SOFTENING A STUBBORN HEART
Pastor Bill Young
bill@trc.ife
As has just been said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” (Hebrews 3:15)
Five keys to softening a stubborn heart (and help avoid disaster)…
I. Take opportunities to do
a) Mark 3:1 Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand
was there.
A. Jesus went around
Acts 10:38 … God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
Galatians 5:6 The only thing that counts if faith expressing itself through love.
Application #1 - Do not grow weary in doing
. (Galatians 6:9)
II. Refuse to tolerate a
A. The Pharisees had
Mark 3:2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath.
Application #2 - A true relationship with Jesus will help you be constructive,
critical.
III. Obey the “
A. Jesus made a clear
Mark 3:3 Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” 4Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.
- Spirit of the law verses letter of the law.
Def: What is
2 Cor. 3:6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
B. Don’t
Mark 3:5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.
Mark 3:6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
Matt 12:9-14 – parallel
Application #3 - Though our lives are shriveled with sin, if we reach out to Jesus we can be completely
!
IV. Seek Jesus with your whole
Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
A. Jesus was a
Mark 3:7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. 8 When they heard all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon.
B. You must know your
Mark 3:9 Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. 10For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him.
Application #4 - Seeking Jesus is not a passive pursuit but a desperate
.
V.
Mark 3:11 Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 12 But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was.
A. Believe it or
James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
1 John 4:4b (NASB) …greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
Application #5 - If you really know Jesus, you will
others about him.