Transforming the Hard Heart
God's love has the power to transform even the hardest of hearts, restoring them to a right relationship with Him.
John Henry Jowett preaches about the transformative power of God, using the analogy of turning flint into a fountain of waters. He emphasizes how even the hardest of hearts can be softened by God's love and grace, leading to a profound change in character and behavior. Just like Zacchaeus and Matthew experienced a radical transformation, no one is beyond the reach of God's compassion. Jowett encourages bringing our hardness and brokenness to the Lord, trusting in His ability to bring forth new life and beauty even in the most desolate places.
Text
_The Lord "turned the flint into a fountain of waters."_
--PSALM cxiv.
What a violent conjunction, the flint becoming the birthplace of a spring!
And yet this is happening every day. Men who are as "hard as flint," whose
hearts are "like the nether millstone," become springs of gentleness and
fountains of exquisite compassion. Beautiful graces, like lovely ferns,
grow in the home of severities, and transform the grim, stern soul into a
garden of fragrant friendships. This is what Zacchæus was like when his
flint became a fountain. It is what Matthew the publican was like when the
Lord changed his hard heart into a land of springs.
No one is "too far gone." No hardness is beyond the love and pity of God.
The well of eternal life can gush forth even in a desert waste, and "where
sin abounds grace doth much more abound." Let us bring our hardness to the
Lord. Let us see what He can make of our flint. When we are dry and
"feelingless," and desire is dead, let us bring this Sahara to the great
Restorer, and "the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the rose."
Sermon Outline
- The Transformation of the Hard Heart
- Examples of Transformation
- The Promise of Restoration
- The Well of Eternal Life
- Where Sin Abounds, Grace Abounds
- No One is Too Far Gone
Key Quotes
“The Lord 'turned the flint into a fountain of waters.'” — John Henry Jowett
“Men who are as 'hard as flint,' whose hearts are 'like the nether millstone,' become springs of gentleness and fountains of exquisite compassion.” — John Henry Jowett
“The well of eternal life can gush forth even in a desert waste, and 'where sin abounds grace doth much more abound.'” — John Henry Jowett
Application Points
- We can bring our hardness to the Lord and trust Him to work in our lives.
- No matter how far gone we may feel, God's love and pity are available to us.
- We can experience restoration and transformation through faith in God's promises.