Preachers of Righteousness

Regaining A Sense of Urgency

Has Our Heart Hardened ?

What has hardened my heart?

Hebrews 3:8 (NIV)

. . . do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of

testing in the wilderness.

What has hardened my heart?• Our heart doesn’t get hard in the good

times of life, but in the testing times in our lives• The times when: we are offended,

wronged, hurt, life feels unfair, we are betrayed, taken advantage of• We see the sin and injustice around us• We look at people around us • We look at the Church

We Harden Our Hearts Toward People! (Psalms 95, Numbers 20, Hebrews 3&4)

Hard–Hearted • adjective: having or showing no

kindness, compassion, or sympathy for other people• Callous, compassionless, unmerciful,

unsparing, and unsympathetic

•desensitized

Results of a Hard Heart

UnhearingExodus 7 (NLT)

13 Pharaoh’s heart, however, remained hard. He still refused to listen, just as

the LORD had predicted. 14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn,

and he still refuses to let the people go.

* Refuse to listen to the Holy Spirit

Unbelieving

Mark 16:14 (NKJV) Later He appeared to the eleven as

they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those

who had seen Him after He had risen.

Unthankful

Mark 6:52 (NKJV)

For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was

hardened.

Unteachable

Deuteronomy 8:14a (NKJV)

. . . when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who

brought you out of the land of Egypt . . .

* Pride, an unteachable heart, haughty

Unloving

Mark 8 (NLT)15 As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Watch out!

Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.” 16 At this they began to

argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread.

UnlovingMark 8 (NLT)

17 Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about

having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts

too hard to take it in? Religious Spirit: Anger, judgment, criticism, unforgiveness, pride

The Heart of LoveColossians 3:12

Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness,

lowliness, humility, and perseverance; 1 John 3:17

But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and closes his heart of compassion against him, how does the love of God remain in him?

The Heart of Love1 Peter 3:8 (DBY)

Finally, be all of one mind, sympathizing, full of brotherly love, tender hearted,

humble minded Ephesians 4:32 (NASB)

be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ

also has forgiven you.

Guard your heart from becoming hard!

Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV)Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of

it spring the issues of life. Proverbs 20:5 (NKJV)

Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw

it out. *So easy to be filled with hate or judgment (shallow)

God Softens My Heart!*A GOOD MAN ABOUT TO BECOME GREAT• Eliphaz (Job’s friend) criticizing

Job 23:16 (KJV)For God maketh my heart soft, and the

Almighty troubleth me

TROUBLETH - bahal - to disturb, hurry, be disturbed, alarm

God Softens My Heart!Job 42:10 (NKJV)

And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he

had before.

* He didn’t allow his heart to become hard in the time of testing!

A Heart of Love Revealing Jesus!

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Church makes the world their enemy, we have hardened our heart toward the world

- Eugene Peterson

The Heart of the Preachers of

Righteousness!Matthew 5:43-48 The Message

(MSG)“You’re familiar with the old written

law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m

telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the

worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies

of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created

selves.

The Heart of the Preachers of

Righteousness!Matthew 5:43-48 The Message (MSG)

This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the

nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody

can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any

run-of-the-mill sinner does that.

The Heart of the Preachers of

Righteousness!Matthew 5:43-48 The Message

(MSG)48 “In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live

like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and

graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”

Soften Our Hearts Oh Lord!!!!