A once healthy young man went to the emergency room whom was experiencing significant chest pains. It happened in the middle of the night—literally waking him from his restful sleep. He couldn’t help but think that this could be a heart attack or something worse, but being so young, he sort of ignored that thought. So, deciding to get himself checked out, the hospital put him through the usual battery of tests - EKG's, stress tests, etc. At one point they thought they detected something, so they then hooked him up for an echocardiogram, which is basically a sonogram of your heart. The young man found himself lying on a table watching his own heartbeat on a TV screen. This sort of sank into his psyche, and reality started to kick in his anxiety as it became more real.
The young man thought to himself, “There was something vulnerable about it—watching that little mass of muscle beat away, keeping me alive. What if it stopped? What if it missed a few beats? There was nothing I could do to control it. I couldn't will it to beat faster or slower. All I could do was watch it and hope it would keep going. I felt exposed. My heart up on the screen, and strangers were looking inside of me! The longer we looked at it, the less I liked it, because it only increased the likelihood they would see something they didn't like. Though it wasn't comfortable seeing my heart on a screen like that, it was important if I was going to find out what was going on in there, and if I was going to stay healthy.” The young man did survive and became healthier, but a valuable lesson was learned that day. Although he could not control his heart beats no more than a person can control the weather, he could however control his decisions of the heart to make his life better—whereas to not only eliminate the potential in having a heart attack but also live a life of morality, a life where the matters of the heart do indeed matter in who and what we are!
The heart is truly a remarkable thing. The one organ that we desperately depend on to circulate life, giving blood throughout every cell in the body. In scripture it tells us that the blood is the ‘life of the flesh’. It beats over 100,000 times/day, pumping 10 to 12 pounds of blood through 60,000 miles of vessels. It gives us color in our faces as well as supplying oxygen and nutrition to the mortal flesh. All of this from what we call the human heart. But friends, just like the young man thought, it is very important what is going on inside our hearts, in order to stay healthy, both physical and spiritual.
We normally associate the heart with our emotions, but the Bible usually associates the heart with a person's thoughts and will, as well as their emotions. The heart is that spiritual place within us from which everything about us flows; it is the seat of personality, the executive center of a person's life. In the same way that physical life flows from and through the heart, everything else about us - what we think, what we feel, and ultimately what we do - also flows from and through the heart.
In starting our journey today friends, we are going to look further into the realm in matters of the heart—the one thing we each have and must take hold of in order to be the person God intends us to be. It’s the one thing that all of us can learn and grow from, as well as become crippled and void, if we do not nurture it correctly—the spiritual food we should dine on every single day.
If I was to tell you this morning, if your spiritual heart could be worn on the outside like a shirt or pair of pants, would you wear it for all to, see? How wrinkly, dirty or messy would it be—or rather how spotless, clean and tidy would it look like? If we were a people, who call ourselves Christians, believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, having confessed our sins, rebuked our sinful lives, turned away from the life of a sinner and change our hearts to Jesus, what would that look like inside out? I must say it’s a rather sobering thought to discuss our heart, as even our own spouses, friends, family or anyone do NOT know our own heart but God and ourselves. You can hide it from others, but you can never hide it from God.
This is one thing Jesus was proclaiming to the people of Israel and pharisee’s in Gospel of Mattew chapter 15. It seemed that the people truly thought that what untraditional things we do defines who we are, especially amongst our fellowman. If we ate with sinners, then we are unwelcomed in the world. If we went to certain restaurants, then we would be labeled unjustly. If we were associated with people of different cultures or backgrounds, then others possibly would snicker at us seeing how we are traditionalist! Guess what! That’s exactly what Jesus is telling the people to do.
I remember growing up you always washed your hands before eating as this was a traditional sign you was unclean, unworthy to eat or sit down with dirty clothes to a proper table if you didn’t wash up. It wasn’t about hygiene, although we did learn later it actually is a healthy thing to do, but this same concept was ministered for thousands of years, yet, Jesus is declaring in chapter 15 that traditions, like washing your hands before you eat, are not the saving graces of God. “Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash [their] hands when they eat a meal.”
I would like to ensure to relay here that the Pharisees, during the whole time Jesus was physically amongst us, was trying to find any small flaw to throw Him off his horse and make Him look bad amongst the people. This tradition of not washing hands was another attempt but notice how everything evil that occurred around Jesus turned out a lesson of love of good for even us today. So listen to Jesus reply “He [Jesus] said to them in reply, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? Basically Jesus called them out as being straight up hypocrites, actors and not doers of God as he quoted Isaiah 29:13 “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
Through many hundreds of years before Jesus came on the picture, the hierarchy of Jerusalem came through the Sadducees (religious sect of the financial and social elite of Jerusalem) and the Pharisees (religious order of men that mainly followed legal traditions that were ascribed not of Gods word, but from ancestors past.) With these two groups of men, Christ called them in Matthew 3:7 “offspring of vipers.” Poisonous, cunning and downright hypocritical even in their oath to God. Their lips glorify God, but their hearts was far far away! Jesus next response speaks volumes to what they, even us today, need to think about when we assume our spiritual heart is correctly aligned with God.
“He [Jesus] summoned the crowd and said to them, “Hear and understand. 11 It is not what enters one’s mouth that defiles that person; but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one.”
This sort of defies all logic for some people. I know there are times when I say something to my wife that I regret later, but knowing I didn’t mean to say it, yet, it came from me. It came from my heart. When we try to curve our mouth, bite our tongue, all we do is leave teeth imprints and nothing more—all because we tend to think, our hearts is ours and we can’t change it. This is so far from the truth its not funny.
Mount Walker, about 60 miles northwest of Seattle, a women had a most unforgettable experience atop of a great mountain. According to Fire Department Chief Tim Manly, she was using her phone on the pit toilet when it fell inside. She first tried to remove the toilet seat in order to reach in, and then used her dog leash as a makeshift rope to lower herself in. That effort, however, failed--dropping her headfirst into the toilet. Once reunited with her phone, she tried and failed to climb out. After that didn’t work, she called 911 for help. Once firefighters arrived on the scene, they ultimately freed her from the pit. According to the department’s statement, the woman was uninjured and strongly encouraged to seek medical attention, but she only wanted to leave. Chief Manly said, “I’ve been doing this for 40 years. And that was a first.” We tend to think we can fix things on our own and then we end up making things worse. Sometimes God prompts us to take action; other times, to wait until proper help can arrive. Wisdom is in discerning the difference between the two. Overall, it only works when God is our guide.
Is it that hard of a lesson or burden for some to really comprehend Gods wisdom that He indeed can and will guide and strengthen us? Is it really a problem for mankind to follow God’s laws that is proven time and time again to be wholesome, life sustaining, miracle making, love expanding even to the end of our natural lives? When we do things, from talking to our friends to worshipping the living God, what we excerpt from our hearts is exactly who we are! My wife tells me I’m a hard person to read. If I say something, I look angry and I’m not, and if I am angry it can be taken as a joke. The heart of our spiritual walk friends rely upon our walk with Jesus. Amen.
I remember in the service we were taught many things about survival, and when you are put into a situation you need to act, not freeze, you need to remember what you learned to survive, not just reference to it when the emergency happened. Matters of the heart friends is precisely whom God intended us to be—His adopted children as scripture tells us. We are to be His example, exemplified, honorable and life changing, not something that you are not! The heart is truly who we are!
One day a man whom was seriously desperate for a job applied for a position at the local zoo and he agreed to take the job even though he did not know what it entails. They then tell him that a week prior their prized gorilla died and they cant afford to buy a new one. His job is going to be to dress up as a gorilla and entertain zoo guests. Over the next few weeks he puts on his costume and acts like a gorilla but his boss comes to him and says that he isnt acting enough like a gorilla. He tells him to get into it, play to the crowd. So he does that. Banging his chest, charging at the glass, and the crowds are feeding off of it. Eventually he sees a rope in his enclosure and takes it up to the highest rock. He grabs it and swings all the way across his enclosure, but looses his grip and ends up flying over the wall and lands in the lions enclosure. He is a little dazed from the fall and when he comes to he sees a huge male lion with its head down walking toward him. The lion is visably angry. Then before he knows it the lion pounces on him and starts attacking him. The man yells "HELP, HELP, PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME!" Right then the lion slaps him in the face and say "Would you shut up or we will both get fired!!!" Being something that we are not! Living a way that we think is righteous but are not. It all comes from the heart. Luke 6:45 tell us “A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.” Does not scripture tell us “A bad tree will NOT produce good fruit?” Where does our fruit come from? Our hearts!
In closing I would like for you to consider some very meaning things to do that will both reflect and help adjust our hearts to God by His divine presence and grace.
Exercise sound biblical judgement in our daily life. Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. What we do that feeds our spirit is what we grow with. If we are watering and nurturing a evil, deceitful heart, God will not bless it—actually evil will not linger in this world without righteous judgement. Listen to what Jesus tells us in Matthew, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted… Do you not realize that everything that enters the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled into the latrine? 18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile. 19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, unchastity, theft, false witness, blasphemy. 20 These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.” Whom is our source of Godly living? Who do we adhere to for righteous causes? The great I AM.
We love God by serving and honoring God from the heart. The greatest example God gave us in terms of the heart, is the greatest commandment that exemplifies and states, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” IF you was to really look at it, Gods entire laws of life is based at its core, this greatest commandment. Our heart friends is who we are! If I was to ask you what love would look like, it requires all our being—heart, soul, and mind. Some people love God with some, but not all—yet we want all of God don’t we?
Align our decisions with His expectations. John tells us “if you love me, you WILL keep my commandments.” No ifs, and or buts!
Our lives should be His and His alone. Proverbs tells us “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” What comes from us friends, comes from the heart. Everything we do has to come with all our efforts to serve God. Pauls letter to the collasians “Whatever you do, do from the heart, as for the Lord and not for others, 24 knowing that you will receive from the Lord the due payment of the inheritance; be slaves of the Lord Christ.”
Are we watching and guarding our hearts for God, now allowing just anything to enter it? Are we cautious and careful what we say and do that both honors and glorifies our heavenly father as we are ambassadors of Jesus Christ? Friends, when we speak, when we even think, is God at the forefront, or is it something else? Are we so desperate for God to take the wheel of our life, or are we reluctant to give it over? I ask you today friends to pray a fervent prayer asking God to help you, guide you, strengthen you into His will. For where your heart is, there your treasure is also. Amen.