WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.080 great name which has been profaned among the nations and which you have profaned among them. 00:00:06.020 --> 00:00:10.660 And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you 00:00:10.660 --> 00:00:17.679 I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations and gather you 00:00:17.679 --> 00:00:23.219 from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you 00:00:23.219 --> 00:00:29.820 and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses. And from all your idols I will cleanse you and I 00:00:29.820 --> 00:00:39.060 will give you a new heart and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone 00:00:39.060 --> 00:00:47.600 from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to 00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:54.039 walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your 00:00:54.039 --> 00:01:07.239 fathers and you shall be my people. And I will be your God. Can people really change? I think many of 00:01:07.239 --> 00:01:13.640 us have conflicting feelings about this question. On the one hand we like the idea of change. 00:01:14.799 --> 00:01:18.659 Every year many of us make New Year's resolutions vowing to set new patterns. 00:01:18.659 --> 00:01:25.500 Every year hundreds of thousands of books and articles and blog posts are written in order to tell us how 00:01:25.500 --> 00:01:31.879 to change for the better. How to get in shape. How to find a healthy romantic relationship. 00:01:32.399 --> 00:01:38.400 How to become a better friend or parent. How to study more effectively. How to be a better leader. 00:01:39.439 --> 00:01:43.739 The American dream is based on the assumption that anyone can change. 00:01:43.739 --> 00:01:49.439 That by hard work and with the right opportunities anyone can rise to the top. 00:01:50.479 --> 00:01:55.780 Maybe you're not happy with your life now. But you hope that moving to a new place. 00:01:56.479 --> 00:01:59.359 Or maybe getting married or having kids or retiring. 00:02:00.019 --> 00:02:02.719 Will bring the change that you hope for. 00:02:03.579 --> 00:02:05.319 We like the idea of change. 00:02:06.099 --> 00:02:10.939 But on the other hand I think we recognize that deep and lasting change 00:02:10.939 --> 00:02:13.199 is difficult and elusive. 00:02:14.439 --> 00:02:18.500 William James, early psychologist back in 1890, wrote, 00:02:18.599 --> 00:02:25.039 In most of us, by the age of 30, the character has set like plaster and will never soften again. 00:02:26.219 --> 00:02:32.180 And often the older we get, the less optimistic we become that people can really change. 00:02:33.280 --> 00:02:36.639 Last year Jeffrey Kotler, writing in Psychology Today, 00:02:36.639 --> 00:02:40.819 said, I've spent the past 35 years writing books about change, 00:02:40.959 --> 00:02:42.779 interviewing people about their experiences, 00:02:43.439 --> 00:02:48.939 researching the features that are most associated with significant transformations that endure over time, 00:02:49.159 --> 00:02:50.479 and here's my conclusion. 00:02:51.459 --> 00:02:52.319 I don't know. 00:02:53.619 --> 00:02:54.539 It's a mystery. 00:02:55.239 --> 00:02:59.560 A process so complex and multidimensional that it defies understanding. 00:03:00.299 --> 00:03:02.159 On one level, change is pretty easy. 00:03:02.479 --> 00:03:05.419 The hard part is making it last over time. 00:03:05.419 --> 00:03:09.819 He estimates 90% of attempts to stop a bad habit 00:03:09.819 --> 00:03:12.479 or even follow through on a New Year's resolution will fail. 00:03:13.719 --> 00:03:17.259 He then went on to list some of the factors that prevent us from changing. 00:03:17.399 --> 00:03:18.859 We overestimate our own abilities. 00:03:19.659 --> 00:03:23.060 We underestimate how hard it will be to sustain a new commitment. 00:03:23.699 --> 00:03:25.500 Our environment triggers old patterns. 00:03:25.639 --> 00:03:29.279 We sabotage our own or others' efforts to change because of fear. 00:03:29.280 --> 00:03:37.300 Often, he says, some of the most deeply life-transforming events are also painful and traumatic events 00:03:37.300 --> 00:03:39.379 that we would never seek out on our own. 00:03:40.340 --> 00:03:43.000 Now, this morning's passage is about change. 00:03:43.659 --> 00:03:50.479 It's about deep, lasting, heart-level change in people and, by extension, in communities. 00:03:50.479 --> 00:03:58.120 The prophet Ezekiel was living at a time when deep and lasting change for the better seemed nearly impossible. 00:03:58.839 --> 00:04:03.959 He was living in the aftermath of one of the most traumatic and awful events of Israelite history, 00:04:04.799 --> 00:04:11.839 the Babylonian exile, brought on by the repeated moral failures and spiritual degradation of the Israelites. 00:04:11.840 --> 00:04:13.740 The city had been burned. 00:04:14.120 --> 00:04:16.139 The temple looted and destroyed. 00:04:16.439 --> 00:04:18.639 The king humiliated and taken captive. 00:04:18.819 --> 00:04:20.819 The leaders and landowners deported. 00:04:21.259 --> 00:04:22.480 It was a tragedy. 00:04:22.819 --> 00:04:23.720 It was a mess. 00:04:24.819 --> 00:04:26.860 But Ezekiel and the other prophets said, 00:04:27.920 --> 00:04:30.139 it was a mess that the people had brought on themselves. 00:04:31.280 --> 00:04:33.420 If you look up at verses 16 through 19, 00:04:33.920 --> 00:04:38.160 Ezekiel presents God's perspective on the Babylonian exile. 00:04:38.160 --> 00:04:41.260 And he says when, basically, God says, 00:04:41.340 --> 00:04:44.400 when Israel lived, when you lived in your own land, you defiled it. 00:04:44.500 --> 00:04:47.420 You polluted it by your ways and your deeds. 00:04:48.439 --> 00:04:53.900 So he says, so I poured out my wrath because of their violence and their idolatry. 00:04:54.280 --> 00:04:55.940 I scattered them among the nations. 00:04:56.200 --> 00:04:59.760 He says, in accordance with your ways and your deeds, I judged you. 00:05:00.540 --> 00:05:05.920 You see, the Israelites hadn't just made a one-time mistake or an excusable error. 00:05:05.920 --> 00:05:14.240 They had been involved in ongoing and unrepentant rebellion against the creator of the universe. 00:05:14.920 --> 00:05:16.800 Treason against their rightful king. 00:05:17.080 --> 00:05:20.220 Infidelity toward their faithful lover, the Lord himself. 00:05:21.300 --> 00:05:22.840 The Israelites were God's masterpiece. 00:05:23.800 --> 00:05:28.200 His very own people who he had chosen in order to display his glory and beauty to the world. 00:05:28.580 --> 00:05:32.379 And they had polluted the land he had given them. 00:05:32.780 --> 00:05:34.379 They had dragged his name through the mud. 00:05:34.379 --> 00:05:39.060 They had blamed God for their failures and taken credit for God's gifts that he had given them. 00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:41.219 They had torn into pieces their covenant with God. 00:05:41.279 --> 00:05:47.079 And God responded by finally withdrawing his presence from them and sending them into exile. 00:05:48.740 --> 00:05:56.740 Ezekiel was one of those who had experienced the horror of being deported and marched across the desert for hundreds of miles all the way to Babylon. 00:05:57.659 --> 00:05:59.579 He had experienced the horror of the exile. 00:05:59.740 --> 00:06:01.600 He had seen the death of the nation. 00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:08.960 If there was any time in the history of Israel when deep and lasting change for the better seemed absolutely impossible, it was then. 00:06:10.540 --> 00:06:11.660 They had blown it. 00:06:12.140 --> 00:06:13.740 God had judged them decisively. 00:06:13.920 --> 00:06:15.600 And everything they had was gone. 00:06:16.120 --> 00:06:18.000 There was nothing to go back home to. 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:30.639 But very surprisingly, the word that God gave to Ezekiel while he was sitting there in exile was a word of hope. 00:06:31.540 --> 00:06:38.899 A word of promise that God would one day bring deep and lasting change for the better in the hearts of his people. 00:06:38.899 --> 00:06:42.439 Look at what he says in this passage. 00:06:42.560 --> 00:06:43.179 Verse 22. 00:06:43.799 --> 00:06:44.159 He says, 00:06:44.279 --> 00:06:48.060 You, you have profaned my holy name among the nations. 00:06:49.399 --> 00:06:52.560 That means you've dragged my name through the mud. 00:06:53.519 --> 00:06:55.439 Treated it as a common thing. 00:06:56.459 --> 00:06:56.919 But he says, 00:06:56.920 --> 00:07:01.879 But I, I will vindicate the holiness in my great name and the nations will know that I am the Lord. 00:07:03.199 --> 00:07:06.180 The Israelites had become just as bad as everyone else. 00:07:06.480 --> 00:07:12.439 Even though God had called them to display his glory and his beauty to the world. 00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:14.740 So God had dealt with them justly. 00:07:15.900 --> 00:07:18.660 According to their own ways and their own deeds. 00:07:19.600 --> 00:07:21.319 In the exile, Ezekiel says, 00:07:21.520 --> 00:07:22.500 You got what you deserve. 00:07:22.500 --> 00:07:24.279 But he says, 00:07:24.360 --> 00:07:25.360 Here's the good news. 00:07:26.639 --> 00:07:29.980 God's purpose is not to give you what you deserve. 00:07:31.740 --> 00:07:32.360 He says, 00:07:32.399 --> 00:07:35.800 It's not for your sake that I'm going to act. 00:07:36.839 --> 00:07:37.160 He says, 00:07:37.220 --> 00:07:41.420 God's ultimate purpose is to display his own glory and beauty. 00:07:42.060 --> 00:07:45.079 So that all the nations will see and know that I am the Lord. 00:07:45.620 --> 00:07:46.500 The creator. 00:07:46.660 --> 00:07:47.199 The redeemer. 00:07:47.379 --> 00:07:48.939 That there is no one else like me. 00:07:48.939 --> 00:07:54.759 Israel's reputation was bound up with God's reputation. 00:07:55.519 --> 00:07:57.379 And the rest of the world was looking on and saying, 00:07:57.699 --> 00:08:04.480 Who are all these people who are being marched through our town all the way to Babylon and taken captive? 00:08:04.639 --> 00:08:07.339 Just like the Babylonians have taken so many others captive. 00:08:08.199 --> 00:08:10.860 Oh, they worship this God, Yahweh? 00:08:11.439 --> 00:08:12.519 Who's this Yahweh? 00:08:13.240 --> 00:08:16.399 Well, he let his people be conquered by the Babylonians. 00:08:16.399 --> 00:08:19.560 He let his city be burned and his land be decimated. 00:08:19.699 --> 00:08:21.519 He must not be much of a God at all. 00:08:22.120 --> 00:08:27.099 No better than the gods of all the other nations that the Babylonians have conquered. 00:08:28.060 --> 00:08:28.939 And God says, 00:08:29.319 --> 00:08:30.620 That is not acceptable. 00:08:31.620 --> 00:08:34.519 If it was just about giving the people of Israel what they deserved, 00:08:34.620 --> 00:08:37.100 God could have sent them into exile and been done with them forever. 00:08:37.199 --> 00:08:37.720 But God says, 00:08:37.799 --> 00:08:40.559 No, my purpose is to show the world who I really am. 00:08:42.620 --> 00:08:46.139 And I'm going to do that by restoring you once again. 00:08:46.399 --> 00:08:48.259 To be my holy people. 00:08:48.419 --> 00:08:51.419 To be, to display my holy character to the whole world. 00:08:52.600 --> 00:08:53.860 So verse 24, he says, 00:08:53.899 --> 00:08:54.759 I'll bring you back home. 00:08:56.059 --> 00:08:57.259 Verse 25, he says, 00:08:57.299 --> 00:08:58.159 I'll wash you clean. 00:08:59.079 --> 00:09:00.899 Verse 26 and 27, he says, 00:09:00.939 --> 00:09:02.600 I'll fill you up from the inside out. 00:09:02.639 --> 00:09:03.679 I'll give you a new heart. 00:09:04.459 --> 00:09:05.379 And a new spirit. 00:09:05.480 --> 00:09:06.419 A heart of flesh. 00:09:07.079 --> 00:09:08.379 Instead of a heart of stone. 00:09:08.379 --> 00:09:12.960 A soft and responsive and tender heart. 00:09:13.740 --> 00:09:14.279 He says, 00:09:14.340 --> 00:09:16.100 I'll put my holy spirit within you. 00:09:16.840 --> 00:09:18.259 So that you walk in obedience. 00:09:19.679 --> 00:09:20.720 Verse 28, he says, 00:09:20.779 --> 00:09:21.759 You shall be my people. 00:09:22.480 --> 00:09:23.600 And I will be your God. 00:09:24.439 --> 00:09:27.139 In perhaps the darkest time in Israel's history, 00:09:27.240 --> 00:09:28.740 when it seemed that all hope had died, 00:09:29.159 --> 00:09:31.759 Ezekiel proclaimed a message of hope. 00:09:31.759 --> 00:09:35.939 That God would one day give his people new hearts. 00:09:36.700 --> 00:09:37.899 Clean hearts. 00:09:38.279 --> 00:09:39.960 Spirit filled hearts. 00:09:41.399 --> 00:09:42.179 You might say, 00:09:42.259 --> 00:09:43.299 Well, that's a nice promise. 00:09:44.139 --> 00:09:45.319 But did it ever happen? 00:09:46.840 --> 00:09:48.840 Well, approximately 70 years later, 00:09:49.379 --> 00:09:52.720 many Israelites did return back to Jerusalem from exile. 00:09:52.840 --> 00:09:54.179 They resettled Jerusalem, 00:09:54.399 --> 00:09:57.519 rebuilt the temple under Ezra and Nehemiah's leadership. 00:09:57.519 --> 00:10:00.740 But that restoration was only partial. 00:10:02.699 --> 00:10:05.039 Jerusalem was later conquered by foreign armies. 00:10:05.659 --> 00:10:07.079 The kingship was never restored. 00:10:07.699 --> 00:10:11.600 The people continued longing for this spiritual renewal 00:10:11.600 --> 00:10:13.740 that they had tasted, 00:10:14.500 --> 00:10:16.980 but not yet experienced in full. 00:10:18.340 --> 00:10:19.899 You know, if you turn to the New Testament, 00:10:20.559 --> 00:10:22.519 the New Testament boldly proclaims 00:10:23.100 --> 00:10:25.600 that Ezekiel's promise was fulfilled 00:10:25.600 --> 00:10:27.860 in the coming of Jesus the Messiah. 00:10:29.480 --> 00:10:30.560 In several places, 00:10:31.480 --> 00:10:33.500 I refer back to this passage. 00:10:33.639 --> 00:10:34.560 John chapter 3, 00:10:35.460 --> 00:10:37.040 Jesus was speaking with Nicodemus, 00:10:37.080 --> 00:10:40.620 one of the Jewish religious leaders at the time. 00:10:41.620 --> 00:10:43.220 And he said to Nicodemus, 00:10:43.620 --> 00:10:44.779 famously, 00:10:45.820 --> 00:10:46.879 You must be born again, 00:10:47.820 --> 00:10:49.040 or born from above, 00:10:49.560 --> 00:10:51.160 in order to see the kingdom of God. 00:10:52.240 --> 00:10:52.840 He said, 00:10:52.920 --> 00:10:55.320 You must be born of water and the Spirit. 00:10:56.500 --> 00:10:57.720 Just like Ezekiel said, 00:10:58.600 --> 00:11:00.480 cleaned out on the inside, 00:11:00.600 --> 00:11:01.340 washed clean, 00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:03.480 and filled with God's Spirit. 00:11:05.240 --> 00:11:05.840 And then he said, 00:11:06.040 --> 00:11:08.460 This is why God sent His only Son into the world, 00:11:09.000 --> 00:11:11.159 so that all who trust in Him 00:11:11.159 --> 00:11:13.480 and believe in Him would have life, 00:11:14.420 --> 00:11:15.240 eternal life, 00:11:15.600 --> 00:11:17.060 implanted in them 00:11:17.060 --> 00:11:19.300 and flowing out from them. 00:11:19.299 --> 00:11:23.539 As Nick read in the beginning of service, 00:11:23.620 --> 00:11:24.219 in the service, 00:11:24.879 --> 00:11:28.240 Jesus promised later in John, 00:11:28.299 --> 00:11:28.500 He said, 00:11:28.599 --> 00:11:29.259 If anyone thirsts, 00:11:29.299 --> 00:11:30.359 let him come to me and drink. 00:11:31.199 --> 00:11:32.519 And whoever believes in me, 00:11:32.879 --> 00:11:34.120 as the Scripture has said, 00:11:34.199 --> 00:11:35.579 out of his heart will flow 00:11:35.579 --> 00:11:38.079 rivers of living water. 00:11:40.759 --> 00:11:41.799 The Apostle Paul 00:11:41.799 --> 00:11:43.719 brings up this theme 00:11:43.719 --> 00:11:45.359 several times in his epistles. 00:11:45.360 --> 00:11:47.600 If you look at 1 Thessalonians, 00:11:48.240 --> 00:11:49.320 Paul says to the church, 00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:49.560 he said, 00:11:49.639 --> 00:11:50.840 You turn to God from idols 00:11:50.840 --> 00:11:53.000 to serve the living and true God. 00:11:53.700 --> 00:11:55.139 You've been cleansed from your idols. 00:11:56.180 --> 00:11:56.639 And then he says, 00:11:56.700 --> 00:11:58.220 God hasn't called us for impurity, 00:11:58.460 --> 00:11:59.500 but for holiness. 00:12:00.080 --> 00:12:01.500 God's called us to be set apart 00:12:01.500 --> 00:12:02.440 as His holy people. 00:12:02.680 --> 00:12:03.419 And then he says, 00:12:04.419 --> 00:12:07.240 God gives His Holy Spirit to you. 00:12:08.539 --> 00:12:10.120 He's cleansed us from our idols. 00:12:10.879 --> 00:12:12.200 He's called us to be holy 00:12:12.200 --> 00:12:14.200 and He's put His Spirit within us. 00:12:15.539 --> 00:12:16.960 He's given us new hearts. 00:12:17.779 --> 00:12:18.860 Or as Titus says, 00:12:19.279 --> 00:12:21.259 He saved us. 00:12:21.580 --> 00:12:23.120 Not according to our own works, 00:12:23.179 --> 00:12:24.460 but according to His own mercy. 00:12:25.720 --> 00:12:26.200 And then he says, 00:12:26.279 --> 00:12:28.139 By the washing of regeneration 00:12:28.139 --> 00:12:30.240 and renewal by the Holy Spirit. 00:12:31.279 --> 00:12:31.860 In other words, 00:12:31.919 --> 00:12:32.899 He's cleaned us out 00:12:32.899 --> 00:12:34.200 and He fills us up. 00:12:34.919 --> 00:12:36.519 And we poured out on us 00:12:36.519 --> 00:12:38.299 through Jesus Christ, our Savior. 00:12:38.299 --> 00:12:43.899 If you look at Ezekiel 36, verse 18, 00:12:45.319 --> 00:12:48.459 Ezekiel speaks about the people 00:12:48.459 --> 00:12:50.159 who had rebelled against the Lord. 00:12:50.240 --> 00:12:50.579 And he said, 00:12:50.759 --> 00:12:52.039 God poured out His wrath 00:12:52.039 --> 00:12:55.179 on His persistently disobedient people 00:12:55.179 --> 00:12:56.439 and sent them into exile. 00:12:57.620 --> 00:12:58.719 But in the New Testament, 00:12:58.919 --> 00:12:59.319 in Titus, 00:12:59.399 --> 00:13:00.519 Titus is saying, 00:13:00.759 --> 00:13:02.039 Now because of what Jesus has done 00:13:02.039 --> 00:13:02.779 on the cross, 00:13:03.099 --> 00:13:04.459 the punishment for our sin 00:13:04.459 --> 00:13:05.240 has been removed. 00:13:05.439 --> 00:13:06.839 And now God has poured out, 00:13:06.840 --> 00:13:07.800 not His wrath, 00:13:08.320 --> 00:13:09.519 not His righteous anger 00:13:09.519 --> 00:13:10.519 against our sin, 00:13:10.600 --> 00:13:12.420 but His Holy Spirit, 00:13:13.080 --> 00:13:13.899 His presence, 00:13:14.019 --> 00:13:14.519 His mercy, 00:13:14.620 --> 00:13:15.280 His grace 00:13:15.280 --> 00:13:18.360 on everyone who turns to Jesus 00:13:18.360 --> 00:13:18.940 as Savior. 00:13:20.820 --> 00:13:22.080 In one more New Testament reference, 00:13:22.200 --> 00:13:23.360 2 Corinthians 3, 3, 00:13:23.480 --> 00:13:24.540 Paul says to the church, 00:13:25.280 --> 00:13:25.580 he says, 00:13:25.639 --> 00:13:26.820 You are a letter from Christ, 00:13:27.920 --> 00:13:28.800 written by the Spirit, 00:13:28.899 --> 00:13:30.040 not on tablets of stone, 00:13:30.120 --> 00:13:33.200 but on tablets of hearts of flesh. 00:13:33.200 --> 00:13:35.640 It's literally what it says. 00:13:36.980 --> 00:13:37.840 Sometimes translated, 00:13:37.980 --> 00:13:38.620 human hearts. 00:13:39.200 --> 00:13:40.840 It's literally hearts of flesh. 00:13:41.340 --> 00:13:43.800 God has given us hearts of flesh, 00:13:44.120 --> 00:13:45.100 new hearts. 00:13:45.940 --> 00:13:48.360 Jesus removes our hearts of stone 00:13:48.360 --> 00:13:50.340 and replaces them with hearts of flesh. 00:13:50.420 --> 00:13:52.120 He gives us a heart transplant, 00:13:53.400 --> 00:13:56.120 a radical change from the inside out. 00:13:56.120 --> 00:13:58.340 Earlier this summer, 00:13:59.159 --> 00:14:00.600 I ran into a guy who I've known 00:14:00.600 --> 00:14:01.600 for over 10 years. 00:14:02.419 --> 00:14:04.159 And for most of the time I've known him, 00:14:04.299 --> 00:14:05.379 his kidneys were failing. 00:14:06.279 --> 00:14:08.299 He was on dialysis three times a week. 00:14:09.259 --> 00:14:10.259 Every time I saw him, 00:14:10.299 --> 00:14:11.000 he was groggy. 00:14:11.560 --> 00:14:12.460 He was weak. 00:14:13.100 --> 00:14:13.840 He was tired. 00:14:14.259 --> 00:14:15.240 He walked slowly. 00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:16.560 He spoke slowly. 00:14:16.700 --> 00:14:17.799 He slept half the day. 00:14:18.060 --> 00:14:19.279 And then after I hadn't seen him 00:14:19.279 --> 00:14:19.899 for a few months, 00:14:19.940 --> 00:14:20.639 I ran into him 00:14:20.639 --> 00:14:22.539 while I was walking this summer. 00:14:23.539 --> 00:14:25.000 He looked like a different man. 00:14:25.659 --> 00:14:26.519 He was energetic. 00:14:27.219 --> 00:14:28.279 He was clear-headed. 00:14:29.240 --> 00:14:30.319 His speech was different. 00:14:30.399 --> 00:14:31.539 He had started exercising. 00:14:31.659 --> 00:14:32.980 He had started working part-time. 00:14:33.039 --> 00:14:34.120 He seemed like a new man. 00:14:34.279 --> 00:14:34.699 And he said, 00:14:34.759 --> 00:14:36.939 I've received a new kidney. 00:14:38.179 --> 00:14:39.319 A kidney transplant. 00:14:40.740 --> 00:14:42.019 Now there was a cost 00:14:42.019 --> 00:14:43.860 to this kidney transplant. 00:14:44.120 --> 00:14:45.379 Someone had sacrificed 00:14:45.379 --> 00:14:47.039 one of their kidneys, 00:14:47.039 --> 00:14:48.779 which was working perfectly well, 00:14:48.919 --> 00:14:50.639 so that his dysfunctional kidney 00:14:50.639 --> 00:14:52.519 could be taken out and replaced. 00:14:52.539 --> 00:14:54.740 And a team, 00:14:54.879 --> 00:14:56.139 a skilled team of surgeons 00:14:56.139 --> 00:14:57.199 and medical assistants 00:14:57.199 --> 00:14:58.480 had carefully taken out 00:14:58.480 --> 00:14:59.779 the dysfunctional kidney 00:14:59.779 --> 00:15:01.679 and replaced it with a new one. 00:15:03.240 --> 00:15:04.360 You see, the Bible says 00:15:04.360 --> 00:15:05.279 that there was a cost 00:15:05.279 --> 00:15:07.919 for God to give us new hearts. 00:15:08.240 --> 00:15:10.199 That Jesus Christ died on the cross 00:15:10.199 --> 00:15:11.159 in our place, 00:15:11.279 --> 00:15:12.360 giving his life, 00:15:13.059 --> 00:15:14.039 pouring out his life 00:15:14.039 --> 00:15:14.980 unto death for us, 00:15:15.259 --> 00:15:16.379 taking the punishment 00:15:16.379 --> 00:15:18.000 that we deserve for our sin, 00:15:18.179 --> 00:15:19.799 so that God might pour 00:15:19.799 --> 00:15:21.639 his Holy Spirit into our hearts. 00:15:21.639 --> 00:15:29.360 God has come in Jesus Christ 00:15:29.360 --> 00:15:31.340 to give us new hearts. 00:15:32.139 --> 00:15:33.580 That's the message of this text. 00:15:33.679 --> 00:15:35.019 It's the hope that we celebrate 00:15:35.019 --> 00:15:35.860 at Christmas. 00:15:35.860 --> 00:15:40.200 And I want to spend the rest of our time 00:15:40.200 --> 00:15:41.620 drawing out some implications 00:15:41.620 --> 00:15:42.600 of this message. 00:15:43.539 --> 00:15:44.940 That God has come in Jesus Christ 00:15:44.940 --> 00:15:46.419 to give us new hearts. 00:15:47.919 --> 00:15:49.639 First, I want to speak to those of you here 00:15:49.639 --> 00:15:50.940 who are not Christians. 00:15:52.240 --> 00:15:54.480 Let me speak to you in two groups. 00:15:54.580 --> 00:15:57.259 First, some of you may be optimists, 00:15:57.919 --> 00:15:59.740 optimistic about change. 00:15:59.740 --> 00:16:02.180 Maybe you have an optimistic view 00:16:02.180 --> 00:16:05.080 of human nature and human progress. 00:16:05.720 --> 00:16:06.899 Maybe you believe that people 00:16:06.899 --> 00:16:07.879 are basically good, 00:16:08.680 --> 00:16:10.919 or that if we look deep within ourselves, 00:16:11.139 --> 00:16:12.680 we can find what we need 00:16:12.680 --> 00:16:14.500 in order to truly change. 00:16:15.500 --> 00:16:16.720 I want to challenge you 00:16:16.720 --> 00:16:19.460 that deep, lasting, heart-level change 00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:22.740 is much harder than many of us think. 00:16:22.740 --> 00:16:24.840 I think we've seen this 00:16:24.840 --> 00:16:26.360 at a broader societal level 00:16:26.360 --> 00:16:28.399 over the last few weeks. 00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:31.600 Some of the deeply entrenched 00:16:31.600 --> 00:16:32.519 racial tensions 00:16:32.519 --> 00:16:34.159 that remain in our country. 00:16:35.139 --> 00:16:37.980 Whether or not the police were justified 00:16:37.980 --> 00:16:39.759 in using lethal force 00:16:39.759 --> 00:16:40.940 in particular cases, 00:16:41.639 --> 00:16:43.320 I think the events of the past few months 00:16:43.320 --> 00:16:44.940 have exposed a long-standing 00:16:44.940 --> 00:16:46.360 lack of reconciliation. 00:16:48.060 --> 00:16:50.399 Racial equality can be expressed 00:16:50.399 --> 00:16:52.320 in principle through laws and systems, 00:16:52.320 --> 00:16:53.940 and it's important to consider 00:16:53.940 --> 00:16:55.879 whether those need to be improved. 00:16:56.420 --> 00:16:57.540 But racial reconciliation 00:16:57.540 --> 00:17:00.420 only happens when people's hearts 00:17:00.420 --> 00:17:02.460 are also turned toward one another. 00:17:03.560 --> 00:17:05.700 We have laws officially 00:17:05.700 --> 00:17:07.140 preventing discrimination 00:17:07.140 --> 00:17:08.680 on the basis of race and class. 00:17:08.759 --> 00:17:10.420 We have a president who is black. 00:17:10.840 --> 00:17:11.779 We live 50 years 00:17:11.779 --> 00:17:13.059 after the Civil Rights Movement 00:17:13.059 --> 00:17:14.500 and 150 years after 00:17:14.500 --> 00:17:15.620 the abolition of slavery, 00:17:15.880 --> 00:17:16.799 but there are still 00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:18.860 deep levels of mistrust. 00:17:20.100 --> 00:17:21.120 Lack of understanding, 00:17:21.119 --> 00:17:22.539 lack of love 00:17:22.539 --> 00:17:25.859 between black and white people 00:17:25.859 --> 00:17:27.719 and other races in the U.S. 00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:29.939 And as a white man, 00:17:30.199 --> 00:17:31.539 I'm tempted to avoid 00:17:31.539 --> 00:17:32.939 cross-cultural conversations 00:17:32.939 --> 00:17:33.719 about race 00:17:33.719 --> 00:17:35.659 because I can feel guilty 00:17:35.659 --> 00:17:36.259 or defensive 00:17:36.259 --> 00:17:38.599 about my own inherited privilege. 00:17:39.719 --> 00:17:40.699 Some of my black brothers 00:17:40.699 --> 00:17:41.739 and sisters in Christ 00:17:41.739 --> 00:17:43.099 wrestle with anger 00:17:43.099 --> 00:17:44.199 or despair 00:17:44.199 --> 00:17:45.019 that their voice 00:17:45.019 --> 00:17:46.419 will not be heard. 00:17:47.019 --> 00:17:48.099 Many of us are afraid 00:17:48.099 --> 00:17:48.959 to speak honestly, 00:17:49.599 --> 00:17:50.500 to listen well, 00:17:51.179 --> 00:17:52.279 to extend ourselves 00:17:52.279 --> 00:17:52.799 toward people 00:17:52.799 --> 00:17:53.419 who are different 00:17:53.419 --> 00:17:54.359 than ourselves 00:17:54.359 --> 00:17:56.319 and who may disagree with us. 00:17:56.759 --> 00:17:57.899 These are all matters 00:17:57.899 --> 00:17:58.459 of the heart. 00:17:59.519 --> 00:18:00.839 And change in these areas 00:18:00.839 --> 00:18:02.459 doesn't come easily. 00:18:04.059 --> 00:18:05.579 To all of us in the church, 00:18:06.519 --> 00:18:07.980 in the midst of troubled times, 00:18:08.219 --> 00:18:09.980 we need to talk with each other, 00:18:10.699 --> 00:18:11.659 listen to each other, 00:18:11.699 --> 00:18:12.480 and most importantly, 00:18:12.579 --> 00:18:14.099 to pray for one another 00:18:14.099 --> 00:18:15.059 that in the midst 00:18:15.059 --> 00:18:17.179 of upheaval and turmoil, 00:18:17.299 --> 00:18:18.119 the church would be 00:18:18.119 --> 00:18:19.219 a place of hope 00:18:19.219 --> 00:18:20.659 and reconciliation 00:18:20.659 --> 00:18:22.959 and representing 00:18:22.959 --> 00:18:23.839 the faithful presence 00:18:23.839 --> 00:18:24.699 of Jesus Christ. 00:18:25.959 --> 00:18:26.399 You know, 00:18:26.399 --> 00:18:27.480 the Bible's very realistic 00:18:27.480 --> 00:18:28.500 about how hard it is 00:18:28.500 --> 00:18:29.359 for us to change. 00:18:30.599 --> 00:18:31.480 I think if you really 00:18:31.480 --> 00:18:32.719 dig in to pursuing 00:18:32.719 --> 00:18:34.199 whether it's racial justice 00:18:34.199 --> 00:18:34.939 and reconciliation 00:18:34.939 --> 00:18:36.980 or combating 00:18:36.980 --> 00:18:40.219 the global sex trafficking trade 00:18:40.219 --> 00:18:42.679 or pick any other issue, 00:18:43.039 --> 00:18:43.899 working with people, 00:18:44.099 --> 00:18:45.759 with drug and alcohol addictions, 00:18:46.839 --> 00:18:48.399 you'll see how entrenched 00:18:48.399 --> 00:18:50.339 our human, 00:18:50.939 --> 00:18:53.259 even self-destructive patterns are. 00:18:55.099 --> 00:18:56.179 How hard it is 00:18:56.179 --> 00:18:56.839 for us to change. 00:18:56.919 --> 00:18:57.819 The Bible recognizes 00:18:57.819 --> 00:18:59.059 both personal sinfulness 00:18:59.059 --> 00:19:00.619 and systemic injustice, 00:19:00.619 --> 00:19:01.679 and it says our hearts 00:19:01.679 --> 00:19:03.259 are part of the problem 00:19:03.259 --> 00:19:05.319 and not the ultimate source 00:19:05.319 --> 00:19:05.959 of the solution. 00:19:07.319 --> 00:19:08.619 The prophet Jeremiah says 00:19:08.619 --> 00:19:09.619 the heart is deceitful 00:19:09.619 --> 00:19:10.799 above all things 00:19:10.799 --> 00:19:11.859 and desperately sick. 00:19:12.559 --> 00:19:13.839 Who can understand it? 00:19:14.099 --> 00:19:16.259 Change is a lot harder 00:19:16.259 --> 00:19:16.919 than we think 00:19:16.919 --> 00:19:19.119 at the level of the heart. 00:19:20.059 --> 00:19:20.500 But you know, 00:19:20.539 --> 00:19:21.599 the Bible also brings us 00:19:21.599 --> 00:19:22.199 good news. 00:19:23.459 --> 00:19:24.619 Maybe you've got to the point 00:19:24.619 --> 00:19:25.899 where you're pessimistic 00:19:25.899 --> 00:19:26.480 about change 00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:27.059 and you don't think 00:19:27.059 --> 00:19:28.119 anyone can change. 00:19:28.939 --> 00:19:29.859 And you're cynical. 00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:32.959 But the Bible says 00:19:32.959 --> 00:19:33.779 God and His grace 00:19:33.779 --> 00:19:34.379 can intervene 00:19:34.379 --> 00:19:35.240 in order to change 00:19:35.240 --> 00:19:36.799 even the hardest heart. 00:19:38.139 --> 00:19:38.819 And I could tell 00:19:38.819 --> 00:19:39.740 a lot of stories here, 00:19:39.799 --> 00:19:40.719 but I'll tell just one. 00:19:41.579 --> 00:19:42.839 There's a rather intense 00:19:42.839 --> 00:19:43.600 YouTube video 00:19:43.600 --> 00:19:44.620 that's been making the round 00:19:44.620 --> 00:19:45.460 since last week 00:19:45.460 --> 00:19:47.100 by a man named David Wood. 00:19:48.160 --> 00:19:48.799 For many years, 00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:49.680 people would have called him 00:19:49.680 --> 00:19:50.140 a psychopath 00:19:50.140 --> 00:19:51.180 or a sociopath. 00:19:52.279 --> 00:19:53.579 He had no feeling 00:19:53.579 --> 00:19:54.740 for anyone else. 00:19:55.680 --> 00:19:56.600 His dog died 00:19:56.600 --> 00:19:57.339 when he was five. 00:19:57.720 --> 00:19:58.720 He felt no sadness. 00:19:59.400 --> 00:20:00.440 His best friend died 00:20:00.440 --> 00:20:01.500 when he was in high school. 00:20:01.960 --> 00:20:02.420 He thought, 00:20:02.660 --> 00:20:03.319 so what? 00:20:04.279 --> 00:20:05.059 At one point, 00:20:05.100 --> 00:20:05.519 he wondered 00:20:05.519 --> 00:20:06.880 if something might be 00:20:06.880 --> 00:20:07.799 wrong with him. 00:20:08.720 --> 00:20:09.700 But then he decided 00:20:09.700 --> 00:20:10.440 that he had evolved 00:20:10.440 --> 00:20:11.639 to a superior state 00:20:11.639 --> 00:20:12.879 compared to the rest 00:20:12.879 --> 00:20:13.440 of humanity. 00:20:14.879 --> 00:20:15.680 So one day, 00:20:15.740 --> 00:20:16.539 he choked his friend 00:20:16.539 --> 00:20:17.460 because of a disagreement. 00:20:18.539 --> 00:20:19.720 He watched his mom's 00:20:19.720 --> 00:20:20.539 boyfriend beat her. 00:20:21.240 --> 00:20:21.799 And though he could 00:20:21.799 --> 00:20:22.440 have defended her, 00:20:22.500 --> 00:20:23.599 he couldn't care less. 00:20:24.599 --> 00:20:24.980 One night, 00:20:25.019 --> 00:20:25.980 he came into the room 00:20:25.980 --> 00:20:27.359 where his dad was sleeping 00:20:27.359 --> 00:20:28.240 and beat him over the head 00:20:28.240 --> 00:20:28.740 with a hammer 00:20:28.740 --> 00:20:30.259 until he almost died. 00:20:31.099 --> 00:20:31.819 He was taken 00:20:31.819 --> 00:20:32.700 to a mental hospital 00:20:32.700 --> 00:20:33.680 and finally to jail. 00:20:34.399 --> 00:20:34.839 In jail, 00:20:34.919 --> 00:20:35.579 he met a Christian 00:20:35.579 --> 00:20:37.059 in his cell 00:20:37.059 --> 00:20:37.759 named Randy. 00:20:38.139 --> 00:20:39.180 who had turned himself 00:20:39.180 --> 00:20:40.680 in after 21 felonies. 00:20:41.839 --> 00:20:42.919 David despised Randy 00:20:42.919 --> 00:20:43.639 and other Christians. 00:20:44.519 --> 00:20:45.440 He teased them 00:20:45.440 --> 00:20:46.500 mercilessly. 00:20:47.259 --> 00:20:47.940 Randy would sometimes 00:20:47.940 --> 00:20:48.819 fast and pray 00:20:48.819 --> 00:20:49.099 for, 00:20:49.559 --> 00:20:50.399 sometimes for several 00:20:50.399 --> 00:20:51.220 days at a time. 00:20:52.440 --> 00:20:52.720 David, 00:20:53.359 --> 00:20:54.259 ever the competitor, 00:20:54.799 --> 00:20:55.799 would go without food 00:20:55.799 --> 00:20:56.779 a day or two longer 00:20:56.779 --> 00:20:58.259 than Randy each time 00:20:58.259 --> 00:20:59.419 to outdo him. 00:21:00.440 --> 00:21:01.200 In order to argue 00:21:01.200 --> 00:21:02.299 against Christian beliefs, 00:21:02.399 --> 00:21:03.159 he started studying 00:21:03.159 --> 00:21:03.579 the Bible. 00:21:05.079 --> 00:21:05.579 One night, 00:21:06.299 --> 00:21:07.180 after he hadn't eaten 00:21:07.180 --> 00:21:07.940 for several days, 00:21:08.019 --> 00:21:08.440 he was reading 00:21:08.440 --> 00:21:09.360 the Gospel of John 00:21:09.360 --> 00:21:11.480 and he read Jesus' words, 00:21:11.560 --> 00:21:12.460 I am the bread of life. 00:21:14.080 --> 00:21:14.720 He had spent 00:21:14.720 --> 00:21:15.279 his whole life 00:21:15.279 --> 00:21:16.299 searching for liberation 00:21:16.299 --> 00:21:17.360 from social norms. 00:21:17.940 --> 00:21:18.779 He was now locked up 00:21:18.779 --> 00:21:19.580 in a jail cell 00:21:19.580 --> 00:21:21.440 and he read, 00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:22.360 you will know the truth 00:21:22.360 --> 00:21:23.960 and the truth 00:21:23.960 --> 00:21:24.700 will set you free. 00:21:26.060 --> 00:21:26.660 His health 00:21:26.660 --> 00:21:27.720 was rapidly declining 00:21:27.720 --> 00:21:28.299 and he wondered 00:21:28.299 --> 00:21:28.940 how much longer 00:21:28.940 --> 00:21:29.940 he could keep this up 00:21:29.940 --> 00:21:30.420 and he read 00:21:30.420 --> 00:21:31.480 Jesus' words, 00:21:31.600 --> 00:21:32.400 I am the resurrection 00:21:32.400 --> 00:21:33.040 and the life. 00:21:34.800 --> 00:21:35.280 He said, 00:21:35.340 --> 00:21:35.740 even for me, 00:21:35.800 --> 00:21:36.360 this was weird. 00:21:37.100 --> 00:21:37.940 This book was talking 00:21:37.940 --> 00:21:38.280 to me. 00:21:39.960 --> 00:21:41.040 After a long process, 00:21:41.200 --> 00:21:41.960 he finally surrendered 00:21:41.960 --> 00:21:42.820 to Jesus Christ. 00:21:42.920 --> 00:21:43.500 He prayed 00:21:43.500 --> 00:21:44.720 one night 00:21:44.720 --> 00:21:45.680 to repent of his sin 00:21:45.680 --> 00:21:47.200 and receive Christ 00:21:47.200 --> 00:21:47.920 into his life. 00:21:49.080 --> 00:21:49.640 And he said, 00:21:49.680 --> 00:21:50.300 when I sat up, 00:21:50.360 --> 00:21:51.320 the entire world 00:21:51.320 --> 00:21:51.940 looked different. 00:21:52.600 --> 00:21:53.280 Like everything 00:21:53.280 --> 00:21:54.259 was a different color. 00:21:55.080 --> 00:21:56.160 For the first time 00:21:56.160 --> 00:21:56.940 in a lot of years, 00:21:56.940 --> 00:21:57.480 I didn't want 00:21:57.480 --> 00:21:58.120 to hurt anyone. 00:21:58.119 --> 00:22:00.419 And I had a strange sense 00:22:00.419 --> 00:22:01.819 that I had somehow 00:22:01.819 --> 00:22:02.539 known the truth 00:22:02.539 --> 00:22:03.179 all along. 00:22:03.899 --> 00:22:04.619 For years, 00:22:04.819 --> 00:22:05.579 I was willing 00:22:05.579 --> 00:22:06.739 to sacrifice everything 00:22:06.739 --> 00:22:07.759 for a freedom 00:22:07.759 --> 00:22:09.000 from external control. 00:22:10.379 --> 00:22:11.419 But now I realize 00:22:11.419 --> 00:22:12.139 that true freedom 00:22:12.139 --> 00:22:12.779 is found 00:22:12.779 --> 00:22:14.159 in not having 00:22:14.159 --> 00:22:14.899 this inclination 00:22:14.899 --> 00:22:15.819 to turn against 00:22:15.819 --> 00:22:16.500 our Creator. 00:22:17.839 --> 00:22:18.739 After I prayed, 00:22:19.299 --> 00:22:19.859 I felt like 00:22:19.859 --> 00:22:20.500 I had been fighting 00:22:20.500 --> 00:22:21.239 my whole life 00:22:21.239 --> 00:22:22.319 and I finally had a chance 00:22:22.319 --> 00:22:23.339 to sit down and rest. 00:22:24.059 --> 00:22:24.839 And that rest 00:22:24.839 --> 00:22:26.259 has never gone away. 00:22:26.259 --> 00:22:28.180 He's now married 00:22:28.180 --> 00:22:29.299 with four kids 00:22:29.299 --> 00:22:30.359 and works for 00:22:30.359 --> 00:22:31.279 a Christian apologetics 00:22:31.279 --> 00:22:31.740 ministry. 00:22:32.319 --> 00:22:33.200 In the conclusion 00:22:33.200 --> 00:22:33.859 of his video, 00:22:34.400 --> 00:22:35.519 he quoted this verse. 00:22:36.319 --> 00:22:37.700 Ezekiel 36, 26. 00:22:38.359 --> 00:22:38.859 I will give you 00:22:38.859 --> 00:22:39.420 a new heart 00:22:39.420 --> 00:22:41.039 and a new spirit 00:22:41.039 --> 00:22:41.980 I will put within you. 00:22:42.420 --> 00:22:43.420 And I will remove 00:22:43.420 --> 00:22:44.180 the heart of stone 00:22:44.180 --> 00:22:44.879 from your flesh 00:22:44.879 --> 00:22:45.299 and give you 00:22:45.299 --> 00:22:46.079 a heart of flesh. 00:22:48.039 --> 00:22:49.299 Have you experienced 00:22:49.299 --> 00:22:50.900 that deep, 00:22:51.299 --> 00:22:51.740 lasting, 00:22:52.079 --> 00:22:53.539 heart-level rest 00:22:53.539 --> 00:22:55.500 that doesn't go away? 00:22:56.259 --> 00:22:57.920 It does not always come 00:22:57.920 --> 00:22:58.660 in such a dramatic 00:22:58.660 --> 00:22:59.619 experience that you 00:22:59.619 --> 00:23:00.500 can point to 00:23:00.500 --> 00:23:01.879 by date and time. 00:23:02.240 --> 00:23:03.279 But Jesus Christ said 00:23:03.279 --> 00:23:03.920 to all who will 00:23:03.920 --> 00:23:04.519 listen to Him, 00:23:04.819 --> 00:23:05.500 come to Me, 00:23:06.480 --> 00:23:07.480 all you who are weary 00:23:07.480 --> 00:23:09.180 and burdened 00:23:09.180 --> 00:23:12.000 by your sin, 00:23:12.359 --> 00:23:13.160 by your shame, 00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:14.059 by your guilt, 00:23:14.379 --> 00:23:15.099 by your fear, 00:23:15.900 --> 00:23:16.839 whatever burdens you, 00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:19.240 and I will give you rest. 00:23:20.299 --> 00:23:20.879 He says, 00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:21.759 my yoke is easy 00:23:21.759 --> 00:23:23.160 and my burden 00:23:23.160 --> 00:23:23.700 is light. 00:23:23.700 --> 00:23:27.080 change is possible 00:23:27.080 --> 00:23:28.539 through the power 00:23:28.539 --> 00:23:28.960 of Jesus. 00:23:29.960 --> 00:23:30.360 Second, 00:23:30.920 --> 00:23:31.920 let me speak to those 00:23:31.920 --> 00:23:32.860 of us who are Christians. 00:23:34.160 --> 00:23:36.259 Let me give three groups. 00:23:36.480 --> 00:23:36.759 First, 00:23:36.819 --> 00:23:37.620 if you're a new Christian, 00:23:37.860 --> 00:23:39.039 if you've recently 00:23:39.039 --> 00:23:40.360 started following Jesus, 00:23:41.319 --> 00:23:42.059 if that's you, 00:23:42.100 --> 00:23:42.840 I want to encourage you 00:23:42.840 --> 00:23:43.440 to rejoice 00:23:43.440 --> 00:23:45.240 in this new heart 00:23:45.240 --> 00:23:46.440 that you've received 00:23:46.440 --> 00:23:46.980 from God. 00:23:48.180 --> 00:23:49.059 Rejoice that Jesus 00:23:49.059 --> 00:23:50.120 has cleaned you out 00:23:50.120 --> 00:23:51.279 of your sin and guilt 00:23:51.279 --> 00:23:52.420 and filled you up 00:23:52.420 --> 00:23:53.379 with the Spirit of God. 00:23:53.460 --> 00:23:54.480 The Apostle Peter says 00:23:54.480 --> 00:23:55.859 according to His great mercy, 00:23:56.299 --> 00:23:56.960 He's caused us 00:23:56.960 --> 00:23:57.879 to be born again 00:23:57.879 --> 00:23:59.700 to a living hope 00:23:59.700 --> 00:24:00.920 through the resurrection 00:24:00.920 --> 00:24:01.720 of Jesus Christ 00:24:01.720 --> 00:24:02.259 from the dead. 00:24:03.440 --> 00:24:04.019 And he says, 00:24:04.059 --> 00:24:04.480 in this, 00:24:05.139 --> 00:24:05.859 you rejoice. 00:24:06.720 --> 00:24:07.379 Though now, 00:24:07.619 --> 00:24:08.579 for a little while, 00:24:08.660 --> 00:24:09.220 you've been grieved 00:24:09.220 --> 00:24:10.240 by various trials, 00:24:10.339 --> 00:24:11.019 but though you haven't 00:24:11.019 --> 00:24:11.399 seen Him, 00:24:11.440 --> 00:24:12.099 you love Him. 00:24:12.579 --> 00:24:13.240 And though you don't 00:24:13.240 --> 00:24:13.759 see Him now, 00:24:13.839 --> 00:24:14.700 you believe in Him 00:24:14.700 --> 00:24:15.319 and rejoice 00:24:15.319 --> 00:24:17.480 with joy inexpressible 00:24:17.480 --> 00:24:19.059 and full of glory. 00:24:19.059 --> 00:24:21.480 As a new believer, 00:24:21.980 --> 00:24:22.899 you might have lots 00:24:22.899 --> 00:24:23.559 of questions 00:24:23.559 --> 00:24:24.700 about the Bible. 00:24:25.339 --> 00:24:26.440 You might feel fearful 00:24:26.440 --> 00:24:27.440 and anxious 00:24:27.440 --> 00:24:28.879 about what lies ahead. 00:24:28.980 --> 00:24:29.579 You might be dealing 00:24:29.579 --> 00:24:30.299 with baggage 00:24:30.299 --> 00:24:31.839 from a messy past. 00:24:32.240 --> 00:24:33.759 God might be convicting you 00:24:33.759 --> 00:24:34.379 and showing you 00:24:34.379 --> 00:24:35.019 all the ways 00:24:35.019 --> 00:24:36.960 that you fall short 00:24:36.960 --> 00:24:38.159 and all the sinful habits 00:24:38.159 --> 00:24:38.679 that you need 00:24:38.679 --> 00:24:39.960 to break free from. 00:24:41.059 --> 00:24:41.960 And you might be wondering, 00:24:42.099 --> 00:24:42.639 how in the world 00:24:42.639 --> 00:24:44.940 will I ever live 00:24:44.940 --> 00:24:45.879 like a good Christian? 00:24:48.240 --> 00:24:48.720 Rejoice. 00:24:49.059 --> 00:24:50.539 Because God has given you 00:24:50.539 --> 00:24:51.480 a new heart. 00:24:52.099 --> 00:24:53.200 And God has poured out 00:24:53.200 --> 00:24:54.019 His Holy Spirit 00:24:54.019 --> 00:24:54.899 into you. 00:24:55.240 --> 00:24:55.899 His favor, 00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:56.480 His mercy, 00:24:56.599 --> 00:24:57.000 His love, 00:24:57.059 --> 00:24:57.599 His grace, 00:24:57.839 --> 00:24:58.559 and that's greater 00:24:58.559 --> 00:24:59.500 than any of those things 00:24:59.500 --> 00:25:00.079 that you're facing. 00:25:01.500 --> 00:25:03.000 It's the best gift of all. 00:25:04.259 --> 00:25:05.359 It's the best reason 00:25:05.359 --> 00:25:06.059 to rejoice. 00:25:06.960 --> 00:25:07.599 Because you have 00:25:07.599 --> 00:25:08.139 a new heart. 00:25:09.579 --> 00:25:11.980 Second group of Christians, 00:25:12.159 --> 00:25:12.859 if you've been a Christian 00:25:12.859 --> 00:25:13.599 for some time 00:25:13.599 --> 00:25:14.659 but you feel stuck, 00:25:16.339 --> 00:25:17.700 the joy you experienced 00:25:17.700 --> 00:25:18.600 when you first believed 00:25:18.600 --> 00:25:19.180 in Christ, 00:25:19.299 --> 00:25:20.200 has faded, 00:25:20.539 --> 00:25:21.900 you're still falling 00:25:21.900 --> 00:25:22.940 into the same old 00:25:22.940 --> 00:25:24.200 sinful and self-destructive 00:25:24.200 --> 00:25:24.660 patterns, 00:25:24.740 --> 00:25:25.460 maybe you wonder 00:25:25.460 --> 00:25:26.980 whether this is even true. 00:25:28.180 --> 00:25:29.440 Do I really have 00:25:29.440 --> 00:25:30.240 a new heart? 00:25:32.680 --> 00:25:33.799 Is God's promise 00:25:33.799 --> 00:25:35.019 true for me? 00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:37.019 Well, think of it this way. 00:25:37.720 --> 00:25:38.840 What the Bible is saying 00:25:38.840 --> 00:25:39.660 is that through the mercy 00:25:39.660 --> 00:25:40.180 of Christ, 00:25:40.259 --> 00:25:41.799 we've had a heart transplant. 00:25:41.799 --> 00:25:44.019 Now, I don't know 00:25:44.019 --> 00:25:44.779 if you've ever had 00:25:44.779 --> 00:25:46.639 any kind of radical surgery, 00:25:47.519 --> 00:25:48.659 but if you've had 00:25:48.659 --> 00:25:49.839 major surgery, 00:25:50.279 --> 00:25:51.039 you don't walk 00:25:51.039 --> 00:25:51.960 out of the hospital 00:25:51.960 --> 00:25:53.180 dancing and jumping 00:25:53.180 --> 00:25:53.839 for joy 00:25:53.839 --> 00:25:54.839 and ready to run 00:25:54.839 --> 00:25:55.299 a marathon. 00:25:56.680 --> 00:25:57.379 More often, 00:25:57.480 --> 00:25:58.559 you go out like Jacob 00:25:58.559 --> 00:25:59.339 after he wrestled 00:25:59.339 --> 00:25:59.839 with the angel 00:25:59.839 --> 00:26:00.460 all night, 00:26:00.779 --> 00:26:01.099 limping. 00:26:02.519 --> 00:26:03.839 And there's a long process 00:26:03.839 --> 00:26:05.099 called recovery 00:26:05.099 --> 00:26:07.139 before you experience 00:26:07.139 --> 00:26:08.240 the full benefits 00:26:08.240 --> 00:26:09.700 of an organ transplant. 00:26:09.700 --> 00:26:12.120 Doctor sends you home. 00:26:13.980 --> 00:26:14.920 Take not an organ 00:26:14.920 --> 00:26:15.440 and say if you have 00:26:15.440 --> 00:26:16.160 a knee replacement, 00:26:16.319 --> 00:26:17.140 doctor sends you home, 00:26:17.200 --> 00:26:18.039 you've got your new knee. 00:26:18.819 --> 00:26:19.720 But then you have to do 00:26:19.720 --> 00:26:20.980 a series of exercises 00:26:20.980 --> 00:26:22.180 over the next several weeks 00:26:22.180 --> 00:26:22.600 and months 00:26:22.600 --> 00:26:23.940 that feel painful 00:26:23.940 --> 00:26:28.059 and hard 00:26:28.059 --> 00:26:30.660 until you gradually 00:26:30.660 --> 00:26:31.559 begin to experience 00:26:31.559 --> 00:26:32.279 the benefits 00:26:32.279 --> 00:26:35.200 of your knee replacement. 00:26:36.220 --> 00:26:37.220 Now, for a Christian, 00:26:37.759 --> 00:26:38.620 spiritually speaking, 00:26:38.619 --> 00:26:40.639 the process of adjusting 00:26:40.639 --> 00:26:43.019 to and living out 00:26:43.019 --> 00:26:44.500 of your new heart 00:26:44.500 --> 00:26:46.739 that God has transplanted 00:26:46.739 --> 00:26:47.139 into you 00:26:47.139 --> 00:26:48.079 by His Holy Spirit, 00:26:48.219 --> 00:26:49.459 that process takes 00:26:49.459 --> 00:26:50.099 a lifetime 00:26:50.099 --> 00:26:52.699 until you die 00:26:52.699 --> 00:26:54.459 or until Jesus comes again. 00:26:55.919 --> 00:26:57.119 Some of us have had, 00:26:57.959 --> 00:26:58.959 many of us have had 00:26:58.959 --> 00:26:59.759 the heart transplant 00:26:59.759 --> 00:27:00.299 from Jesus, 00:27:00.419 --> 00:27:01.419 but we've gotten stalled 00:27:01.419 --> 00:27:02.639 or discouraged somehow 00:27:02.639 --> 00:27:04.739 in the recovery process. 00:27:05.559 --> 00:27:06.579 Sometimes we've stopped 00:27:06.579 --> 00:27:07.819 following the doctor's orders. 00:27:07.819 --> 00:27:10.039 And so we're not experiencing 00:27:10.039 --> 00:27:10.839 anywhere near 00:27:10.839 --> 00:27:12.079 the full benefits 00:27:12.079 --> 00:27:12.980 or not seeming, 00:27:13.039 --> 00:27:13.679 not growing 00:27:13.679 --> 00:27:15.700 in experiencing the benefits 00:27:15.700 --> 00:27:16.859 of the new heart 00:27:16.859 --> 00:27:17.740 He's given us. 00:27:19.000 --> 00:27:19.960 But if you've turned 00:27:19.960 --> 00:27:20.899 to Jesus in faith, 00:27:21.519 --> 00:27:23.000 His promise is still good. 00:27:23.779 --> 00:27:25.099 He's given you a new heart. 00:27:25.579 --> 00:27:26.319 He's implanted 00:27:26.319 --> 00:27:27.299 a new principle 00:27:27.299 --> 00:27:28.480 of spiritual life 00:27:28.480 --> 00:27:29.099 within you. 00:27:29.599 --> 00:27:30.859 He's put His very own 00:27:30.859 --> 00:27:31.839 spirit into you. 00:27:31.939 --> 00:27:33.200 And God doesn't go back 00:27:33.200 --> 00:27:34.379 and do reverse surgeries. 00:27:35.360 --> 00:27:36.520 You have a new nature 00:27:36.520 --> 00:27:38.400 even if you don't feel like it. 00:27:40.740 --> 00:27:41.680 So instead of 00:27:41.680 --> 00:27:42.880 complaining 00:27:42.880 --> 00:27:44.560 that you feel 00:27:44.560 --> 00:27:45.140 just as bad 00:27:45.140 --> 00:27:46.020 as you did before, 00:27:46.920 --> 00:27:47.820 you need to get up 00:27:47.820 --> 00:27:48.380 out of bed 00:27:48.380 --> 00:27:50.060 and do the exercises 00:27:50.060 --> 00:27:50.720 that the doctor 00:27:50.720 --> 00:27:51.200 has ordered 00:27:51.200 --> 00:27:52.620 and stretch yourself 00:27:52.620 --> 00:27:53.300 like the doctor 00:27:53.300 --> 00:27:54.180 has told you to 00:27:54.180 --> 00:27:56.060 because that's the way 00:27:56.060 --> 00:27:56.940 you'll grow stronger. 00:27:58.060 --> 00:27:58.500 That's the way 00:27:58.500 --> 00:27:59.240 to get used to 00:27:59.240 --> 00:27:59.780 and live out 00:27:59.780 --> 00:28:00.680 of that new principle 00:28:00.680 --> 00:28:01.100 of life 00:28:01.100 --> 00:28:01.860 that's been implanted 00:28:01.860 --> 00:28:02.180 in you. 00:28:02.180 --> 00:28:03.620 That's what Peter says 00:28:03.620 --> 00:28:05.759 in his epistle 00:28:05.759 --> 00:28:07.200 continuing that same passage. 00:28:07.299 --> 00:28:07.500 He says, 00:28:07.759 --> 00:28:08.259 prepare your minds 00:28:08.259 --> 00:28:08.900 for action. 00:28:09.460 --> 00:28:10.200 In other words, 00:28:10.320 --> 00:28:11.500 get ready for a fight, 00:28:11.640 --> 00:28:12.480 for a struggle. 00:28:12.680 --> 00:28:13.820 It's not going to be easy 00:28:13.820 --> 00:28:15.000 because you have 00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:15.660 a new nature 00:28:15.660 --> 00:28:16.640 but it's fighting 00:28:16.640 --> 00:28:17.759 against your old nature 00:28:17.759 --> 00:28:18.440 which is hanging 00:28:18.440 --> 00:28:19.140 on to you 00:28:19.140 --> 00:28:22.279 and trying to pull you back. 00:28:22.820 --> 00:28:23.320 But he says, 00:28:23.380 --> 00:28:24.120 set your hope fully 00:28:24.120 --> 00:28:24.860 on the grace 00:28:24.860 --> 00:28:25.920 that will be brought 00:28:25.920 --> 00:28:26.519 to you when Jesus 00:28:26.519 --> 00:28:27.160 comes again. 00:28:28.440 --> 00:28:28.779 He says, 00:28:28.820 --> 00:28:29.920 don't be conformed 00:28:29.920 --> 00:28:31.700 to the passions 00:28:31.700 --> 00:28:32.980 of your former ignorance 00:28:32.980 --> 00:28:34.460 but be holy 00:28:34.460 --> 00:28:35.259 in all that you do. 00:28:36.720 --> 00:28:37.060 He says, 00:28:37.340 --> 00:28:37.820 love one another 00:28:37.820 --> 00:28:38.460 earnestly 00:28:38.460 --> 00:28:40.360 since you've been 00:28:40.360 --> 00:28:40.880 born again 00:28:40.880 --> 00:28:43.080 and like newborn infants 00:28:43.080 --> 00:28:44.539 long for the pure 00:28:44.539 --> 00:28:45.480 spiritual milk 00:28:45.480 --> 00:28:46.800 of God's word 00:28:46.800 --> 00:28:48.240 that by it 00:28:48.240 --> 00:28:48.820 you may grow up 00:28:48.820 --> 00:28:49.480 into salvation. 00:28:50.420 --> 00:28:51.480 So that's what he says. 00:28:51.539 --> 00:28:51.779 He says, 00:28:51.779 --> 00:28:53.400 long for God's word. 00:28:54.660 --> 00:28:55.820 Love one another. 00:28:55.980 --> 00:28:57.340 Take practical steps 00:28:57.340 --> 00:28:58.400 to be involved 00:28:58.400 --> 00:28:59.680 in others' lives. 00:29:01.040 --> 00:29:01.860 Recovery is not 00:29:01.860 --> 00:29:03.180 a solitary process 00:29:03.180 --> 00:29:04.780 as a Christian. 00:29:06.019 --> 00:29:06.660 God's given you 00:29:06.660 --> 00:29:07.220 a new heart. 00:29:07.519 --> 00:29:08.240 He's also given you 00:29:08.240 --> 00:29:08.920 a new community. 00:29:10.080 --> 00:29:11.000 We need to work out 00:29:11.000 --> 00:29:11.700 together what that 00:29:11.700 --> 00:29:12.300 looks like. 00:29:14.280 --> 00:29:15.300 But God's given you 00:29:15.300 --> 00:29:15.880 a new heart. 00:29:16.759 --> 00:29:17.620 So be encouraged. 00:29:18.240 --> 00:29:18.740 Paul says, 00:29:19.180 --> 00:29:20.140 not only has God 00:29:20.140 --> 00:29:21.280 renewed our hearts 00:29:21.280 --> 00:29:22.759 but he also says 00:29:22.759 --> 00:29:23.540 our inner self 00:29:23.540 --> 00:29:24.259 is being renewed 00:29:24.259 --> 00:29:25.200 day by day. 00:29:26.480 --> 00:29:27.060 God gives us 00:29:27.060 --> 00:29:27.540 a new heart 00:29:27.539 --> 00:29:28.539 and then he continues 00:29:28.539 --> 00:29:29.500 renewing us 00:29:29.500 --> 00:29:30.359 by his spirit 00:29:30.359 --> 00:29:31.819 day by day 00:29:31.819 --> 00:29:33.200 by day by day. 00:29:33.279 --> 00:29:33.980 It's an ongoing 00:29:33.980 --> 00:29:35.399 process of his grace 00:29:35.399 --> 00:29:36.019 and mercy 00:29:36.019 --> 00:29:36.680 being poured 00:29:36.680 --> 00:29:37.779 into our lives. 00:29:39.460 --> 00:29:40.220 And our call 00:29:40.220 --> 00:29:40.879 is to work out 00:29:40.879 --> 00:29:41.659 what God 00:29:41.659 --> 00:29:43.180 has worked 00:29:43.180 --> 00:29:43.720 into us. 00:29:44.899 --> 00:29:45.379 Finally, 00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:47.240 let me speak 00:29:47.240 --> 00:29:47.759 to those of you 00:29:47.759 --> 00:29:48.399 who've been Christians 00:29:48.399 --> 00:29:49.180 for some time 00:29:49.180 --> 00:29:50.059 and now you're 00:29:50.059 --> 00:29:50.839 on the homestretch. 00:29:52.039 --> 00:29:52.740 Maybe you're 00:29:52.740 --> 00:29:54.039 in the second half 00:29:54.039 --> 00:29:54.659 of your life, 00:29:55.000 --> 00:29:55.539 perhaps in your 00:29:55.539 --> 00:29:56.259 later years, 00:29:56.480 --> 00:29:57.539 perhaps facing 00:29:57.539 --> 00:29:58.220 health problems 00:29:58.220 --> 00:29:59.059 or other reminders 00:29:59.059 --> 00:30:00.359 that your physical 00:30:00.359 --> 00:30:01.659 body is not as strong 00:30:01.659 --> 00:30:02.859 as it used to be. 00:30:03.559 --> 00:30:04.379 And one day 00:30:04.379 --> 00:30:05.899 we will all die. 00:30:06.799 --> 00:30:07.619 What I want to say 00:30:07.619 --> 00:30:08.359 to you is this. 00:30:09.159 --> 00:30:10.059 The new heart 00:30:10.059 --> 00:30:10.839 that God has given 00:30:10.839 --> 00:30:12.759 you is a prelude. 00:30:13.420 --> 00:30:14.799 It's an anticipation. 00:30:15.759 --> 00:30:17.279 It's the first fruits, 00:30:17.359 --> 00:30:17.980 as the New Testament 00:30:17.980 --> 00:30:18.299 says, 00:30:18.359 --> 00:30:19.319 of God's promise 00:30:19.319 --> 00:30:21.319 of a resurrected body 00:30:21.319 --> 00:30:23.139 and eternal life 00:30:23.140 --> 00:30:24.840 in God's new creation. 00:30:25.840 --> 00:30:26.080 You see, 00:30:26.140 --> 00:30:27.040 the heart of Ezekiel's 00:30:27.040 --> 00:30:28.040 promise in this chapter 00:30:28.040 --> 00:30:28.940 is that God will give 00:30:28.940 --> 00:30:29.940 his people 00:30:29.940 --> 00:30:31.280 new hearts. 00:30:31.820 --> 00:30:32.740 But if you look, 00:30:32.780 --> 00:30:33.520 if you read the rest 00:30:33.520 --> 00:30:34.180 of the chapter, 00:30:35.040 --> 00:30:36.120 what I didn't read, 00:30:37.100 --> 00:30:38.380 even look at verse 29. 00:30:39.100 --> 00:30:40.280 He starts talking about 00:30:40.280 --> 00:30:43.140 the land being restored. 00:30:44.300 --> 00:30:45.560 The land that was desolate 00:30:45.560 --> 00:30:46.320 would one day 00:30:46.320 --> 00:30:47.620 become abundantly fruitful. 00:30:47.740 --> 00:30:48.900 The cities would be inhabited. 00:30:49.080 --> 00:30:50.360 The waste places rebuilt. 00:30:50.700 --> 00:30:51.560 The desolate land 00:30:51.559 --> 00:30:52.220 would become like 00:30:52.220 --> 00:30:53.339 the Garden of Eden. 00:30:54.919 --> 00:30:55.700 And the people 00:30:55.700 --> 00:30:56.259 would multiply 00:30:56.259 --> 00:30:57.119 like a flock. 00:30:57.480 --> 00:30:58.339 It's a promise 00:30:58.339 --> 00:30:59.619 of a new creation. 00:31:00.879 --> 00:31:01.799 Come back next week, 00:31:01.879 --> 00:31:02.559 Pastor Nick will be 00:31:02.559 --> 00:31:03.619 preaching the whole sermon on. 00:31:05.039 --> 00:31:05.720 But the point 00:31:05.720 --> 00:31:06.559 I want to make here 00:31:06.559 --> 00:31:07.899 is that the new heart 00:31:07.899 --> 00:31:09.460 that God has given you 00:31:09.460 --> 00:31:12.440 is the down payment, 00:31:12.559 --> 00:31:13.259 it's the guarantee 00:31:13.259 --> 00:31:15.519 of what he's going to do 00:31:15.519 --> 00:31:16.519 one day 00:31:16.519 --> 00:31:18.139 in making a whole 00:31:18.139 --> 00:31:18.899 new heavens 00:31:18.899 --> 00:31:19.539 and new earth. 00:31:19.539 --> 00:31:23.259 nor will we live 00:31:23.259 --> 00:31:24.099 with Jesus forever. 00:31:25.599 --> 00:31:26.220 The Apostle Paul 00:31:26.220 --> 00:31:27.240 makes this connection. 00:31:28.639 --> 00:31:29.819 2 Corinthians 4, 00:31:29.899 --> 00:31:30.119 he says, 00:31:30.180 --> 00:31:31.240 so we do not lose heart. 00:31:32.200 --> 00:31:33.279 Though our outer self 00:31:33.279 --> 00:31:34.180 is wasting away, 00:31:34.720 --> 00:31:35.700 our inner self 00:31:35.700 --> 00:31:36.379 is being renewed 00:31:36.379 --> 00:31:37.159 day by day. 00:31:37.779 --> 00:31:38.700 For this light, 00:31:39.159 --> 00:31:40.119 momentary affliction 00:31:40.119 --> 00:31:41.879 is preparing for us 00:31:41.879 --> 00:31:42.639 an eternal weight 00:31:42.639 --> 00:31:43.159 of glory 00:31:43.159 --> 00:31:45.099 beyond all comparison. 00:31:45.680 --> 00:31:46.559 As we look not 00:31:46.559 --> 00:31:47.059 to the things 00:31:47.059 --> 00:31:47.639 that are seen 00:31:47.640 --> 00:31:48.320 but to the things 00:31:48.320 --> 00:31:49.060 that are unseen. 00:31:50.180 --> 00:31:51.040 And then he goes on. 00:31:51.820 --> 00:31:52.200 He says, 00:31:52.259 --> 00:31:52.800 for we know 00:31:52.800 --> 00:31:54.400 that if the tent 00:31:54.400 --> 00:31:56.280 that is our earthly home, 00:31:57.220 --> 00:31:58.020 our physical body 00:31:58.020 --> 00:31:59.480 right now is destroyed, 00:31:59.620 --> 00:32:00.160 we have 00:32:00.160 --> 00:32:02.020 a building from God 00:32:02.020 --> 00:32:03.780 that will last. 00:32:03.860 --> 00:32:04.400 A house 00:32:04.400 --> 00:32:05.680 not made with hands, 00:32:05.740 --> 00:32:06.780 eternal in the heavens. 00:32:06.980 --> 00:32:08.040 For in this tent, 00:32:08.980 --> 00:32:09.920 this temporary body, 00:32:09.980 --> 00:32:11.040 in this tent we groan, 00:32:12.100 --> 00:32:13.020 longing to put on 00:32:13.020 --> 00:32:13.900 our heavenly dwelling 00:32:13.900 --> 00:32:14.940 so that what is mortal 00:32:14.940 --> 00:32:16.180 may be swallowed up 00:32:16.180 --> 00:32:17.539 by life. 00:32:19.039 --> 00:32:20.320 And then he says this, 00:32:21.039 --> 00:32:22.220 he who has prepared us 00:32:22.220 --> 00:32:23.180 for this very thing 00:32:23.180 --> 00:32:23.840 is God, 00:32:24.000 --> 00:32:25.299 who has given us 00:32:25.299 --> 00:32:26.320 the Spirit 00:32:26.320 --> 00:32:27.900 as a guarantee. 00:32:29.799 --> 00:32:30.840 God's given you 00:32:30.840 --> 00:32:32.500 his Holy Spirit 00:32:32.500 --> 00:32:34.460 to dwell in you, 00:32:34.620 --> 00:32:36.059 to renew your heart 00:32:36.059 --> 00:32:36.980 day by day 00:32:36.980 --> 00:32:38.840 as a guarantee 00:32:38.840 --> 00:32:39.640 of his promise 00:32:39.640 --> 00:32:40.160 that one day 00:32:40.160 --> 00:32:40.700 he's going to make 00:32:40.700 --> 00:32:41.460 all things new. 00:32:41.460 --> 00:32:44.220 Amen. 00:32:46.079 --> 00:32:47.059 You can say amen. 00:32:47.660 --> 00:32:48.579 We're in a Baptist church. 00:32:49.059 --> 00:32:49.400 It's alright. 00:32:51.559 --> 00:32:53.240 It's worth affirming 00:32:53.240 --> 00:32:54.539 this promise 00:32:54.539 --> 00:32:56.759 of a new creation. 00:32:57.600 --> 00:32:58.299 So brothers and sisters, 00:32:58.779 --> 00:32:59.840 God's given us new hearts, 00:33:00.539 --> 00:33:01.340 cleansed from sin 00:33:01.340 --> 00:33:02.360 and filled with his Spirit 00:33:02.360 --> 00:33:03.360 so that we may know 00:33:03.360 --> 00:33:03.740 that one day 00:33:03.740 --> 00:33:04.640 he'll give us new bodies 00:33:04.640 --> 00:33:05.440 and a new creation 00:33:05.440 --> 00:33:07.120 and it'll be glorious. 00:33:08.240 --> 00:33:09.039 That's the promise 00:33:09.039 --> 00:33:09.819 we hold on to 00:33:09.819 --> 00:33:12.059 in this season of Advent. 00:33:13.259 --> 00:33:13.960 We think about 00:33:13.960 --> 00:33:14.899 anticipating 00:33:14.899 --> 00:33:16.700 the coming of Christ. 00:33:17.599 --> 00:33:18.519 That's the promise 00:33:18.519 --> 00:33:19.839 that we hold on to 00:33:19.839 --> 00:33:21.019 and look forward to. 00:33:21.679 --> 00:33:22.439 That's the hope 00:33:22.439 --> 00:33:23.359 that we have. 00:33:24.119 --> 00:33:24.619 Let's pray. 00:33:32.419 --> 00:33:33.500 Lord, we thank you 00:33:33.500 --> 00:33:38.759 that though 00:33:38.759 --> 00:33:40.339 in our sinfulness 00:33:40.339 --> 00:33:43.259 we cannot 00:33:43.259 --> 00:33:45.099 change ourselves 00:33:45.099 --> 00:33:48.539 in that deep 00:33:48.539 --> 00:33:49.180 and lasting 00:33:49.180 --> 00:33:50.579 and heart level way. 00:33:50.799 --> 00:33:51.500 We thank you 00:33:51.500 --> 00:33:53.680 for sending your son 00:33:53.680 --> 00:33:55.119 Jesus Christ 00:33:55.119 --> 00:33:56.279 so that we might 00:33:56.279 --> 00:33:57.059 have new hearts. 00:33:58.099 --> 00:33:59.140 We thank you 00:33:59.140 --> 00:34:01.000 for his sacrifice, 00:34:01.299 --> 00:34:01.839 for his coming 00:34:01.839 --> 00:34:02.700 into this world 00:34:02.700 --> 00:34:04.160 for his laying down 00:34:04.160 --> 00:34:05.259 his life on the cross, 00:34:06.039 --> 00:34:08.960 for his body broken 00:34:08.960 --> 00:34:10.199 and his blood poured out 00:34:10.199 --> 00:34:12.099 so that we might 00:34:12.099 --> 00:34:14.199 receive life. 00:34:15.920 --> 00:34:16.900 Lord, we thank you 00:34:16.900 --> 00:34:18.900 for your promise 00:34:18.900 --> 00:34:19.300 that one day 00:34:19.300 --> 00:34:19.679 you will come 00:34:19.679 --> 00:34:20.619 and make all things new. 00:34:22.240 --> 00:34:22.860 Lord, we pray 00:34:22.860 --> 00:34:24.260 that you would 00:34:24.260 --> 00:34:25.559 renew our hearts 00:34:25.559 --> 00:34:26.220 day by day. 00:34:27.980 --> 00:34:29.320 We pray that you would 00:34:29.320 --> 00:34:31.300 sustain us 00:34:31.300 --> 00:34:32.039 by your grace. 00:34:36.720 --> 00:34:37.500 In Jesus' name 00:34:37.500 --> 00:34:37.840 we pray. 00:34:39.140 --> 00:34:39.440 Amen. 00:34:43.360 --> 00:34:44.000 Well, this morning 00:34:44.000 --> 00:34:45.039 we come to the Lord's Supper 00:34:45.039 --> 00:34:46.900 where we remember 00:34:46.900 --> 00:34:47.560 the sacrifice 00:34:47.559 --> 00:34:50.159 theatelly sermon 00:34:50.159 --> 00:35:08.019 of Shelby 00:35:12.460 --> 00:35:13.779 that should satu 00:35:13.779 --> 00:35:15.299 replied.