Introduction

Have you ever watched sunlight streaming through a stained glass window? It’s just ordinary glass, yet when the light shines through, it transforms into brilliant colors, casting beautiful patterns around the room. Similarly, Christ’s work transforms us. His light shines through us because He has first made us clean by His grace.

Today, we continue our series, Renewed: A Journey of Spiritual Revival. We’ve explored how God renews our strength, our love, and our hearts through repentance. Today, we’re going to discuss another essential aspect: how God’s Spirit renews us from the inside out.

It’s easy to think of spiritual renewal as something that just happens to us—like getting caught in the rain. But what if God wants to transform us so deeply that His light shines through every part of our lives? That’s exactly what Ezekiel 36 is about.

In this chapter, God makes an incredible promise. He doesn’t just promise to cleanse us on the outside; He promises to give us new hearts, to put His Spirit within us, and to transform us completely.

Some of you might be thinking, “That sounds wonderful, but I’ve tried to change before. I’ve made promises, set goals, tried harder, and yet nothing seems to stick.” Here’s the good news: God is not asking you to transform yourself. He is promising to do the transforming work Himself.

Let’s read this powerful promise together.

Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 36:24-28

“I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness and from all your idols. I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.”

Did you notice how many times God says, “I will”? Over and over, He emphasizes that He is the one doing the work.

It reminds me of when kids try to help with the dishes. They’re eager, wanting to do it themselves, but there’s water splashing everywhere, dishes still dirty, and parents’ frustration building. Sometimes, the best thing you can say is, “Just let me do this for you.”

That’s what God is saying to us today. He sees our struggles, our attempts to clean up our lives, to change our hearts, to become better people, and He says, “Let Me do this for you.”

Here’s the main idea I want you to take away today: God renews us through His Spirit’s transforming power, not through our own efforts. Let’s break this down into four ways that God transforms us, starting with the first:

I. God Gathers Us

“I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land.”
— Ezekiel 36:24

Have you ever felt scattered—not just busy, but truly scattered? Perhaps your time is stretched thin between work demands, family needs, and other commitments. Maybe your heart feels divided between what you know God wants for you and what the world keeps pushing toward. It’s like having 50 tabs open on your browser, each one demanding your attention and pulling you in a different direction. In the middle of all this chaos, you’re trying to focus on God, striving to live for Him, but you feel pulled every which way.

That’s exactly where the Israelites were when God spoke these words. They weren’t just physically scattered in exile; their hearts were scattered, too. Some were chasing after false gods, others were simply trying to survive, and many had completely lost hope. But notice what God says:

“I will take you. I will gather you, and I will bring you.”

God doesn’t just offer advice on how to organize their lives better, nor does He hand them a self-help book. He promises to do the gathering Himself, and He makes the same promise to us today.

When your life feels scattered, when your heart is pulled in countless directions, when you feel lost and far from home, God says, “I will gather you.”

Think about a parent at a busy playground just before sunset. The kids are scattered everywhere—one on the swings, another at the top of the slide, one hanging from the monkey bars. When it’s time to go home, the parent doesn’t just stand by the gate and call out, “It’s time to go, hope you make it back safely!” No, the parent goes to each spot, ensuring that each child is safely gathered, checking under the playground equipment, behind bushes, making sure everyone is accounted for.

That’s how God gathers us—but with even more love and attention. As Christ said:

“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”

Through the cross, He brings us home. We are gathered, not because of our efforts to find Him, but because He first found us. He doesn’t just call out from heaven, hoping we’ll find our way back. He comes to wherever we are. Whether we’re stuck in doubt, swinging between decisions, or hiding in shame, He personally gathers each one of His children.

Some of you today might feel like that child who has wandered to the far corner of the playground. Perhaps you think you’ve gone too far, or you’re too engrossed in your own life to hear God calling. But just like a loving parent who won’t leave without gathering all their children, God won’t rest until He has gathered you back to Himself. And here’s something beautiful: God knows exactly where to find us. Just as a parent knows their child’s favorite hiding spots, God knows where you are, even when you feel completely lost.

How Should We Respond?

1. Stop running – Sometimes, we’re like that child who turns it into a game, running away every time their parent gets close. Be still long enough to let God reach you.
2. Listen for His voice – Amid the noise of life, God is calling you by name, not with judgment, but with love.
3. Let yourself be gathered – Sometimes, pride keeps us from admitting we need to be brought back. There is freedom in allowing God to do what only He can do—bringing all the scattered pieces of your life back together.

Yet, God doesn’t just gather us; He does something even more amazing. He cleanses us.

II. God Cleanses Us

“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness and from all your idols. I will cleanse you.”
— Ezekiel 36:25

Have you ever tried to clean something that was really, deeply dirty? Not just surface dirt, but the kind of mess that has worked its way down into the fabric, staining the material and seeping into every crack? You can scrub and scrub, but some stains just won’t come out on their own.

That’s what sin does to us. It’s not just surface-level mistakes; it works its way deep into our hearts, staining our thoughts, our desires, and our relationships. No matter how hard we try to clean ourselves through good deeds, promises to do better, or sheer willpower, we can’t seem to get completely clean. It’s like asking your kids to clean their room: you walk in, and the floor is spotless, even though they never left the room once! Then you open the closet, and suddenly, it’s like being attacked by a monster with all the hidden mess tumbling out. From the doorway, the room looked clean, but we all know what’s hiding in that closet.

Sometimes, that’s how we treat our spiritual lives. We try to clean up the parts that people can see—managing our behavior, putting on a good face at church, while hiding our struggles in the closet. But God isn’t interested in surface cleaning. He promises something much deeper. And notice who’s doing the cleansing here—God says, “I will sprinkle… I will cleanse you.” We’re not given soap and told to go clean up our lives. Jesus didn’t just offer a better method to scrub away our stains. Instead, He took the full weight of our sin on Himself at the cross, cleansing us completely by His blood.

This isn’t just any kind of cleaning. When God says He will “sprinkle clean water,” He’s talking about complete purification. He promises to deal with two specific things: our uncleanness and our idols.

Let’s Be Honest

1. Uncleanness – That’s everything that makes us feel dirty on the inside: the words we wish we could take back, the thoughts we hope no one knows about, the actions that leave us feeling ashamed, and the habits we can’t seem to break free from.
2. Idols – Before you think, “Well, I don’t have any golden statues in my house,” remember that an idol is anything we put in God’s place—success, approval, money. We all have idols.

But here’s the amazing news: God promises to cleanse us from all of it, not just the surface stuff, not just what other people can see—all of our uncleanness, all of our idols.

Think about the difference between painting over a stain and actually removing it. Paint might cover it up for a while, but eventually, that stain bleeds through again. God isn’t in the business of covering up our sins; He removes them completely. Some of you today may feel like a stain that won’t come out because you’ve tried to cover it up with good behavior. You hide it under religious activities or scrub at it with self-improvement. But God offers something better. He’s not giving you a spiritual sponge and saying, “Try harder.” He’s saying, “Let Me clean you. Let Me do what only I can do.”

How Do We Receive This Cleansing?

1. Be honest about your need – Stop pretending everything is fine. Stop hiding things in the closet. Allow God to shine His light on those places you’ve been trying to keep hidden.
2. Stop trying to clean yourself up first – You don’t take a shower before you take a shower, right? Come to God just as you are.
3. Trust His promise to cleanse you completely – Not partially, not superficially—completely.

But God’s work doesn’t stop there. He doesn’t just gather us and cleanse us. He does something even more extraordinary: He gives us a new heart.

III. God Transforms Our Hearts

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
— Ezekiel 36:26

Have you ever caught yourself doing something you swore you’d never do again or making a promise to change, only to fall back into old patterns? Why is change so hard? It’s because our problems go deeper than our behaviors; they’re rooted in our hearts. And you can’t fix a heart problem with behavior modification—it’s like putting a Band-Aid on a broken bone. It might cover the surface, but it doesn’t address what’s really broken.

Think about your phone battery. When it starts dying, you can dim the screen, close all the apps, turn off extra features, and make it last a little longer. But eventually, you have to face the truth: you don’t need better battery management—you need a new battery. That’s what God is talking about here. He’s not offering tips for better spiritual battery management; He’s promising a complete heart transplant. We don’t receive a new heart by chance; we receive it because Christ’s heart was broken for us. He took our stony hearts to the cross and, in exchange, gave us a heart of flesh—one that beats in sync with His love and grace.

Notice the details of what God promises. He will remove our heart of stone—hard, cold, unresponsive to Him—and replace it with a heart of flesh, soft and sensitive to His touch. He will put a new spirit within us, transforming not just our actions but our desires.

What Does a Heart of Stone Feel Like?

1. When reading the Bible feels like reading a phone book.
2. When prayer feels like talking to the ceiling.
3. When worship becomes just another routine—like going to the dentist; you don’t really want to go, but you know you need to go.
4. When you know what’s right but just can’t seem to want it.

If that’s you today, I have good news: God isn’t asking you to soften your own heart. He’s promising to give you a new one.

And here’s what makes this promise so incredible: God doesn’t just patch up our old heart; He gives us a completely new one. This isn’t spiritual surgery—it’s a total heart transplant.

What Does This Mean for Us Today?

1. Admit that we have a heart problem – This isn’t easy. We often prefer to blame our circumstances, our upbringing, or other people. True transformation begins when we admit, “God, my heart isn’t what it should be.” It’s like when your car won’t start. You can keep turning the key and pumping the gas, hoping it will work. But until you admit there’s an engine problem and let a mechanic take a look, nothing is going to change. Some of us are still trying to turn the key of self-help and self-effort when God is saying, “Let Me get to the heart of the matter.”
2. Stop resisting God’s work – What’s interesting about a heart transplant is that the patient has to be still; they can’t perform their own surgery. Yet sometimes we’re like spiritual heart patients trying to perform our own surgery, wondering why we’re not getting any better.
3. Surrender your heart to Him daily – Start each day by surrendering not just your schedule but your desires and attitudes to God. When you feel your heart growing hard, pause and ask God to soften it. Pay attention to what affects your heart—the media you consume, your relationships, your daily choices.

Some of you may feel hopeless about your heart condition. You’ve tried to change countless times. You’ve made promises, set goals, but nothing seems to last. Today, God is offering you something better than another self-improvement plan. He’s offering you a new heart—not a repaired heart, not an improved heart, but a new heart.

And once He gives us this new heart, He doesn’t leave us to figure things out on our own. God empowers us through His Spirit.

IV. God Empowers Us

“And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”
— Ezekiel 36:27

Let me be honest for a moment. Sometimes when we hear about God’s commands, a part of us thinks, “Here we go again—just another list of things I need to do but can’t seem to manage.” Anybody ever felt that way? But look carefully at what God promises here. He’s not just giving us a new rulebook or a spiritual to-do list. He’s promising to put His Spirit within us, and that changes everything.

Imagine trying to watch TV with an unplugged cord. You can press all the buttons on the remote, but nothing will happen until it’s plugged into a power source. Trying to live the Christian life without the Holy Spirit is like that. We can know all the right things and try all the right behaviors, but without His power working within us, it’s like pressing buttons on an unplugged life. Just as a TV can’t function without power, we can’t live the Christian life without the power of Christ’s resurrection flowing through us by the Holy Spirit. Jesus didn’t just give us a rulebook; He gave us His Spirit to live within us, empowering us to obey through His victory over sin.

Notice the order here. First, God puts His Spirit in us, and then He causes us to walk in His ways. Did you catch that? He causes us to walk in His ways. This isn’t about trying harder; it’s about being empowered from within. This is why so many of our attempts at Christian living fall short. We try to do step two before step one. We try to walk in God’s ways without relying on the Holy Spirit.

Maybe you’ve been there, making promises to read your Bible more, trying to pray longer, working harder to control your temper, or struggling to break free from a persistent sin. And it feels like you’re pushing a car uphill. Why? Because we’re trying to do in our own strength what only God’s Spirit can accomplish. Think about learning to ride a bike. Your dad could shout instructions from the finish line, telling you exactly what to do, or he could run alongside, with one hand on the bike. That’s the difference between trying to obey God’s commands alone and letting the Spirit work within you.

When God puts His Spirit in us, something amazing happens: we start to want what God wants. His commands stop feeling like burdens and start feeling like guardrails of love. The Spirit doesn’t just give us the power to obey; He changes what we desire.

How Do We Live Out This Spirit-Empowered Life?

1. Stop trying to be the power source – Some of us are holding on to the plug but never plugging it in. We have the Spirit, but we’re not depending on His power. It’s time to stop being the source and start being the vessel.
2. Ask for the Spirit’s help – The Holy Spirit is a perfect gentleman. He won’t force His way into the driver’s seat of your life. But the moment you say, “I can’t do it on my own; Holy Spirit, I need Your help,” He’s right there. This can be as simple as asking for His help with your words in a difficult conversation, strength in temptation, or guidance in daily decisions.
3. Learn to recognize His voice – In John 10:27, Jesus says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” Some of you today are exhausted from trying to live the Christian life in your own strength. You’ve been running on empty, pushing yourself to do better, to be better, to try harder. But God is offering you something better. He’s not calling you to try harder; He’s inviting you to trust deeper, to let His Spirit do what only His Spirit can do—to transform you from the inside out.

Remember where we started today: God promises to gather us, cleanse us, give us a new heart, and empower us by His Spirit. This isn’t a self-improvement plan; it’s a supernatural transformation that only God can accomplish.

Conclusion

I want to close with a story. Maybe you’ve heard it before. It’s about an old violin being sold at an auction.

This violin was scratched, stained, and worn out from years of neglect. When the auctioneer held it up, only a few people offered a couple of dollars. But then, an old man stood up, walked to the platform, picked up the violin, dusted it off, and began to tune the strings. As he started to play, the most beautiful music filled the room. That same violin, which moments before seemed worthless, was now creating melodies that brought tears to people’s eyes.

In the hands of a master violinist, that old, worn-out instrument became something beautiful.

Some of you may feel like that old violin today. Life has left its scratches; sin has caused its stains. Maybe you’ve been neglected, or perhaps you’ve neglected your relationship with God. Like those people at the auction, you might have started believing that this is all you’re worth. But the Master is here, and He doesn’t just want to dust you off or tune you up. He wants to transform you completely—to take every scattered, broken, and stained piece of your life and create something beautiful.

The Spirit’s transforming power isn’t something we can earn or work harder for; it flows freely because of what Jesus has already done. His death and resurrection opened the way for us to be renewed every day by His grace.

In a moment, we’re going to sing, and as we do, I’ll be standing here at the front. If you’re ready to let the Master transform your life—to let Him gather, cleanse, and fill you with His Spirit—come forward.

Final Call to Reflection and Prayer

Now, we’re going to pray, but before we do, let me ask you this: What’s holding you back? The Master is here right now, ready to transform your life into something beautiful. You might be thinking, “But you don’t know what I’ve done.” And you’re right—I don’t. But He does, and He is still reaching for you.

Some of you have been playing a worn-out tune for so long, trying to make life work on your own, trying to clean yourself up, trying to change through sheer willpower. And you’re tired. I know you’re tired. Today, the Master is saying, “Let Me take it from here. Let Me make something beautiful of your life.” Don’t let pride or fear or anything else keep you from this moment with God. I’ll be here. Come, let’s pray together.

Let this be the day you stop trying to play life’s song on your own. Let the Master create His masterpiece through you.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, God, we thank You for Your Word, how it shapes us, molds us, sharpens us, and convicts us. Lord, we thank You for Your Spirit’s power to transform us—not on the surface, but from the inside out. I pray that You would speak to us today, that we would leave here changed. It’s in Your Son’s name we pray. Amen.