September 23, 2012 - Sermon - CornerStone Baptist Centralia, MO
I was blessed with the opportunity to preach this morning at CornerStone Baptist here in Centralia, MO.
Mark 12:29-30
Is Your Heart breaking for the things that breaks God’s heart?
Please turn with me to the book of Ezekiel. We are going to start at Ezekiel 36:22-27. In these verses we hear how God is going to restore the people of Israel.
Ezekiel 36:22-27
“22 “Therefore, say to the house of Israel: This is what the Lord GOD says: It is not for your sake that I will act, house of Israel, but for My holy name, which you profaned among the nations where you went. 23 I will honor the holiness of My great name, which has been profaned among the nations—the name you have profaned among them. The nations will know that I am Yahweh”—the declaration of the Lord GOD—“when I demonstrate My holiness through you in their sight.
24 “For I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries, and will bring you into your own land. 25 I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will place My Spirit within you and cause you to follow My statutes and carefully observe My ordinances.”
Let’s Pray!
In Mark 12, Jesus is asked what commandment is the most important, He Says:
Mark 12:29-30
“29 “This is the most important,” Jesus answered: Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.”
The most important thing for us to do with our lives is to Love God, with all of our Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength.
This morning I want to focus on what it means to love God with all of our heart. What comes to mind when you think about loving God with all of your heart?
Is it something like Valentine’s Day with cards, balloons, flowers, and catchy sayings?
Is it ‘temporary’ where you will love someone else next week or month?
Is it just a feeling you have that really has no impact on your life?
Loving God will all of your Heart is none of these things, it is something much, much, more. Loving God with all of you Heart is going to change you!
This morning we started in the Book of Ezekiel and God was restoring His people to what they were meant to be. If you remember God was cleaning them and renewing them.
Verse 26 states “26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
Like He did with the nation of Israel God wants to give us a new heart. If we love God with all of our heart, He will take our cold, hardened, heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh. Now normally when we talk about ‘flesh’ we are talking about something being sinful.
In this case a heart of flesh is referring to a heart that is filled with warmness, love, and that it is a heart filled with the Holy Spirit. In these verses we are being told that God will replace the worn down by the world hard heart and replace it with one that is interested in the things that God is interested in. When we give our heart over to Jesus, He will give us a warm loving heart. God will give us a heart that ‘Breaks for the things that Breaks His heart.’
Loving God with all of our heart means that our heart breaks for the things that breaks God’s heart.
What does it mean for our heart to be broken in this way?
Two things come to mind.
First and foremost is that we are believers in Jesus Christ are told to carry out the Great Commission. Each and every one of us is supposed to reach out to the lost. Specifically as found in Matthew 28:19.
“19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”
If our heart breaks for the things that break God’s heart, our heart will break for those that do not know Jesus.
A little over 2 years ago I had a life changing experience, I had a brain tumor removed. God took hold of my situation and has blessed me abundantly, but has also reminded me of something very important.
We do not know how much time we have left on this planet!
Every day we talk to people and we have no clue if this is the last time we will get to speak to them. If they are unsaved this may be the last opportunity for the word of Christ to be shared with them. We do not know. Pastor Montie shared during one of the revival meetings about how one evening he shared the Gospel with a man and the next time he saw him, was at his funeral. It cannot get much closer than that.
If our heart is breaking for the things that break God’s heart, we need to be taking every opportunity to share the saving grace of Jesus Christ with those around us.
Besides reaching the lost, if we have allowed our heart to be softened by God, it should be breaking for some unmeet need in the world.
In 1950 a man by the name of Bob Pierce was in Korea, where he watched the children orphaned by the Korean War stand hopelessly in what seemed like endless food lines. One day as he watched these children a child near the front of the line dropped dead. It broke God’s heart and in turn broke Bob’s heart. Bob could have walked away and headed back to the United States and lived his life, but he did not. He decided at that moment that he was going to do something to help. To quote “We’re going to get food to the front of the food lines. If it kills me, we’re going to do it.”
Bob began by flying back and forth between the United States and Korea, telling people about this tragedy and raising money to get food to the front of the food lines. On one of his trips to Korea, Bob met a girl named White Jade. She had been beaten and disowned because of her decision to follow Christ. Bob gave her all the money he had on him, $5. Bob’s compassion did not end there; he pledged to send her money every month. This was a God ordained moment that shaped what Bob would be doing with the rest of his life. See, Bob is the founder of World Vision a program that has saved millions of children.
Bob loved God with all of his heart. His heart broke for something that broke God’s heart.
God gave Bob a passion for a need that he was uniquely equipped to take care of. That passion has touched the lives of countless people.
If we are loving God with all of our Heart, carrying out the Great Commission will be part of our daily lives. We do not know how much time we have left on earth to reach the lost, and even worse we do not know how much time the lost people in our lives have. Today could be the last time we see someone, today could be the last time we have the opportunity to share Jesus with them.
If our heart is breaking as God’s heart breaks, what are we passionate about? Is there something you have felt God talking to you about? Is there something that hurts when you witness it? Do you know that you were created to meet a specific need? If so, God is speaking to you. What are you going to do about it?
Matthew 6:21
“21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Bob Pierce’s heart broke for hungry children in Korea, and he gave of his time and his money. If God has given you a passion for something, if He has softened and broken your heart, have you stepped out in faith to meet that need?
As Christians we know that we are to reach the lost, but what breaks your heart? What are you willing… what are you driven to give of your time, money, resources… give of yourself… for?
Is it fatherless children? What about the misguided youth, children without enough food to eat, the impact that drugs have on families and lives… the list goes on and on. If you LOVE God with all of your heart, your heart will be breaking for something.
If God is speaking to you about something that you should be doing… do not put off till tomorrow. Every day or even every moment you delay could mean that a need is not met or even worse… someone leaves this life without hearing about Jesus Christ.
This morning during our final song, the altar is open.
If you want to know Jesus and learn what it means to Love Him with All of Your Heart, come forward. If you feel God breaking your heart for something, please come forward. Whatever it is I am here to pray with you.
Let’s Pray!
Thanks for reading... God Bless!
Robert
Mark 12:29-30
Is Your Heart breaking for the things that breaks God’s heart?
Please turn with me to the book of Ezekiel. We are going to start at Ezekiel 36:22-27. In these verses we hear how God is going to restore the people of Israel.
Ezekiel 36:22-27
“22 “Therefore, say to the house of Israel: This is what the Lord GOD says: It is not for your sake that I will act, house of Israel, but for My holy name, which you profaned among the nations where you went. 23 I will honor the holiness of My great name, which has been profaned among the nations—the name you have profaned among them. The nations will know that I am Yahweh”—the declaration of the Lord GOD—“when I demonstrate My holiness through you in their sight.
24 “For I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries, and will bring you into your own land. 25 I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will place My Spirit within you and cause you to follow My statutes and carefully observe My ordinances.”
Let’s Pray!
In Mark 12, Jesus is asked what commandment is the most important, He Says:
Mark 12:29-30
“29 “This is the most important,” Jesus answered: Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.”
The most important thing for us to do with our lives is to Love God, with all of our Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength.
This morning I want to focus on what it means to love God with all of our heart. What comes to mind when you think about loving God with all of your heart?
Is it something like Valentine’s Day with cards, balloons, flowers, and catchy sayings?
Is it ‘temporary’ where you will love someone else next week or month?
Is it just a feeling you have that really has no impact on your life?
Loving God will all of your Heart is none of these things, it is something much, much, more. Loving God with all of you Heart is going to change you!
This morning we started in the Book of Ezekiel and God was restoring His people to what they were meant to be. If you remember God was cleaning them and renewing them.
Verse 26 states “26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
Like He did with the nation of Israel God wants to give us a new heart. If we love God with all of our heart, He will take our cold, hardened, heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh. Now normally when we talk about ‘flesh’ we are talking about something being sinful.
In this case a heart of flesh is referring to a heart that is filled with warmness, love, and that it is a heart filled with the Holy Spirit. In these verses we are being told that God will replace the worn down by the world hard heart and replace it with one that is interested in the things that God is interested in. When we give our heart over to Jesus, He will give us a warm loving heart. God will give us a heart that ‘Breaks for the things that Breaks His heart.’
Loving God with all of our heart means that our heart breaks for the things that breaks God’s heart.
What does it mean for our heart to be broken in this way?
Two things come to mind.
First and foremost is that we are believers in Jesus Christ are told to carry out the Great Commission. Each and every one of us is supposed to reach out to the lost. Specifically as found in Matthew 28:19.
“19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”
If our heart breaks for the things that break God’s heart, our heart will break for those that do not know Jesus.
A little over 2 years ago I had a life changing experience, I had a brain tumor removed. God took hold of my situation and has blessed me abundantly, but has also reminded me of something very important.
We do not know how much time we have left on this planet!
Every day we talk to people and we have no clue if this is the last time we will get to speak to them. If they are unsaved this may be the last opportunity for the word of Christ to be shared with them. We do not know. Pastor Montie shared during one of the revival meetings about how one evening he shared the Gospel with a man and the next time he saw him, was at his funeral. It cannot get much closer than that.
If our heart is breaking for the things that break God’s heart, we need to be taking every opportunity to share the saving grace of Jesus Christ with those around us.
Besides reaching the lost, if we have allowed our heart to be softened by God, it should be breaking for some unmeet need in the world.
In 1950 a man by the name of Bob Pierce was in Korea, where he watched the children orphaned by the Korean War stand hopelessly in what seemed like endless food lines. One day as he watched these children a child near the front of the line dropped dead. It broke God’s heart and in turn broke Bob’s heart. Bob could have walked away and headed back to the United States and lived his life, but he did not. He decided at that moment that he was going to do something to help. To quote “We’re going to get food to the front of the food lines. If it kills me, we’re going to do it.”
Bob began by flying back and forth between the United States and Korea, telling people about this tragedy and raising money to get food to the front of the food lines. On one of his trips to Korea, Bob met a girl named White Jade. She had been beaten and disowned because of her decision to follow Christ. Bob gave her all the money he had on him, $5. Bob’s compassion did not end there; he pledged to send her money every month. This was a God ordained moment that shaped what Bob would be doing with the rest of his life. See, Bob is the founder of World Vision a program that has saved millions of children.
Bob loved God with all of his heart. His heart broke for something that broke God’s heart.
God gave Bob a passion for a need that he was uniquely equipped to take care of. That passion has touched the lives of countless people.
If we are loving God with all of our Heart, carrying out the Great Commission will be part of our daily lives. We do not know how much time we have left on earth to reach the lost, and even worse we do not know how much time the lost people in our lives have. Today could be the last time we see someone, today could be the last time we have the opportunity to share Jesus with them.
If our heart is breaking as God’s heart breaks, what are we passionate about? Is there something you have felt God talking to you about? Is there something that hurts when you witness it? Do you know that you were created to meet a specific need? If so, God is speaking to you. What are you going to do about it?
Matthew 6:21
“21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Bob Pierce’s heart broke for hungry children in Korea, and he gave of his time and his money. If God has given you a passion for something, if He has softened and broken your heart, have you stepped out in faith to meet that need?
As Christians we know that we are to reach the lost, but what breaks your heart? What are you willing… what are you driven to give of your time, money, resources… give of yourself… for?
Is it fatherless children? What about the misguided youth, children without enough food to eat, the impact that drugs have on families and lives… the list goes on and on. If you LOVE God with all of your heart, your heart will be breaking for something.
If God is speaking to you about something that you should be doing… do not put off till tomorrow. Every day or even every moment you delay could mean that a need is not met or even worse… someone leaves this life without hearing about Jesus Christ.
This morning during our final song, the altar is open.
If you want to know Jesus and learn what it means to Love Him with All of Your Heart, come forward. If you feel God breaking your heart for something, please come forward. Whatever it is I am here to pray with you.
Let’s Pray!
Thanks for reading... God Bless!
Robert
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