Will You Accept A New Heart And A New Mind?

GETTING OVER THE OLD--- ACCEPTING THE NEW? A NEW HEART, NEW MIND ---

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

I. CAN WE EXCUSE SPIRITUAL NEGLECT, CAN WE JUSTIFY OUR NEGLECT OF DUTY?

JEREMIAH KNEW MANY OF MAN'S REAL PROBLEMS ARE ISSUES OF THE HEART...

THE PROBLEM OF THE HEART IS THE HEART OF THE PROBLEM...

A. People seem to develop this great TENDANCY TO DENY, IGNORE, OR EXCUSE their SINFUL

BEHAVIOR...

***DENY: To declare untrue, nonexistent, to refuse

***INGNORE: Refuse to take notice or accept; intentional disregard, cold shoulder

***EXCUSE: Attempt to lessen the blame, attach to blame to another, reason to justify

B. IN THIS GREAT DENIAL PROBLEM THERE EVEN GROWS A TENDANCY OR HABIT OF BLAMING

OTHER PEOPLE, OUR PREDECESSORS AND EVEN GOD FOR THE SIN TRAP WHERE WE HAVE FALLEN.

Luke 14:18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece

of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.

TALK ABOUT THE POWER OF AGREEMENT --- THE ATTITUDE OF OFFERING EXCUSES IS

CONTAGEOUS? --- LIKELY TO TRANSMIT TO ANOTHER...

QUESTION --- WHAT IF ONE NEVER OFFERED EXCUSE? THINK THE OTHERS WOULD HAVE BEEN

SO QUICK TO MAKE AN EXCUSE?

1. BOUGHT LAND? MATERIALISM:

MATERIALISM: Tendency to prefer material possessions and spiritual comfort to SPIRITUAL VALUES...

To justify self: HE HAS ALREADY SEEN THE LAND OR HE IS A FOOL...

2. BOUGHT SOME OXEN: TRANSPORTATION/ BUSINESS

Misplaced priorities, value system twisted.

3. I AM GETTING MARRIED? RELATIONSHIP...

All this is a matter of PRIORITIES and SCHEDULING...

C. First we must accept our INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR SIN...

Then for a sustained MOVE OF GOD IN REVIVAL we must grow a COLLECTIVE or CORPORATE

RESPONSIBILITY...

D. COVENANT: agreement, contract, AGREEMENT BETWEEN GOD AND HIS PEOPLE.

JEREMIAH SAW A NEW MOVE OF GOD... A NEW COVENANT

Jeremiah 31:31 Behold, the days come, 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.

[34] And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, 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.

F. JEREMIAH WAS CLEARLY SEEING AHEAD INTO WHAT WE CALL THE CHURCH AGE...

THIS IS A MESSIANIC PROPHECY FOR US TODAY!

WE CAN BE GOD'S PEOPLE WITH A NEW HEART.... HE WILL BE OUR GOD, WE WILL BE HIS PEOPLE.

II. TOO MANY OF US ARE ALLOWING YESTERDAY TO DEFINE TODAY...

WE HAVE FAILED? WE HAVE MISABLE MISTAKES?

WE HAVE ALLOW OUR EMOTIONS TO HELP US STAY IN A TRAP OF DOOM...

Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away

the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

[27] And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments,

and do them.

[28] And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

[29] I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no

famine upon you.

[30] And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach

of famine among the heathen.

A. WE KNOW THERE ARE MORE THAN ONE STEP TO COME INTO THE COMPLETE RENEWAL GOD

HAS PLANNED FOR US AND OUR FAMILY.

B. Many times God selects one individual to start the work in the whole family...

GIDEON

DEBORAH

STEPHEN

JAILER

C. We must submit our HUMAN WILL and ATTITUDES, our BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS and our THOUGHT

PATTERNS and laid them on the INNER ALTAR.

PLIABLE ... vs hard heart, stubborn

TEACHABLE ... vs know it all, rebellious

III. WHILE WALKING IN A LOW PLACE THE MAN OF GOD HEARS A NEW MESSAGE.