A New Shift of Change Is Coming
Nothing God ever does is by chance, He is very careful and thought out with His plans, ensuring even the smallest details happens in proper order, at the right time, place and way He intends for all of our lives. Too bring about the best results possible for us, that constantly continues the abundant life of blessings He has prepared for those who Love Him!
Change for some reason, for most of us never wants to come easily. But when you think about life, everyday has given us a different set of circumstances to deal with our entire existence.
Psalms 139:13-16 MSG
Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother’s womb.
I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I’d even lived one day.
Only God in his infinite wisdom, knowing how He made us, equipped and provided for our well being, every step of the journey.
Lamentations 3:22-24King James Version (KJV)
22 It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
24 The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
I think sometimes when we think about change, we think that the change will have to come under the power of our own merit, but that's not how God intended.
The Bible says that His mercies are new each and every day, and His involvement will be there each and every twisting moment that we are evolving into the person and task that God has given to us to be.
Human nature is sometimes difficult to understand, because under most circumstances we like to embrace new and change. We like new clothes, new cars, new restaurants.
We like new almost to the point of embarrassment, and I say that because I have heard more than one lady say as she pulls a new dress out of her closet, hid the price tag in her hand and say to her husband; "this old thing!"r
We like new and we like change, as long as we can provide the means to acquire them. It's when we have to rely solely on our faith in God, instead of ourselves do we start having an issue.
But if you were to think about it, everything that has ever been purchased on credit, we have relied on someone else to first pay the debt for the new item we want and then we repay the debt. And then somehow we think we have done the whole procedure all by ourselves.
Illus. By Keith Broyles
I love bumper sticker theology. It may not always be the most sound theological statements, but they generally at least have the ability to make you think. The one in particular that I am thinking about said, "God is my Co-pilot." Do you remember the sticker? It took a great deal of heat. Perhaps that heat is what made a new saying come out. It has been seen more on church signs. Church sign theology is also kind of fun. This one says, "If God is your Co-Pilot, change seats."
How many of you are willing to change seats this morning with God? How many of you are finally willing to let go of the wheel? How many of you are willing to let go of what you know and trust God to step out of the boat into the water of the unknown?
What would you do if like Moses, you saw a burning bush that didn't consume itself and God was calling you out of obscurity to do something outside your comfort level?
Exodus 3:9-11 MSG
9-10 “The Israelite cry for help has come to me, and I’ve seen for myself how cruelly they’re being treated by the Egyptians. It’s time for you to go back: I’m sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the People of Israel, out of Egypt.”
11 Moses answered God, “But why me? What makes you think that I could ever go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
I'm sure many of us would have said the same thing Moses said, "but why me?" Thing is, in our own lives God has called on all of us to do things and step out and we have said, "but why me Lord?"
Some of us have said yes and been greatly Blessed, and some have said said no and said no to change and no to the new God wanted to do for them.
Moses, objected at every turn and said they won't believe me, "God said yes they will!" Moses went on to object, saying this and that and he even referred to having a stuttering problem.
Thing is, just like our own lives, God had been preparing moses his whole life long to do the impossible, from the ride in a basket on the river, to his formal education in the house of Pharos daughter, to his time spent tending the flocks in the desert. Every day, was preparation for something greater, God had in store!
But until he was willing to embrace the shift of change and say yes to what God was calling him too, he would never fulfill his destiny!
Jonah 1:1-3 NKJ
Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” 3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
Here we read of Jonah, and he didn't even raise an objection, he just said no from the get go! He didn't want any part of the change God was calling him to be a part of!
But God had different plans, and God was willing to do something drastic, to get Jonahs attention! And we know the story of Jonah, how they took off on that boat to go to Tarshes and how a bad storm came up on them.
And finally Jonah told him that he was the reason that they were in the storm.
Did they have compassion for Jonah? No they threw him overboard and he was swallowed by a great fish, and while he was in the belly of that fish Jonah came to his senses.
He began to thank God that even though he was in the belly of the fish, at least he was still alive and repented and ask God bring about what He wanted, instead of what Jonah had attempted.
Only then, did God speak to the fish and cause the fish to expel him, and the rest is history! The whole city of Nineveh repented and was spared from the wrath God was going to deliver!
Both men, with Gods help embraced the new thing that God was wanting to do and the change required to see Gods plan through to fruition. And the results, saw millions of lives rescued and set free from oppression.
When I think of all the things that God has done in my life, your life and the life of this church, there can be no doubt that his hand has been guiding each of us every step of the way.
Considering where he has brought us from in the past, the many paths of life that we all have walked, and then to see where we are today, it is nothing short of a miracle.
And we're thankful for those Victories! But those victories are in the past, not to be forgotten, but to be built upon to do something greater in the future.
God is saying, just like my mercies are new...so are the things I have planned for your future, something new is in the atmosphere, something greater than before is about to happen!
And He would have me tell you to let go of the old, the way things have always been and to embrace the new. To not question God’s motives, but to completely trust in His amazing capabilities to do something greater than what we have experienced thus far!
It's no coincidence that you're here this morning, God wants you to be a part of the shift, He has planned. The new He wants to do, not only in his church but in your life as well.
Your age has nothing to do with it, your financial status has nothing to do with it, only your willingness to be involved has anything to do with what Gods wants to do, and is going to do, going forward!
You may feel like Ezekiel felt in the valley of dry bones, but if you are willing, God will breathe new life into your situation, and and enable you to do things you never thought could be possible. All the while making a life changing difference in whoever, your around.
What God has impressed upon my heart is Jeremiah 29:11 revealed. His plans to prosper you, His plans to give you hope and a future! And that's the key, because His plans all talk about what lies ahead for you and not behind!
God has your Nineveh ready, are you ready for your Nineveh?
The miracles that have happened in our lives and in this church are a great testament to the faithfulness of Gods unfailing hand, but compared to what lies ahead for those willing to step out in faith and trust God as He reveals the new that He has planned, fail in comparison!
You may not know what God has for you, or wants you to do going forward. But if you're willing to find out, I want you to step out in faith right now, embrace the new and come forward and we're going to pray and seek what God has for us going forward!
Let us pray...
