God Is Doing A New Thing!

“GOD IS DOING A NEW THING!” Isa. 43:18-19

FBCF – 9/15/24

Jon Daniels

INTRO – “Nu Thang” – DC Talk – 1990

Probably never had anyone introduce a sermon like that ever in the 137-yr history of FBCF! Don’t worry. We aren’t about to start doing 1990’s DC Talk Christian rap songs on Sunday morning – I like my job too much to do that! Ha! Just wanted to grab your attention w/ the words that are the title of this sermon – “God is doing a new thing”, or “nu thang” as DC Talk said it 34 yrs ago!

But what does it mean that “God is doing a new thing”? Did that just apply to the children of Israel in the OT, centuries before Jesus came, or does it still apply to us today? Let’s jump into the Word & discover how it DOES still apply to us today – right now at THIS moment in THIS place as we gather to worship Jesus, the Savior of the world who wants to do a NEW thing in YOUR life today!

- He wants to give you new life today! – Romans 6:4 – “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (NIV)

- He wants to implant a new heart in you today! – Ezekiel 36:26 – “I will give you a new heart…”

- He wants to bless you w/ a new spirit today – Ezekiel 36:26 – “I will give you…a new spirit…”

- He wants you to experience new birth today! – John 3:3 – “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” (KJV)

- He wants us to live by His new commandment – John 13:34-35 – “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

- He wants you to put on a new self today – Colossians 3:10 – “…you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” (NIV)

- Revelation 2:17 says He wants to give you a new name that’s written down in glory.

- Revelation 21 tells us that, one day, He will move us into a new home & will make ALL things new!

New life – New heart – New spirit – New birth – New commandment – New self – New name – New home – ALL things new! Looks like that, when it comes to Jesus, that word “NEW” is pretty important!

EXPLANATION – Isaiah 43:18-19

The OT book of Isaiah was written some 700 yrs before Jesus came & gives us the most comprehensive prophetic picture of Him in the entire OT. So many powerful prophecies about Jesus in it. Written some 700 yrs before Jesus came into the world, the prophet Isaiah gave us some great insights into the Messiah who would come. Here are a few:

- Isaiah 7:14 – “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive & bear a son & shall call his name Immanuel.”

- Isaiah 9:6-7 – “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; & the government shall be upon his shoulder, & his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

- Isaiah 11:1-2 – “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, & a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom & understanding, the Spirit of counsel & might, the Spirit of knowledge & the fear of the Lord.”

- Isaiah 53 – The Suffering Servant

- Isaiah 61:1-2a – Jesus quoted these very words when He preached for the first time in His hometown of Nazareth: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, & the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

Isaiah 43 is also another prophecy about Jesus, though not as blatantly obvious as some of these other ones. In Isaiah 43, God is encouraging His people with the news that something new is coming – better yet, SomeONE new is coming! The “former things” refers to the oldness of the judgments of the OT Law. It also refers to the all the past troubles & suffering b/c of their sin & rebellion. Through JESUS, God’s plan for forgiveness, salvation, & new life would be fulfilled!