How to Get Spiritually Fit - Part 10: Killing the Kardia

REVIEW
 
I hope everyone has been growing with me as we’ve been getting in shape spiritually with these truths about exercising our inward man. It’s been revelatory, church, and oh so beneficial as we have been using the way we get fit physically to show how we get fit spiritually. 
 
This is something that the apostle Paul shows us in First Timothy 4:6-8 when he says, “If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. But reject profane and old wives fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.”
 
So most recently, we’ve been looking at some practical things that go into exercise –namely, the importance of hydration & rest. We learned that our relationship & connection with Jesus is the source of both and these things, and the thing we looked at last week was no different – the importance of plain ole’ walking.  
 
We learned that there are a lot of people out there who will spend all kinds of dollars to get fit. They join multiple gyms, they pay a personal trainer, they purchase all kinds of clothing and equipment, etc. But there’s something to be said for the simplicity of just walking to get in shape and to keep ourselves healthy.
 
You see, there are a lot of people who view spiritual fitness the same. They view the cost as too great and are, therefore, unwilling to put forth the effort to get in shape spiritually. I mean, after all, they never went to Bible college, they haven’t been a Christian that long, they aren’t as smart as other people, they’ve done too many bad things, etc., etc., etc. All of these excuses are similar to the reason folks don’t get in shape physically – because they don’t feel like they know how or it would be too much work because of their current condition. 
 
Well, what these who either might not feel like they have the time, or everything just seems so overwhelming, need to know is just how simply walking does so much for us. Likewise, walking with God does more for us than any other spiritual practice. 
 
We learned that this “walking with God” is man’s primary purpose for being on this earth: From the very beginning, the LORD made us for simple fellowship with Him and not for all of the things we do for Him. Yes, Adam & Eve regularly walked with God in the Garden, but we saw how that after their sin, they hid themselves from His presence, which is what we learned that we do, not just when we sin, but when we don’t walk with Him.
 
As we learned, the best way to avoid doing the wrong thing is to do the “one thing” which is to dwell in the presence of God every day. This was another point that we made last week from the 27th Psalm that made David a man after God’s own heart. But we learned that this was not just what David desired; it was something he learned was his vital need. 
 
Yes, spending time walking with God – that is, living in His presence – is something that we must have to experience the “eternal, everlasting life” that Jesus came to provide for us. And oh, how many benefits there are to walking with God. Just as there are a myriad of benefits to walking physically, there are equally as many benefits to walking with God spiritually.
 
So just like walking is one of the most basic things you and I can do to get fit, walking in His presence is one of the most foundational & effective things we can do to get spiritually fit.
 
So let’s grab those walking shoes – those spiritual walking shoes that say we are more than conquerors – and start fellowshipping with God on a regular basis in order to cultivate a good & effective Christian “walk.”
 
In fact, you can actually do both at once – walk with God while we walk physically. Yes, you can physically take a walk and walk with God at the same time! In fact, I highly encourage this! There have been a lot of times in my life where I would spend my times with God while I took a morning or evening walk, and those times are so fresh & flourishing – because I am raising up two birds with one stone (See what I did there?).
 
THE OUTWARD MAN VS. THE INWARD MAN
 
Now the next part of our spiritual exercise that I want us to take a look at is one that might not be the go-to form of exercise for most people.
 
You see, most people’s focus when it comes to exercise is external. In other words, most exercise to improve their physique like strengthening their muscles or shedding some excess weight. But most forget how important it is that we also give attention to strengthening the most important muscle in our body – that is, our heart.
 
Now the reason why so many focus on the outward & external rather than what lies beneath this flesh is because most walk in the flesh. In other words, they only care about what they can see and what others can see, which is just plain ole’ carnality.
 
This really speaks to something you’ve heard me harp on throughout this series – that the condition of our inward man is even more important than the condition of our outward man. Yes, the same epidemic of focusing on the carnal over the spiritual is manifest in how man tends to focus more on the outward than the inward.
 
Second Corinthians 4:16 says something along these lines: In this verse, the apostle Paul says, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.”
 
You see, like the world, oftentimes we as Christians are too focused on the outward man, our physical bodies, and never spend any time focusing on our inward man, our spirits.
 
Notice how the apostle Paul starts off by saying, “Therefore we do not lose heart.” But how many do this every day? They lose heart – meaning, they allow their hearts to become troubled, discouraged, anxious, etc.
 
Didn’t Jesus tell His disciples to not let their hearts be troubled (See John 14:1)? That means that we have to have the mentality that it is OUR job to not let our hearts be in a troubled condition. Yes, it is our job to not lose heart. Why? Because we are the bishops over our own heart. Amen?
 
Then Paul went on to say here one of the reasons we don’t lose heart: It’s because even though our outward man is perishing, our inward man is being renewed day by day.
 
Let’s deal first with the outward man part: This means that no matter how much we try, our physical bodies are decaying – meaning we are going to get wrinkles, we are not going to be quite as strong, we are not going to have the vision and hearing we once had, and we are going to lose hair where we once had it and gain hair where we don’t want it. These are just the facts of life.
 
But Paul went on to say, “the inward man is being renewed day by day.” So he was showing us that the difference between the flesh and the spirit is that while the flesh is doomed to decay, that the spirit is renewed every day. This means that the spirit should get stronger, smarter, and better looking every day. This is a great reason to look forward to getting older. The reason that most people hate getting older is because they won’t be as physically attractive or as physically active, but if we had the right mindset, we would love to get older because even though we might be losing some of our physical benefits, we can gain eternal spiritual benefits.
 
This why the apostle Peter said in First Peter 3:3-4, “Do not let your adornment be merely outward - arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel.”
 
Peter was not saying that it was wrong for women to fix their hair, wear jewelry, or wear nice clothes. He simply said to not let it be “merely outward.” He went on to say in the next verse to “rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.” Peter said to let our adornment be of “the hidden person of the heart” – the “hidden person” as opposed to the “seen person.” That “hidden person of the heart” is the spirit of man.
 
So Peter was saying that the beauty of the spirit is “incorruptible” (or, imperishable). In other words, being physically attractive is fleeting, but being spiritually attractive is eternal and “very precious (or worth something) in the sight of God”. This shows us that just as the world deems someone to be worth something by how they look and what they wear, God deems us worth something when our spirits are adorned properly. Yes, the LORD says that a properly adorned heart is “very precious in the sight of God.”
 
So my point is that God is evidently more focused on our inward man than the carnal, natural man. And didn’t the LORD reveal this to us in the story of how David was picked to be Israel’s next king?
 
First Samuel 16:7 shows us God’s heart when He told Samuel— “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
 
So the LORD focuses on the heart – the inward man – and not on our outward appearance. This is what is important to Him and what in turn should be important to us – both physically and spiritually.
 
So let’s focus this week on the heart – no, not our physical heart, but the spiritual heart that the Bible speaks of. But before we tackle the spiritual heart, let’s look at what we can learn from the exercise that strengthens our physical heart.
 
WHAT IS CARDIO AND WHAT IT DOES
 
Now I already alluded to the fact that the exercise of our physical heart muscle is not something that most people like to focus on, but this “cardiovascular” exercise is so important to our overall health.
 
You see, this term “cardio” that we use as an abbreviation comes from the Greek word “kardía,” which means heart. Cardio exercise, also commonly referred to as aerobic exercise, is any type of physical activity that increases your heart rate such that it challenges and strengthens your cardiovascular system. The term “aerobic” means “with oxygen,” so cardio exercise involves exerting yourself to an intensity level where you can still breathe (even if rapid and deep) enough to take in the oxygen your muscles need to produce energy for the movements you are performing. Simply put, exercise typically counts as cardio if it involves intentionally coordinated physical actions that raise your heart rate for an extended period of time.
 
So a good cardiovascular workout will have you consistently breathing faster than you would while resting. The result will be more oxygen in your blood for your heart to pump to the rest of your body.
 
The following are a lot of the activities that fall into the category of cardiovascular exercise: cycling, running, jogging, swimming, walking, hiking, etc.  You can also use machines like ellipticals, steppers, treadmills and rowing machines to get the cardio your body craves.
 
Now this cardio exercise obviously has a ton of benefits for our physical hearts, but the benefits of cardio go beyond just our heart. It affects our entire body! Yes, cardio benefits our brain, our joints, our skin, our muscles, our digestion, our lungs. All of these things produce other benefits, such as weight loss, increased energy, improved sleep, a strengthened immune system, better moods, etc., etc., etc.
 
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE HEART
 
But again, I’m not wanting us to primarily focus on “cardio;” we are more focused on “kardia” – that is, our spiritual, immaterial heart.
 
So like I’ve heard it coined by certain fitness buffs when they are planning on doing a lot of cardiovascular exercise – “I’m going to kill the cardio today!” – we are going to do the opposite; we are going to give life to the kardia (i.e. the heart) today! In other words, we are going to learn how to guard, keep, and protect the heart because of just how important it is to our spiritual lives.
 
Church, our heart is one of the most valuable things we possess. It is not only what God looks at, it’s what He looks for (Second Chronicles 16:9). It’s valuable to Him and, therefore, should be to us as well.
 
When Jesus came, He also had a lot to say about the heart. In fact, much of the doctrine that He brought revolved around the condition of our hearts. Part of the reason for that was because of the religious nature of His chosen people to only focus on the outside of the cup. But Jesus came to reveal that what comes out of the heart is what is truly important.
 
He connected the fruit of our lives with what comes out of our heart (See Matthew 12:33-35 & Mark 7:15-23). He taught in His Sermon on the Mount about how things like anger & lust in the heart are what the LORD looks at, not just the mere external observation of the law, which said not to murder or commit adultery (See Matthew 5:21-22; 27-28).
 
So, yes, Jesus placed a premium on the heart during His ministry. But did you know that the second wisest king Israel ever had also understood this very well? We see Solomon exhorting God’s people in Proverbs 4:23 with – “Keep your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life” (NKJV). The original King James says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
 
Notice what Solomon says comes from the heart – He says out of it “spring” the “issues” of life! Now the words “spring” and “issues” give us a word picture that I believe is extremely helpful to understanding the importance of the heart …
 
This word “issues” was oftentimes used in the times of the Old Testament to describe the “outgoings, goings forth” of a body of water or you could say the “channels or streams” that come from that larger body of water. So then when you combine this definition with the word “spring” the picture is painted of water that flows up out of our heart like a fountain or spring. It’s what “issues” from the heart like a well spring. (i.e. the outflow)
 
But it is not water that Solomon says flows from our heart; He says that the “issues in our life” are what flow out of it. You see, many of the conditions of our life are directly tied to the condition of our heart. Let me say it this way since we are talking about a spring of water: The purity and satisfaction of our life is determined by the fountainhead of our heart! If our heart is corrupt and impure then our life will be corrupt and impure. In other words, the currents & channels that come from a large body of water are symbolic of the influence (i.e. currents) and direction (i.e. channels) of our heart. 
 
You see, in the Middle East – especially during the days of Solomon – fountains and wells were watched over with special care. Why? It was because if the source of their water was contaminated, then their supply of water was useless. There were not many sources of water in those days (No, they didn’t have Macon Water Authority back then), so they protected the ones that they had at all costs. It was vital for them to do that! Likewise, the part of us that all the issues of our life stem from must be protected at all costs, lest we allow the enemy to contaminate our life. Therefore, this is a vital issue for us as well!
 
GUARDING THE HEART
 
But not only do we see the analogy of a wellspring being used, but we also see the analogy of a garden …
 
Any of us who have ever had a garden understand fully well that it takes work to keep a productive garden. In many cases, if you do not spray it down with insecticides or put an electric fence around it, different kinds of bugs and animals will devour your harvest. Likewise, our hearts are like the garden, and we must keep it with all diligence.
 
Let’s now look at this phrase – “Keep your heart with all diligence”: The word “keep” literally means “to guard, watch, protect and preserve.” It describes keeping something in a safe, secret place, and then, guarding that place. So Solomon was saying that we are to keep our heart in a safe and secret place similar to how we would keep our wallet, checkbook, or jewelry in a safe & secret place.
 
In the world, an extremely valuable jewel is oftentimes placed in a high security vault with all kinds of motion detectors, cameras, etc. And they do this for a rock which only has temporal value! How much more, should we apply this same kind of diligent guarding to our heart, which has eternal value?
 
Notice what Solomon goes on to say – He says that we are to guard our heart “with all diligence.” Actually, the Hebrew word for “diligence” here describes “keeping or guarding; to keep in custody or to imprison” and is actually translated “ward” in most cases in the King James Version. So that’s right – It has the essentially the same meaning as the word “guard” at the beginning of this verse!
 
So what the first portion of this verse literally says is – “Guard your heart above everything else you guard!” In other words, the Holy Spirit through Solomon was saying that the most important thing you have to guard is your heart! Therefore, guarding & keeping our heart is more important than guarding & keeping our most valuable possessions!
 
Now most people obviously don’t think this way. Most value things like fame, friends, family, finances, etc. But I think the LORD knows what is truly valuable, amen? And here we see wisdom telling us that the heart of man is one of the most important things that we possess, and we should guard & keep it with the same diligence as we would the physical things that we value the most.  
 
Like we’ve said, just consider the physical heart in this. When it comes to physical fitness, most only esteem vain things like how we look and that’s their motivation for exercise. But exercising the heart through cardiovascular exercise is by far the most important thing we can work on – because next to our brain, the heart is the most important organ we possess. And the reason for this is the heart is responsible for the “issues” (the channels & streams) of blood that flows through the body (and the life is in the blood, right? See Leviticus 17:11).   
 
THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER
 
Now if you study Jesus’ Parable of the Sower – the first and most important of the many parables about the kingdom of God that Jesus taught on His “sermon by the sea” – you will find that Jesus showed just how important the heart is. (See Mark 4:1-9;13-20)
 
You see, this parable is the one that Jesus said if we do not understand this parable, how can we understand any other of His parables (See verse 13). That was not Him saying that it was the easiest parable to understand, but that it was the most foundational parable on how His kingdom operates. 
 
And in this parable, while the emphasis might appear to be on the seed and what it produces, I see that at least equally important is the ground that the seed was being sown into. In fact, Jesus spent a lot more time talking about the different conditions of the ground than He did anything else in this parable. And guess what Jesus compared the ground to here? You guessed it – He said the ground that the seed is sown into is our hearts (See Mark 4:15).
 
So the fact that Jesus spent a lot more time talking about the various conditions of our hearts than He did describing the seed, teaches us an important lesson. What lesson is that, you ask? – that our heart is the issue!
 
Church, the seed of God’s Word works the same for all of us. It’s no respecter of persons. The variable is the condition of the heart that it is sown into. Therefore, what is the greatest issue here? It’s our heart!
 
You see, the things of God are not complicated. It does not take a rocket scientist to get it to work! All we have to do is be simple enough to read it, believe it, and then sow it.
 
Have you ever noticed how most farmers do not usually have PHD’s? No, in most cases, they are just hard workers with self-discipline that are simply capitalizing on the laws governing seedtime and harvest. Likewise, in God’s kingdom it is not those with the greatest pedigree, the greatest resources or the most education that produce the most in the kingdom of God. Generally, it is those who are least in the kingdom that produce the most in the kingdom. Amen! 
 
So, again, the complications are evidently not with the Word or else Jesus would have spent more time talking about the seed in this parable. No, the complications are usually within us - that is, in our hearts. This is why Jesus spent a considerably longer amount of time in His Parable of the Sower talking about the ground of our hearts that the Word is sown into.
 
Now it is important for us to understand that all four types of ground that Jesus describes here are actually those who come to hear the word. This is not those who stay at home, who willfully reject the truth or who are enemies of the Cross of Christ. These are those who actually want to hear the words of the Master. So if you are reading this today, this parable describes you, and it describes me also!
 
I bring this up because this then shows us that the majority of people who come to church, study their Bibles, etc. are not going to produce abiding fruit. So if only one out of every four believers will actually be considered fruitful in God’s sight, then that means that only about 25% of believers who have God’s Word sown in their hearts are considered productive. Now that’s a sobering thought, isn’t it?
 
Now in one of these four types of ground (i.e. the wayside heart), they never produced anything at all. In the next two (i.e. the stony ground & thorny ground), their vine did grow above the ground, but they did not produce any fruit that lasted. It was only with the good ground that we see any fruit that endured, and even in that type of ground, there were varying degrees of production (i.e. some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred).
 
So what should we say to these things? Should we just throw our hands up in the air and say, “Que sera sera?” No, the purpose of recognizing this truth is to encourage us to change the condition of our hearts, so that we can become that “good ground” and begin to produce some thirtyfold, some sixty and some a hundred. Amen?
 
Church, we might not have been doing this up until now, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late! We can begin guarding our heart today so that this process of seedtime & harvest can start working in our favor.
 
I cannot fully convey to you just how important the condition of our heart is! Please do not miss the truth that your spiritual heart is just as important to your spiritual life as your physical heart muscle is to your natural life. Now that is the gospel truth!