Jesus Cleanses the Hearts of His People, Part 2

Mark 7:1-30

Today’s discussion delves into the heart of our spiritual lives, literally. Pastor Colin challenges the common assumption that our biggest problems come from outside influences. Instead, he highlights how crucial it is to recognise and address our own hearts’ condition to truly follow Christ. Join us as we explore Mark chapter 7 and learn about the transformation offered through Jesus as he cleanses our hearts and what this means for our daily lives.

100:00:00,000 –> 00:00:29,780Welcome to Open the Bible with pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick. Glad you could be200:00:29,780 –> 00:00:35,160with us today and Colin, it sounds like you’re saying that my real problem is me.300:00:35,160 –> 00:00:41,240Well that would be true of all of us and it’s a very important point you know a lot of400:00:41,240 –> 00:00:46,180folks have the idea that, at the heart of Christianity, that it’s all about sins500:00:46,180 –> 00:00:49,980that need to be forgiven. That’s true, but it’s more than that. It’s also about a600:00:49,980 –> 00:00:55,400heart that needs to be changed and if we only think in terms of sins that need to700:00:55,799 –> 00:00:56,720be forgiven,800:00:56,720 –> 00:01:02,880then we’re dealing with the symptom that comes out of a fundamental problem, which is the900:01:02,880 –> 00:01:09,480heart that produces sinful behaviour in various forms and that’s why not only does God say1000:01:09,480 –> 00:01:15,379to us in His great promise, now I will sprinkle water on you and make you clean, there’s cleansing,1100:01:15,379 –> 00:01:20,919but He also says, I will give you a new heart because unless we’re changed from the inside,1200:01:20,919 –> 00:01:25,320we’re never going to be fundamentally different and that change begins now, of course, at1300:01:25,339 –> 00:01:30,080will only be complete in heaven but at the very heart of the gospel is a change of heart.1400:01:30,080 –> 00:01:36,839So let’s get on with that in Mark chapter 7 as we continue the message Jesus cleanses1500:01:36,839 –> 00:01:39,760the hearts of his people. Here’s Colin.1600:01:39,760 –> 00:01:43,360I hope you have the Bible open in front of you because we’re going to see three things1700:01:43,360 –> 00:01:52,839from Mark’s gospel and chapter 7 and the first of them is simply this that if your heart,1800:01:52,839 –> 00:02:03,199if your life is to be cleansed, then you need to begin by measuring your life by the right1900:02:03,199 –> 00:02:07,800standard. And that really seems to me to be the main theme of verses 1-13 and I hope you2000:02:07,800 –> 00:02:12,479have the Bible open so that we can look at it together. You’re going to start if you2100:02:12,479 –> 00:02:18,179were to find cleansing of heart by measuring your life by the right standard.2200:02:18,440 –> 00:02:19,740Now let’s jump in at verse one,2300:02:19,740 –> 00:02:25,300the Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem. We’ve2400:02:25,300 –> 00:02:29,320met these characters before. They gathered around Jesus.2500:02:29,320 –> 00:02:32,179Now straightaway we know that these folks2600:02:32,179 –> 00:02:37,020had already rejected the Lord Jesus. What I want you to notice is that those who had2700:02:37,020 –> 00:02:44,500rejected God’s Son were incredibly religious, and you see that in verse three and in verse2800:02:44,500 –> 00:02:52,820four, they were scrupulous. These folks who had so clearly rejected Jesus about ceremonial2900:02:52,820 –> 00:02:59,100washing of their hands, in verse three, and of cups and of pictures and of kettles, in3000:02:59,100 –> 00:03:05,039verse four, and the Pharisees were scrupulous, the teachers of the law scrupulous about doing3100:03:05,039 –> 00:03:11,899these things because they felt that these ritual washings of hands and feet and cups3200:03:11,899 –> 00:03:19,100and kettles would in some way preserve purity before God, and so they were scrupulous about3300:03:19,100 –> 00:03:24,779these things. Now, I want you to notice what Jesus says to these folks in verse eight.3400:03:24,779 –> 00:03:34,779It is absolutely astonishing. Jesus says to them, you have let go of the commands of God.3500:03:35,500 –> 00:03:39,820You’re just holding to the traditions of men.3600:03:41,500 –> 00:03:46,619Now it’s honestly hard for us really to feel the shock value of these words.3700:03:48,139 –> 00:03:52,779These folks were the custodians of values within the community at the time.3800:03:53,419 –> 00:03:57,580They were the role models of moral behavior. If you were a parent with younger children you3900:03:57,580 –> 00:04:01,660would point to the Pharisees and say these are the kind of guys that you want to be like. That’s4000:04:01,660 –> 00:04:06,940how people thought of those who were moral leaders within the community.4100:04:06,940 –> 00:04:12,860Jesus comes to these exemplary characters as they were perceived to be and Jesus says to them,4200:04:12,860 –> 00:04:16,299you have let go of the commandments of God.4300:04:18,380 –> 00:04:23,260God says to you you’re to love him with all your heart and you are to love your neighbor as4400:04:23,260 –> 00:04:30,619yourself. The very systems that you’ve created and the very practices that you’re4500:04:30,619 –> 00:04:37,100encouraging those who look to you in are mitigating that very commandment of God.4600:04:37,100 –> 00:04:44,380You’ve just set it aside. What a terrifying thing this is to have a religion4700:04:44,380 –> 00:04:51,579that can make you feel good about yourself while you are letting go of the very commandments of God.4800:04:53,100 –> 00:04:56,859Feel, by my religious observance, how righteous I am whereas if you4900:04:56,859 –> 00:05:01,820look at the realities of what’s happening, the real decisions of life, there’s no reflection5000:05:02,779 –> 00:05:06,779of loving God with all your heart and certainly none of loving your neighbor as yourself.5100:05:09,260 –> 00:05:14,380Religion can blind you to the real standard by which God measures our hearts.5200:05:16,059 –> 00:05:19,980And Jesus really nails the Pharisees on this but I got to say as I look at it,5300:05:20,700 –> 00:05:24,859He nails us doesn’t He? He really does!5400:05:27,660 –> 00:05:32,779Now if you’re going to be cleansed, if your life is to be changed in the way that we’re5500:05:32,779 –> 00:05:37,339pursuing in the Scriptures today, here’s where you have to begin. You have to measure your life5600:05:37,339 –> 00:05:44,540by the right standard. And when you do, you will feel your need to be cleansed. You5700:05:44,540 –> 00:05:49,019will feel your need to be changed in a deep inward kind of a way.5800:05:50,859 –> 00:05:54,380And boy if these Pharisees and teachers of the Law had seen that they would have been5900:05:54,380 –> 00:06:00,299falling on their knees before Jesus as we must do today, rather than walking away and condemning6000:06:00,299 –> 00:06:07,339Him. So measure your life by the right standard. There’s the first thing. Here’s the second.6100:06:07,339 –> 00:06:15,820Trace your sin to the right source. Trace your sin to the right source. I want to focus here6200:06:15,820 –> 00:06:23,100especially on verse 15 some very important words of Jesus. Nothing outside a man can make him6300:06:23,100 –> 00:06:30,140unclean by going into him. Rather it is what comes out of a man that makes him6400:06:30,700 –> 00:06:37,420unclean. Now this is a kind of good news bad news kind of a verse. It comes in two parts.6500:06:37,420 –> 00:06:46,380So we’ll take the good news first. Here’s the good news. Nothing outside a man can make him6600:06:47,820 –> 00:06:54,940unclean. I think in our hearts we will want to say amen to that and to thank God for that6700:06:54,940 –> 00:07:04,859because we live honestly in a filthy world and some of us have seen and experienced terrible things.6800:07:07,579 –> 00:07:15,420My father was a policeman and when I was a little boy at that stage in his career he6900:07:15,420 –> 00:07:22,859was a police photographer on the murder squad in the City of Edinburgh. So it was quite regular7000:07:22,859 –> 00:07:26,619during the night when there was a murder he would be called out. You have to have a photographer on7100:07:26,619 –> 00:07:34,140the scene and so forth, and over the years my father saw horrific things. Horrific things.7200:07:34,700 –> 00:07:35,899We’ve often spoken about it.7300:07:38,380 –> 00:07:46,700And the question that arises when you see horrific things, some of you been through this in war,7400:07:48,220 –> 00:07:52,380say what’s that going to do to my soul what I’ve seen?7500:07:54,299 –> 00:07:55,820And what I’ve experienced.7600:07:56,779 –> 00:07:57,179As I have experienced.7700:08:00,859 –> 00:08:07,019And I want to encourage you to hold on to this promise of the Lord Jesus Christ.7800:08:07,019 –> 00:08:11,179As my father held on to this promise of the Lord Jesus Christ.7900:08:11,820 –> 00:08:18,779Nothing outside of a man can make him unclean.8000:08:19,500 –> 00:08:24,779Some of us in this congregation have seen or experienced traumas8100:08:25,739 –> 00:08:32,700that would make your hair stand on end, if you knew it, would make my hair stand on end too.8200:08:35,260 –> 00:08:38,859And I want you to hear these words of the Lord Jesus Christ.8300:08:38,859 –> 00:08:41,580Nothing that is outside of a man.8400:08:42,539 –> 00:08:50,840Nothing that is outside of a woman can make him or her unclean.8500:08:52,340 –> 00:08:57,280The things that you experience may cause you great trauma,8600:08:57,799 –> 00:09:00,359they may cause you years of struggle,8700:09:01,179 –> 00:09:08,059but thank God the things that are outside of you cannot make you unclean.8800:09:08,880 –> 00:09:11,299And then let’s think of it more broadly.8900:09:11,380 –> 00:09:16,739It helps to know this in this world in which we live where9000:09:18,039 –> 00:09:20,940you can’t even watch a good television programme9100:09:21,000 –> 00:09:26,239at seven o’clock in the evening without seeing advertising9200:09:26,260 –> 00:09:30,219that often is materialistic and sensual.9300:09:30,559 –> 00:09:32,659You can’t drive into the city of Chicago9400:09:32,679 –> 00:09:35,419without seeing billboards you really would rather not see.9500:09:35,419 –> 00:09:39,419We just live in an environment where this stuff is around us9600:09:39,900 –> 00:09:43,400and we can’t get away from it we can’t avoid it.9700:09:43,400 –> 00:09:44,799Well thank God for this,9800:09:44,799 –> 00:09:49,599nothing outside a man can make him unclean.9900:09:49,599 –> 00:09:51,739I think that is good news, don’t you?10000:09:51,979 –> 00:09:53,820Thank God for that.10100:09:54,359 –> 00:09:58,460Some of you work in an environment where you hear people blaspheme10200:09:58,520 –> 00:10:00,820and use filthy language all day10300:10:00,919 –> 00:10:04,559and you wonder what effect is this going to have upon me?10400:10:04,640 –> 00:10:06,919Some of you work in a business environment10500:10:06,979 –> 00:10:08,940that’s much more refined and polite10600:10:09,020 –> 00:10:12,359but some of the practices of what is going on there10700:10:12,380 –> 00:10:15,599really make you some days feel absolutely sick10800:10:15,679 –> 00:10:18,940and you need to be able to take to your own mind and heart10900:10:18,940 –> 00:10:21,619this wonderful promise of the Lord Jesus Christ11000:10:21,820 –> 00:10:22,900hold on to this,11100:10:22,940 –> 00:10:27,760nothing outside a man can make him unclean.11200:10:27,760 –> 00:10:30,000That’s the good news.11300:10:30,000 –> 00:10:31,380Thank God for it.11400:10:32,460 –> 00:10:34,119Now here’s the bad news.11500:10:35,380 –> 00:10:36,880Second half of verse 1511600:10:36,880 –> 00:10:44,460It is what comes out of a man that makes him unclean.11700:10:44,460 –> 00:10:47,059And then if you skip to verse 2011800:10:47,059 –> 00:10:49,979you’ll see Jesus expands with his disciples on this point.11900:10:50,000 –> 00:10:52,260He says from within verse 2012000:10:52,260 –> 00:10:58,119Out of men’s hearts come evil thoughts and then12100:10:58,119 –> 00:11:00,679our Lord gives us this depressing12200:11:00,719 –> 00:11:02,700catalogue of vices.12300:11:02,799 –> 00:11:07,940Out of men’s hearts come theft and murder,12400:11:07,940 –> 00:11:12,280adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness12500:11:12,280 –> 00:11:16,200envy, arrogance, slander and folly.12600:11:16,200 –> 00:11:18,419Jesus says all these evils come from where?12700:11:18,419 –> 00:11:20,500From inside!12800:11:20,500 –> 00:11:22,880They come from inside.12900:11:22,880 –> 00:11:27,000And make a man unclean.13000:11:27,000 –> 00:11:28,719Now let’s be absolutely clear about this13100:11:28,719 –> 00:11:31,400Jesus is talking about the general or13200:11:31,440 –> 00:11:34,840universal condition of the human heart.13300:11:34,840 –> 00:11:36,780He is not saying that these evils13400:11:36,780 –> 00:11:38,799are inside bad people.13500:11:38,799 –> 00:11:43,059He is saying that these evils are inside all people.13600:11:44,260 –> 00:11:47,460He is saying that these evils are inside you,13700:11:47,460 –> 00:11:49,919they are inside me.13800:11:49,919 –> 00:11:54,000They may never come out but every one of them13900:11:54,000 –> 00:11:56,539is there in seed form.14000:11:58,380 –> 00:12:00,099So that there is no sin,14100:12:00,119 –> 00:12:03,419that you and I do not have the potential to commit.14200:12:05,679 –> 00:12:07,900Now this teaching of Jesus14300:12:09,099 –> 00:12:12,000is incredibly important14400:12:12,940 –> 00:12:15,780for us in understanding our life in this world.14500:12:15,780 –> 00:12:17,960You see if you’ve understood what Jesus is saying here,14600:12:17,960 –> 00:12:21,780you will realize that the real problem that you face14700:12:21,780 –> 00:12:24,140and the real problem that I face14800:12:24,140 –> 00:12:26,900in living and pursuing a holy life14900:12:26,919 –> 00:12:30,280is not with the advertising or Hollywood15000:12:30,280 –> 00:12:33,820or the television or the internet.15100:12:33,820 –> 00:12:35,260The real problem that you face15200:12:35,260 –> 00:12:38,099and the real problem that I face in pursuing a holy life15300:12:38,099 –> 00:12:40,280is the problem of what’s in our heart.15400:12:41,440 –> 00:12:42,859You’re listening to Open The Bible15500:12:42,859 –> 00:12:45,140with Pastor Colin Smith and our message,15600:12:45,140 –> 00:12:47,859Jesus Cleanses The Hearts of His People.15700:12:47,859 –> 00:12:51,140It’s part of our series, The Gospel According To Jesus15800:12:51,140 –> 00:12:52,900based on the book of Mark.15900:12:52,900 –> 00:12:54,700And if you’ve missed any of the series16000:12:54,700 –> 00:12:56,820or if you’d like to go back and listen again,16100:12:56,820 –> 00:12:59,039you can always do that by coming online16200:12:59,039 –> 00:13:02,460to our website, OpenTheBible.org.uk.16300:13:02,460 –> 00:13:04,219There, you’ll find all the messages16400:13:04,219 –> 00:13:06,119which have already been broadcast.16500:13:06,119 –> 00:13:07,340Back to the message now.16600:13:07,340 –> 00:13:08,700Here’s Colin.16700:13:08,700 –> 00:13:10,380The real problem that you face16800:13:10,380 –> 00:13:12,979and the real problem that I face in pursuing a holy life16900:13:12,979 –> 00:13:15,359is the problem of what’s in our heart.17000:13:16,700 –> 00:13:21,700100 years ago, they didn’t have television,17100:13:22,659 –> 00:13:27,659Hollywood, the internet, but they still had theft,17200:13:27,820 –> 00:13:29,940they still had murder, they still had adultery,17300:13:29,940 –> 00:13:31,419greed, malice, deceit, lewdness,17400:13:31,419 –> 00:13:33,340envy, slander, arrogance, and folly.17500:13:33,340 –> 00:13:34,780So if they didn’t have all these things,17600:13:34,780 –> 00:13:35,940where did it come from?17700:13:37,059 –> 00:13:38,580It came from the heart.17800:13:38,580 –> 00:13:40,179Where does it always come from?17900:13:41,460 –> 00:13:42,400From within.18000:13:44,099 –> 00:13:46,219Which is what Jesus is saying to us.18100:13:48,140 –> 00:13:49,619Now, this is sobering stuff.18200:13:49,619 –> 00:13:51,940And if we’re following Jesus18300:13:51,940 –> 00:13:54,500and therefore embracing his teaching,18400:13:54,500 –> 00:13:56,739it will mean a paradigm shift for some of us18500:13:56,739 –> 00:14:01,520in how we think about what is within our own hearts18600:14:01,520 –> 00:14:03,359and within all hearts.18700:14:04,679 –> 00:14:07,700See, we like to think that we are basically18800:14:07,700 –> 00:14:09,799good people in a bad world.18900:14:12,280 –> 00:14:14,219But what if we are bad people?19000:14:15,900 –> 00:14:18,559What if the bad is within us?19100:14:20,460 –> 00:14:24,820And you see, that is precisely the uncomfortable teaching19200:14:24,820 –> 00:14:27,739of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,19300:14:27,739 –> 00:14:30,080and if you are his follower, you will agree with it19400:14:30,080 –> 00:14:31,580and you will believe it.19500:14:31,580 –> 00:14:33,460You’ll also know it from your own experience19600:14:33,460 –> 00:14:35,119because he’ll have shown it to you.19700:14:36,619 –> 00:14:39,039Now – I mean this applies19800:14:39,039 –> 00:14:40,140in all kinds of ways of life –19900:14:40,140 –> 00:14:43,059let me try and apply this to parents.20000:14:43,059 –> 00:14:44,539For all of us who have the privilege20100:14:44,539 –> 00:14:47,500and the responsibility of raising children,20200:14:47,500 –> 00:14:50,539it is so easy to fall into the idea20300:14:50,539 –> 00:14:52,760that if we can just keep our kids20400:14:52,760 –> 00:14:54,979from the bad stuff out there,20500:14:56,219 –> 00:14:58,080that we will have done what is needed.20600:14:59,619 –> 00:15:02,140But I think the question that Mark 7 raises for us,20700:15:02,140 –> 00:15:04,700the question that Jesus raises for us, is simply this.20800:15:04,700 –> 00:15:08,200What if the bad stuff is already inside your kids?20900:15:08,200 –> 00:15:09,039What then?21000:15:10,679 –> 00:15:12,780A religion of avoiding bad things21100:15:12,780 –> 00:15:16,359then, simply, will not be enough.21200:15:17,820 –> 00:15:22,820I found in my reading this week that Bishop Ryle,21300:15:23,320 –> 00:15:24,599who I’ve quoted a number of times21400:15:24,599 –> 00:15:25,760in his book on Mark’s Gospel,21500:15:25,760 –> 00:15:27,080from which I’m going to quote in a moment,21600:15:27,080 –> 00:15:30,960is back there in the Unlocking The Bible bookstore,21700:15:30,960 –> 00:15:33,359Ryle, writing 150 years ago,21800:15:33,359 –> 00:15:36,340opened up this verse and applied it particularly21900:15:36,340 –> 00:15:38,880to Christian parents, and I read what he said.22000:15:38,880 –> 00:15:41,919I thought, boy, that’s like it was written just yesterday.22100:15:41,919 –> 00:15:43,239So, I want to read this quote to you.22200:15:43,239 –> 00:15:44,520If you want to follow up on it,22300:15:44,520 –> 00:15:46,500you’ll also find it on church’s website.22400:15:46,539 –> 00:15:48,059I put it there because I thought folks22500:15:48,059 –> 00:15:48,900might be interested.22600:15:48,900 –> 00:15:50,500It’s too long to write down,22700:15:50,500 –> 00:15:52,419and you might like to pick up these words.22800:15:52,419 –> 00:15:53,940He quotes verse 20.22900:15:53,940 –> 00:15:55,580This is Bishop Ryle.23000:15:55,580 –> 00:15:58,859What comes out of a man is what makes him unclean.23100:16:00,299 –> 00:16:03,299He says, there is a deep truth in these words23200:16:03,299 –> 00:16:05,299which is frequently overlooked.23300:16:06,799 –> 00:16:11,320Human wickedness is often attributed to bad examples,23400:16:11,320 –> 00:16:16,320bad company, unusual temptations, or snares of the devil,23500:16:17,000 –> 00:16:20,859it seems to be forgotten that everyone carries23600:16:20,859 –> 00:16:23,700a fountain of wickedness within.23700:16:25,000 –> 00:16:27,119We need no bad company to teach us,23800:16:27,119 –> 00:16:30,520and no devil to tempt us in order to run into sin.23900:16:30,520 –> 00:16:35,140We have within us the beginning of every sin under heaven.24000:16:37,080 –> 00:16:38,960Now, if you’ve understood the teaching of Jesus,24100:16:38,960 –> 00:16:40,539you will agree with that.24200:16:40,539 –> 00:16:41,940That’s what Jesus is saying.24300:16:42,880 –> 00:16:46,400You have, and I have within us,24400:16:46,400 –> 00:16:51,400the beginning of every sin under heaven.24500:16:52,179 –> 00:16:53,539If you think there are some things24600:16:53,539 –> 00:16:54,640that are completely beyond you24700:16:54,640 –> 00:16:56,460because you’ve attained a state of righteousness,24800:16:56,460 –> 00:16:59,099then you think that you stand.24900:16:59,099 –> 00:17:01,859You must be very, very careful lest you fall.25000:17:03,140 –> 00:17:05,260And, Ryle says, we ought to remember this then,25100:17:05,260 –> 00:17:07,000that’s that we have the beginning of every sin25200:17:07,000 –> 00:17:09,219under heaven within us in the training25300:17:09,219 –> 00:17:11,339and the education of our children.25400:17:11,579 –> 00:17:14,260In all our management, we must never forget25500:17:14,260 –> 00:17:16,560that the seeds of all mischief and wickedness25600:17:16,560 –> 00:17:18,660are in their hearts.25700:17:18,660 –> 00:17:22,020It is not enough to keep boys and girls at home25800:17:22,020 –> 00:17:25,439and shut out every outward temptation.25900:17:25,439 –> 00:17:29,060They carry within them a heart ready for any sin,26000:17:29,060 –> 00:17:31,459and until that heart is changed,26100:17:31,459 –> 00:17:33,760they are not safe, whatever we do.26200:17:34,979 –> 00:17:37,640When children do wrong, it is a common practice26300:17:37,640 –> 00:17:40,800to lay all the blame on bad companions,26400:17:40,800 –> 00:17:42,540but it is mere ignorance, blindness,26500:17:42,540 –> 00:17:44,140and foolishness to do so.26600:17:45,060 –> 00:17:47,680Bad companions are a great evil, no doubt,26700:17:47,680 –> 00:17:51,099and an evil to be avoided as much as possible.26800:17:51,099 –> 00:17:53,859But no bad companion teaches a boy or girl26900:17:53,859 –> 00:17:56,079half as much sin as their own hearts27000:17:56,079 –> 00:17:57,300will suggest to them27100:17:57,300 –> 00:18:00,420unless they are renewed by the Holy Spirit.27200:18:00,420 –> 00:18:04,260The beginning, says Ryle, of all wickedness is within.27300:18:04,260 –> 00:18:07,380If parents were half as diligent27400:18:07,380 –> 00:18:11,000in praying for their children’s conversion27500:18:11,000 –> 00:18:14,619as they are in keeping them from bad company,27600:18:14,619 –> 00:18:18,479their children would turn out far better than they do.27700:18:20,140 –> 00:18:24,319Now, the teaching of Jesus that we’re trying27800:18:24,319 –> 00:18:26,760to grasp here boils down to this.27900:18:28,420 –> 00:18:31,540The real problem in Christian discipleship28000:18:31,540 –> 00:18:35,560does not lie in the environment, it lies in the heart.28100:18:35,579 –> 00:18:39,160It lies in you, it lies in me.28200:18:39,160 –> 00:18:42,400These evils, they don’t come from outside.28300:18:42,400 –> 00:18:45,260They come from inside.28400:18:47,500 –> 00:18:48,599Now what are we saying here?28500:18:48,599 –> 00:18:52,079We’re saying if we are to be cleansed,28600:18:52,079 –> 00:18:54,719if our hearts are really to be changed,28700:18:54,719 –> 00:18:57,000we have to measure ourselves by the right standard.28800:18:57,000 –> 00:18:58,319Otherwise, we’ll go through life thinking28900:18:58,319 –> 00:19:00,199how religious we all are and we sing these hymns29000:19:00,199 –> 00:19:03,079and we come to church, what good people we really are.29100:19:03,079 –> 00:19:05,180And Jesus says to people who thought like that,29200:19:05,260 –> 00:19:06,959you have let go of the commandments of God,29300:19:06,959 –> 00:19:09,760you’re nowhere near, you don’t really love God,29400:19:09,760 –> 00:19:12,500you don’t really care about other people around you either.29500:19:12,500 –> 00:19:14,380You tie everything up so you can’t even help them29600:19:14,380 –> 00:19:15,920and then you try and put a big smile on29700:19:15,920 –> 00:19:17,979as if you are so righteous about it all.29800:19:19,880 –> 00:19:21,579So you want to measure yourself by the right standard,29900:19:21,579 –> 00:19:24,260then you’ve got to trace your sin to the right source30000:19:25,180 –> 00:19:28,939and when you do that, you’re not going to walk away30100:19:28,939 –> 00:19:32,079from Jesus and say well there was another Sunday in church.30200:19:32,079 –> 00:19:34,300You’re going to say I need a savior30300:19:34,739 –> 00:19:37,859who will change my heart and will protect me30400:19:37,859 –> 00:19:41,079from what is in my heart and enable me to prevail30500:19:41,079 –> 00:19:44,219over the temptations that arise from my heart.30600:19:45,560 –> 00:19:49,780Otherwise I will make a complete mess up of my life30700:19:51,520 –> 00:19:53,959and if you have made a complete mess up of your life,30800:19:53,959 –> 00:19:56,199you’ll be saying I need a Christ30900:19:56,199 –> 00:19:59,839who can deliver me from this and save me from this31000:19:59,839 –> 00:20:02,439and bring me out of this and put me in a new position31100:20:02,439 –> 00:20:04,359where I can actually go on a different track31200:20:04,359 –> 00:20:06,680otherwise I’m just going to stay exactly where I am31300:20:06,680 –> 00:20:08,459and repeat the same old cycles.31400:20:10,119 –> 00:20:12,760So the very last thing to say this morning is simply this,31500:20:12,760 –> 00:20:14,619you measure yourself by the right standard,31600:20:14,619 –> 00:20:16,880you trace your sin to the right source,31700:20:16,880 –> 00:20:20,599you put your trust in the right person31800:20:20,599 –> 00:20:25,359and the right person is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ31900:20:25,359 –> 00:20:28,739and he makes to us two wonderful promises.32000:20:28,739 –> 00:20:30,839He promises to change your heart,32100:20:30,839 –> 00:20:32,160you can’t change your heart32200:20:32,160 –> 00:20:33,540but Jesus Christ can.32300:20:33,540 –> 00:20:35,800Religion won’t change your heart,32400:20:35,800 –> 00:20:38,560being in the programs of the church won’t change your heart32500:20:38,560 –> 00:20:40,439but Jesus Christ can and he will32600:20:40,439 –> 00:20:43,560if you will come to him and you will ask him32700:20:43,560 –> 00:20:45,920and you will submit to him and you will believe him32800:20:45,920 –> 00:20:47,880and you will trust him and you will follow him,32900:20:47,880 –> 00:20:50,140he will change your heart.33000:20:51,560 –> 00:20:53,420But be ready for this,33100:20:54,479 –> 00:20:56,979that if you ask Jesus Christ to change your heart33200:20:56,979 –> 00:20:59,079you’re going to find yourself in a lifelong33300:20:59,079 –> 00:21:01,660conflict with all this stuff33400:21:01,660 –> 00:21:05,420that remains in seed form within you.33500:21:05,420 –> 00:21:09,660So the reality is that either you are at peace with God33600:21:09,660 –> 00:21:13,959and fighting sin, or you are at peace with sin33700:21:13,959 –> 00:21:17,380and if you are that means that you are fighting God.33800:21:17,380 –> 00:21:19,939You will find that you are waging a war33900:21:19,939 –> 00:21:21,959against seeds that are within you34000:21:21,959 –> 00:21:24,060that could easily take you to theft and murder34100:21:24,060 –> 00:21:26,260and adultery and greed and malice and deceit34200:21:26,260 –> 00:21:29,500and lewdness and envy and slander and arrogance and folly.34300:21:29,500 –> 00:21:32,000You’ll be dealing with that stuff all your life34400:21:33,479 –> 00:21:35,859but you’ll have a savior with you34500:21:35,859 –> 00:21:39,119and a desire within your heart to prevail over it.34600:21:39,119 –> 00:21:42,040Thank God for the transformation of conversion.34700:21:42,040 –> 00:21:44,800You move from being at peace with sin34800:21:44,800 –> 00:21:49,680and fighting God to being at peace with God34900:21:49,680 –> 00:21:50,760and fighting sin.35000:21:50,760 –> 00:21:52,680That’s what the transformation35100:21:52,680 –> 00:21:54,479of the new heart really looks like35200:21:54,479 –> 00:21:56,079and you have a desire within you35300:21:56,079 –> 00:21:58,040that Jesus Christ will place within you35400:21:58,099 –> 00:21:59,520and perhaps even now to say,35500:21:59,520 –> 00:22:02,339that’s what I want, Lord Jesus, help me.35600:22:04,560 –> 00:22:06,079Not only will He change your heart35700:22:06,079 –> 00:22:08,079He will cleanse your life.35800:22:09,000 –> 00:22:12,160If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just35900:22:12,160 –> 00:22:14,099and will forgive us our sins.36000:22:14,099 –> 00:22:17,880There’s the first word and cleanse us36100:22:17,880 –> 00:22:20,500from all unrighteousness.36200:22:21,380 –> 00:22:24,660He’ll cleanse you from the inside.36300:22:24,660 –> 00:22:26,239He’ll work through your thoughts36400:22:26,239 –> 00:22:28,000and your heart and your desire36500:22:29,520 –> 00:22:31,920and gradually and progressively36600:22:31,920 –> 00:22:34,479He will renew your very life36700:22:34,479 –> 00:22:36,640and He will do this by the power of His blood.36800:22:36,640 –> 00:22:38,319This is why He died on the cross36900:22:38,319 –> 00:22:41,520and He’ll do it by the presence of the Holy Spirit37000:22:41,520 –> 00:22:45,520in your life washing you and beginning to change you37100:22:45,520 –> 00:22:49,280from the inside out.37200:22:49,280 –> 00:22:54,280Jesus cleanses the hearts of His people37300:22:56,959 –> 00:23:01,520and He’s able to do that for you young, middle-aged, very old,37400:23:02,959 –> 00:23:04,319even today37500:23:04,479 –> 00:23:06,000You’ve been listening to Open the Bible37600:23:06,000 –> 00:23:08,719with Pastor Colin Smith and our message37700:23:08,719 –> 00:23:11,520Jesus Cleanses the Hearts of His People37800:23:11,520 –> 00:23:14,959It’s part of our series The Gospel According to Jesus37900:23:14,959 –> 00:23:16,800and if you’ve missed any of the series38000:23:16,800 –> 00:23:19,760you can always catch up online at our website38100:23:19,760 –> 00:23:21,040openthebible.org.uk38200:23:22,959 –> 00:23:25,760Open the Bible is supported entirely by our listeners38300:23:25,760 –> 00:23:27,760that’s people just like you38400:23:27,760 –> 00:23:30,239and we’re very grateful for the support you give us38500:23:31,040 –> 00:23:34,319If you’re thinking about supporting open the bible in this way38600:23:34,880 –> 00:23:36,479we have an offer for you this month38700:23:37,199 –> 00:23:39,760If you’re able to set up a new direct debit38800:23:39,760 –> 00:23:42,560in the amount of £5 per month or more38900:23:42,560 –> 00:23:45,520or give a one off gift of £50 or more39000:23:45,520 –> 00:23:47,040we’d love to say thank you39100:23:47,040 –> 00:23:50,880by sending you five copies of pastor Colin’s new booklet39200:23:50,880 –> 00:23:52,959What Jesus Says to Skeptics39300:23:52,959 –> 00:23:54,640that’s one copy for you39400:23:54,640 –> 00:23:57,760and four copies to give away to your friends and family39500:23:57,760 –> 00:23:59,439Colin who is this booklet for?39600:24:00,319 –> 00:24:03,760Well people have always had very different reactions to39700:24:03,760 –> 00:24:05,839Jesus some are committed followers39800:24:05,839 –> 00:24:08,400others are hardcore opponents39900:24:08,400 –> 00:24:09,599but there’ll be many people40000:24:09,599 –> 00:24:11,760who are listening to the program today40100:24:11,760 –> 00:24:13,680who would identify with neither of these things40200:24:13,680 –> 00:24:15,520you’re not particularly committed to Jesus40300:24:15,520 –> 00:24:17,359you haven’t rejected him either40400:24:17,359 –> 00:24:19,359you do have questions40500:24:19,359 –> 00:24:20,959and this booklet is for you40600:24:21,599 –> 00:24:23,359and for others listening40700:24:23,359 –> 00:24:25,680there will be a skeptic in your life40800:24:25,680 –> 00:24:28,400there’ll be someone you know and love40900:24:28,400 –> 00:24:29,920who has real questions41000:24:29,920 –> 00:24:32,079they’re not yet committed to Jesus41100:24:32,079 –> 00:24:35,520but this booklet really gives an opportunity41200:24:35,520 –> 00:24:38,880to listen to what Jesus has to say to skeptics41300:24:38,880 –> 00:24:41,680Well we’d love to send you five copies of this booklet41400:24:41,680 –> 00:24:42,800as our way of saying41500:24:42,800 –> 00:24:43,920thank you for setting up41600:24:43,920 –> 00:24:46,239a new regular monthly direct debit41700:24:46,239 –> 00:24:48,640of £5 per month or more41800:24:48,640 –> 00:24:52,000or a one-off gift of £50 or more this month41900:24:52,640 –> 00:24:54,640If you value Pastor Colin’s teaching42000:24:54,640 –> 00:24:56,319on the radio and online42100:24:56,319 –> 00:24:58,160you’ll be helping to keep it here42200:24:58,160 –> 00:25:00,719and to support the work of Open the Bible42300:25:00,719 –> 00:25:03,199full terms and conditions about this offer42400:25:03,199 –> 00:25:04,319are on our website42500:25:04,319 –> 00:25:06,959openthebible.org.uk42600:25:07,680 –> 00:25:10,079For Pastor Colin Smith and Open the Bible42700:25:10,079 –> 00:25:11,040I’m David Pike42800:25:11,040 –> 00:25:14,719and I hope you’ll join us again next time42900:25:15,520 –> 00:25:19,119Spiritual understanding is a gift from God43000:25:19,119 –> 00:25:21,920that comes gradually and progressively43100:25:22,400 –> 00:25:24,640Find out more about the opportunity43200:25:24,640 –> 00:25:26,079that we may be missing43300:25:26,079 –> 00:25:28,640next time on Open the Bible

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Colin Smith

Trustee / Founder and Teaching Pastor

Colin Smith is the Senior Pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. He has authored a number of books, including Heaven, How I Got Here and Heaven, So Near – So Far. Colin is the Founder and Teaching Pastor for Open the Bible. Follow him on X formerly Twitter.

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