Title: "A cure for Heart Disease."
Text: I Samuel 10:1-9
Date: 8/23/09
Location: Sulphur Spring Baptist Church
Introduction: A few years ago an urgent plea went out from a Philadelphia Hospital. They were searching for a heart for a young sixteen year old boy, who needed a transplant. For three weeks a nation wide search was conducted to try to locate a heart that would be compatible. The young man was an outstanding athlete and a very good student. He was committed to his family, friends and his community. Due to a complication that developed from what is called a common routine illness, this young man’s heart had enlarged and was quickly failing. His mother sat by his bedside every day caring for him and encouraging him to fight for his life. She used the media daily to plead with the nation to respond to her sons’ urgent need for a new heart.
Sadly, after three weeks of searching without finding a compatible heart the young man died.
A. Even though tremendous progress has been made in fighting Heart disease, it continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States, and has been since 1900. Over 300 thousand Americans die every year from heart disease.
B. People who develop Coronary artery disease have a choice to make. They can either choose to have surgery, which in most cases is successful and adds several years onto their lives. Or they can choose not to have surgery, and live with the fear of having a heart attack, which in some cases will be fatal.
C. In recent years people whose hearts are beyond repair have been given new hope. With the advances in modern medicine, heart transplants are becoming more and more frequent. According to the research I did around 2,000 heart transplants are done in North America every year, but unfortunately thousands of others like the young man I mentioned earlier, die waiting on a new heart.
Patients who are fortunate enough to receive a new heart are given a second chance at life.
D. In verse 9 of our text, The New King James Version says, "As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart."
Now obviously this wasn’t meant to be taken literally. God didn’t perform the first heart transplant Surgery on King Saul. I think it would help us understand the context of this verse of Scripture by examining some of the Historical events that are mentioned in our text.
I. Historical Background:
A. The Nation of Israel was made up of 12 autonomous tribes. When they conquered the Promise Land each tribe was given a section of land and the Elders of those tribes became the governing authorities. It was much the same as what we see today in parts of Afghanistan. The people and the elders of Israel had become so frustrated with this tribal system of government that they asked Samuel, who was the High Priest, to help them establish a Monarchy for the nation of Israel.
They told him they were willing to be governed by a King as long as he could help them deal with the difficulties of a society that was constantly changing. They made the mistake of believing that a new form of Government would solve their problems. Unfortunately, it didn’t because the root of the problem was SPIRITUAL not political. Did you hear what I said? REPEAT!
Unfortunately some people in America today are convinced that giving the government more power and control, or even switching our form of government will solve all of our problems. But it won’t because like the nation of Israel our problem is SPIRITUAL, which is something the President, Congress, and the majority of Americans just don’t understand!
But let’s get back to Israel. Samuel reluctantly agreed to help the elders of Israel draw up some guidelines for the new King. They agreed that He should come from the tribe of Benjamin, which was the smallest of the 12 tribes of Israel. The main reason for this was the fact that Benjamin had remained somewhat neutral in the conflict that had developed between the other tribes.
---Saul the son of Kish was the man who was chosen to become Israel’s first King. Saul’s strong family background provided him with the social and spiritual foundations that helped prepare him to rule over the nation of Israel.
--Of course his commanding physical appearance didn’t hurt either. He was the tallest man in the tribe of Benjamin. In a time when physical appearance and charisma were more important than a person’s ability to lead, Saul definitely looked like a King.
As the High Priest of Israel it was Samuel’s responsibility to anoint Saul as King of Israel, which he eventually, although somewhat reluctantly did.
According to our text, shortly after being anointed “that God gave him another heart”
Perhaps it would help us understand the significance of this verse of scripture if we had a better understanding of the Biblical concept of the heart.
II. What does the Bible say about the Heart?
The heart is mentioned 770 times in the Bible. However, the Bible considers it to be much more than the muscle that pumps blood throughout our bodies.
In one of his books, a man by the name of Robert Pirsig said, “the place to change the world is to begin with one’s heart and work outward from there.”
That’s a good way to understand how the Bible uses the term heart. In Hebrew psychology, the heart is the center of the person -- the seat of personal will, feeling and thinking.
1) The Bible teaches that the heart is the seat of our emotions. Many songs have been written over the years about the heart and the role it plays in love and romance.
2) The Bible also teaches that the heart is the place where important decisions about life; love; and faith are made.
How many times have you heard someone say, "My mind is telling me to do one thing, but my heart is telling me to do another."
According to the experts there are several risk factors that may help you determine whether you or a member of your family are at risk for developing heart disease. These include: Family history of heart disease, being overweight, a lack of physical activity, diabetes, sleep apnea, High Cholesterol, smoking, and of course stress.
Now I’m not physician, much less a Cardiologist, but I promise you that every one here today has something wrong with their heart. We have all inherited a disease which will eventually destroy our hearts and our lives unless it is properly diagnosed and dealt with.
OF COURSE THE DISEASE WHICH I AM REFERRING TO IS CALLED SIN.
3) THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT OUR HEARTS ARE FULL OF SIN, which by the way is much worse than cholesterol. In the Seventh chapter of Mark, Jesus says,
"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, and evil eyes, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these things come from within and defile a man."
No environment is more vicious, none more dangerous, than the dark side of the human heart and its capacity to endorse or promote evil.
John Bunyan once said, "Sin and corruption would bubble up out of my heart as naturally as water bubbles up out of a fountain."
The sinful act of adultery may be committed with the body, but it starts in a person’s heart. In fact according to Jesus every sinful act we could possibly ever imagine originates in the heart.
4. THE BIBLE ALSO TEACHES THAT OUR HEARTS HAVE BEEN BLINDED BY SIN.
In Ephesians 4:17-18, Paul was speaking about the Sinful man when he said, "No longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart."
If we have sin in our hearts then it is impossible for us to understand the the Love of God and the teachings of Jesus. Because sin blocks our understanding and keeps us from knowing the Truth, just as cholesterol causes plaque to build up in our arteries and block the flow of blood to our hearts.
5. THE BIBLE ALSO TEACHES THAT OUR HEARTS ARE FULL OF PRIDE, AND WARNS US OF THE CONSEQUENCES.
Psalm 101:5 says, "Whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure."
On more than one occasion Jesus warned his disciples about becoming prideful. He said, "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." Matthew 23:12
Christian author C.S. Lewis refers to pride as a "Spiritual Cancer which eats up love and contentment." He also says that "pride is a telescope turned the wrong way. It magnifies self and makes the heavens small." You see, Pride was the sin that led Satan to turn against God, and try to overthrow Him in the first place. Which leads us to the next thing the Bible says about our hearts.
6. IT ALSO TEACHES THAT OUR HEARTS ARE REBELLIOUS.
Time and time again, throughout their History the Israelites rebelled and turned away from God. In reality, whether we want to admit it or not, we are just as bad as they were.
The Parable of the Prodigal Son is a perfect example. This young man was sick of having to do what His Father said. He was sick of having to work all the time and never having any fun. So one day he said enough is enough and he asked his father for His share of the Inheritance. After receiving his inheritance he left town and rebelled against His father and everything that his father had ever taught him.
Of course this is a parable or a story that Jesus told, but the truth of the matter is that Children, to one extent or another have always rebelled against their parents. Some would argue that it’s just part of just growing up. I tend to believe it’s simply a matter of choice. When a teenager rebels against their parents he or she makes the choice to do what they want to do regardless of what their parents have taught them.
In fact it was this same kind of rebellious attitude that led Adam and Eve to make the choice to eat the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, even though they knew that their actions were contrary to the instructions that the Heavenly Father had given them.
7. NEXT, THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT OUR HEARTS ARE FULL OF IDOLATRY.
I doubt if any of you here this morning prayed at a pagan altar before coming to church this morning. But some of us are guilty of spending more time reading the newspaper or watching t.v. than we do reading our Bibles. And unfortunately too many people today are more concerned about being entertained than they are about learning how to become more like Christ. Too many of us are more interested in satisfying our fleshly desires, than we are about strengthening our relationship to the Lord. The sad thing about all of this is that many of us don’t even realize we are sinning against God. But the truth of the matter is this, ANYTHING that we put before our relationship to God becomes our idol.
8. FINALY, THE BIBLE ALSO TEACHES THAT CAN BECOME HARDENED.
-Our hearts can become hardened and indifferent to God and to the needs of others. Sometimes people take advantage of other people. And when that happens, the person who was taken advantage of often makes a vow, to never go out of their way to help anyone again. I believe this is one of the ways the Devil succeeds in hardening our hearts.
-It hasn’t always been this way, but many people in our society today have hardened their hearts toward God and the Church. Perhaps someone they respected and looked up to as a Christian, said or did something to hurt them.
That wound was so deep that they have hardened their heart to keep it from happening again. They have turned their backs on God and the church.
In Exodus we read of how Pharaoh hardened his heart against God and refused to let the children of Israel go. Let me ask you a question this morning? Have you hardened your heart against God? How many times has God spoken to you during a worship service, and instead of responding to him, you simply turned and walked away.
III. NOW IN THE TIME WE HAVE REMAINING I WANT US TO CONSIDER GOD’S ATTITUDE TOWARD OUR HEARTS?
When God looks at a person, he doesn’t look at the color of their skin, the kind of clothes they wear, or whether they are short or tall. In fact God doesn’t look at anything related to our physical appearance, He looks at our heart. The Bible says, "For man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7
A. The Bible says God knows our hearts.
Psalm 44:21 tells us that God knows the secrets of the heart. He knows our innermost thoughts and desires. He knows about that skeleton in your closet. We can’t hide anything from God, and yet He still loves us.
B. The Bible teaches that God prepares our hearts to receive the Gospel message.
The Holy Spirit helps break down the barriers that have separated us from God. He may use a Sunday School lesson, the sermon, or a song on the radio to remind you of his love for you. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins and shortcomings. He leads us to confess our sins to God and ask for his forgiveness.
Let me ask you another question this morning. How many times have you been on the verge of responding to the gospel message?
How many times have you said, "Lord, If they sing one more verse of the Invitation then I’ll give my life to you." The Spirit is preparing you for a new heart, but He can’t replace the old one until you give Him permission to do so.
Revelation 3:20 says, "Behold I stand at the door and knock; if any man hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."
But many of you have bolted the door of your heart shut. Jesus is knocking, he wants to give you the gift of a new heart just as He gave Saul a new heart. But the decision is up to you? Do you want a new heart or are you satisfied with the old one.
God wants to forgive you of your sins? He wants to give you the gift of Eternal life. But He will never break down the door to your heart. You have to invite him in? Will you open the door of your heart to Jesus this morning?
Conclusion: I want to share this with you in closing: It’s a recall notice, and it says….
The Maker of all human beings is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart.
This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units; code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units.
This defect is most commonly known as S.I.N.
Some other symptoms: 1. Loss of direction 2. Foul or offensive language 3. A Lack of peace and joy, 4. Selfishness. 5. Violent behavior 6. Depression or confusion in the mental component 7. Fearfulness
8. Idolatry and 9. Rebellion
The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this defect, is providing factory authorized repair and service free of charge to correct the SIN defect. The Repair Technician, Jesus, has generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs. No additional fee will be required.
The web page to visit for repair is: http://www.P-R-A-Y-E-R.
Once connected, please upload your burden of SIN by clicking on the REPENTANCE button.
Next, download ATONEMENT into the heart component, from the Repair Technician, whose name is Jesus,
No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, Jesus will replace it with:. Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self control…
Please see the operating manual, sometimes referred to as the B.I.B.L.E. for further details.
WARNING: Continuing to operate the human being unit without correction will void any manufacturer warranties, exposing the unit to dangers and problems too numerous to list and will result in the human unit being permanently and irrevocably damaged.
For free emergency service, call on JESUS.
DANGER: Human units containing The SIN defect will not be allowed into Heaven, and will be thrown into the fiery furnace. Therefore we strongly suggest you take the appropriate measures sooner rather than later. Thank you for your immediate attention.
Prayer:
