Lord, Transform My Heart

Ezekiel 36:26–27 NLT

26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.

pray

Confession of Faith

I am not moved by what I see or by what I feel. I am moved by what I believe. I believe the WORD of God!

Intro

God cares deeply for each one of us.

His word reminds us of a promise to spiritually transform and renew his people!

If we ever needed spiritual transformation and renewal, it is now!

There is a spirit of discouragement and distress that is gripping the heart of men and women everywhere!

Many people have lost jobs and businesses!

New strands of the corona virus are appearing frequently.

Loved ones are leaving this earth realm constantly!

For many hopelessness is flooding tour minds! Many are worried what the future will look like!

But even in the midst of these changes God knows whats happening and God Cares!

So today, just like with Ezekiel, The Holy Spirit is directing me to preach a message that offers the brightest of all futures!

A day is coming when we will be spiritually transformed!

A day is coming when we will be spiritually renewed!

The day is coming when we walk in the wonderful blessing of looking more like Jesus Christ!

First God gives the children some tough love!

Ezekiel 36:16–18 NLT

16 Then this further message came to me from the Lord: 17 “Son of man, when the people of Israel were living in their own land, they defiled it by the evil way they lived. To me their conduct was as unclean as a woman’s menstrual cloth. 18 They polluted the land with murder and the worship of idols, so I poured out my fury on them.

The LORD accused the people of being guilty of two shameful sins .

First, the Israelites were as guilty just like the world of defiling the Land.

Down through the centuries, and even today, we break his 2 commandments: To love him with all our hearts , all our soul and all our might

and to love each other as we love ourselves!

Their violence and the focus on false idol’s cover the land with blood and images of false gods.

So God gave them the “bizness”

The Israelites reaped exactly what they sowed. They sowed violence and lawlessness, so they reaped violence at the hands of lawless nations.

Second, the Israelites had profaned God’s holy Name

Ezekiel 36:20–23 NLT

20 But when they were scattered among the nations, they brought shame on my holy name. For the nations said, ‘These are the people of the Lord, but he couldn’t keep them safe in his own land!’ 21 Then I was concerned for my holy name, on which my people brought shame among the nations. 22 “Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations. 23 I will show how holy my great name is—the name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign Lord, then the nations will know that I am the Lord.

Ezekiel mentions this sin five times in these four verses. Bringing Shame to God’s name!

Our sins are causing the world to make fun of, and mock God’s holy Name. Just like the Israelite’s

Just like the Israelites had professed to know God, we say we know God and that our God is the only living and true God.

But when we are punished because of sin - just like them when their land was destroyed and they were exiled, the world makes fun of our claim of who God is!

So the world says - If God was omnipotent, as we say he is - why are we going through so much, why doesn’t he saved us!

Since He didn’t and when he doesn’t save us because of continued sin, the world concludes that God’s claim to be the one true God is false, and now people ridiculed His holy Name.

Now God is deeply concerned about the honor of His Name.

But

God said that He was going to do some wonderful things for the nation.

God said that He was going to transform his people

Now , There are three reasons God said he was going to transform his children and transform our hearts!

First, He will restore his children in order to protect His holy Name

Ezekiel 36:22 NLT

22 “Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations.

God will transform us , not because we deserve it, but because of the mercy and grace of God.

Whatever is done for us in the future will be done because of God’s compassion, not because of our religion, or good works!

Second, God will restore his people and transform our hearts to show the world just how Holy His name is

Ezekiel 36:23 NCV

23 I will prove the holiness of my great name, which has been dishonored among the nations. You have dishonored it among these nations, but the nations will know that I am the Lord when I prove myself holy before their eyes, says the Lord God.

God’s Name is holy, perfectly holy.

His Name is set apart, totally distinct and different from all other names.

I believe - some day in the future He will show how distinct His Name is, for He will demonstrate the awesome power of His Name by doing the impossible.

Third, the LORD will restore his people so that the rest of the world will come to a place where they can only acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour!

The Blessing is that God said He was going to spiritually transform the people

Ezekiel 36:26–27 NLT

26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.

This Happens through Jesus Christ! It Is Jesus who transforms our hearts!

When you allow Jesus to transform your heart He will set you free from the cares of this world and give us spiritual rest!

When you allow Jesus to transform your heart He will will cleanse the people from all their sins

When you allow Jesus to transform your heart God will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you

When you allow Jesus to transform your heart He will put His Spirit in you and move you to want to do right by him!

When you allow Jesus to transform your heart God will put you in a place of peace, security and rest!

When you allow Jesus to transform your heart No longer will you turn against the LORD and turn to people, and temporary pleasures of this world as your gods! You will have permanent relationship with the LORD where you seek him for all things!

When you allow Jesus to transform your heart God will deliver You from the bondage of sin

Ezekiel 36:29 (KJV 1900)

29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses:

When you allow Jesus to transform your heart God will make sure you never again endure will have to depend on others for food, for He will ensure your prosperity

When you allow Jesus to transform your heart He will give you a strong testimony - to witness to others about his amazing power and love!

When you allow Jesus to transform your heart -through you will make sure other people know that he alone is the True and Living God!

We are talking about a transformation in our hearts!

Having a spiritual transformation.

When we truly trust Christ, He cleanses our hearts by forgiving our sins and giving us a new spirit.

He does just what He says in this Scripture:

Jesus restores us to Himself.

Jesus cleanses us from all sin.

Jesus gives us a new heart and a new spirit.

Jesus puts His precious Holy Spirit within us, making our bodies His temple.

Jesus gives us an inheritance in the promised land of heaven.

Jesus claims us as His people, and God becomes our God.

Jesus delivers us from all the bondage's of sin and unclean behavior.

Jesus that meets all our needs of life

Jesus causes us to remember and hate our former sins.

Jesus works through us to rebuild our nations and cities in the image of righteousness.

Jesus makes us a strong testimony to His amazing power.

Jesus uses our testimony to lead others to acknowledge Him as the only true and living God.

Jesus hears and grants our pleas and prayers.

Jesus promises to multiply the population of believers. Jesus uses our testimonies to encourage other believers to walk more closely with Him and to grow in the knowledge of Him.

All the promises that God originally gave Israel through the prophet Ezekiel apply to true believers, no matter what their nationality.

When we truly trust the LORD, He spiritually transforms us.

John 1:12–13 NLT

12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT

17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

1 Peter 1:23 NLT

23 For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.

Isaiah 40:31 NKJV

31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

This all happens when Jesus Transforms your Heart!

God Bless You And Keep You as You Go Through Your Transformation!