Sermon Central
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I Know I've Been Changed Series
Contributed by Vera Hughes on Feb 20, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: This sermon will provoke you to look at our personal relationship with God so that He might develop the uniqueness in each of us. He wants us to be opened to change and the new season we are entering!
God cannot do anything in the earth unless man does it; He has given the authority and dominion to man. The only way His will can be done if we do it.
We are created for different times and seasons; that’s why we are unique…even if we are in the same family. God wants to express our purpose in each one of us.
This scripture is prophesying to the body of Christ. The Old Testament is always showing us what will be. This scripture reveals the relationship with Christ and the Church. (Isaiah 43:18)
Isaiah 43: 1
Five things we can notice in this scripture:
1. I created you. You are a part of you. I breathed you out myself and in my image and likeness you are.
2. I formed you and created a temple. God wants to dwell in us and have fellowship.
3. Fear not, for I have redeemed thee.
4. I have called thee by thy name. I call you Kings and Priests and Children of the Most High God. Changed your name from Slick, Bubba and Cool and now you have a new name.
5. You are mine. I made you an heir with Christ and because of Christ, you are risen with Him partakers with all He has obtained.
When, means that you will go through things. The waters will overflow, but I will carry you. You are going through the fire – it’s important. You must go through the fire – it burns things in you that are bondage and contrary to the will of God (i.e. hobbies, impediments, etc.) One of the things the Body has to do is to stop avoiding the “FIRE”.
God identified Himself.
God is showing His love for us.
God chose the Israelites and there is a reason why you were chosen. There is a time difference between when you get saved and go to Heaven. He told the Israelites, after children are born – circumcise them so that they will grow up with knowledge of God.
Israel 43:10 – Why God created the Israelites and the Body of Christ.
You are My witnesses, says the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me.
God wanted us to see Him as the source. He provides for us. The Body of Christ must realize He is our source. To do a new thing, we must know that God is our source. God also wanted us to know or understand Him (make Him clear and visible). The problem in the world is that God is not clear and visible in the world. Television is spreading the Gospel. You can sit in India and beam the Gospel. But in this medium, God is not clear and visible to the world. The world does not have respect for God.
It is not the world’s fault. The Body of Christ is to make God clear and visible.
The Body of Christ is God’s witness that He is God. The world should know God by looking at the Body of Christ. God has no other plan to reveal Himself other than the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ must function for the world to see God. We are not functioning because young are killing young, massive divorces, aids, teen pregnancy…this is a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah!
What is the Spirit of the Lord saying to the Church? In Revelation 2, God spoke to the 7 churches here and told them: He that has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit of God says to the Church.
God has not stop speaking to the Church (through the Word). We are busy trying to get healed, delivered, rich and prosperous – we have begun to stop to listen to hear what the Spirit of God has to say to the Church.
The Spirit of the Lord is saying to the Church will not make you rich. He is saying: the condition of the Body of Christ does not permit the world to know Me. The world cannot see a distinguish between the world and church.
This means that God is ready to do a new thing. Don’t get rid of the foundation…that’s what the Church has done. Flush down those things that brought you down, but I need a foundation so that I may do a new thing.
When Jesus came, He did not come to destroy the Law or the Prophets but He came to fulfill them so that the foundation can be laid and God can do a new thing. Fulfill means that I will take the plan of God to my generation. I cannot take it to my generation using the theology of the last generation. We must be an end time creation of God. I am created at the right time.
