A New Heart
Will Equal a New Home
No Matter What, We Desperately
Need Soft Hearts!
Ezekiel 36:26
Sept 16, 2012
AM
Pastor Craig
Ledbetter
I.
Introduction
A.
The most dangerous disease
affecting humans is not what Doctors can see or do tests on.
1.
It kills more people than all
other diseases combined. Yet, it is almost unnoticed by the carrier.
2.
It is a disease of the heart
more serious than heart disease, or cancer, or strokes, or heart attacks!
B.
It is what the Bible calls,
Hardness of Heart
C.
And most people are “eat up”
with it!
D.
And it is killing our homes!
IT is the root source of the majority of all our problems in our homes, and in
our society!
E.
Its Meaning: To be Stiff,
Rigid (stiffnecked), Unbending, Unyielding, Obstinate, Rebellious, Proud,
Unchanging, Resisting any outside influence, Calloused, Unfeeling, Rude,
Churlish, Rough in Temper, Harsh! Not nice at all!
F.
Is THAT how you want to be?
II.
Background
A.
In Mark chapter 3:1-6
1.
A man was sitting in the
synagogue with a withered hand, and could have been easily healed by Jesus, and
yet the Pharisees resisted Jesus doing any good on the Sabbath.
2.
Their hard heart kept them
from seeing who it was that was standing in their midst!
3.
THEY WERE BLIND TO THE
MESSIAH!
4.
And they ended up wanting to
destroy Him!
5.
Notice the problem – we
usually think the problem with the Pharisees was their unbelief – which caused
them to
6.
Before we get into the nitty
gritty of repairing our homes, and our marriages, and our relationships with
each other, we need to get some surgery on our hearts.
B.
You say, Not MY heart. I am
fine. Oh really? Take a look at Mark 8:13-21
1.
Jesus warns believers of
the leaven of the Pharisees
a.
Leaven is what changes bread
from flat, boring bread into thick, fluffy pan slices!
b.
Their leaven was “self
justification”
c.
It was “self righteousness”
d.
It was their philosophy of
life
e.
And Jesus warned His disciples
to not be influenced by it!
2.
And Jesus warns His disciples
against the leaven of Herod
a.
Herod lived like there was no
power greater than his own – he was god unto himself
b.
Herod’s philosophy was to live
in pleasure, and that God’s law does not apply to him – so he stole his
brother’s wife and married her!
c.
Jesus warned His disciples to
flee such thoughts
3.
But the disciples only thought
Jesus was talking about baking and eating bread!
4.
Jesus REBUKES them! For the
sin of having hard hearts! He exposes their hard hearts and reveals what
their hard hearts were hindering in their own lives:
a.
They had not yet
learned/perceived what Jesus had been teaching all along
b.
They were unable to understand
simple lessons that He was teaching
c.
They could not see beyond
their own experiences – never growing
d.
They could not hear the still
small voice of the Holy Spirit
e.
Worst of all, They were unable
to remember important things – usually only able to remember bad stuff, but
never the right and good things Jesus did and promised!
5.
Look at Acts 28:24-27! People
close their own eyes, and stop their own ears, and harden their own hearts! And
they miss everything that God wants to do in their lives… “should be
converted, and I should heal them!”
6.
Have ye YOUR heart yet
hardened (Mk 8:17)?
C.
Out of ALL the things that
break a marriage, destroy a home, and ruin a life…
1.
With all the demonic attacks
agaist the home – and there are plenty
2.
With all the accumulating
bitterness and wrath and anger – years upon years
3.
With all the disrespect and
apathy towards godliness and righteousness
4.
Jesus says a hard heart
is the biggest cause of ruin (Matthew 19:7,8)!
5.
Why won’t we believe that?
III.
Message
A.
Biblical Examples of
Hard Hearts
1.
Pharaoh (1Sam 6:6) Eight
entire chapters in Exodus are dedicated to showing you just how STUPID having a
hard heart is!
2.
Nebuchadnezzar and his
Grandson Belshazzar (Dan 5:18-23)
3.
The Pharisees – as we have
already read about in Mark 3
4.
King Zedekiah (2Chron
36:11-13)
5.
Nabal (1Sam 25)
6.
Satan himself (Job 41:24)
7.
The nation of
8.
All BAD DUDES I think you
would agree!
9.
The Scariest example is that
of the Disciples (Mark 16:14)!!!
a.
Jesus had to constantly rebuke
His own disciples for their HARD hearts!
b.
We all have the same problem,
and probably don’t even know it!!!
c.
Most people think the cause
of a calloused heart is sin, or that the only people who have hard hearts are
people who deliberately rebel against God.
d.
But it is the other way
around!
e.
"A
hardened heart dulls a person's ability to perceive and understand things. It is
the equivalent of spiritual retardation." It stops us from trusting God!
f.
We become spiritually
disabled (dead in the water) if we allow our hearts to become hardened.
g.
Let’s take a look at God’s
Word for an example of this.
h.
Mark 6:45-52
1)
Jesus had just miraculously
fed 5,000 people with a small bag lunch of 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. What a
miracle! There was nothing that this Jesus of Nazareth could not do!
2)
And then as evening drew on,
Jesus pushed His faithful disciples into a boat, and He told them to cross the
sea of Galilee in the darkness of night, and He would meet them later.
3)
Some NINE hours later (in the
fourth watch of the night, from 3-6am) These twelve disciples were trying to
obey His command…
4)
But they were struggling, and
seemed to be in danger of failing
5)
And on top of it all,
something was visibly walking towards them in the storm
6)
This blur in the rain almost
walked right past them
7)
Terror struck their hearts,
and they began screaming in fear
8)
Then a voice yelled out over
the roar of the wind and the waves
9)
“Be of good cheer: it is I; be
not afraid!”
10)
And He stepped into the boat,
and immediately the wind ceased, and everything was fine, except the disciples!
They were not fine!
11)
They were beyond amazed –
shocked! Breathless!
12)
They just stood there and
wondered what in the world just happened?!
13)
All because they had never
considered, pondered, focused on just what had happened with the miracle of the
feeding of the 5,000
14)
They had HARDENED their heart
against believing Jesus would take care of them – would not let anything bad
happen to them! They were hardened against God surprising them! Against GOD’S
way of doing things – He uses storms, trials, troubles, failures, disasters,
even DEATHS (as with Lazarus) to change us! And yet we won’t allow HIM to change
us! WE harden our hearts!!!
i.
And that affects everything in
our lives!
B.
The Causes of Hard
Hearts
1.
God created us with the
ability to shut out things we don’t want inside of our hearts. That’s a GOOD
thing! “We” have control over what comes in, and what comes out. This was
created in us for good, so that we could shun things that could potentially hurt
us and keep us from knowing God. Unfortunately, it works both ways, and without
even realizing it we can create a callousness, a hardness towards God’s power
and His influences in our lives – which is usually what happens!
2.
The devil and the world
constantly supplies us with PLENTY of reasons to become hard, stiff, uncaring
about what is right and wrong
a.
Sorrow will cause it (Job
6:10)
b.
Worries and fears trigger
hardness of heart (Ps 95:8)
c.
Sin defiles us and ruins
tender hearts (Prov 21:29; Heb 3:8,13,15; 4:7)
d.
Offenses – being hurt (Prov
18:19)!
C.
The Effects / Results
of a Hard Heart
1.
No matter the cause, The
Effects of a Hard Heart are the same!
2.
Ruined Marriages (Mk 10:5; Mt
19:8) – period! Yes there are abusing homes, and wicked adulteries and
pornography, but Jesus pointed way deeper than all that and said HARD HEARTS
ruin marriages!
3.
Missing God’s Will (Heb 3:8)
4.
Unbelief (Mark 16:14). Do you
realise that THE one main reason why we find it hard to just believe God and
trust Him, is not our lack of faith, it is our resistance to faith! It is our
hardness of heart that resists trusting Him to take care of us!
5.
People remain in bondage (Mark
3:5). How many problems remain in our homes simply because of hard hearts in our
homes?
a.
Between husbands and wives
b.
Between teenagers and parents
c.
Between people in a church
6.
Rejecting God (Ezek 3:7-9)!
Most people are angry at God because they have allowed their hearts to become
hard towards Him! And so, they end up butting heads with God Almighty!
7.
People ending up in hell!
a.
Unable to bow the knee now to
the Lord Jesus
b.
Not caring about the price of
their sinful lifestyle
8.
Did you know that NO ONE has
ever prospered or benefitted from a hard heart (Job 9:4)
D.
How to tell if you have a
hard heart (Psalm 26:2) “Examine me, O LORD,
and prove me; try my reins and my heart.”
1.
Shortness of temper
2.
Unable to see your faults –
but great at seeing everyone elses!
3.
Unable to hear rebukes
4.
Unable to say “I’m sorry” and
mean it
5.
Uninterested in changing and
being conformed to the life of Jesus
6.
Only interested in revenge or
in getting justice
7.
Unable to sit and read your
Bible
8.
Unable to pray
9.
Unable to love the brethren
10.
Certainly unable to love your
enemies
11.
Not interested in seeing souls
saved from hell
12.
Not interested in saving your
home, or your marriage – would rather destroy it because of how you feel (Prov
14:1)
13.
Past feeling – don’t care (Eph
4:17-19)
E.
The Right Kind of Heart
We Need
1.
A Tender Heart (2Kings 22:19)
like young king Josiah
2.
Easily convicted of wrong
doing (1Sam 24:5)
3.
A Broken Heart (Psalm 51:17)
4.
Worried about upsetting God
(Psalm 119:120)
5.
A Small Heart, not puffed up
with self, and pride (Isaiah 57:15)
6.
Easily impressed with God’s
word (Isaiah 66:2)
7.
THAT is the only heart that
God can give GRACE to! All other kinds of heart will only meet resistance by God
(James 4:7)!
F.
The Only Way to Break a
Hard Heart
1.
So, what do we do?
2.
You stop protecting your hard
heart – humble yourself – repentance!
3.
Accept God’s Work on your
heart as He breaks and changes it (Jeremiah 18:1-6). Accept the surprises! That
is part of God’s commitment to breaking our hard hearts! Through the rough
times. The storms He sends us into!
4.
Fear God (Romans 2:4,5; Heb
3:13-18). He WILL judge you on the basis of your HEART, not your performance!
5.
Ask for another heart – a soft
one (Ezekiel 36:26). Realising the heart you have is flawed and needs t be
replaced!
6.
Get your heart constantly
Cleansed – forgiven of your hard heart towards Him (Psalm 51:10). Getting
forgiven softens hearts! Staying angry only hardens hearts!
IV.
Conclusion
A.
If you know anybody with a
hard heart, they are in danger! They need prayer! They need preaching! They need
a new heart, before it is too late!
B.
Maybe the person who needs a
new heart is YOU?
C.
Remember, People close their
own eyes, and stop their own ears, and harden their own hearts! And they miss
everything that God wants to do in their lives… “should be converted, and I
should heal them!”
D.
Have ye YOUR heart yet
hardened (Mk 8:17)?
E.
No matter the Cause,
The Effects of a Hard Heart are Worse!
1.
Ruined Marriages
2.
Missing God’s Will
3.
Unbelief
4.
People remain in bondage (Mark
3:5).
5.
Rejecting God (Ezek 3:7-9)!
6.
People ending up in hell!
7.
IS THAT WHAT YOU REALLY
WANT!!!?
F.
A New Heart is What We
ALL Desperately Need!
G.
Because a NEW Heart…
WILL equal a New Home!