Sermon Central
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Behold: A New Thing
Contributed by Bishop Prof. Julius Soyinka on Oct 24, 2016 (message contributor)
Summary: God says: See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. What do you see when you view your life? Do you see possibilities or problems?
BEHOLD: A NEW THING
Study Text: Isaiah 43: 18 – 19
Introduction:
- This promise came from God to the children of Israel at a bleak period of their history.
- They are in captivity, they have lost everything they thought they would keep forever, and they were home sick for the land and the blessing God had promised them.
- We can also stand on the promises of God today for a glorious new beginning and the new thing in our lives.
- The reliability of any promise depend on the personality that gives the promise, his capability, his integrity and his generosity.
- When we examine God based on these qualities, we can see that His words and promises are very reliable, and we will receive the blessings if we can wait on Him and wait for Him.
- We shall discuss the topic under three sub-headings:
1. Repositioning for the New Things
2. Revelation of the New Things
3. Revolution by the New Things
1. Repositioning for the New Things
- The 1st step to embracing the new thing that God wants to do in your life is to change your focus: quit looking behind and start looking ahead.
- Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. If you are continually looking behind you cannot see where you are going.
- Paul shared with us this great secret of success in life and ministry. Phil 3: 12 – 15.
- You consider your past to help you and not to hurt you.
- If you are ever going to move on to new things in Christ you must learn that:
i. You Cannot Depend Upon Past Victories To Sustain You
- The children of Israel had many victories in their past:
1. Leaving Egypt
2. Conquering the Land of Canaan
3. Fighting of prospective conquerors
4. Survived a split in their country
- But now they are in captivity. All their previous victories were doing nothing to set them free. They needed a new work, a new miracle, a new victory.
- The question isn’t what has God done –the question must be:
What is God doing in your life right now? Or What is it that you want Him to do in your life right now?
ii. You Cannot Allow Your Past Failures to Possess You
- The children of Israel had failed God miserably. Every time He blessed them with good things, they returned to Him evil things:
1. God gave them the Temple - they gave Him idol worship
2. God gave them truth - they lived and proclaimed a lie
3. God gave them His commands - they lived like they were suggestions.
4. God gave them wealth - they used it to abuse the poor
5. God gave them Himself - they gave Him nothing except rejection.
- The children of Israel did not deserve to receive anything from God. Yet He still loved them and He earnestly wanted to help them change.
- Notice God’s Message: Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!
- God was not condemning them for their past, they could do nothing to change it. Instead God was holding out the hand of hope. He is in effect saying: Forget about your past -- I am giving you an opportunity to start over. Isaiah 55:7
iii. You Cannot Live on Yesterday’s Faith
- The children of Israel had experienced great spiritual blessings throughout their history. From the first Passover, to the crossing of the Red Sea, to the conquering of the Land of Canaan, to the building of the temple, the children of Israel had seen the hand of God at work in and through their lives.
- Yet their faith in what God had done was doing nothing to deliver them from their present situation. Their old faith was not sufficient enough to deliver them from their present problems.
- They needed new faith, a new vision for what God could do. They needed a new portion of the faith that had brought to pass all the victories from before. Psalm 85:6-8a
- Reposition yourself to what God wants to do in your life now, by taking the following actions:
1. Genuine repentance over all known and unknown sins
2. Turn away from our wicked ways, and turn to God in righteousness
3. Forget your ugly past, in anticipation of the glorious new thing God wants to do for you.
4. You position yourself by calling on the Living God
- God has promised to do a new thing. Do you wish God would work as He did in days of old? Are you ready for a new beginning? Are you ready for God to do a new thing in your life?
