Have a Heart

November 23, 2008 by PastorDave.

#334, Have a Heart, Pastor David McIntosh, Sunday 11-23-2008

Title: Have a Heart

Text: Ezekiel 36:26

Introduction

• Our focus has been on the message of Jesus. To forgive & reconcile; to destroy the power of Satan and deliver people from bondage.
• So we understand that Jesus’ message is to directly affect us: forgive us, reconcile us, deliver us… The third phase of Jesus message is our response to the first two.
• A CHANGED HEART
• Ezekiel 36:26 – “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

THE HUMAN HEART

1.    HEART – (lev): all of man’s inner nature (whole spectrum of human emotions, mind, seat of the will.

2.    Jesus said we need a new or changed inner nature; a changed emotional life, thought life and action life.  (WHY)

3.    Jeremiah 17:9 – “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”

4.    Acts 28:27 – “For this people’s heart has become calloused.”

5.    Jesus can forgive us and reconcile us to God and destroy Satan’s work and deliver us from bondage; BUT UNLESS WE ALLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT TO CHANGE OUR HEARTS WE WILL GO RIGHT BACK TO ALL OF THAT!!!!!

6.    We have hearts of stone, we need hearts of flesh!

UNDERSTANDING A HARD HEART

1.    Before we chalk this up to a work Jesus has to do on His own in us, and we really have no responsibility let’s turn ourselves to His Word and let’s hear from Jesus.

2.    Matthew 13:1-5 – “Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.

3.    Matthew 13:20, 21 – “The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy, but since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.”

4.    A heart of stone (rocky places) has a problem; not much soil.

5.    So roots begin to grow, but because the soil is shallow the roots cannot go deep enough to prepare for the “weather” that is coming.

6.    So even though there is “quick” growth early, when the sun comes up and the heat of the day is upon the plant, it withers, not because the sun is too hot, but because of the lack of root growth.

7.    The rocks (stones) are trouble or persecution that comes because of the word. In other words, the Word of God will expose the hard areas of the heart.

8.    The rocks (prevent root growth) are defined by our responses to life: Life has presented all of us with its challenges and we respond it a way that callousness our hearts. It’s how we survive!

9.    All of this works together to produce one thing: A HEART OF STONE!

10.                    A heart of stone hurts us more than anyone else. It is like putting poison in our own souls.

IDENTIFYING THE ROCKS

1.    Jer. 31:33 – “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

2.    God’s desire is to have His Word (His Doctrine, His way of thinking) in our minds and written on our hearts!

3.    Here are seven stones of the heart that need to be recognized:

a.      Strife: James 3:16 – “For where…strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”

b.     Anger: Proverbs 29:22 – “An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot tempered one commits many sins.”

c.      Offenses: Proverbs 18:19 – “An offended brother is more unyielded than a fortified city.”

d.     Grudge: James 5:9 – “Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned.”

e.      Envy: Proverbs 14:30 – “Envy rots the bones.”

f.      Resentment: Job 36:13 – “The godless in heart harbor resentment.”

g.     Bitterness: Hebrews 12:5 – “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”

4.    Colossians 3:13 – “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you…”

5.    We often replace forgiveness with sacrifice, I can’t let it go…but I’ll work harder.

6.    Matthew 9:13 – “I desire mercy not sacrifice.”

7.    The enemy works hard is this area: John 10:10 – “Thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy.” (steal our time, kill our bodies and destroy our relationships)

ROCK REMOVAL

1.    We are the ones that suffer if we try to follow Jesus with a heart of stone.

2.    Story of lady who loved the Lord but help bitterness and unforgiveness toward others.

3.    1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

4.    Proverbs 28:13 – “He who conceals his sin does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces then finds mercy.”

5.    Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (Jn. 13:34)

CLOSING

1.    It is interesting to me that in James 5:14-16, when the people are sick the instruction from the Holy Spirit is to call for the doctors but rather the elders. And when the elders discern and sin is confessed, the prayer of faith is then empowered to heal.

2.    Jesus wants to take your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh, which is a major part of His message to all of us.

3.    Are their stones of unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, etc… perhaps they are tormenting you with emotional, physiological or even physical suffering.

4.    I am calling the elders and we are inviting you to come repent, confess, receive healing and let the Lord take out a heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh!

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