Divine Expansion – 2015 Series

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Introduction:

Praise the Lord. The clock is ticking and at this moment we have less than an hour before we begin New Year 2015. We are seeing this moment because God was faithful in 2014. Yes, down to the smallest details of our life had been guided by God. Let’s lift up your hands and give thanks to the Lord for 2014.

God has given me a challenging theme for 2015 – Divine Expansion.

Isaiah 54:2-3 2“Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. 3For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.

God wants to see you life moving forward. God has plans to bless you in all areas of your life. Maybe you have faced a setback in 2014. Nothing much has changed for you. God is reminding us that he is going to revive us and bring us again to a place of power and prosperity. I want to announce that a shift is taking place. You are entering into a new season, just like the winds can shift directions, in the New Year things are going to shift on your favour. Some of you are in the same level year after year; you think you have reached your limits. God is telling, “I am going to do a new thing.” God is going to thrust you further than you can imagine. He is going to open doors that you never even dreamed possible.

How to receive the God’s expansion?

1. Understand Your Present.

Remember, God delivered the Israelites from the iron hand of Pharaoh, miraculously divided the Red Sea, and brought them through the wilderness to the Promised Land. But Israel was not faithful to God. They asked for a king. The kings led them to idolatry. They lived a compromised life. Israel sinned against God.

2 Kings 17:7-8

Israel Exiled Because of Sin

7All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods 8and followed the practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced.

2 Kings 17:18 So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence.

Look at their present condition.

Israel was suffering in exile. They were completely controlled and overrun by the Babylonians.

Isaiah 54 explains this condition:

a. Barrenness

Isaiah 54:1 Sing, barren woman….

b. Fear. Shame. Disgrace. Humiliation. Reproach.

Isaiah 54:4 Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.

c. Deserted. Distress. Rejected.

Isaiah 54:6 The Lord will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit – a wife who married young, only to be rejected,” says your God.

d. Abandoned.

Isaiah 54:7 For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back.

e. Afflicted, lashed, storms, not comforted.

Isaiah 54:11 Afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted….

Sin took Israel into the pit of ruin. They were fruitless. There was no growth regardless of how much effort was put in. Israel was one of hopelessness, fruitlessness, and barren.

Tonight, I do not know what your shortcomings were in 2014. I do not know if you have been unfaithful to God. Maybe you have neglected your spiritual life, neglected church. Maybe you messed up in your family or personal life. You could not hold on to your calling.

I see another group of people here: It also maybe that you have done everything right but still faced disgrace in 2014. Maybe your dreams were scattered into pieces. Maybe health wise you struggled, you struggle in your career or business, your peace was scattered. Maybe some of you felt humiliated.

I have good news for you: Barrenness is not a permanent condition. Our God is a creator. God is breaking our barrenness. You may be going through fire and flood or the devil would have taken your blessings; God is promising divine expansion in 2015.

2. God’s promise – Divine Expansion.

Tell your neighbour, “Give me some room, I’m about to stretch!”

Isaiah 54:2-3 2“Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. 3For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.