A Stress Test For Your Heart | Liberty at Home

Do you have heart disease? Now, I'm no doctor, but I

suggest we do a stress test on this week's episode of Liberty

at Home. Hey there neighbor, It's me,

Adam Rivera, the pastor of Liberty Baptist Church and also

the host of Liberty at Home, your weekly 5 minute or so dose

of biblical encouragement here on ECAT.

And Speaking of V cat, we're broadcasting as always from

Easton, MA, home of Simpson Spring, the oldest continually

used bottling plant in the country.

Take that, Poland Springs. On today's episode of Liberty at

Home, we're going to read several different verses in

Proverbs chapter 28. I think you'll see a theme as we

Proverbs 28 · chapter mention

read. So let's start with verse #14

Happy is the man that feareth alway, but he that hardeneth his

heart shall fall into mischief. Then drop down to verse #25

where it says this. He that is of a proud heart

stirreth up strife, but he that putteth his trust in the Lord

shall be made fat. He that trusteth in his own

heart is a fool. But whoso walketh wisely, he

shall be delivered. I remember the day vividly.

It was a busy Sunday morning in 2015.

It was on this day. While I was preaching, I was

sure I was about to have a heart attack.

You see, heart disease runs rampant in our family and my dad

had a heart attack when he was in his late 30s.

So what did I do? Well, I did what any self

respecting pastor would do. I finished the sermon.

After I was done, I quietly told my wife I need to go to the ER.

So listen, I'm not a doctor nor am I qualified to offer medical

advice. In fact, Adam Guerrero, could

you run that disclaimer at the bottom for me?

Perfect, thank you. I would, however, say this.

One of the only ways I was able to find out that my heart was

actually OK was by doing a stress test.

And you know what I mean by stress test, right?

It's a jog on a treadmill with a dozen wires attached to the

body. This test reveals the nature of

the heart and its functions. By the way, quick side note

here. I didn't actually end up having

a heart attack anyway and I was fine, but really the only way I

was sure of that was because of the stress test.

Now, in today's text, King Solomon reveals a three-part

stress test when it comes to the heart.

Not the physical heart, but a different kind of heart.

This kind of heart is the spiritual and emotional core of

a person, encompassing their thoughts, feelings, will, and

moral character. I mean, you know what I mean

when I say the heart, right? What are these three tests?

Well, first, verse 14 says this, don't harden your heart.

Don't allow yourself to be hardened to either the things of

God or the needs of your fellow man.

Verse 25 says don't have a proud heart.

This type of heart believes it's better than everyone else and

can only cause strife and difficulties.

Third, it says don't trust your heart.

Jeremiah chapter 17 verse 9 says the heart is deceitful above all

Jeremiah 17:9

things and desperately wicked. Who can know it?

Listen, the heart is a wonderful thing in many ways, but when it

is blindly trusted, a person can get themselves into all kinds of

trouble. So this three-part stress test

tells us not to have a hard heart, a proud heart, or a heart

that trusts in itself. Why is it so important to have a

heart that's right with God? Well, let me remind you of

another verse about the heart that we found all the way back

in Proverbs chapter 4, verse 23. Keep thy heart with all

Proverbs 4:23

diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.

The issues of the heart deal with every area of our life, our

family, our friends, our work, our play, our faith, and our

personal growth, just to name a few.

If you have a heart that's clogged by hardness, pride, or

any other sin, you're setting yourself up for difficulty later

on, like a heart attack that could strike at an any

unexpected moment, like when you're preaching.

But it didn't. As I was saying, your most

prized possession is your heart. So keep it with everything

within your being. Well, time's up for today's

episode. But before I go, I want to

remind you, as always, that you're invited to join us at

Liberty Baptist Church anytime. We meet every Sunday and

Wednesday at 800 Washington St. Route 138 here in Easton.

You can call or text us at 508-565-8281 or you can visit us

online at my libertybaptist.org. Well, I'm Pastor Adam Rivero,

reminding you that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is

liberty. See you next week here on ECAT

for another episode of Liberty at Home.