What Is Written on Your Heart

Carter Conlon from the historic Times Square Church in New York City as he was erasing all things were written on my heart and he was writing something new.

The Holy Spirit putting my heart, a new desire. I want to be used of God.

I want my lips turned that's Carter, from Times Square Church in New York City with a preview of a message titled what is written on your heart glad you're with us today on a call divination Carter takes us to Jeremiah 31 to explain how God gives us the desire to do things we never considered before the law of God becomes part of our character. Here's Carter, with today's message you tired of being where you are, you know what you should be but you can't seem to find the strength to get there in your weary you want to be a believer in Christ. Or maybe you are already a believer but your not free and you're very very tired of of this this inner battle in your mind and your heart you know what kind of a life you should be living how you should be giving to others.

You should be an honest employer should be a loyal father and husband suchlike. And you know what you should do but you.

You can find the strength to do it and you're tired of where you are and you want to get out. So if you go with me to the book of Jeremiah chapter 31. That's where were going to begin what is written on your heart.

Jeremiah chapter 31 beginning at verse 31 behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord.

I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. And I will be their God and they shall be my people know more, shall every man teach his neighbor and every man his brother say know the Lord, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity and the sin will I remember no more.

What an incredible passage of Scripture God says I'm going to make a new covenant with my people. In this case it's Israel. But it does have an application as well to you and I who are the Church of Jesus Christ his body on the earth now in those days when God brought his people out of captivity. He gave them. In a sense, rules, laws to obey so that they would be godly. This is under to make this as simple as I can.

I want you to be these kind of people. So he actually wrote the law. The first part of that law course was the 10 Commandments, and he wrote those commitments on tables of stone, they were visible, but they were outside of our humanness or the humanness of the people at the time this is what I want you to be is my people.

I want you to be honest I want you to have no other gods before me.

I don't want you to commit adultery. I don't want you to kill it, only to hate. I want you to be just paraphrasing but me know what you to be a forgiving people.

I don't want you to covet your neighbor's goods.

I want you to be truthful and only to bear false witness against your neighbor so that this is what I'm asking you to be. I will be God to you. As he said through germ I'll be your husband.

You can be my bride, but this is the kind of a bride. I want this is the kind of a people live I want in the earth. Paul the apostle speaks in Romans chapter 7 of I call it the old covenant dilemma we saw outside of ourselves, in the sense that this law. This requirement, the Godhead of us to be his people, and yet there was an inability inside of us to perform it. Paul says in Romans seven chapter 7 beginning at verse 14.

This is, I know the law is spiritual, but I'm carnal, sold under sin for what I'm doing. I do not understand but what I will to do that. I do not practice what I hate that I do's and if it ever lived there blitzing on you know I've been there and and and you been there before I came to Christ, I can tell you the numbers of times the midnight on New Year's Eve I made promises that I know who I made them to.

I wasn't a believer so God was nearing my first back then but I promise myself I'm going to be better this number to do better that I'm going to change this and change that and just like Paul said, I kind of knew what to do.

I had an inner knowledge of may put it this way. What God requires of us. Thursday we all do world made in the image of God in the presence of God is is literally on the presence and in the world. So we have this kind of innate understanding of what were kind of people we are to be, but I couldn't perform it. It was so discouraging you have to wait another year to make promises all over again. He still couldn't perform those pieces. The laws spiritual, but I'm carnal on sold under sin.

What I'm doing.

I don't understand but what I want to do. I don't practice and what I hate that I do if then he says in verse 16. I do what I will need to not to do.

I agree with the law that it is.

It is good but now it's no longer I who do it, but soon the trolls and me, for I know Paul says that it in me that is in my flesh.

Nothing good dwells. Further, will is present at the numbers I want to do right, and I'm speaking to people you don't want to be where you are. You want to be in another place and you don't want to do what you're doing you tired of the depression you're tired of the drugs you're tired of the alcohol you're tired of the adultery of tired of the pornography you tired of the addictions you tired of your own speech you tired of the way your mind works you. You're just tired of the this constant war inside against the ways of God and you want out. But how to perform that which is good is is I just don't know how to do it for the good that I will to do. I do not do, but the evil that I will not to do that I practice pulses.

Now if I do that which I will not to do. It's no longer I who do it, but soon the dwells in me. I find then a law that evil is present with me the one who wills to to good for I delight in the law of God according to the inward man but I see another law in my members warning against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members that he concludes by saying, O wretched man that I am who will deliver me from this body of death. And thank God for verse 25 verses. I think God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So with my mind I serve the law of God with the flesh the law of sin pulses I I'm just so fed up. Now he's speaking of the human condition in Romans seven I'm just so fed up of wanting to do good, but not finding the ability to do it. I'm tired of this. I'm tired of this. I want to be good. I want to be godly.

I want to live life the way that God says that life should be lived. So how is this going to happen in my life.

See pulses. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ my Lord. Now remember the promise God made through Jeremiah is there's a day coming when the law will no longer be outside of you, the rules in the sense for this, the things that you know you said it wouldn't no longer be outside, but I will come in is that I will write them on the table of your heart, that's incredible. The only way I can explain this is when we come to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. The third person of God the Holy Spirit of God comes and takes up residence inside this earth and body and what he begins to do as he brings an eraser lest I know I'm on I'm imagining this, but that's the way my mind works I will have to go with me on this one and he starts to erase the former things, it's on our heart. Vengeance grievances old experiences, we can't forgive old habits. We can't break old comforts that promise comfort, but they don't comfort any starts erasing these things off of our heart, and he starts writing. The law of God on our hearts.

In essence, the law of God becomes part of our character.

We no longer are trying to obey God. Just out of the sheer force of human will, because pulses we can't obey God. That way, but we begin to have this innate desire in our lives. But God places there to do things but we never considered before it becomes part of our character. So in other words were not fighting against our nature to do it any longer, it becomes our nature actually to do these things to give you an example.

I was a brand-new believer in Christ, and I was so excited about God, about this new life that God was was giving me an II just I love the word of God and and and I was delighting myself in the word of God. I started drinking during whiskey when I was 13 and not a very good thing to do for young people but that's what I did and on a regular basis.

Might I add an now I'm in my 20s on 24 of come to Christ and I'm still drinking at night. I don't even see a problem with that. I guy I see a problem with drunkenness, but I don't see a problem with drinking and no I never heard a sermon on this topic at any time.

Nobody ever spoken member. He said nobody left the teacher anymore. You will know God for yourself some of her own. On the way home I worked the night shift on in uniform.

I going to this restaurant the way home that had the best bacon and eggs and ham and home fries in the entire country as far as I'm concerned, so I ordered my regular breakfast on the way home and ordered a beer and I took out my Bible so I got bacon, eggs, Bible and beer on the table all at the same time and I'm reading and I'm just so excited about the word of God that I have a sip of beer and and take them to the eggs in the libido home fries. I didn't see any any any problem with any of this. And then I started reading the word of God and that day I'm reading where the angel came to Zechariah and Elizabeth and said you going to have a son in this son is going to be there.

The forerunner decries the course we know was John the Baptist in the Scripture says he's going to turn many people away from iniquity and turn them towards living for God, then the Scripture said and why will not touch his lips raising. I was sitting there at the table thinking I want to be used of God that I don't have any skills that I couldn't speak in front of people I I was in the preacher number in the Bible school and just starting to learn the Scriptures by myself. I'm already working averting a family in my minus it's too late to go back and be taught in college. Some of the things that I'm speaking about today. But the promise was you'll start to write is low in your heart and God himself by the Spirit will teach you and you will give you your desires. You know the Scripture says in Psalm 37 verse four is his delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart and I see that two ways there godly desires. When you delight yourself in God that he will actually grant you.

But you also give you the desires, new desires, you delight yourself in God. This would happen to be that morning, a delighted myself and God and he gave me a new desire that I didn't have. I never had the desire to stop drinking I did. I just didn't. I didn't see any problem with it had the desire to not get drunk but I had. I didn't have the desire to stop drinking. But that morning I read the word of God that God was going to cause a man to be born in this man would turn many to Christ.

Turn many to the ways of God and one of the qualifications of this man is that wine would never touch his lips, and I remember think I was sitting there saying God I want to be used of you. I want I want to be out where I am and into where you're taking me to and I don't want anything in my life.

It's going to hinder that purpose. You see he was erasing the deal.

Things were written on my heart and he was writing something new on my heart that's that's what was happening that he was writing his law on the table of my heart and sort.

Nobody said don't do this or you're getting into the was no big gray morning. I'd actually never heard a message on. But the Holy Spirit putting my heart, a new desire. I want to be used of God. I want my lips to turn people to Christ and I remember when I read it. I reached out I put my hand on the glass of beer. I posted across the table. That's 42 years ago. I've never touched it since it had no desire to touch it at any time and God has used my lips to bring people into himself. He put this new desire.

You see if you're still under the law reading on these tables of stone out there. Thou shalt not be a drunk, thou shalt not drinking so you're spending your whole time fighting not to do something, but the desire inside is still to do it know God is able to do it a different way I'm going to give you a new heart and a new spirit I knew life I knew a new future new gifting's of God. I'm going to take you places you could never go and give you things you could never possess. I'm asking of you is delight yourself in the and I will give you new desires for your heart. And then I will fulfill them. Not that a lot of people over the years and it troubles me that Christian people want to go back to drinking under some guys of this is our newfound freedom in Christ. No, it's not freedom in Christ and honestly I've seen a lot of really good Christians turned back to alcohol.

I don't know hardly any of them that are walking with God today and I've been at this a long time, new heart, new desires desire. He'll put in your heart a desire to to forgive and it will be in your heart. It will be, not outside of you is God asking you to perform it without the strength to do it. It will be through Christ through the spirit of God. That's why the Scripture tells us for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death coming to Christ and the Holy Spirit now coming into my life. He has given me new desires. He has not only given me the desire has given me the power to walk in this newness of life. If the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead beat in you, he will raise Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal body.

God will give you strength that you don't naturally have on your part. What does he require asked for it. I want to live for you, Lord, I want to serve you. I want my life to count. I don't want to live I will like to see how close I can get to the fire without getting burned close to the throne of God by going to have the power to be given for the sake of others. I want send Susan every day. I want to see the strength of my God is given to me in the word of God to serve you.

God I want to live you want to walk with you and I want to be used of you as a healing for the sake of others is a key to unlock your prison door is a salve that will give their eyesight to see their way out of their present blindness.

Jesus Christ said a tree is known by its fruits. And out of the treasure of a good heart the mouth will start to speak and this is what God will do if you would let him write his law upon your heart, your your mouthful start to agree with the ways of God. You will start to speak about yourself what God is speaking, not an addict anymore. I'm an evangelist I'm not trying, not destined to live my life in captivity. Not only am I going to be free. I'm going to take turns with me in the freedom you start speaking what God is speaking and you do it as you allow him to write his law on your heart on the day of Pentecost. There was 120 people would really, really tried their best to serve God. They tried John. John had his head on on the very heart of Jesus listening to his heartbeat, loving him but one when push came to shove he fled from the garden naked Peter wanted to fight to the death, but he ran out again as he rented a natural strengthen and exilic Paula thing I wanted to do. I ended up a tower and I ended up dying under Christ. Even to a little girl around a bonfire.

The cards to stand and tell a little girl that yes I am a follower of Christ that I do know him and there they were, and suddenly the Holy Spirit came in as the Scripture said when God comes he comes with a pen and he starts rewriting the law of death has Esther once did into law of life starts rewriting your future, he rewrites your character is rewritten. You become a new person in Christ is what it means to be born again is like the old you dies in a new you was born with with new hopes and dreams and aspirations new powers new ability new calling in the future, one that glorifies God and this whole kingdom is animated by the power of God from within you, not trying to serve God was without which is positive week. None of us can do it we can is why Paul ended up saying I'm convinced that in me dwells no good thing apart of course from Christ. He knew that.

So the question I guess is what's written on your heart. Are you willing to let God erase it. Have you invited Christ.

First of all, into your life so you can have this new heart without Jesus Christ having washed away your sin, you can have this too hard without the Holy Spirit now taking up his residence inside your earthly body and beginning to erase the old issues of your heart and start to write this new law of life in Christ Jesus inside of you. This is a supernatural kingdom and with God's presence comes into your life. You are supernaturally raised from the dead and out from the power of death, and the penalty of sin, and you are brought in to this brand-new life that God has for you in Jesus Christ, you become the new creation, your whole life is being lived now by the power of God for the purposes of God and for people who yet still need to know God. It's a wonderful life to live, you begin to know that God is real get you don't have to tell people your whole life tells the your whole being is an expression of the reality of God and the power of God and forgiveness.

God being lived out inside of you.

So what's on your heart. You see the Scripture makes it clear Jesus had a clear whatever's on your heart will start coming out of your mouth. That's what happened on the day of Pentecost. These failures that I spoke about in the supper room. Suddenly having received Christ as their Savior.

Suddenly the Holy Spirit comes on the they step out of the upper room and they just start agreeing with God is super complicated than that. They were speaking of the things that God had done and was going to do in their lives and for whoever would turn to him and they were doing it with a supernatural empowerment of God that the whole of that society around them saw and bent their need to think it's time for many who are listening to stop trying to serve God in your own strength and let God serve himself through you met up with. Let God do what he wants to do. It's time to stop resisting God and stop trying to justify wrong and calling it right let them put a new law in your heart as I pushed that beer away from me for the rest of my life. There's things in your life that you can put joy from you to. You can push bitterness or what you can is a lot of things as you read the word of God that God would give the power to push it across the table and never touch it again on depression.

I'm done with being beat up in my mind I can't done with the devil rubbing my face in my own failures and sins on living here. I'm a new creation in Christ Jesus. When you start to speak with your mouth, what God is doing in your heart. Glory to God. What a life it is when Christ comes into your life and you begin to to live for him according to his will and according to his power.

Now you can't do this you can't do this until you've opened your heart and ask God to forgive you, even to forgive you for trying to be good and failing to God, forgive me. I can save myself. I can't change myself, I can't be a better person. Without you have tried and I just get worse. It's not working for me or for my family is to simply admit that you need a Savior. I teach you to save don't make any deeper than that.

Don't make it complicated.

This actually quite simple.

I can save myself to go to heaven. In my own strength I can even live as a Christian in my own strength I can't change it as a proverb says that a leopard can't change its spots trial you want can't change what you are. So I've tried. I can't, I I progressively get worse. Only you had these I need to be born again. Believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the price for your wrong to pay the penalty for your failure and actually to create an entrance for you into a brand-new life with God. At the very center of your heart admit you're a sinner believe that Christ died in your place and start confessing with your mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior and part of that confession. This is not just running around by Jesus my Lord that's great that's great right member. He said in the Bible what you call me Lord and don't do the things I do.

In other words, I want to do things through you.

I want to write my laws in your heart. I want to be God to you, so don't just don't just delete around to sing on Lord let me be Lord let me guide your life. Let me rewrite your future. Let me govern and guide all that's going to be done because the Bible says whatever is written on your heart you will confess with your mouth, declaring that you are what you ought not to be, would you start declaring who you are in Christ, we just start delighting yourself in the Lord and let him give you new desires for your heart desires. You be amazed you know he is is most glorified by taking us in our weakest area using that for his glory, not in our strength is not glorified that because we will always touch the glory will always elude with Jesus and I did it take you in the weakest areas of your life and and you know that only God could have done this, you might be the nastiest person in your whole town, but he'll take you in the suddenly to be a kindness and love in your heart newbie to be just like Ebenezer Scrooge when he got converted in the Charles Dickens start a new business hardly just loving everybody and giving and people look at it took you in your weakest area became your strength that's most often how God is glorified you're going to be part of the end time army that God is now raising up in the earth is shot at glory to Christ in this last day in your voice is going to be counted in among the I promise you this the message today has been brought to you by Carter Conlon from Times Square church. For more information log onto TSC.NYC that's TSC.NYC plan to be with us next week for a call to the nation with Carter,