Overwhelmed and Overcome

Listening With Your Heart 2

Jer. 17:9; Luk. 8:14-15 and Rom. 10:17

SUBJECT: Evangelism and Personal Work

THEME: It is vital we maintain a correct attitude toward God and His work. We must keep our hearts respectful, clean, compliant, and obedient towards the duties, tasks, and responsibilities of evangelism.

INTRODUCTION:

God frequently refers to “heart surgery” as influential imagery pointing to spiritual rejuvenation, where He cleans our sin and replaces our stubborn, unenthusiastic, and sinful ‘hearts’ with spiritually compliant ‘hearts.’ As a result, we become far more spiritually minded than carnal minded.

When it comes to sacrificial service to the Lord…giving of ourselves, strength, gifts, skills, opportunities, and resources to God’s ministry…there is again excessive reluctance among God’s children. Maybe it is fear or a lack of self-confidence, but there is an incredible necessity for hardworking and steady Christian servants.

MESSAGE:

As God’s Servant, Use His Word to Examine Your Heart

We are susceptible to contracting various unhealthy heart conditions, but God’s word can be trusted to help us sort out our real condition.

A.  THE WEIGHTED DOWN HEART (Worried)

Luke 21:34, And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

B.  THE CHOCKING HEART (Overwhelmed)

Luke 8:14, And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

This part of the Parable of the Sower, portrays people who hear God's word but allow worldly distractions, worries, and riches choke their spiritual growth so they fail to mature. They permit themselves to become overwhelmed with concerns….

1.     “Cares and riches and pleasures of this life” are daily worries typically stemming from our survival, the pursuit of money, professional goals, and the love of temporary fun or the pursuit of more comfort.

2.    “Are choked” denoting our spiritual vitality is squeezed out, much like an unimportant plant starved of light and water by giant weeds. Our spiritual growth and faith are effectively suffocated and seriously hindered or even stopped by reservations, limited resources, and requirements related to this earthly experience.

3.    “Bring no fruit to perfection” is failing to produce a mature, faithful, and productive spiritual life for God glory. Just like weeds starve real plants of necessities, everyday stress and greed crowd out our focus on God, stopping us from baring fruit to adulthood.

These may be those who are interested in Jesus’ message but who cannot accept it because of their devotion to material things^[1]…. Those who fill themselves with the recreational fun, getting richer, and pursuing the problems of our focus will never mature as a Christian becoming more unfruitful. Others, such as the rich ruler (Luke 18:18–30), were interested in Jesus but would not accept Him because of the strong pull of materialism.^[2]

4.    Choking, in one respect, can also refer to biting off more than you can chew!  Or trying to take on more than you can legitimately handle. It is basically a condition when nothing else can get in and nothing else is coming out. Beloved, when we feed ourselves with the wrong spiritual food it could lead to a chocking heart—overwhelmed—an unproductive and stagnant life. You can’t get anything into them, and you can’t get anything out of them. When we take on too much in Christian service we can again end up in the same situation. Do what God has committed to you personally, regard what He gifted you to do, and grow in that and He may eventually give you more.  But don’t bite off more than you can chew! Sometimes we do this out of great love but beware it could be our pride that’s driving these activities!

These distractions will stop growth in the Lord and compliance with His will. We may hear the message of God (Bible reading, preaching, a lesson) but if we focus too much on money, work, stress, and fun, our faith stops growing. The division of our priorities edges out God’s plans putting worldly things first leaving no room in our hearts to obey God or help others. We had our devotions…we attended the Bible study…we were present for the lesson, but our minds were on something else. It is far better to be present (fully aware, attentive, careful regarding the present moment) and not worrying about the future (see Matt. 6:34; Psa. 118:24; Lam. 3:22–23; Jam. 4:14).

5.   God’s Treatment for the Overwhelmed Heart (Luke 8:15)!

·        Luke 8:15, But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

·        The fourth group consists of those who listen, retain the Word, and … produce a crop (v. 15), that is, they bear spiritual fruit, evidence of their spiritual life. Their hearts were changed for they were noble and good.^[3]

·        Believers with an honest and good heart can hear (paying attention) God's Word, retain it, and patiently produce good works. They have a receptive mind that approaches the message with sincerity and a genuine desire to understand and apply it!

·        “An honest and good heart”—Prepare your inner self to genuinely value God’s word above worldly distractions.

·        “Keeping the word”—Hold fast to what you have heard from God’s book instead of letting daily anxieties crowd it out.

·        “Patience”—Allow spiritual fruit to grow over time through steadfast endurance rather than seeking instant worldly satisfaction. We deliberately choose to pay close attention to “thus saith the Lord” and the needs of others instead of allowing ourselves to rush into action on autopilot.

6.   Practice Refocusing your Actions to Clear away the Pesky “Thorns.”

·        Identify distractions: Recognize which specific daily cares, material pursuits, or pleasures are draining your time and focus.

·        Prioritize time: Intentionally set aside quiet time for Scripture and prayer to keep your heart fertile and receptive.

·        Simplify focus: Actively minimize unnecessary commitments that choke your spiritual vitality.

·        Behave mindfully: Pay thoughtful attention to the Lord sensing His will and mindfully considering the needs of others, rendering appropriate care, noting their feelings, and being present in the moment.

Again Luke 8:15, says we must receive the word in an “honest and good heart,” keeping it, and bringing forth fruit with patience. They not only received the word but allowed it to mold their lives. They were teachable and obedient, developing true Christian character and producing fruit for God.^[4]

 

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^[1] John A. Martin, “Luke,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 225.

^[2] John A. Martin, “Luke,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 225.

^[3] John A. Martin, “Luke,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 225.

^[4] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1397.