Let The Spirit Of God Enable You To Effectively Communicate

--James S. Hewitt, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 68.

4. Exchange.

Isaiah 61:3

To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair

- Have you traded your sorrows for the joy of the Lord?

The great Scottish Bible expositor Alexander MacLaren once wrote: ‘we may have as much of God as we will. Christ puts the key of the treasure-chamber into our hand, and bids us take all that we want. If a man is admitted into the bullion vault of a bank and told to help himself, and comes out with one cent, whose fault is it that he is poor?”

Jesus said, “According to your faith be it unto you.”

5. Establishment.

Isaiah 61:3-4

They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.

- The Holy Spirit wants to rebuild in you all that life on earth without Him has destroyed.

- We need to be a consistent people. (Dependable)

Psalm 1:1-3

1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

6. Exaltation.

Isaiah 61:6-7

6 And you will be called priests of the LORD; you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.

7 Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.

- Not only will you get restored, you will get more than you lost!

- God is working to make you a better person than you dreamed possible.

Promotion comes not from the east or the west but God is one who puts up one and puts down another.

Do not seek great things for yourself. For behold I will bring evil upon all flesh. (Jeremiah)

Joel 2:24-25

24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.

25 `I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten

Ephesians 3:20-21

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

I Chron 4:9,10 – Jabez called on the God of Israel saying O that you would bless me indeed and that you would enlarge my coasts. That your hand would be with me that it may not do me harm. And God granted that which He requested.

7. Example.

Every where people are looking for role models.

I. E. James Kennedy – Evangelism Explosion and modern Christian media productions.