A new thing

As we heard on the 31^st sermon, 2013 is the year of establishment and prosperity. It is through worship that we will be established and prospered.

It is time for a new thing, which God Himself will do. We need to open our eyes to what the Lord is doing. There was a newness of life for the crippled man by the pool of Bethsaida, but he could not see it (John 5:1-18). He had stayed by the poolside for 38 years, and so was used to his condition and could not think of any other way he could be healed, except jumping in the pool when it was stirred by the angel. We should not be too used to our oppressing situations that we become rigid and unprepared when it’s time for God to do a new thing in our lives.

God also did a new thing in the life of the Samaritan woman, and gave her a new life (John 4). God has already called and predestined His children, and given them all they need to live a fulfilling life on earth.

Isaiah 43:18-19

“Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. ¹⁹ Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

It does not matter how bad your situation is, God can still do a new thing. Even if you have struggled with sin, anger, disgrace etc. equal to the same of the Samaritan woman, God can still do a new thing. Probably in her mind she thought she had gotten another man, and that her life could never change. She had probably gotten tired of her life, as getting married to 6 husbands is quite a tiresome experience. Still, God did a new thing for her when she encountered the Man of men, Jesus Christ. Your life has to change when you encounter Jesus, even though it may be as long as the 38 years the man by the pool of Bethsaida stayed in his situation.

Isaiah 42:9

Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

God starts by preparing our minds and hearts, so that we are not surprised by what He will do in our lives. He does this by His word.

When God starts changing your life, the direction will also change. The newness causes a change of mindset and understanding, and cause us to start seeing ourselves as candidates for God’s blessings. The former things will be forgotten when He does the new thing in our lives. There will be so much change in your life that you will think you are dreaming:

Psalm 126:1-3

When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream. ² Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” ³ The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad.

When God says He is doing a new thing, it causes a change of heart, and gives you a new state and lifestyle. Your lifestyle will change so much that you will have to change the company you walk with. When the former thing is gone, it is time for a turn-around.

“New” is not the same again:

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

The newness of God does not need us to imitate anyone, you automatically find yourself imitating Jesus. God does a new thing with specifics. Only the dry bones in Israel in the valley were restored. God does a new thing is done to and with specifics.

God is giving us a new name or identity, as He does the new thing.

Isaiah 62:2

The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord will name.

People will call us a delight of the Lord. This is not about a person, but about a God who has promised to give us a new life.

Ezekiel 36:26

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

God wants to give us a heart of flesh, so that we will believe what He has done, and remain obedient to Him. Our old hearts are so rigid, hard as stone and disobedient. God will give us a tender heart that can readily hearken to His voice.

As the Lord does in us a new thing, we have a responsibility. He has done His part by preparing us by speaking, now it’s up to us. God is always faithful in playing His part, it’s man who always fails to play his role.

Here are some of the things we have to do as we seek to play our part:

1. Change your ways

2 Chronicles 7:14:

if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

We are definitely called by His name, if we have accepted Christ. We have to be humble, pray, seek God’s face and turn from our wicked ways. We have to forget and forsake our former ways, and this includes cutting off the things we used to do and the memories thereof. Reminiscing on what we used to do is like reliving the past, and is dangerous.

Matthew 9:16-17

No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. ¹⁷ Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

There are kinds of lifestyles we had that cannot go with the new thing that the Lord is about to do. God wants us to change the wineskins. The old must go, for the new to be accommodated. Check the wineskin. The business of giving the wine is not ours, our business is to prepare the temple, or the new anointing will destroy us.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

When you get to be in Christ, do away with the old nature. Make sure the wineskin is clean.

2. Walk in love.

John 13:34-35

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.³⁵ By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

We should genuinely love one another, by action and by thoughts. We need to love one another, so that our prayers are not hindered, and so that the world gets to know the kind of God we serve – a God of love.

Psalm 133

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! ² It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. ³ It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the Lord commanded the blessing— Life forevermore.

There needs to be unity, so that we do not hinder the Lord from doing a new thing.

3. Change your language

God was teaching Ezekiel the power His words in Ezekiel 37:1-14, and told Him to prophesy to the nation of Israel. We also have to learn the power of God’s word, and align our words to His. Mind your words. Speak the language of your Father, not of foreigners. What you speak is what will be established unto you:

Job 22:28

You will also declare a thing, and it will be established for you; so light will shine on your ways.

Mark 4:14

The sower sows the word.

You are a sower who sows words, which you will reap. What kind of words do you sow? You need to sow God’s word, by aligning your speech to God’s word. It is not your job to make the word grow, it does so automatically:

Mark 4:26-29

And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, ²⁷ and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. ²⁸ For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. ²⁹ But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

If you sow the word, wait for the harvest. God is faithful. Start sowing the word for whatever you want to see in your life, then wait for the harvest.

4. Have faith in God

So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. ²³ For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. ²⁴ Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Mark 5:34

And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

Your faith in what God can do will make you well and give you what you are hoping for. However, you have to be aware NOT TO DOUBT.

James 1:6-8

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Habakkuk 2:4b

But the just shall live by his faith.

Fear not. Fear is the enemy of faith. When the Lord is doing a new thing, have faith and do not doubt.

The business of the Lord doing a new thing is done, the ball is in our courts now. We need to be careful lest we doubt what the Lord is about to do, and get to see it but not taste it as the man in 2 Kings 7:2 did.

When God says He is doing a new thing, do not doubt it. 

-- Pastor Mary Mugo. 

(6/01/13 Sunday Service Sermon, Africa Transformation Mission. Pramukh Plaza, 6th Floor)

Pastor Mary Mugo is a Pastor at Africa Transformation Mission, a ministry under Christ Harvesters Ministries.