Jeremiah
17:9
|
Jeremiah
17:9 |
|
|
January 3, 2016 AM
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland
I.
Introduction
(Psalm 139:23,24)
Psalm
139:23,24
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And
see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
A.
I want to
begin this series with a survey of the human heart!
B.
There are
many different viewpoints about the human heart:
1.
“A little
messed up, but generally good” is the way people see it today
2.
“Not that
bad”
3.
“Just
needing a little work – a little help here and there, now and then”
4.
In reality,
most people don’t worry about the condition of their hearts
a.
They worry
about their hair, their job, their car, their pets, their music
b.
But their
heart? Not a bother
C.
But
something is definitely wrong with the human heart
D.
And I am not
speaking about the organ beating in your breast 70 times a minute
E.
But of the
centre of your soul
1.
The place
where every emotion swells from
2.
And where
every decision is settled
3.
THE real
heart – the one that is at the centre of the real you!
4.
It thinks
like your brain, but more than that, it believes, it loves, it hates, it
rests, and it panics
5.
It is YOUR
innermost person – and it is more important than your brain!
F.
And if you
would be honest today, it is all messed up and in need of more than just
a little repair!
II.
Message -
Here is the Gospel Truth about our Heart
Whether you
like it or not – whether you agree with it or not…
A.
It is
Deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9)
1.
It seeks
nothing but its own gratification, and own purposes, at YOUR expense
2.
It is a
lying, deceiving, cunning, crooked, devious, cheating, scheming, faking,
treacherous part of every one of us!
3.
You don’t
trust politicians do you? Why? Because they are LIARS!
4.
Don’t trust
your heart either! It is a fraud!
5.
DON’T follow
your heart! You CANNOT trust your heart!
6.
It is more
deceitful than anything else in the world
7.
It not only
lies to those around us…
8.
It lies to
ourselves – it tells us what we want to hear
9.
It lies
about everything – always twisting, always squirming – never straight or
true
10.
It makes us
believe irrational things, promising success, riches, popularity,
acceptance
11.
Never
actually ever being honest about the consequences of our wrong choices
and our sins
B.
It is not
only wicked, but Desperately Wicked (Jeremiah 17:9)
1.
“Who can
know it?” In other words, “There is no limit to the depths of what the
human heart can do!”
a.
King David,
a man after God’s heart, lusted after another man’s wife, drew her into
his bed-chamber, committed adultery with her, and then when he found out
she was pregnant, he desperately tried to cover it up, and in the end
had her husband murdered so no one would find out he was an adulterer!
b.
Throughout
history people, parents, husbands, wives, children have done the most
unthinkable things to those closest to them!
1)
In the last
20 years, 400 CHILDREN have been convicted of MURDER in the UK, with the
youngest just 10 years old!
2)
Domestic
violence in Ireland is skyrocketing with 1 in 5 couples being brutalised
3)
1 in 4
people in Ireland have been sexually abused as children
c.
And I am
talking about not only pagans, but religious people
d.
Religions,
and prayers, and beads, and popes and cathedrals cannot ever fix the
human heart!
e.
So today, in
our enlightened, tolerant society…
1)
Homosexual
sins are welcomed and paraded in our streets
2)
Abortion is
being DEMANDED today here in Ireland
2.
The human
heart is incurably wicked!
a.
Mat 12:34
O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good
things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
b.
Mat 12:35
A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth
good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth
evil things.
c.
There are
only two kinds of heart you can have:
1)
An evil
heart full of wicked thoughts and actions
2)
Or a good
heart, full of good things
3)
And any of
us can tell just by the words you say!
3.
We Are Bent
Towards Evil
a.
We love sin
(James 1:13-15)
1)
Jas 1:13
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God
cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
2)
Jas 1:14
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust,
and enticed.
3)
Jas 1:15
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin,
when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
b.
And SIN is
attracted to our hearts, like metal to a magnet
C.
Over Time a
Heart only Becomes Harder (Zech 7:12; Jer 5:3; Eph 4:17-20) – it doesn’t
get better with Time
1.
Zec 7:12
Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should
hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his
spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the
LORD of hosts.
2.
Jer 5:3
O LORD, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken
them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have
refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a
rock; they have refused to return.
3.
The more it
knocks against other sinful hearts, it becomes numb, insensitive, and
hard!
a.
Eph 4:17
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth
walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
b.
Eph 4:18
Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life
of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness
of their heart:
c.
Eph 4:19
Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto
lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
d.
Eph 4:20
But ye have not so learned Christ;
D.
It’s Not a
Problem With Our Genes, It’s a Problem With Our Heart
1.
Take a
glance at the NEWS HEADLINES for any given day and you will see endless
reports of thievery, bombings, murderers, bigotry, racism, and bullies.
Are we genetically flawed towards “evil” behaviours like selfishness,
violence, and cruelty? Or, is it an unfortunate side effect of our
society? Those who make a living studying human behaviour
(psychologists, anthropologists, comedians, etc.) haven't been able to
figure it out yet!
2.
The 20th
century has been called the bloodiest century of all time: WWI, WWII,
and about 247 other wars spread throughout only three generations!
Totalling over 175 million people through war alone!
3.
The amount
of violence on our TV's and movies is astounding -
a.
In some ways
we aren’t much different than the ancient Romans with their gladiator
games and fascination with blood and gore.
b.
The TV is
full of investigative crime shows like NCIS with gruesome crime scenes,
most news programmes stick with the ‘if it bleeds, it leads’ philosophy,
the more violent the sport today, the more it is popular. Without a
doubt, we have a definite attraction to violence.
c.
Do you not
understand that we like watching it! Isn't that crazy?
d.
Primitive
people live for the thrill of the kill.
e.
And it
seems, so do we, as a culture!
4.
The fight
begins in the WOMB
a.
See Jacob
and Esau (Gen 25:21-23)
1)
Rebekah his
wife conceived. And the children struggled together within her; and she
said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.
And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner
of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall
be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the
younger.
b.
Put two
young children in a room with only one toy and watch the sparks fly!
5.
What is
REALLY in our hearts (Mark 7:20-23) – look at the partial list Jesus
gives:
a.
Evil
thoughts
b.
Adulteries
c.
Fornications
d.
Murders
e.
Thefts
f.
Covetousness
g.
Wickedness
h.
Deceit
i.
Lasciviousness
j.
An evil eye
k.
Blasphemy
l.
Pride
m.
Foolishness
– living like there is no God
n.
All these
evil things come from within, and defile the man.
E.
Example:
1.
A man is
barely driving down the road, weaving, and wobbling, scraping the road
constantly, black smoke is coming out of the exhaust
2.
It is not
because of the driver, but the CAR is a mess – ruined
a.
Two flat
tyres
b.
Broken back
axle
c.
Front right
tyre is bent outward
d.
Engine has
no oil and over heating
e.
The inside
is filled with smoke from the engine
3.
No matter
what the man does, it doesn’t get much better
a.
Tries to add
oil
b.
Pumps up the
tyres
c.
Pulls in the
front bent tyre
d.
Uses some
serious Grey Duct Tape to hold the back axle together
e.
Rolls down
the windows so some air can get in
f.
But to tell
you the truth, the man needs a new car! Seriously!
F.
Left to
Ourselves, We Would Never Seek God (Romans 3:10-18)
1.
That’s why
God goes after us
2.
Sending
someone with the Gospel, the TRUTH, to preach it to us
3.
Opening our
eyes, turning us from Satan, unto God
G.
Our Heart
has to BE Changed before it is too late – and the sooner, the better!
(Psalm 145:20)
H.
It Cannot
Change Itself and make itself better
1.
Remember, it
is DESPERATELY Wicked – it means, beyond repair – ruined – incurable!
2.
Something
that is partially good, cannot make itself perfect
3.
Our hearts
may yearn to become better, but cannot ever find perfection in ourselves
4.
That’s why
there is so much religious, and religious endeavours:
a.
To help
people get “better”
5.
But God
became Man to actually accomplish the impossible task
6.
Things which
are "impossible with men are possible with God" (Luke 18:27), for "with
God ALL things are possible" (Mark 10:27).
7.
That’s why
every man, woman and child desperately needs a new heart given to them,
or this life is going to be just one rat-race-to-the finish, with no
other purpose than pleasing yourself!
a.
There is
good in us – we were made in the image of God, with all His
characteristics. But sin is in us, that is not in Him! And it has ruined
us.
b.
And made it
so that we all need not a patched-up heart, or a puffed up heart, or a
fake heart – but a completely new heart
III.
Application
– What’s It Like Having a New Heart? (Ezekiel 36:26,27)
A.
Eze 36:26
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put
within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and
I will give you an heart of flesh.
B.
Eze 36:27
And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my
statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
C.
It’s NEW
1.
There is
nothing like having something NEW
2.
A new car
3.
A new house
4.
A new
computer laptop
5.
A new baby
6.
It’s not
just patched up, pumped up, spruced up, dolled up
7.
It is brand
spanking new! Through and through!
D.
You feel
Relieved
1.
That
something so hard, so deadly, so painful has been taken out!
2.
Like a hard
cyst – stone deep in your hand or foot
E.
You become
Sensitive to God
1.
Wanting to
walk with Him
2.
Wanting to
do things God’s way (Ezek 11:19,20)
3.
Wanting to
do right and be like Jesus
F.
You become a
Spiritual Man (1Cor 2:14,15)
1.
A new man on
the inside
2.
From now on
always hungering for something more than can be held, bought
3.
Feel guilty
when you are doing something wrong now
4.
Sense the
quite voice of the Holy Spirit as he gently guides and directs your
steps
5.
Not like an
animal on a leash, but like a trusting child obeying his parents
commands!
G.
Soft,
tender, feeling, able to be hurt again
1.
That’s a
good thing! Being able to hurt, and feel, and be disappointed, and let
down
2.
You become
sensitive to people again
3.
To THEIR
needs instead of your own
H.
You become
Clean (Psalm 51:10)
I.
You have
Good Attitude (Psalm 51:10)
IV.
Does ANYONE
Want the New Heart that Jesus Offers?
A.
It is a gift
from God, offered to anyone who is tired of the one they have
B.
You can just
continue to live with yourself – the person no one wants to be around
C.
Or you can
get a new heart – a brand new one!
D.
If you
already are born again, you may have left your first love, and grown
cold in your heart towards God – He can warm that heart and make it burn
like the men on the road to Emmaus
E.
If you would
simply spend time with Jesus in His word, page after page, listening and
obeying!
|
