Sermon by Ps. Alex (Adapted from a Bible Study book)
What is the greatest commandment of our Lord?
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Matthew 12:29-31
Love the Lord with all your heart.
- We know this is a process
- We are coming from the angle of the heart is deceitful above all things.
“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?
Jeremiah 17:9
- Unless we lead our heart intentionally, diligently to put Jesus above all things, someone or something else is going to take the Lord’s rightful place in our heart.
- We know whoever or whatever has our heart rules our mind and our lives.
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
Proverbs 4:23
Love the Lord with all your heart – What does this scripture mean to you? How would it dictate the way you live?
Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
What is treasure?
- Whatever is the center of your affection
- Whatever is in the center of your desires
- Whatever is the center of your purpose for living
What is an idol?
Whatever overrides God to become central in our life is an idol
- Idol is anything that competes with God for your heart’s attention/affection. It can be a person, an object, an activity or even a desire.
- “An idol is whatever rouses and attracts me so easily that I give my time, my attention, my energy and my money to it effortlessly” – Pastor. Martin Lloyd.
- It may start off as a good thing but end up taking priority over God in your life.
Reflection
- What gives you true happiness?
- What gives you true contentment?
- What is your identity in life based on?
- What gives you purpose in life?
- What gives you security in life?
Why is it important to identify our deep idols?
Unless we identify and demolish these idols we will focus only on behavior modification. We will give our Lord a corner of our heart, not ALL our heart. We will be part of the 2 Timothy 3: 1 -5 group of believers. These people loved the Lord but they loved other things more.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!
Behavior Modification vs Heart Change
- Behavior modification is a cosmetic change and does not deal with the root issue
- Heart change is dealing with the issue at the roots and having permanent victory and change
- The secret to change is identifying the idols in our heart
- It could be a thought pattern / attitude / lie / desires that has taken higher priority than God and His Word in our lives
Deep idols
- These are core desires that rule our heart
- Motivating voices behind external manifestations of inaccurate behavior or attitude
3 deep idols that influence our behavior, emotions and actions
- The need for control
- The need for significance
- The need for comfort
1. The need for control characteristics
The Lie
- If I can just maintain influence or mastery over my situation, these people, my performance, my schedule, my income whatever, then I will be OK, content, strong and safe.
Objective
- Having certainty/dominance
Biggest Fear
- Instability or weakness
How it will manifest
- Relentless pursuit of security
- Excessive pursuit of power
2. The need for significance characteristics
The Lie
- If this person, this social group, the colleagues in my profession, if they find me worthy of attention or love, if they acknowledge my value or greatness, as long I am not being disgraced before them, then I will be worthy, important and acceptable
Objective
- Receiving affirmation and been made to feel important
Biggest fear
- Rejection or humiliation
How it manifests
- Overwhelming need for approval or love
- Inordinate desire for recognition
3. The need for comfort characteristics
The Lie
- If I can just maintain ease or relaxation, if life can be laid back, if I can just keep away from stress or responsibility, why need to be so religious? I have my needs, nothing wrong with indulging in certain things if it doesn’t affect anybody, I deserve some pleasure or enjoyment. Life must be easy, fun & thrilling.
Objective
- Pleasure and ease
Biggest fear
- Stress and taking responsibility
How it manifests
- Avoiding stress and responsibility
- Self-indulgence
Diagnostic questions to examine our heart
- What do I worry about most?
- If I failed or lost it, what would cause me to feel that I did not even want to live?
- What do I run to, to comfort myself when things go bad or difficult?
- What do I do to cope? What are my release valves? What do I need to do to feel better?
- What often preoccupies me? What do I always daydream about?
- What makes me feel the most self-worth? What am I the proudest of? What do I want to be known for?
- What does the content of my conversations reveal about me?
- At first impression, what do I want to make sure people should know about me?
- What prayer unanswered, would seriously make me think about turning away from God?
- What do I want and expect out of life? What do I think will make me happy?
- Whom or what do I trust in for my future?
- What does my ideal life look like? Is that God’s desire for me?
But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”
Jeremiah 17: 10
Prayerfully let’s ask the Lord to help us know who or what has our hearts and how to lead it back to Him.
What have I discovered about my heart? What do I need to do now?
Scripture references for study
Psalms 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.
Mark 2 :22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.
Galatians 1:10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Galatians 5:17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.
Colossians 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
You can spend some time looking up other scriptures related to this.
