NEW BEGINNING NEW CHAPTERS
NEW BEGINNING NEW CHAPTERS
Text: Isa 42:9 KJV Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.
Isa 43:16-20 KJV 16 Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; 17 Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow. 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. 20 The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.
New things could mean that there were old things. It also implies that something that has not existed or has not been known or seen before.
Mar 2:12 KJV And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.
New can also refer to something recently made, grown or built, or recently found, invented or discovered: a new car; techniques.
Psa 98:1 KJV A Psalm. O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.
The remaining days of this month shall produce new songs in your mouth in Jesus name.
Psa 33:3 KJV Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.
Psa 96:1 KJV O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.
This year you will sing your songs, dance your dance and testify of God’s goodness in Jesus name.
How do you know if something new is about to happen?
Some doors will close, some opportunities may be cut off, there can be holy dissatisfaction with what you are doing or where you are presently. There could be sudden hatred from people who used to like you. God may begin to show you the future and revelation like Joseph and Paul in Act 16. Some relationships may come to a sudden end. There may be a leading by the Holy Spirit. There may be sudden fed up with a thing or place, you can’t explain but it’s there. There could be joy of the Holy Ghost in you, it is a signal of a new level. New people may start coming into your life and lastly somebody somewhere may remember you.
King Solomon asked a question in his book. He said is there a new thing under the sun?
Ecc 1:9-10 KJV 9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. 10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
I agree 100% with Ecclesiaates that there is no new thing that has not been. But when you get married, we have the latest and newest couple in town. When you park into a new apartment, you are moving into a new house. When you buy a car or change the one you are driving, they say you have a new car. When you sow a new dress, it is a new one. So, there is something new under heaven for you.
Getting baptized, joining a new congregation, starting a new degree program, launching new business, getting a promotion, moving to a new city, getting married, changing diet, reconciling with an old friend, implementing a new exercise program.
After this encounter, new good things are taking place in Jesus name.You will have a new job, new business, but no new wife o, amen.
In the text read for us, At Isa 43:16, the prophet had referred to the deliverance from Egypt and the passage through the Red Sea; here he promises that the same power shall be employed in their redemption and return from the Babylonish captivity.
Meaning, that their deliverance out of Babylon would be more famous than that from Egypt was, (Jer 23:7; Hag 2:10; 2Co 5:17; Rev 21:5, Rev 21:7
As he led his people out of their Egyptian bondage, first through the Red Sea, and then through a “howling wilderness”, (Deu 32:10 ) so now he will “make a way” for them through a still more desolate tract
Our God is a God of new beginning and likes doing new things; it is all over creation! He designed our bodies to always produce new cells; new hair. We have a new life in Christ; with new opportunities and new challenges. And of His last promises in the Bible is Him making all things new Rev 21: 5
As God created us in His image, we have a liking for new things as well. We are always producing and buying new stuff and seeking new experiences and sensations. We feel excited when we hold a new phone or wear a new dress.
GOD DID NEW THING IN PEOPLE’S LIFE
Abraham
Gen 12:1 KJV Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
God did a new thing in Abraham’s life when He asked him to leave his land, family and everything he has ever known to a new place that has no designation. Abraham decided to trust God and abandoned his old life And through his obedience, the nation of Israel came to be, as well as the lineage of Jesus.
The apostles Peter, James and John
Mat 4:18-22 KJV 18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. 21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. 22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.
They abandoned their former lives of fishermen to follow Jesus and become his disciples. By embracing the new thing God di, they helped built the church and led many to salvation
What of Levi
Luk 5:27-29 KJV 27 And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. 28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him. 29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.
Paul the apostle
Paul had an encounter with Jesus on his way to Damascus, he accepted his new role as an apostle to the gentiles and let go of his old life as a Pharisee. God accomplished many things through Paul and his teachings make up half of the New Testament.
New covenant
Heb 8:8 KJV For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
Heb 8:13 KJV In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
The irony is that most Christians are still living under the old covenant of law when we have a new covenant of grace.
NEW THING NEW CHALLENGE
Once we have decided to trust God and step into something new, we need to get ready for challenges. That’s because when God does a new thing, it is usually accompanied by a period of testing and preparation.
Reason for testing
As we are not always prepared to accomplish the task He has set for us, He develops and tests until we are ready. And his training ground is in the wilderness. Sometimes He leads directly or our obstinacy leads us into the wilderness. But we must be tested before the new thing comes out. Take for instance in civil service, before you are promoted into the next levels that come with perks and benefits, you will go through promotional exams. So it is in the things of God.
David
He was the last of eight sons in his family and was entirely unimportant. But God did something new in David’s life and appointed him as the next king of Israel. David did not walk into his kingdom right away, first, he went through a period of testing and preparation for about 15 years before he regained the throne.
There was a time when he was tempted to kill Saul but he told his men that he cannot lay his hands on God’s anointed.
Moses
He was commissioned to lead Israel out of Egypt into the promised land but though he knew the will and he didn’t find out the timing he prematurely attempted to rescue them which backfired and had to run into wilderness where he was trained as a shepherd of Jethro for 40 years. He came back at 80 years old to lead them for 40 years.
John the baptist.
Luk 1:80 KJV And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.
What was he doing in the wilderness? Preparation and when he started preaching, see what happened
Mat 3:1 KJV In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
Mat 3:5 KJV Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
People will locate you in Jesus’ name.
The Lord Jesus
As soon as he was baptized by John in Jordan, something happened to him:
Mar 1:12-13 KJV 12 And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness. 13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
Luk 4:1 KJV And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
Mar 1:13 KJV And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
He came out of the wilderness to be tempted by the devil in order for him to doubt His identity even though God had spoken and gave Him the identity that this is my beloved Son, yet the devil was asking him if he was the Son of God.
There are so many of us that are going through a period of wilderness, it is your testing and preparation period because something is about to breakforth, you are about to enter into your new season and the challenge and hostility is louder now, don’t give up please.
It is essential to not only let go and embrace what God is doing; but also to endure the testing that comes with it patiently. Otherwise, we will share a similar fate to that of the children of Israel.
What happens when we refuse the period of testing?
God did something new when He delivered the Isrealites from slavery; He uprooted them from everything they had ever known to take them to a new land. but before God brought them to the promised land, He purposely led the children of Israel through a longer path to strengthen and prepare them for the new things to come.
Exo 13:17-19 KJV 17 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: 18 But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.
The desert was their period of training and preparation, but they failed it.
They didn’t let go of their old lives, but longed for the good old days and wanted to return to Egypt. They didn’t patiently endure the hardships of the testing; instead, they complained and grumbled the whole time.
Exo 15:24 KJV And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
Exo 16:3 KJV And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
Exo 17:3 KJV And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?
Even at the edge of entering into the promised land they doubted.
Num 14:2-4 KJV 2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! 3 And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? 4 And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.
Lastly, they did not trust God and refused to enter the promised land. Due to that, God punished them and made them wander in the wilderness for forty years.
Num 14:30 KJV Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
OTHER FACTORS THAT HINDER NEW BEGINNING
1. Dwelling too long in a comfort zone
Deu 1:6 KJV The LORD our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount:
Deu 2:3 KJV Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward.
Most people have gotten used to a certain place, people, relationship, career that they felt that is all they get and be in life.
2. Dwelling on the past whether success or failure.
Most people think failure is the end of life and so they give up after experiencing failure in a business, marriage, job. Failure is just learning that there is an alternative way to do it better and again. It is a stepping stone to the next success.
On the other hand, some people’s success has held them down so that they feel they have arrived and no need to push again. The enemy of the best is better.
Isa 43: 18 says remember not the former things. Not that you should not have reminiscence of the past but don’t dwell there. There is a greater height.
God told Joshua after conquering 31 kings that there are still many lands to be occupied.
Jos 13:1 KJV Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.
Immediately David was installed as king he took his campaign to Jerusalem and even with opposition he conquered the place and made it his capital.
2Sam 5:6 KJV And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking, David cannot come in hither.
3. Past disappointment: When Jesus told Peter to launch his nets on the other side, Peter began to recall all his experience in the night. When he eventually did, a new chapter of success was opened. Luk 5: 5
4. Voice of discouragement
When David came to challenge Goliath, his own brothers derided him, the king did everything to discourage him but David insisted and that was what opened a new public life for David. His fame went everywhere.
1Sa 17:28 KJV And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.
1Sa 17:33 KJV And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
What kills dreams and vision are words of people like Saul. They said you are not able because they have access to you and found by their own estimation that you lack the wherewithal to achieve greater heights but your ability is in Christ Jesus and you can do all things through Christ that strengthens you.
When God is doing something new, it sometimes requires us to step into the unknown, which may feel uncomfortable, scary, and even unpleasant at first. We may be tempted to hold on to the life we know where everything is familiar. But we need to let go of the old, trust God and embrace what He is doing. Otherwise we may miss out on all the good things God wants to do to us and through us.
Conclusion
If you feel God doing a new thing, don’t resist it like the children of Israel, but embrace it. Let go of the former things, and endure the testing and preparation that will follow. If we trust Him, He will lead us to higher places and accomplish beautiful and marvelous things through us.
God will not allow you to be tested beyond your capacity
1Co 10:13 KJV There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
1. God knows our capability and capacity and will not burden us more than we can carry. That you are still standing today is evidence that you are strong and able.
2. The stronger the test the greater the glory. You can’t compare the glory of degree exams with that of primary school leaving certificates.
Forces that keeps status quo
Sometimes the devil wants people to remain in one place and will frustrate good things that God wants to do in people’s life. Our job is to resist him. He will come through deception, deceit and lying.
Forces of Pharaoh that will say i will not let them go
Prayers
Every power making attempts to hold me down, break by fire in Jesus name.
Every yoke of status quo, stagnation and limitation breaks by fire in Jesus name.
Every power objecting to my breakthrough be destroyed in Jesus name.