Knitted Heart
John 1:45-51 NKJV
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
John 1:45-51
If we could solve all of our problems on our own, we would have no need for healing in our hearts, our minds, our bodies.
We would not need a Savior.
What was it about Jesus that made people want to follow Him?
Many people have a reason to follow Him.
Sometimes it is out of desperation. Maybe there is a very urgent need that we have.
Everywhere Jesus went there was healing in His Hands and empathy in His heart.
The sick were brought to Him to be made well.
The demon-possessed were brought to Him to be freed.
There has to be something that draws us to Him. These are just some of the ways that God draws us to Himself.
Many are looking to Christ for the wrong things in a wrong way.
It is looking for entertainment.
Once the entertainment is gone, what do you have left? When the fog machine is turned off. The band packs up. The house lights are turned on. When the party’s over on Sunday morning do we have enough of Christ in our hearts to carry us until Monday?
Our hearts are knitted to someone or something. Many Hearts are intertwined with the world.
Woven and knitted in a way that it’s hard for these to unravel to see the True Hand of the Great Weaver!
Phillip says,
We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
Does Nathanael jump up at the opportunity?
No.
He was skeptical.
A skeptic is someone that questions or doubts.
This world is full of skeptic hearts. They haven’t been unraveled and reknitted yet.
Many people just cannot commit themselves to believe in what they cannot see.
All have questions and look for the answers of life.
There will always be an answer, most times in those answers there is very little or no truth, unless it’s from the Lord.
What we have done as a society is we have become too sophisticated, too worldly. We think that we are refined in our thinking.
Many are weaved in the world.
So when the Gospel of Jesus Christ is presented there is a rejection.
What is it that attracts us to Christ?
Is it the love in His eyes, the mercy in His heart. The compassion. The healing. Then there are ones like Thomas that need a sign. They need evidence.
There is one thing I know; People that meet Jesus, they are changed!
Those that have purposed to listen and believe the message of Hope and Salvation are made new!
It’s not easy to believe.
It’s not easy to follow.
Hard times come.
This is exactly where Jesus really reveals Himself to us.
No matter what Phillip told Nathanael, he was going to be skeptical.
But Nathanael takes the advice and goes to see for himself.
Jesus knew this man that was coming.
Jesus knew how he was going to be used for the Kingdom of God, IF Nathanael would listen to the call and follow!
Nathanael steps towards the One they are calling the Messiah.
Something is different.
It’s Jesus who is doing the searching, Jesus who is finding the ones He will call as disciples.
And He looks and patiently waits. He watches to see how close you come and how far you will travel to get to Him.
Some have been on a long painful journey.
A walk that should have taken days has turned into years.
Unfortunately some never make it to Him in time.
Jesus is looking for you.
Many do find Him, but only for a short time.
Why?
Maybe they weren’t able to completely unravel their hearts for the world and knit it to the Savior
We often talk about inviting Jesus into our hearts.
We are told to make Jesus part of our lives.
Let me ask this. This will seem harsh but…
What is so good about your life that He would want to be a part of it?
HOLD ON! LET ME EXPLAIN!
It is easy to ask Jesus into our hearts and life.
It’s just as easy to tell Him to get out.
What if we turn that around.
What If we changed the way we think about this.
Maybe just maybe we can see and realize that Jesus is welcoming us into his Life?
Isn’t He asking us to be part of His Kingdom?
Isn’t the invitation to be a citizen of His Heaven?
To receive His Salvation?
So where is it that we ask Jesus to be in our hearts?
Shouldn’t we desire to be part of His!
He gives and offers us the opportunity to become part of what He is doing.
To be His child, His representative, even His Glorious Bride!
His invitation is open, but it’s up to us to follow, up to us to “come and see.”
Are you ready to be part of Jesus’ Life, His Death and Burial!
All of our own lives, every aspect of it, has to be given so all of Him we can gain!
Why?
So then we can have part in His Resurrection and dwell in His Kingdom!
Let me say this.
Jesus is not a Follower of Pastor Ed!
I must be a Follower of His!
I don’t want Jesus to live in my heart. I know what my heart is capable of!
Can Jesus soften it, yes!
Can He repair it, of course!
If I don’t purpose myself to live and hide in His precious Heart then mine will just go back to being hardened and broken!
I want and desire to live in His!
The One that knitted my heart in my mother’s womb I desire to be weaved and knitted back to His forever!
In order to do that I must knit and weave every fiber of mine to His! Not one strand can be dangling!
You see, being knitted, unified, joined to Jesus is the only way you are ever going to find what you are seeking. It is a life-long commitment to be part of Christ’s Life!
Jesus asks, “What are you looking for?” Are you looking for grace, mercy and forgiveness? Healing?
Are you looking for abundant life?
Are you wanting to know the God who created you?
Jesus isn’t sitting around waiting for us to invite Him into our lives. Instead, Jesus invites us into His life! His Kingdom! His Eternity!
With His “come and see ” Jesus is giving us the offer to be a part in His Kingdom work!
Many people talk about how Jesus fills a God-sized hole in their lives.
The Lord is perfect in every way and in everything.
What He really does is replace the you-sized gap with His perfect Love, Grace and Mercy!
There is only One way to do that.
Give up your life to be a part of His!
Don’t invite Him into your heart, knit yours to His!
Be so tightly knitted and weaved to Him so that the very Blood that He shed flows in you and through you for the Glory of the Kingdom! We must be so intertwined that you are no longer seen!
So that there is no evidence of your own self centeredness. There is no skeptic doubt or worry.
But in humility knowing that His heart will always out love yours!
So knit and weave!
Think about this today.
Nathanael didn’t ask Jesus to come into his heart.
But Jesus gave the offer to be part of His!
Jesus even gives Nathanael a promise of what he will witness!
This is what it is like to be a knitted heart, body and soul to the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth!
And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
Hereafter!
After the decision to unify your life and knit your heart to His,
Oh, the things He will reveal to us!
Can anything good come from Nazareth?
Knit and weave so tightly to His heart that whatever tug and pull from life or the enemy comes,
You WILL NOT be unraveled from the Grace, Love and Mercy of His!
Pastor Ed