A message shared by Pastor Nick Resce at Empower Christian Church, Sunday 7 March, 2010'Preconceived Ideas'
Our past can so often hold us, with both good and bad emotion. In fact, it fuels our prejudging and preconceived ideas.
In Isaiah 43:18, we read about God's desire for new things. In fact, He is a master at offending the mind to reveal the state and condition of our hearts.
Marriage, for example, can be when our preconceived ideas are challenged. It's the time when we break from a mother's ways and learn to live together - beyond the habits of childhood and immaturity.
Past knowledge has to remain there, in the past. We must move on. We can miss so much when we hold on and operate from preconceived ideas. We can miss out on supernatural miracles, and on embracing change for the future. We can also miss great opportunities to engage in new relationships.
In 2 Kings 5, from verse 1, we read about Naaman. He was valiant and powerful, BUT he had leprosy. That's just like us - we all have SOMETHING that requires faith to move on from. He chose faith, boldly believing God would do an amazing thing. Even then, he was locked down at first by a preconceived idea of how the healing would occur. See how God offends the mind to reveal the condition of the heart.
Where are you today, in your heart?
God is more concerned with the condition of the heart. That question God poses is an example of what Naaman's servants did - challenging him, confronting and counselling. They were true servants, not subservient. They understood their value and position. That's what we see in Luke 15, where servants are valued.
Great leaders, for instance, produce great servants rather than a spirit of subserviency. We, too, should respond.
It's tempting to be angry and offended when we are confronted. God is also tryng to get to our hearts.
Eventually, Naaman returned from his rage and began washing.
The first time, he was washing away pride, then fear. As he washed his flesh, his heart was being washed. After fear came the washing of shame away from his life. That was a sign that you were not blessed. He was then truly uncovered and exposed.
After the washing of shame, came control. To serve God, you have to let go of everything. People who are in control are not whole.
The fifth wash might have been resentment. He had probably asked 'why'?
The sixth layer to come off might have been hardness and anger.
Finally, the hardness around his heart came off. In Ezekiel 36:26, God promises to give a soft, strong, vulnerable, faithful, trusting, hopeful heart. To move forward into the new decade, let's strip off the last one.
God wants our hearts.
How's your heart? You cannot go into the next decade carrying baggage. But God will help you deal with the layers, washing them off sequentially, with love and care.
Im at ECC for a couple of month and its been weeks since the pastors are preaching about the heart, the past, the tongue. Im someone who has been hurt by christian like me for more than 8 years and havent yet release those who have hurt me! I thank God for having put these pastors to preach these messages which have helped me to get rid of these burdens! I can say im free today of theses past things, memories, hard times and there has been a process of change in my heart! Praise and glory to God!
ReplyDelete