01:35 Real Christianity: A Matter of the Heart

03:05 Understanding the Structure of Romans

06:00 Paul's Argument Against Outward Religion

10:45 Outward Signs vs. True Faith

17:52 True Trust in Jesus

22:31 Circumcision and Baptism: Outward Signs

27:26 Depend on God for Heart Transformation

32:14 Dependence on God for Growth

34:27 Concluding Prayer and Reflection

Romans two is where we're going.

2

We're finishing Romans two tonight.

3

We're gonna look at the last,

I think, 12 or 13 verses.

4

But while you're turning there, I, um,

I need to tell you about something.

5

It's the holiday season is coming up and

so people like getting, you know, these

6

like fancy chocolate boxes, you know,

those like, they're like the gourmet

7

chocolates and stuff and all that stuff.

8

And they've got, they look really cool.

9

They look, they look super delicious.

10

They, you, and they tell you what

they are on the bottom of the box.

11

So I hate these to be honest.

12

If, if you wanted to get

me this for Christmas.

13

Sorry, like, just get me a

Hershey bar or something.

14

Like, I, I hate these.

15

And the reason, the reason I

hate these is because it's not

16

really like chocolate, right?

17

Inside of all of this stuff.

18

There's gonna be all these weird,

there's gonna be like strawberry, there's

19

gonna be nuts, there's gonna be all

this weird, it's not chocolate, right?

20

It looks great.

21

It looks like this delicious, awesome

chocolate stuff on the outside.

22

But on the inside it's usually

like, or some of it's like white

23

chocolate and I don't know.

24

Anyway.

25

It's, I, I hate these things.

26

They're, they're, they're so,

like, they're such a big letdown.

27

I had a guy in my community group at my

last church in Kansas City who worked

28

for one of these companies and he'd

like, bring stuff to community group.

29

And I felt so bad 'cause it looks so good.

30

And I'm like, actually, I know

I've, I've learned, I know better.

31

This is not like chocolate.

32

This is a bunch of other stuff

that they shove into a chocolate

33

and make it look really good.

34

Anyway, I, I really don't like

these things because on the

35

outside they look great, but on

the inside they let you down.

36

Right?

37

They're not the real.

38

Thing.

39

And see in our passage tonight, the

Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans

40

is gonna turn his attention to some people

who on the outside look really good.

41

They look like they're

part of God's people.

42

They look like someone that,

that you think that person

43

knows what they're doing.

44

That person knows Jesus.

45

That person loves God.

46

But really on the

inside, they're terrible.

47

They, they don't love God.

48

They're selfish.

49

And I'm, I want you to be

thinking maybe that's me.

50

It's easy to grow up in the church, to,

to know all these things, to be associated

51

with all the right things, to, to maybe

do all the right things on the outside,

52

but on the inside you might not, you might

not have a genuine relationship with God.

53

You can do all the outward things, right?

54

You can, you can do all the,

the church things right and

55

not have a real relationship.

56

With Jesus.

57

See, real Christianity is about

what's on the inside, not the way

58

it's presented on the outside.

59

So our main point tonight is that real

Christianity comes from a new heart.

60

Real Christianity.

61

What, what it really

means to follow Jesus.

62

What it really means to

be part of God's people.

63

It comes from a new heart.

64

It comes from what's on the inside.

65

Something has to happen to

who you are on the inside.

66

Right who you are as a person, what you

love, what, what's most important to you.

67

That's where real Christianity comes from.

68

So.

69

We're gonna look at

that in, in Romans two.

70

Before we, we get there, I just wanna

remind you where we're at in Romans.

71

Okay?

72

Something that's might be really helpful

for you when you read the Bible is that,

73

especially when you read a letter, right?

74

Like a letter to the Romans, or

letter to the Colossians, something

75

like that, the author is making

an, like an argument, right?

76

He's not like arguing in the

sense of like, he's mad at you

77

and trying to prove you wrong.

78

He's, he's connecting his thoughts

in like a, a structure and a flow.

79

What he's, what he's saying is building

the Bible's, not just a bunch of random

80

stuff for you to be like, oh, that's cool.

81

I like that.

82

That's encouraging.

83

It's not like a pantry of, of things

that you pull off the shelf and you

84

like, the Bible is a connected, like

string of arguments and so, so far

85

this is what we we're kind of at.

86

We talked about our thesis state.

87

Remember we talked about how when

you're writing a paper and your

88

teacher says, or you write essays,

not papers, college people write

89

papers, you write essays and you're

writing an essay and you're, you're.

90

Teacher says something like, oh, you

need your thesis statement, right?

91

This is kind of, that

was our thesis statement.

92

The gospel shows God's righteousness.

93

Remember that we talked about

that when we first started?

94

Romans, the gospel shows that

God is doing the right thing.

95

It shows who God is.

96

The first section of Romans

that we're in right now shows us

97

that God's wrath is righteous.

98

God's punishment of sin and

sinners is the right thing to do.

99

It's a good thing.

100

That's what this whole first section

of Romans is about, and that's probably

101

why all of these sermons feel like

I'm beating you up all the time,

102

because that's what we're in right now.

103

We're talking about how God's

wrath is, is the right thing.

104

Paul wants you to start here so

you know something about yourself

105

before he moves on to other things.

106

So we talked about in chapter one, right?

107

God's wrath is righteous

'cause everyone rejects him.

108

We started talking about how

people have no excuse 'cause.

109

'cause God, his existence,

the fact that he's God.

110

It's clear it's been made

evidence to everyone in creation.

111

We talked about that.

112

We talked about how God's

wrath is righteous regardless

113

of religious background.

114

That's what we're covering these past

couple weeks, and that's what we're gonna

115

be talking about tonight, is no matter

where you're from, how you grew up.

116

Everyone deserves God's wrath.

117

And then to bring it back in two

weeks, we'll be talking about

118

how God's wrath is righteous.

119

'cause none of us are good enough.

120

None of us are, are deserving

of anything good from God.

121

And then where we're going, just

to give you a picture of that is

122

then once you realize this, once

you realize, oh, you know what?

123

God shouldn't let me into heaven,

then your question should be, well,

124

why would God let anyone into heaven?

125

Why would God save anyone?

126

God if, if God should show his wrath

to people, why would he forgive anyone?

127

And how can you do that?

128

And just be like, oh yeah, you sinned.

129

Well, that's fine.

130

I'll forgive you that actually,

God's forgiveness shouldn't make

131

sense to you, not God's wrath.

132

So that's where Paul's going.

133

Okay, so tonight we are right here.

134

We are talking about how God's

wrath is the right thing to do.

135

His, his anger towards sin, his punishment

towards sin is the right thing to do,

136

even if you are a religious person.

137

Okay, that's where we're at.

138

So chapter two, verse 17.

139

Why don't you read along with me?

140

Okay.

141

Chapter two, verse 17.

142

So Paul, he's, he's

talking to this imaginary.

143

This imaginary person and he, he's

assuming that they are Jewish.

144

They're one of God's chosen people

from the Old Testament, right?

145

God made these promises to Israel,

and so he's saying, okay, let's say

146

you say you're one of those people.

147

I'm a descendant of Abraham.

148

I'm a Jew, verse 17, but if

you call yourself a Jew and

149

you rely on the law, right?

150

The Jews had God's law.

151

They had.

152

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, numbers,

Deuteronomy, and you boast in God.

153

You say, oh, I know God, right?

154

He's, he's my God, he's

the God of Abraham.

155

He's the God of my people.

156

Verse 18, and you know his Will you

approve what is excellent, right?

157

You know what God wants you to do.

158

You know the kind of things that

that God loves because you are

159

instructed from the law verse 19.

160

And if you are sure

that you yourself are a.

161

Guide to the Blind, a light to those in

darkness, an instructor of the foolish,

162

a teacher of children having in the law,

the embodiment of knowledge and truth.

163

So Paul, what he's doing here in these

first few verses is he's telling the Jews

164

all the things that they love to hear.

165

He's telling the Jews, Hey,

you guys are, are so awesome.

166

Right?

167

You have all of these

religious advantages, right?

168

You, you have God's promises.

169

You have God's law.

170

You have a A, you're a people

who God said, I'm their God.

171

Right.

172

You know what God wants you to do?

173

You know your Bibles really well.

174

You know what God says?

175

You know what sin and what's not.

176

You know how to have a relationship

with God through the temple.

177

You know what?

178

That, that what other

people doing maybe is wrong.

179

You can teach people how to

live wisely from God's word.

180

He says all these great things about

about the Jews, and then look what

181

he says in the next few verses.

182

Then you who teach others,

do you not teach yourself?

183

So you guys have all of this

religious knowledge, all of this,

184

all these religious advantages.

185

Do you not teach yourself while

you preach against stealing?

186

Do you not steal.

187

You who say that one

must not commit adultery.

188

Do you commit adultery?

189

You who?

190

Ab whore.

191

That means hate idols.

192

Do you rob temples?

193

Verse 23.

194

You who boast in the law

dishonor God by breaking the law.

195

The very thing that you think

is, is making you special to God.

196

The very thing that you think, oh, this

must make me one of God's chosen people.

197

This must make me right with God.

198

This must mean I'm good.

199

This must mean I'm going to heaven.

200

That's what the Jews are thinking.

201

I'm God's chosen people.

202

I'm part of the the right group.

203

I'm in the right crowd.

204

I have the right things.

205

I have a right relationship with God

because of all the things I have.

206

He's saying, but you still

are breaking the law.

207

You great.

208

You have the law.

209

You know what God wants

you to do, but guess what?

210

You're still breaking the law.

211

And then.

212

He ups it here in verse 24.

213

For as it is written, the name

of God is blasphemed among

214

the Gentiles because of you.

215

That word blasphemy, that's like when

you take God and you put him down,

216

you treat him like he's not God.

217

And remember we talked about in

chapter one, that's what makes sin sin.

218

What makes sin sinful.

219

What makes it evil is what

it says about God, right?

220

What sin says about God is

that God isn't that important.

221

God, isn't that awesome?

222

That God isn't worth following, that God

isn't good for you, that God isn't wise?

223

That's what sin says because

you say, I don't want that.

224

I wanna do my thing.

225

That's what makes something

evil, is you're saying, uh,

226

well, God's not that important.

227

That's what blasphemy is.

228

And so the Jews are actually causing

the Gentiles to think God's not

229

a big deal because of their sin.

230

They're, they're saying, oh, look at us.

231

We're so great.

232

We're God's people.

233

We have all these, these great things.

234

And then they live.

235

Hypocritically, and actually, isn't that

what a lot of people say about the church?

236

Isn't that what a lot of

people say about Christians?

237

Well, oh, all the Christians are

hypocrites, so I don't wanna really go to

238

church, or I don't really, I, I, I just,

me and God, we kind of do our thing, but,

239

you know, I don't, I don't wanna really be

part of church because all the Christians

240

there, they just, they're hypocrites.

241

They don't, they don't actually

do the things they say.

242

That's, that's a really

common thing you might hear.

243

But what Paul is saying is all of these

religious advantages you have, all the

244

things you know about God, all the,

the ways that you think make you right

245

with God, those things actually show

that, that you're breaking the law too.

246

None of that helps you, none of the

outward signs of your religion help you

247

if you are still breaking God's law.

248

So our first point tonight.

249

Is to, don't rely on outward

signs of religion, don't rely

250

on outward signs of religion.

251

Right?

252

That's what the Jews were doing.

253

They were saying, look

at all the stuff we have.

254

We have the temple, we have the law.

255

We know our Bibles.

256

We've memorized books of the Bible.

257

We go to the right places.

258

We, we don't worship those idols.

259

We don't eat those foods, right?

260

We're not like those people over there.

261

So there are outward signs of, of

Jewishness, of, of religion were what they

262

relied on to make them right with God.

263

They said, we are gonna go

to heaven because look at all

264

the stuff that we do, right.

265

We're we're right with God because

of all the stuff that we do and all,

266

all these different outward things.

267

So the outward signs really

convince them, right?

268

That, oh, I must be right with God

because I have this and I have this right.

269

Maybe for you it's, I go to church, I

have Christian parents I serve at church.

270

I know a lot about the Bible.

271

I know the gospel.

272

I memorize Bible verses.

273

Maybe for you, because of all

those outward signs of religion,

274

you've convinced yourself,

oh, I must be a Christian.

275

And this happens a lot, right?

276

If you talk to maybe a lot of

the kids in our kids' ministry.

277

They just assume, oh, I'm a Christian

because my parents are Christians.

278

I'm a Christian because I go to church.

279

Right?

280

If you talk to your friends at

school, they might say the same thing.

281

How do you know you're a Christian?

282

Well, I go to church.

283

I've always been a Christian.

284

The outward signs of their, of

their parents' faith really have

285

just, they've assumed that, oh,

that must mean I'm part of this too.

286

And what we're gonna learn

is that that's not true.

287

The outward signs of Christianity

don't make you necessarily a Christian.

288

What makes someone a Christian we

talked about was a new heart, not

289

outward signs of Christianity.

290

It's kind of like, so I, I watched

this YouTube channel about animals.

291

That sounds really weird.

292

He pretends like life is like a

video game and he rates animals

293

as like playable characters.

294

He'll go, he'll like do like S tier

all the way down to like F tier.

295

Anyway, so I was watching this video

about snakes and he showed me this.

296

He showed this thing and I thought

it was, it was really cool.

297

There's these, there's

two kinds of snakes.

298

One of them is venomous,

the other one is not.

299

But this non venomous snake tries

to look like the venomous snake

300

to scare all the predators away.

301

See, this is what they are.

302

Oh yeah.

303

You ever heard of this before?

304

Yes.

305

So one of these is a coral snake.

306

That is venomous.

307

One of them is a king snake.

308

They look really similar.

309

It's trying really hard to look

like a coral snake, but it's not.

310

It's not venomous.

311

It's just a constrictor.

312

It doesn't have any poison

that it can inject into you.

313

So one of them is poisonous,

one of 'em is not.

314

But the whole point is, even

though they're different snakes on

315

the outside, they look the same.

316

Right?

317

They're trying to look the same, but one

of them is the real thing and one of them.

318

Is not.

319

Now, I showed this to, um, our admin, Mrs.

320

Smith, to Kelly, and she lived

in Florida and this is actually

321

something they have to deal with.

322

And so she knew, oh, that one's,

that one's the real one and that

323

one's the not poisonous one.

324

And so she knew that this is the coral

snake, this poisonous venomous rather.

325

And this one is Kings snake.

326

That one is not See.

327

But if you're just walking, right, if

you're, if you're, you know, living

328

in Florida trying to run away from the

alligators and you see one of these

329

on the ground, I love when I looked

up, how do you distinguish them?

330

The first thing was look

closer, and I was like, what?

331

I'm not gonna be like, I wonder

if this snake is venomous.

332

Let me see.

333

Like, no, that's not what I wanna do.

334

Not helpful Google.

335

Anyway, so

336

the whole point of this,

right, is that this king snake.

337

Is trying to look like this

snake on the outside, but really

338

it's a totally different snake.

339

And I think a lot of people who

grew up in church do the same thing.

340

They have the same

outward appearance, right?

341

You might serve in the same places, you

might say the same things, you might

342

know the same verses you might have.

343

Your parents have similar beliefs, right?

344

You, you might have similar beliefs.

345

You, you believe that

God created the world.

346

You believe that the Bible's true, but

on the inside, you're totally different.

347

One of you loves God and one of

you thinks God is kind of lame,

348

so don't let the outward signs of

your Christian religion trick you into

349

thinking that you're actually a Christian.

350

Just because you might look

like a Christian on the outside

351

doesn't mean you really are.

352

That's Paul's point here.

353

Here's some outward signs of

religion that you might rely on.

354

These are things that are good.

355

But they might not.

356

They don't necessarily mean

that you're a Christian, right?

357

Just because that snake has the

same colors as the other snake

358

doesn't mean it's the same snake.

359

Same thing here.

360

Maybe it's your Christian parents.

361

Maybe you think, oh, well my parents

are Christian, so I must be a Christian.

362

It's a great thing to

have Christian parents.

363

It's awesome, but it doesn't

necessarily mean that you're a

364

Christian, or maybe you grew up going

to church, or maybe you're involved

365

in church, or you serve at church.

366

Maybe you read the Bible every day.

367

Maybe you are just known as the Christian

kid, maybe at school or in your family.

368

You're the good kid, right?

369

You're, you're that you're the

good kid, you're the Christian kid.

370

People know you as that person.

371

Again, that just 'cause they know

you, that on the outside doesn't mean

372

that you are necessarily a Christian.

373

Maybe someone told you you

were a Christian, right?

374

Maybe your parents told you you

were a Christian, or your leaders

375

told you you were a Christian.

376

Does it matter whether I think

you're a Christian or not?

377

Ultimately, no.

378

Does it matter if I tell you

you're a Christian or not?

379

Does that make you a Christian?

380

No.

381

No.

382

Right?

383

What matters is what God says, what

his word says about you, right?

384

So maybe you're relying on that.

385

You're saying, well, I know I'm a

Christian because my parents told me this.

386

Or I know I'm a Christian because

everyone at school thinks I'm

387

a Christian, or I know I'm a

Christian because, uh, my parents.

388

Are Christians or I know the Bible,

or maybe you think, oh, I know I'm a

389

Christian 'cause I feel bad about my sin.

390

We talked about this last week, right?

391

Feeling bad about your sin does not

necessarily mean you're a Christian.

392

It's good that you feel bad about your

sin, but there's a lot of people who

393

feel bad about their sin and never do

anything about it and end up in hell.

394

There's a lot of things that are

maybe good, but don't necessarily

395

mean that you're saved, that you

have a real relationship with God.

396

You don't wanna rely on those outward

things to say that you're a Christian.

397

'cause those things might just,

might just be there, right?

398

They might just be the, the

signs of, of religion and, and

399

churchianity, as one pastor called it.

400

But maybe you have no real

relationship with Jesus, right?

401

What, what you should really rely

on to know if you're a Christian

402

or not is do I trust Jesus?

403

The whole point of, of, of trust

is that that's, that's what

404

what you're relying on, right?

405

If, if someone asks you,

why are you a Christian?

406

And you say, well, because I did fill in

the blank, that's not a good start, right?

407

Because what are you trusting

in something you did?

408

Right?

409

And that's not what Christians do, right?

410

Christians trust in Jesus.

411

We trust in what Jesus did.

412

So what you should rely on is, oh well.

413

Jesus paid for my sin on the cross.

414

I am not good enough to go to heaven.

415

There's nothing about me

that makes me good enough.

416

There's nothing about me that that

means that God should forgive me.

417

The only reason that I should

go to heaven is because of

418

Jesus, something that he did.

419

That's what I rely on.

420

I rely on him to take away my sin,

and I rely on His righteousness

421

to make me good enough.

422

You trust that, and I rely

that he rose from the dead.

423

That's why I know I'm gonna

live forever with God and not

424

just die and then not exist.

425

So the problem with relying on these

outward signs is it's your resume, right?

426

You're saying, look at

all the things that I did.

427

You're not admitting that,

oh, I'm not good enough.

428

I don't measure up to

God's standard, right?

429

I'm a sinner.

430

Because what you're doing, when

you rely on these outward signs,

431

you're pointing to look at, look at

all the things that I've done, God.

432

I memorized the books of the Bible.

433

I went to church.

434

I love this person.

435

I shared the gospel.

436

I go to Bible study, I do this, and

that's your resume, not Jesus' resume.

437

What you should be pointing to

is, look what Jesus did for me

438

and I trust him, and that's why I

think you should forgive me God.

439

Not because of meme, but because of Jesus.

440

But also sometimes Christians, we can

start to rely on these outward signs too.

441

Maybe not for salvation, but

maybe we get really prideful.

442

We start boasting in these things like,

oh, well look at all the things that I do.

443

Like, yeah, I know God saved me,

but since then, look at me and we

444

start looking down at other people.

445

Maybe we look down on newer Christians

who don't know as much or haven't grown

446

as much, or maybe we look down on, on

people who aren't Christians because,

447

oh, I can't believe they do that.

448

Can you believe that they said this?

449

Can you believe that they talked

about this thing, or they watched

450

this video, or they watched that show?

451

They like that thing on Instagram.

452

We can easily, or they

play that game, right?

453

We can, we can easily start looking

down on other people for things

454

that God did in our life, right?

455

Sanctification is God's work in you.

456

It's, it's a fruit of the spirit, right?

457

Not fruit of your really hard work, not

fruit of you being really awesome, right?

458

Those things are fruit of the spirit.

459

They're, they're from the Holy Spirit.

460

They're not from you being

such an awesome person.

461

Sometimes it's easy for us to

get really prideful and, and

462

say, oh, well I must be so great.

463

No wonder God saved me.

464

And that's not what we

wanna do either, right?

465

Because then we're, we're taking

our, our really, our our repentance,

466

our, our gift from God that he's

done in us, that his work through us.

467

And we're saying we're

taking credit for it.

468

We're saying that, oh yeah, the evidence

of God's work in my life, that's all me.

469

That's what we're doing.

470

So it's really easy for Christians

to do something similar.

471

And also you probably noticed in verse

24, it talked about the name of God

472

can be blasphemed before other people

because of you, if you claim to be a

473

Christian, you are representing God.

474

People are forming an opinion about who

God is, who Jesus is, what he's like,

475

what church is about because of you.

476

Even if you're not a Christian and you go

around saying you're a Christian, people

477

are forming an opinion of church of Jesus.

478

Because of you, you have an opportunity

to make God look really bad, right?

479

Someone could say, oh, I don't

want to, I don't wanna be a

480

part of that, that religion.

481

I don't wanna be, I don't want to have

if, if you're God's like that, no thanks.

482

Right?

483

Or you can do the opposite.

484

You can be the reason someone

says, you know what the, I

485

don't, I don't know anyone else

who's as joyful as that person.

486

I want what they have.

487

I don't know anyone else who's

patient like that person.

488

I don't know anyone else

who's kind like that person.

489

I want what they have.

490

If you have an opportunity to make

God look really, really good, 'cause

491

hopefully in that moment you're

not gonna be like, yep, I know.

492

I don't know anyone as

patient as me either, right?

493

Hopefully you're gonna say, you

know, that's God's work in me.

494

You're not gonna take credit for it.

495

You're gonna say, this is God's work.

496

God's grace, God's spirit.

497

So you have an opportunity to make

Jesus look great to other people.

498

Now, Paul's gonna go on to talk about

the, the outward sign of religion

499

that the Jews were most proud of.

500

They were they that was like,

this is like, this is their thing.

501

This is what makes us God's people.

502

Okay?

503

And that thing you'll see here in verse

25, okay, so read along with me, verse

504

25, Paul's gonna talk about circumcision.

505

Now, circumcision was an outward sign that

the Jews were part of God's people, right?

506

It was this sign that God gave

Abraham to say, these are my people.

507

I've chosen you.

508

If you don't know what it

is, go ask your parents.

509

So circumcision.

510

Indeed your, your covenant marker, right?

511

The sign that you are part

of God's people, right?

512

In, in our, in our day and

age, this is baptism, right?

513

This is, this is the, the

outward sign that someone is a

514

Christian is they get baptized.

515

That's what they do.

516

That's the outward sign.

517

So this is almost like saying,

well, I got baptized, so I

518

must be part of God's people.

519

That's what these users are saying.

520

They're saying, I have this

marker, so that means I'm.

521

Part of God's people, right?

522

So for circumcision, indeed is

a value if you obey the law.

523

But if you break the law, your

circumcision becomes uncircumcision.

524

So it's, it's like it never happened.

525

It's, it's almost like

you don't even have it.

526

Verse 26.

527

So, if a man who is uncircumcised

keeps the precepts of the law,

528

will not his uncircumcision

be regarded as circumcision?

529

So verse 26 is saying the opposite, right?

530

Who if someone who has never been

marked as part of God's people.

531

Keeps the law and they start doing

the things that God says and they

532

start living from a, a heart that

that shows that, oh, maybe they

533

really are part of God's people.

534

That's the person that shows more evidence

of being part of God's people, not the

535

person who has the outward sign, but

the person who actually lives like it.

536

Then verse 27.

537

Then he who is physically uncircumcised

but keeps the law will condemn

538

you who have the written code and

circumcision, but break the law.

539

So just because you have the Bible,

just because you have this sign that

540

you're God's people, if you're still

breaking the law, if you're still living

541

like you're not part of God's people,

these people who maybe aren't, you

542

know, aren't Jewish in a sense, right?

543

They're gonna, they're

gonna put you to shame.

544

It's like the person who grows up

in church and then they, they end

545

up living this, this horrible life.

546

He's saying that it's actually, it'd

be better if you were a drug addict

547

and you went to prison and then you

got saved at 25 and came back to, and

548

started coming to church and got saved.

549

That person's putting you to shame if

you grew up in the church and you just

550

have dead faith the whole time, even

though you're sitting front row and

551

listening to the sermons, if there's

no spiritual heartbeat in your life.

552

That person's putting you shame 'cause

they actually have the real thing.

553

And that is exactly

where Paul goes here for.

554

No one is a Jew who is merely

one out, uh, outwardly nor is

555

circumcision outward and physical.

556

But a Jew is one inwardly and

circumcision is a matter of the heart

557

by the spirit, not by the letter.

558

So what Paul is saying here is that

a, a true Jew right, want someone

559

who's really part of God's people.

560

Is not ethnically a Jew.

561

They are spiritually a Jew.

562

So a true Jew is the person

who has a heart, right?

563

A heart that's been changed

by God, by his spirit.

564

And this is what the Old Testament talks

about, the Old Testament, when it talks

565

about who's really part of God's people.

566

It talks a lot about how the,

it's not the people who visibly

567

maybe have this marker from God.

568

It's the people who have a changed heart.

569

Those are the people who are

really part of God's people, right?

570

Real Christians have a new heart.

571

That's what we talked about.

572

So the heart is what matters,

not your external religion.

573

Right?

574

So this this true Jew idea.

575

You got me thinking about, um, you guys

ever see this thing at like school?

576

Yes.

577

So I made this just for fun.

578

Um.

579

I'm really proud of this.

580

Um, there you go.

581

See, and it's, it's really, it's got

bible verse on it, not about the label.

582

You get that?

583

'cause it's like a milk

carton, not about appearances.

584

Genuine faith flows from the inside.

585

Anyway, sorry.

586

I thought that was really good.

587

I had fun with that.

588

I so be, be a true Jew.

589

Not, anyway.

590

There you go.

591

So what Paul's point is who,

who's really part of God's people.

592

Right, are the people who are really

part of God's people, the people who

593

maybe look like it on the outside

or the people who have a new heart

594

by God's spirit, those are the

people who are really God's people.

595

God's people are those

who have a changed heart.

596

So our second point tonight depend on

God for heart transformation, depend

597

on God for heart transformation.

598

So outward change doesn't

make you part of God's people.

599

That's Paul's point.

600

Outward change doesn't make

you part of God's people.

601

What makes you part of God's people is

actually when God does something for you,

602

God does something to you, and that's

what makes you part of God's people,

603

not something that you do for yourself.

604

That's why it's depend on God, right?

605

You can't do this to yourself.

606

God has to do this to you.

607

The only way that you can become a

Christian is if God does a miracle to you.

608

The only way that someone can get saved

and become a part of God's people is

609

if God intervenes miraculously and

fundamentally changes who you are.

610

Maybe you've never thought

about it that way before.

611

That's how someone becomes a Christian.

612

You can't become a

Christian apart from God.

613

God has to do it to you.

614

Kind of like how a couple weeks ago

we talked about how my car was broken

615

and I needed a new engine, right?

616

I couldn't just fix the old engine.

617

I couldn't just add some

things on and say, oh, great.

618

Now, now my car's good.

619

I needed an entirely new engine.

620

I needed a different engine.

621

And hopefully that's what you, you're

gonna see from all of these sermons

622

about how much of a sinner we are.

623

Is that we're so sinful.

624

We don't just need some fixing, right?

625

We don't just need to, to start changing

some habits and maybe start doing

626

things a little better or maybe start

believing some, some more right things

627

and maybe, oh, I, once I start doing

those like church things, then great.

628

Now I'm right with God.

629

You need a, you need a

heart transplant, right?

630

You, you need to, you need God to

do something to you to get saved.

631

That's how sinful we are our hearts.

632

Are so messed up, no matter how much we

try to make them look nice on the outside,

633

that we need God to do a miracle to us, to

save us the defining mark of God's people.

634

In the Old Testament, it was circumcision,

but now, and it really has always

635

been the Holy Spirit, creating a

transformed heart, that's the defining

636

mark of God's people is a new heart.

637

By God's spirit.

638

So you don't become a

Christian any other way.

639

That's the only way you can do this.

640

God has to do it to you.

641

And so that's why when we talk about,

oh, if you're not sure if you're

642

a Christian, what should you do?

643

Right?

644

We, we don't wanna say, well, just some.

645

'cause some of you, you, you've done all

the right church things your whole life.

646

So some of you, you become a Christian,

it doesn't look that different on

647

the outside necessarily because maybe

you already did read your Bible,

648

you already did memorize verses.

649

You already did know the gospel.

650

Your heart changed, and you should know

that it should be obvious to you, right?

651

The, the, the metaphors that the

Bible uses for getting saved, being

652

raised from the dead, getting a new

heart, those aren't like, oh, maybe

653

that did happen to me 10 years ago

and I just haven't really noticed it.

654

Right?

655

Like, it should be fairly obvious,

at least over, maybe, at least

656

over a couple years, right?

657

If you're saying, oh, I got saved at.

658

At 10 years old and, and I've

been the same ever since.

659

And even, and maybe you should think

about that and say, okay, well if God gave

660

me a new heart, what did, what changed?

661

What happened?

662

And so you wanna look at things

like your desires, right?

663

What did what I like changed?

664

Did what I want changed?

665

You wanna look at things

like your motives.

666

Why did I do the things I do?

667

Maybe you already did serve.

668

At church and you get saved, and now the

reason you serve is totally different.

669

Maybe you used to serve because you

wanted to fit in, or you wanted to be

670

good enough, or you wanted to impress

people, and now maybe you serve

671

because you love God, you love his

people, you want to do good for them.

672

You wanna look for change

in your attitude, right?

673

Maybe you always did your chores

because you get in trouble if you

674

didn't, but you became a Christian

and then suddenly, oh, now it's, I do

675

my chores because I love my parents.

676

I wanna honor them.

677

I love God.

678

God calls me to, to do all things

for his glory, and I'm gonna

679

do the dishes for his glory.

680

That's the kind of thing we're looking

for when, when we're talking about

681

getting a new heart, because you

might do a lot of the same things.

682

Maybe instead of reading your Bible

just because you had to, now you read

683

your Bible because it's, it's God.

684

It's God's word.

685

I wanna know him.

686

I love him.

687

That's the kind of thing that you should

look for when you have a new heart.

688

And I think also right for Christians.

689

Sometimes we can forget that God

is the one who does the heavy

690

lifting in our growth, right?

691

God is the one who,

who changes our hearts.

692

The only way that a Christian

grows is by the Holy Spirit, right?

693

Jesus says that if you abide in me,

then you'll grow and bear much fruit.

694

He doesn't say, try really hard

and then come to me when you,

695

when you've, when you've done

enough, and then I'll help you.

696

He says, no, you have

to stay connected to me.

697

And that's how you grow, right?

698

You as a Christian, you grow with God.

699

You stay connected to God,

and that's how you grow.

700

You can't grow apart from God.

701

You also can't grow apart from the

means that God gives you to grow, right?

702

God gives you pathways to grow.

703

He gives you places where you can,

you can access his changing power.

704

So if you're, if you're saying, oh,

I'm a Christian, but I don't want to

705

go to church, the church is a place

that God uses to grow Christians.

706

So you're cutting yourself off from

God's God's lifeline to help you grow.

707

Right?

708

Or, uh, well, I, I love God, but I

don't wanna read the Bible, right?

709

You're cutting yourself off from

God's lifeline for your growth.

710

So.

711

Even as a Christian, we need to

depend on God for transformation,

712

for real growth, for real change.

713

We don't just wanna stick things on

and say, okay, now I did this better.

714

Now I did this better.

715

Right?

716

Like, think about this.

717

If you were a tree, if you're a, if

you're a lemon tree, the way you grow

718

lemons is not my getting other lemons

and sticking them onto your tree, right?

719

If you want the lemon tree to

grow lemons, real lemons, you

720

focus on the roots and the soil.

721

All that and the health of the tree,

and then the, the fruit happens.

722

You don't just stick fruit

on it and say, oh, great.

723

Look, look at my tree.

724

It's so, it's so healthy.

725

It's so awesome, right?

726

So if we don't change from outside

in, we change from inside out.

727

So none of this spiritual

growth will save you.

728

It comes from being safe, right?

729

It comes from a heart transformation.

730

Let's pray and we'll go to small groups.

731

God, thank you that you change us.

732

We are so sinful.

733

We are the worst.

734

We deserve your wrath.

735

But because of Jesus, we can be forgiven

because he took our punishment and

736

because he gives us righteousness.

737

If we trust him and we turn

from our sin, we can be saved.

738

And so I pray for students here

who haven't done that, that they

739

would recognize that they are lost,

helpless, wicked evil, and that.

740

They would turn from their sin

and trust Jesus for forgiveness.

741

I pray for those of us who are

saved, that we would remember

742

that we are still in our flesh.

743

Even though we are not slaves to sin, we

are still not very good at following you.

744

And so I pray that you help us have the

humility to depend on you for growth.

745

That we wouldn't try to impress

you by doing stuff on our

746

own, but we would come to you.

747

Connect ourselves to you through your

word, through other Christians, through

748

prayer, and that we would learn to

love you more through those things.

749

Help us to grow a lot from small groups.

750

Help us to talk about

good things and be honest.

751

We pray all this in Jesus name.

752

Amen.

753

Alright, have a good small group.