As I was studying Mark chapter 6, I was reminded of an interaction that I had with my dog, Misty, when I was ten. I opened the sliding door to let Misty out, she did her business and she returned I saw her make eye contact with her favorite toy that was lying on the ground. I knew what she was thinking, “I’m going to grab this toy and I’m going to bring this toy inside with me.”  Before she even picked it up, I saw her make eye contact with this stick, and she was now thinking in her little head “No, I’m going to bring this stick inside.”  Then just as quickly, she went back and looked at her favorite toy. I watched my dog as she was running back and forth looking at these two objects. I was trying to get her to come inside, and the more I egged her to come in, the more frustrated she was getting. And her brain was getting overloaded and she was stuck, so I just shut the door. Finally, when Misty heard the door shut, she looked up and came running towards me. I opened the door back up and she ran inside without either the toy or the stick.

 

Today, I want to walk us through what happens when our affections are split between things and our affection for God. In our text, we are going to get a glimpse of a struggle that plays out in someone’s life. From this we learn that a divided heart is a dangerous heart.

 

What does it look like to have a heart divided? Remember that John is in Herod’s prison. Why was he there? Because he said that Herod’s marriage to Herodias was immoral! That put John on Herodias’ hit list, but Herod had always protected John. Why would Herod protect John the Baptist?

 

The Bible tells us that Herod loved to hear John talk. There was something about what John said that resonated in Herod’s heart. Herod was sensing this conviction of the Holy Spirit. See, there is a division in Herod’s heart; he is intrigued, yet at the same time appalled. It is a picture of a divided heart.  It is a picture that says, “I see truth, I know truth, I hear the truth, but I just can’t decide, and I can’ t make up my mind about it.” 

 

Herod sees John in captivity, and he sees that John has this integrity, the type that does not sway at all even though John has lost his freedom. Herod has this opportunity before him to hear this truth, but the opportunity did not last forever. We all need to recognize that we do not all have unlimited opportunities to make decisions. I think sometimes like Herod we think that we are in control of our decisions and opportunities when we really do not. Herod is saying, “I have as long as I want to decide about following Christ.” Herod is operating like he has this unlimited ability to choose whenever he wants to. That is not the way it works; we are going to see through the rest of this text that his opportunities grew smaller.

 

There is a moment, there is an opportunity where your heart is sensitive. There is this moment where it begins to resonate with your heart; it is God drawing you in. If you do not respond, you may miss it. It is the same for all of us. Are we are going to grow warmer and warmer towards God? Or are we going to grow colder and colder? That is why Paul says in II Corinthians 6:2, “Indeed, the right time is now.  Today is the day of salvation.”  Friends, it is not tomorrow, it is not next week, it is not next month, it is not Easter service, it is not next year; today is the day. So, if you are, okay, I get it, I do not want to be like Herod, what do I do?

 

Mark does not leave us hanging, he gives us a remedy for the divided heart, but it is difficult. The remedy for a divided heart is that you are going to have to face your fear. Let us go back to Herod’s birthday party, he gives a party for all the people he wants to impress so badly. “I’m the guy in charge.” He is desperately afraid of looking like he has no control, and Herodias knows this. The daughter of Herodias danced, and she pleased everyone so much that Herod told her that she could have anything, even up to half of his kingdom. Herodias jumps on this opportunity to get rid of John the Baptist by asking for the Baptist’s head on a platter.

 

Herod is exceedingly sorry, and his heart divided. In that moment, Herod reveals who his god really is… it is his status. He is more afraid of losing the respect of the people than doing the right thing.  A divided heart is dangerous.

 

It says in Matthew 6:24, “…that no one can serve two masters.  Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other...”

 

You cannot serve God and your own ambition. You cannot serve God and your image of what you want. You cannot serve God and the power that you seek. Herod was so afraid that he would not look like a king that he began to play the part of the slave; he was a slave to his own fear. Herod was trying to gain influence and power. He was trying to go after ambitions, but remember that:

 

“Whoever wants to save their live will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and the gospel will save it.  What good is it for someone to gain the whole world and forfeit their soul?”  (Matthew 16:25-26)

 

If your self-worth, your self-esteem is found anywhere else outside of who Christ says you are, friends, you are slave to it. It kind of sounds like this, “I do not want to lose this relationship, I have everything invested in this. Everything about who I am is in this relationship. I need the approval from this person.”  That is fear motivating you.

 

Today, if you want to know the remedy for a divided heart, it is simply laying your fear at the feet of Jesus and saying, “I don’t want this anymore.”  You do not have to be a slave to that fear. What happens if you lose those things that you are afraid of losing? You have become a slave to this…whatever it is. God wants you to know the freedom of placing your identity wholly and completely in who He is. God has something better for you. He wants you to know that your self-worth is determined by what He says that you are because that is who you are.

 

Friends, divided hearts are dangerous hearts. When our hearts are not divided, then our relationships are better. When our hearts are not divided, our families are healthier. When our hearts are not divided any longer, then we are able to hear what Christ is saying to us more clearly. It is easier for us to focus on His voice.  

                                                                                                       Till next week when we meet at the P.E.W.

                                                                                                       Pastor Joel