How is Your Heart?

How is Your Heart?

 

 

Good Morning Friends,

 

 

I am in what we call “worship” just about every Sunday morning. But what I am discovering is that the place of worship and the acts and order of worship, are not as important as our response to them. The essence of worship is ultimately a response of the heart…our heart crying out after the heart of God. Worship is not only knowing about God but hungering for God’s inspiration…pouring out our spirit in truth. Scripture is pretty clear here. Unless we love we are not going to be of much good. How is Your Heart?

 

 

Scripture: Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

 

 

Ephesians 5:15-17 (NRSV)

 

 

Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgement on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things. You say, ‘We know that God’s judgement on those who do such things is in accordance with truth.’ Do you imagine, whoever you are, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will escape the judgement of God? Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgement will be revealed. For he will repay according to each one’s deeds: to those who by patiently doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; while for those who are self-seeking and who obey not the truth but wickedness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be anguish and distress for everyone who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.

 

 

Romans 2:1-11 (NRSV)

 

 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

 

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

 

[Jesus] cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ ”

 

 

John 7:37-38 (NRSV)

 

 

He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.’

 

 

Luke 10:27 (NRSV)

 

 

Message: I do not want to get weird on you but it is as if the devil is making calculated and strategic probes into the heart, guts and soul of the very same people who claim to be people of faith. So periodically we need to check our hearts. And this is not easy. The toughest question is the heart question. It requires some significant time to honestly answer before God. It takes time to analyze the focal point of our love and if it is becoming more real and if it is growing as a commitment to others. We need to evaluate whether we are giving to Christ’s Kingdom… whether we are worshipping God or something else. Friends, the greatest calling of God on man is to respond to God’s love by loving God with everything we are — and to love people in our life like we love ourselves. Jesus’ critique of religious people in His day was they gave the appearance of doing the right things. They showed up at worship services, they prayed the right prayers, and gave money, but they did it all without authentic love for God or people. Here is how I think we are to apply this message. If you want joy, let Jesus come into your heart. If you want to overcome fear, take heart in Jesus. “An Indian fable says that a mouse was in constant distress because of its fear of the cat. A magician took pity on it and turned it into a cat. Immediately it became afraid of the dog. So the magician turned it into a dog. Immediately it began to fear the tiger. So the magician turned it into a tiger. Immediately it began to fear the hunter. Then the magician said, “Be a mouse again, you have only the heart of a mouse and I cannot help you.” Thankfully God can help us in life but also in facing the fear of death and all the little deaths of life, for He gives us new hearts. Here our hearts serve as minds over matter. They control what we say. Our hearts control what we see and what or whom we serve. That is part of why scripture asks us to follow the fruit of the Spirit. It is here we develop a heart of love. Here we begin to appropriate the Spirit’s fullness as we disciple others and allow our faith to affect our hearts. The Spirit then guides us. Friends, ultimately we do not follow a system of moral conduct for Christ has forgiven our sins. Salvation is the life of Christ in a person’s soul and heart. That is why the heart must be made new in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Friends, God’s love is out there but it also can be here in our hearts. Listen…see… experience not a transaction but a transformation born out of love. How is your heart?

 

Pray we have more than the heart of a mouse. Pray we guard our hearts so that they not be ruined by the plague of sin. Pray we not get lost or picked off. Pray that our hearts be made new in the Holy Spirit. Pray therefore for people facing fear. Pray we all realize that communicating love with one another is a great way to stay on the Way.
Pray we realize that Christianity is a matter of the heart. Pray that we all keep our hearts full of Christ. Pray we all keep our hearts loyal. Pray we all give our hearts to Christ. Pray we keep our hearts soft and gentle. Pray we forgive one another. Pray we keep our hearts generous. Pray we trust God with responsibility for our hearts. Pray we hide God’s Word in our hearts. Pray our hearts are all in. Pray our hearts and the hearts of those we meet are converted by the presence of love.

 

Blessings,

 

John Lawson