Do we know our hearts? We do not realize what we could do. Opportunity presents itself and we must know how to say, “No.” Let us beware of hypocrisy and human reason and conceit and lazy ways. (Proverbs 26:12, 16; Jeremiah 17:5-9)

Speaker: Thomas Schaller, Barry Quirk

Date: 2023-11-26
Time: Sun 6:30 PM
Sermon # 12622
P. Schaller –

This morning I met some folks at the door, and they just enjoyed the message a lot and it was a spiritual
fellowship this morning at 9:00 and also at 11. And I felt the Spirit speaking to us. I want to
repeat shortly – just very shortly – the theme. I believe it’s from the Lord. It came a few days
ago when I read a piece from Jonathan Edwards about how we are enemies of God. We are
enemies of God by nature. Just left to ourselves we are enemies of God.

So, the 9:00 service I explained that a little more than the 11. So, if you want to listen to the
9:00, you’ll get more on it. I’m not going to repeat it, but I just want you to get the idea. Proverbs
26:13. We also ready Jeremiah 17:9, and that was the heart is deceitful, desperately wicked; who can
know it? So, turn to your neighbor and just say, do you know your own heart? Do you know
your own heart?

Yesterday on outreach in Randy Rollins’ van, we were talking, and I had this in my mind. I
shared it in the van a little bit. One of the brothers said there’s a documentary on billionaires
that have yachts. They go to Cannes, France in the Mediterranean and they have this film
festival. And on their yachts, they do whatever they want to. They do whatever they want to,
legal or illegal. It doesn’t matter. They have the money. They have the power. They are free to
do whatever is in their hearts. The brother said it's like God doesn’t lead us into temptation.
Like sometimes our limits are very good for us, because if we had the opportunity, what would
come out of our heart?

Now, we have good news tonight. You are born again. Amen. Let’s stir that up for a moment.
Go ahead. Praise the Lord. Wow! I mean where would we be if we were not born again and had
this new heart. And by the way, I see it in you, and we see it in each other. Isn’t that beautiful?
We know no one after the flesh but we see and discern.

But, however, unfortunately we had Mark DeMoss here and he shared cause he has been
involved for decades in Christian churches and organizations. He said many leaders they fall in
these areas. He explained it. He gave his message that last night that he was here. And it was
very good what he was sharing. We can see like we know about it.

We have a heart and that heart – look at chapter 26:13. No, I’m sorry 12. Proverbs 26:12. Maybe he
can say in his own conceit means in his own self-confidence. His own pride. His own abilities.
His skill. His intelligence. Do you see a man who’s wise in his own circle. You know these
billionaires who are in those circles and how they interact, and network and they make money.
They do their things. They have power and they succeed. Prov. 26:12, because a fool may
realize I am a fool and I need God. Amen.

Did that happen to you? It did to me. I need God. I’m not clever enough to live life like this.
Okay. So, there you have very interesting mindset. But it’s repeated in vs. 16 in a different way.
The one who isn’t doing anything, isn’t moving. He’s just locked in his comfort or his own life.
Look at vs. 16. We have to park there for a second. It doesn’t say this, but I want to tell you a
short story. There was a pastor who fell in love with somebody in his church and he was
married. Okay. He had children. He had a church. A couple hundred people. He just made a
decision, I’m going with the woman. I’m leaving. I’m getting a divorce and breaking up my
family. I’m going.

So, I was involved in – P. Stevens was involved in that. The church contacted him and then
pastor – this was many years ago – he asked me to go there and talk to the man and take his
ordination away from him. And so, I did that. When I talked to him I said, are you sure this is
what you want? Are you sure? Do you know what you are doing? Can you stop this? Can you
stop doing this? Can you? No, I’m doing this. And here’s my ordination. He gave it back. That
happened.

Look at the verse again, vs. 16. Now, you have I’m sure I could take out of this group seven men
and women that could give a reason to him not to do that. But he doesn’t hear it. What would
God – maybe it’s more important what would seven men say to him but what would God say to
him? What would God say to him? Right? By the way, if you’ve gone through this, this is not my
point. My point is the heart of man is hard to figure out. It can be bought. Money can change
the heart. Beautiful things can change the heart. Comfort can change the heart. Convenience.
These are all tests that we go through in life regarding our heart. How can – because none of us
are above any of these people. You’re not any better. I’m not any better than anyone. Honestly.
I’m really saying it seriously. I know there’s nothing about us. In me dwells no good thing, Romans
7:18.

Well then, what do you have? What do you have? What do you have that makes the
difference? What do you have that governs your life in a very – a jungle. What do you and I
have that governs our life in a world where we can be tempted with our heart? Oh, no. I
married the wrong person. And no, this is the will of God for me. And oh no, this is love and
many things that human beings say. We can all say these things. How about Ananias and
Saphira? Did you sell the land for so much? Yes, for so much. And then he drops dead. Then the
wife comes. Or was it the other way? Which came first? Husband came first. Then the wife
came. Did you sell the land? Yes. And she dropped dead. Okay.

The Lord in that case didn’t give them any time to get it straightened out. In that case, he didn’t
give them any time to straighten it out, right? And because he gives time to the sinners, the
sinners say – us – Psalm 50, we say God doesn’t care. God doesn’t care. Isn’t it Psalm 50? They
say it doesn’t matter to him. Do you know the verse I mean? Let’s just get it right.

Psalm 50:21, He’s saying because of the context, you saw a thief, vs. 18. When you consented with
him, you’ve been partakers with adulterers. You’ve given your mouth to evil in vs. 19. You sit
and speak against your brother and because I keep silent – God says I keep silent, you think that
I’m like you. But I’m not like you. You think that I’m like you, but I’m not like you. I am holy. I am
the holy God. I am the one.

Now, let’s go to the answer. It’s James 1:21. I think this is going to be short. I want to make my
point cause I really feel it’s a timely message for us. I know it takes time to listen and
concentrate and follow because it’s more like teaching and not preaching, but it touches your
heart. It touches our hearts because I don’t want to be misled. I don’t want to be deceived by
my own heart. I don’t want to do that. I want to be with you. I want to be with God and be with
you doing the right things. I want to suffer if that’s part of the plan, and it is. Suffering is part of
the Christian life and learn to suffer well. Do the right thing even if, you know, it’s not
convenient. Do the right thing. Just keep doing the right thing and see where God brings you,
right?

James 1:21, Unfortunately that’s my King James and it’s kind of funny words there. But it’s
basically you got to take all this deceitfulness about yourself and recognize it and lay it aside,
and in meekness receive the engrafted word in vs. 21. With meekness the engrafted word. This
is what happens in the Word of God ministry is that you receive it and it’s actual food and it’s
able to build you up in your inner man and you believe.

You do make decisions. You do decide. You do have a pure heart. The Lord purifies our heart and also out of our heart comes love, Romans 5:5. Without hypocrisy. Just out of our heart comes the truth. Out of our heart and our
way of life. I’m so thankful for our church. I said to somebody this afternoon, I go one week ago
we served 725 people in 28 minutes down the sidewalk there with 60 volunteers. And then we
just move on to the next thing and we go on to the next thing.

I go I think maybe we should step back and say, what did we do? That was amazing. The people
that did that that cooked, brought food, that served, and the chefs that was Harold and Bobby
and Scott Dubay of course. He was the head of it. And um, I think I might have missed one chef.
Which one? Yeah. Chris Regan. That’s right. I mean that’s amazing. I mean we have Convention
here. I mean a church could do one or two things in a year and step back and say, wow! We’re
doing really good. We had a Convention and opened up people’s homes and then we had a
women’s and Camp Life and all these various things.

You get exhausted just thinking about it. But if this is God, and our new heart and if this is God that puts us in a car to go to Richmond, Virginia three hours away and minister and drive back; if this is from God to have a Bible college
and to have people finding the Bible and it’s engrafted. That’s a word for it planted in us. It’s
planted in us. The engrafted word which is able to save our soul from the hypocrisy of our
hearts. Cause I have that hypocrisy.

What does that mean? There’s like hypocrisy with pleasing people. There’s hypocrisy with what
people think of you. There’s hypocrisy with behaviors. There’s hypocrisy with language. There’s
hypocrisy with our attitudes. There’s all kinds of things from acting out and being part of a
church life to be honest. And to be in front of our neighbors and other people. There’s such a
tendency for hypocrisy in the human heart. If we can take our hypocrisy and not be arrogant
and frozen, but we can bring ourselves before the Lord and be naked and open before him with
whom we have to do in Hebrews 4:12-13. That Word of God is living and it’s able to touch our
heart.

There it is. That’s the heart. That’s the heart that’s worshipping the holy God by the Holy Spirit
and guiding us into truth. Isn’t it amazing. I’m finishing. Isn’t it amazing that Jesus said I’m going
away and if I was Jesus I would go I’m leaving you guys. It’s crazy. I’m leaving you guys with this
mission. I’m going away. I’m leaving you guys. You’ll never make it. You’ll never. You’ll be over
there counting dandelions. Huge things will be happening, and you will be distracted. You will
be deceiving yourselves. You will be hypocrites. You’ll be empty people. No way. And then God
is saying I will do it.

I will give them a new heart. I will put words in their hearts. I will guide them in peace. They will
bear fruit. They will have love. They will love each other. Things will happen and it will be me. I
will do it. I will send them. I will anoint them. I will speak to them at night. I will do it to them in
the morning. I will guide them in the truth. And they will learn to say the truth, and they will say
the truth in their heart because the Word is engrafted in their heart and building them up.
Amen. Okay. (Prayer)

P. Barry Quirk –

Wow. We just had a meal, but since it’s Thanksgiving season, we’re going to
pile on extra here, okay. This thought about Jeremiah 17:9 is really just an awesome one. You can
come to church on a Sunday morning and hear how wicked your heart is and leave here edified.
Really. That’s the way we left the service here this morning. Edified. Because it wasn’t an empty
message. It wasn’t just the weight of our wicked heart, but it was the “there he is” touching our
heart and giving us the Ezekiel 36:26 new heart.

And as I was meditating on this thought today when pastor asked if I could share something, I
had this interesting just looking through the verse. I have a nephew, great nephew who plays
football, and he played in the championship game. And the team that they played against had
been undefeated and unscored upon all year. Their goal…was can we get some point on the
board. And in the third quarter or the end of the third quarter, my nephew gets the ball and
he’s running around the outside as he’s done so many times this year, and he’s cruising up the
sidelines, and right in front of us oh my gosh! He’s free. He’s going to make the touchdown this
unscored upon team.

Out of nowhere, this guy just stretches and barely touches the back of his heel. And as he did
that, it caused him to lose his stride. As he lost his stride, he stumbled, and then he stumbled
and fell on his face, and he was down. Then, they promptly fumbled and that was the end of
that scoring drive.

But you know why I say that in this message is that in Jeremiah 17:9 the desperately wicked part
speaks about insidious supplanting. Remember who was called the supplanter? Right? Jacob.
What did he do? He grabbed the heel in the womb. And this is the insidious part is that it
happens slowly over time, and we don’t even recognize necessarily what’s happening. As he’s
running to the outside, he doesn’t see that hand coming at him, but you know, there it is.
I just say that because if we don’t do something on purpose to guard our hearts, we’re never
going to see it coming.

That’s why we can’t put even a little bit of trust in our hearts. Now, keep
in mind Jeremiah who’s saying this has had – you know, Jeremiah, the weeping prophet and
we’ve been teaching this in our major prophets class. This is really rich to my heart. But how he
promised, he prophesied, and he purposed, and he did everything towards Israel’s being
straightened out and really was not in a natural sense not successful, but in a supernatural
sense he did exactly what he was called to do, right?

But the point is this national backsliding, so to speak, started just with a little simple
dishonoring. They dishonored God. And then when they dishonored God, it became something
a little richer. It became denying God. And then at the end, they ended up defying God. So
there was this slippery slope.

I really think this is the same kind of slope for individuals that happens in Ephesians 5:18 where it
says, “be not drunk with much wine unto excess.” That dissipation or that slippery slope that
starts and we slide down into perverseness. It actually says slides down even into sexual
perverseness because of a little bit of leaven, a little bit of partaking.

And what happens is a little bit of dishonor, a little bit of familiarity becomes a little bit of denial
and then that denial becomes a lot of defiance. These are thoughts that are so important for us,
and you know, when we hear those messages sometimes we say, wow! That’s a little bit harsh.
Next thing you’re going to tell us to be faithful in our marriages or abstain from alcohol or – it’s
like thank God we hear that because I don’t have a place for my own heart.

And the thing is about this heart that’s deceitful, right, you can’t create a better caliber of
deceitful heart. There is no – that’s why I give unto you a new heart and a new spirit because
the old heart can’t paint it up on the outside like a whited sepulcher when dead men’s bones
are living within.

That heart had to be replaced, but that’s the great part of the news that he gave us the new
heart. And in that new heart is the capacity to receive his truth and to have him be the thing
that orchestrates my life and not some conceit like we just heard.

And actually, we’ll just close this part by reading a couple verses here. In context to Jeremiah 17:9,
let’s see vs. 7. Blessed is he. Vs. 8. The source of living life. In other words, not touched by trials
and tribulations. This is the person whose heart is in the Lord. There’s a life that springs forth
from a source that’s not their own, but they’ve been able to receive that freely. And then the
heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, vs. 9. Who can know it? I can’t even
know it. We heard that this morning.

The king, is the king going to live? Yes, good news. Is he going to be healed? Yes, good news.
He’s going to be healed. Bad news is he’s going to die. But also, he’s a dog and he’s an enemy of
God and all of these other things. Oh, no, not! The moment he has the opportunity to rule,
that’s exactly what happens. We heard about it tonight. The conceit that we don’t even know
of that exists in our heart. God spares us.

We say, why can’t I be rich like the rich man that has those big yachts? Because maybe my
heart if I live in the wicked heart will draw me into things that will be completely void of God
and there goes all my real wealth. The wealth that we get in this world, how long does that
last? But the riches that we get in Christ for all of eternity because I said I’m not interested in
what the world can give me. I’m interested in what Christ has given me. The thing that won’t
fade away versus that worm that dieth not which is the continual desire for things that can’t be
achieved and the lust for it which is pain and suffering.

This is beautiful news tonight. This is beautiful news. God has given us an incredible opportunity
to have the new heart. We can shift back into that old heart if we are not careful. But for what?
As a matter of fact, pastor said it tonight about even a fool recognizes that – this is vs. 5.
So, there we have it. Cursed. Departed. Dry. A place of desolation versus parked by the rivers of
living water with our roots receiving from a flowing source that causes our leaves to be healthy
and not to wither and we have life and we’re experiencing the true riches that God has for us
not just for today but for all of eternity.

So, thank God that’s the kind of message we have in this pulpit. That’s the kind of Bible that we
have. That’s the kind of God that we have who is willing to give that to us daily, and to load us
with his benefits. Amen. Amen.

Pastor Schaller – Okay. One word just comes to my mind. We can do it. I want you to think about it.
Learn to say no. Learn to say no. Can you do that? Learn to say no. How do you do it? You
sometimes just have to go, you know, when you’re going out to your car and just practice it.

No. No. No. The neighbor says, hi! Good morning. No! No! Not going to happen. No! Can you
say no? Can you say no? Can you? Can you say no? You can make an extra thousand dollars.
Can you say no? You could be flirtatious with a woman or something. Can you say no? I’m not
doing that. I’m not involved in that. And can you walk away? Can you say no? What’s is your
heart? What’s in your heart? Okay. Isn’t that a good exercise. Thank you, P. Barry. That’s a good
word. All right. Go ahead. You got a minute to practice with your neighbor. Go ahead. No, sorry.
Thank you very much. Not going to happen. Go ahead.

 

Please enjoy these sermon notes from the messages preached at Greater Grace Church in Baltimore. These notes are provided to aid in your study and understanding of the Word. Note that these notes do not represent complete, word-for-word transcriptions. Also, they may contain omissions as well as some errors in spelling and structure, etc., as we attempt to provide them as soon as possible. Our hope is that these notes serve as a way to help you search and connect with messages on related subjects and passages. Thank you for your interest in the ministry of Greater Grace.