HOW'S YOUR HEART?

2 CHRONICLES

 

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

[Unfortunately we could not have services this past weekend so we are publishing this message from the June 6, 2010 evening service.]

 

How is your heart? Are you watching your blood pressure? How is your cholesterol intake? Allow God to be your personal cardiologist for the next few moments. We have the right Manual for a spiritual heart specialist and with it the right diagnosis can be made. So, the question is, how is your heart?

 

I. YOU DEFINITELY HAVE A DECEITFUL HEART [Jer. 17:9]

 

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

 

It fools even us. We think, “If I had this… I’d be happy,” but after we get it we’re not happy. Our heart deceived us. Then we want something else and the process repeats itself. Why do you think some people keep getting married and divorced?

Knowing we have a deceitful heart is only part of the problem, we may also have. . .

 

II. AN UNPREPARED HEART [2 CHR. 12:13-14]

 

So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned: for Rehoboam was one and forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess. And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD.

 

Rehoboam wasn’t trying to do evil particularly, nor was it his circumstances- he did evil, the Bible declares, because he did not prepare his heart to do good. How about us? Are we preparing our hearts?

 

1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

 

You may decide, “Well, I will prepare,” but we can prepare and still face a third problem.

 

III. AN IMPERFECT HEART [25:1-2, 8, 14-16]

 

1-2 Amaziah was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.

8 But if thou wilt go, do it, be strong for the battle: God shall make thee fall before the enemy: for God hath power to help, and to cast down.

14-16 Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them. Wherefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Amaziah, and he sent unto him a prophet, which said unto him, Why hast thou sought after the gods of the people, which could not deliver their own people out of thine hand? And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that the king said unto him, Art thou made of the king's counsel? forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten? Then the prophet forbare, and said, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened unto my counsel.

 

An imperfect heart does right things for the wrong reason. Matthew 6:

2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you , They have their reward.

16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you , They have their reward.

 

IV. A LIFTED UP HEART [2 CHR. 26:16]

 

But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.

 

We must be careful as we may get so good in our own eyes that we think we are more than we are! Look at Uzziah in verses 4, 5, 7, 16.

4 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah did.

5 And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.

7 And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians that dwelt in Gurbaal, and the Mehunims.

16 But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

1 Cor. 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

 

These are some major problems each of us may have or may develop. What can we do about them? Let us get the prescription from the Master Physician:

 

V. THE PRESECRIPTION

 

1. Confess and Ask God to Give Us a Clean Heart.

 

                This is a two-step process.

 

                1) The Initial Fix- Salvation [Rom. 10:9-13]

 

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

 

2) Regular Check-Ups

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Ps. 51:9-10 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

 

2. Prepare Our Heart to Do Right [Pr. 23:26] My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.

 

3. Have a Free Heart [2 Chr. 29:31] Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the LORD. And the congregation brought in sacrifices and thank offerings; and as many as were of a free heart burnt offerings.

 

4. Love God with All Your Heart [Mt. 22:37-38] Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.