Open Heart Surgery - Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ.

God is looking hard now as evangelicals we so you will not like that. Maybe we see we do kind of the same thing. We actually think that the externals a home garden will measure our my attendance like high temperature good and it's a good thing be against what you also understand an idea. I read my Bible every day, but potentially you know what all that means nothing to me nothing effective state-supported solution is joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt fellowship in words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana. Let's join Pastor Bill Gebhardt. Now once again he shows us how God's word meets our world may surprise you every single human being suffers from a very very serious disease and God offer secure, but we have to a great deal of responsibility. If were going to be able to utilize that cure in our lives seek an order got it's clear we all suffer from heart disease. Every single one of us. In fact, in Jeremiah 17 nine Jeremiah these later famous word says this the heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick. Who can understand it. The heart is deceitful above all else and is desperately sick that were desperately is the Hebrew word for nosh and is translated desperately here but homes and every other time which is in a Old Testament it's translated incurable. So if you look at it that way. The heart is deceitful above all else, it is incurably sick. That's the heart of each and every one of us notice the symptoms are it's deceitful above all else. You've heard me say this many times over the years. If your hearts deceiving. Who does it deceive. It deceives you. Your heart deceives you. And we run into this over and over again, I found a quote this weekend and given it to me in the quote was don't believe everything you think and I got that is really sound biblical advice is not alone in the Bible. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 9. This is the unfortunate thing about everything that happens on earth the same fate awaits everyone the hearts of all people are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts during our lives and then they guy Jesus picked up Annette Matthew 15 and said, but the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things the follow-up person for out of the heart comes evil, ideas, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander, these are the things that the follow-up person they come from the heart. The problem is with the heart but the first question is what is the heart is not talking about the organ that's for sure. He's talking in it depends. In the context almost always metaphorically, it means your mind, you will, it means your soul, your inner man the spiritual you the decision-making part and I don't love you where this but how important the heart is to God. In fact, I'll say this this morning. There's nothing about you that's more important to God in your heart. Nothing the word.

The word for heart in the old New Testament is used over 900 times in Scripture. So I want to see how important it is the God go with me to first Samuel chapter 16 and verse seven. This is a chapter by the way, were Samuel the prophet priest is to be picking another king for Israel. If you remember, they pick Saul admin work out well. I he was a big handsome guy but not much else. I got that was also God decided we needed another king, and so he sent Samuel out and Samuel ends up going to the house of Jesse and I go through a progression and the logical one. The oldest son. How about him no good. How about him all this people that will look at everyone and finally Sam was a big you have any other sons and Jesse said, why have one be just a teenager is attending some sheep is we better bring a man and of course you know that is David now. The reason for all that is in verse seven it says the Lord said to Samuel do not look at his appearance or the height of his stature, because I have rejected him, for God sees not as man sees for a man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart there is the dilemma man has a tendency in a criteria for judging everything that's all based on outward God says I never look at anything that way.

Not anything how I look at as a person's heart that's what's most important. God's point of view, it's a very interesting thing. Go with me not. Isaiah chapter 10 show you an illustration of this Isaiah, chapter 1.

Isaiah this great prophet is prophesying, trying to stop the nation of Judah from going into captivity in Babylon. In his writing this incredible prophecy, but in the beginning of a God wants to assess it and he wants to assess what's going on in Judah and from verse 11 to verse 15 in chapter 1 he does not want to see what God says, he said, what are your multiplied sacrifices to me? Why do they have multiple sacrifices answer God told him to his or whether they mean to me. He said I've had enough of your burnt offerings of Rams and the fat of fed cattle. I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs, of goats. Why do they have a sacrificial system because God told him to write this as I don't take any notice he says I take no pleasure in that he says when you come to appear before me who requires you, this trampling of my courts. He said when you come to worship me. You defile me. He said bring your worthless offerings no longer incense is an abomination to me.

New moon and Sabbath, the Sabbath, the calling of the assemblies.

He says I cannot endure iniquity, and the solemn assembly I hate your new moon festivals, and your appointed feasts.

They have become burden to me. I'm weary of bearing them and so when you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you. He said yes. Even though you multiply players.

I will not will listen.

He said your hands are covered with blood that they were doing every single thing God wanted them to do. It was all laid out the book of Leviticus is a this is how you come there doing it. And guess what God says, I think the whole thing stinks.

I hate every bit of it.

Why was you read on Isaiah find out he says because your heart is far from me. I don't care. You can never ever impress God with externals, nothing that external compresses God and all God only goes with what the heart is now notice these things were all things that God said to do for you only doom if you engage your heart. Some of you come from very religious backgrounds and you know what this is what I'm talking about.

And so the whole idea behind religious background is the show up and go through religious ritual and so you come in and they chant you chant they know you knew they genuflect, you genuflect to say a few things.

Some waves of magic words over a new blog is a God happy because I did this, I'm telling you is not. He has no interest in that at all. You see what you do externally doesn't mean anything to God. God is looking at your heart.

Now as evangelicals we civilly approve winnowing out like that. Maybe we are seaweed. We do kind of the same thing. We actually think that the externals will help guard will measure our devoted nesting you know we have to understand I you know my attendant site I attend church. That's good guy did and that's a good thing. It would be against well, yet you also understand and I give to the church. Okay, that's good. I read my Bible every day. That's wonderful thing, but potentially you know what all that means nothing to me nothing to God infected saves a burden to me. Slow, some tubing, if it doesn't engage your heart. You see, if it doesn't engage your heart you're going through the motions and the evangelical churches almost got to the point where it's just like a very traditional church.

They don't care what your hearts like they only care about the motion you go through you really see this in an all kinds of different ways, but especially when it comes to giving you know whatever lot I don't care what your motivation need to be giving that. That's when and you say it over and over again. I just saw this last week there was a church in the local area that lost power last weekend and so they went online and they said they lost power. That's a good thing right and then I said make sure you get your giving in to see I don't care where you're coming or not we need to giving were trying to were trying to raise money here. The same kind of evangelical churches over the years of talk about what we need to do to make sure we get that is to establish the tide okay. The problem with establishing the tithers which one those it was a time in the Old Testament. Now there's three ties in the Old Testament. So if you want to be biblical with your tithe. You have to give want to ties one tier 1 tithe every third year. So you have to give 23 1/3% if you're Old Testament type and then offerings go above the top, but they figured out that if I can just get the tide will do better and that's all I care about the only thing God cares about when you give anything is your heart doesn't care about how much you get. He owns all the cattle and all the hills you see. Don't think for a moment that God needs money. You see, and I think it's pretentious of the church. A stamp symbol we needed no I don't think so at all. I think we have to be stored to whatever comes our way.

That's the way this operates, but the point of it is, you gotta be careful with thinking along terms like that churches are doing all kinds of things I Easter morning. I wouldn't have Easter Bunny and all the classrooms. Why maybe the kids, then you think that's a hard issue about the resurrection of Christ was that someone just simply saying that we need to get more people what will do anything to get them out to. None of that is in Scripture. The only issue that matters is your heart even with music, say this over and over again. The Lord love the Lord loves a joyful noise that's true, but the whole idea of the music should be good. It should be musical, no doubt about that but it really doesn't matter.

You could have great music you could have won a few musicians in your heart far from God. So don't think because you were great music, or stood up and saying that you're worshiping a lesser hearts engaged in worshiping what I'm saying is, everything is Jesus that flows out of the heart.

That's why it's the most important thing to God what happens in your heart. Let me illustrate this with me to first Chronicles chapter 16 first Chronicles chapter 16. No second Chronicles. I said that in for service to second Chronicles 16 and this shows how human beings think and how you and I think in verse one it says this in the 36th year of Ace's rain. He was the king of Judah. The kingdoms are divided Judah in the south, Judah and Benjamin. The 10 tribes in the north called Israel the 10 tribes in the North are always evil in God's eyes. Most of the time the tribes and judo are good there at war with each other so it says in the 36th year of Ace's rain in Judah Basha king of Israel came up against Judah and fortified mama in order to prevent anyone from going out of coming in to Asa king of Judah, right on the border is is an 87. He's in figure how my going to handle this. He brought out silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the Lord and the king's house and he sent them the Bena dad king of Aram who lived in Damascus. He said I know how to solve the summer to send money to the King of Damascus, now becomes clear as to why he said, let there be a treaty between you and me in between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you silver and gold go regular treaty with Basha, king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me. Siri was a big army. He said I'll give you enough money, I'll blackmail you see it.

That's all this good work will give you enough money to break your treaty with them.

That'll scare the daylights out of them and you and I can be together. Is this a Bena dad listen the king a sin. He sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel and they conquered liaison then able my name and all of the store cities in the afterlife. It says it came about that when Basha heard of it that he sees fortifying mama and he stopped his work then King Asa brought all the stores of Rama and its timber which Basha had been building and with them, he fortified Geba and Mizpah now.

Here's what happened.

They were threatened by the northern kingdom to come up with a plan is going to bribe the king of Syria and it worked. That's what happens to us a lot. I got an idea. You see, and I think that I think this will work now watch what happens. Then Hannah and I this era came to King Asa of Judah, and he said to him, because you have relied on the king of Aram and not relied on the Lord your God. Therefore, the Army of the king of Aram has escaped out of your hand. He said were not the Ethiopians in the loop in an immense army with very many chariots and horsemen get because you relied on the Lord.

He delivered a muddier hand aces the prophet of the seer system and what you've done here. God was going deliver Aram the Syrian army into your hand but you made a deal with in the protect yourself now.

That's the context. Now this famous verse for the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that he may strongly support those whose heart is completely is God's. As I looked everywhere for one thing, someone is hard is completing my that's what I'm looking for. He said you have acted foolishly in this indeed.

And from now on you will surely have wars now notice Ace's response than Asa was angry with his seer put them in prison for he was in raising him for this and a cell press.

Some of the people of the same time didn't take it well. Notice how important this is the God for the eyes of the Lord go to and fro throughout the earth, and why. I just want to find someone whose heart belongs to me that's never changed your heart and my heart is all that really matters to God.

That's what it's not the externals. The external support of it. But if only for flows in your heart and Proverbs 4.

Solomon wrote this above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life above all else, guard your heart to do that said that bequest notices above all else is above anything in the Christian life. You can imagine he's above all else, I want you to guard your heart because it's the wellspring everything your life comes from your heart everything you do comes down to its motivation is a commodity hard, rightly or purely are you just doing some external activity Chuck Swindoll says how important is the heart. It is there that character is formed in alone holds the secrets of true success. Its treasures are priceless but they can be stolen and that's what happens. You guard your heart, see if you don't guard your heart, you're never going to practice your faith is more important than anything it's easier for any organization is a look. We have the externals. This just go through the externals. None of that matters.

You can't fool God. He sees not naïve is not foolish. Go with me to Proverbs chapter 19 Proverbs chapter 19 again I want to get another look at why we need to guard our heart from Solomon verse three, Solomon says the foolishness of man ruins his way and his heart rages against the Lord. The foolishness of man ruins his way and the heart rages against the Lord.

This is Hebrew poetry and I stayed in the past will say it again. Hebrews don't line words they use parallelism. This is called synonymous parallelism what he says in the first line. He says again in a different way. In the second line their synonyms and so he says here he says before he has the man ruins his way. The word rune is worse off it means to pervert or twist or distort.

He says the force of man distorts or twist the ruins or perverts his way. His life, the foolishness of man ruins his life. He said is the reason for his heart rages against the Lord. My natural heart will always rage against the Lord. After my May value by fleshly natures ball because of the flesh in the New Testament is that it makes war is a that's part of the Christian life.

There is a way. There is a way that seems right to a man and ends in the destruction or death.

That's what Solomon said our natural heart wages war. In fact, it wonders us away from God. Isaiah chapter 53 this great chapter about the coming Messiah 36. Is this all of us like she have gone astray, each of us is gone, his own way is the way it works for you and I that's the way our lives work. There is a way that seems right to us, but is not.

We follow our own heart our own plans and we drift away from God and what ends up happening is we never really in a sense receiving what God has intended for us. When Jesus set of come to give you life and give it to you abundantly. What he meant by that is I want to fill your life. I want to fill your life with joy and peace and hope. I want to just fill it with that. Ask yourself is my life full of joy and peace and hope you see and I'm telling you, if you say no. It's because you have a heart problem.

You see your listening to the wrong thing I that's what I'm telling, not mimicking one with this for a moment. Go with me to Psalm 51 Psalm 51 the great confessional Psalm of David. You know the story David and Bathsheba.

I got together. David committed adultery, and many have your rival, Hittite, her husband murdered and then David decided because I'm king no one can hold me accountable.

And for about a year.

No one did. And then Nathan the prophet showed up and confronted David.

Now David is rated confesses it now. He finally is.

Notice what he says is this first in verse four he said against you and you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight so that you are justified when you speak and blameless when you judge me is my question why it why did David commit adultery seek to give you want to think what will well he saw Bathsheba bathing in a sub while at the beautiful woman bathing a medicament, and I'm king I do what I want SLI why is heart.

You see he was in his heart and he rationalizes that we do, I'm king.

Now I can commit adultery.

I can get rid of her husband and never had another plan for as many want to have her husband come back and have her husband sleep with his wife so that no one will know that David's that's the way our minds work. Our heart operates.

Then Dave and then bed. Uriah said I wouldn't do that. The other guys are out there fighting a battle I would do that I will not sleep with my life so many had the right kill. That's how bad the hard Jeremiah said desperately about things bathroom the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever missed one of our broadcasting or maybe you just like the message one more time.

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