The New Heart – April 19-20, 2026 (155/365) – JB's Personal Brain Defragmenter

from yesterday’s Service

Pre Message Notes:

It was just right for our church members from Thailand to come home and visit – if only to remind us, from a faraway land, that God is good.

It was just right for them to sing out loud, and to lead us singing that we’re trading our sorrows – because, indeed, when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, that’s when our sorrows have been turned into gladness, our pain was turned into joy.

Re: Anthony – Proverbs 3:5-6, adding in Galatians 6; Do not grow weary in trusting in the Lord with all your heart; Do not grow weary in not leaning in your own understanding.

Re: Jardine – The Woman with the mite. Just as the Covenant is for all, so the Law demanded from all. Christ established the New Covenant for all, and paid for all. Thank You Jesus!

Announcements

Recap:

At the Cross (‘when I see the cross I see Freedom’)

Jesus’ Body Afflicted For Our Healing
Jesus’ Body Broken for Wholeness
Jesus’ Blood declaring our Forgiveness
Jesus’ Blood confirming our Righteousness

At the Empty Tomb: (‘when I see that grave I see Jesus’)

Christ rose from the dead, confirming the old has passed away and we are New Creations.
Christ rose from the dead, affirming our faith, and giving power to our testimony.
Christ rose from the dead, so we have hope for the future.

Last week we talked more in detail about how we’ve been made new creations. We talked about how we have a new mind in Christ. It’s a mind that cleaves to the Word of God, consults the Word of God. We have the mind of Christ that both hungers and overflows with the Word of God.

Now we talk about how we don’t just have a renewed mind, but also a New Heart in Christ.

Many of us have prayed, “Lord, renew my mind.” We quote Romans 12:2. We fight negative thoughts. That’s good — but God promises something deeper. He doesn’t just give us new thoughts. He gives us a new heart. A heart that wants what He wants. A heart that feels what He feels. A heart that beats with compassion, obedience, and worship. Today we celebrate that promise fulfilled in Christ.

The Problem — Hearts of Stone & Flint

8 Then the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “Thus says the LORD of hosts:

Execute true justice, Show mercy and compassion Everyone to his brother.

10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, The alien or the poor.

Let none of you plan evil in his heart Against his brother.’

11 “But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. 12 Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the LORD of hosts. Zechariah 7:8-12

Look at Zechariah 7:8-12. God told His people:

Execute true justice
Show mercy and compassion
Do not oppress the vulnerable
Don’t plan evil in your heart

But they “made their hearts like flint” and refused to listen to the Spirit. We were in this condition before Christ. Our hearts were as stone, and we refused to listen to the Spirit.

We know what is right… but our heart doesn’t want it.
We see someone hurting… but compassion doesn’t rise.
We read the Word… but it doesn’t move us.

That’s a heart of stone. Hard. Cold. Self-protecting. It’s the heart we had based on Paul’s statements at the end of Romans 7.

Note: The disciples in John 20 were locked in a room “for fear of the Jews.” Fear had hardened their hearts. Many of us live with locked doors in our hearts too — fear, bitterness, shame, addiction.

Our hearts were locked in fear.

God’s Promise — A New Heart for His Name’s Sake

22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. 23 And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD,” says the Lord GOD, “when I am hallowed in you before their eyes.

24 For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. 28 Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God. 29 I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you. 30 And I will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so that you need never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations. 31 Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations. 32 Not for your sake do I do this,” says the Lord GOD, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel!”Ezekiel 36:22-32

Turn to Ezekiel 36:22-32. This is one of the greatest promises in the Old Testament. God says: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake…” Then He lists what He will do:

Sprinkle clean water on you → you shall be clean
Give you a new heart and new spirit
Take out the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh
Put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes
You will remember your evil ways and loathe them (true repentance)
You will be My people and I will be your God

19 Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God. Ezekiel 11:19-20

Look at Ezekiel 11:19-20 — He repeats it: “I will give them one heart… a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes.” This is not behavior modification. This is heart transplant surgery performed by God Himself.

Once, our hearts were locked by fear.

Now, through Christ, our hearts were freed and set alight by perfect love.

Point 3: The Fulfillment — Jesus Breathes New Life

19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”John 20:19-23

Now watch this promise explode in the New Testament. John 20:19-23 — Same day of resurrection, evening. Disciples are afraid, doors locked. Jesus appears and says:

“Peace be with you… Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” Then He does something only God can do — He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” This is the same breath that created Adam in Genesis 2. This is the same breath that will one day raise our dead bodies. And right here, Jesus is fulfilling Ezekiel’s promise. The Holy Spirit is not just power for ministry. He is the guarantee of our new heart. Because of this: