, what he's called the divine paraclete, which is from parakaleo. So if you look in your Bibles, hold Acts 11, go back in your Bibles to John chapter 14, and look, if you would please, at verse 26. You will see it. John 14 and verse 26. Notice what Jesus Christ says. John 14:26.
#17 | 11:41 to 13:04 | cleaned
Our Lord says, "But the Comforter," there it is, parakletos, "but the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." If you'll look in John chapter 15 and verse 26, you will see it again. "But when the Comforter," the parakletos, the paraclete, "is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me." So the Bible gives us this word, exhort, in Acts 11:23.
#18 | 13:04 to 13:49 | cleaned
He was glad and he exhorted them all. Now let me tell you what the word exhort means. It actually means to beseech, to encourage, to strengthen, to entreat, to instruct, and to teach. So Barnabas did some very able exhorting in this short passage.
#19 | 13:49 to 14:16 | cleaned
Now, in all probability, this exhortation included a lot about tests and trials, tribulations, persecutions. Now, I don't know that for a fact, but I'm assuming that it did, because if you'll skip down to verse 19, Acts 11:19, "Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only." Note, if you would, he talks about the persecution that arose around Stephen. If you will turn back in your Bibles to Acts chapter 8, you will find that Stephen has been martyred. He's been murdered.
#20 | 14:17 to 15:04 | cleaned
And of course, they laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man by the name of Saul of Tarsus. But Saul was one of those individuals who was not content with taking the life of one of the brethren. The Bible says this, "And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word." So obviously, there has been a great persecution.
#21 | 15:04 to 16:00 | cleaned
Then it is still going on when you get to Acts chapter 11. And all of the disciples that were in Jerusalem were scattered, with the exception of the apostles. So we're not told everything that Barnabas exhorted these people. But we are given the crux and the highlight of his exhortation. And this is the exhortation that we need to understand and we need to apply. So look at it in verse 23. You will see this exhortation. He says, "Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord." Do you realize that one of the main graces, one of the main virtues, one of the main principles that happens to be missing in our life is what you and I would call purpose of heart? His exhortation was that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. So let me ask you, what does purpose of heart mean?
#22 | 16:00 to 17:12 | cleaned
How would you describe it? Where is it? And what is it?
#23 | 17:16 to 17:21 | cleaned
Now you may not be able to sit there and give me a working definition of purpose of heart. But I'll guarantee you, in reality, you know what it means. I never will forget years ago, when I was in college, I had to take a voice and diction class. And one of the students in that class, I have never forgotten, he was a Japanese student. His name was Jung Ho Lee. And so during this voice and diction class, we would have to read, we would have to enunciate words, you know, like "how, now, brown, cow," this kind of thing. So we were in the class and Mr. Pratt had sent a book around and we were taking turns reading a sentence out of the book. And when it came Young Ho Lee's turn, he read this sentence.
#24 | 17:24 to 18:24 | cleaned
"She gave me the cold shoulder." He stopped, he looked at Mr. Pratt, he said, "Mr. Pratt, what cold shoulder?" Mr. Pratt said, "Young, you know it's when you're trying to flirt with a pretty young girl and be sweet and nice to her and she just kind of goes, 'Oh,' and turns around and walks away or at least looks the other way and ignores you." I never will forget. He said, "Oh, that."
#25 | 18:25 to 19:00 | cleaned
Different culture, but he understood what it was. He did not understand the terminology. So if I say, "Can you give me a working definition of what it means to have purpose of heart?" You may not be able to give me a working definition, but you have said, and you heard other people say something like this: "He has no heart for the work of God." Or "His soul is not in this ministry. He doesn't care."
#26 | 19:03 to 19:31 | cleaned
And the truth of the matter is this. Most professing Christians today really and truly have no heart for the things of God. Stop and think. Most professing Christians are so absolutely wishy-washy, characterless, spineless, off and on, up and down, inconsistent, unstable, undependable, and unpredictable. There's no consistency in the lives of the average professing Christians. I want to show you how James describes it. I want you to hold Acts chapter 11, but look in your Bibles to the book of James chapter 1 and verse 8. Hebrews, James. Notice if you would. James chapter 1, look in verse 8. James says it like this: "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." A double minded man is unstable in all of his ways.
#27 | 19:35 to 20:43 | cleaned
The Greek word there is actually dipsuchos, dipsuchos. Literally, a double-souled man is what he's saying. It's translated double-minded, but it's someone who has two souls or two minds. It's someone who has a divided interest. It's someone who cannot be consistent. It's someone who is highly and totally unstable. He's restless. He's wavering. He's doubting. He's inconsistent. Because, obviously, he's got two souls. How could he have purpose of heart when he's double-minded? There's nothing in his life on which he has a real genuine purpose.
#28 | 20:45 to 21:31 | cleaned
Now, the truth of the matter is James 1:8 pretty well describes and nails what you and I would call modern-day Christianity. We do not have the singleness of purpose nor the singleness of heart that the early Christians had. And I would submit to you that one of the reasons that we're in such a horrible state in Christianity is because there is no purpose of heart. So I'm going to explain this purpose of heart to you. I want you to go back to verse 23. Look at it because this purpose of heart is in connection with cleaving unto the Lord. The scripture says, "Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord." So the word for purpose here is the Greek word prothesis. It is translated in our Bibles as purpose.
#29 | 21:32 to 22:42 | cleaned
Here's what it literally means. It means a setting forth of a thing with a firm mind. It means having a fixed and settled resolution. It means to put the mind in place. Let me say it another way. It means to lay the law down to the mind, especially in regard to present and future conduct. So when you're talking about a purpose of heart, you're talking about a single mind. You're talking about the law being laid down to your mind.
#30 | 22:44 to 23:24 | cleaned
And it's going to be made evident and clear. For instance, this same word is used in connection with the showbread. The only difference is, is the Greek word artos, which is the word bread, is added to it. Prothesis artos, the showbread. The showbread refers to the 12 loaves of wheat bread that corresponded to the 12 tribes of Israel. They were loaves that were offered to God every Sabbath day.
#31 | 23:27 to 24:07 | cleaned
They were laid in two rows and they laid there for seven days straight in the tabernacle and later in the temple. Every Sabbath the old loaves were taken out and new loaves were placed there. Anyone could see the loaves. They were there. So when we're talking about a purpose of mind, it's going to be something that's going to be plain. It's going to be evident to us. And it's ultimately going to be evident to someone else as well. Now let me explain something about this showbread.
#32 | 24:08 to 24:52 | cleaned
So many people think that, you know, once I have been saved and once I've dedicated my life to the Lord, then there's no more necessity to renew my dedication or to renew my determination. But yet you stop and think. This showbread was basically renewed every week. There was a fresh batch put out.
#33 | 24:54 to 25:21 | cleaned
Now, God commands us on numerous items that we are to hold fast certain things. It is impossible to hold fast in these areas without a purpose of heart. If there is no determination, there will be no holding fast. I want you to turn in your Bible, hold Acts 11. We're coming back there. But look in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 21. And then we're going to go to 2 Thessalonians. But notice 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and look, if you would please, at verse 21. I'm just going to show you some things that the word of God commands us to do. 1 Thessalonians 5, notice verse 21, the scripture says, "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." Hold fast. Hold fast that which is good. Whatever is good, whatever is righteous, whatever is holy, God says we better hold on to it. There must be a determination. There must be a resolution. There must be a purpose in mind to do it. Look in your Bibles to 2 Thessalonians 2 and verse 15.
#34 | 25:23 to 26:55 | cleaned
2 Thessalonians 2:15. "Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle." Now he's not talking about traditions of men. He's talking about biblical traditions. Those that have been taught by the word or by epistle. Notice if you would, he said, you stand fast and you hold these things. If you would turn right over to 2 Timothy, just a few pages over, 2 Timothy chapter 1. And look, if you would please, at verse 13. So Paul tells Timothy this: "Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." The form of sound words, of course, would refer to sound doctrine. Hold that fast. Let me point something out to you about holding fast.
#35 | 26:55 to 27:57 | cleaned
I don't know how I could give you a better illustration. Everyone has seen a tug of war between two teams. Usually, they're on the opposite side of a creek, and one team's trying to pull the other team into the water. What does each team do? They each have a hold on that rope, and they're holding fast in the sense that they're using all of their strength, they're using all of their determination, all of their resolution, they're holding everything they can to keep from being pulled into that creek, and what they want to do is pull the other team in. What would happen if, say, six of the eight people on one side decided, "Well, I'm not going to hold fast"? Well, obviously, they're going to lose. They're going to be pulled in. Every time God tells us to hold fast on something, there is something somewhere trying to take advantage of us or get us to lose something or to drop something.
#36 | 27:59 to 29:10 | cleaned
Look in your Bibles to Hebrews, over just a few books. Hebrews chapter 3. Look, if you would please, at verse 6. Hebrews 3:6. The Scripture says, "But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end." So what are we to do? We are to hold fast our confidence and our hope unto the end that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. Look in chapter 4 and verse 14. He says, "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession." We cannot give in or give up on the fact that Jesus Christ is God, Jesus Christ is Lord, Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. We are to hold fast. Look, if you would, to Hebrews 10 and verse 23. Hebrews 10:23. Again, he says it like this: "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)"
#37 | 29:11 to 30:33 | cleaned
So God tells us we've got to hold fast our profession of faith. Two other passages. If you would look in the book of Revelation, chapter 2, and in these two passages, our Lord is speaking particularly to the churches. In Revelation 2:25, he's actually talking to the church of Thyatira, and he says this, "But that which ye have already hold fast till I come." Whatever you've got, hold on to it. Don't throw it away. Don't give in. Don't give up. Then if you look in Revelation chapter 3, and verse 3, he says to the angel of the church of Sardis, verse 3, "Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent." Now, every one of these passages, God has told us to hold fast on to something.
#38 | 30:34 to 31:34 | cleaned
How do we do that? And the answer is we have to have a purpose of heart. What is a purpose of heart? A purpose of heart is a regular, fixed, determined plan or determined design in our minds that we will now and forever adhere to the Lord Jesus Christ and to His Word and to His truth. One of our greatest failures in Christendom today is when God does save someone, when there is a new convert.
#39 | 31:35 to 32:18 | cleaned
Very few people take them under their wings and teach them. And consequently, a lot of these young Christians wander around needlessly for several years until all of a sudden, somehow, someway, in the grace and the mercy of God, they figure out, you know, there has to be a purpose of heart in their life. There has to be a determination. Purpose of heart includes more than just the understanding. Yes, it is in our understanding. It's in our entire minds, but it also includes our will and affections as well.
#40 | 32:19 to 33:00 | cleaned
It is to be the leading principle. It is to be the strongest affection. It is to be the guiding principle of our lives that always leads us and guides us to the adherence to the Word of God. Let me put it to you like this. There will never be any growth and there will never be any maturity apart from purpose of heart. It just will not work. If you do not have purpose of heart to study, if you do not have purpose of heart to pray, if you do not have purpose of heart to be faithful, there's no way in the world anyone is ever going to mature in the faith.
#41 | 33:01 to 33:40 | cleaned
Now, I want you to look back in Acts 11:23. I want you to see what Barnabas is exhorting these people to do. The Bible says, "Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord." So the word cleave is the Greek word prosmeno. It means to continue with, to abide fast with, to tarry with, to stay with, and to hold fast unto. We understand what the word cleave means. The Hebrew word is used. In the Old Testament, I have not looked up the Septuagint, what the Greek word would be, but "man shall leave his father and mother and shall cleave unto his wife." Once he marries her, he is to stay with her, to tarry with her, to abide with her, to live with her. So once you cleave to the Lord, it means, of course, that you are indeed forsaking everything that's contrary to Him. Now, let me show you one good illustration of what it means with purpose of heart to cleave unto the Lord.
#42 | 33:41 to 35:26 | cleaned
I want you to look in your Bibles to John 15. John 15. And I want us to read the first 10 verses. Look in John 15 and we will begin reading there with verse 1. John 15:1. Watch carefully. Remember, I told you the word cleave means to abide in and to stay with, to hold fast to. Our Lord said, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman."
#43 | 35:26 to 36:00 | cleaned
"Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit."
#44 | 36:01 to 36:09 | cleaned
"Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love."
#45 | 36:10 to 37:10 | cleaned
Now, obviously, when you look at this passage, the branch has to cleave to the vine or the branch has to cleave to the tree, ever how you want to say it. Every branch that is severed from the vine or severed from the tree withers and dies. And I don't know about you, but all of those limbs that get severed from the trees in my yard, I usually pick them up and put them in a burn pile and burn them. There is no limb, there is no branch that can bear fruit when it is separated from its life source.
#46 | 37:11 to 38:03 | cleaned
Now, you're going to say, "But Brother Weaver, this is a picture." And I'm going to say, yes, it is a picture, but a picture of what? Here is a picture in John 15 of one who does not abide in Jesus Christ. He's come to the point that he thinks he does not need Jesus Christ. Well, he was never in Christ to begin with, and therefore he falls and he withers and dies, and then men gather them up, the Bible says, and cast them into the fire. Wow. Evidently, cleaving to the Lord Jesus Christ requires purpose of heart and is very, very important.
#47 | 38:05 to 38:52 | cleaned
Because we cannot live apart from him. He is our nourishment. He is our strength. We have to receive Jesus Christ as he's fully and freely offered in the gospel. We take him as he is presented to us and not dividing him as some people try to do. No, we have to have the whole Christ. John Trapp, the old Puritan, said it like this. Listen carefully. "It stands men upon to see that their work, though it be but mean, that is small, yet it may be clean, though not fine, yet not foul, soiled and slubbered with the slur of a rotten heart. Let them consent to take the whole Christ in all of his offices and efficacies and depart with him nevermore." Wow. Let me try to show you just a couple of very simple illustrations of purpose of heart. If you look in your Bible, Romans 1:1, here's a very simple illustration.
#48 | 38:52 to 40:04 | cleaned
And yet at the same time, it's one that you and I must understand that every positive has a negative. Every negative has a positive. I want to deal with the purpose of heart just momentarily. But if you look at Romans 1:1, the Bible says this, "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God." Now, the Bible tells us that Paul was separated unto the gospel of God. That's the positive. So if Paul is separated unto the gospel of God, and that's the positive, then you have to ask, what is the negative? What is it that he was separated from? We know what he separated unto. He separated unto the gospel. If he separated unto the gospel, he separated from something, and that which he would be separated from would be the world, sin, error. For instance, look in your Bibles to the book of Galatians chapter 5. Galatians chapter 5. And notice if you would please verse 24. Galatians 5:24. Paul says it like this.
#49 | 40:05 to 41:40 | cleaned
"And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." Then if you'll skip down to chapter 6 and verse 14, he says, "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." So, when you read "Paul, an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God," you have to ask what he was separated from. Okay?
#50 | 41:41 to 42:13 | cleaned
Let me give you one more simple illustration. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Daniel chapter 1. Daniel chapter 1. Everybody knows the story of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Daniel chapter 1.
#51 | 42:16 to 42:45 | cleaned
Look if you would please. Daniel 1:8. "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself." Now Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as well were with Daniel on this. Daniel is purposing in his heart that he's not going to defile himself with the king's meat or the king's wine. Now, I don't know what was wrong with the king's meat.
#52 | 42:55 to 43:38 | cleaned
The Bible doesn't tell us. It could have been some unclean things, but it may not have been. It could have been venison. It could have been steak. It could have been lamb. It could have been goat. All of that would have been clean. But it also could have been that, although it might have been clean food, it may have been dedicated to an idol. I don't know. The Bible doesn't say.
#53 | 43:39 to 44:06 | cleaned
But there was something about the king's portion that Daniel viewed would be defiling to him. So the Bible said he purposed in his heart that he was not going to defile himself. I'm not going to eat that. I'm not going to drink that. Now, I'm going to come back to this, but listen, if there is a purpose of heart and cleaving to the Lord, there also has to be some negative implications. Just like there were negative implications here in Daniel, if we with purpose of heart have to cleave unto the Lord, then we have to understand that sin and holiness do not mix. If we're cleaving unto Him, other things have to go. So I usually say it like this.
#54 | 44:06 to 45:14 | cleaned
When I married Alice, 55 years ago, all the other women lost. No, you see what I'm saying? The rest of them are gone. I mean, they're not mine. Only have one. So the point I'm trying to make is this. When we cleave to the Lord, that's the positive. The negative means we have to turn our backs on anything and everything that would be contrary and against the cleaving unto the Lord.
#55 | 45:15 to 45:59 | cleaned
For instance, most, well, not most, everyone has weaknesses. Everyone. You say, "I don't have a weakness." That's yours, pride. Everybody has a weakness. Our flesh is weak. The spirit indeed is willing, our Lord said, but the flesh is weak. Everybody has a predominant sin or fleshly desire. So if we are going to cleave to the Lord with purpose of heart, that means we've got to be particularly careful in the area of our predominant sin or specifically in that area in which we are weak. For instance, in Amos 5:15, God said, "Hate the evil, and love the good." You can't love the good without hating the evil. You can't cleave to the Lord without hating anything and everything that would destroy that cleaving. So there has to be negative implications as well.
#56 | 45:59 to 47:03 | cleaned
So it's important for you and I to know this. When Daniel purposed in his heart that he was not going to defile himself with the king's meat and the king's wine, he had to replace that with something. Did he not? And so what did he replace it with? Pulse and water. Pulse and water. That's it. Are you listening to me? Whatever is going to be put away, you have to replace it with something that is good and right and holy. You can't replace something with nothing. So if you're going to replace that which would harm you, you're going to have to replace it with something that is going to help you. Let me show you.
#57 | 47:04 to 48:08 | cleaned
Turn in your Bibles to 1 Peter 1. 1 Peter 1. And let's begin reading there with verse 13. 1 Peter 1:13. Here it is. 1 Peter 1:13. "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance."
#58 | 48:08 to 48:47 | cleaned
"But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."
#59 | 48:48 to 48:55 | cleaned
Now, watch if you would. He said in verse 13, "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind." That is, get ready to think. Get ready to lay out your plan. Get ready to purpose in your heart. Purpose in your mind. You gird up the loins of your mind, you be sober. Then he tells you in verse 14, "As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance." Now, wait a minute. An obedient child, of course, is a child that obeys.
#60 | 48:55 to 49:33 | cleaned
But the fact of the matter is, each one of us have been, in times past, disobedient children. Even David. All of us.
#61 | 49:35 to 49:51 | cleaned
Now, here's what he said. If we're going to be girding up the loins of our mind, if we're going to have a purpose of heart, we cannot fashion ourselves according to the former lusts of our ignorance. We can't do it. We have to change. For instance, if lust happens to be my weakness, and I know that's a weakness, then I better stay away from the TV set and from movies and a lot of magazines and sometimes the beaches and whatever else that would tend to promote lust in my life. If I have trouble with drunkenness, I better stay away from the bars. I better stay away from the social clubs. In other words, if I'm going to be an obedient child, he said, "Not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance." I can't live and I can't do the way I used to. I've got to change everything now and fashion my life for holiness and fashion my life for obedience. I've got to have a plan. I've got to have a purpose.
#62 | 49:53 to 51:10 | cleaned
I've got to have a determination to do this. So it should be patently obvious to you that sin and holiness do not mix. They do not go together. And moreover, he goes on to say in verse 15, "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." Wow.
#63 | 51:11 to 51:35 | cleaned
So the purpose of heart is that which leads me to cleave only unto the Lord Jesus Christ, to his truth and to his word, and to turn from anything and everything that's contrary to him. Now, with purpose of heart, you're to cleave unto the Lord. Let me explain something about this. I mentioned earlier that showbread was replaced every week. I could sit here today and say, "I have purpose of heart that I'm going to stay faithful and true to the Lord Jesus Christ. I've got purpose of heart that I don't want to sin against him. I don't want to grieve him. I don't want to vex him in any way whatsoever." And that's wonderful for me to say that.
#64 | 51:36 to 52:30 | cleaned
But tomorrow, I face a very severe temptation. You know what I must do? I must say, with purpose of heart, I refuse that temptation. With purpose of heart, although my flesh might like that, my mind might like that, I refuse that. It's wicked. It's wrong. It's contrary to God. And I'm not going to do it. So what I'm doing, I am renewing my purpose of heart, even on a daily basis. Sometimes I might have to do it on an hourly basis. So the point being is this: once you have a purpose of heart doesn't mean that, well, I had a purpose of heart 20 years ago. No, it's going to have to be renewed, because you're going to be facing tests and trials and temptations on a daily basis.
#65 | 52:32 to 53:29 | cleaned
Let me make an application or two. The first one is this. It is not sufficient to start well. One must also finish well. You don't win a race by starting it. You win the race by ending it and coming in first. So you have to finish well. There are many individuals who start out well, kind of like that grain fell in the thorny ground and on the stony ground, it sprang up immediately.
#66 | 53:31 to 54:08 | cleaned
But when the sun was up, it withered away and died. 1 John 2:19 says this, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." So the proof that you're really, genuinely a child of God is that you continue in the faith, and you continue in repentance, and you continue with the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6, "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." If God started a work in you, He will finish it. Someone says, "Well, I used to be saved." No, you never were saved. Because if God starts a work in you, He will finish it. That's why the Bible says in Hebrews 12:2 that He's the author and the finisher of our faith.
#67 | 54:09 to 55:07 | cleaned
There is no preservation in Jesus Christ apart from perseverance. The very fact that He gives us persevering grace demonstrates that He has preserved us in Christ. When you claim to be preserved in Christ, but you never persevere, your claim has no basis in scripture. For those whom he preserves in Jesus Christ, he enables to persevere in the faith as well. The second application is this. A distracted heart or double mind is the bane of a Christian. When you have a singleness of heart, when you have a purpose of heart and Christ is the object and His truth and His word are the jewels set before you, then you have no interest in the trash of this world. And when Christ lives in us and we see something that is tempting to us, and our flesh would come up and say, "Well, what's wrong with that?"
#68 | 55:10 to 56:27 | cleaned
"What harm is there in doing this?" Well, if I'm unsure, I just better say no. I'm better be willing to give our Lord the benefit of the doubt. I've always told people if there is a question, if you're unsure, always say no. It's always easier to change a no to a yes than a yes to a no. So when in doubt, don't. Just give the Lord the benefit of doubt. So when Barnabas now is exhorting us with purpose of heart, we cleave unto the Lord.
#69 | 56:28 to 57:10 | cleaned
We need to follow the counsel of the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:22, when he says, "Abstain from all appearance of evil." Give the Lord the benefit of the doubt. So what is it going to keep us going? What is it that's going to keep us straight? What is it's going to help us to live holily and righteously? It is purpose of heart. And that is what's missing today. That is why Barnabas exhorted these people that with purpose of heart, they would cleave unto the Lord. That purpose has to be laid out on a daily basis in your mind.
#70 | 57:10 to 57:53 | cleaned
Every morning when you wake up, after you thank God for life and health and sleep and rest and allowing you to awaken, the first thing that come to your mind is you should say, "Lord, help me today not to sin against thee, not to grieve thee, not to quench thee, not to vex thee. Help me, enable me with purpose of heart to honor and to hallow thee." We need purpose of heart to enable us to stand straight and do that which is right. Let's pray. Father, help us, we pray in the name of Jesus Christ. How desperately we ask Thee, Father, for purpose of heart, a holy determination to cleave to Thee, something, Lord, that can be renewed daily and hourly if need be, and that we would serve thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In thy name we pray. Amen.
#71 | 57:57 to 59:04 | cleaned
♪ ♪
#72 | 59:19 to 59:19 | cleaned

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T15:43:35Z

Purpose Of Heart

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

Pastor John Weaver examines Acts 11:19-24, focusing on Barnabas's exhortation that believers should 'with purpose of heart cleave unto the Lord.' He diagnoses the failure of many professing Christians as a lack of fixed, determined resolution to adhere to Christ and His Word. The sermon defines 'purpose of heart' as a settled, single-minded plan to hold fast to the Lord, requiring daily renewal and a turning away from sin. Applications emphasize perseverance, avoiding distraction, and giving God the benefit of the doubt in doubtful matters.

Opening

Scripture Reading — Acts 11:19-24

Acts chapter 11, and we're going to be reading verses 19-24. Acts 11:19-24. The title of the message is "Purpose of Heart." Purpose of Heart. Acts 11, beginning there with verse 19.

Introduction: The Problem of Failing Christians

Weaver opens by asking why many professing Christians fail to read the Bible, pray, or value preaching, contrasting them with Old Testament saints who esteemed God's Word above food and gold.

Barnabas Sees the Grace of God

Barnabas observed the evident fruit of God's grace in the lives of the Grecian converts at Antioch, demonstrating that true conversion always produces visible fruit.

Barnabas's Gladness and Exhortation

Barnabas rejoiced at God's sovereign work among the Grecians and exhorted them all, using the Greek word parakaleo, meaning to encourage, strengthen, and instruct.

Our Lord says, "But the Comforter," there it is, parakletos,

Scripture Reading — John 14:26

"but the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

The Exhortation: Purpose of Heart to Cleave to the Lord

The crux of Barnabas's message was that they should with purpose of heart cleave unto the Lord, a fixed resolution to adhere to Christ.

Defining Purpose of Heart

Purpose of heart (Greek prothesis) means a firm, settled resolution, a laying down of the law to the mind regarding conduct, illustrated by the showbread that was renewed weekly.

The Necessity of Holding Fast

Scripture repeatedly commands believers to hold fast to good, sound doctrine, and their profession of faith, which requires a determined purpose of heart.

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 5:21

"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."

2 Thessalonians 2:15.

Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 2:15

"Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle."

Look in your Bibles to Hebrews, over just a few books. Hebrews chapter 3. Look, if you would please, at verse 6. Hebrews 3:6. The Scripture says,

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 3:6

"But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end."

Cleaving to Christ as the Vine

Using John 15, Weaver illustrates that cleaving to Christ is like a branch abiding in the vine; apart from Him we can do nothing and face withering and judgment.

The Negative Side of Purpose: Separation from Sin

Cleaving to the Lord requires turning from sin and the world, as seen in Paul's separation unto the gospel and Daniel's purpose not to defile himself.

Replacing Sin with Holiness

When we put away sin, we must replace it with that which is good and holy, girding up our minds and not fashioning ourselves after former lusts.

Daily Renewal of Purpose

Purpose of heart must be renewed daily, even hourly, as we face temptations, refusing sin and giving the Lord the benefit of the doubt.

Applications: Perseverance and Avoiding Distraction

True believers must finish well, not just start well; a double mind is the bane of a Christian, and we must abstain from all appearance of evil.

Purpose Of Heart

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	Cf9FaVSGiyU
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Revelation: Christ and the Churches
Genre	Sermon
Date	2018-11-19
Dictation Name
Book	Book 139: Revelation: Christ and the Churches — Chapter 19
Source Timed Segments	72

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Problem of Failing Christians: Weaver opens by asking why many professing Christians fail to read the Bible, pray, or value preaching, contrasting them with Old Testament saints who esteemed God's Word above food and gold.
Barnabas Sees the Grace of God: Barnabas observed the evident fruit of God's grace in the lives of the Grecian converts at Antioch, demonstrating that true conversion always produces visible fruit.
Barnabas's Gladness and Exhortation: Barnabas rejoiced at God's sovereign work among the Grecians and exhorted them all, using the Greek word parakaleo, meaning to encourage, strengthen, and instruct.
The Exhortation: Purpose of Heart to Cleave to the Lord: The crux of Barnabas's message was that they should with purpose of heart cleave unto the Lord, a fixed resolution to adhere to Christ.
Defining Purpose of Heart: Purpose of heart (Greek prothesis) means a firm, settled resolution, a laying down of the law to the mind regarding conduct, illustrated by the showbread that was renewed weekly.
The Necessity of Holding Fast: Scripture repeatedly commands believers to hold fast to good, sound doctrine, and their profession of faith, which requires a determined purpose of heart.
Cleaving to Christ as the Vine: Using John 15, Weaver illustrates that cleaving to Christ is like a branch abiding in the vine; apart from Him we can do nothing and face withering and judgment.
The Negative Side of Purpose: Separation from Sin: Cleaving to the Lord requires turning from sin and the world, as seen in Paul's separation unto the gospel and Daniel's purpose not to defile himself.
Replacing Sin with Holiness: When we put away sin, we must replace it with that which is good and holy, girding up our minds and not fashioning ourselves after former lusts.
Daily Renewal of Purpose: Purpose of heart must be renewed daily, even hourly, as we face temptations, refusing sin and giving the Lord the benefit of the doubt.
Applications: Perseverance and Avoiding Distraction: True believers must finish well, not just start well; a double mind is the bane of a Christian, and we must abstain from all appearance of evil.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Purpose of heart is a fixed, settled resolution of the mind.

The Greek word prothesis means a firm setting forth of the mind, a law laid down for conduct, renewed regularly like the showbread.

Weaver explains, 'It means a setting forth of a thing with a firm mind. It means having a fixed and settled resolution.'

Without purpose of heart, believers cannot hold fast to God's commands.

Scripture repeatedly commands holding fast to good, sound doctrine, and profession of faith, which is impossible without determination.

Weaver cites 1 Thessalonians 5:21, 2 Thessalonians 2:15, 2 Timothy 1:13, and Hebrews passages to show the need for holding fast.

Cleaving to Christ is abiding in Him as the true vine.

John 15 illustrates that apart from Christ, believers can do nothing and face judgment; abiding requires purpose of heart.

Weaver reads John 15:1-10 and concludes, 'Evidently, cleaving to the Lord Jesus Christ requires purpose of heart and is very, very important.'

Purpose of heart includes turning from sin and replacing it with holiness.

Daniel purposed not to defile himself and replaced the king's food with pulse and water; believers must replace sinful habits with holy practices.

Weaver says, 'Whatever is going to be put away, you have to replace it with something that is good and right and holy.'

Purpose of heart must be renewed daily to resist temptation.

Like the showbread replaced weekly, determination must be renewed daily or even hourly when facing severe temptation.

Weaver states, 'I am renewing my purpose of heart, even on a daily basis. Sometimes I might have to do it on an hourly basis.'

True conversion is evidenced by perseverance, not just a good start.

Those who fall away were never truly saved; God finishes the work He begins, enabling perseverance.

Weaver says, 'If God started a work in you, He will finish it... There is no preservation in Jesus Christ apart from perseverance.'

Scripture References

Acts 11:19-24: The primary text of the sermon, describing the scattering of believers, the preaching in Antioch, and Barnabas's exhortation to cleave to the Lord with purpose of heart.
Job 23:12: Cited to show that Job esteemed God's words more than his necessary food, illustrating the high value Old Testament saints placed on God's Word.
Psalm 19:9-10: David's declaration that God's judgments are more desirable than gold and sweeter than honey, used to contrast modern disregard for Scripture.
Jeremiah 15:16: Jeremiah's words were found and eaten, becoming the joy and rejoicing of his heart, exemplifying delight in God's Word.
John 17:17: Quoted within a John Owen citation: 'Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth,' emphasizing the Word as the instrument of holiness.
Acts 4:36: Identifies Barnabas as a Levite from Cyprus, connecting him to the men of Cyprus and Cyrene who preached in Antioch.
Romans 8:9: Used to argue that if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His; thus, fruitlessness indicates absence of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23: Lists the fruit of the Spirit to show what evidence of grace looks like in a believer's life.
John 14:26: Shows that the Comforter (parakletos) is the Holy Spirit, linking to the word 'exhort' (parakaleo) used of Barnabas.
John 15:26: Another reference to the Comforter (parakletos) to reinforce the meaning of exhortation.
Acts 8:1-4: Describes the persecution after Stephen's martyrdom and Saul's havoc, explaining why believers were scattered abroad.
James 1:8: A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways, used to diagnose the inconsistency of modern Christians.
1 Thessalonians 5:21: Commands to prove all things and hold fast that which is good, requiring purpose of heart.
2 Thessalonians 2:15: Exhorts believers to stand fast and hold the traditions taught by word or epistle.
2 Timothy 1:13: Paul tells Timothy to hold fast the form of sound words, i.e., sound doctrine.
Hebrews 3:6: We are Christ's house if we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of hope firm to the end.
Hebrews 4:14: Let us hold fast our profession of faith in Jesus as the great high priest.
Hebrews 10:23: Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for He is faithful that promised.
Revelation 2:25: Christ tells the church in Thyatira to hold fast what they have until He comes.
Revelation 3:3: Christ tells the church in Sardis to remember, hold fast, and repent.

Historical References

John Owen (Puritan): Quoted as saying, 'At the word of Jehovah, we must stoop and bow down our souls before it...' emphasizing submission to Scripture.
John Trapp (Puritan): Quoted: 'It stands men upon to see that their work... may be clean... consent to take the whole Christ in all of his offices and efficacies and depart with him nevermore.'
Persecution about Stephen: The scattering of believers after Stephen's martyrdom, as recorded in Acts 8, which led to the preaching in Antioch.
Saul of Tarsus's persecution: Saul made havoc of the church, entering houses and imprisoning believers, causing the scattering mentioned in Acts 11.
Showbread in the Tabernacle/Temple: The 12 loaves of showbread (prothesis artos) renewed every Sabbath, used as an illustration of purpose of heart needing regular renewal.

Important Quotes

There will never be any growth and there will never be any maturity apart from purpose of heart.

Summarizes the central thesis that spiritual progress is impossible without a fixed determination to cleave to the Lord.

It is absolutely impossible for someone to be saved and transformed by the grace of God and not have fruit in their lives.

Establishes the visible evidence of true conversion, countering easy-believism.

A purpose of heart is a regular, fixed, determined plan or determined design in our minds that we will now and forever adhere to the Lord Jesus Christ and to His Word and to His truth.

Provides a clear working definition of the sermon's key concept.

There is no preservation in Jesus Christ apart from perseverance.

A succinct doctrinal statement linking God's preserving grace with the believer's active perseverance.

When in doubt, don't. Just give the Lord the benefit of doubt.

Practical advice for avoiding sin by erring on the side of caution in questionable matters.

Whatever is going to be put away, you have to replace it with something that is good and right and holy. You can't replace something with nothing.

Highlights the necessity of positive replacement when turning from sin, using Daniel's pulse and water as an example.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

What does it mean to have a 'purpose of heart' in your daily walk with Christ, and how can you cultivate it?

[Context]

Weaver defines purpose of heart as a fixed resolution and emphasizes its necessity for growth.

[Question]

How can we discern whether the grace of God is evident in our lives, as Barnabas saw in the Antioch believers?

[Context]

The sermon states that grace always produces fruit, listing the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5.

[Question]

In what areas of your life do you struggle with double-mindedness, and how does James 1:8 challenge you?

[Context]

Weaver diagnoses modern Christianity as double-minded and unstable, lacking singleness of purpose.

[Question]

What are some practical ways to 'hold fast' to sound doctrine and your profession of faith in a culture that opposes biblical truth?

[Context]

Multiple Scripture passages are cited commanding believers to hold fast.

[Question]

How does the illustration of the vine and branches in John 15 deepen your understanding of what it means to cleave to Christ?

[Context]

Weaver uses John 15 to explain abiding in Christ and the consequences of not abiding.

[Question]

What 'king's meat' or defiling influences do you need to purpose in your heart to avoid, and what holy replacements can you put in their place?

[Context]

Daniel's example of purposing not to defile himself and replacing with pulse and water is applied.

[Question]

Why is perseverance essential evidence of genuine salvation, and how does this truth affect your assurance?

[Context]

Weaver argues that those who fall away were never truly saved, citing 1 John 2:19 and Philippians 1:6.

[Question]

What does it look like to 'give the Lord the benefit of the doubt' in areas of uncertainty, and how can this practice protect your purpose of heart?

[Context]

Weaver advises abstaining from all appearance of evil and saying no when in doubt.

Applications

Format deepseek deepseek-v4-pro structured study JSON | Source Commentary.net transcript enrichment

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T05:34:08Z