God wants to do a New thing In Your Life
Isaiah 43:18,19
18. Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
19. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
Church lets put it this way -- to motivate the hearer -- to seek a new vision and a new interest --- in the things --- of God.
Isaiah’s writings to the children of Israel came at a bleak period of their history.
They are in captivity -- they have lost everything -- that they had possibly -- thought -- they would keep forever ----
and they were home sick for the land and the blessing God had promised them.
Ya know -- When I became a Christian -- I needed to do something different --
I needed to -- embrace the new thing -- of what I came to realize -- and that is --- God wanted -- me to do my new life -- with Him ----
Ya see -- I needed to Change my Focus ------ I needed to quit looking behind me -- and start looking ahead ---
Verse 18 says -- Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. In other words do not dwell on the past.
Think about it --- Look behind you -- can you walk forward and see where your going --
Hey -- If you are continually looking behind you cannot see where you are going.
Church -- If you are ever going to move on -- to new things -- in Christ --- you must know that ------
You Cannot Depend Upon Past Victories To Sustain You
Hey -- Hey -- Hey ---- Forget the former things;
Ya know reading Scripture -- we can see -- 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.
They must think they need another Golden Calf ---- “NOT”
Hey - The question isn’t what has God done –the question must be:
What is God doing in your life right now --------- What is it --- that you want Him to do ---- in your life right now?
Church -- you must know -- in order to move on to new things in Christ you must know that ---- You Cannot Allow Your Past Failures to Possess You --- Do not dwell -- on the past.
WOW -- The children of Israel had failed God miserably.
It seems like --- 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 ------ Did they --
But -- 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.
Are we -- doing a new thing!
Church -- God was not condemning them for their past --- He knew -- they could do nothing to change their -- Past ---
Just like us -- He’s not condemning our past --- No -- Instead God was holding out the hand of hope -- To them as well as us - AMEN
In effect -- God is saying: Forget about your past -- I am giving you an opportunity to start over --
Did ya hear -- He’s giving you an opportunity to start over
Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts.
Isn’t this Truth here - when I say - Let us turn to the LORD - & -he will have mercy on us - and to our God - he will freely pardon -Us
If we are going to get anywhere -- in our spiritual life -- we must understand that -------- You Cannot Live on Yesterday’s Faith
Church -- 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 -
You know what --- the children of Israel --- had seen the hand of God -- at work -- in -- and -- throughout -- their lives.
Yet their faith in what God had done was doing nothing to deliver them from their present situation ----
WOW -- Can you imagine ---- their old faith was not sufficient enough -- to deliver -- them -- from -- their present problems ---
You think maybe -- They needed new faith --- a new vision -- for what God could do.
I mean -- Did they need a new portion of the faith -- that had brought to pass ---- all the victories --- from before.
I mean -- that -- God’s -- people -- may rejoice in Him again - “Really” -- what more do they need --- Didn’t God -- Show them -- His unfailing love ------ I say ------ Lord -- grant us your Salvation Let us feel your presence Lord - We know your God
Read with me --- "Psalm 85:6-8a
6 Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show us your unfailing love, Lord, and grant us your salvation.
8 I will listen to what God the Lord says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants -- but let them not turn to folly.
Did you grasp on the first part of God’s Scripture in Verse 8 -- I will listen to what God the Lord says
Church -- Lets -- embrace -- the new thing -- of what God wants to do in our life ---- and that be --- is to -- CLARIFY YOUR FOCUS DISCOVER WHAT GOD WANTS FOR YOU
Isaiah 43:18,19
I say -- again -- Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
Can you 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.
Perceive to know by seeing --- care --- recognition -- acknowledge - understand.
Church -- What do you see when you view your life?
Do you see possibilities or problems?
Notice what God said:
I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.
The children of Israel had a choice.
They could view their past and the problems of their present, or they could focus upon what God wanted to do in their lives.
Way -vs- Desert -- Streams -vs- Wasteland
Church --- In order to discover what God wants for you --- You Must First See Yourself as God Sees You
So let me ask --- How does God --- see you --
I wonder -- did the children of Israel -- feel -- as though they were getting just what they deserved - cause of the way - they had lived
I bet -- some -- believed -- that God -- would never have anything more to do with them ---
How many of us - have thought this way before --- Well if you did you was wrong -- Just as --- they were wrong!!!
I use to feel -- my past -- has made my life a wasteland -- but ya know what -- in God -- our life -- can become a stream -- of life -
Romans 8:1-2
1.Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
2. because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death
Colossians 1:21-22
21. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.
22. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation
Church let me say -- In order to discover what God wants for you
You Must See Your Possibilities as God Sees Them
He say’s - I am making a way in the desert - Can you survive the desert -- With God you can --
Hey -- God is able to transform the desert -- areas of your life -- into fields of blessing and abundance.
I’ll tell ya - God can take a dried up useless life - & - trans-form it - into a life of -- purpose -- and -- grace:
2nd Corinthians 3:17-18
17. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
18. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Church -- I can tell ya -- The greatest step to embracing the new thing ---- what God -- wants to do -- in your life --- is to ---- COMMIT YOURSELF TO GOD’S PLAN
Ya know -- as for as Israel --- God had already set into motion the events and people -- who would lead Israel out of captivity -- & -- back into the land of blessing.
But listen up -- Just like us -- in our life -- it was still up to them to decide if they wanted -- what God -- was offering --
And just like us -- If they refused God’s plan -- if they refused to follow where God was leading ---
then they would -- be doomed -- to remain -- in their captivity --
Hey -- we’re the same way -- if we do not allow God to - reveal His plan in us -- I mean in you --
then will you always be in captivity -- within yourself - and SIN
Remember our Scripture --
Isaiah 43:18,19
18. “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
19. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
　
Church - can I say something --- I’m not perfect -- I don’t claim to be -- Hey -- I have faults -- but - let me say this -- I don’t dwell on the past - like I use to --
Cause you see --- I know - God’s got my back -- I’m looking forward --
Ya see --- God has already set into motion a new direction and a new purpose for my life ------------ How about you ---
Brothers - Sisters - Friends -- will you follow Him?
Hey --- we are the people of his pasture -- the flock under his care.
Today -- if only you would hear his voice,
Psalms 95:7-8a
7. For He is our God, And we are the people of His pas-ture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice:
8. Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion ---
Is God not Good -- I mean -- All the Time
