The Heart Matter by Ben Hayes

Frederic Chopin (SHOW-PEN) was a well-known and dearly loved Polish composer. In 1849, at the age of 39-years old, he laid dying in Paris, France. Knowing they would never be able to bring his body home, gasping for air he reportedly whispered his last request, “Remove my heart after I die and entomb it in Poland.”

After his death, his sister, Ludwika, complied with his request – taking his heart before the body could be buried. She placed it in a crystal jar filled with alcohol and hid it under her clothes as she smuggled it past the Russian guards and officers all the way to Warsaw, Poland where it was eventually buried under a small monument in the Holy Cross Church. Due to his popularity in Poland, the monument became a rallying point for proud nationalists. During World War 2 the Nazis stole the heart and outlawed playing his music. Thankfully, after the war they returned the heart. It remained there untouched until 2014 when a secret committee exhumed it to make sure the jar was still intact. They found the heart in good shape and returned it once again to its place.

So why did I tell you about Frederic Chopin’s odd request and the history of his heart? Because I believe there are some parallels to our heart, but obviously not the physical one. Let’s talk about the spiritual “heart” that we possess that Jesus spoke so much about. I wonder, are you as concerned about your spiritual heart as Chopin was about his physical one?

YOUR HEART MATTERS BECAUSE OF ITS FUNCTION

• Just like God knew we needed a physical beating heart to pump the lifeblood through our veins – he knew we needed a spiritual heart to help feed our minds and bodies the spiritual nourishment.
  • If the physical heart isn’t working properly, we take huge precautions and immediately begin working on fixing it. Why? Because we know that we cannot live without it.
  • In fact, some say that part of the reason Chopin wanted his heart removed was he was fearful of being buried alive. If his heart was removed he knew that would make that impossible.
• God knew our spiritual hearts had a huge purpose as well:
  • We are told in Proverbs 4:23 to Guard our heart because from our heart “flow the springs of life.”
    • Just like the physical heart that springs out the life-giving blood
    • Our spiritual heart sends forth life-giving fuel for the soul.
    • So to fail in guarding it, could result in catastrophic failure of the heart.
    • Consider Jesus’ words in Luke 6:43-45 – For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. 44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush.
    • Good trees produce good fruit. But, many times, you don’t know if it is good or bad until you see the fruit. You can’t tell by looking at the seed, you wait for the production of fruit. With man it is similar. You begin to understand the kind of person someone is, not by their words, or by who raised them, or where they attend church, or where they go to school – GOOD FRUIT IS THE IDENTIFIER…Listen.
    • The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.
    • I would add – for the actions are done from that which fills the heart.
      • Proverbs 27:19 As in water face reflects face, So the heart of man reflects man.
      • That sounds real mystic and Sensei-ish (If that’s even a word).
      • Here is another translation: “As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.” – NLT

DISCUSSION POINT: What does your heart say about you?

When I was a kid we had a pear tree, an apple tree, and a pecan tree. Some years they did ok, but most of the time we would get excited about the prospect of their fruit but would often be disappointed because the fruit would not be very good or they would hardly produce enough to do much with it. There came a time when my dad finally cut them down. Not all at the same time, but over the years they have all been removed. The usefulness of the tree was in the fruit it produced.

Thankfully, our usefulness isn’t dependent upon our good works produced from ourselves, but rather from the good works produced in us by the power of God. We just have to prepare our hearts to allow God to work in us – “He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit…” (John 15:5).

Are you allowing God to work in your heart? What steps do you need to take to let Him have control of the function of your heart?

 YOUR HEART MATTERS BECAUSE OF IT’S IMPACT

• That matters because it is making an impact on someone.
  • Isn’t it crazy to thing that people were still rallying around the heart of a man who had died 100 years before? His life and actions had such an impact that the Germans STOLE HIS HEART to discourage the hearts of the people!
  • Your actions and words don’t just impact you.
  • That is why Jesus does make a big deal out of it.
  • Matthew 5:13-16 – You are the salt of the earth (intended to bring flavor, healing, and preservation to this earth) …. You are the light of the world (intended to bring guidance) to those around you. “Therefore, let your light so shine before men that they see your good works and glorify the father who is in heaven.”
  • There is NO DOUBT that your actions – the result of the kind of heart you have – will impact the lives of others.
• Your heart will touch people at school for good or bad.
  • Just stop and ask yourself what kind of impact you are making.
  • Proverbs 3:5-8 talks about the impact that seeking God with ALL YOUR HEART WILL MAKE.
  • It definitely makes an individual impact but if God is DIRECTING OUR STEPS then others see it and follow it.
  • I don’t care who you are… people are watching you.
  • Your choices today could impact people for years to come.

DISCUSSION POINT: List all the people you can think of who have influenced you in your Christian walk. How many can you come up with?

I can still remember older men and women in the congregation I grew up in who influenced me as a young child. Their Bible classes, their examples outside of the Bible classes and worship, and the time they took in helping a young boy, all made an impact. Some of them might not even realize how much they helped to mold my faith. That is probably the same for you. Why not take some time today and write them a note, send them a message, or give them a call, or visit to let them know just how much their hearts impacted you!

Are you living in such a way that others are being impacted by YOUR heart? In a positive way?

YOUR HEART MATTERS BECAUSE OF ITS DIRECTION

• Chopin wanted his heart to be in his home. As crazy as the request was, he never felt at home anywhere else. So, if his body couldn’t be there, at least his heart could be.
• Paul sort of expresses a similar thought in 2 Corinthians 5:1-5
  • “For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven.” – vs 2
  • Solomon told us that he has “set eternity in their hearts” – Ecclesiastes 3:11
• Jesus states that where our TREASURE is there will our HEART BE. Matthew 6:21
  • In the verses proceeding He was talking about where we like to store treasures
    • Many people store them here…on this earth. Houses, cars, money, etc. .
    • He says be careful because the more attention you focus on those things the less attention you give to the things that CANNOT FADE AWAY RESERVED FOR YOU!
    • Where your treasure is – YOUR HEART is also there.
  • What your heart does sets the course of your life.

DISCUSSION POINT: How much difference does it make to have a goal when you are competing in some kind of sport or event?

Paul frequently talks about the goal he had. 2 Corinthians 5 was just one of many. Leaders, encourage you students to search and find some of the other passages where Paul and other New Testament writers discuss the things that were to come and the encouragements he would give as a result and then discuss. For instance:

• Philippians 3:13-14 – Paul pressed on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – Christ will return for us one day so we should be encouraging one another with those thoughts.
• 2 Timothy 4:6-8 – His time to die was approaching but He understood that he had fought the fight, finished the race, and kept the faith. Having done so, he was confident that a crown of life awaited him and all others who looked forward to Christ’s coming.
• 2 Peter 3:10-13 – Knowing that the world will one day be destroyed in fire, “what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness….”