Overview
Rev. Rico Magnelli presents “Whole Heart,” beginning with please turn to John chapter 10. The teaching draws from John 10:10, Proverbs 27:17, Luke 22, Proverbs 3 and applies these truths to faith, spiritual growth, and daily Christian living.
Transcript
Understanding Whole Heart
Please turn to John chapter 10. I want to follow up and consider for a few minutes the whole heart. We're working on biblical character and we cannot allow the adversary to rob from us. He tries to take pieces of our heart a little at a time if we allow it. Life is build one truth in the heart at a time and it's often stolen the same way. It's a beguiling intended to steal from even the wisest among us. John 10 10 says the thief cometh not before to steal and to kill and to destroy.
I am come that they might have life and they might have it more abundantly. The thief wants to steal the true life God in Christ has set aside for you. He wants to steal it and we can't allow that to happen. It's vital for us to guard our hearts and not allow piece by piece to be taken from us and be absorbed into the world. Sometimes what happens is we need someone to help us. In Proverbs 27 17 it says iron sharpeneth iron so our man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Look at Luke 22. Luke 22. Iron sharpeneth iron.
Proverbs 27 17 says so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. When we're around each other we tend to shape and influence each other and we can bring out the best in each other. That's why it's so important to continue to fellowship. It's so important to get together. I can't underscore that enough but sometimes we need help. Here Jesus Christ is helping Peter. Luke 22. So Peter doesn't get stolen from and when Peter as a leader gets stolen from guess who else gets stolen from? The people that he ministers to. That's right.
The Biblical Foundation
The adversary goes after those that lead because he knows it will affect a lot of people. Here's a friend. Verse 31 of Luke 22. The Lord said Simon summoned behold Satan hath desired you which is to demand for oneself to have you that he may sift you as wheat. He's demanded you for himself that he may sift you as wheat. He wants the good portion of your heart. He wants your allegiance. He wants your talents, your skills, your time, your loyalty. I've prayed for thee that thy faith fail not and when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren.
Right on the money because he wants to take a piece of our heart at a time. He's a thief. He does it. He's real slick. That's why to have someone around us that loves us and will speak the word to us that can at times be very specific to our situation can be most helpful. Most helpful. Look at Proverbs chapter 4. One of the most important things that we do is guarding our heart. Not fearful. I'm not talking about being fearful. I'm talking about we monitor what we put in there. We're not afraid. No.
We just don't allow things in there that are that are worldly. Proverbs chapter 4 verse 18 says, but the path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. Our path is like a shining light that gets brighter and brighter. That should be our expectation and God gives us an illustration every day because when the sun breaks the horizon it's not in its full brilliance yet and this is what it's referring to.
Examples and Spiritual Lessons
It breaks the horizon and as it rises it reaches its peak and full brilliance and that's the way each situation in our life we can expect. The English Standard Version reads like this, like the light of dawn which shines brighter and brighter until a full day. Our lives can be that way. Our expectations can be that way. Each situation can be that way. Verse 19, the way of the wicked is as darkness. They know not at what they stumble. They're unclear on why they can't figure things out.
Well, verse 20, my son attend to my words, decline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes. Keep them in the midst of thine heart. In other words, our focus is God and his word, not the world and that's what we want to put in our heart. For they are life unto those that find them and health to all their flesh. Here it is, keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life. We keep our heart. That's one of the most important things that we guard, that we monitor.
We have lots of thoughts that run through our heads throughout a day. In the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my soul, the word says. So there's a lot of thoughts, but we don't put everything in our heart. We have to be very diligent on what we put in there because what we put in there will eventually affect people that we minister to, just like Jesus Christ told Peter. Look at Proverbs 3. In Proverbs 3, familiar scripture, verse 5, trust in the Lord with all thine heart.
Faith in Action
If your whole heart is filled with trusting God, there's no room for anything else. When God is involved in all aspects of our life. Now, God does not crowd out your favorite ice cream or He doesn't crowd out your favorite activity or all those things. He just enhances them. He doesn't say think about me and about nothing else. No, He just says put Him first and allow Him to enhance, accentuate, highlight, and really bring to its full fruition and impact the things in your heart. And it happens when we trust Him.
We trust Him with our whole heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In other words, we don't rely on our expertise, our personality, who we know, who we don't know, all those different things. Our education, no. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths. In prayer and in humility, we recognize and partner with God and He directs our paths. What a great deal. But it starts with trusting Him with our whole heart. We're not afraid as we learn. We're not afraid. Look at Romans 6, please. Romans 6.
The world is going to always endeavor to get us to trust in ourselves or trust in something other than God. But we have a new life. No, that's not our life anymore. Our life is in Christ Jesus. We have a totally, completely new, fresh, brand new life. Here it is in Romans chapter 6, verse 4. Therefore, verse 4, we were, is the text, we were buried with Him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Walking in Love and Confidence
We have a brand new life in Christ Jesus. Those old things are gone. We walk in and live within that new life in Christ Jesus. For if we've been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him. The body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin. Our old man habits, our collective habits of disobedience to God has been crucified with Christ. And that's the way we move forward every day.
That's what we want to put in our heart. That's what we want to put in our heart. And anything that tells us differently that the old man is not crucified, then we don't want that in our heart. That's not from God. It can't be from God because God tells us that the old man has been crucified. So anybody or anything that tells you that your old man isn't contradicts what God is saying. What we put in our heart is the new life in Christ. Look at Romans 8, please. Romans 8. Then we can claim these verses. Romans 8, verse 28.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are be called according to His purpose. We are called according to His purpose who love God. That's us. That's you. That's me. We've been called according to His purpose. And we love Him. We love Him and therefore we can expect all things to work out. It's all going to work out. So when we say, ah, it's all going to work out, we're saying the word because we've been called according to His purpose and we love Him.
Applying the Teaching in Daily Life
In this we know all things will work out. If He can work out eternal life for everybody, whatever situation we're dealing with, He can work it out. He can figure it out. He's already got it figured out. Look at verse 37. There's many challenges that come though. Well, verse 37 says, nay in all these things, all the challenges, we are more than conquerors through Him that loves. Though we have challenges, we are not victims. We are not victims. We are more than conquerors through God in Christ and the love they have for us. That's right.
And let's close in Romans 12. Then this makes more sense. We're guarding our hearts. We're trusting Him with all our heart. We're not going to get stolen from because we're walking in newness of life. Then Romans 12 1 says, I beseech you, I lovingly implore you. He doesn't command us. He implores us. Therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, which we all need every day, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice wholly acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Presenting our bodies is a figure of speech. It means your entire self.
That includes your whole heart, every part of us. You can still go to work. I can still go to work. You can still go to the ball game. You can still go fishing. You can still do all the wonderful things that we like to do. Give our whole heart to God. And then He enhances those things that we like to do. He brings them to their full impact in terms of satisfaction and accomplishment. He does it. And this is what keeps us from verse 2, and be not conformed to this world. And the word world is age.
A Life Shaped by God’s Word
So in 2019, be not conformed to 2019 and the nonsense and the ridiculousness and the the stuff that goes on. Don't put any of that stuff in your heart. Not one drop of it. Nothing. But be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good acceptable and perfect will of God. And the perfect will of God is that we were crucified with Christ, buried with Christ, raised with Christ, ascended at the right hand of God with Christ. That's His perfect will. And we've got to prove that to ourselves.
For I say through the grace given unto me to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith. That's the faith of Jesus Christ. We give our whole self to God and leave no room for this age to fill our hearts with negativity. We won't be conformed to it. And when we do this and we maintain that character, sometimes we need help from each other to do this. That's why fellowship is so good.
But when we do this, then we will have the greatest impact in our service to others.
Key Takeaways
- I want to follow up and consider for a few minutes the whole heart.
- We're working on biblical character and we cannot allow the adversary to rob from us.
- He tries to take pieces of our heart a little at a time if we allow it.
- Life is build one truth in the heart at a time and it's often stolen the same way.
- It's a beguiling intended to steal from even the wisest among us.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main message of “Whole Heart”?
Rev. Rico Magnelli presents “Whole Heart,” beginning with please turn to John chapter 10. The teaching draws from John 10:10, Proverbs 27:17, Luke 22, Proverbs 3 and applies these truths to faith, spiritual growth, and daily Christian living.
Which scriptures are central to this teaching?
The teaching draws especially from John 10:10, Proverbs 27:17, Luke 22, Proverbs 3, Romans 6, Romans 8, Romans 12, Romans 12:1.
How can believers apply this teaching?
It's a beguiling intended to steal from even the wisest among us.
Scripture References
John 10:10; Proverbs 27:17; Luke 22; Proverbs 3; Romans 6; Romans 8; Romans 12; Romans 12:1
This text was prepared from the teaching audio or source document. Please verify scripture references against your own Bible.
