Heart Check Part 5 – How come I need people to like me?

On Trial – Pilate: The Pressured Heart Reacts

When I was a young Pastor, a woman in my church asked me to call a certain family, a few days later I saw her again and she reminded me to call them. The week was very busy and I just forgot. That Sunday morning she saw me in the parking lot as we headed into Church. She ran up to me and asked me if I had called, I felt such pressure for letting her down, I gave in to that pressure and lied. I told her I called several times but no one answered. I figured who would be hurt by a “white lie?” My message that day was on "Integrity!" My invitation was, if you know you have blown it with someone, go to them and get right, even if that meant right now. I said we will give the Spirit some time to let us reflect. I tried to go sit down…BUT the Spirit had every intention of making me reflect. I stepped down off the platform and walked to the middle of the Church and signaled for that young woman to come to me. She came and I whispered in her ear, “Please forgive me, I lied to you. I was embarrassed that I had forgotten and let you down. I never tried to call them.” She embraced me and began to cry and said, “Oh Pastor, I do forgive you and I am so glad you came to me because that family does not have a phone!” Never underestimate what pressure can lead you to do…and NEVER, NEVER underestimate the love and grace of your heavenly Father. 

All of us deal with "pressure", the question is how do we handle it. Our decisions can be small in consequence...or huge! Scripture states in Prov. 4:23 "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life."

Our heart impacts greatly how we deal with Truth! We have looked at the "biased" heart, in review:

The Biased Heart…intends!

The Biased Heart does not care about right or wrong, just a personal agenda! 

The Biased Heart sets out to prove what it already believes.

The Biased Heart sidesteps truth and looks for ways to attack.

The Biased Heart will try and create proof.

The Biased Heart has an unwillingness to accept Truth

2000 years ago, one man was in a unique position to do right, but because of pressure he caved in and took the temporal “easy” road, however, that cost him the path to eternal life! Pilate was under great pressure and his reactions should be a warning to us.

First, his reaction was based on Reputation

Mark 15:12–15 John 19:7–12 Luke 23:13–16 Matthew 27:24

Mark 15:12–15 Answering again, Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?” They shouted back, “Crucify Him!” But Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify Him!”  Wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified. 

John 19:12 As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, “If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar.”

Pilate was so wrapped up in what people thought of him, that it led him to condemn a man he was convinced was guilty of nothing! We do want people to think highly of us, that is human. When it is based on Truth that is called a "Testimony", which is centered on character. When it is based solely on appearance, it is called a "Reputation," which is based on other's perceptions. This will be a constant struggle for us as we live in this flesh, but the Spirit can enable us to see ourselves through the Lord’s eyes. That will always be a mixture of humility and gratitude…humility because we see our sin, gratitude because we see how God can mold us into someone better!

The So What: How much time do you devote to working on the surface of you versus the inside of you? Which is more important, what others think of you, or what God and you, think of you? When you leave a room, do people only "smell" you, or do they smell Jesus? What is more important to you, after death people will remember you, or people who lived in your sphere are different because of you?

Heart Check Part 4 – How can I see with no eyes, or hear with no ears?

There was a man that decided he was dead. He told his family this and nothing they did would convince him otherwise! Finally, they brought his doctor in. After doing everything he could do to convince the man that he was not dead, the doctor, exasperated, asked what would convince him? " "Nothing! All I know is that dead men don't bleed!" The doctor quickly jabbed his finger with a needle. Amazed, the man looked at his bleeding finger and said, “WOW! What do you know, dead men do bleed!” 

When you decide you will believe what you choose to, despite Truth being contrary, your biased heart will become hard, and you will not have the eyes or ears to receive the light or voice of the Lord.

Mark 14:61–64 But Jesus was silent and made no reply. Then the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus said, “I Am. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, “Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?” “Guilty!” they all cried. “He deserves to die!” 

To Review:

The Biased Heart…intends!

        * The Biased Heart does not care about right or wrong, just a               personal agenda! 

* The Biased Heart sets out to prove what it already believes.

* The Biased Heart sidesteps truth and looks for ways to attack.

* The Biased Heart will try and create proof.

Sadly, the final condition of the biased heart is a closed one! Individuals will call the truth a lie. * The Biased Heart has an unwillingness to accept Truth.

Everything Jesus had said and done, plus the prophesies He fulfilled did not matter to the biased hearts. Later, even when His tomb was empty, they still refused…instead, they bribed the Romans to lie! 

How Ironic! The Creator, the One Person willing to sacrifice Himself, and the only One that could do it, was offering redemption to all men…was murdered for the Truth!

John 19:7 The Jewish leaders replied, “By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.” 

If it were you or me making that claim, we would be guilty of blasphemy! Jesus was the Messiah; He was only telling the Truth.

The So What: When the “Truth” is exactly what you do not want it to be, how do you handle that? Do you interrupt someone when their point is contradicting yours? Do you walk away from conservations when it is challenging your position? Do you dislike a person if they show you facts that challenge your position?

Next, we will look at the “Pressured” heart.