1. Last week we spoke of the relationship of our actions and our hearts -- our actions show our hearts
2. The Bible has much to say about the heart
a. Can be deceitful (Jeremiah 17.9)
b. To be used fully for God -- Deuteronomy 6.4-9
c. Impacts our appearance
A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. Proverbs 15:13 (Cain's countenance -- revealed his heart condition)
After Richard Norris was badly disfigured by a gunshot wound in 1997, he remained hidden at his parents' home for years. They covered the mirrors to keep him from glimpsing his face. But recently a team of doctors changed that by performing a "face transplant." Using medical advancements, the physicians gave Richard a new countenance. Last fall, his transformational story was featured in a major magazine.
While Richard's story is unusually dramatic, there's a sense in which we all need a new countenance. Study the faces of people you meet every day. Steal a quick glance at your own face as you pass a mirror or reflective window. How stressed and grim we look! Our emotions inexorably flash through the forty-three muscles in our face, and we communicate our feelings through our eyes, our brows, and the set of our mouths. One smile can light up a room; one frown can darken a day.
The Bible tells us a merry heart makes a cheerful countenance. Rejoice in the Lord this weekend, and let the joy of Jesus shine through.
I have seen more cheerful faces on iodine bottles than on some Christians. Vance Havner, in Pepper 'n Salt
3. What is the heart, according to the scriptures?
I. The Heart Is the Center, the Essence
A. Stats:
* 814 references to the human heart (not much about the blood pump in our chests)
* 26 references to the heart of God
* 11 references to the heart of the sea
* Matthew 12.40 -- Heart of the earth
B. The Heart/Essence of the Gospel
Messing up comes naturally to us, but some mess up worse than others. One woman in Michigan was convicted for embezzling more than $10,000 from her employer. During her sentencing, she admitted, "I have shamed myself and my family, but by the grace of God they have forgiven me. It will take a long time for me to forgive myself. I know that people will never look at me again the same way, and I am very sorry."
It's sad to see people who have made life-altering mistakes, and sometimes it's hard to forgive ourselves when we're the one who sinned. Left to ourselves, we're a constant source of shame and sorrow to ourselves and others. Since the "wages of sin is death," we're all condemned to hell apart from the forgiveness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The essence/heart of the Gospel is this: We have a forgiving God who will restore us if we confess our sins to Him. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. We can forgive ourselves only because He washes away our sins and makes us holy in His sight. He can clean up what we mess up. He can forgive to the uttermost.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. Ephesians 1:7
II. The Heart Is the Genuine ("Real Deal")
A. Genuine Belief is from the Heart
Righteousness based on faith -- But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Romans 10.8-10
B. Genuine Forgiveness from the heart (Parable of the Unforgiving Servant) So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart. Matthew 18.35
C. Genuine Loving Actions
Why Help the Pig?
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Philippians 2:3
Two men were riding their horses down a country road, discussing the question of motivation. One believed we're capable of pure motives, even without Christ. The other disagreed. They came to a ditch where a pig had gotten tangled up in fencing and was struggling to extricate himself. The latter gentlemen got down in the mud and managed to free the animal, though he ruined his clothing.
Resuming their trip, the first man said, "There! That was a selfless act of kindness." But his friend replied, "No, it was pure selfishness. The only reason I helped that pig was to save myself from the guilt and torment of worrying about him all day."
Without Christ, it's impossible to operate from true love and godly motivations. But as we grow in Him, our motives gradually improve and we're increasingly compelled by His love, which is "poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us" (Romans 5:5, NIV).
Not in ourselves but only in Christ can we exhibit lowliness of mind and be motivated by biblical love.
III. The Heart Is the Place of Emotion
A college man walked into a photography studio with a picture of his girlfriend... He wanted the picture duplicated... The owner of the store noticed the inscription on the back of the picture, it said, "My dearest Tom, I love you with all my heart... I love you more and more each day... I will love you forever and ever... I am yours for all eternity..." It was signed "Diane," and it contained a P.S.: "If we ever break up, I want this picture back..."
Friends, when Christ calls us and we follow Him, there's no "PS" with Christ... You're His and He's yours...
A. Heart and Joy -- Psalm 16.7-9
7 I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.
B. Heart and Grief -- Psalm 13.1-2
How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
C. Heart and Courage -- Psalm 27.14
Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!
IV. The Heart Is the Seat of the Will -- Acts 2.37 (Word is two-edged sword -- Hebrews 3.13)
I have decided to follow Jesus
Many of us grew up singing a little chorus of commitment that said, "I have decided to follow Jesus." This hymn reportedly came from the nation of India and has its roots in an incident that occurred in the mid-1800s. A Welsh missionary had won a man to the Lord in the state of Assam. This man was saved along with his family. Persecution quickly ensued, and the village chief demanded the convert renounce his faith. But the man replied, "I have decided to follow Jesus." Amid continuing threats, he said, "Though no one joins me, still I will follow."
The man and his wife were executed, but their witness later led to the conversion of many in their town. Some years later, the Indian evangelist Sadhu Sundar Singh put the words to music.
V. The Heart Is the Place of Understanding
He said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and my feet, that it is I myself." Luke 24:38-39
People alongside the Monongahela River in western Pennsylvania are nervous about an alligator lurking about. Police, consulting with zookeepers and the Coast Guard, suspect the gator hitched a ride on a barge from a warmer spot down south. The creature may never be found or captured, say authorities, but several sightings have left local residents nervous about swimming, fishing, or letting their dogs play in the water.
In biblical times, people were equally nervous about lions prowling around. Two famous biblical characters faced an attacking lion. Judges 14:5 describes how a lion came roaring against Samson; and David told King Saul of the time he had slain a lion who attacked his flock (1 Samuel 17:34-35).
We have a powerful lion that is tracking us (1 Peter 5:8)--hoping to inflict harm and instill doubt and fear in our lives. But he's no match for the Lion of Judah. Keep your focus on your risen Lord and trust fully in Him and His gift of salvation. His strength will be yours in the time of trouble. God is greater than any foe that Satan may place in your path. He will guard and keep you.
1. Heart Expressions in the Bible:
* Take Heart = Courage (Matthew 14.27)
* Lose Heart = Discouraged (Luke 18.1)
* Hard Heart = Stubborn (Mark 3.5)
2. Jesus is to live in our hearts by faith (Ephesians 3.17)
3. God has promised: "You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13).
a. Therein is the KEY to knowing God and His will for our lives.
b. The Scriptures reveal Him to the genuine seeker (1 Corinthians 2:9-13).
c. One can learn of the magnitude of His great love for man from His Word.
