Heart Issues – Part 2 Bitter Root Judgments – Bitter Root Expectations

Heart Issues – Part 2
Bitter Root Judgments – Bitter Root Expectations

By Pastor Gary Wayne

In 2Cor.10:3-5, Paul talks about weapons God gave us to tear down strongholds. What is a stronghold? Where are they located?

Text: Luke 6: Matthew 7:1-3, Luke 4:18-21

Mt 7:1-3 What is the subject of this passage?
Lu 6:37-38 What is the subject of this passage?
This is one of the most famous scriptures on giving, yet in its context it is not about giving money, although it is a principle that applies to money.
This is about the heart. Notice that money doesn’t even appear in this text.

Ver.38 “Give.” How I give is a spiritual principal that is like a “natural law.”
What will be given back to you?
How will it be given back to you?

Understanding the context of this warning, and what it implies is a VERY sobering scripture.

Look at the phrase – “Will be put back into your bosom.”
The Greek word bosom refers to the lap or chest area.
This word was used in Joh 13:25 where it says John was: “leaning back on Jesus' breast…”

Its about my heart! Judging does something to me at a heart level.

Our enemy knows the laws of God, and if he can get me to go against them and not even realize it, he can build a stronghold in my life to harass me.
He wants to control my perspective on the reality around me, keeping me focused on past failures, and pain.
If he can get me to violate God’s natural laws, then he gains access to my heart, a “legal right” to bring judgement upon me.

In Genesis 3&4, what was the name of the tree God put in the garden that Adam & Eve were not to eat from? “The tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”
The tree represents human self-sufficiency, self-rule, an independence from God in all areas of life.

When they ate of that tree, I think that one of the things that happened was their eyes were opened, they gained the ability to form an opinion as to what is good and bad, independent from God – based on their understanding of the facts.
I believe God wants to be the one to let us know from His perfect perspective what is good and bad.

We form opinions all the time - but now being independent from God and His perspective, those opinions are based on what?
In growing up, we learn to survive based on our assessment of things.

Then when someone learns to survive in a hostile environment, they learn to survive at all costs.
And while it was important to survive in that environment, we take those skills into the rest of our life and relationships.
Don’t trust people, protect yourself, look out for #1, don’t be open with people, I operate under the gift of suspicion, etc.
And now what once was important skills needed to survive, now creates problems for me.
I rely on me, instead of God – me independent from Him.

Frequently I form opinions based on my investigation of the reality as I see it.

That’s why it VITAL for me to go into His presence - it’s there that my perspective, my perception of reality becomes changed to His.
Then from that transformed reality, I can pray.
From that presence I can understand what attitudes I should have.
What actions I should pursue – having been in His presence, exposed to His heart in those matters.

My independent thinking gets me in trouble all the time.
His Kingdom principals are often at war with the principals I learned to survive.

Ro 12:16 “… do not be wise in your own opinion.”

Study in the 1980s at Dartmouth university- Ivy League research university in New Hampshire. Took 24 women – gave them a fake problem, then had them interact with people and report back on what happened.
On some of the women a makeup artist put a scar on their face. Let them see it in a mirror, then told them to go interact with people, but just before they left the makeup artist said, “let me touch up the scar a bit – and instead, they secretly removed it without the woman knowing.
So these women went out to interact with people thinking they had a scar that actually wasn’t there.
Every one of these women came back and reported that people did react to or were discriminatory towards them. The women said, people kept looking at the place where the scar was, and were demeaning towards them.
Their expectations shaped the outcome of their interaction with people.
Now let’s compound this with exceptions that come from bitter roots.

Ps 141:3 “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.”
This is worthy of my attention. Worthy of listening to the Holy Spirit about any judgements I have made towards others.
Places I have opened a door for the enemy to come into my life and build a stronghold and I don’t even realize I have.
I just know I don’t have the freedom Scripture says I can have.

Prayer time.
I have learned, when something inside me isn’t right, I start by asking the Holy Spirit, “Where is this coming from?” And He begins the process of healing my wounded heart issues.

Pray for the Holy Spirit to let us see and recognize bitter roots.

Is there Judgments we made? Holy Spirit bring back to our memory times we sowed seeds of Judgment.

Pray for forgiveness: I forgive ________ for ___________
Forgive me for seeds sown.

Is there any expectations we have?
Forgive me for forming expectations.

Holy Spirit help us see these wrong expectations we live with.

Is there a lie my heart believes as truth?

Prayer for death of judgment and expectancy, habits, attitudes, reflexes.

Prayer for restoration and resurrection of life.
Lord reverse the old pattern and cause Your opposite to happen.

Holy Spirit be our alarm system – alerting us to patterns we have developed from bitter root expectations and judgments.