2010-03-07 "Healing Heart Trouble"Sheepfold Ministries Sermon:

HEALING Heart Trouble

INTRODUCTION

PHYSICAL HEART TROUBLE

In Early March ’03 After Heart Catheterization my doc told me the diagnosis. . .

Physical symptoms:

Extreme Over-weight

No energy

Out-of-breath

Chest Tightness, discomfort

Lack of drive / Motivation

Emotional Symptoms:

Frustration

Depression

Despair

Deep Sadness

SPIRITUAL HEART TROUBLE:

Winter of 1969, I was 29 years old and came to realize how severely broken I was. . .

Physical symptoms:

Chronic Pain: Ruptured disc, #6 from bottom vertebrae

Arrogant, Haughty, Proud (Until then)

Independent, Self-Reliant

Believed in myself and my work ethic

Indifferent, Self-Centered

Emotional Symptoms:

Deep Depression

Vocational Burn-Out

Hated my work

Contemptuous of Others

Out-of-Gas Emotionally

Extreme irritability / Short Fuse

Despair

Fleeting Suicidal Thoughts

Alienation / Cut off from God and Man

March 7, 2010 – Sheepfold Ministries

Pastor Phil Roland

HEALING Heart Trouble

JOHN 14:1-3

The Cure for Spiritual Heart Trouble

"America has three generations of people who have neglected both their physical and spiritual hearts. They have pursued the wrong values and loved the wrong things. The consequences are life threatening.” Pastor Phil Roland

John 14:1

"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.”

I. HUMAN HEART IS THE CHIEF ORGAN OF PHYSICAL LIFE

A. Adult body uses 5 ½ to 6 ½ Quarts of blood

1. Heart pumps the body’s entire blood volume each minute

2. That’s 2,000 gallons each 24 hours

B. Heart will beat 2.6 billion times in your lifetime

1. Muscle is about the size of the human fist

2. Slightly to the left of the center of your chest

C. Animals hearts beat differently

a. Mouse heart beats 700 times per minute

b. Elephant heart beats 30 times per minute

c. Mouse lives three years

d. Elephant lives sixty years

D. Human heart beats 60 to 70 times per minute

II. PHYSICAL HEART TROUBLE – Luke 21:25.26

And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the

earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's

hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are

coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken.”

A. Each day, 2,400 people in the US, die of heart disease

1. Each year $48 billion is spent in US to prevent heart disease

2. Each year 17 million people world-wide die from this disease

B. Healthy Personal Habits can prevent this disease

1. Eat Right – Practice good balanced nutrition

a. Eat low fat – Less than 30% fat calories in food

b. Plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables – Raw is best

c. Watch Obesity – Excessive weight can be a killer

2. Exercise Regularly – At least four days of 1-hour workouts

3. Sleep Right – At least seven hours per night / Eight is better

a. Treat sleep apnea

b. Practice good “sleep hygiene” – Allow yourself time

4. Watch Blood Pressure, especially after 40

HEALING HEART TROUBLE, cont., p.2

III. SPIRITUAL HEART TROUBLE – Genesis 6:5

“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and

that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the

LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in

His heart.”

A. The Biblical Greek Word for heart is “Cardia”

1. CAR-DIA is ”The seat of physical and spiritual life”

2. Spiritually, Cardia is “The center of thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections”

a. The core of life is in the blood – Leviticus 17:11

“'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it

to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls;

for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.'”

b. The heart pumps and circulates the blood

B. Jesus taught the Mouth was an indicator of Spiritual Heart Trouble

"Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man." Matthew 15:11

1. Matthew 15 discourse is about physical/spiritual defilement

2. Spiritual defilement isn’t caused by what you eat

3. You are defiled by what you SAY- Matthew 15:18-20

"But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the

heart, and they defile a man. "For out of the heart proceed evil

thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness,

blasphemies. "These are the things which defile a man, but to eat

with unwashed hands does not defile a man."

a. The things you SAY proceed from your heart – v. 18

"But those things which proceed out of the mouth come

from the heart, and they defile a man.”

b. These are the things that cut you off from God – v. 19

"For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders,

adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.”

c. Eating without Rituals doesn’t defile you – v. 20

"These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with

unwashed hands does not defile a man."

C. Jesus Describes Spiritual Heart Trouble - Matthew 13:14,15

"Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see,

and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. “

1. Hearts Grown Dull - Dull = Greek, “To thicken, Fatten” v. 15

“For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard

of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see

with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should

understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.'”

2. Hearts that are Stubborn and Unrepentant – Romans 2:5

“But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart,

you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's

wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.”

HEALING HEART TROUBLE, cont., p.3

IV. SPIRITUAL HEART TROUBLE CUTS OFF FROM GOD

A. Man’s life w/o God is meaningless – Psalm 39:5

“Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my age is as

nothing before You; Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor.”

1. Vanity = Wind, breath, blowing

2. Man’s accomplishments don’t mean much

B. The heart of man is not trustworthy – Jeremiah 17:9

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can

know it?"

C. Our best efforts at doing good aren’t much – Isaiah 64:6

"All our righteousnesses are like filthy rags."

D. The Hardened Heart is hostile to God - Romans 8:7

“because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not

subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so;” NASB

V. GOD’S PROMISE TO HEAL THE SPIRITUAL HEART – Ez. 36

A. When you repent, God promises to clean you up – v. 25

"Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will

cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.”

1. Most people want to clean up their act before coming to God

2. “Jesus always CAUGHT his fish before CLEANING them!”

B. He’ll give you a spiritual heart transplant – v. 26

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the

heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

1. The hardened, resistant, stubborn, rebellious heart removed

2. He takes away the flint / gives us a pliable, useful heart

3. With your new heart, comes a new spirit – v. 27

"I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My

statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.”

C. Jesus is God’s Healing Hand to Heal and Restore

1. Give Him charge and control of your life

2. He’ll heal your brokenness

HEALING Heart Trouble

John 14:1-3

"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.

2 "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.