The Burning Heart
Griffith Baptist Church – 7/27/08
P.M. Service
Text: Psalm 39
Main Verse: Psalms 39:3 - My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue,
The Introduction
The Consideration of a Closed Heart- 39:1-6
The Confession of an Open Heart- 39:7-11
The Call of a Receptive Heart- 39:12-13
Morris, the loudmouth mechanic, was removing the cylinder heads from the motor of a car when he spotted a famous heart surgeon who was standing off to the side, waiting for the service manager to come take a look at his Mercedes. Morris shouted across the garage, "Hey Doc! Is dat you? Come on ova’ here a minute." The famous surgeon, a bit surprised, walked over to where Morris the mechanic was working on the car. Morris straightened up, wiped his hands on a rag, and asked argumentatively, "So, Mr. Fancy Doctor, look at dis here work. I ALSO open hearts, take valves out, grind ’em, put in new parts, and when I finish dis baby will purr like a kitten. So how come you get da big bucks, when you an’ me is doing basically da same work?" The surgeon leaned over and whispered to Morris the loudmouth mechanic, "Try doing it with the engine running."
This psalm is a psalm that speaks from the heart about the heart of a man sees his transgressions and honestly desires to have a right position with His God again.
There are two types of hearts that we deal with as Christians, one that is carnal and one that is spiritual
One that is controlled by sin and the other that is controlled by the Savior.
Transition Statement: Sometimes we are walking through this life with a heart burning with sinful tendencies
1. The Burning Heart of Sin - 8
A. The flame of hatred
i. There is no place for hatred in the Christian life. Christ changes us. A woman testified to the transformation in her life that had resulted through her experience in conversion. She declared, "I’m so glad I got religion. I have an uncle I used to hate so much I vowed I’d never go to his funeral. But now, why, I’d be happy to go to it any time."
ii. We are to hate what opposes God
a. Psalms 97:10 – Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. (Prov. 8:13)
b. This is not hatred of individuals, but a hatred of the sin they do
iii. Wrong hate is the character of the old sinful life
a. Titus 3:3 – For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. (see also Gal. 5:19-21)
b. Hatred of the brethren indicates a carnal life not walking with God - 1 John 2:9, 11 – 9He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. 11But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
iv. Love to enemies encouraged
a. Leviticus 19:17 – Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him.
b. Matthew 5:43-44 - 43Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
B. The flame of bitterness
i. Two little brothers, Harry and James, had finished supper and were playing until bedtime. Somehow, Harry hit James with a stick, and tears and bitter words followed. Charges and accusations were still being exchanged as their mother prepared them for bed. She said, “Now boys, what would happen if either of you died tonight and you never had the opportunity again for forgive one another?” James spoke up, “Well, OK, I’ll forgive him tonight, but if we’re both alive in the morning, he’d better look out.”
ii. Stems from anger
iii. It can be subtle – it does not always have to appear as red faced with teeth clenched.
iv. The most dangerous bitter person is the one who can wear a smile and hold the dagger of bitterness at the same time
v. We are to distance ourselves from bitterness - Ephesians 4:31 – Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
vi. You cannot be a spiritual believer and be bitter at the same time - James 3:11, 14 - 11Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? 14But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
vii. See also Heb. 12:5
C. The flame of indifference
i. Frank Layden, the former coach of Utah Jazz in the seventies, had problems with a basketball player, and so he summoned the talented but troubled man to his office. Looking the player in the eye, the coach finally asked, "My son, I can’t understand what it is with you. Is it ignorance or apathy?" The player said, "Coach, I don’t know and I don’t care!" (Sports Illustrated "They Said it!" 1990 Oxmoor House 26) Sometimes that is our response.
ii. It has been said the nice thing about apathy is you don’t have to exert yourself to show you’re sincere about it.
iii. This can be defined as apathy
iv. In its dangerous phase, it can turn into backsliding
v. Ezekiel 12:1-2 - 1The word of the LORD also came unto me, saying, 2Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.
vi. It can manifest itself in:
a. Uncaring attitudes
b. Slackened involvement in service
c. Internal struggle with conviction (throwing it off)
d. An “It’ll never work” mentality
• If people always listened to that than we would not have –
Cars – Ford was told that it couldn’t be done
TV – no one will want to buy one of those things
The space program – it is impossible what they want to do
And many others who were told no only to find out the few were right.
D. The flame of idolatry
i. Matthew 6:24 - No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
ii. Idolatry in the Old Testament were carved images
iii. Idolatry in the New Testament era goes beyond carved images. Out gods can become:
a. Money
b. Possessions
c. Work
d. Leisure time
e. Sports
E. The flame of sin
i. In a classic Leadership cartoon by Mary Chambers, two couples are seated in a living room engaged in Bible study. One of the women is speaking. "Well," she says, "I haven’t actually died to sin, but I did feel kind of faint once."
ii. This is rebellion against God
iii. 1 Samuel 15:23 - For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
iv. Rebellion – not obeying what God tells you to do
v. Stubbornness – refusal to believe and move from the path rebellion
vi. The two words are tied together and take in anything contrary to God’s perfect standard given in His Word.
Transition Statement: God desires that we have a heart burning for the Savior
2. The Burning Heart of the Savior - 7
A. The fire of love
i. A minister was speaking to the Sunday school about the things money can’t buy. “It can’t buy laughter and it can’t buy love” he told them. Driving his point home he said, “What would you do if I offered you $1,000 not to love your mother and father?” Stunned silence ensued. Finally a small voice queried, “How much would you give me not to love my big sister?”
ii. We ought to have an energetic and fired-up love for each other - 1 Peter 1:22 - Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
iii. This is included in the two greatest commandments that govern all our lives - Matthew 22:37-39 – 37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
iv. It is the same love that Christ loved us with - John 15:12 – This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
v. It is a primary indicator of our salvation - 1 John 4:7 - Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
B. The fire of faith
i. A small boy riding a bus home from Sunday school was very proud of the card he had received, which had a picture and a caption that read: “Have Faith in God.” Then to his dismay the card slipped from his hand and fluttered out the window. “Stop the bus!” he cried. “I’ve lost my ‘faith in God!’” The driver pulled the bus to a stop, and as the lad climbed out and went to retrieve his card, one of the adult riders smiled and made a comment about the innocence of youth. A more perceptive adult observed, “All of us would be better off if we were that concerned about our faith."
ii. Luke 24:13-35 (v. 32) (read)
iii. We are to defend it - . . .ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
iv. It is to be a steady faith - Hebrews 10:23 – Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) (Col. 2:5)
v. It is how we protect ourselves - Ephesians 6:16 - Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
vi. It is one of the fruit of the Spirit
C. The fire of obedience
i. Our thoughts direct our obedience - 2 Corinthians 10:5 – Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
ii. Obedience is prized over every sacrifice we could offer to God - 1 Samuel 15:22 - And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
D. The fire of the Holy Spirit
i. What God chooses, He cleanses. What God cleanses, He molds. What God molds, He fills. What God fills, He uses. - J. S. Baxter
ii. The Holy Spirit is to control us - Ephesians 5:18 – And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
iii. The Holy Spirit is to produce holy reactions in us - Romans 14:17 - For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
a. Righteousness – Doing the right things
b. Peace – Achieving the right goal
c. Joy – Having the right attitude
Conclusion:
What kind of heart do you have?
Do you have the heart that constantly seeks a way to live it’s own life apart from the convicting power of God, or?
Do you have the heart that seeks to glorify the Savior?
