The Root Cause and the Cure is a sermon teaching us that we have a heart problem and that outward appearances are not as important as the condition of our heart. In today’s news, we hear about awful things people do to each other and we are aghast. But this has been going on for at least 5,000 years. How can people be so uncaring about those they kill, those they maim, those families who have to deal with the results of their sin? How can anybody be like that?

The biggest problem we have is a sin problem and the bible teaches the wages of sin is death. If we never sinned we’d never die but because we sinned we die and get sick. We’ve always needed the bible and the words of Jesus to guide our lives. To understand the bible, we need to learn it as a whole. We need it all, especially the Words of Jesus. In times of heartache, pain, and confusion, we need to turn to Jesus. He knows what you need, just listen to Him.

In Matthew 15, the Pharisees were offended by Jesus’ words. They felt that a good outward appearance is good enough for the people and God. Jesus knew they were offended by His words. Generally speaking, we should live peaceably with all people and should not delight in offending and hurting them. It’s a pride problem. There are times people won’t let you be peaceable with them. Just do your best to be peaceable. The Pharisees were offended at the Word of the Lord. We must speak the truth in love and not as a weapon to reach souls for Christ.

Nobody likes to have their sin revealed. That’s what happened with the Pharisees who were more concerned about their outward look than their spiritual condition. We need to confess our sins to God. Jesus called them blind leaders of the blind. They were deceivers who deceived others who receive it as truth and then spread it to others.

God uses people to bring things through. God set up certain absolutes in the universe that will never change. Think in concrete terms and loyally read the bible. The bible will make sense to you if you take the time to read God’s Word.

Jesus asks Peter if he was not thinking through what He said about the blind leading the blind. He explained that things coming out of the heart are what make the man, such as, the best outward impression. We need to look like good Christians for others but what you look like is not as important as what is in your heart. Be careful to not judge by outward appearances. It is far more important to look at the heart. Those things that are from the heart are the fruit of the heart — what comes from the inside.

Every evil action comes from an evil thought. People think up evil thoughts that come from the heart. People plant it and carry it out. Evil thoughts produce murder, adultery, fornication, thefts, liars, and blasphemy. We live in an age of blasphemy where “Jesus Christ” is considered a curse word.

Jesus teaches us we need a new heart. We get the heart transplant by accepting Jesus who paid the penalty of sin by dying on the cross. We see the outside but God sees the heart. Wisdom without a wise heart leads to conceit and self-centeredness. If you do evil to someone you don’t love them. We need to get things right with God. He doesn’t punish us when we have wandered from Him. The cure for the heart disease is to give the Lord Jesus our heart. Ask for forgiveness and He will change your life completely because He gives a new heart.

The Root Cause and the Cure sermon starts with verses from Matthew 15:21-19:

¹² Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?

¹³ But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.

¹⁴ Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

¹⁵ Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.

¹⁶ And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?

¹⁷ Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?

¹⁸ But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.

¹⁹ For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

Psalms 139:1-24:

¹ (To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.) O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.

² Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

³ Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

⁴ For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

⁵ Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

⁷ Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

⁸ If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

⁹ If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

¹⁰ Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

¹¹ If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.

¹² Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

¹³ For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.

¹⁴ I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

¹⁵ My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

¹⁶ Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

¹⁷ How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

¹⁸ If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

¹⁹ Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.

²⁰ For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.

²¹ Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?

²² I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

²⁴ And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Jeremiah 17:9-10:

⁹ The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

¹⁰ I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

I Samuel 10:9:

⁹ And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all hose signs came to pass that day.

I Samuel 16:7:

⁷ But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

Psalms 139:23-24:

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

²⁴ And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Ezekiel 11:17-21

¹⁷ Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.

¹⁸ And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.

¹⁹ And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

²⁰ That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

²¹ But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD.

Romans 10:9-10:

⁹ That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

¹⁰ For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

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