Receptive Hearts Protected Minds

We all know what its like to want more for someone than they want themselves.

We all have that son or daughter, friend, relative or even a co-worker that has all the potential in the world but they just cant seem to put all the pieces together.

We want so bad for them to succeed that we do all kinds of things to help them…we take time to talk them through issues, we suggests books, we offer to pay for counseling and training…all so they can achieve their full potential.

Only to be disappointed when they continue down the path they are on. Instead of seeing our concern for their potential and taking our help they are often resistant to us.

They believe that we are trying to change, them or that we don’t believing in them. They think we are just negative nellies...They may even attribute less than honorable motives to us as well. They think we are against them or......they simply don’t believe they are in need of help.

No matter how much we love them or how much we do for them we have to accept the fact that Until their hearts are receptive their minds will be unwilling to change.

I would like to be able to say that I have never had this issue…but the truth is there have been times where I was not open to the input of others....if you are truthful you have been there too…I bet you can think of a few times right now…

Not being receptive to others keeps us in bondage to our insecurities and misplaced confidence.

I am not saying we should be wishy washy in life or always give into what others say....but I am saying that if their are people God has placed in your life that love you and want the best for you we should at least be receptive to what they are saying.

Paul was desperately trying to get the attention of the Colossians and Laodeciens so that they would not give up or buy into more worldly philosophies.

Colossians 2:1-3 “1 I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally.

Paul is Agonizing feeling great physical and mental pain for people he had never even met.

He was not asking anything from them. He didn’t want them to sow a seed, he didn’t want them to support his ministry. In fact he was in agony because he was very aware of how they were being led astray by competing ideologies...

If there were ever a time we should be agonizing over the church and the world it is now.

When I get up to speak on a Sunday…not to compare myself to Paul I do so with a sense of urgency to reveal Biblical truth in a post Christian world.

The problem is that sometimes the Christian world has forsaken biblical truth for a hybrid secular, political, spiritual truth.

Every day 24/7 you and I are bombarded with political, social, and religious ideologies that have the ability to create a crisis of confidence in what we have heard and who we are in Jesus.

Knowing this I agonize over the words I am using…not becuase I am afraid you are going to go to another church, not becuase I am tying to make you think I am smart…but becuase I want you to live your life to the fullest.

Paul goes on to say:

2 I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. 3 In him (Jesus) lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

It is more important than ever the the local church be encouraged, united, and confident in the saving and sanctifying grace of Jesus.

Colossians 1:4-6 “4 For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, 5 which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.

6 This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.”

When the Church is Encouraged United, and confident in the saving and sanctifying grace of Jesus....It is reaching people making a difference in the world and

Inspireing persoanl and coprated confidnce.

This is what Paul wants for his Church this is what I want for you…this is What God wants for the world.

God wants you to live in the power of hope so He can keep us confident in the midst of all of life’s storms.

7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”

Our confidence, happiness, and desire for living when it is built on Jesus will lead to thankfulness not a perpetual sense of want!

Confidence in a hostile world requires receptiveness not stubbornness

Your Spiritual growth is not a personal thing!

The moment we believe that we are the author of our own spiritual growth we become unreasonably obstinate, and unmoving.

Stubbornness kills any further growth which can lead to healing of our minds and hearts when the storms of life seek to overwhelm our outlook on our present circumstance or our future.

Healing and growth is impossible if I am not willing to hear hard truths from people who love me.

Allow other people to speak into your life...Even when it is hard.

God Places Spiritually mature people in our lives to help with this. Pastors, Friends, Mentors, and sometimes complete strangers.

Choosing to ignore people who truly care about you leads to frail Hearts and Minds…

The joy we seek in life as well as a confident Spirit, Mind and Heart is directly related to our willingness to hear and act on uncomfortable revelations from those who want more from us than we may even want for ourselves.

This can come in the form of a loving confrontation from a trusted friend or relative, a sermon from a pastor, or even a stranger that hits us where we live in an unplanned moment.

God can use all of these people speaking into our lives...But we cannot be strengthened in the ways we are needing to be if we are unwilling to to hear the truth.

Receptive Hearts lead to Protected mind

Protected from:

Self consciousness, Self delusion, Self sabotage, Self Isolation, and Self doubt.

How many of us today could use freedom from at least one these things?

Communion/Altar