The Big Picture Sermon Notes - Clover...
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How People Change Part 2 The Big Picture Jeremiah 17:5-10 Thus says the LORD: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. 6 He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. 7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. 8 He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit." 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? 10 "I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds." Only God can see the process of sanctification from beginning to end, how His grace moves us from where we are to where He wants us to be. The Bible invites us to fly above the streets of everyday life to get this panoramic view, to give us a glimpse of what God sees, and to grab hold of the hope that view affords. God wants us to see a… • Broken World – what life in this fallen world is like • Broken People – who we are as fallen human beings • Sovereign Redeemer – who He is as Savior and Lord of all things • Sovereign Plan – how He progressively transforms us by His grace Big Idea: Change is not an event, it’s a process. Jeremiah gives us a picture of how God brings about change in His children. The pattern for change involves four elements which we will consider in more detail over the course of this series: 1. Heat – What is your situation? Jeremiah 17:8 He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit. - these are pressures, trials, temptations that come at us on a daily basis 2. Thorns – How do you react? What do you want and believe? Jeremiah 17:5-6 Thus says the LORD: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. 6 He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.” - this includes fear, anxiety, lust, anger, bitterness, hatred, pride, retribution, avoidance (think all the sin lists): Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. - our sinful responses are born out of deep roots of selfish desires and misguided beliefs 3. Cross – Who is God and what does He say and do in Christ? Jeremiah 17:5,7 Thus says the LORD: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD…7 Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. - He loves us, cares for us, and became one of us to redeem us
Transcript of The Big Picture Sermon Notes - Clover...
How People Change Part 2
The Big Picture Jeremiah 17:5-10 Thus says the LORD: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. 6 He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. 7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. 8 He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit." 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? 10 "I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds." Only God can see the process of sanctification from beginning to end, how His grace moves us from where we are to where He wants us to be. The Bible invites us to fly above the streets of everyday life to get this panoramic view, to give us a glimpse of what God sees, and to grab hold of the hope that view affords. God wants us to see a…
• Broken World – what life in this fallen world is like • Broken People – who we are as fallen human beings • Sovereign Redeemer – who He is as Savior and Lord of all things • Sovereign Plan – how He progressively transforms us by His grace
Big Idea: Change is not an event, it’s a process. Jeremiah gives us a picture of how God brings about change in His children. The pattern for change involves four elements which we will consider in more detail over the course of this series: 1. Heat – What is your situation? Jeremiah 17:8 He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit. - these are pressures, trials, temptations that come at us on a daily basis 2. Thorns – How do you react? What do you want and believe? Jeremiah 17:5-6 Thus says the LORD: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. 6 He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.” - this includes fear, anxiety, lust, anger, bitterness, hatred, pride, retribution, avoidance (think all the sin lists): Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. - our sinful responses are born out of deep roots of selfish desires and misguided beliefs 3. Cross – Who is God and what does He say and do in Christ? Jeremiah 17:5,7 Thus says the LORD: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD…7 Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. - He loves us, cares for us, and became one of us to redeem us
How People Change Part 2 - our thorns became His heat and He responded with flawless love toward us 4. Fruit – How is God calling me to seek Him in repentance and faith? Jeremiah 17:7-8 Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. 8 He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit. - because He loves us and wants the best for us, He has given us his Spirit (=divine nature) which causes us to bear fruit (think all of the virtue lists): Galatians 5:22-25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. - What changes? The gospel changes our hearts. God focuses on our hearts: Jeremiah 17:9-10 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? 10 I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds." Matthew 15:10-20 And he called the people to him and said to them, "Hear and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person." 12 Then the disciples came and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?" 13 He answered, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. 14 Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit." 15 But Peter said to him, "Explain the parable to us." 16 And he said, "Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone." - our fruitful responses are born out of deep roots of God-centered desires and gospel faith - good fruit is grounded in continual repentance and faith How about you? What is your heat? What thorn bush responses are you producing? How does Jesus redeem your thorns? How can you bear fruit in your heat?
