The Hard-Hearted Believer - Stressing the Rails - April 10, 2024, Stressing the Rails with Dr. Michael W. Wesley Sr. - Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church with Dr. Michael W. Wesley Sr.

The Hard-Hearted Believer - Stressing the Rails - April 10, 2024

April 10, 2024

April 10, 2024

The Hard-Hearted Believer

Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, while it is said, “TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME.” For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief. Hebrews 3:12-19

The believer’s path toward a hardened heart can start innocently enough—it’s easy for us to become preoccupied with things that have little or no spiritual value. Once our focus is diverted from God, it doesn’t take much for the preoccupation to take up greater amounts of time. The diversion can become so consuming that we end up ignoring matters of importance to the Lord.

As our spiritual life withers, we may give up private devotion and public worship. Anyone who is spending time with the Lord daily is going to have a pliable heart, but the person who lays Scripture aside gives Satan an opportunity. When allowed to function apart from God, the heart is deceitful and turns from Him.

If a believer’s mind is preoccupied and his heart is distant from God, he can easily be swayed by the deceitfulness of sin. As sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is dulled by a hard “shell” that’s been forming around his heart, the drifting Christian begins to find Satan’s false promises more tempting. He foolishly trusts in the deception and becomes ever more deeply enmeshed in sin. This, in turn, leads to even greater preoccupation with non-spiritual matters and further neglect of his spiritual life.

Believers are not immune to hardening of the heart. We can become as insensitive to God’s voice as an unbeliever, but we have a way to remove the spiritual callus that has been forming within us. By repenting and refocusing, we can again turn to devotion and worship in order to be soft-hearted before God.

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About Dr. Michael W. Wesley Sr.

Dr. Michael W. Wesley Sr. is a native of Birmingham, Alabama where he was educated in the public school system. He graduated from Tennessee State University, Nashville,Tennessee with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Music Education. He received a Master’s Degree in Music Education; a Class A certification in School Principal ship and the Educational Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. In addition, Dr. Wesley received a Bible Diploma and Bible Certification from Birmingham Baptist Bible College. He completed the Beeson Institute for Advanced Church Leadership Program from Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. Dr. Wesley earned the Doctor of Ministry Degree from Louisiana Baptist University and Theological Seminary in Shreveport, Louisiana May 2006.

Dr. Wesley retired in 2003 after a brilliant 26-year career as an educator in the Birmingham Public Schools. He served as a teacher, assistant principal and principal of three different schools (Powderly Elementary; Arrington Middle and was the first African American principal of Woodlawn High School). He served on the Central Office staff as Extended Day Principal and Coordinator of Safe and Drug Free Schools.

Dr. Wesley is regularly sought after to speak in both schools and churches. He has had the privilege of speaking across the nation and in several foreign countries. His spiritual gifts of teaching and preaching are well documented. He is a member of many organizations. His civic and professional associations are too numerous to mention.

Most recent is the evidence of his leadership, occurred with the completion of a multimillion dollar edifice and education facility located in the heart of the West End community.

Dr. Wesley is currently the pastor of the Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in the West End community where he has given thirty years of service. He has a great love for people and for learning.

He is married to the former Venita Burkes, and is the father of two sons, Rev. Michael Wesley Jr. and James Edward, one grandson and two granddaughters.

Dr. Wesley is the author of three books, When God Changes A Church, Everybody Deserves A Good Funeral and Reaching the Unchurched_Pathway to Church Growth.

Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church

Dr. Michael W. Wesley Sr.