The Heart Wants What the Heart Wants

A young boy once told his mom that he really wanted a puppy, because, he claimed, 'The heart wants what the heart wants!' His mother smiled, recognizing his passion, but gently reminded him of the responsibility that comes with a pet. Similarly, in the Bible, David’s heart led him to seek God’s presence passionately. We are reminded that while our hearts may desire many things, aligning those desires with God’s will brings true fulfillment and joy.

The Heart's Desire: God's Transformative Promise

Bible Passage: Jeremiah 31:29–34, John 1:17

Summary: In Jeremiah 31:29-34, God promises a new covenant where the law will be written on the hearts of His people, transforming their relationship with Him. John 1:17 tells us that grace and truth came through Jesus Christ, emphasizing the fulfillment of this promise through His coming.

Application: These passages encourage believers to reflect on their own desires and priorities, showing that true transformation and fulfillment come not from human effort but from a relationship with God and the grace of Christ. It challenges us to evaluate what our hearts truly want and seek His ways.

Teaching: This sermon teaches that the heart's desires are transformed through God's covenant and the grace provided through Jesus. It stresses the importance of allowing God to change our hearts so that our wants align with His will, resulting in true fulfillment and righteousness.

How this passage could point to Christ: In the broader biblical narrative, Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of the new covenant, which promises a heart transformation. He embodies grace and truth, providing a way for believers to reconcile their desires with God's will, enabling them to love and serve Him genuinely.

Big Idea: The heart's desires must align with God's promises to experience true transformation and fulfillment through the grace of Christ.

Recommended Study: As you prepare this sermon, consider exploring the historical context of the new covenant in Jeremiah and its implications in relation to the first-century Jewish understanding of the law. You might examine the nuances of how 'grace and truth' in John 1:17 relate to the covenant promises, using tools in Logos to dig deeper into the Hebrew and Greek texts. Delve into commentaries that address the heart's role in biblical spirituality, helping you connect the themes of desire and transformation.

1. Perception of Personal Responsibility

Jeremiah 31:29-30

You could begin by discussing how people in Jeremiah's time blamed their forefathers for their own circumstances. This setting illustrates the human tendency to attribute personal problems to external factors rather than acknowledging personal responsibility. By suggesting that each person's heart and choices matter, you invite the audience to reflect on their own hearts' desires and how they might need to align more closely with God's transformative will through Christ's grace.

2. Promise of a New Covenant

Jeremiah 31:31-32

Maybe highlight the contrast between the old covenant, which the people broke, and the promise of a new covenant written on their hearts. This could lead the congregation to understand that external adherence to religious laws is insufficient for true transformation. It's an encouragement to the audience to embrace the internal change made possible through Christ, aligning their desires with God's, which is at the heart of the new covenant promise.

3. Pursuit of Heart-Led Transformation

Jeremiah 31:33-34

You might focus on the intimate relationship God desires with His people under the new covenant, where He will be their God, and they His people. This section emphasizes a heart-led transformation by God, marked by forgiveness and direct knowledge of Him. Consider encouraging listeners to seek a deeper connection with God, embracing the forgiveness and personal relationship made possible through Christ's grace.

4. Provision of Grace and Truth

John 1:17

Perhaps end by connecting the previous covenant promises with the arrival of Jesus, who brings grace and truth. Highlight how this grace through Christ provides the means for the heart transformation promised in Jeremiah. Encourage the audience to rely not on their efforts but on Christ's grace to align their desires with God's will, embodying truth in love.

The Heart Wants What the Heart Wants

Key Verse:

After those days, saith the Lord,

I will put my law in their inward parts,

[And] write it in their hearts;

[And] will be their God,

[And] they shall be my people.

1 The Holy Bible: King James Version. p. Je 31:33

Biblical Context:

Jeremiah, the prophet, has been carrying the burden of proclaiming that Judah needs to turn back to God or they would face judgement from God. God had lead their parents from the land of Egypt, a land of oppression and ridicule. Their hearts were motivated by Love. And when your heart is filled with Love, then it is easier to follow God. When Jeremiah began his prophetic journey, Josiah was the king. He was a godly king and Judah was a prosperous kingdom. At the time of today’s lesson, Jehoiakim is king and he was a godless man, and he did all he could to persecute Jeremiah. He even burned the scroll of Jeremiah’s prophecies. But there comes a point in life when we must be held accountable for our actions. Under the godless king’s leadership, God’s people continued to sin and God could not fulfill the promise of blessing them if they continued down this path. God has a standard for His people and God does not lower the standard for the people, but God transforms the heart. At this point in today’s lesson, Judah is facing the curses mentioned in Deut. 27:13-26. When ever our hearts are no longer in alignment with the will of God, we will certainly head down a path where there are no blessings but curses. Jeremiah who is known for giving gloom and doom messages, today’s lesson is one of hope.

Illustration: A young boy once told his mom that he really wanted a puppy, because, he claimed, 'The heart wants what the heart wants!' His mother smiled, recognizing his passion, but gently reminded him of the responsibility that comes with a pet. Similarly, in the Bible, David’s heart led him to seek God’s presence passionately. We are reminded that while our hearts may desire many things, aligning those desires with God’s will brings true fulfillment and joy.

That is what we want to look at in this mornings lesson.

I. Breaking Generational Cycles (Jeremiah 31:29-30)

29 In those days they shall say no more,

The fathers have eaten a sour grape,

[And] the children’s teeth are set on edge.

30 [But] every one shall die for his own iniquity:

Every man that eateth (PART) the sour grape,

His teeth shall be set on edge.

Observation:

This passage is actually written in poetic style

The Book of Jeremiah is the longest book in the bible because it contains more words than any other book of the bible.

Interpretation:

In those days they...

the writer begins this poem by acknowledging time.

Judah is saying that the time they are experiencing now with this suffering is because of the sins of their parents.

[But] every one shall die for his own iniquity:

Jeremiah says that everyone will be held accountable for their own wrongdoings.

Romans 14:12 [So then] each one of us will give an account of himself to God. 1 New American Standard Bible: 1995 update (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, p. Ro 14:12.

The proverb mentioned is false anyway because when you read the proverb literally they are saying that God is unrighteous.

Application:

When we look at our shortcomings, and we see others and not our selves then we will never break the generational cycle. For a cycle to stop, you have to be intentional about what you are going to do.

Proverbs 22:6 !!Train!! up a child in the way he should go,Even [when] he is old he will not depart from it. 11 New American Standard Bible: 1995 update (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, p. Pr 22:6.

II. The New Covenant’s Internal Transformation (Jeremiah 31:31-33)

31 Behold, the days come (PART), saith the Lord,

[That] I will make a new covenant

With the house of Israel, [and] with the house of Judah:

32 Not according to the covenant [that] I made with their fathers

In the day that I took them by the hand

To bring them out of the land of Egypt;

[Which] my covenant they brake,

[Although] I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:

33 [But] this shall be the covenant [that] I will make with the house of Israel;

After those days, saith the Lord,

I will put my law in their inward parts,

[And] write it in their hearts;

[And] will be their God,

[And] they shall be my people.

Observation:

What got you here won’t keep you here!

Interpretation:

covenant - an agreement between two parties and the consequences are either a blessing or a curse.

Behold, the days come… is used 15 times in the Book of Jeremiah. There are times when it is used in a negative way but here it is used pointing to the future of Judah and Israel.

The Lord says that a new covenant will be made with Judah and Israel, and this new covenant will not be written on stones for you to place in the closet and get dusty but it will be written on their hearts.

Illustration: God is changing their navigation system from a GPS to a Compass

The Lord says that He was a husband to them.

husband: בַּעַל‎ (baʿal). n. masc. husband, master, owner. Refers to the husband as owner or master of the household.1 Blair, T. (2014) “Family,” Lexham Theological Wordbook. Edited by D. Mangum et al. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press (Lexham Bible Reference Series).

When no one else wanted you, I took you into my household. As the husband, I took them by the hand, and I brought them out of Egypt.

God forgives. This means that it is forgotten in the sense of having dealt with it. Even though we have a past, a record of vindictiveness is not kept. I am glad our God is not lot man, vindictive.

Application:

Jeremiah 24:7 ‘I will give them a heart to know Me, [for] I am the Lord; [and] they will be My people, [and] I will be their God, [for] they will return to Me with their whole heart. 11 New American Standard Bible: 1995 update (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, p. Je 24:7.

“A covenant cannot be terminated. It can only be violated.” - Ross Bender

God does a heart transplant. The old heart is stubborn, stale, and sinful. God’s writing on the heart transforms it to a tender, obedient, and willing heart where God can lead. God cannot write a perfect law upon an imperfect heart.

Inward parts - conscience; your thoughts and feelings

Real change occurs in the heart (inward).

III. Grace and Truth through Jesus Christ (Jeremiah 31:34; John 1:17)

34 [And] they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, [and] every man his brother, saying,

!!Know!! the Lord:

[For] they shall all know me,

From the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord:

[For] I will forgive their iniquity,

[And] I will remember their sin no more.

17 [For] the law was given by Moses, but grace [and] truth came by Jesus Christ.

Observation:

This is reference to the covenant of grace (Jesus Christ)

Interpretation:

Part A of Jeremiah 31:34 says [And] they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, [and] every man his brother, saying, !!Know!! the Lord: [For] they shall all know me. Is this saying that once we receive the new covenant of grace that we no longer have to be taught about the LORD?

This is saying that the work of Grace is the beginning. In John 14:26 [But] the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, [and] bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. The Holy Spirit then connects with the inward person and heart. The Spirit shows you your shortcomings and transgressions. And the more the Spirit controls the heart of you, then the more holiness you will desire. When you do wrong, you are shame and sorrowful, and unlike the old covenant where they would go to the priest, now the Spirit would talk to you.

“Christ had to depart so that the Holy Spirit could be imparted”

Promises from God:

Forgive them

Write the laws in their hearts and minds

Reveal himself individually

Application:

Is grace and truth enough to get you to heaven? Some people think they can follow their heart and just do good gestures for people. But each day we are working out our own salvation, and Grace enables our relationship with Jesus Christ. We receive this grace by faith and that allows us to walk with Him and demonstrate from our heart, the true love of God.

🌿 Illustration: The Candle and the Sunrise

Scripture Focus: Jeremiah 31:34 — “And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD’: for they shall all know me.”

There once was a small village that lived in darkness. Every evening, people would light candles to see their way. They depended on the candle makers, the lamp lighters, and those who carried torches. Without them, no one could move safely through the night.

But one morning, something extraordinary happened. The sun began to rise over the hills, flooding the entire village with light. For the first time, every home, every street, and every person could see clearly — not because someone else brought them a candle, but because the light had filled the sky.

From that day forward, no one needed to say, “Come get a candle so you can see.” They all stood in the same light. The sun reached every corner.

💡 Connection:

That’s what God promises in the new covenant. In the past, people depended on priests and prophets to reveal God’s truth — they were like candle bearers in a dark world. But through Christ, God’s Spirit now shines within every believer. His light is no longer confined to a few — it’s poured out on all who believe.

When Jeremiah says, “They shall all know Me,” he’s describing the sunrise of God’s revelation. The day when His Spirit makes His presence known in every heart — when no one needs to say, “Know the Lord,” because the Lord Himself will dwell within His people.

🙏 Reflection Thought:

When the sun rises, candles lose their purpose. When God’s Spirit fills us, we no longer depend solely on others to know Him — we walk in His light personally.

1 The Holy Bible: King James Version. Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (2009). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., p. Jn 1:17.