A Lifestyle! What a great heart condition to have & enjoy! It is good to have a heart established with grace. That's the only way to live! When we become established in who we are in Christ, nothing can stop us, or to slow us down nor hold us back. There is no limit to those who heard the Word & determined to be doers of the Word. When confronted with the challenges of life, anyone with a established heart, won't be shaken by anything, as the light of the glorious gospel of grace pierce the darkness all around us!
Question: by the way, what does it mean to be established in our heart? What is grace? What is the benefits of the good heart condition?
What it means to be established. It defined as to make steadfast, to remain in its place, make firm, immovable, certain, and fixed. Isn't this what we all want in life?
Detour: Ops! Wait! Let's look around & it's filled with darkness! So what is it...it is the roadblocks in our lives? The pandemic strike everyone & the economy continue to collapse. It's dead end! Everyone betray because of fear of men, we compromised as we're deceived & we steal others blessings. No! There' s a...
Solution: 1 Thes. 3:13, "To the end he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. Yes! God is able to establish your heart, without blame. But, here's the issue, "blame & guilt". It sounds like a big roadblock to many believers. Yet in contrast, when we receive the gift of Holy Spirit, God's Word tells us we are holy and without blame before God because of His great love. This is God's grace, his Loving kindness.
Benefit: What are the benefits? With a established heart, we can take firm steps of believing. We can make sound decisions that bring peace of mind. We can discern right or wrong. And most of all, we are able to fulfill the dreams & passions that are in our heart, to become all that God has made us to become! This are the desire to enjoy with established heart. No fear of men, no compromise and not to steal the blessings.
I. INTRODUCTION:
When we became a child of God, this is how God made us! This is how He views us... acceptable! Eph. 1:16, "To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved." Holy & without blame. Sounds Amazing! But each one of us still has that sin nature. It's referred to in the Bible as the old man. It's that part of us that nags at our hearts. It's that part of us that one can't escape cause it's the weakness of the flesh. The apostle Paul knew of this conflict, in Phil. 4:11, "not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content"
II. MESSAGE: Let's check this out first! The uncircumcised heart with a corrupt mind that compromised.
A. THE CONDITION OF THE EVIL HEART - Jeremiah has given some reason to be cautious about the inclination and direction of the heart. How is the evil heart of the people had led them astray. In Jer. 17:9, "the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.." (Here observe)
1. The heart is deceitful above all things. Trusting the heart is just another way of putting our trust in man and not trusting in God.
a.) This age is ripe with hypocrisy. Many are compromising due to the wickedness that even the very imagination of men are full of evil (Noah's day) being promoted by social media such as:
a-1) Jer 11:8, "yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart"
a-2) Jer 16:12, "Behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me:"
b) Our hearts often deceive us. Fulfillment is not the key to happiness. What we desire is often not what we need. To give an advice "be true to your heart" fails when the heart is deceitful above all things"
b-1) The heart - signifies the total inner being includes reason. From heart come action & will.
b-2) The perversity of man's heart is full of harlotry & creature confidence.
2.) And desperate wicked - The heart is not only deceitful, but also wicked & desperately.
a) Discernment - So many have been led to rebellion, disobedience, and a great sorrow by following their heart without challenging their heart & judging it by the measure of God's truth.
b) Wrong advice "Follow your heart" is deceiving when the heart is desperately wicked.
c) Desperately wicked, seems to have sickness more than depravity (corrupt) in mind. The unregenerate human nature is in a desperate condition without divine grace, described by the term gravely ill in v9 (desperately corrupt, desperately sick)
d) For believer under the New Covenant, they have a new heart, (Eze. 36:26) are a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17) and a new man patterned after Jesus (Eph. 4:24, Col. 3:10)
e) Element - Still, there is an element of sin and flesh that remains in the believer. Since Jeremiah used the term heart in a general sense, we can say that our identity is not deceitful and desperately wicked; yet we still have to deal with an element of inward deceit and wickedness.
3. Who can know it? The heart's deceit & wickedness are advanced enough that even the individual may not know or understand their own heart, & outsiders have even more difficulty in discerning the heart of others. Now, this is how God's gift work to discern the spirit whether right or wrong.
4. I the Lord search the heart, I try to reins (mind). Though know the heart of one's self or others is difficult & sometimes impossible, God searches, tests, and knows the heart of one's self or is wise to trust what God says about us more than what we think or feel about ourselves.
a) I test the mind. A second word is here set in parallel to heart literally, the kidneys, the hidden depths. Test - the two terms "heart" and "kidneys" cover the range of hidden elements in man's character and personality. Nothing is hidden from Yahweh.
b) The knower of the heart - This is how the Lord addressed by his apostles in Acts 1:24, to Him alone can this ephitet be applied and it's from him alone that we can derive that instruction by which we can in any measure know ourselves.
5. Even to give every man according to his ways - Because God perfectly knows the heart and mind of man His judgment is true. God's knows to what extent the heart either justifies or condemns man's doings.
B. TO ESTABLISHED A SIMPLE BLUEPRINT - The power of meditation and the dynamic of intercessory prayer.
1. The whole armour of God - (Eph. 6:10-19) Project the verses at the screen.
2. Build a Hedge of Protection - Psa. 91:2 "I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge & my fortress: my God in Him will I trust" This is why we trust God:
a) Three because, (Psa 91:9-10&14)
v9 - Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation, v-10 - There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
v14a, Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him, I will set him on high.
v-14b, Because he hath knowing my name, Jesus is the Name. (Prov. 18:10), the name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it and is safe.
a-1) His Name is Higher than any other.
a-2) His Name is Wonderful, His Name is Counselor
a-3) His Name is Prince of Peace, the Mighty God He is
a-4) His Name is River of Living Water, His Name is Jesus, His Name is Lord
b) The Promise (Psa. 91:15-16) He shall call upon me, & I will answer him I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him & honour him. With long life will I satisfy him and shew him my salvation.
3. Declaration of Faith (Psa 27: 4-6)
v-4 "One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord & to inquire in his temple.
v-6 "And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will i offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy, I will sing praises unto the Lord.
C. ESTABLISHED LIFESTYLE - That we can be able to discern from evil to good.
1. To established a simple blue print - Matt. 6:9 "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, & the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
2. To established an early daily devotion. Mark 1:35, "And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place and there prayed.
3. To established our heart upward. Luke 23:34, "Then said Jesus, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do, And they parted his raiment and cast lots.
5. To established our heart to defend on God. John 17:15-17 "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth.
III. CONCLUSION:
Romans 4:1 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."
1. Established in prayer & fasting?
2. Established in worship?
3. Established by the Word?
4. Established in witnessing?
5. Established in giving?
TO GOD BE THE GLORY - PRAISE THE LORD!