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“Follow your heart.” You’ve probably heard that advice many times in your life: Just follow your heart. We think that is sound advice. People want to believe that you will never go wrong if you just follow your heart.

But there is a problem with that sentiment. It needs clarification. Have you seen what  Scripture has to say about your heart?

Genesis 6:5 The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

And these warnings are not just in the Old Testament.

Matthew 15:19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.

Mark 7:21–23 For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’ ”

Romans 7:18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.

In our fallen, sinful  state, we need help. It is not simply a matter of dusting ourselves off. It is not even an extreme makeover. It is more radical than that. We need a transplant.

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

God’s answer to that spirit-driven plea is plain and simple and exactly what we need.

Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

God gives us what we need. And it was accomplished the only way it could be accomplished: God did it for us. He gives us a new, clean heart. It was not a self-improvement fixer upper – it was God’s gracious gift to us in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. Listen to how Jesus explained it to His disciples the night before He was crucified.

John 14:1–6 ¹ “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going.” ⁵ Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

He is the Way. The only way to life. His work has given us what we need. Jesus came to take care of the problem sin caused. He was born as one of us. He lived without sin to have a perfect life that He could offer as the payment for the sins of the world. And He did just that by allowing Himself to be arrested, tried, beaten, tortured and crucified. They took His dead body off the cross and buried it. The payment for sin was complete.

But Jesus did more. He defeated death for us as well by His triumphant resurrection from the grave. He gives His payment for sin and life everlasting to everyone who believes His promise. He gives us the new heart we need.

M0re on this tomorrow.

The last three days we have been looking at the hymn “Hark the Voice of Jesus Calling.” There is another stanza that I would guess many of you have not heard. It was an original stanza of this hymn written by Daniel March. It was not included in The Lutheran Hymnal, Lutherean Worship, and even though there are two versions of this hymn in the Lutheran Service Book, it does not appear in either one. We are going to look at it any way.

If you cannot cross the ocean, And the heathen lands explore,
You can find the heathen nearer, You can help them at your door;
If you cannot give your thousands, you can give the widow’s mite,
And the least you give for Jesus Will be precious in His sight.

According to the “Handbook to the Lutheran Hymnal” this stanza was omitted from our hymnal because it was feared that people would misinterpret it to say that you didn’t have to give as God had blessed you, you could give just a little and God would be satisfied with it. That was the opposite of what Mr. March intended, but it was feared some would misunderstand.

I think it is a great hymn writing – and so appropriate for today. It reminds us that unbelievers are all around us, right at our door. We don’t have to go to them – they are here! And it speaks of the power of mites, something the ladies organization  of my church body knows a little bit about. The Lutheran Women in Mission have collected “mites” since 1942 and funded mission projects around the world with millions and millions of dollars. This is over and above what they give to their local congregations, and those are indeed “mighty mites.”

Each has his or her part in the great Commission, as leaders or otherwise. You need to do what God has equipped you to do, what God is calling you to do. You do this in the context of knowing who you are.

A number of years ago my congregation had a surprise party for me that included a roast – not a pot roast, but a roast of me! One of the speakers was my father-in-law, a retired preacher who spent his entire ministry in the same parish in West Texas, and he was quite the storyteller. He said that he was confessing to God one day and he asked God, “You know that son-in-law of mine? I know he confesses his sins, and I would like you to tell me what he told you.” God said, “Let me get back to you on that tomorrow.” So the next day he asked again, “God, can you tell me what his sins are?” And you know what God said? “I don’t remember.”

That is what God says to each of you in His Word, in Baptism and in Holy Communion. “I don’t remember” – because Jesus paid for your sins. And that same one who has forgiven your wickedness and will remember your sins no more is the one who is calling you to share that message with others.

May that be what you do and who you are as the redeemed and forgiven children of God.

If you cannot speak like angels, If you cannot preach like Paul,
You can tell the love of Jesus, You can say He died for all.
If you cannot rouse the wicked, with the judgment’s dread alarms,
You can lead the little children To the Savior’s waiting arms.

A young pastor, who was having difficulty with his sermon presentation, went to listen to one of the preachers in a neighboring town known for his oratorical skills. This preacher was a master at holding the congregation’s attention. He started off his sermon that day by announcing, “Some of the happiest moments in my life were spent in the arms of a woman who is not my wife … Yes, some of the happiest moments in my life were spent in the arms of a woman who is not my wife … that woman was my mother.” He then preached a wonderful sermon on the virtues of Christian mothers.

The young preacher was duly impressed and decided to file away that illustration for a time when it would come in handy. A few months later, he was preaching and noticed he was losing the attention of his congregation once again. He suddenly recalled that message of the skilled old preacher and blurted out, “Some of the happiest moments in my life were spent in the arms of a woman who is not my wife …” At this point, the young preacher had the undivided attention of everyone in the church. “That’s right,” he continued, “some of the happiest moments in my life were spent in the arms of a woman who is not my wife …” He saw all eyes intently focused on him, and he froze up and listened in horror as he heard himself continue, “but I can’t for the life of me remember who she was.”

Not everyone is gifted with preaching ability. But not everyone is to be a preacher. God will not ask you to do anything without first giving you the ability to do it. Read that last sentence again. Each of you have been by God and equipped to do the work He wants you to do. And that work is to share Jesus, using whatever talents and abilities you have to share the message of Christ as Savior is how you do your part in fulfilling Christ’s great commission.

Do you reach the point where you have learned enough? Probably not. Even if you think you know everything, you don’t. But I think you can reach a point where you just don’t want to learn anything new. I feel that way about some things. AI is one example. I’m sure it has a lot of positive uses, but do I really need to learn how to use it?

Even though I took Calculus in college as an engineering student, I never mastered it. And when I decided to follow God’s plan for my life and go into ministry rather than engineering, I never looked at or used calculus again. I am grateful others know it and use it to help mankind.

Most of us just want to learn enough to live. We want to have the information needed to live our lives and not be burdened with stuff we think we don’t need.

Cheryl feels that way about computers. She has often said, “Just tell me which button I need to push after you die to find the information I will need.”

Some people approach Christianity and the Bible that way. “Just give me the bare minimum. Tell me what I need to know to be saved.” And Scripture does give you that information.

Acts 16:30–31 (ESV) Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

That will be enough. That’s all you need. But God wants so much more for His children.

2 Peter 3:18 (ESV) But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

God wants you to grow as His child. You do that when you spend time in His Word. You need to listen to what He has to say to you. I know I need to spend time in Word so I remember who I am and who I am not. I am NOT God. I am a poor, miserable sinner that God loves and cares for and redeemed from sin and death so that I could live with Him forever. He paid for my sin so that I would not have to do so forever in Hell. Jesus did all that with His holy, precious blood and His innocent suffering and death.

It doesn’t matter what world thinks of me or what I think of myself. God placed a high value on me.

Isaiah 43:1 (ESV) But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.

He wants to do that for everyone. Let them know about Him.

Numbers 6:22–27 The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: “ ‘ “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” ’ “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

This passage contains is known as the Aaronic (or Priestly) Blessing. It is the one I used at the conclusion of the vast majority of worship services I led during my ministry. I have always loved hearing and speaking those words. But I would usually say the last phrase from another translation of Scripture: “The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.” To lift up your countenance was a Hebrew expression for looking favorably on someone, and it can also be understood that you would see a smile on that person’s face.

I know there were times my children saw anger and disappointment in my eyes when they did something wrong. Hopefully they knew the love was still there, too. I say that because I know my sin grieves God. When I catch myself in a sin, I imagine the disappointment on my heavenly Father’s face. That leads me to sorrow and repentance. But I know He still loves me. That love is what brought Jesus down here to be the Savior of all people. That love assures me of forgiveness for Jesus’ sake. That love embraces and sustains me every day.

You and I have God’s favor, God smiling at us, because of the grace He has shown in saving us. We deserve nothing but wrath from God because of our sin and disobedience. But He sent Jesus to stand in the way of that wrath. He took the full impact of God’s anger over sin for us and gives us His perfection as a covering. When we stand before God with faith in Jesus, we will see His shining face smiling at us.

Big Daddy Weave is a band that has put out some awesome songs of faith. One that I really like is called “Yours Will Be (The Only Name).” I’ve already told my family I want this sung at my memorial service. Here are some of the lyrics.

Yours will be The only name that matters to me
The only one whose favor I seek
The only name that matters to me

Yours will be The friendship and affection I need
To feel my father smiling on me
The only name that matters to me

And yours is the name, the name that has saved me
Mercy and grace, the power that forgave me
And your love is all I’ve ever needed

Because of my faith in Jesus, the certainty of forgiveness and life is mine. I feel my Father smiling at me. I pray that you do as well.

Romans 11:33-36 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?”  “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

These verses at the end of Romans 11 are a doxology, declaring the glory of God. Paul just concluded a lengthy discussion of God’s plan for the salvation of all who believe, whether they be Jews or Gentiles, descendants of Abraham or outsiders. What God accomplished through Jesus was for EVERYONE. His death paid for the sins of everyone. His resurrection conquered death for all people. So it is fitting and natural for Paul to sing God’s praises here.

I’d like you to consider three of the terms used in this passage with me.

Riches: People are often impressed with the physical wealth of others. Some people have amassed great fortunes here on earth and seem to “have it all.” Good for them. We should rejoice at the good fortune of others. But even the wealth of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos is nothing compared to the riches of the one who made everything. God has material wealth, to be sure, but He has the riches of Spiritual blessings as well, which He gives freely to those who trust in Jesus. And God has promised to use His riches for your benefit.

Philippians 4:19 “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

Wisdom: God gave Solomon wisdom that no one else has ever had. But His own wisdom is vastly superior to that. His wisdom devised a plan for the salvation or mankind, even though we deserved destruction and eternal condemnation. He sent Jesus down here as one of us, then made the one who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:19)

A lot of folks thing they are wise, but they don’t know God. Their wisdom is worthless in the grand scheme of things as far as eternity is concerned.

1 Corinthians 1:21 “For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.”

Knowledge: There is nothing about you God does not know. He is literally a “know it all.” And in spite of that, He still loves you. He knows your sin, your failings, your evil thoughts and deeds. He knows it all.  But He also knows that He loves you and wants you to be with Him forever. He did what was needed to make that happen. That is what Jesus coming to earth was all about.

To him be the glory forever! Amen.