Father, we confess before you that on one hand, Father,
we are to use the best of our mind and the best of our heart
and the best of our will to understand your word.
But Father, we confess before you that that is never enough,
that we are dependent upon you to help us to understand your word.
So Father, we ask that you would gently but deeply pour out your Holy Spirit upon us.
Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us.
Touch us at our heart and incline our heart towards your word.
May you write your word on our hearts,
that our hearts through faith in Jesus may be made new and bring you glory.
Father, pour out your Holy Spirit upon us so that your word might enter deep within.
And all this we ask in the name of Jesus, your Son and our Savior. Amen.
Please be seated.
So, imagine, this has probably happened to some of you.
I'm not going to ask for a show of hands or something like this.
But imagine that you're a woman that you love or a man that you love
and you've dated maybe for a while and then the relationship breaks up
and you're very sad, you're heartbroken over it.
But your brokenheartedness over it continues on for months and months.
And so I come to talk to you.
You decide somebody tells you, oh, you should go talk to the pastor about this,
you know, since you've been so unhappy for so many months.
And I sit down with you and I say, well, you know,
Jesus loves you and he died for you on the cross.
Now, if that was the heart of my counseling to you,
do you think I, would you go back afterwards and say to your friends,
gosh, the pastor is such a great counselor.
He just said the exact thing that I needed to hear,
that Jesus loves me and he died for me on the cross.
Many of you, you might not say that the pastor,
that I had done a bad job counseling,
but you probably, many of us would probably not feel that that was very helpful
to the sadness and the sorrow we feel.
If one of us has maybe not got a promotion that we desperately wanted
or a particular job that we really wanted
and months later we're still feeling heartbroken
over the fact that we didn't get the job or we didn't get the promotion,
for a friend to say to you, well, you know, Jesus loves you.
He died on the cross for you.
It probably wouldn't feel like enough.
In fact, many of us, whether we would want to say it or not,
would say to ourselves,
what does it matter that Jesus died on the cross for me
if person X doesn't love me?
What does it matter that Jesus loves me and died on the cross for me
when I can't have that job that I so desperately wanted?
We might not entirely put that into words,
but that's often what our heart is saying
when we continue on in sadness
in the face of a particular loss.
It just doesn't seem enough that Jesus died on the cross for us
and it wouldn't seem very helpful
if somebody reminded us of that.
So why is that?
Why is that?
I'm not having you all come here today
so that you'll feel terribly guilty about yourselves,
but what does that say about us
that that would be the case?
And in fact, actually, you know, to be really honest,
if you came to me for counseling
and the heart of my counseling
is that Jesus died for you on the cross
and he loves you and that's sufficient,
and you went back and told your Christian friends
that that's what the pastor would say,
they'd all say you should get a better counselor.
Like that's what most of us would probably say
because most of us actually don't think that's sufficient.
So why is that?
So today we're going to look at a series of proverbs
that talk about the human heart
that help us to understand how our heart works
and how it doesn't work
and how it is that we respond to different things
and even why we persist in sadness and sorrow.
So Andrew, if you could put the first one up,
that would be great.
And we're going to say it together in a moment.
It's Proverbs 14.10 is the first one.
And just, you know, normally,
those of you who are familiar with my preaching style,
usually I have points
and today I don't have any points.
My hope is that one or more of these proverbs
will be the point.
They're all short
and that they might be something
that you would want to meditate upon more later on.
But could you say this proverb with me?
Proverbs 14.10.
The heart knows its own bitterness
and no stranger shares its joy.
Let's say it again.
The heart knows its own bitterness
and no stranger shares its joy.
I mean, this is a beautiful proverb, isn't it?
It's really beautiful.
It communicates to us that human beings are deep.
Doesn't it really?
I mean, it's funny.
And this isn't,
Louise would say this of me
and I would say this of Louise.
Louise and I will have been married 34 years in October.
But there's still lots about Louise that I don't understand,
that I don't know.
She'd say there's lots more about me
that she doesn't understand or doesn't know.
I mean, on one hand,
the current fascination in marriage patterns
and romance is that we look for soulmates.
And part of the tragedy of that
is that, in fact,
on one hand,
we never really find a soulmate
because,
at least in the way that it's often talked about
in the popular culture,
because there's a depth to people
that we just never plumb the depths of,
even after we've been married
for a very, very long time.
And, in fact,
actually often if we think
that we have plumbed the depth of the other person,
that's probably a sign
that we've stopped caring about them very much.
But we don't actually ever really plumb the depths
of another person.
And that's why this proverb is just so true, isn't it?
The heart knows its own bitterness
and no stranger shares its joy.
There's a,
you know,
we can have some sense of the bitterness
that another person's experiencing
and some sense of their joy,
but on one hand,
there really is a certain degree of truth
to the fact that we are alone and separate.
And our depths mean that no other person
will ever really be able to plumb the depths
of who we are.
And sometimes that leads us
to actually maybe even feel depressed
and despairing
that people don't understand who we are.
And then no stranger can share that.
It really tells us.
But you know what?
At the same time,
there's a bit of a mystery here in this text.
Why is it
that often,
like maybe it'll be afterwards at coffee,
you'll meet somebody
that you've never met before
and you'll talk to them for 15 minutes.
And why is it that we'll walk away from a person
after talking to them for 15 minutes
and feel we really understand them?
Yet at the same time,
if we're honest about ourselves,
we've lived with ourselves all our lives
and we don't understand ourselves.
Like,
why is that?
And on one hand,
of course,
we can have a bit of it,
really,
you know,
get a sense of a person.
Yet on the other hand,
there really always is
a something more,
a deeperness to that person
that we can start to try to understand
or fathom
and never reach the end of.
Let's read another proverb,
Proverbs 14, 13.
Please say it with me.
Even in laughter,
the heart may ache
and the end of joy may be grief.
Let's say that together again.
Even in laughter,
the heart may ache
and the end of joy may be grief.
You know,
isn't this also really,
really,
really true?
In fact,
actually,
it's even more powerfully put
in the Hebrew
where it says
the end of joy
is grief.
It's even more powerful.
But, you know,
here,
think about this for a second.
Why is it that
once we say something like that,
most of us know
that this is actually
a very good description
of human experience?
Like,
why is it that so often
that even while we're laughing
that there's also
maybe underneath that,
very,
very closely
underneath the laughter
is a sense of sadness
and grief
over other types of things?
And why is it
that we often have a sense
that when we're having
a time of great joy
or great success
that many of us think
that it won't last?
We might hope
that it will last
for quite a while,
but we always have
this bit of a sense
that it won't last.
And why is it
that on one hand
that, you know,
we,
why is it that
we always would choose
if we,
I mean,
obviously some people
snatch sadness
from the jaws of grief,
sadness from the jaws
of joy
and do things
to make their lives
miserable,
but why is it
that we have some sense
that joy
is natural,
that we were made
for joy,
and that grief
is unnatural,
and yet both of them
are things
that we experience
in the natural world,
but why is it
that we have a sense
that joy
is more fundamental
or foundational,
that,
that that's more
what we were made for?
Like,
why is that?
Why don't we think
that sorrow
is what we were made for?
Why is it
that we don't think
that sadness
is what we were made for?
Why do,
why do we experience
joy and sadness
as being unnatural,
I mean,
sadness and grief
and sorrow
as sort of,
in some ways,
unnatural,
but joy is natural?
Why is it
that that's sort of
a common human experience?
Why not the reverse?
And,
and why is it
that on one hand
we are never surprised
when we go into
a period of sadness?
I mean,
on one hand
we are,
and we're,
we're bitter about it
and we might even
rage about it,
but on the other hand,
you know,
if a person told you
that they only
experience joy
and they never
experience sorrow,
would you believe them?
Never?
Like,
you mean like
never in the last
two minutes?
Yeah,
that's fine.
Like never in the last,
you know,
if the person's
50 years old,
like never in the past
30 years,
40 years,
you've never experienced
any emotion
other than joy?
Why is it
that so many
Christian churches
present that the model
of what it means
to be fully human
is to always feel joy?
I was just
at a church recently
and that's,
in a sense,
part of the message
of the sermon
and I was thinking,
well,
Jesus cried
at the tomb
of Lazarus.
He wept tears
in the garden
of Gethsemane.
But why is it
that we,
why is it
that we do that?
Yet at the same time,
we recognize
that this proverb
is very true.
Even in laughter,
the heart may ache
and the end of joy
may be grief.
Put up the next one,
Andrew.
Can you say this with me?
Hope deferred
makes the heart sick,
but a desire fulfilled
is a tree of life.
Let's say that together again.
Hope deferred
makes the heart sick,
but a desire fulfilled
is a tree of life.
This is a very commonplace
type of proverb,
isn't it?
It's a sort of proverb
that you could well imagine
seeing in a greeting card
that Oprah would like,
Maya Angelou would like,
that it almost seems
like it's just too common
to even talk about
or comment.
In the original language
that hope,
even the word
which we translate
as hope,
which is a good word,
but there's this
underlying current
in the original language
of anxiety
connected with it.
So it's as if,
you know,
you're hoping
but you're anxious
at the same time.
We've all had that experience.
We're hoping
but we're anxious.
And, you know,
maybe we're waiting
for somebody to come home
or we're waiting
for news
of what's going to happen
with a promotion
or something like that
or what's happening
to one of our kids
or our best friend.
And on the one hand
we're hoping
but on the other hand
we're anxious
and the longer
that it takes
for us to hear
what's happened,
the more heart sick
that we feel.
But a desire fulfilled
is a tree of life.
And this actually,
it just, you know,
it fits in with so much
of how our culture
would talk about things.
I mean, it's a very common thing
in our culture
that if I would,
in fact, Christians often say this
to each other,
follow your heart.
Follow your heart.
We'll say to people,
trust your heart.
You know,
because a hope deferred,
you know,
that you trust your hope
and when you get your hopes
it's like a tree of life.
And we'll often say to each other,
you're thinking too much,
trust your heart.
And in fact,
actually when we say things
like you're thinking too much,
trust your heart,
it's on one hand,
it's a little tiny bit
of an opening
into what the Bible means
by heart.
But just so you know right now,
probably every single one of us
to some extent here
doesn't hear heart
the way it's intended.
In our culture,
we sort of pit the mind
and thinking
against the heart
and feelings
and emotions.
And in the Bible,
especially in the Old Testament,
the heart
is the source
of our feelings,
the source of our plans,
the source
of our thinking.
In fact,
if you were to go back
in time
to the writer of Proverbs
and say,
you're thinking too much,
trust your heart,
they would look at you
blankly.
You're using your heart
too much,
trust your heart,
like it would be
a contradiction.
Because thinking,
planning,
feeling,
longing,
desiring,
hoping,
all of them come
just from the singular
thing called the heart
into the Old Testament.
So on one hand,
though,
when we say,
you're thinking too much,
trust your heart,
on one hand,
we're really thinking
primarily of emotions,
but we go a little bit
beyond it.
And we're thinking
of maybe the heart
as touching something
more than just emotions.
But here's the problem
with this proverb.
Can we say it again?
Hope deferred
makes the heart sick,
but a desire fulfilled
is a tree of life.
Here's the problem
with this.
How many times
have we hoped for evil?
And when our hope
for evil
isn't bearing fruition,
we feel depressed.
I don't know
if it's a true statistic.
I guess you've heard,
I think it's just
this past week,
that the Ashley Madison
website,
which is,
I've been told,
is a website
that you go to
if you want to have
an affair
with a married person.
And they facilitate
people having affairs
with married people.
And I,
it was on a blog,
so it must be true.
Okay?
But I,
somebody sent me
a blog link,
so it must be true,
that said that
the city of Ottawa
has the highest proportion
but per capita
of people
who subscribe
to Ashley Madison
than anywhere
in North America.
I don't know
if it's true,
but it was in a blog.
And,
and I guess
there's a lot
of nervous people
that if these
hacktivists
have in fact
successfully hacked
the list
that they might
make it public
and many people
in Ottawa
might discover
that they,
they've in fact
registered for this.
But,
you know,
think about this
for a second.
How many people
who are married
desire to have
an affair
and they long
to have an affair
with another person
and their heart
is sick
because it's not
happening?
And,
how many people
once they've had
the affair
at least momentarily
will feel like
they've had
an eruption of life
in their life?
Is that what the
Bible's teaching?
See,
one of the problems
with trust your heart,
you're thinking too much,
is it implies
that the heart
only desires
good things.
I mean,
if you think
of many movies
and television series,
a lot of what
goes on,
and I just watched
The Drop
last night,
and partly
what goes on
is that the sadness
of one of the characters
and the worry
of one of the characters
because he's worried
that his desire
to rob people
isn't going to happen
the way he wants.
And,
you know,
and you could well imagine
that he thinks
at least,
and probably he would
experience,
great emotions
of excitement
and joy
if he is successful
in stealing
a million dollars.
others.
So,
here's the thing
about these proverbs.
On one hand,
many of them
seem to have
something which is
true about them,
but if you actually
ask sort of
deeper questions
about them,
you start to realize
that there's actually
truth and
something else
going on in him.
If you could,
Andrew,
if you could put up
the next proverb,
let's read the next
proverb together.
read it with me.
When a man's
folly brings
his way to ruin,
his heart
rages against
the Lord.
Isn't that a great
proverb?
Let's say it again.
When a man's
folly brings
his way to ruin,
his heart
rages against
the Lord.
Isn't that true?
Like,
haven't,
don't,
maybe it's never
happened to you,
but have you ever
been angry
because you've
had a plan
to do something
bad and it
backfires
and you're
angry?
And sometimes
people are even
angry at God
over it.
And they'll be
angry at like,
why is God,
why is this
happening to me?
Just this week
in a coffee shop,
I had a
conversation
with a guy,
no surprise,
I have conversations
with non-Christians
in coffee shops
and this
is a fellow
who,
part of his
conversation with
me is always
that Christians
are bad
and unhelpful
because they have
a bad view
of human beings,
that we think
that human beings
are sort of,
you know,
that we don't
understand that
human beings
are sort of good.
But he came
to me,
he had a picture
in the paper
of that,
I think it was
in Turkey
where there was
a suicide bomber
and it killed,
I think it was
a Shiite mosque
and I think
it was ISIS
or ISIL
and they did
this attack
and they killed
many, many people
at a mosque
and so my friend
brings the newspaper
over to me
and he points
at it and says,
and you say
that human beings
are made
in the image
of God
and yet human beings
made in the image
of God
do things like this.
and he was angry
at God,
angry at religion.
I just listened
but inwardly
I thought to myself,
you're the one
who thinks
that people
are basically good.
Like,
how do you square
that circle?
But it wasn't
the time to say it
because he was
just angry
and raging
at God
and sometimes
when people
are angry
and raging
at God
all you can do
is pray for them.
there's not much
you can say to them
but the fact
of the matter
is that even
Christians
rage at God
and get angry
at God.
Can we go back
to Proverbs 13,
12, Andrew?
So just thinking
that last proverb
that sometimes
our hearts
rage against God
and you could
almost picture
that when our hearts
are raging
against God
if there was
some way
that we could
hit him
if there was
some way
that we could
hurt him
it would
make us
glad.
Or maybe
I'm just
far more
evil
than every
person here.
Can we say
this together
again?
Hope deferred
makes the
heart sick
but a desire
fulfilled
is a tree
of life.
So
here's
partly
how we
have to
understand
this proverb.
You'll see
and I'm going
to show you
again in another
couple of minutes
that's going
to be the
very very
next
I think
it's the
next proverb
that we're
going to look
at.
I have to
look at
my list
I think
it's not
quite the
next proverb
but we're
going to
get to it
very shortly
is we
have to
when we read
the book
of Proverbs
the book
of Proverbs
never believes
that our
hearts are
pure and
only desire
good things.
But what it
is trying to
communicate to
us is a
very very
different model
of how human
beings function.
We sort of
operate in our
culture with
several different
ways of how
human beings
function.
a lot of
us function
that it's
just will
that we
just use
our will
power to
do what
we want
to accomplish
and sort
of complicated
with that
is that
there's
actually on
the same
side a
flip side
a sense
that human
beings are
very very
passive.
Like just
to give a
Christian
example
if you've
ever read
the book
The Five
Love Languages
which has
lots of
good practical
insights
but one
worrisome
thing about
that is
I was joking
with my
wife last
night when I
was talking
to her about
the sermon
I was saying
you know I
could very
easily say
that the
reason I'm
not loving
you enough
is because
you're not
filling up
my love
tank enough
and if you
just started
filling up
my love
tank more
in love
language that
I can hear
that I would
love you
more
and there's
a certain
other psychological
model of
the sense that
a heart is
passive somehow
that we're
passive and
it's because
of race
it's because
of social
class
it's because
of economic
things
it's because
we were
victims
it's because
our love
language
our love
tank isn't
being filled
up
and so
on one
hand in
our culture
we have
this almost
schizophrenic
type of
approach
where on
one hand
we can be
very very
passive
and on the
other hand
it's all
just about
our willpower
and the
Bible
the book
of Proverbs
presents
another
different
sense
here
and it's
partly how
we're to
understand
this text
as being
actually
very very
profound
it describes
that the
human heart
is always
hoping
and trusting
the human
heart
the center
of who we
are
where we
that part
of us
in a sense
the command
center
of the
human being
out of
which flows
our emotions
our thoughts
our plans
our desires
all of that
out of which
flows our
life
that the
human heart
is always
hoping
and trusting
in something
that in fact
it's never
right to say
will I hope
or trust
but the
book of
Proverbs
would say
that the
question is
not will
I
will my
heart
hope
and trust
in something
the question
is always
what is
my heart
hoping
and trusting
in
excuse me
in fact
you know
here's a
very important
application
of this
one of the
things that we
can really
ask ourselves
as Christians
I mean
non-Christians
can do this
as well
because this
is not
describing
Christian
experience
Proverbs
is trying
to describe
a particular
way of us
understanding
that my
heart
is trusting
in something
has in a
sense
loves
that it
trusts in
and in
light of
what I
put my
hope in
and trust
in
in light
of this
my life
flows out
of it
and in
light of
what I
hope and
trust in
certain
thoughts
seem
reasonable
in light
of what I
hope and
trust in
certain
things will
make me
happy
and certain
things will
make me
sad
in light
of what I
trust and
hope in
plans will
seem reasonable
wise
or foolish
in light
of what I
hope or
trust in
and every
human being
every one
of us
every person
we see
our hearts
the center
of who we
are is
putting its
trust and
its hope
in certain
things or
persons
so one of
the questions
we can ask
ourselves
in the face
of emotion
especially
persistent
emotion or
persistent
sin
a lot
of
Christian
literature
about
dealing
with
persistent
sin
is
basically
replicating
a
willpower
model
from the
world
or a
passive
model
from the
world
but the
question we
should ask
ourselves
in the face
of persistent
sin
if a man
is persistently
going after
pornography
if a person
is persistently
going after
lies
is what
is it
that I
am putting
my hope
and trust
in
that makes
this behavior
necessary
for me
so that my
heart is
sick if I
cannot have
it and I
will feel
at least
temporary joy
if I
attain it
is to
call out
to God
or to
help ask
him to
help you
to understand
what is
it that
my heart
sees as
a treasure
so that
my mind
and my
behavior
and my
life moves
in certain
patterns
and habits
you see
I might
not say
that much
more about
this
and I
have to
be careful
of my
time
but you
see
part of
and I
am not
mindful of
Jesus
who is
fully human
and he
experienced
sorrow
and this
isn't a
model that
we never
experience
sorrow
because
it is
appropriate
to feel
sorrow
the book
of
Jesus
and the
Sermon
on the
Mount
says
it is
appropriate
to feel
sorrow
but if
if I
am
acting
let's
say
if I
say
to myself
what does
it matter
that there is
80 people
at church
here today
I am
broken hearted
because there is
not 300
and I am
persistently
broken hearted
that there is
not 300
then
what
and if
somebody
says to
me
George
you know
Jesus
has died
for you
he loves
you
he gave
himself
for you
he is
fitting you
for heaven
nothing
can separate
you from
the love
of God
and if
inwardly
I say
what does
that matter
if I don't
have 300
people coming
to church
on a
Sunday
then
what I'm
saying
is that
I have
something
that I
value
and that
I trust
and that
I hope
in
that's
far more
important
than what
than God
than what
Jesus
has done
for me
that my
true
treasure
might be
a particular
view of
my success
or a particular
view of
my power
or my
reputation
that that's
actually what
I put my
hope and my
trust in
and that's
I might say
on Sunday
morning
oh Jesus
loves me
you know
this I know
for the Bible
tells me so
but functionally
as I go
through my
day I have
another treasure
which is more
important
and probably
others
and so one
important application
of all of this
is to understand
that the heart
the center
of who we are
the way it
functions
is always
to desire
to hope
to trust
to love
and out
of that
flows my
life
and your
life
and so
that in the
face of
emotions
in the face
of what's
going on
it's not
that we
of course
I'm not
saying never
use willpower
but what I
am saying
is that
sometimes
what we
need to
do is
in fact
ask
God
to make
clear to
us
what in
fact
is my
treasure
and my
hope
that to
not have
it I'm
feeling
sad
or
that I
feel joy
at pursuing
bad
things
but
here's
the problem
so
that means
a very
very good
application
some important
application
but there's
going to be
problems
with it
I mean
it's a
direction
to go
but it's
not a
foolproof
technique
and part
of the
problem
is
remember
those
earlier
proverbs
that I
gave you
about the
depths
of human
beings
and why
is it
that we
can meet
somebody
and 15
minutes
have a
sense
that we
really
know
them
but yet
we can
live
with
ourselves
our
whole
lives
and
don't
really
know
us
put up
the next
proverb
please
Andrew
Proverbs
27
19
do you
like to
read that
with me
please
as
in
water
face
reflects
face
so
the
heart
of
man
reflects
the
man
like
on
one
hand
this
is
actually
really
true
isn't
it
but
you
know
on
the
other
hand
if you
think
about
it
you
can
look
if you
have
very
still
water
I
mean
now
we
could
use
mirror
because
they
didn't
really
have
mirrors
like
we
do
back
then
not
as
perfect
not
as
good
as
we
do
you
can
look
at
your
face
and
you
can
see
your
face
you
might
not
like
what
you
see
but
you
can
see
it
and
on
one
hand
it
really
is
the
case
that
if
you
get
to
know
a
person's
heart
you're
getting
to
know
that
person
and
to
look
into
our
heart
is
a
way
to
come
to
a
certain
degree
of
self
knowledge
but
isn't
it
true
that
we
can
never
actually
know
that
that's
in
fact
what
happens
like
isn't
there
in
a
sense
where
as
on
one
hand
it's
really
important
to
try
to
get
out
of
this
model
of
either
being
passive
or
all
willpower
and
ask
ourselves
what
our
hopes
are
but
at
the
same
time
there's
a
mystery
about
ourselves
we
don't
see
and
understand
about
ourselves
there's
a
limit
to
where
by
merely
by
seeking
and
understanding
our
own
heart
that
we
can
understand
who
we
are
there's
a
limit
to
that
that's
what
those
other
proverbs
that we
thought
were so
wise
are telling
us
when we
read
this
one
see
that's
why
the
book
of
proverbs
it's
designed
for us
to try
to
one of
my
earlier
blogs
I
said
we
read
the
book
of
proverbs
with
amnesia
we
read
a
proverb
and
then
we
read
another
proverb
and
we
don't
realize
that
the
two
proverbs
should
go
together
to
try
to
understand
it
and
if
we're
saying
yeah
that's
true
human beings
are really
deep
we can't
understand
them
and
then
the
next
start
when we
say
we
only
understand
ourselves
we have
to
understand
ourselves
how does
that
go with that
other
proverb
Andrew
could you
put the
next
proverb
up
28
26
do you
want to
say
this
with
me
please
whoever
trusts
in his
own
heart
is a
fool
if
earlier
on
I
said
that
the
Bible
is
going
to
tell
you
things
that
our
culture
says
trust
your
heart
and
the
Bible
says
that
that's
a
foolish
thing
well
if
we
start
to
realize
that
the
part
of
the
problem
about
trusting
our
heart
is
that
the
heart
has
depths
that
we
don't
really
know
what's
there
and
if
we're
honest
about
ourselves
some
of
the
things
in
our
hearts
are
scary
like
listen
going back
to that
Ashley
Madison
thing
I
have
no
doubt
that
there
maybe
are
some
people
who
are
fully
giving
themselves
to
a
desire
to
have
an
affair
with
another
person
but
I
also
have
no
doubt
that
there's
many
people
who
go
to
that
site
and
are
horrified
that
they
want
to
do
that
and
yet
they
don't
know
how
to
stop
they
don't
know
what's
going
on
inside
their
lives
and
even
if
they
try
to
analyze
what
their
heart
is
hoping
and
trusting
and
there's
still
just
something
in there
that
they
can't
get
to
the
bottom
and
the
depths
of
and
so
to
trust
what
you
don't
I
mean
that
would
be
like
trusting
having
the
pilot
say
that
we're
going
to
go
we're
entering
into
clouds
we're
flying
at
30,000
feet
we're
going
into
clouds
and
the
storm
and
you
know
actually
I
just
want
to
tell
you
right
now
is
that
part
of
our
flight
programs
were
programmed
by
monkeys
and
part
were
by
computer
engineers
and
I
don't
know
which
parts
were
which
but
we're
going
to
trust
the
instruments
would
that
make
you
feel
comfortable
while
you're
flying
at
30,000
feet
that
you
don't
know
what
parts
of
the
instrumentation
were
programmed
by
monkeys
can't
program
just in
case
you're
not
familiar
with
that
it would
just be
random
garbage
but
that's
how it
is
with us
as
human
beings
that's
what
the
depths
of
the
heart
has
Andrew
could
you
put
up
the
next
one
Proverbs
11
20
do you
want
to read
this
with
me
those
of
crooked
is that
the right
do I
have
the
right
one
yep
say it
with
me
those
of
crooked
heart
are an
abomination
to the
Lord
but
those
of
blameless
ways
are
his
delight
let's
say it
again
those
of
crooked
heart
are an
abomination
to the
Lord
but
those
of
blameless
ways
are
his
delight
so
you
see
here's
one
of
the
problems
we have
with
this
proverb
is
we
think
that
this
crooked
heart
thing
sometimes
it
applies
to
us
but
usually
applies
to
others
I
grew up
in a
home
my
parents
are immigrants
from Belfast
Northern Ireland
and they
are orange
in other
words
they
are
Protestants
and there
was a
saying
my parents
would say
this all
the time
if something
was really
ship shape
in a room
really neat
and tidy
or very
well done
they'd say
that's
very
Protestant
the implication
being is
that if
it's messy
or untidy
or not
well done
it's very
Catholic
and whether
they would
acknowledge it
or not
it might
very well
be that
they'd
say
Protestants
Catholics
have more
crooked
hearts
than
don't you
think this
is a
very
human
problem
don't
you
think
that
maybe
Muslims
are
thinking
that
non-Muslims
have more
crooked
hearts
isn't it
maybe that
people who
aren't Muslims
think Muslims
have more
crooked
hearts
isn't it
maybe how
some people
think that
let's say
black people
have more
crooked
hearts
than white
people
and isn't
it possible
that Chinese
people think
that about
white people
and on
we go
this proverb
can only be
understood
if we
understand
that
I have
a crooked
heart
like not
only is my
heart deep
but I
have a
crooked
heart
I have a
crooked
heart
and it's
twisted
and it
means that
things don't
always just
go
straight
I don't
know if
you've
ever been
with a
young
kid
like a
toddler
and they've
started to
learn to
throw
just a
couple of
Saturdays
ago I was
with this
really cute
little two
year old
girl and
she decided
she was
going to
start throwing
her stuffed
animal
and an
excited
two year
old girl
enthusiastically
throwing a
stuffed animal
who knows
what she's
planning to
hit but
most of
the time
if she's
trying to
hit you
that's the
safest place
to be
I mean if
it's just
stuffed animals
don't hurt
when they
hit you
right but
you know if
she was
starting to
gleefully
throw rocks
probably the
safest place
would be to
say try to
hit me
because most
of the time
it'll go all
sorts of other
places in
fact sometimes
when they
throw they
fall backwards
right they
lean to
throw and it
knocks them
backwards or
they let go
of it and it
goes behind
them how you
can throw
forward and go
backwards only
toddlers know
and understand
because they
can do it
regularly and
that's in a
sense what's
just saying
here about our
crooked hearts
is that my
heart is
crooked my
heart is
crooked and
and and so
here's the
thing remember I
was saying that
and it still is an
important application
is to think
through what is
it that my
heart is
desiring and
hoping and
longing in but
and and and
to try to fix
things we you
know we need to
fix things but
how can a
crooked heart
make a crooked
heart straight
like if I
have a crooked
heart and if
there's depths to
my heart that I
don't really
understand how
can my heart
make my heart
straight
could you put
up the next
one Andrew
Proverbs 29
you want to say
this with me
who can say I
have made my
heart pure I
am clean from
my sin this
is a very the
word pure here
in the Hebrew
has a sense
of it's a word
constantly used in
the book of
Leviticus and
it means that
it's saying that
who can say I
have made my
heart completely
morally
intellectually
existentially
life's in
complete and
utter way I
am completely
and utterly
like God
my heart
my life
everything about
me my
thoughts my
desires my
emotions my
behaviors my
dreams everything
I have made
everything in my
life completely
at one with
God
that's what it's
saying and
so and
Proverbs says
who can say
that in fact
if somebody in
coffee said that
to you would
you believe
them
here's the
thing for many
people in our
culture they
believe that
Christians are
making this claim
about themselves
and sometimes
we give that
approach off that
we are better than
other people
that we have
made our heart
pure and just
as you wouldn't
believe it if
somebody said it
to you up there
in the coffee
hour a lot
of non-Christians
rightly or
wrongly they
don't they
think we're
saying that
about ourselves
who are as
followers of
Jesus and
they don't
believe it
they don't
believe it
no way
yet you know
the funny thing
is is that
what is the
fundamental thing
that people in
Canada say
about themselves
I'm a good
person
how does that
work
what's going
on in our
hearts that
we sort of
on one hand
don't believe
it or of
others yet
on the other
hand we sort
of say it
about ourselves
that we should
be getting a
pass when we
do bad things
because I'm a
good person
like how is it
that's psychologically
working
like and how
is it that
that that like
that you know a lot
of people don't
like religion
because it's just
going to tell us
that we're bad
but we like
spirituality because
it tells us that
we're good yet
how does that
actually work
with like how
does that actually
work like how
can that possibly
work and and
why is it that
in Canada even
though we don't
believe another
person if they
say I don't have
a crooked heart
like you don't
you wouldn't
believe a person
like that there's
nothing in my
heart that's
crooked and that
my heart's
completely pure
yet you know on
one hand we
don't we don't
believe it on the
other hand if I
if I was just to
say to people in
the coffee shop
they'd say you're
just depressing
like why is it
that that goes
on in us
why is it that
that goes on
in us
can you put up
the next proverb
please 20
25 20 I think
it is
grab that right
yes do you want
to say this with
me
whoever sings
songs to a
heavy heart
is like one
who takes off
a garment on
a cold day
and like vinegar
on soda
here's the thing
that a lot of
a lot of
spirituality
is just
singing songs
and we know
that that
the problem of
our cure of
our crooked
heart the
problem that a
crooked heart
can't right
make a crooked
heart straight
the problem of
the human heart
having depths
and yet a lot
of times what
goes on as
spirituality and
work is just
and religion
we just know
it can't work
it's just merely
singing songs
can you put up
the next proverb
21 1
you want to say
this with me
please
the king's
heart is a
stream of
water in the
hand of the
lord he
turns it
wherever he
will
and here's
this idea
that god
is sovereign
that he
is so
sovereign
and the king
is used here
as an analogy
of the most
powerful human
and yet it's
saying that the
most powerful
human in the
face of almighty
god the
sovereign god
that that even
though he's the
most powerful
human that
this that the
that the lord
can turn the
different streams
of water the
things that are
they're nourishing
his heart he
can just turn
them wherever he
will but that's
in fact that if
either if there is
a god who does
exist who's
sovereign that god
can do that
but here's the
thing should god
use his heart
sovereignly
like that
within us
to fix our
crooked heart
on one hand
when we're in
deep trouble
we want god
to come down
and just
completely rewire
us and the
rest of the
time we don't
but here's the
thing you know
when we were
kids probably
we've all had
this experience
that you know
you come face
to face with
a bigger kid
a bigger girl
a bigger guy
and they're a
bit of a bully
and they get
into an argument
about who's
smarter who's
who has the
best hockey team
or whatever it
is you know
something stupid
and the next
thing you know
the other person
sitting on you
and they've got
you pinned
and they say
I'm not gonna
let you up
until you say
I'm right
and so you
struggle against
that other person
to try to get
them off
eventually you
realize you
can't get
them up
they're just
too big
so you say
you're right
but inwardly
you say
no you're not
you're never
right
and maybe
for some of you
if you're fast
when you finally
let you up
and you get away
20 feet
you say
I said that
but I didn't
believe it
then you run
away
you're wrong
I'm right
and you run
away
so how would
it be
if God
who is sovereign
was just
to try
to fix
all of our
hearts
if he was
gonna say
you know
I'm gonna
you just
you
I'm gonna
you just have
to say
that I'm the
best
you have to
say that
I'm your
treasure
and I'm
not gonna
let you up
because I'm
sovereign
I'm
powerful
I'm not
gonna let
you up
until you
say that
and we
wouldn't
like it
just like
we wouldn't
like a bully
we wouldn't
think that
that's what
salvation's
gonna be
like or
that that's
the way
to go
forward
has to be
God's power
has to be
used in
some other
way
but what
would happen
if we
could
if I
was to
say
if God
was to
announce
somehow
he put
a big
ad
in the
paper
and he
said
everybody
on
the
31st
of July
on the
31st
of July
I
am
going
to
rewire
the
entire
human
race
and I'm
going to
rewire
the entire
human
race
so that
there's
no more
hatred
and everybody
loves me
would that
make our
culture
happy
would that
make you
happy
would you
be fearful
about the
July 31st
if you
really thought
it was
going to
happen
if he
said
just to
model this
I'm going
to do it
for this
human being
and zap
God
just
sovereignly
rewires
who they
are in
their
heart
and we
wouldn't
want that
and we
wouldn't
think that
that was
the
solution
and so
if God
is going
to help
us to
solve
the problem
of the
crooked
heart
it's going
to have
to be
through
some
other
means
could you
put up
the next
verse
Andrew
Proverbs
21
2
would you
say it
with me
please
every way
of a man
is right
in his
own eyes
but the
Lord weighs
the heart
what this
text is
telling us
is that
God sees
and knows
my heart
God sees
and knows
my heart
I think
everything I
do is right
in my own
ways
eventually
I'll grudgingly
acknowledge
that I'm
wrong
but only
the Lord
weighs
means he
judges
it implies
that he
has a
proper
accurate
way of
judging
that he
actually
knows
the
depth
and the
breadth
and the
weight
and the
volume
of the
human
heart
and that
he
weighs
it
that he
can
actually
go in
and see
it
and it
means
that he
understands
things
at the
level
of our
motives
in fact
this text
is a
profound
critique
of
spirituality
and religion
because
the fact
of the
matter
is
that we
can do
external
types
of things
to try
to make
ourselves
right
with God
but we
can tithe
but maybe
we're just
tithing
not out of
the fact
that God
is our
greatest
treasure
and we're
grateful for
what Jesus
has done
for us
on the
cross
but to put
God
in our
debt
and maybe
our different
ways of
serving the
poor
or serving
somebody in
church
or something
like that
is really
just a way
of putting
ourselves
front and
forward
to make
ourselves
look good
to other
people
to impress
other people
or to make
brownie points
I remember
when I was
at a
Kiwanis
head
table
because I
was the
guest speaker
and there
was somebody
there from
the University
of Ottawa
who was part
of the
Kiwanis
club
or whatever
they called
it that
club
and I
said oh
wow
so you
like to do
all these
things to help
the poor
and she
said no
I'm just
doing this
so I can
get into
med school
because to
get into
med school
they're going
to look
that you're
doing these
types of
things
and in fact
she said
at that
particular
time that
just about
every single
person in
that club
was all
doing it
so they
could get
into
med school
and then
moments later
she got up
and she got
praised for
her selfless
labor
but that
happens in
the church
that happens
in the church
doesn't just
happen in
Kiwanis
could you put
up the next
one
Proverbs 21
3
it's not on
your sheet
here
you want to
say it with
me
to do
righteousness
and justice
is more
acceptable
to the
Lord
than
sacrifice
say it
again
to do
righteousness
and justice
is more
acceptable
than
sacrifice
sorry
to the
Lord
you got
it right
I got
it wrong
so here's
the thing
and
these
little
Proverbs
and these
different
in a sense
riddles
that the
Proverbs
set to
us
help us
to understand
how God
is to use
his sovereign
power
you see
in the
incarnation
the
Bible
says
that God
just
doesn't
sing
songs
to us
with our
troubled
hearts
but that
in the
incarnation
God
himself
in the
person
of his
son
comes
and lives
amongst
us
and when
in the
book of
Hebrews
it says
that there's
no temptation
that's
undertaken
man
that didn't
also happen
to Jesus
it's saying
that Jesus
actually
enters into
our experience
and experiences
our experience
to its
depths
he doesn't
just sing
songs
he enters
in
and the
Bible tells
us that
on the
cross
what we
see in
the cross
is that
on one
hand it's
a sacrifice
but it's
more than
a sacrifice
because it's
also the
righteousness
and justice
of God
being displayed
it's the
righteousness
and justice
of God
being displayed
because
Jesus has
lived a
perfect life
he's
the one
man
whose heart
has not
been crooked
but is
straight
and
he sees
my crooked
heart
and that
I cannot
straighten
my heart
and in
a sense
he says
I'll let
my heart
be yours
I'll give
my heart
myself
for you
and it's
not then
that it's
just that
it's as
if when
Jesus dies
upon the
cross
and he
rises
again
from the
dead
it comes
from the
heart of
God
and the
heart of
God
the heart
of Jesus
to redeem
us
and to
love us
and it's
a true
loving of
us
and a
knowing of
us
because of
the
incarnation
he knows
the depths
of human
experience
he
you and I
we have
this temptation
to do
something
and then
maybe we
eventually
give into
it
but
every
temptation
that a
human
being
can
possibly
have
Jesus
experiences
and he
never
gives
and he
knows
it right
until the
temptation
loses all
of its
force
and all
of its
power
and this
righteous
life can
stand for
you and
me
and the
things that
I do that
deserve God's
justice and that
would unmake me
Jesus comes and
says I will
stand in your
place I will
take that
punishment
you know the
anger over what
you've done that's
wrong I will
take that for
you I will
take your
doom I will
offer you my
destiny I
will take what
your crooked
heart deserves
and I will
offer you my
heart and I'll
offer to live in
your heart I'll
offer to give you
a new heart and
in this we see
both a sacrifice
but more than a
sacrifice we see
the righteousness
and the justice
of God
and
so what are we
to do Andrew
could you put up
the next proverb
please
2326 do you
want to say it
with me my
son give me
your heart and
let your eyes
observe my ways
let's say it
again my son
give me your
heart and let
your eyes observe
my ways here's
how grace works
the fact of
the matter is
I remember I
said our hearts
always giving
ourselves to
something this
text is addressed
it's a it's a
fundamental text
about the heart
God says to
each of us
son and
daughter give
me your
heart and
here's how
grace works
remember I
said that
two-year-old
who knows
where it's
going to go
if we try to
give our
heart to God
I have a
crooked heart
how can a
crooked heart
successfully give
itself to God
in some ways our
hearts are like a
balloon you take a
balloon you blow
it up and then
you don't tie it
and you let the
air out and who
knows where that
balloon is going
to go and
it's almost as if
we say you
know we blow up
the balloon that's
our heart and
say God I want
you to have this
and you let go of
it and who knows
where it goes you
see what matters is
not my crooked
heart's ability to
throw but God's
ability to catch
that's what grace
is not my ability
to give but God's
ability to receive
my ability to
give is crooked
God's ability to
receive is perfect
that's the gospel
the final proverb
please Andrew
let's say it
together let not
your heart envy
sinners but continue
in the fear of the
Lord all the day
in the original
language the
the the in
envy and
continue are the
same word and
and what it's
saying is
stop in a sense
giving your heart
and being this
constant giving of
your heart to
sinners but give
your heart to the
God who's worthy
of our praise who's
sovereign
who's awesome
who's completely
and utterly
different who's
not crooked but
offers to give us
a new heart and
write his laws on
our heart and
take that which we
cannot fix for it
he's he's willing
he we we have all
sorts of loves that
are out of order
but we can never
when we have God as
as the primary thing
that we want to
give it's never out
of order so here's
the thing the gospel
is all about God's
ability to catch and
the Christian life is
begins by us giving
our heart to God and
he catches it and
receives it but we
grow in our Christian
life by continuing to
give our hearts to the
one who out of a heart
of love for us was
willing to die on the
cross for us that in
a sense this act of
giving of our heart to
God is what grounds our
life and it's also what
starts to shape our
lives that it that the
gospel does just leave us
alone but starts to shape
our lives that our lives
are to be characterized by
us as we live our daily
lives as we're making our
plans as we're feeling our
feelings as we're thinking
our thoughts and and the
gospel invites us that now
that now that we have in
a sense been caught by
God and Jesus can live in
our heart and and and
it's our worth to him is
is not because of our
ability to throw but his
ability to catch that we
can have this grounded
security to understand how
we go through our lives and
how we are giving how our
loves and our are just out
of order and so we have the
freedom to go in and say to
Jesus Jesus take my heart
order my loves help me
father to understand this
drive to this particular sin
or help me to understand this
this heart sickness that I
have that that that what is
that treasure that's going on
and Jesus I know you're
supposed to be the greatest
treasure I know you won't
remove all other desires from
me that you'll put them
straight you'll put them in
order Jesus please order
my heart my heart is yours
please order my heart order
my desires please Jesus and
the Christian walk is a
matter of walking with
Jesus day by day calling out
to him to help him asking him
to help us order our hearts
until that final day comes
when we see him face to face
and the promise of the new
heart that we already start to
experience we experience it in
its fullness and its
perfection in the new heaven
in the new earth please stand
let's pray
father we confess before you that
father you know some of us we're
struggling some of us are
struggling maybe with a very
persistent type of evil or
persistent sadness
father we ask that your holy
spirit would break into our lives
and help us to understand what
what our heart is trusting and
hoping in
and father we ask that you
would bring proper your order
your healing order and your
healing authority
to what our hearts are hoping and
trusting in
and father maybe there are some
here who've never trusted their
heart to you
never given their heart to you
and father we ask that for
everyone who's here who's not
given their heart to Jesus that
they would do that now that you
would help them father that that
father that they would just call
out to you and say father take my
heart it is your own
Jesus take my heart as my savior
and my lord
and father we ask that your holy
spirit would move in our hearts
help us to understand what we're
hoping and trusting in and may you
be our greatest treasure in this we
ask in the name of Jesus your son
and our savior amen