A Heart Grown Cold
Griffith Baptist Church – 10/15/06
A.M. Service
Text: Revelation 2:1-7
Introduction:
As Christians, our lives get busy:
• Work
• Family
• Church
• Entertainment
• Education
We begin fine and continue to do the good works God asks of us
Somehow, those good works deteriorate into a rut
It is the habit of doing good only for the sake of saving face before other Christians.
We are the last to see our dreadful condition
Some do not want to face their coldness
They are constant gazers into a mirror they pay no attention to.
Where is your heart today?
Definite signs that our heart has grown cold:
1. When our desire for the world comes before God
A. What are your priorities in life?
i. Pleasures?
ii. Money?
iii. Work?
B. Hebrews 11:24-26 – 24By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.
i. James 4:4 - You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
C. Command - Colossians 3:2 – Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
i. Romans 12:2 – And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
ii. We need to change the way we think.
D. The more of heaven there is in our lives, the less of earth we shall covet.
2. When church becomes an inconvenience
A. The church is not made up of people who are better than the rest, but of people who want to become better than they are.
B. What traits characterized the early church? – Read Acts 2:42-47
i. Continually devoting themselves to – 42
a. Teaching
b. Fellowship
c. Breaking of bread
d. prayer
ii. Kept feeling a sense of awe – 43
iii. They were together – 44
iv. They shared with one another sacrificially – 45
v. They worshipped with: - 46
a. Gladness
b. Sincerity of heart
vi. They praised God – 47a
vii. People got saved en mass – 47b
C. Are any of these missing from you?
D. Hebrews 10:25 - Not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
E. God puts the church in the world; Satan puts the world in the church.
3. When lost souls no longer move us
A. We grow indifferent to the destiny of unregenerate man
B. How far removed have we become from these:
i. Jeremiah - Jeremiah 13:17 – But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD’S flock is carried away captive.
ii. Jesus - Matthew 23:37 – O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
iii. Paul - Acts 20:31 – Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
iv. Paul, again - Philippians 3:18 - (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
C. Psalm 126:6 – He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
D. It isn’t urgent for us anymore – 2nd Corinthians 6:2 - For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
4. When the Bible loses its grip in us
A. A former park ranger at Yellowstone National Park tells the story of a ranger leading a group of hikers to a fire lookout. The ranger was so intent on telling the hikers about the flowers and animals that he considered the messages on his two-way radio distracting, so he switched it off. Nearing the tower, the ranger was met by a nearly breathless lookout, who asked why he hadn’t responded to the messages on his radio. A grizzly bear had been seen stalking the group, and the authorities were trying to warn them of the danger.
Any time we tune out the messages God has sent us, we put at peril not only ourselves, but also those around us. How important it is that we never turn off God’s saving communication!
Harold M. Wiest, Power for Living, p. 109
B. Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
i. It exposes what we are, though hidden from the rest of the world
ii. It judges us according to truth, even though our inner man cannot be seen.
C. It changes us - James 1:22-25 - 22But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.
D. It is priceless - Psalm 19:7-11 - 7The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. 10More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
E. It’s value – Psalm 119:72 - The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.
F. Psalm 119:97 - O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
5. When we find more wrong with each other than right
A. Why do we always gravitate toward the negative in each other?
i. Matthew 7:1-5 - 1“Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2“For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3“Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5“You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
B. Casting stones – John 8:7 - But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”
C. We need to find what is good in each other -
i. Talents
ii. Knowledge
iii. Desires
D. James 4:11-12 - 11Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. 12There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?
E. We need to build each other up in the body of Christ
i. 1st Thessalonians 5:11 - Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.
ii. Encouraging each other
iii. Helping each other
iv. Providing for each other
v. Praying for each other
F. Don’t find fault with the man who limps or stumbles along life’s road,
Unless you have worn the shoes he wears, or struggled beneath his load.
There may be tacks in his shoes that hurt, though hidden away from our view,
The burden he bears, if placed on your back might cause you to stumble, too.
Don’t be too hard on the man who errs, or pelt him with wood or stone,
Unless you are sure—yea, double sure, that you have no fault of your own.
6. When we are satisfied and complacent
A. Complacency is a blight that saps energy, dulls attitudes, and causes a drain on the brain. The first symptom is satisfaction with things as they are. The second is rejection of things as they might be. “Good enough” becomes today’s watchword and tomorrow’s standard. Complacency makes people fear the unknown, mistrust the untried, and abhor the new.
Like water, complacent people follow the easiest course—downhill. They draw false strength from looking back. Bits & Pieces, May 28, 1992, p. 15
B. We should never get to a point where:
i. Our walk with God has reached an end
ii. The Christian life has grown boring
iii. The Bible is not exciting enough for us
iv. Our service is for obligation rather for the love of God
C. 1 Corinthians 9:24 - Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.
D. Hebrews 12:1 - Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
E. Keep going – Romans 12:11 - not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
i. We need to keep on going and not be lazy.
ii. See also Prov. 6:6-11; 13:4; 15:19; 24:30-34.
F. Philippians 3:13-14 - 13Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
