Spiritual Heart Attacks

OCTOBER 20TH, 2002
THERE IS A WAR BEING FOUGHT IN THE WORLD TODAY …..
-IT’S A SUPERNATURAL WAR
-A WAR FOUGHT BETWEEN GOD AND SATAN
-BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL
-THAT WAR IS BEING FOUGHT FOR THE HEARTS OF MEN AND WOMEN !

ONE SIDE WANTS TO MAKE YOUR HEART SOFT
-THE OTHER SIDE WANTS TO MAKE YOUR HEART HARD
ONE SIDE WANTS TO FILL YOUR HEART WITH JOY AND LOVE AND PEACE
-THE OTHER SIDE WANTS TO FILL YOUR HEART WITH PAIN
ONE SIDE WANTS TO PROTECT YOUR HEART
-THE OTHER SIDE WANTS TO ATTACK YOUR HEART

THAT’S THE REASON I’VE TITLED TODAY’S MESSAGE “HEART ATTACKS”
-EVERY HEART HERE TODAY IS VULNERABLE TO ATTACK

WHY THIS BATTLE …..
-BECAUSE …..

Proverbs 27:19
19 As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.


Proverbs 16:9
9 In his heart a man plans his course …..
-THE COURSE OUR LIVES TAKE WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE CONDITION OF OUR HEARTS ! ! !
-IT’S IN OUR HEARTS THAT WE DETERMINE …..
-WHO WE WILL LIVE FOR
-WHO WE WILL SERVE
-WHO WE WILL LOVE
-WILL IT BE THE GOD OF HEAVEN
-OR THE GOD OF THIS WORLD

-THAT’S WHY THE BIBLE MENTIONS THE HEART 779 TIMES !

TODAY CAN BE A VERY IMPORTANT DAY IN YOUR LIFE
-IF YOU WILL SAY WHAT KING DAVID SAID IN PSALM 86 (TURN THERE)
Psalm 86:11-12
11 Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. 12 I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.

BUT FIRST, LET’S PRAY …..


WE ARE ALL FAMILIAR WITH HEART ATTACKS …..
-HEART RELATED DEATHS ARE THE #1 CAUSE OF DEATH IN AMERICA
-MORE THAN CANCER
-MORE THAN AIDS
-MORE THAN CRIME AND TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS
-AND WHEN HEART AILMENTS DON’T KILL …..
-THEY INJURE
-THEY DEBILITATE
-THEY ALTER OUR LIVES

HOW IRONIC …..
-THE VERY INSTRUMENT OF LIFE IS THE CAUSE OF DEATH FOR MILLIONS OF AMERICANS

AND THOUGH ONLY A MINORITY OF PEOPLE SUFFER “PHYSICAL” HEART ATTACKS …..
-WE ALL ARE VICTIMS OF “SPIRITUAL” HEART ATTACKS ! ! !
-AND THEY CAN BE ETERNALLY FATAL ! ! ! ! !





IF WE WERE HONEST …..
-MANY OF US WOULD SAY WHAT THE PSALMIST SAID …..

Psalm 25:17
17 The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish.

Psalm 40:12
12 For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me.

WHY IS AN UNHEALTHY HEART SO DANGEROUS …..
TURN TO MARK 7 …..
Mark 7:20-23
20 He went on: ‘‘What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’ 21 For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’”

THAT’S WHY SOLOMON SAID …..
Proverbs 4:23
23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
-OUR PHYSICAL LIFE AND OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE
SO TODAY, I WANT TO PRACTICE A LITTLE PREVENTIVE MEDICINE …..
-SOME EARLY DETECTION AND EARLY TREATMENT

THE FIRST ATTACK IS SPIRITUAL “HARDENING OF THE ARTERIES” …..
-SEVERAL “ARTERIES” PUMP LIFE INTO PEOPLE SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING
-PRAYER AND WORSHIP
-THE BIBLE
-FELLOWSHIP
-SERVICE

WHEN PEOPLE BECOME HARDENED TO THESE THINGS THEY BEGIN TO GROW SPIRITUALLY WEAK AND EVENTUALLY SPIRITUALLY