Matters of the Heart (Pastor Derrick Collins, 08/17/24)

If you have your Bibles, I'd like to invite you to turn to 2 Samuel chapter 11.

2 Samuel 11 · chapter mention

We're going to look at verses 1 to 10 and 14 to 16.

Second Samuel chapter 11, verses 1 to 10 and 14 to 16.

2 Samuel 11:1–10

When you have it, can you say amen?

Alright, well let's read it.

In the spring of the year, at the time when kings normally conduct wars, David sent out

Joab with his officers and the entire Israelite army.

They defeated the Amorites and besieged Rabah, but David stayed behind in Jerusalem.

One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of his palace.

From the roof he saw a woman bathing.

Now this woman was very attractive.

So David sent someone to inquire about the woman.

The messenger said, isn't that Bathsheba, the daughter of Iliam, the wife of Uriah the

Hittite?

David sent some messengers to get her.

She came to him and he went to bed with her.

Now at that time she was in the process of purifying herself from her menstrual uncleanness.

Then she returned to her home.

The woman conceived and then sent word to David saying, I'm pregnant.

So David sent a messenger to Joab, send me Uriah the Hittite.

So Joab sent Uriah to David.

When Uriah came to him, David asked about how Joab and his army were doing and how the

campaign was going.

Then David said to Uriah, go down to your home and relax.

When Uriah left the palace, the king sent a gift to him.

But Uriah stayed at the door of the palace with all the servants of his lord.

He did not go down to his house.

So they informed David Uriah had not gone down to his house.

So David said to Uriah, haven't you just arrived from a journey?

Why haven't you gone down to your house?

Let's skip to verse 14, in the morning, David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it to you

with Uriah.

In the letter, he wrote, station Uriah at the front in the thick of the battle and then

withdraw from him.

So he'll be cut down and killed.

So Joab kept watch on the city.

He stationed Uriah at a place where he knew the best enemy soldiers were.

When the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, some of David's soldiers fell

in battle.

Uriah the Hittite also died.

Today the message we're going to talk about is entitled, Matters of the Heart.

And what I want you to notice from this scripture reading is that David was a man of God's

own heart.

He was after God's own heart.

David loved the Lord like most of us probably never will.

But if you notice that just for a moment, David took his heart away from God and the

story that we read is the result of that.

And so for us, the message here today is about the heart.

And I hope that you recognize that this message is not for the unbeliever.

This message is for the believer.

You've heard of a series that has gained popularity called The Chosen.

Have you heard of it?

So The Chosen, 95% of the content in The Chosen is not from the Bible.

It's from the creative minds of the people that have written the scripts and created

the production.

And in The Chosen, there was this particular scene where Nicodemus comes to Jesus and he

asks him, are you the Messiah?

And the Jesus in The Chosen said to him, what does your heart tell you?

Disney writes tons of movies and you always see something in there that says, follow your

heart.

You guys know what I'm talking about?

The heart tells us to follow the world and the desires and what we think is best.

And when we follow our hearts, we start to use words like I think and I feel.

You guys get the idea.

Without God's help, our hearts will sweep us off course and lead us to disastrous results.

Thoughts and thoughts, by the way, are used interchangeably in the Bible.

When I was at Loma Linda, when I was taking a class at Loma Linda, some of the teachers

talked about some of the research they'd been doing at that time.

What they discovered was that our heart, and there's a kernel of nerves that are connected

to our hearts that connect to our brains, what they discovered was that our hearts and

our brains kind of work together.

It's kind of interchangeable.

What's interesting about that is if you think about it, the Bible, people from Bible times

knew that all along because they used those terms interchangeably, right?

And so when we talk about that and when you read it in the Bible, please understand that's

what we're talking about.

What's in your heart is also in your head and what's in your head is also in your heart.

Does that make sense?

All right.

I want us to talk for a moment about the prideful heart.

So if you have your Bibles, turn with me to Isaiah chapter 14 verses 13 and 14.

Isaiah 14:13

Isaiah chapter 14 verses 13 and 14.

Isaiah 14:13

Now what's interesting about this scripture as you guys know is this is a king that it's

talking about, but it's kind of mirroring Satan when he was in heaven.

And what he said was in verse 13, you said in your heart, I will ascend to the heavens.

I will raise my throne above the stars of God.

I will sit enthroned on the Mount of assembly on the utmost heights of Mount Zephan.

I will ascend above the tops of the clouds and I will make myself like the most high.

This heart is what leads people to be lovers of themselves.

This prideful heart is where they find it difficult to love the way God calls us to

love.

We've all encountered someone that's prideful.

But when we look at a prideful heart, the prideful heart replaces God with self.

Are you with me?

We see that here with what Satan did and we see that through this king that the scripture

is talking about.

If you look in 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 2 to 4, it gives us a better picture of the

2 Timothy 3:2–4

prideful heart.

Here's what it says, for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud,

blasphemers, disobedient to parents and unthankful and unholy.

Verse 3, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fears,

despisers of those that are good.

Verse 4, traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.

The Bible gives us a picture of what a prideful heart looks like.

And we can see it in our world today.

And one of the easiest ways to see it is when we, you see people constantly trying to catch

their best image, the best parts of themselves.

They want to show the world, look at me.

Have you guys seen things like that?

Does this show us a picture of what our world looks like?

The prideful heart.

But it gets different, it continues.

Because it's not just the prideful heart.

There's also the wounded heart.

And this is the person they can't share or receive love the way God intended.

They have a tendency to hurt others.

You know, there was a story of this woman, her name is Margie.

And she was so filled with hurt that, and because she had an unsuccessful and unfulfilled

career, she often hurt others with her words.

She would say hurtful things to people behind their backs.

The minute she became hurt or angry, the gloves came off, or the, I'm sorry, the gloves went

on and she started using her tools to hurt other people because she herself was hurting

inside.

See, there's a reason that so many marriages end in divorce and relationships are damaged.

It's because of wounded hearts.

You know, this morning I woke up and I had this situation that I was involved in, it

was on my mind.

And it was with a couple, by the way I'm a therapist, it was with a couple.

And I was trying to work with them to figure out how we can understand the communication,

the problems in their communication, and how to make it better.

And I watched the girlfriend verbally beat up on her boyfriend.

And he just sat there, he was shaking and he was just, he put his head down and she

just went at him and she would laugh.

And it was really quite the scene.

And I just, I just was so shocked.

I woke up praying for them because I'm like, man, the wounded heart will do those kind

of things.

We have no problem hurting other people because our heart is hurting.

Are you guys following what I'm saying?

But there's also another type of heart and that's the spiritual heart.

And when you look at the spiritual heart, you have people like Peter.

And even after Jesus told Peter that Satan wants to sift him as wheat, Peter still betrayed

Jesus.

That's found in Luke 22 verses 31 and 34.

Luke 22:31

You also have the rich young ruler.

And even after Jesus spoke to this young ruler, the very thing he needed to let go of, his

heart longed for the things that he had.

And he walked away from an opportunity to serve Jesus, to be side by side with Jesus

in ministry.

He walked away because, well, those toys I have seem to be more important and they're

calling me.

See, there's a significant problem with following your heart.

In Jeremiah chapter 17 verses 9 and 10, it says, the heart is deceitful above all things

Jeremiah 17:9

and desperately wicked.

Who can know it?

The heart is the seed of reasoning for us and we trust it.

I, the Lord, search the heart and examine the mind to reward each person according to

their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.

I'd like to read that same passage to you from a different version called the message.

And it says, the heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure

out, but I, God, search the heart and examine the mind.

I get to the heart of the human.

I go to the root of things.

I treat them as they really are, not as they pretend to be.

And again, that's from the message.

If you have your Bibles, let's go to 1 John chapter 2 verse 15 and 16.

1 John 2:15

If you have it, say amen.

Now, pay attention to this scripture because God is trying to tell us something that we

need to hear.

It says, do not love, by the way, that's heart language.

Do not love the world or the things of the world.

If anyone loves the world, the love, heart language, of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride

of life is not of the Father, but is of the world.

If we look at all of those three things, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and

the pride of life, those encompass pretty much every sin that could ever be committed.

And God is telling us to be very careful to make sure we don't have these three things

in our heart because they're not going to lead us to God.

They're leading us away from him.

What I want you to understand today is sin is a heart problem.

The satanic Bible has only one commandment.

Does anybody know what that commandment is?

That's not exactly how they phrase it, but it's definitely on that track.

It's called, do what thou wilt.

Just one commandment.

What does that mean, do what thou wilt?

Whatever you want, follow your heart.

Are you catching what the devil's doing versus what God is trying to do?

He's playing a game here.

See, when we gossip, we're relying on our hearts to tell us that it's okay and allows

us to justify what we're doing is right.

Even unkind words in the moment towards someone that may have upset us feels right to us.

Paul had zeal for God and he killed Christians in the name of God because in his heart, he

thought he was doing right.

Here's the good news.

God offers us a new heart.

He wants us to have the heart and mind of Christ.

That new heart also wants to write his law or he wants to write his law in our heart.

We're encouraged to hide his words in our hearts so that why?

We won't sin against him.

See, God is trying to change what we were born with, to change what the world has shaped.

God is offering us a new heart.

See, God allows us to choose what's in our hearts.

We have to know that what we choose, he will also judge us by what's in it.

You want to know what's interesting, this is a different study, but we know that all

of our deeds are being written down and they're being stored somewhere.

It talks about these books, these tablets that angels are recording things.

Do you know where they're recording those things?

On our hearts.

All of our sinful deeds and actions, all of those thoughts that we have that are not appropriate,

they're being recorded in our hearts.

God is saying, I'll take that away from you and give you a new heart.

If he gives us a new heart, I hope you understand, he's blotted out those sins.

He's giving us the opportunity to say you are a worthy candidate of heaven.

Are you following me?

God allows us to choose what's in our hearts.

When you think about Pharaoh, Pharaoh was an evil man and the Bible tells us that God heartened

his heart, which really means that God allowed that which was inside his heart to drive his

decisions to the point that it ruined him.

God didn't shape his heart like I'm going to make you a bad man and then I'm going to kill

you.

God allowed his own passions to drive him to ruin.

And God will at some point turn us over to the desires of our hearts.

Let's look at Romans chapter 1 verses 24 to 32.

Romans 1:24–32

This is what happens to a heart that's unconverted.

If you have it, say amen.

It says, wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lust of their own

hearts to dishonor their own bodies between themselves.

Does that sound like something that's happening in our world?

Who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshiped and served the creature more than

the creator who is blessed forever?

Amen.

For this cause, God gave them up to vile affections for even their women did change the natural

use into that which is against nature.

And likewise, also the man leaving the natural use of the woman burned in their lust one

toward another, men with men working that which is unseemly and receiving in themselves

a recompense and their error which was meat.

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to

a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient.

Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full

of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, bad character, whisperers, which are secret

slanders, back biters, which are defamers, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters,

inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents.

Without understanding covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, without covenant,

unmerciful, who knowing the judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy

of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

See what God is trying to do by showing us this list of things, He's trying to highlight

where our hearts will go if we are not connected to Him.

What's important for us to understand is that if you can identify with any of those things,

you're on the wrong track.

God is gently trying to woo you back to Him by saying, if this is something you're doing,

then your heart is maturing towards sin.

Move away from it.

Come back to me.

There's a song called Hosanna, and it's a praise song.

In it, one of the lines says, break my heart for what breaks yours.

You know, we need to be praying for that, that we will see sin in the most clearest

way possible and that our hearts will be torn up because of the sin, because that's how

it is with God.

God doesn't look at sin and smile and go, there's some naughty people.

No, it breaks his heart because somebody died to pull you away from that.

So we should be praying, break my heart for what breaks yours.

The unification of Satan's army is the result of hearts turned away from God.

I want you to picture the scene where the judgment has just taken place.

This judgment is for the wicked.

They've reviewed their sinful deeds, and they were willing to say, God, you are fair in

everything that you said.

It is true, it is accurate, and it's fair.

I want you to picture them getting on their knees and saying that Jesus is Lord of lords.

And they're confessing that.

Right after they're finished with that, Satan calls for a huddle and he says to them, you

know, we can still take God's kingdom.

See what I want you to understand is that even though they gave homage to God, their

hearts weren't converted.

Because their hearts aren't converted, there's still rebellion in them, and they're willing

to go and fight against God.

You following what I'm saying?

So here's the question.

Where is your heart today?

See the heart of the matter is if we let our hearts lead us, we're putting ourselves before

God and it has to be the other way around.

There is a reason that the way to God is a narrow road.

Paul reminds us that we have to die daily.

And in order for you to die, what has to happen?

What has to happen to your heart?

Has to stop beating, right?

We need a new heart.

And Paul says, I assure you by the pride which I have in you, your fellowship and your union

with Christ Jesus our Lord, that I die daily.

I face death every day and die to self.

Maybe God has to change that heart on a daily basis because that's how corrupt it is.

That's how deceitful it is.

So this is God giving us the opportunity for a daily heart transplant.

Our world is screaming for a change and God is waiting for our hearts to reflect his heart

and he will bless us with the tools we need to finish his work.

Let's look at Proverbs chapter 3 verse 5 and 6.

Proverbs 3:5

It reads, trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not on thy own understanding

and all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.

Church, we need a heart transplant.

We need a heart transplant.

And this starts with the Holy Spirit convicting your heart.

And we can wrestle with it, but God is wanting the Holy Spirit, it's prompting us to change

our lives.

We need to spend time in the word of God and read for understanding, not just a formality

to start our day or to end our day.

We need to read and we need to ask God to put those words in our hearts so we don't

sin against him.

You know what we need to do?

We need to spend time looking at Jesus Christ and we need to spend time admiring him and

just trying to understand him and just taking our time to look and gaze upon him and learn

about his ways.

And gradually God will allow his ways to become our ways and it'll change us.

We need to do that daily, not just on Sabbath.

A heart transplant helps me to see my neighbor with God's love and treat him or her in a

way that they deserve to be treated.

A heart transplant gives me the discernment to not allow myself to be distracted by the

foolish things of the world, but keep my eyes on God and be sold out for his cause.

A heart transplant gives me the desire to love God, to love God's way so much that I

would do it even if it cost me my life.

I want a heart like Daniel and I want an excellent spirit in me like him.

Let's look at Ezekiel chapter 36 verse 26.

Ezekiel 36:26

If you have it say amen.

A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away

the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you a heart of flesh.

God is offering us something very special here.

Let's go to second Chronicles chapter seven verse 14.

If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face

and turn from their wicked ways and I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins

and will heal their land.

What a beautiful promise.

Two more Bible verses and then we'll call it good.

Let's look at Psalms chapter 51 verse 10.

Psalms 51:10

I know you guys know this verse right.

Let's read it together then since you know it.

Create in me a clean heart oh God and renew a right spirit within me.

We can claim this as a promise.

This can even be a prayer.

We need this.

We need a clean heart.

Our final verse Psalms 119 verse 10 verse 10.

Psalms 119:10

With my whole heart have I sought thee.

Oh let me not wander from thy commandments.

See many will say Lord didn't I prophesy in your name.

And Jesus will say I knew you not.

You know what that equals.

No heart transformation.

God is reminding us that we need a new heart to turn away from our old ways.

The old heart just keeps doing what it knows to do.

But a new heart will choose new ways and follow God's path.

Any sin left over in the heart is an old heart and it just won't do.

We need a new heart that God offers.

I have some good news for you guys.

I know a heart surgeon and his name is Jesus.

And he's willing to give us a new heart if you're willing to have it.

If this is your wish today I just invite you to stand with me.

Let's recommit ourselves to God.

Let's remind ourselves that we need God to transform these hearts that we have into new

hearts.

Let's pray.

Father God you recognize and you told us that our hearts are so deceitful and so wicked.

And it's so easy to not trust your words and to trust what we think, what we see and what

we know.

But Father I just want to pray that you will convict us.

Help us to understand Father that we've got to trust your words.

Give us a new heart God.

Bless us so that we will be counted among the righteous because you transformed our

heart into a heart that mirrors Christ.

Father God you know our hearts.

You know that we desire this.

You know the sincerity of what we would like.

And we just pray for your blessing.

Thank you so much for hearing our prayer in Jesus name.

Amen.