Heart Problems

Introduction

Well, all this time I thought Greg was the other one. Nothing like having your bubble bursting. No, we can all sympathize with what’s his name? And I want you to know, Lindy, we’re even now. You probably don’t remember, but Lindy obviously did. When I first moved here, I called him by the wrong name in a gospel meeting. I announced that someone else was going to be leading singing by the name of Lindy, so we’re even.

Others of you have watched medical shows on TV, or have WebMD or stayed at Holiday Inn Express last night. And so I want to ask you a medical question. I’ve been having some problems, and I’m hoping you can help me with them. Lately I’ve had a heavy constricting pain in my chest.

Starts hurting and throbbing at that same time. Now, if I presented you with those symptoms, what would your advice be?

Well, hopefully, if you know me and like me, you would say, Ken, you need to get to the doctor quick. Because I know those are symptoms. You might tell me, Ken, it’s not your jaw, it’s not your arm, or really even your chest that’s the problem. You’ve got some serious heart problems. And you need to have those addressed, because those things are just symptoms. And it’s not really the symptoms that are the greater issue, it’s the underlying disease. We understand the importance of the heart, don’t we? In fact, there may be other medical conditions and other medical symptoms that we might ignore. But we understand the seriousness of the heart. And no right-thinking individual would long ignore symptoms that indicated that you had a serious heart problem.

Because we’re talking life and death.

Turn with me, if you will, in the New Testament to the book of Luke, chapter 6. And let’s listen to the words of our Savior. Luke chapter 6, beginning in verse 43. Our Lord says this, for a good tree, Luke 6, 43, for a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good. And an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.

Fruit that will tell you what that tree really is. Symptoms that will tell you that there is a condition of the heart. Aren’t we thankful that God designed this body in such a way that many times there are symptoms that would alert us to a greater problem? And that if we’re tuned into those, we can address those issues before they become finally fatal.

That there is fruit.

Us to a very serious, potentially fatal, spiritually fatal condition. And if we’ll just be tuned in and pay attention, we can see those symptoms. You know, there are certain issues that preachers and elders seem to harp on over and over and over again. That innumerable sermons are preached on these issues. And sometimes we may be simply addressing the symptoms rather than truly recognizing that these are simply fruit. That the problem is not necessarily the symptom, but the underlying disease.

1. Irregular Attendance

The first might be simply irregular attendance. Preachers, elders alike harp upon the idea of the necessity of Christians being here every time as we say that the doors are open. Being here for the full time. We worship God. Not three separate times on Sunday morning, but I like to look at it as we worship God for three hours on Sunday morning. What does it indicate when I choose to just worship God? One third of that time. Or just two thirds of that time. Is that the issue, or could this possibly just be a symptom? And possibly a very serious symptom. Look over in the book of 1 Peter, chapter 1.

We talked a couple weeks ago about the idea of making proper judgments. What’s an improper and a proper judgment that we can make? And the primary application of that was in viewing others, but this morning I’d like for us to make this an inward judgment, a real reflection. To really look at your spiritual life, honestly. Not the answer that you would give someone else, but the deep down inside, this is who I am answer. Peter says in 1 Peter chapter 1 in verse 22. Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren. Love one another fervently with a pure heart. Having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.

The Holy Spirit through Peter says, if we’ve been born again, one of the fruits, one of the symptoms of being born again, of having been purified in our souls, is that we’re going to love our brethren. Sincerely. Love our brethren. Fervently love our brethren. What does that mean? And what’s the fruit of that going to look like?

We understand the hypocrisy, the inconsistency of someone saying, I love you, but I don’t want to see you. Doesn’t make sense, does it? Sincere, fervent, pure from the soul love of the brethren means I want to be with you. It means that I see the necessity of being with you. That this selfless love means that I know that as feeble and as weak and as full of flaws as I may be, that you need me. You need the encouragement that I can give.

And the encouragement that you can give. And so I will consider how to stir you up into love and good works. And I’ll do so sincerely and fervently. Turn in the Old Testament to Psalm 84. The language of Psalm 84 is understandably Old Testament language. But I think we can easily see the application in New Testament worship. When the psalmist says this, Psalm 84, verse 1, how lovely is your tabernacle, O Lord of hosts. My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young. Even your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.

Blessed are those who dwell in your house.

For a day in your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

2. The Way in Which We Clothe Ourselves

A heart checkup this morning. Does that express your thoughts? Your feelings toward God and worshiping him. That absolute longing, that abject thirsting to be with those who love God, to blend ourselves together and worship to Him. Or is there a symptom? A symptom of a deeper heart problem. Another issue might be the way in which we clothe ourselves. Turn with me, if you will, to the book of 1 Peter, chapter 3. It’s interesting that passages of Scripture, two of them primarily, that we often turn to to talk about what we might call proper or improper or modest or immodest dress. That it’s it’s interesting that actually both of those texts are actually addressing the heart. They’re actually saying the same thing that Jesus said that for out of the abundance of the heart.

Jesus said the mouth speaks. Paul and Peter will say, out of the abundance of the heart, the body is adorned. In 1 Peter chapter 3, look in verse 3. Do not, speaking to the wives, do not let your adornment be merely outward, arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on a fine apparel. Rather, let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. We could argue that the way that we adorn and dress ourselves reflects the character of our heart. And so what does the Holy Spirit through Peter and the Apostle Paul’s letter to Timothy say? You start with the heart. You properly address, dress and adorn the heart.

3. Our Prayer Life

And the outside will take care of itself. It’s the heart. And these are simply symptoms of the heart. Another symptom of a serious potentially fatal heart problem would be our prayer life. How often do you pray?

And can you say that your prayers are genuine? In other words, that you don’t just pray out of some kind of obligation. Well, it’s time to eat, and so we say prayer before we eat, and so I’ll go through this rote memorized prayer, and maybe before I go to sleep or other occasions where it seems called upon, that I feel enough some kind of obligation to bow my head and say words that I’ve heard uttered before. But are you praying often? And are you truly communicating? Are you, as the apostle would say, casting your care upon him? It would seem to me that prayer, by its very nature, prayer is an expression of faith. Is it not? That I am in prayer, I am expressing my belief that there is one who can hear my prayer.

Prayer implies that someone is listening. Prayer is an expression of faith because prayer implies that someone is not only listening, but wants to hear my prayers and can answer those prayers. Look in the book of Philippians, chapter 4. And see that prayer is an expression of faith.

Philippians 4, verse 6 says, be anxious for nothing. But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. Do you see that that says that prayer is an expression of faith? And if prayer is an expression of faith, if in praying, every time I pray, I am declaring that I believe that a God exists, that this God hears my prayer, wants to hear my prayer, and will, in accordance with His love and His will, answer my prayer. Then what does a lack of prayer express?

If prayer is an expression of faith, what does a lack of prayer indicate? What does a poor, inadequate prayer life, indicate? Major companies usually have a 1-800 number. Can be found on their website under the contact us button. If you have a concern or a complaint, call this 1-800 number. And if you’ve done that in the past, and someone might say, if you’re having trouble with that cable company or that utility company or whatever service provider you might have, we might say, Have you called them? And you’d say it won’t do any good.

What’s the point? You’re indicating that your lack of faith in that company are in the structure of their consumer complaint department that it won’t do any good. And so I’m not going to waste my time or the minutes on my phone to call that number and to get into the line and have to push four and then three and then two and then zero and then to put on hold to listen to that music to have my complaint just pushed away. And so you might say, What’s the point? And you don’t call.

4. Proper Bible Study

In multiple formats. You have maybe two or three translations of what we now call the hard copy, but you can get them on your phone, on your iPad, on your computer, and maybe even on your smart TV, you can pull up the Bible and read it. We live in such a time that we are so affluently educated that all of us can read and to understand. And if you can’t, one of those devices that we just mentioned has a button that you can click and they’ll read it to you. And so what does it say? If I don’t afford myself of proper Bible study, turn with me to Hebrews chapter one. And let me piggyback on a previous point here to say that when I’m talking about Bible study, I’m talking about two avenues.

Number one is you in the privacy of your home opening up your Bible or opening up your app and reading and studying and meditating on the Word of God, spending every day in the Psalms or in some other way reading and studying the scriptures. But I’m also talking about coming together on a Wednesday night or a Sunday morning when these Bible opportunities, these Bible study opportunities are afforded so that we can study together to sharpen one another and to edify and encourage one another. The Hebrew epistle begins this way. God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by his son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, through whom also he has made the world.

It should never cease to amaze us that God has spoken to us. Imaginary quiz time. Jesus tells the story of the day of judgment, in which two groups of audience will be asked a question. Did you visit me? Did you give me something to drink? Did you feed me? What if he were to ask us on the day of judgment? I spoke to you through my son. Did you read? Did you study? Did you see that for what it was? The creator of the very universe, the Savior of your soul, communicating himself to you.

Conclusion

Well, those of you who like me after services are going to be saying, Ken, you need to get to the doctor. Your chest is hurting. It’s radiating up into your jaw and into your left arm. That’s a symptom of a heart disease. And so don’t go get some cream or ointment for arm pain. Don’t take a pill, an aspirin that would alleviate chest pain. Those are just symptoms of a greater problem. And so if we have these symptoms, what should we do? Let’s close in the book of Matthew, chapter 23 and 22. Matthew chapter 23. If you have some of these symptoms, what should you do? Matthew 23, beginning in verse 25. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you cleanse the outside of the cup.

But inside they’re full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisees first cleanse the inside of the cup and the dish. That the outside may be clean also.

Make yourself pray more. Go through your closet and make sure those clothes are the right clothes and be here. Make yourself set that alarm to be here at 9 o’clock on Sunday morning. That’s not the answer. The answer goes much deeper.

Cleanse the inside of the cup. Here’s how we do that. Back up one chapter, maybe just one page in your Bible to Matthew chapter 22. Verse 34. But when the Pharisees heard these things, this is Matthew 22, verse 34. The Pharisees heard these things that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. One of them said, a lawyer said, asking this question, testing him, teacher, what is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments, hang all the law and the prophets.

You see, it’s a matter of the heart. Love the Lord your God with all your heart. That’s a challenge for all of us. To grow. To grow in our love for God. And grow in our love for one another. And if we address those issues of the heart, if we cleanse that inside of the cup, if we change the tree, we might just be amazed at what fruit we will bear. At how the outside changes in appearance, and how these symptoms just go away. I want to ask one simple thing of you.

Be honest. Not with me, but with yourself and with God. Take an honest inventory of your spiritual life.

Let God sift you with his love and with his righteousness. And love him with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. If you’re doing that rather quickly this morning and you recognize that you’re not what you ought to be, then that change can begin today. You can address not the symptoms but the condition. Would you become a child of God today, loving him with all your heart, soul, and mind, worshiping Him by giving your life over to Him in obedience to the gospel. Maybe you’ve done that, but your service has waned. These symptoms have appeared in your life. Then why not? Come back. Why not dedicate yourself again to full and complete obedience to Him? If we can help you in any spiritual way as you seek deeper service and a closer relationship to your God, why not come right now, as together we stand and as we sing?