Open Heart Surgery - Part 2

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

That's what it's not external hard in Proverbs 4.

Solomon wrote this above all else, guard your heart dwells above all else, guard, and requested noticed above all else is about anything in the Bible doesn't want you to guard because it's the wellspring everything in your life comes from joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana Pastor Bill Gebhardt now is again he shows us God's word meets our and shows how the state 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 of Judah 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 or coming in to Asa king of Judah, right on the border is is an 87 he six-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 Bennett 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 between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you silver and gold go trick-or-treating 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 the snorkel give you enough money to break your treaty with them that will scare the daylights out of them and you and I can be together. Is this a Bennett dad listen the king a sin. He sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel and they conquered liaison Dan 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 ceased fortifying Rama and he stopped his work then King Asa brought all the stores of mama 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 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 can 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 gotchas. I looked everywhere for one thing, someone was hard completing my that's what I'm looking for. He said you have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars now notice Ace's response. Then Asa was angry with his seer put them in prison for he was in range than him for this in 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 in 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. In Proverbs 4. Solomon wrote this above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life above all else, guard your heart you do that she had been requested noticed above all else is above anything of the Christian life.

You can imagine he should 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 was 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 to say, look, we have been externals this just go through the externals.

None of that matters.

You can't fool God she's not naïve is not foolish going 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 state again. Hebrews don't rhyme 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 pieces. The voice 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 Navy bag by fleshly natures.

Paul, because of the flesh in the New Testament. He said it makes war. Is he that's part of the Christian life. There is a way. There is a way that seems right to a man and ends in destruction or death. That's what Solomon said are 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 sheep 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 said 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 is he 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 had Uriah the 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 Israeli confesses it now. He finally is. Notice what he says.

He says, first in verse four he sinned against you and you only have I sent and done what is evil in your sight so that you are justified when you speak and blameless when you judge me. Here's my question.

Why do why did David commit adultery. See you want to think what will while he saw Bathsheba bathing in a sub out at the beautiful woman baby American man 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 David and then bed. Uriah said I would do that.

The other guys are out there fighting a battle I would do that I will not sleep with my wife.

So many had Uriah killed in battle, that's how bad the Hardee's.

Jeremiah said it's desperately wicked's deceitful above all things. It's incurable so that notice what happens verse 10 David says this created me what clean heart of God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

David knew what his problem was. My heart created me since a new heart. Notice what happens if God does verse 12 restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustaining with a willing spirit. David had no joy. He said I want my joy restored that I had before C but I need a new heart board. That's what I need I need I need a really need a new heart, I need you to restore the joy he said to me, then go down to verse 17, you see how you receive it. He said the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite.

There it is again. Heart of God. You will not despise my spirit. He said has to be that you see, David knew what his problem was.

Paul knew what his problem was Romans chapter 7 notice.

Paul said, with my promise me this again when I find myself doing the very things I don't want to do and I don't do the very things I know I should do. O wretched man that I am he said, who will save me from this God will. But the point is what is me is my heart. That's what he keeps it's my heart. I know that that's the problem that I have go with me now to Psalm 139 Psalm 139 if you could put something on a 3 x 5 run a refrigerator magnet.

These two verses would be because I think this is the way all of us need to start the day. 139 versus 23 and 24 he says this search me oh God, and know my heart try me and know my anxious thoughts and see if there's any hurtful way in me and lead me into the everlasting way you do that served as a board, search my heart using my heart not my externals using one of the biggest problems we have as Christians.

And we know this isn't Christianity easy to fake meaning and by the way you write your best thinking on Sunday morning. We can really think it on Sunday morning. Nice to see your brother. Pray for you, bless you and God bless you what we do all that is all that must be a righteous man. You know what that guys like Monday to Saturday night at all.

Uriah conduct business.

You certainly don't know what it's like when no one else is watching, but God does see God does is a matter of your heart. That's why said search me search my heart not my activities.

You see, that's what we end up do we measure spirituality by some kind of behavior. Activities are external and that's wonderful if it's backed up by your heart but if it's not, is just hypocrisy is no truth to it all.

The heart is very important God, and we have to guarded but the beauty of it, always.

God is willing to do open heart surgery. All of us. I turn with me to Hebrews chapter 4 in the New Testament. Hebrews chapter 4 in verse 11 of Hebrews for the writer of Hebrews is trying to urge these Hebrew Christians not to follow a plan that they come up with a neuron there being persecuted by jeep by the Jews and the Gentiles, so they decide maybe the best thing we can do is to go back into Judaism still believe in Jesus, but that way the Jews will least accept this we can do business. Our families will be happy.

The writer of Hebrews says look if you do that I want to tell you something you can be just like the wilderness generation you're gonna die in the wilderness and you're never going to enter the promised land. What he calls a faith rest life will never get to where you should go is a Christian. That's what he say so in verse 11, he says, therefore let us be diligent to enter the rest, so that no one will feel a fall he said through following the same example of disobedience. I don't want. I want to get everything out the Christian life you should now here comes the open heart surgery. He said for the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, it's piercing up as far as the division of the soul and the spirit of both the joints and the marrow, and then this phrase and is able to judge the thoughts and the intentions of what the heart word of God judges. My heart he said that's the way this works so why know the word of God the Word of God tells my heart something you see and you see this over and over and over again. Example after example, there's a way in which I think and there's a way in which God wants me to think and they're two different ways.

You see, there are two different ways Exodus in the past, but I've always been brought up if somebody pushes you pushing back somebody insult insult him back. God said, let no one kind word come from your mouth comes on right. That's what I was taught you here this over and over again, we rationalize a behavior and then we reap what we sow the mysterious in a different way. Go the Romans 12 Romans chapter 12 the first two verses with me.

Paul was summarizing this great book of Romans. In these two verses in the summary tells us how do we live the Christian life. He said here's a first step, he said.

Therefore, I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies that your life a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God which is your spiritual service of worship. Here's a person you have to do have to give my life to God. Jesus said, take up my cross and he said to get him daily. But the point is Lord I'm here. Use me I do anything anywhere at any cost at any time for you.

You have my life. The chores he said that's that's a sacrifice we have to make.

Then he says this.

Do not be conformed to this world, that word JB Phillips a great Greek scholar says do not let the world squeeze you into its mold and other why is the way they think that there is a way you thought before the great Christian there's a way that's promoted to think all the time you see from the most basic tenet once our culture tell us over and over again in a thousand different ways. You need to look out for number yeah that's a well know it, you'll need to look out for you. That's the most important thing I called her teachers what the Bible teacher if you want to leave you have to serve want to be first you have to be last yet to consider everybody else is more important in your which ones winning in your mind you see what's working in your mind, how we think he said look I don't let the world squeeze you into its mold, but be transformed metamorphosis caterpillar to butterfly be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you may prove what the will of God is that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

The whole point is I think God speaks if I listen to what God says what happens me as my mind gets renewed and I begin to think differently. In other words, I have open heart surgery and I begin to think differently about virtually everything one last verse Proverbs chapter 4 verse 20 the same idea a little more personal appeal. Proverbs 420. Solomon writes this, he said, my son, give attention to my words. Incline your ear to my sayings.

Do not let them depart from your sight, keep them in the midst of your heart.

I have to keep these words in the midst of my heart because God's trying to do open heart surgery on me. He's trying to change the way I see everything the way he sees it using there's no natural inclination to this in Isaiah, God said, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways aren't always as high as the heavens are above the earth.

So my thoughts and ways than yours. So how much do you naturally and instinctively think like God. None to give up its infinitesimal my thoughts on your thoughts. You know how much trouble we get into how many times have you said this is why think it's a good way to get yourself a whole bunch of trouble.

He said notice he said do not let them depart from your sight. Keep them in the midst of your heart to watch for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their body.

Watch over your heart with all diligence, he says, for from it flow the springs of life. That's what it's all about what happens after a person becomes a Christian is God's desire is to do open heart surgery on his desire is to change your heart's desire is to change your thought life completely with his word, which is alive and powerfully said and it is a judge of the very intentions and the thoughts of my own heart. He said that's what I do and for most of us, we almost never get there. We somehow allowed our faith to be compartmentalized in some way or externalized in some way.

JI Packer says this modern Christians tend to make satisfaction, the religion we so much more concerned about self-fulfillment than we do about pleasing God. Typical of Christianity today. At any rate, English-speaking in the English-speaking world is its massive rash of how-to books for believers directing us to have more successful relationships, more joy in sex becoming more of a person realizing our possibilities getting more excitement out of each day reducing our weight improving our diet.

Managing our money licking our families and a happier shape and whatnot. He said for those he said whose prime passion is to glorify God.

These are doubtless legitimate concerns, but the how-to books regularly explore them as self absorbed in a way that treats our enjoyment of life is the most important thing rather than to glorify God.

It all comes nine nieces to an issue of our heart is right. It's so easy to avoid this, and we set up a sort of a certain amount of externals and if we go through these we think are fine but were not the heart is very important to God.

900 times in the word of God. He says you need to guard your heart and gotchas become willing to do open heart surgery in each and every one of you last question is God's word changing your heart.

Can you look back and see in the last five years I've change the way think about a lot of things.

That's good. If it's happening if it hasn't been them afraid you're just going through the motions and won't help you much. God will not be glorified in you will not reap a life of joy and peace and hope you won't. And we can't fool God.

We can fake everything in the Christian faith for other people but God sees our heart and he knows what were like the spring father.

These words are so personal. Each and every one of us and the reason for this is we can't judge each other because all we know are the externals we don't know what goes on in the mind how we think, what arch like we don't know whether the word of God is really changing our you know and individually father as believers in Jesus Christ. We know father I pray that we become honest with you, that were willing as honest Christians to examine our heart and the CDU search our hearts. God put us a clean heart change the way we think because we knowingly do that our faith becomes authentic. You are glorified in our lives. We are blessed sure father think being a God that is willing not to let us the way we were to begin a process pastor broke apart the radio ministry of fellowship, nor if you ever miss one of our broadcasting or maybe you just like to listen to the message one more time. Remember that you can Google a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the Fellowship in the Word online event website you will find on today's broadcast. So many of our previous audio programs as well have Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible. We ask all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help his radio ministry continuous broadcast on this radio station by supporting a monthly just a one-time gift support for ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word. 4600 Clearview Pkwy., Metairie, LA 7006 if you would be interested in hearing today's message in its original format that is is a sermon, the pastor will deliver during a Sunday morning service at Fellowship Bible church visit our website FVC Nola.org that SBC and LA.O RG at our website you will find hundreds pastor Bill sermon you can browse through our sermon archives defined sermon series you're looking for or you can search by title.

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