We Need Open Heart Surgery - Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word poster Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing as far as the division of the soul and the spirit of work source okay and it is a synonym of heart it actually is synonym soaking our mind, emotions, and will and are so and he said that it pierces the sparsely division of the soul and the spirit in both the joints and marrow, and its able to judge the thoughts and the intentions of the heart is the word of God the Word of God is designed actually commit open heart surgery on joining us today on this additional fellowship of the word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana Pastor Bill Gebhardt now again he shows us how God's word meets our work and heart disease is also the number one cause of death in United States about 700,000 people a year in America die of heart disease. That's one every 36 seconds somebody dies of heart disease and is alarming is the stats are. They don't they don't compare at all to what the Bible calls spiritual heart disease is an amazing thing. If you want aware of it and I wasn't until this week. The term heart and the word of God is used 960 times God want to talk about the heart over and over and over again and almost never does the heart mean anything other than something metaphorical. It means the inner man your soul which nature your mind, emotions and will. That's the heart is not talking at all about the organ, but there's a reason that he is because it's probably the single most important thing about a man or woman. The psalmist said the full has said in his heart. The fool has said in his heart there is no God.

And what's the death rate for that 100%. The religious person, they are people who give their heart to an icon or an entity or some kind of system behavior that excludes simple faith in Jesus Christ. That's what all religion is Jesus said I am the way, we just saying it.

I am the way the truth and the life and no one will come to the father but through me.

So what's the death rate for religion when hundred percent and even for those of us will put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ and his finished work on the cross and have been born again into God's family heart becomes an extremely important issue in one way when you came to Christ, you have a heart transplant. You're a new creature in Christ all the old things passed away so it's like I have a new heart except using this metaphor, there still a problem. You still have an old hard and that old heart is really the most important thing for you to deal with in urine tire life we all have heart issues and God really wants to have open heart surgery on each and every one of us want to start out in Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 12 Hebrews 4 and verse 12. The writer of Hebrews says it this way for the word of God is living and active. Their great way to describe the word of God the King James is alive and powerful. And then it says in its sharper than any two-edged sword, if the writer of Hebrews regularly might say it's sharper than a scalpel because it's going to do surgery the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing as far as the division of the soul and the spirit. I work source okay and it is a synonym of heart it actually is the synonym Sue K our mind, emotions, and will in our soul, and he said that it pierces the sparsely division of the soul and the spirit and both the joints and the marrow and its able to judge the thoughts and the intentions of the heart.

The heart is. That's what the word of God is the word of God is designed to actually commit open heart surgery on all of us. So I decided to start a series today called open heart surgery and what I want to do in the weeks to come is to talk about this in a way that virtually every problem in your life that really bothering you is from your heart. Every single one of them, and God has given through his word. He's operated on that problem and has told us in his word exactly how we should move forward now. The unfortunate part is in your CSI talk about the heart today. I we usually don't listen to God and so we keep reaping what we sell when we keep the sort of the misery index going on in our lives.

It's a if yes what why we going to do this series and why we going to do this particular series. There are several reasons I want to give you three right away this morning here and I want to turn with me to first Samuel chapter 16 first Samuel chapter 16.

This chapter's context is where Samuel, who is this great high priest and great prophet. He is going to anoint for the nation Israel a new King. They already had one king that was Saul. Saul forfeited his kingdom and God in a sense room off the throne. And so God said to him I want you to go to Jesse's house and I'm going to show you the next king. Initially, how one of our problems when needed is to all of us casinos a great and deeply spiritual man. So we get the verse six and it said when they entered, he looked at Ellie And he thought surely the Lord's anointed is before me. That's interesting why what that only a book like King Mimi, you look at King. That's what we look at that guy. Now let's think back for moment. Why was Saul chosen the people all of them so that guy looks like a king.

It was horrible but he looked like a king so he or someone similar, deeply spiritual man is assuming I look like a king. So the Lord said, but the Lord said to Samuel do not look at his appearance or the height of his stature, because I rejected him. God sees not as man sees for man looks at the outward appearance, but God just looks at the heart through his workouts is only look at a man's heart.

That's all I do. I look at the way a man's heart reacts to me this is diametrically opposed to us. We don't look at the heart we look at the appearance we don't even really value the heart.

We value the appearance that's the way this works for us as human beings with these things in external and we become very proud and and very much enamored with the external so everything is godly. If you don't think that's true, how much money you really think the cosmetics industry takes about plastic surgery.

What is that some change of heart. New change will look.

By the way, I think all you people know that in the end are dead just want to say okay reason to matter too much, but we look at that. We want to impress people on the basis of how we look and act we we want to impress people how much me make how much we all everything for us is judged externally. You look at the externals and then you say that that's how I judge things God's as I never judge things.

I just look at the heart see. I just look at and not no other reason.

I mean even in a practical way like this. Some of you will probably have the impression what you know I don't really sing much on Sunday morning because I can't sing at all. Let me explain some guy doesn't care. He doesn't care how you sing at all. Not at all. If you have a beautiful voice. He doesn't care.

That doesn't mean a thing to him. You see, it's your heart.

That's why using the term joyful noise and many of us are noisemakers that that's fine, but he doesn't care about the externals he doesn't care about the externals of anything in your life.

He cares about your heart.

Nothing else but your heart that's the single most important thing. That's how God really and this becomes problematic to us.

Not only do we have a different worldview of the heart versus externals, but there's something else going on with me now to Jeremiah chapter 17 Jeremiah chapter 17 and just verse nine Jeremiah Wright says this is God's perspective.

He says the heart that you heard mine is more deceitful than all else to think about that statement. What does all else mean, don't over think everything right. The heart is more deceitful than all else. That means your heart is more deceitful than Lucifer. It's more deceitful than anything. Who does it deceive you. Your heart is deceitful above all things or all else.

He then goes on assist and it's desperately sick. You could almost say the prognosis for its almost fatal wheel. There's a kind Hebrew words are used. It's desperately sick God's assessment of my hard is it's desperately sick and it deceives me, that's one of the reasons I look at externals and not internal things. Why my hard. That's just the way this works even resources who can understand it wino who can't us.

I can understand my heart. How many times you use expression to and I know we don't always mean my heart's telling me is that really reliable we say sometimes differently. I just like to go with my gut. I was wonder with II that's wonderful. I don't mean every case that's wrong but notice we give a lot of credibility and God says look next verse I the Lord I search the heart, I tested mine. I want to search the heart, that's the way that I see this this is a deceitful thing. So when God talks about the idea when he was doing a heart.

My heart says I don't need and guess what I believe it yeah yeah I don't need that. I have a good healthy perspective of life cuts as you don't really look at the outward part of life you never really look at the issue of the heart.

There is a different thing here.

Such a warning from a no go with me to Proverbs chapter 4 for just a moment. Proverbs chapter 4 comes a warning from God through Solomon verse 23. The new American Standard says you watch over your heart with all diligence, why, for from it flow the springs of life. This is what all life flows from the NIV. I like better here. NIV says that when it comes that first above all else, guard your heart, your heart, which is desperately wicked or sinful sick and is deceitful above all things, you better watch over you see you gotta do that and that's what he same with all diligence. The reason is everything about you every way you act all your actions and all your emotions come from your heart. That's where it all comes from is even a heart doesn't believe that even the hard things they know everything and have all my emotions are based on the circumstances amid that's not true, but it is wise because that's what we really want to believe he said don't do this, he said, whatever you do, you better.

Guard your heart no matter what you do so. Jesus then wants to direct this whole idea in a little story has and I want to go to Matthew 15 to look at this.

Matthew chapter 15 one of the ways of the heart is deceitful is that by our very nature. The nature of our heart and I've said this before times when you become a Christian you bring two things a little hard in your new life. All of us have different degrees of both the one thing we bring in as we still the pension a desire to set. I don't think any of us will argue like sitting. That's why was our heart has a sin and were happy with it.

You know anyone a front happy with it. There's a stop us from sinning. No, we just keep sending there's another pension we have we have this incurable pension to be religious.

We want to be in fact in evangelicalism when called religion called legalism. We just set up rules and that's what you have to gotta follow the rules that's that's a very important thing with this is what you have to do.

Jesus was very impressed will following doesn't mean much to him because there are rules.

Here's the story about then some of the Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus in Jerusalem. They want to get into a discussion with is is why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders, for they do not wash their hands when they break. This is big this is really big there. Lucky, God hasn't killed him on the spot because that isn't bad. That's one of the worst things you can do it cannot eat with dirty hands. I I know my mother told me that you know the point is, that's a very important thing to them and they had heard that he walked the walk through fields. Remember in the pic read off the thing and ate it and he said that it broke the Sabbath and he talked about that but he said we further eat bread and enhance unclean. Haven't been assuming that this is wrong. The why is it wrong. Notice it's in the verse. Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders. There is, it's the tradition of the elders numbered you say what is the tradition of the elders. It's called the oral Torah, the Torah is the written word of God. They decided because are so bent religiously to have an oral Torah.

Now they were forbidden to ever write down the oral Torah.

It was a tradition orally given to everybody and to stay the Pharisees. They had an expander oral Torah and then that was all the rules and regulations of how you have to live your life and they knew them. The people didn't I but that let them know when you violated I miss is the upperhand that religion gets on you go start setting up these rules and you're not even sure where they come from. Give an example. Many of you come from a very religious background. Okay. And in that background, there's all these behaviors you must do and then you come to Christ and you get in the word of God and I can't tell you how many times of all these years.

Some of us come to me and said I can't believe this, and I so what they said all these things. I was told to do. They're not in the Bible they're not in the Bible. There's no where to find them in the Bible.

That's right why tradition of the elders, they decided is oral tradition. This is ours.

We make you religious so they said that the Jesus now. Jesus answers them and says why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition.

Why would you try why would you violate God's direct word for your tradition of sugar. Scratch your head wondering wise of them. Example, God said honor your father and mother, and he was speaks evil of father or mother is to be put to death. Pretty serious but you say whoever says to his father and mother whatever I have that I would help you has been given to God, he is not to honor his father or his mother, and by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. They cannot tradition for this a good religious tradition. If I dedicated all of my estate all my wealth back to the temple. No one could have any right to any of my wealth and to embed so tough luck.

Mom and dad, I'm not giving you anything.

I gave it to God, so I can keep it.

You see, and he goes when the world are you doing God told you directly to honor them in your same. I got around that I don't have to give them anything. I've given it to God. Notice what Jesus thinks of this next words, you hypocrites. He said rightly did Isaiah prophesied about the watch this people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me that religion that's honoring God with your lips. There's all kinds of ways. Will we honor God externally. I see the red bow across whatever it is we honor God. This way, but our hearts are near guttural. We don't care about.

I don't care and hearts of deceptive that we believe it's still right not carry dishonoring the word of God. He said in vain do they worship me, teaching as the documents the precepts of men. So if you said that Jesus to the Pharisees worship you if no know they don't.

So after Jesus called the crowd to him. He said here and understand it's not when enters the mouth of the files the man but will proceeds out of the mouth. This defiles the man nothing and put in your mouth of the following is what comes out of your mouth at the father, the disciples came and said to him, you gotta love this. Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard the statement. Yes I know I intended to offend him. They like you can't shoot you offended those men that was my intention so he answered he said, every plant, which my heavenly father did not plan shall be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides appointment. They both followed they're not ugly, let them alone. God didn't plant them. No matter what their externals are this is an unusual cousin Matthew 567 sermon amount memory, said if your righteousness doesn't exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, you're not going to have me were all aghast at how can this be there, not of God. What is it the religious that everything about them. Space on outward external perspective of life. All God cares about your heart, where is your heart situation and develop eatery always gets involved in situations just like this. Peter says Dumas and you can just see them. I think I don't understand. He said could you explain the parable to us to love Peter see Jesus didn't give him enough explanation. It's like in verses 13 and 14. Jesus just drops the ball. Just imagine what the crowd thought they got the Pharisees are the most religious people closest to God in the world and Jesus said the blind guides the blind. Let them alone there end up in the pit. So we dropped that bomb and then he describes the Mike is done.

He's not talking to him anymore so Peter jumps in and says, could you explain, discuss, he said, are you still lacking understanding also. This is one of those. I'm guessing now, there must be 20 incidents in the gospel were Jesus had to roll his eyes. He had Peter comes up in user how many times how many times I keep repeating this is that it still lacking these or do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated.

That's basic biology. That's right right you put it in go to your system and our account. That's it.

I think he was like. I think I got that exhibit the thing that proceeded out of the mouth with some x-rays say comes from the heart. The thing to proceed out of the mouth comes in the heart was the father man committed defiles a man is what comes out of your mouth, but more importantly, this is going comes out of your mouth comes to pass through government on the radio ministry or fellowship nor if you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you just like listening to the message one more time. Remember, 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 with today's broadcast but also many of her previous audio programs as well 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 us monthly with 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 FVC 10 oh LA.O RG at our website you will find hundreds of pastoral sermon you can browse through our sermon archives to find sermon series are looking for, or you can search by title. Once you find the messenger looking for. You can listen online work you prefer, you can download the sermon and listen at your own. And remember, you can do all this absolutely free of charge. Once again our website is FVC Nola.org forecaster Bill Gebhardt, unseasoned heart.

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