LAW WRITTEN ON OUR HEARTS

By David J. Riggs

Intro.
   A. A Native American and his friend were in downtown New York
      City, walking near Times Square in Manhattan. It was during the
      noon lunch hour and the streets were filled with people. Cars  
      were honking their horns, taxicabs were squealing around       
      corners, sirens were wailing, and the sounds of the city were  
      almost deafening. Suddenly, the Native American said, "I hear a
      cricket."
   B. His friend said, "What?  You must be crazy. You couldn't       
      possibly hear a cricket in all of this noise!" "No, I'm sure of
      it," the Native American said, "I heard a cricket." "That's    
      crazy," said the friend.
   C. The Native American listened carefully for a moment, and then
      walked across the street to a big cement planter where some    
      shrubs were growing. He looked into the bushes, beneath the    
      branches, and sure enough, he located a small cricket. His     
      friend was utterly amazed.
   D. "That's incredible," said his friend. "You must have           
      super-human ears!" "No," said the Native American. "My ears are
      no different from yours.  It all depends on what you're        
      listening for."
   E. "But that can't be!" said the friend. "I could never hear a    
      cricket in this noise." "Yes, it's true," came the reply. "It  
      depends on what is really important to you. Here, let me show  
      you."
   F. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a few coins, and        
      discreetly dropped them on the sidewalk. And then, with the    
      noise of the crowded street still blaring in their ears, they  
      noticed every head within twenty feet turn and look to see if  
      the money that tinkled on the pavement was theirs.
   G. "See what I mean?" asked the Native American. "It all depends  
      on what's important to you."

I. For application, we ask: "What's important to us? For what do we  
   listen?
   A. God writes His New Law on our hearts. Heb. 8:8-10
      1. Here is the significant difference between the old covenant 
         and the new.
      2. To many under the old covenant, the law of God was just a   
         law inscribed on stones.
         a. The law never became part of their lives.
         b. They did not understand it, nor did they live by it.
      3. The new covenant, however, requires a mental agreement and
         submission to its teaching.
         a. The new covenant is a life-giving power inscribed on our
            hearts.
   B. God writes His law on our hearts only as we are willing to have
      it on our hearts.
      1. John 6:44-45 - Thus, we must hear and learn.
      2. James 1:21 - The Bible laid upon a shelf, collecting dust,
         doesn't do us any good. The word must be implanted into our
         hearts.
   C. When we hear, learn, and submit to the new law, God grants
      remission of our sins. Heb. 8:11-12

Concl.
   A. Those who have received the Law (have heard, learned, and      
      obeyed the new law) are the ones who have the Law of God       
      written on their hearts.
   B. How about you? What is important to you? For what do you       
      listen?
   C. You have a choice to receive the Law of God into your heart, or
      to reject it.
      1. Which will you choose?