A Matter of the Heart

I want to say thank you and Pastor he is out of town this today but I'd like to say thank you to him because uh he uh he allows us to do this and I don't know how long I've been doing it now but I enjoy our Wednesday night together I enjoy it and you may be seated this time we may get you back up in a few minutes no but I enjoy uh taking time and and really sharing with you and I don't believe in wasting time at all but I really feel that sometimes we do need to slow down and and really take in what God is trying to speak to us um I'll be the first to tell you I was raised I was raised in in and under the pews and uh and the bobby pins and all that on the floor and uh an old church house that was falling apart and the floors were squeaking and all of that while people were jumping up and down and shouting I remember that and I and I thank God for that and but there is a time for us to to uh stop and reflect on the things of God and ask the Lord to to share some things with us and so tonight I want to I want to talk to you we're going to be talking about gained giving we're going to be talking about uh time Talent uh we'll be talking about a lot of things that you and I can share as we journey on this this next month this this entire month we'll be talking about some of those things but I want to start out with and I believe in first of all laying foundation on anything we're going to talk about and I really felt led as I was preparing and I had number a number of lessons that I could have gone with but I think it's very very important that we lay foundation and we talk about this and I'm going to be talking to you tonight on a matter of the heart a matter of the heart and the reason I bring this up is because a lot of times we get to talking about what the scriptures say and and each and every one of us can go to Deuteronomy we can go to a lot of places and talk about giving we can talk about what the Bible says but the the root of that is is is what what is going on in our life what is it that um what is it that drives us to do that what is it that Sparks inside of us to want to and there's many reasons why people would want to do something uh give or of time talent and treasures there's there's many reasons why and and the the very first thing though that comes to my heart and mind is is that we need to we need to study why are we doing this and and we need to do it in the right Spirit right we need to do it with understanding that that I'm doing this out of my heart and when we speak about the heart we're not just talking about some muscle in your body that's beating we're talking about that inner man and that emotion that happens inside of each and every one of us I before I get into the scripture I was a couple of weeks ago I was praying and and I was just asking the Lord for direction in my own life and I'm going to share this with you I really had no intentions of doing that until just a couple of hours ago when I was just sitting just just thinking through what tonight would be like and I asked the Lord I said Lord I I really I need some answers I need some direction and I need to come in and I use these words I said I need to come into alignment with you and immediately once I said Lord I need to come into alignment with you it was almost as if I heard the voice say alignment with me or in alignment with your culture now folks I I don't share a lot of stuff that goes through my head because you wouldn't like it but when I heard those words and I felt that I immediately started searching myself like what does that mean what does it mean for me to I mean when I asked for alignment I want the things of God right that's what we asked for but he said to me in those words he says you want to you want to align with me or do you want to align with your culture and I got to thinking about the culture that we live in the things that's going on in our world things that's going on around us and it would be very easy for me to stand here and preach a message teach us teach a sermon teach a lesson on how to align ourselves with what our culture says that the church should do or what our culture says that we need to do but I want each and every one of you to hear me tonight and I I do not apologize for this once whatsoever because I feel it strongly in my spirit but everything that we do must come in alignment with God it must come into alignment with God so we have to we have to peel back everything that is going on in I I don't know any other way to say this but but our our culture has created it's like an onion and we have so many layers before we can actually get to the real the real root or the real the real deal or whatever's going on it takes us so long to peel back and we have covered ourselves up with so many things that we are not really uh we're really not it's not all showing and it's not all there and so if you would help me tonight and and and just take a little time and and let me share with you and you you get a hold of what I'm talking about we're going to talk about uh the matter of the heart I want you to turn with us to Proverbs the fourth chapter Proverbs the fourth chapter and we're going to look at verse 23 Proverbs the fourth chapter verse 23. and those of you that that read the proverb and you read the scripture you've probably passed through the scripture on a number of occasions but I want to use this as just the launch from tonight the scripture says here keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life says put away from the thy mouth forward mouth put away from and and it says and perverse lips from put from thee put them away let thy eyes look right on and let thy eyelids look straight before thee Ponder the path of your feet and let all thy ways be established turn not the right hand nor the left remove the foot from evil first first we read keep thy heart with all diligent or out of it are the issues of life keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life thank you Lord for your word thank you for what you've given us and I asked for the next few moments Lord that you would speak into our lives each and every one of us speak a word to each and every one of us God help us to come in alignment with you with you Lord Jesus and understand you in the name of Jesus thank you Lord scripture that I read that very first scripture verse 23. we have to keep our guard Our Lives we have to the end the Inner Man we've got to find a place to keep it protect it and it says diligently protect it because out of it there is some things that is seen there are some things that happens there are some things that that will actually be the tell-all of what really is going on inside of you we've got to ask God to help me Lord because this is the character that God has put in every one of us there is an inner man that reflects that it comes to the outside it shows to those around you doesn't take you long to be around somebody and you automatically can pick up whether or not have you ever been around somebody you just could not stand yeah just really couldn't stand that and it wasn't you could say well it's not the person it's just their attitude you ever heard that how many of you have ever been guilty of being around someone and then all of a sudden it's not long until you start acting like that you can tell who you've been around you understand the scripture tells us that there are some things there are some guards that we have to put up we have to take and guard ourselves we have to guard our hearts from a lot of things that could possibly knock us off course for out of the heart is those things that come out could be evil there's murders this is Matthew 15 verse 19 through 20. tells us out of that comes comes these evil things murders adultery fornication theft false witness blasphemy those things can come out of an individual if you're if you are really if you really wanted to I think there could be some I I was my wife she was uh she was listening to something here a while back and and it was kind of giving I don't know it was a psychological evaluation of an individual and they have these psychologies she listens all that weird stuff and she's out there so I can say yeah oh that's right the screen's on no cheese well it might be the doors is closed uh forgive me buddy uh but she she listens to some of this crazy stuff and so I said it again but uh oh I'm getting in trouble so she's she's telling me she said babe do you realize that we possibly could be raising serial killers I was like oh no where are you getting this from and so they went through these steps of of these evaluations they've done with serial killers and how their family life was when they were growing up heavily disciplined hey it's going down this list of all these things and I wish I wrote them down I'd shared them with you because probably you've got some in your family too laughs because that was I was praying when she said that I was like oh Jesus Katie best Lord but no you know there there are there are those things though that there's signs there and and now a serious note she Katie don't take that the wrong way I know she's going to listen to this but there there are things that shows up and it's because of seeds that we're planting so if you plant good seed you're going to get what you're going to get something good hopefully no you're supposed to get good if you plant something that is bad because we could start on this side of the room and tell some little fib and let it go through for one ear and out the other end and out in and out and through the mouth and all the way across by the time we got over here it's going to be totally different right because of what what you have said and maybe something you thought you heard and you have changed that a little bit and by the time it gets out here it's just it's out there and and I say all of that to to come back to this point is there are so many things that we do in life that we're we're we are affected by things that happen in our life that we are affected by and then we go to the Altar and we ask God God I I need you to fix me I I need this fixed but then you know we can go to an altar and God can he can help us but then when we get up from there unless we choose to make some changes you know what comes to mind as soon as they get back out out the door we're gonna get bombarded with that stuff I believe in Divine Healing I believe in Deliverance but there are some things that you have to work on because it it is it is a heart matter and God I want you to touch me and I need you to change my way of thinking I need you to change my way of of of talking I need to I need you to change my way of of approaching people and those things I need help in those areas Proverbs 23 and verse 7 says as he thinketh in his heart so is he I read this little clip few days ago and it was a good little illustration so the a little mouse some of you may have heard this Fable but there's a little mouse that he was so frail and so scared and he was worried about the cat and so there there came this this magician along and the magician about folks I'm just I'm just talking the fable magician came along and and asked a little mouse says what you what you scared of and this little mouse said I'm scared of the cat and so the wizard or the little magic guy said you're a cat so he's a cat and he's running around and and says what's wrong with you he said I'm scared of the dog wizard you're a dog so he's a dog and he's running around and all of a sudden he says what you running from he said I'm scared of the Lion the lion looked around the wizard looked around and waved his wand and he became a lion kept running around said what's wrong I'm scared of the Hunter the wizard went over to him and says you're a mouse says I can't help you because your heart is still a mouse and so many times we're like that we can we can say we're going to be Overcomers we can say we're going to be victorious we can go to an altar and we can repent of our sins and we can do all of that and when we walk out we're still a mouse why as a man thinketh in his heart so is he there's so many things that that the enemy would come at us with and try to try to attack you with and try to steal your joy and try to steal those good thoughts and those good things you're supposed to be thinking about we have to constantly keep our guards up how is this tying into gain well if you can't get the heart right you'll never understand the spirit of giving never will sin is a heart issue and we have to watch ourselves constantly first Peter 5 8 verse 8 says be sober be vigilant what does it say because you're adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devout we are to stay alert stay on guard for your heart it doesn't matter what you have in this world you can still be a Lonely Heart doesn't matter what you've accomplished in this world doesn't matter what you've got in your pocket doesn't matter where you've been in this world you can still die bitter so many so many things that has gone on in life that can drive people to a Lonely Heart or a a unrepented heart or a unforgiving heart and there's there's so many acts there that that we all have been we found ourselves in I I personally have found myself at times you know I I'm just not going to do that and then I realize you ask God for for alignment with him how do I do that scripture tells us that we are to be of a broken heart in a contrite spirit sin is a heart issue I don't think they have this scripture and I'm skipping all over the place so they'll just have to chase me it's okay Luke 18. Jesus gives a parable here there's two men that went up to the temple and this is verse 10. went up to the temple to pray the one was a Pharisee the other was Republican Pharisee stood and prayed he was praying and as he prayed he began to verbalize he's not unjust he's not an adultery he's not like the rest of them I'm not even like this public and he said then he says I fast twice on the week of the week I give him tithes and he goes through all of these things that he is doing he says I I do all the right things the scripture says that the publican stood afar off he would not even lift his eyes to to heaven but he smote his breast and said God be merciful to me sin you see again heart matter and until we realize that it all starts with the heart we'll see generation after generation of people that will come and go and think that what I do is what matters and what I possess matters and what I've given matters truth is is where was your heart in all of that where where did where was your heart while you were thinking about that because I'll be honest with you this Pharisee I I could probably pretty much guarantee that he was not thinking about how his inner man really was he was too worried about making sure everybody else knew that he was a good guy you see the ones that really matter the ones that really have the heart for it you don't have to say anything don't have to say anything you ever heard the little song This Little Light of Mine I'm gonna let it shine I don't have to stick it in your face just let it shine just let Let It Shine see contentment is one of those things that we all probably in the heart it's a heart matter we struggle with is that so many times God is is wanting to bless you he's wanting to do some things for you but he's waiting for you to get heart right and when you get you can't get hard right then you get frustrated we get impatient how many have been praying prayers and you're still waiting on those prayers to be answered see if we could learn to be patient and wait on the Lord so many times our world has put us on such a schedule I'll be the first to admit there's things about my day that I can't operate without a schedule because my mind's done gone to a fuzz about six o'clock in the morning because of everything that's going on I've got to have scheduled but our world has put us on such a schedule that we cannot stop sometimes to allow God to work I want you to get this I'm talking from my heart tonight I I don't want you to think that I Pastor didn't even know I was talking about this particular message sometimes we've got to stop and say God you talk to me because so many times we get in an altar and we get around church that we're doing all the talking we're doing the talking we are telling the Lord what we're going to do and God I need this and I need you to touch this and I need I want to pray for this and I want to say this and we've got all these things that we're going through checking the Box off we've got this schedule we keep sometimes you just got to stop say Okay God I'm not going to say anything right here we we sing a song I'm gonna wait on you and I like those songs and I like when God moves in and he does halt us sometimes and say stop I like that the matter of fact that gives me confirmation that God you you are still moving but when I've got to go in and I've got to push buttons and got to do this to get something started that'll wear me down it wears you out because this is this this is his kingdom this is about his kingdom not not mine it's not about CAC it's it's not about building better and greater we we want a good building right and God we're praying for that but that is not the ultimate goal because one of these days we're going to turn our backs to everything that's right here and we're going to be gone that that is my goal I I could and when that happens I could care less what's going on around me I could care less what's going on with the building anymore because that that is my final goal but in order for me to get there I've got to keep my heart right with God I've got to keep everything in alignment with God because you see I can align myself with the culture of my world and what church should be like and I can lose everything and when that time comes what have I done God help us help us to to watch what we're doing and not get so involved that we lose sight of what we're all about First Timothy the sixth chapter and verse 6 says this godliness with contentment is great gain having put on whatever it is that God I I want to be like you I want the spirit that you had folks when we when we say things like that do you realize what you're saying walking through a world like we live in right now and saying God I I want to be like you give me the spirit that you had Roger don't think for a minute that Jesus was just out there uh making friends and influencing people he was hurting some feelings too he was so cross-culture he and and the whole time he's gaining people that really want to be like him but he was he was not just doing that he was he was he had people that didn't didn't understand him but yet he had a way of loving people foreign God help us in our world to be what we're called to be to be what you have called us to be Philippians 4 and 11 says I have learned and whatsoever State I am there with to be what content just hurry up we gotta get it done and that's the world we live in right gotta get it done and get it done yesterday and we're just constantly how many of how many of you well she's not in here I was gonna pick at her I mean you have a planner mom you're gonna really enjoy that you have a planner you have a daytime that you have this little notebook or it's on your phone a lot of people have it on their phone and I don't know about you but I I'm constantly hitting that button during the day I was like I know I got a meeting I know you hit it but that's that's where we are today that is what we're doing today God help us help me to keep my heart right that I don't get caught up in everything that's going on in my world and everything that is happening around me okay God I I'm I'm gone I'm going to be patient I'm gonna wait but then our world says come on let's get it let's do it but God says to hold up he said wait gotta go let's go is anybody feeling what I'm talking about the closer you get to God the more that there is a disconnect from what's happening in the world there there is you get to looking out there how many you've ever do we have any of our youth camp folks do you remember Youth Camp last year not yet no more yeah you remember youth camping you've been there that all those days of Youth Camp what does it feel like when you get out back out in the real world it feels a little bit weird don't it looking around wow look at this why because and I know they'll wear you out at camp but but you have stopped doing what you normally do you have stopped everything to spend time with with daytime Services nighttime Services getting with God and then you feel disconnected when you get away from it don't you and now you're ready to go back that's what I'm talking about is there's is that we are torn our our lives are torn and we have to learn in ourselves God help me to keep my heart right help me to keep my heart right and do the right things do what I'm supposed to be doing even though our busy world has just just really ragged me out today God help me that I keep my heart right Philippians 4 and 13 and these are these are those pep talks that Paul gives and he says I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me and and Paul had a way of doing those little short pep talks didn't he is giving you that that boost of energy that God I I know I'm gonna make it I I know with him I'm gonna make it I can do all things why was he saying that is because there's things that comes our way and I'll be honest with you there's been times I thought I can't do it I just don't know if I'm gonna make it through this yeah I have anybody else is can we make it just give me just a little more but we can God gives us strength as long as we keep our hearts right with him as long as we keep marching the way that he would have us to go don't let your hearts be troubled in order to for real victory in order to have real victory we must be sure about what we're doing and what we're attempting to do is for God everything that you do God I'm doing it for your kingdom I'm doing it for your glory I'm doing it because I love you not because of anything else but I want to make Heaven one of these days true victory does that mean I've made it no but that's what gives me Victory is knowing that I'm doing it for him I'm doing it for him nobody else I'm not doing it for the church I'm not doing it for the preacher I'm not doing it for the pastor I'm not doing it for the Evangelist I'm doing it for him and as long as we know that why do you do that because I love God and I want to do whatever is pleasing to him and I feel that that's what I need to be doing you know what I say go with it get it God help us help us that when we get to that that final say that that we we hear those words well done I I don't I don't want any other words you don't have to tell me how well I've done as long as I can hear well done you don't have to go through the list I want to make heaven how many of you would be honest with yourself and say I understand that it is a matter of the heart I I want to do everything I can for the kingdom of God when it comes time for me to do my part whether it be in my time whether it be in my talent whether it be in my treasures that that I don't have to have a pep talk to do it you got somebody on the sideline peppering you along to get to heaven you're in trouble I all I need to hear is is him say you got this you're going to be okay and in those prayer moments when you're asking God to to align you and I I ask you and I and I hope that he speaks to you like he does me and sometimes he speaks in weird ways with me but I hope that you can get some words from him in your prayer time of what next steps is for you what is it that you need to be doing next what is it that you need to be driving for next what is it what is it that I need to be doing for in the kingdom of God what is that because I really feel I feel this strongly that in this day and hour we're going to see more signs Miracles wonders those things that we've never seen before you've never seen them before there's some of you that sitting here you've probably never seen them before but God's going to use you in making those things happen but what it's going to take is somebody saying God bring my my heart into alignment with you I want you to be where I need to be I want to be where you want me to be God in alignment with what you have for me how many you want to be used of God now I I've been talking from my heart tonight and I've really not I just felt this strongly that we needed to talk about the heart tonight because everything from henceforth we're going to talk about and giving and gain and we're going to talk about that stuff but that all of that cannot happen unless this is right we we cannot we cannot build the church that we need to build unless we've got our heart right because I I would guarantee you this if you build it with the wrong spirit it's going to be another empty building God help us if you do it with the wrong Spirit if you give in the wrong spirit I will take your money but it's not doing you any good because that's not going to be a reward on the other side for you God every step I take everything I do I want to do it for you I'll tell you what it is the right Spirit the right heart is when you can do something and nobody else knows about it to me that brings Joy in knowing that God I did this for you and I didn't do it for nothing else nothing else did it for you whatever that may have been I I hope I got across some that something to you tonight creating me a clean heart oh God renew a right Spirit Within Me give me the right attitude the right the right Spirit give me the right mindset give me what it takes to take the next step there's some of you that's probably and I'll say this because I I really feel this but you've got you've got Ministry steps that you're going to be taking in the next little bit and God's been laying some things on your heart I got somebody in mind right now and I know God's been talking to you and he's been he's been sharing with you things that you need to be doing Ministry wise foreign as you walk close to him and let him speak to your heart he's going to reassure you that's what you're supposed to be doing and the word would say Be not Afraid oh Hallelujah would you stand with us right now in the name of Jesus would you lift your hands with us in the name of Jesus God work on my heart for me right now Lord work on my heart God if there be anything inside that is not fitting for what you have for me would you Purify Me Right Now cleanse Me O God I wonder if I've got a few people that it's okay it's 809. would you step out from where you are right now and you get on this carpet over here lift your hands with us and ask God work on me God work on my heart do what you you've called me to do and I want to do what you've asked of me you're not going to make it unless you've got the heart right you're not going to make it unless you've got everything right in that heart God I thank you Lord thank you for your direction and for the paths that you have for us thank you Lord for leading Us in Paths of righteousness Lord God if there be anything lord inside of us right now that you can you can bring us into alignment with with your your spirit god with what you have for us Lord things that you have prepared for us that we do our part Lord Jesus in the name of Jesus in the name of Jesus foreign For Your Glory God I want to be I want to be found doing your will Lord that I do everything out of a good heart a right heart in the name of Jesus in the name of Jesus Hallelujah Hallelujah if it's appropriate would you just lay a hand on somebody next to you would you just pray with someone right now in the name of Jesus God help my brother help my sister right now Lord God that we can be found doing your will we do your will and what you would ask of us God help us God creating us God the Clean Heart we're right Spirit renew that in us God in the name of Jesus Hallelujah to you be glory and honor Lord to you be glorious in the name of Jesus in the name of Jesus hallelujah hallelujah Hallelujah in the name of Jesus Hallelujah keep thy heart with all diligence work very hard to protect your heart foreign little spot any little blemish gets in your heart start tearing you apart just a little hint of bitterness gets in there everybody that you're around it's poison may I tell you this too before we leave I I know these things just rolling through my head and I'm not gonna I'm not gonna be much longer it's okay to walk away from people that their heart's not right it's okay you say well God can we'll do a work on them may I tell you be very careful with who you let into your heart I can say that because I've been there be very careful because it messes everything up messes everything inside of you foreign I know I'm talking very simple and very plain but protect that walk away from it if you have to because there's nothing and nobody in this world worth you losing your soul over nobody I don't know how many funerals that I have attended in and helped in that I knew that there was things that just happened you say well God God's a graceful God I understand that but when you know what you're allowing in there and you allow it anyway what does the scripture say if a man knoweth to do good and doeth it not to sin and what did we say sin was it's an heart issue be careful pray for them but you don't have to be right there allowing that stuff in praise God I I hope I've helped somebody tonight I really didn't have intentions of winding and weaving through this but I really feel like that this is going to get us where we need to be with what we're going to study the next three weeks get our hearts right once you pray with us over the next week before we come back and just let that be one of your prayers God help me with my heart don't tell me there's nothing wrong because we all deal with stuff help me with heart would you love him again and thank you for the word thank you Jesus I thank you for all your many blessings thank you for what you're doing in our lives I thank you for Cornerstone God and what we're doing God for your kingdom ask your lord to bring us back and bring us back to this house and of worship and bring somebody with us love to see somebody fill with the Holy Ghost In The Name of Jesus in the name of Jesus Hallelujah in the name of Jesus giving praise again before you're dismissed Jesus name