Intensive Care For Broken Hearts Series

The Heart of the Matter (Part Two)

"Intensive Care for Broken Hearts"

Introduction

A. Example - It was 1974 B.T. (Before Tia) I was in 3rd grade at ACA. I had a crush on a girl in the 4th grade. I took the mature 3rd grade approach and wrote her a note. I laid it all on the line. I poured my heart into the note. It read: "Do you like me? Yes or No. Please check one." She didn’t answer the letter. I asked my friend David

(who was a 4th grader in her class), "Doesn’t she like me? Tell me, what does she

think about me?" My friend said, "She thinks you are strange!"

B. I was crushed! The girl of my dreams had said that I was strange. My heart was

broken! Boy, was she going to live with regret for not picking me (Ain’t that right

sweetheart!)

C. We find out at an early age what it feels like to have a broken heart. But what

happens when we are young (in my case, 3rd grade) doesn’t even compare with

the pain and heartache we experience as we get older.

D. For some of you, this past year has been extremely difficult. It’s been one blow

after another. As soon as one problem was over with, you were dealt with

another one.

E. It’s safe to say that there are many present today whose hearts are broken.

F. Are you ready for a shocker? God needs people with broken hearts! We may not

think that’s the case but in reality it is.

G. Last week, we began our series on "The Heart of the Matter" by discussing

heart trouble. We talked about the signs of heart trouble. We made an analogy

between the physical heart and the spiritual heart.

1. We noticed David’s heart trouble, that is, his sin with Bathsheba and the events

that followed.

2. Thankfully David finally admitted he had a heart problem and he allowed God

to do surgery on his heart.

3. David asked God to create in him a clean and pure heart.

4. We ended our lesson with a plea—allow God to open our hearts and do the

surgery.

H. Sometimes, after heart surgery is performed, people have to spend some time in

the intensive care unit. Their hearts have to be monitored closely. Even though

the surgery has been done, there’s always the possibility that complications can

occur; that heart trouble can act up again.

I. In like manner, once we have allowed God to do surgery on our hearts, we need to spend some time in the "spiritual" intensive care unit.

1. The therapy we need is to allow our hearts to be broken when necessary.

2. That might seem to be an odd concept when dealing with a heart condition.

3. But as we will see, God needs people with broken hearts!

J. Notice Psalm 51:16,17 - READ

1. Didn’t I tell you that God needs those who have broken hearts? I cannot say

that I understand why that is the case.

2. But there’s another passage that’s even more difficult for me to understand

when it comes to the brokenhearted.

K. Notice Psalm 34:15-17 - READ

1. I’ve got no problem preaching or understanding those verses. We expect God

to watch over the good hearted, the kind and the noble.

2. Psalm 34:18 - READ (Repeat)

L. Someone says, "I want to know if my heart is right with God. Am I living right?"

M. David says, "Having your heart right with God comes from your ability to have

a broken heart."

N. Isn’t that exactly what Jesus taught? "Blessed are the poor in spirit (the broken

hearted), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:3)

O. Two questions we want to address:

1. Why would God be drawn to those who are broken hearted?

2. What is the intensive care that broken hearts need?

Body

I. First, Why is God Drawn to the Brokenhearted?

A. Number One - The brokenhearted have learned the difference between what is

genuine and what is fake.

1. The brokenhearted know the difference between reality and what is a sham

(counterfeit).

2. It takes a brokenhearted person to know what is real and important versus

what is false and unimportant.

3. Luke 7:36-50 - READ

4. Isn’t it amazing how a broken heart will wipe away the "junk" and show you

what’s real?

5. Simon is so worried with making a good impression on his guests (so worried

about the externals) that he can’t even see past his nose to what’s really

important.

a. Simon "knew" this woman was a "sinner" and that she had problems—but

did he care? NO!

b. Did he offer to talk with this woman and see if he could help her—after all,