Untitled Sermon (113)

RESTORATION FOR A WAYWARD HEART.

INTRODUCTION:

THE HEART IS THE CENTER OF LIFE ISSUES. IT’S ONLY THROUGH THE HEART THAT A PERSON REAL CHARACTER IS REVEALED.

Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

THE ONLY ONE WHO IS ABLE TO KNOW THE HEART IS GOD.

THAT’S WHY IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO GUARD OUR HEARTS.

WHAT WE MUST GUARD OUR HEARTS AGAINST ARE THOSE WHO ARE EVIL AND THOSE WHO HAVE EVIL INTENTIONS.

THERE WAS TWENTY FIVE MEN WHO STOOD AT THE DOOR OF GOD’S HOUSE WHO INFLUENCE WAS EVIL UPON THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL.

BUT GOD USED PROPHET EZEKIEL TO PROPHESY AGAINST THE MEN WHO WAS DOING EVIL.

GOD KNOWS HOW TO PROTECT HIS PEOPLE FROM EVIL, EVEN WHEN THERE HEARTS HAVE STRAYED AWAY FROM HIM.

TODAY I LIKE TO TALK ABOUT HOW WILL GOD RESTORE A WAYWARD HEART.

GIVING THEM ONE HEART.

GIVING THE NEW SPIRIT.

REMOVING A STONY HEART.

A. ONE HEART

Ezekiel 11:19 “And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh:”

WHEN GOD GIVES US A NEW HEART IT IS NO LONGER HARDENED BY SIN, HURT, OR EVIL. HE GIVES US A SPIRITUAL HEART THAT WILL EMPOWER US TO KEEP HIS COMMANDS AND WALK IN HIS WAYS.

THE REASON GOD GIVES US A HEART, BECAUSE THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE YOU RECEIVE LOVE AND GIVE LOVE BACK.

GOD WANTS OUR HEARTS SO THAT WE CAN EXPERIENCE HIS LOVE. INTIMACY BEGINS IN THE HEART.

YOU CAN’T BEGIN TO LOVE SOMEONE UNTIL YOU HAVE THE HEART OF GOD.

OUR HEARTS ARE THE CENTER OF OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH GOD. IF GOD DON’T HAVE YOUR HEART IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO GIVE YOU HIS SPIRIT, THE HOLY SPIRIT.

THE HEART IS WHERE YOUR FEELINGS, THE WILL AND EVEN THE INTELLECT ARE. GOD WANTS TO GIVE US ONE HEART FOR THE PURPOSE FOR LIVING UPRIGHT.

Jeremiah 24:7 “And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.”

B NEW SPIRIT

WHAT IS A NEW SPIRIT?

IT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT WILL LIVE IN YOU, AND MAKE IT’S ABODE IN YOU. IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT ANYONE ELSE CAN GIVE YOU, IT ONLY COMES FROM GOD.

IT IS THE NEW BIRTH BY GOD’S SPIRIT. GOD HAD SEEN THAT THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL WAS BEING INFLUENCE BY EVIL SPIRITS AND SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM WAS TO PUT HIS SPIRIT IN THEM.

THOSE WICKED LEADERS WANTED THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL TO LIVE LOOSELY, BECAUSE THEY HAD NO CONSCIENCE OF THE LORD COMING BACK.

SOME OF US LIVE LOOSELY LIKE WE ARE NOT PART OF THE PROMISE, THAT WHEN JESUS COMES BACK WE WILL BE WITH HIM.

WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT LIVES IN YOU HE MAKES YOU HOLY WITHIN, HE TRANSFORM YOUR WAY OF THINKING AND GIVE YOU A GOD CONSCIENCE.

WHEN YOU HAVE A NEW SPIRIT WITHIN YOU, THE MOTIVES OF YOUR HEART IS CORRECT, BECAUSE WHEN IT IS NOT RIGHT THE SPIRIT OF GOD WILL CONVICT YOU.

Psalm 51:10–12 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; And take not thy holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; And uphold me with thy free spirit.”

C. REMOVE STONY HEART.

THE HEART OF STONE SYMBOLIZES A STUBBORN REJECTION OF YAHWEH.

THE STONY HEART IS A HEAVY HEART THAT HAS STRAYED AWAY FROM GOD.

WHEN YOU ARE NOT IN THE PLACE WHERE GOD IS YOUR BECOME COLDER AND COLDER AGAINST GOD’S WORD.

THE LORD’S WORD NO LONGER HAVE THE SAME EFFECTS ON YOU WHEN YOU HAVE DISTANT YOURSELF FROM HIM.

YOU’RE EASY TO BE PERSUADED BY THE THINGS IN THE WORLD IF YOU ARE WALKING AROUND WITH A STONY HEART.

BUT THANKS BE UNTO GOD THAT HE REMOVES THE STONES FROM THE HEART AND LET RIVERS OF LIVING WATERFLOW WITHIN US.

Deuteronomy 5:29 “O that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!”