The Heart of the Problem

Sermon preached by Matthew DelValle on February 8, 2026 at First Baptist Church in Delphi, Indiana. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠First Baptist Church⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is an evangelical church in Delphi, Indiana helping people find and follow Jesus. Our mission is to declare God's truth, disciple God's people, delight in God's Son, and display God's glory. Join us for Sunday Worship at 10:30am. Sunday School begins at 9:30am. We gather at 103 S. Indiana Street, Delphi, Indiana 46923.

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Introduction

Big Idea: Our greatest problem is not unclean hands but a corrupt heart.

1. A Truth That Confronts the Crowd [Mt. 15:10–11]

A. A Call to Hear with Understanding [Mt. 15:10]

B. A Clarification of True Defilement [Mt. 15:11]

2. A Warning That Exposes the Pharisees [Mt. 15:12–14]

A. The Certainty of Judgment on Man-Made Religion [Mt. 15:13]

B. The Reality of Blindness in Man-Made Leaders [Mt. 15:14a]

C. The Inevitability of Ruin for Their Followers [Mt. 15:14b]

3. A Heart That Defiles the Person [Mt. 15:15–20]

A. The Difficulty of Receiving Jesus’s Teaching [Mt. 15:15–16]

B. The Direction of Jesus’s Explanation [Mt. 15:17–19]

1) Defilement Does Not Originate in the Body [Mt. 15:17]

2) Defilement Originates in the Heart [Mt. 15:18–19]

i. Evil Thoughts and Desires

ii. Evil Words and Deeds

C. The Definitiveness of Jesus’s Verdict [Mt. 15:20]

Conclusion