Seeing Clearly: Follow Your Heart

September 11th, 2022/Casey Middle School

Story: 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting

Removing distractions. Putting your attention on God.

Passage: Proverbs 4:20-27 CSB

My son, pay attention to my words; listen closely to my sayings. 21 Don’t lose sight of them; keep them within your heart. 22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to one’s whole body. 23 Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life. 24 Don’t let your mouth speak dishonestly, and don’t let your lips talk deviously. 25 Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead. 26 Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established. 27 Don’t turn to the right or to the left; keep your feet away from evil.

Pray:

The Lie: Follow Your Heart.

Also could be said “you do you.” If we’re talking about whether or not to wear a Tommy Bahama floral shirt on a date night then sure! Or if we’re talking Packers or the Panthers. Sure! S/O opening Sunday Football… Go Broncos… Let’s ride! You do you… but when we’re talking about the pattern of your life… no way! When we are talking about values… not wise.

Big Idea:

What you see determines what you think, what you think determines how you feel, and what’s in your heart ultimately will dictate how you live and all that you say and do.

So instead of follow your heart, we’re going to follow Jesus, His Word, and Wisdom. If we prioritize these first follows, then we can see clearly the lies of the enemy and follow our heart as we follow God’s plan for our lives!

Wouldn’t you love to say as it says in Psalm 27:8 NLT

My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”

And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”

Main Points: How to not “lose sight”:

1. Follow Jesus

   1. If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. - Romans 10:9-10 NLT

   2. Explanation: Apart from God our heart is corrupt, ultimately deceitful, and leading us astray.

      1. “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” - ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭17:9‬ ‭NLT‬‬
      2. Jesus came not to just give us a clean heart, but a new heart. A new life.
      3. A corrupt heart cannot save or restore itself, it takes the supernatural grace of God.
      4. 2 Corinthians 5:17

      5. Your first follow… is to say “yes” to the grace of God. Your next follow is baptism.

         3. Illust: Follow Jesus, not feelings

      6. We have a police force where their job is to prevent people from doing what they want at all times.

         4. Application: Have you surrendered your whole heart to Christ?

      7. Do you follow him like you follow friends on the gram? Or do you follow him as if your life depends on it?

      8. Illust: Caves in West Virginia.

         5. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. - Psalm 37:4 CSB

      9. Trust God and get what you want? Or trust God and get better “wants”? I believe it’s both!

      10. I wanted a good sex life, and He gave me marriage!
      11. I wanted to make a difference, He gave me a mission in the Kingdom of God!
      12. I wanted adventure, He gave me 5 kids and a dog!
      13. He knows our wants and desires better than we do, but there is an order to the process… Take Delight In The Lord!

      14. He made you with desires and He alone knows best how to fulfill those in your life!

          6. Illust: Heart Eyes

      15. Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead.

      16. Are you seeing clearly or cloudy?

          1. Cloudy - I know I couldn’t afford it, but it was such a good deal! 3. Are you seeing clearly or clumsily?

          2. Clumsily - I never saw it coming! 4. Are you seeing clearly or carelessly?

          3. Carelessly - I never thought it would go that far! 5. How can you see clearly the path God has for you? You fix your gaze on Him! You look to Him! You seek Him first and forever! 6. Heart eyes - iphone 7. Heart eyes - reading the Bible 8. Heart eyes. - book

2. Follow The Word

   1. How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. 10 I have tried hard to find you— don’t let me wander from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. - Psalm 119:9-11 NLT

   2. Explanation: I have placed the word of God in the storehouse of my life.

      1. What has been filling up your reservoir.

      2. What you fill your life with, what you hide in the secret place of your heart, will ultimately be how you live your life.

         3. Illust: My Moms Bible

      3. Song: “Oh be careful little eyes what you see…”

         4. Application: Do you want help with sin? Go to God and get in His Word!

      4. Do you want to fight off the lies of the enemy? Know and apply the Word of God!

      5. You need help with temptation… TURN OFF THE TV… get in the Word.
      6. You want peace and comfort in chaos… cry out to God!
      7. Call back to earlier passage: Psalm 37
      8. 3 Trust in the Lord and do what is good; dwell in the land and live securely. 4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. 5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act,

      9. Question: You want God to give you the desires of your heart? Trust Him! Depend on Him! Commit your ways to Him and watch Him work!

         5. Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. - Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT

      10. Faith over Feelings! Faith over Feelings! Faith over Feelings!

      11. If your feelings don’t line up with faith, then you cannot trust them.
      12. If your feelings don’t line up with God’s Word, then your feelings aren’t going to bring you to holiness and satisfaction.
      13. You cannot trust your feelings! Feelings are fickle, faith is freedom!
      14. Application: if you trust in your feelings then you are intentionally choosing instability. But God has called you to so much more. A firm foundation.
          6. An unguarded heart will lead to an unfiltered life
      15. “Guard your heart above all else”
      16. I want to have wisdom with my words. Wisdom in decision making. I want to honor God with my life!
          7. A guarded heart will lead to a faithful life

      17. Examplea:

          1. David and Bathsheba vs. Joseph and Potiphar's wife
          2. Jonah vs. Noah
          3. Sarah vs. Mary

3. Follow Wisdom

   1. I am teaching you the way of wisdom; I am guiding you on straight paths. 12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered; when you run, you will not stumble. 13 Hold on to instruction; don’t let go. Guard it, for it is your life. - Proverbs 4:11-13 CSB

   2. Explanation: wisdom chooses the path less traveled.

      1. Wisdom seeks wise counsel.
      2. Wisdom seeks the word of God.
      3. Wisdom seeks the Lord in prayer.
      4. Wisdom is slow.
      5. Wisdom is steady.

      6. And wisdom will help you see clearly.

         3. Illust: heart glasses (community)

      7. A fool’s way is right in his own eyes, but whoever listens to counsel is wise. - Proverbs 12:15 CSB

         4. Illust: Inside Out

Closing:

Walking Points:

1. Guard your heart
2. Inform your heart
3. Surrender your heart

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. - 1 John 1:9 NLT

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. - Psalm 51:10 NLT

My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” - Psalm 27:8 NLT