Sermon Central
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Heart Trouble
Contributed by Jerry Shirley on Feb 7, 2014 (message contributor)
Summary: Link inc. to formatted text, audio, PowerPoint.
Heart Trouble
http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/HeartTrouble.html
It's the #1 killer in America. And it's the #1 killer, spiritually, of all mankind. It doesn't have to be!
Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled..."
The Bible talks a lot about the heart, as in, the center of your being. It is the fountain from which all your desires and actions flow.
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
Before anyone commits the outward act of adultery they have the inward sin of lust in their heart.
[murder/hatred, stealing/covetousness, dishonest with others/with self, cursing/anger]
The heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart.
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:
You are nothing more/nothing less today than what you are in your heart.
Your ticker may be fine today, but do you have spiritual heart disease?
Evil Heart - Genesis 6:5
And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Fainting Heart - Genesis 45:26
And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not.
Hard heart - Exodus 4:21
And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.
Hateful heart - Leviticus 19:17
Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.
Discouraged Heart - Numbers 32:9
For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them.
Proud Heart - Deuteronomy 8:17
And thou say in thine [proud] heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.
Deceived Heart - Deuteronomy 11:16
Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;
That's just the first 5 books of the Bible!
What is a troubled heart? It is filled with anxiety, fear, dread, stress, and worry. The circumstances of life feel like they pile on us, and we carry that burdensome weight.
ill.--just as carrying extra weight affects the heart in our bodies, shouldering burdens that we shouldn't affects each part of the body of Christ!
In our text, Jesus has just dropped the bomb on His disciples - that He is going to be crucified and go away, and not set up His kingdom on earth at this time as they supposed. This troubled their hearts.
He has just informed them that one of them will betray Him. This troubled their hearts.
He even states that His most loyal follower will deny Him...and 3 times at that. This troubled their hearts.
And Jesus says don't let your hearts be troubled. And it's not just something you say. Like, "Keep your chin up!" It wasn't some pious platitude or pat on the back. Jesus doesn't just tell them what to do, but HOW to do it. How to NOT have a troubled heart.
ill.--we preachers are bad about telling people what to do but not giving them the practical, tangible ways to get into action.
Jesus did it right!
The Cure for a Troubled Heart:
1. A Strong Faith.
v. 1
We all have faith.
The atheist has faith that there is no God.
The evolutionist has more faith than any of us!
The farmer plants seeds in faith that they will germinate and become life.
We have faith that spring will eventually come!
The surgeon makes an incision, believing by faith that wound will heal.
You pay your insurance with faith that if the time comes, they will do what they claim.
Your President makes promises and you have faith that...ok, bad example.
Right now you put your faith in a pew. You exercise faith each time you flip a light switch! I sit down for breakfast and have faith that my wife didn't put arsenic in my eggs. Granted, some of you guys have more reason to worry about that!
Human achievement hinges on faith:
Columbus set sail in faith that there was a new world out there.
Thomas Edison never gave up even after hundreds of failed filaments, believing that eventually he would find one that would work, and then 'ding' ... what a great idea!
