Listening to the Right Voices

Listening to the Right Voices

Introduction: Scene from Lord of the Rings

Lord of the Rings is about an epic battle between good and evil. In the following scene, an agent of the evil Saroman named Snick has the ear of King Theodon of Rohan. In this scene King Theodon comes to realize that he has been bewitched by Snick. The power of light into his mind frees him from the darkness that had captured his mind.

Scene from Lord of the Rings the Twin Towers 58:00-103:58

It is so easy to be lulled to sleep like King Theodon

We have a flood of voices, like Snick, trying to capture our minds and hearts.
Advertisers mine for spare moments when they can get our attention. Music artists throw their beguiling philosophy to people in every conceivable form. Humor in movies pulls us toward watching things we would not ordinarily watch. Of course, not all these voices are bad for us, but many of these voices can lull us to sleep--put us in a sort of mental and emotional stupor like that of King Theodon.

When King Theodon was shaken out of his mental lethargy his whole soul comes to life. You can even see light come into his face. He now has power to stand against the lies of Snick and the witchcraft of Saroman.

As we saw the light wake up the king, we can be woken up by a different kind of voice. God’s quiet voice does not invade our senses, but is simply there sharing His love and kindness to our starved hearts. Sometimes he shouts, but usually he is just there, faithfully loving day in and day out. When we hear that voice, when our vitality is renewed by His truth, our deadened heart comes to vibrant life, like the color that came back into the kings countenance.

All of this input into our lives comes into the heart. The heart is the whole of who I am--the person who is housed in my body. The soul and the heart are very similar.

The Heart

I love thinking about the heart. The heart is wider than the mind. It is the combined force of your mind and your emotion. Your heart is the core of who you are as a person.

Today I want to look together at the heart and how important it is to protect the heart.

The heart is first of all an abundant storehouse of all our loves.

A. Abundant Storehouse

Our physical heart is an amazing pump. It pumps 5 quarts of blood a minute, 2,000 gallons a day, and 51 million gallons in 70 years.

Our biblical heart is abundant in the amount of data it processes. Think of everything you have ever seen, or heard, all the TV shows and movies you have ever watched, the books you have read, classes you have taken, the friendships you have had, the betrayals you have experienced, the people you have loved, all the times you have prayed to God and read His Word. They are all stored in the heart. Scripture describes the heart as "the well spring of life".


Matt 12:3335
33 "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.
34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.
35 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.
(NIV)

The example Jesus gave of this if I hate a person it is like murder in the impact on my heart, of if I lust it has the impact of adultery.

Once I had an illustration I did with a youth group. I had them choose candy based on what they had been putting into their heart in the past 24 hours. The green candy represented good things put into their heart. Green is for “go”. The red pieces represented bad things put in your heart. Red for Stop! Each put 5 pieces in the same percentage of their good or bad thoughts. The bowl which represented their hearts looked something like this. (showed a bowl with two colors of candy, and had some people pull some candy from the bowl representing us taking an action based on what we put in our heart.)


You can think about your conversations, what you have read or watched on tv, things you have been thinking about. Red not have to necessarily be bad, but can just be unhealthy or unhelpful thinking. What kind of candy would you have put into the bowl?

When we choose an action in our lives we reach into our heart and draw out what is there.

Now, I will have someone pull out an action based on this collection of thoughts. Do you see how the more green candy put into the heart will encourage a green decision or action. This causes the verse we have up on the screen come to life.

Hopefully this will encourage you to think of storing good productive things in your heart as you would invest money in a bank. The investment is put in so that you have something for a rainy day.

You have control of what is stored in your heart. What you decide to store in your heart today will say a lot about what you will be, and how you will act, in 5 years.

Not only is the heart an abundant storehouse, but it is a secret place.

B. It is a secret place

No one else can see into your heart. There are things you know about yourself that no one else knows. Peter describes character as the hidden person of the heart:
This is specifically written to women, but the principle of the hidden person of the heart showing outwardly is true for all of us.

1 Pet 3:34
3 And let not your adornment be merely external braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses;
4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. (NAS)

Though the heart is a secret place, it is not hidden from God. He alone knows the heart of a person.

Ps 139:16-18
16 Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Thy book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.
17 How precious also are Thy thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with Thee. (NAS)

What is good about God knowing your heart?

God sees and loves the real me. He is not limited by human constraints so he can take infinite interest in each of us, and see us continually.

There is nothing that will surprise him. He knows me through and through. The amazing thing about God is that he loves me in spite of what is in my heart. He desires the best for me, and will do all he can to make my heart a good and healthy place.

What scares you about God knowing your heart?

Almost the same answer as above. He knows me completely. There is no hiding from his watchful eye. He sees the things I struggle with. He knows where I am weak. He sees my mental choices and the things I let into my heart. The amazing thing is that he still loves me.

Last week I talked about integrity being a day by day by day decision to do what is right. In that secret place the choices I make all the time are either setting me up for spiritual victory, or spiritual failure. I encourage you to make a good investment for your future success and joy.

The heart is not only a secret place, but it is a place of spiritual battle.

C. A Place of Spiritual Battle

The story in Acts 5:1-5 tells of Ananias and Sapphira.
The setting--

It says that Satan filled their heart to lie to God

Acts 5:15
1 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property.
2 With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet.
3 Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?
4 Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God."
5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. (NIV)

Their heart was a battlefield. Imagine the thoughts that went into their mind.

What do you think God was telling them?

God is always on the side of truth. God would want them to humbly give some money and not make a big deal of it.

What was Satan telling them?

He told them they could have an awesome reputation with the church. Wouldn’t everyone think they are wonderful for giving the money they got for their land?


Did you know that every thought
that comes into your mind is
not necessarily your thought?

A thought in your mind can just be a temptation. Temptation is not sin. Yielding to temptation is sin. Ananias and Sapphira listened to Satan’s input into their heart rather than God’s. If they had been keeping their thought life thinking of God and His ways, the choices they would have made would have been much better.

II. Potential Input to the Heart

A. World

The world in the Bible is the world system of evil that pressures us to do bad stuff. The best illustration I can think of for this is peer pressure at school. Friends want you to think and talk a certain way, and when you do not follow their “rules” they can make life very difficult for you. Adults experience the same stuff, but usually in a more subtle form.


Rom 12:1-2
1 I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
(NAS)

The defense to the world is not to conform


B. Flesh

2 Tim 2:22
22 Now flee from youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
(NAS)

The defense to the flesh is to run. Get out of there. Turn of the computer, get out of the car or the bar. etc.

C. Devil

James 4:7
7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
(NAS)

Tell Satan you will not listen to his temptations lies.

The battle in the heart results in two kinds of hearts.

Let's look at the characteristics of evil and good hearts.

III. Types of Hearts:

A. The diseased heart.

There are people who have diseased, or evil hearts. Disease is hidden until it is too late.

The fascinating thing about the diseased heart is that no one can tell it is diseased.

Autopsies done on soldiers in World War II showed that many young men had fat deposits on the heart, but seemed in perfect health. Heart disease sneaks up on a person. Suddenly, without warning, at 50 the arteries become totally blocked, and there is a heart attack.

A spiritually diseased heart can also be hidden until it is too late.

What does the evil heart do?

It talks itself into sin. (Matthew 24:48-51)

Matt 24:48-51 The Master is gone and the servant is left in charge of the home.

48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,'
49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.
50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.
51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
(NIV)

Do you have these little talks with your heart?

Where are the fault lines for you? How can you shore up the fault lines so they do not take over your actions?

God's response to an evil heart--

Gen 6:6
6 And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. (NAS)

When we sin, we grieve God’s heart. Sin makes God sad at so many levels. Sin hurts us, and He does not want to see us hurt. Sin offends God’s sense of what is right and wrong. He hates to see the impact of our sin on others in our life.

B. The Good Heart

God yearns for us to have a heart that is faithful--the reason: he wants to bless us.

A good heart is pure

Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

A good heart thinks about positive things

Phil. 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice.

A good heart is gentle and humble:

Matt 11:29
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (NIV)

Gentle means tractable, docile; not harsh, stern, or violent; mild, soft and delicate.

We can actually learn from God’s heart. King David in the Bible was said to be a man after God’s own heart.


IV. Guard Your Heart

The wild media availability creates a problem for us all. How do we protect our hearts in a digital world that is gone crazy toward bad stuff?

Solomon in Proverbs makes a powerful statement.
Proverbs 4:23
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

Since, as we have seen, all of our decisions in life flow out of the abundance of our heart, we are to guard that heart. Guarding the heart has to be one of the greatest priorities in our life. So much in life is based on our input into the heart. Make your heart rich with a world of good stuff.

Bottom Line: We need to put good things in our heart, so that when we reach for an action, good actions will result.

What Ever Happened to Integrity

What Ever Happened to Integrity

This is a talk I gave Last Sunday at New Day Fellowship in Cuyahoga Falls, OH


Many people’s motto is “Image is Everything” We are often more worried about our image, than the substance of who we are.

Notice in this scene from Evan Almighty how concerned Evan Baxter is about his image as a Congressman.

Scene: 8:26--11:46

Concern over image is not bad. I have a friend who lets the hair grow in his ears to the point of being bushy. I wish he was more interested in his image.

Substance is of significantly greater value than image: Not what we look like, but who we are; Not our appearance, but our character.

To help us understand Integrity, let’s look at what integrity is not.

I. What integrity is not

A. Integrity is not putting on a show.

One pastor, years ago, was preaching when a woman walked in the church and shot him dead in the pulpit. It turns out he had been having an affair with this woman. The hidden aspect of his life came to light in this horrible way.

He had been putting on a show. His thought life and private actions did not agree with this public image. This is called hypocrisy.

B. Integrity is not a one time shot.

You don’t become a person of integrity overnight.

We are an instant culture. We love our fast food. We do not like sitting in the Doctor’s office for an hour. We want another lane to open at Wal-Mart if there are more than two people in front of us.

Character is developed over time. Character happens through a series of choices which a person makes. Paul shows in this passage from Romans that integrity has to do with persistence.

Romans 2
6God "will give to each person according to what he has done."[a] 7To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.

There is a day in and day out quality to integrity.

A person of integrity realizes that a reputation is a fragile thing.

“A single lie destroys a whole reputation for integrity”
Baltasar Gracian (Spanish Philosopher and Writer from 1600’s)

Walter Concrite died last week at age 92. Someone described him as the most trusted man in America. This reputation came from years of good non-partisan reporting. He was known for reporting the facts. As a result he was invited into the living rooms of a whole generation of Americans.

C. Integrity is not something I have to drum up in my own strength.

All that I do comes through God’s strength.

In John 15, Jesus is speaking to us:

4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

The burden is taken off of me when I realize I have God’s strength that can help me be a good person.

D. Integrity is not just being true to yourself.

Integrity has come to mean being true to yourself. The problem with that is that people are sinful. What self am I going to be true to?. The self that desires to cheat on tests and get high?

No, integrity has to do with being committed to principles of truth. Those principles have been laid out by God in the Bible.

Things like speaking truth, acting in kindness to your neighbor, loving God with all my heart are the correct things for us all to strive for.

Character is developed when the heart is touched by truth.
Bill Thrall (Leadership Catalyst)

E. Not living with a mask

Integrity is where I willingly admit my weakness, acknowledge I am on my way like every other person in the world. It is being on the outside what I am on the inside.

What is integrity.

Enhancing our image is relatively easy, but keeping a good character is relatively hard. It is not a quick fix. It is a choice year after year after year.

The other day I went out in my backyard and saw that a picket on the fence had the top broken off. A little boy named Raymond always plays there and so I knew he probably broke it. I was out one night, and I said to him. Hey the picket has been broken off here, if you happen to see the picket while you are playing could you bring it to me so I can glue it on?

He said, “It was me, I broke the picket.” I really praised him for telling the truth. Yesterday I saw him, and said, “There’s that honest guy.” Raymond is beginning his journey toward integrity.

A. Definition of Integrity

Integrity may be seen as the quality of having a sense of honesty and truthfulness in regard to the motivations for one's actions. The term "hypocrisy" is used in contrast to integrity... Wikipedia

Another thought is that “Integrity is doing what is right, even when others are not watching”.

B. Couple of Quotes on Integrity

“The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.”
Dwight David Eisenhower

And that’s from a politician.

“Live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity, they think of you.”
Jackson Brown, Jr. author of Life's Little Instruction Book)

III. Character Ladder

When I was thinking about integrity I thought of an illustration that I heard at a conference put on by Leadership Catalyst. Many of the concepts in this section come from Leadership Catalyst. There were two ladders of growth, one without character, and one with character.

The first ladder was called the Capacity Ladder. Many of you have seen this at work, when a person is put in leadership before he or she is personally ready for leadership.

One of our girls had a young boss at work that told her she was going to be let go because of the economy. She was weeping for a half hour. He finally told her he was kidding. Later he discussed this with her and it was a big wake-up call for him. His position was clearly ahead of his character development.

The leader growing up the Capacity Ladder is often isolated from others. His job responsibility gets ahead of his character. A leader who has not seriously worked on his character may have a horrible fall when he is at the apex of leadership.


Rung 1: The person has natural leadership abilities.

Bernie Madoff was a hard worker, working while going to law school

Rung 2. The person develops those gifts through training, education.

He developed a program that is used today as the foundation to the NASDAQ.

Rung 3: He or she gets validated by being given title and a position.

He was on all sorts of boards, and was a consultant to regulators on the investment industry in Washington DC

Rung 4: Exhalation People presume maturity in the leader and therefore give misplaced trust.

Bernie was at the top. People trusted him with their whole life savings. Charities gave him extra money to invest for them.

But because his character was not strong and developed he used the vulnerability of these people to hurt them, and used them. When the financial boom stopped in 2008 his house of cards came crashing down and left devastation in its wake.

90 year old people having to go back to work because their life savings were destroyed. Charities had to close because they were bankrupt.

Is there a better way? How can I grow so that my capacity does not outgrow my maturity and character? Let’s look together at the Character ladder.

Before looking at the rungs of the ladder it is important to see one of the great differences between the two ladders.

The person climbing the Character Ladder has to let other people in. If I remain proud and aloof from people I will not see my weaknesses as easily, and will not get them repaired. The first two rungs require vulnerability to other people and to God.

Rung 1: Humility

Pride can keep us from listening to God and to others. It gives us a sense that we are above others and can therefore use them for our purposes.

I need to lay aside independent use of my abilities and time.

I use my gifts under the authority of God and learn from trusted friends how to be the best person I can be.

Psalm 149:4
For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.
NIV

1 Peter 5:5
Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."


Humility frees God to be able to show his strength through a person.


Rung 2: Submission

If I am a humble person I will be willing to be under another person’s authority.

Jesus is our best example of humility and submission to the Father’s will.
Phil 2: 8-11
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus completely submitted himself to God the Father.

Rung 3: Obedience

A humble person, willing to do things God’s way, leads perfectly to obeying God.

Romans 6:17 “But thanks be to God that though you were slaves to sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed.”


You can see how this ladder is so different from the Capacity Ladder. Character keeps up with growth in skills on the job.

Rung 4: Suffering
Problem, we do not want to suffer but suffering brings maturity

Joseph--As a young person he was sold into slavery and was falsely accused and thrown into prison. These experiences helped him to be ready to be a leader.

I Peter 4:19 Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God so trust their souls to the faithful creator in doing what is right.


John 15
1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful.

There have been horrible things that have happened to me, but God has used them to bring maturity in my life.

Rung 5: Maturity, Character

As a mature person I do what is right, though I feel like it or not.
I will have the inner strength to be others-centered rather than self-centered.

Col 3:12-17

12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Rung 6: Exaltation

The top of the ladder is the same as the capacity ladder. Now, however, I become a leader with a solid foundation of character development.

Here is what is different about this ladder. My influence is used by God to bless others rather than use them.

If God exalts us too quickly pride takes over and we fall. God is correct to make the process slow.

I have several last comments about the Character Ladder. Leadership Catalyst points out that:

Influence is based on the pursuit of humility, not power and position.
You now influence because of who you are, not what you can do.
Do not pursue suffering. Suffering is the result of being Godly.
Do not pursue exaltation. Pursue humility. Pursue obedience of heart.

Daily Thinking and Actions that Lead to Integrity

Here are a few thoughts about choices you can make that lead to integrity.

Speak the truth. When we have a habit of telling the truth people can trust us.

Don’t take advantage of vulnerable people. Build up, encourage, serve and strengthen the vulnerable.

Love doing what is right. Let it get into your DNA.

Take time to develop your relationship with God. Reading a Proverb daily is a good beginning.

Character is not something that happens from going with the flow, doing what comes naturally.

My character is developed by making a choice of my will to obey God’s principles.

Haymaker

God will fill in our character:

A famous pianist Pat Oriski was playing. A child slipping away from parents got on the stage and started to play chopsticks. Orisiki told him to keep playing. Oriski played all around the chopsticks and filled in where the child messed up. That is what Christ does for us. The master of integrity is with us. He will is here too, to make some grand music through us.


When I am true to God and his principles it is really cool. I really find myself. God uses my personality, background, experiences, education and relationships of my life to create something that is truly me. A fully integrated personality centered around the truth of who God is who I am, made in his likeness.

My life takes on value, because I am part of a big plan that God has to bring people back to himself and restore the relationship broken by our sin.