Heart Check Part 9 - A deeper look at the unprepared heart!

After looking at the unprepared heart, I felt a strong conviction that we need to have a deeper look at it because I firmly believe most believers that are serious about walking with Christ wrestle most with this issue, and sadly it keeps them from entering into fellowship with God possessing a completely open heart. Individuals that have laid down all their future plans that were formed before encountering Christ, and now are experiencing a different perspective, a different priority, a clearer purpose, and destiny. These individuals don't travel much in the "closed", "biased", or "pressured" territory that so many exist in due to no Faith.

    Let's look at Peter, because of all the followers described in the Scriptures, Peter is the one most identify with. There are "Pauls" out there, who get knocked down, get up, and become an Apostle, however, for most children of God, it's a very complicated and long process as God purifies and molds His servant.

 

    I want to look first at Peter's response to the transfiguration, but for context, I want to start with this passage:

Mark 4:35–41…they took Him along with them in the boat…there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat…“Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”…He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.”…He said to them, “Why are you afraid?... They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

    I want you to notice Jesus asked them why they were "afraid", then Scripture states, they became "very much" afraid when they realized who was in the boat with them. Two different words are used here. The first "afraid" is the Greek word: δειλός deilós - which carries the meaning of coward or timid. The second "afraid" is a conjunction of two words from the Greek: φοβέω phobéō & μέγας mégas - I'm sure you recognize that we get two of our words from these Greek words, phobia and mega.

   It is important to note that when the disciples were about to sink their fear level was more at a level 4-5, but when they realized that the living God was in the boat with them, it became a level 9-10! You could use the word "terrified". This is the same intensity of fear that Peter, John, and James experienced at the transfiguration. 

Luke 9:28–36...eight days after He took along Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray...while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming...behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah...Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not realizing what he was saying. While he was saying this, a cloud formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” 

    This was an incredible experience Christ allowed these three to share with Him. Notice who speaks up first, good old Peter! His motives were clearly good, but his heart was not prepared to fully comprehend Who was on the mountain with him! I don't know how he understood it was Moses and Elijah, but they are not anywhere in the same league as the Godman, Jesus.

 

    This is a very uncomfortable Truth, we all struggle with... Let me rephrase, I struggle with! My heart attempts to make a "designer" God, in MY own image of Who He is. We must surrender our heart to the Scriptural description of Who our God is.

 

    All Peter wanted to do was set up some alters for Elijah, Moses, and Christ, which is not evil. Still, his heart had not grasped Who Jesus Christ is! God, the Triune God, brought them into a cloud and spoke to them and they were "terrified"! I have more to say about Peter's experience but let me end with this.

 

The So What:

We have become so flippant with our understanding of Who God is! What we see on TV and hear on the radio are people who claim they have met God individually, some even visibly, all audibly and their attitude is, “The big man upstairs has got my back”, "High 5 Jesus!", "What's up dude?". 

    Folks when you or I encounter the Creator, Sovereign, Omnipresent, Omniscient, Immutable God we will do what every person in the Bible did, they fell to their face because there was a terror in their heart! Not one of doom, but one of awe and a strong sense of unworthiness. We, the Church, need to get back to that understanding of Who our God is! Stop treating Him as common. Instead, approach Him boldly (confidence based on what Christ did) as a totally Holy Being that is so far beyond our comprehension, yet did everything to come to our level, to offer us forgiveness for our rebellious and sinful actions. Meditate on this, Pray about it. See what God will do.

 We will pick up next time right here.