SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Sharper Sword, the publication ministry of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Lemon Grove, California.
SPEAKER_00: Lighthouse believes that individuals can reach their potential for the Lord as they grow in Christ.
SPEAKER_00: We want to hear our Lord say, Well done, thou good and faithful servant.
SPEAKER_00: Let's join Pastor Doug Fisher as he preaches another important biblical message from the Word of God.
SPEAKER_01: Isaiah 43.
SPEAKER_01: In your Old Testament, Isaiah chapter 43, please.
SPEAKER_01: And then in your New Testament, Ephesians chapter 3.
SPEAKER_01: So in your Old Testament, please, Isaiah chapter 43.
SPEAKER_01: In your New Testament, Ephesians chapter 3.
SPEAKER_01: And thanks for turning to the scriptures.
SPEAKER_01: Even if you're not real familiar with the Bible, one of the ways to get familiar is nobody's going to look upon you to see if you got there right away.
SPEAKER_01: Like if you're kind of new to your Bible and you say, well, I'm not sure where Isaiah is, we all started that way.
SPEAKER_01: None of us, unless you grew up in church and did Bible drills.
SPEAKER_01: I got saved in my 20s, and it took me a long time to make sure all the gold leaves were cracked open on my Bible, if you know what I mean.
SPEAKER_01: The idea is, though, that's good to be able to study your own book, or I hope you took one this morning to be able to utilize Isaiah 43, Ephesians 3.
SPEAKER_01: Look at Isaiah 43, please.
SPEAKER_01: And he begins this way.
SPEAKER_01: And he's talking to Israel, and he's talking about Israel's future.
SPEAKER_01: It correlates to Revelation 21, but I want you to know that sometimes the Bible may speak to Israel, but it's also speaking to us because the same God, who's the God of Israel, is our God, we who are Gentiles.
SPEAKER_01: Would you agree with that?
SPEAKER_01: And the idea is that whether Jew or Greek, whether we're born Jewish or born again as Christians, we're one.
SPEAKER_01: And when God speaks in the Old Testament, please do not think it does not apply to us.
SPEAKER_01: In this context, he is speaking about eternity and future things, but I really believe God has this thought for us today, currently, right now, verse 1.
SPEAKER_01: But now, thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel.
SPEAKER_01: But I believe these words are not only for Israel now, but for us also.
SPEAKER_01: Fear not, for I have redeemed thee.
SPEAKER_01: I have called thee by my name, and thou art mine.
SPEAKER_01: No doubt he's talking to Israel, but I don't know about you, but when I read that, he's talking to me too.
SPEAKER_01: Because he redeemed me, and I know that I am his, and if you're saved, you're his also.
SPEAKER_01: He says, I've called thee by thy name, thou art mine.
SPEAKER_01: Notice verse 7, verse 7, and every one that is called by my name, for I have created him for my glory.
SPEAKER_01: I formed, I have formed him, yea, I have made him.
SPEAKER_01: In the book of Revelation, it says that all things that are created are to glorify him.
SPEAKER_01: By the way, if we don't give him glory, he said the rocks will cry out.
SPEAKER_01: So the idea, he says, I created him for my glory.
SPEAKER_01: Look at verse 21.
SPEAKER_01: This people have I formed for myself.
SPEAKER_01: They shall show forth my praise.
SPEAKER_01: So what he says so far that we've read is fear not.
SPEAKER_01: I redeemed you.
SPEAKER_01: I'm your Savior, I'm your deliverer, you're mine.
SPEAKER_01: And I'm going to call you by my name because I've created you for my glory, and I've formed you for myself.
SPEAKER_01: And here's what I want you to do: I want you to show forth my praise.
SPEAKER_01: It's the first message of the first year for our church, and let's remind ourselves what we're formed for.
SPEAKER_01: Let's remind ourselves by God what He, why we're born again.
SPEAKER_01: We're born again unto His glory, unto His praise.
SPEAKER_01: And then He says this, verse number two, watch verse 2.
SPEAKER_01: When thou pass through the waters, when thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee.
SPEAKER_01: And through the rivers they shall not overflow thee.
SPEAKER_01: When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon.
SPEAKER_01: Now, you may say, I'm not walking through any rivers.
SPEAKER_01: I'm not walking through any fires.
SPEAKER_01: You heard a couple people say, Amen, because the high waters and the fires speak about difficulties and trials and tribulations and problems and challenges.
SPEAKER_01: And he said, When you walk through those rivers, they're not gonna overflow thee.
SPEAKER_01: They won't swallow you up, they won't drown you.
SPEAKER_01: When you walk through that fire, I'm gonna be with you, and you're not gonna be burned.
SPEAKER_01: Now, may I say to you that sometimes problems leave scars.
SPEAKER_01: But God says, I'll be with you.
SPEAKER_01: Don't be afraid, I'll be with you.
SPEAKER_01: Like I know what's going on, I know what you're going through.
SPEAKER_01: Don't be afraid.
SPEAKER_01: Look at verse 5, fear not, I, for I am with thee.
SPEAKER_01: So when we go through the trials and the struggles and the tribulations and difficulties of life, or maybe people in this family of yours or mine or friends or people we love and care for, when they go through difficulties and it and it affects us, he said, Look, I'm going to be with you.
SPEAKER_01: Notice verse 11, verse 11, I even I am the Lord.
SPEAKER_01: And besides me, there is no Savior.
SPEAKER_01: He says, Look, I'm the one that's gonna deliver you.
SPEAKER_01: I'm the one.
SPEAKER_01: There's nobody else that's gonna care for you, you're your mine, and you're for my praise and for my glory.
SPEAKER_01: What he's basically saying is, I'm not gonna let the floods overflow you because your success is my praise.
SPEAKER_01: If you're successful, then you'll glorify me.
SPEAKER_01: If fire, if you go through the fire and come out the other side and I deliver you, don't be afraid because the purpose of you being down there is my praise and my glory, and I want you to be successful in that.
SPEAKER_01: Whatever it is that in our lives we're doing this year, he says, Look, I'm gonna be with you.
SPEAKER_01: Don't be afraid, I'm your deliverer.
SPEAKER_01: Why?
SPEAKER_01: Because I want you to praise me.
SPEAKER_01: Your success is my glory, and you're down here to glorify me, and I want to be glorified on the earth.
SPEAKER_01: I don't want people to forget who created and formed this earth.
SPEAKER_01: I don't want them to forget who's the savior of this world.
SPEAKER_01: I don't want them to forget, hey, Christmas is over, but brethren, we're gonna talk about the Lord Jesus Christ all year long.
SPEAKER_01: The idea is I want you to be successful, I want you to praise.
SPEAKER_01: And then he says this in verse number 19, and please notice.
SPEAKER_01: He said, Behold, I will do a new thing.
SPEAKER_01: Now I've underlined that, and uh, if you want to put a title on the message, it's new things.
SPEAKER_01: Because when God says he's gonna do a new thing, he describes a little bit about it.
SPEAKER_01: Now it shall spring forth.
SPEAKER_01: What?
SPEAKER_01: That new thing.
SPEAKER_01: Ye shall not know it.
SPEAKER_01: I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
SPEAKER_01: He says, I'm gonna do a new thing that you don't know.
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna do something new that you've not experienced before.
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna do a new thing that you've not yet seen in your life yet.
SPEAKER_01: You say, No, I've seen everything God can do.
SPEAKER_01: Then you gotta allow God to be bigger in your life.
SPEAKER_01: Because God hasn't showed us everything.
SPEAKER_01: Uh may I say to you, he's still got things that we haven't seen yet.
SPEAKER_01: He's still got things in our life.
SPEAKER_01: He goes on to say, This, I want to read that again, verse number 19.
SPEAKER_01: Behold, I will do a new thing.
SPEAKER_01: You're down there to glorify me.
SPEAKER_01: You're gonna go through the rivers and the fires.
SPEAKER_01: Don't be afraid.
SPEAKER_01: I'm with you, I'm your deliverer, I'm your savior, and I'm gonna do a new thing for you.
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna do something new that you don't know of yet.
SPEAKER_01: Take your Bible, you're holding your place in Ephesians 3, and pick up Isaiah 48, just a couple chapters over.
SPEAKER_01: You're doing great, Isaiah chapter 48.
SPEAKER_01: Isaiah chapter 48, would you underline this verse if you have your own Bible?
SPEAKER_01: If you have a pew Bible, go ahead and underline that one so somebody else will read it later.
SPEAKER_01: Isaiah 48, notice what it says in verse 6.
SPEAKER_01: Verse 6, thou hast heard.
SPEAKER_01: See all this, and will not ye declare it.
SPEAKER_01: I have showed thee new things.
SPEAKER_01: I have showed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.
SPEAKER_01: Brethren, uh, we haven't seen the hand of the Lord in its entirety yet.
SPEAKER_01: God can still do new things.
SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
SPEAKER_01: Uh I speculate that some of us are going through situations that we need a new thing.
SPEAKER_01: If you're in a difficulty and you say, I got this one figured out, sometimes difficulties are such that we can't figure them out.
SPEAKER_01: Sometimes trials and tribulations and problems are such that we can't quite figure it out.
SPEAKER_01: Uh relationships or financial or or spiritual or something in the life, and we can't quite figure it out.
SPEAKER_01: Brethren, when we launch out by faith, trials come.
SPEAKER_01: When we launch out by faith, tribulations come.
SPEAKER_01: You say, no, no, no.
SPEAKER_01: It's going to be an easy road.
SPEAKER_01: If we walk by faith and do what God wants us to do to bring him praise and honor and glory, we're going to get into some situations where it's over our heads.
SPEAKER_01: It's above us, it's beyond us.
SPEAKER_01: And may I say, when that happens, we need to go to the Lord and say, now, Lord, that new thing.
SPEAKER_01: We could use one of those new things.
SPEAKER_01: We could use one of those things that we haven't seen before.
SPEAKER_01: We could use your deliverance in a way that we don't have quite figured out yet.
SPEAKER_01: And when we see your new thing, it'll cause us to give praise and glory.
SPEAKER_01: Because when we can't figure it out, and he waits.
SPEAKER_01: What do you mean he waits?
SPEAKER_01: When we can't figure it out and he waits.
SPEAKER_01: And he waits.
SPEAKER_01: He wants us to take notice of the new thing.
SPEAKER_01: He wants us to take notice of his deliverance.
SPEAKER_01: He wants us to take notice that he is God.
SPEAKER_01: He may be invisible to our eyes, but he's very visible, if you would, to actions.
SPEAKER_01: What do you mean?
SPEAKER_01: I haven't seen the wind lately, but I saw the trees move.
SPEAKER_01: I felt it on my face.
SPEAKER_01: I saw the rain coming down sideways.
SPEAKER_01: What do you mean?
SPEAKER_01: We can't see the wind, but we certainly see its actions.
SPEAKER_01: The wind might be invisible to us, but the effects are there.
SPEAKER_01: And even though we serve an invisible God, once in a while he waits.
SPEAKER_01: And he waits.
SPEAKER_01: It's almost like pause for effect.
SPEAKER_01: Like when I deliver you, you're really gonna praise me.
SPEAKER_01: When I deliver you, you're really gonna give me some glory.
SPEAKER_01: And my waiting is not that I'm not concerned.
SPEAKER_01: Hey, the Lord waited three days before he went to where Lazarus died.
SPEAKER_01: Why?
SPEAKER_01: For effect.
SPEAKER_01: He wanted everybody to know Lazarus is dead.
SPEAKER_01: He didn't just fall asleep for three days, he's dead.
SPEAKER_01: What I'm saying is he just didn't have a long nap, he's dead.
SPEAKER_01: And now I come, roll away the stone, I'll raise him back, I'll show you a new thing that you haven't seen before.
SPEAKER_01: God can still do new things.
SPEAKER_01: God can still do new things in business.
SPEAKER_01: He can still do new things in our families, in our homes, in our church, in our ministries.
SPEAKER_01: And brethren, may I say to you, there's nothing wrong with expecting the new thing.
SPEAKER_01: Not demanding.
SPEAKER_01: Like God, you don't want to say to God, now, now, you haven't showed up yet.
SPEAKER_01: You must not care.
SPEAKER_01: Don't ever say that to him.
SPEAKER_01: You may say, you haven't shown up yet, but I really know you still care.
SPEAKER_01: But don't ever accuse God that he doesn't care.
SPEAKER_01: Because his ways are above our ways.
SPEAKER_01: Look what it says.
SPEAKER_01: Hold your place in Ephesians 3 and look at Isaiah again.
SPEAKER_01: Look at Isaiah 55.
SPEAKER_01: Isaiah 55, you're doing great this morning.
SPEAKER_01: Holding your place in Ephesians 3, look at Isaiah 55.
SPEAKER_01: Stay right with me.
SPEAKER_01: Isaiah 55, a familiar verse, but it fits the new thing concept.
SPEAKER_01: Notice what it says in verse number 8.
SPEAKER_01: Isaiah 55, verse 8.
SPEAKER_01: For my thoughts are not your thoughts.
SPEAKER_01: Verse 8.
SPEAKER_01: Neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
SPEAKER_01: For as the heavens are higher than the earth.
SPEAKER_01: Now stop there for a moment.
SPEAKER_01: How high, how much higher are the heavens than the earth?
SPEAKER_01: The heavens.
SPEAKER_01: I know this.
SPEAKER_01: NASA's still trying to get there.
SPEAKER_01: I I I like the space stuff a little bit.
SPEAKER_01: I like the flights.
SPEAKER_01: I like all that.
SPEAKER_01: I don't have a problem with that.
SPEAKER_01: I grew up watching, you know, John Glenn, who just passed away and everything.
SPEAKER_01: And I remember all that.
SPEAKER_01: John was Glenn was from Ohio.
SPEAKER_01: I was from Ohio, and I remember watching and following all that on the black and white TV screen and everything.
SPEAKER_01: And the idea is I've always enjoyed that a little bit, but I know this, they'll only get as far as God wants them to get.
SPEAKER_01: And they're only scratching the surface compared to the heavens.
SPEAKER_01: The heavens are so much higher than the earth.
SPEAKER_01: And what he says is, compare what I'm about ready to say with this forethought.
SPEAKER_01: Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, how much higher?
SPEAKER_01: So much higher we don't even have a number for it.
SPEAKER_01: Hey, look, all we can see is the black hole.
SPEAKER_01: God has a whole lot beyond that black hole.
SPEAKER_01: Come on, are you still with me or not?
SPEAKER_01: I know they're great and they're figuring it all out and everything, but they only figure out what God allows them to figure out.
SPEAKER_01: That Hubble space satellite can only see so far.
SPEAKER_01: You say, boy, oh, look how far we can see now.
SPEAKER_01: We can see into the galaxy.
SPEAKER_01: But how many galaxies are out there?
SPEAKER_01: My point being is, brother, he says this just like the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways.
SPEAKER_01: Compare the heavens to the earth, then look at your ways, and then watch my ways.
SPEAKER_01: Now get that again.
SPEAKER_01: Here's the earth, and there's the heavens.
SPEAKER_01: We can't even see them.
SPEAKER_01: We can't see the third heaven.
SPEAKER_01: Only in the edification of the Holy Ghost can we see it.
SPEAKER_01: But as far as distance, it's so much higher.
SPEAKER_01: Then he says, now look at your ways and compare that to my ways.
SPEAKER_01: And I'm thinking, I need him this year, amen.
SPEAKER_01: We need him this year to glorify his name.
SPEAKER_01: We need this year for him to deliver us to give him that praise.
SPEAKER_01: And sometimes he waits on purpose.
SPEAKER_01: Not because he doesn't like us, not because he's playing around with us, for effect, for for our emotions, if you would, for our love to grow, for our patience to deepen.
SPEAKER_01: And if you've been waiting for a little while, his ways are still coming, and it could be a new thing where you turn around and say, I can't believe he's done this.
SPEAKER_01: Wait till I tell you what he's done.
SPEAKER_01: Did you have that figured out?
SPEAKER_01: Whatever you say, don't act like you did.
SPEAKER_01: Because he's listening in.
SPEAKER_01: Did you ever hear somebody say, Oh, yeah, I knew he'd do that all the time?
SPEAKER_01: Really?
SPEAKER_01: Brother, I want to tell you, when he does his new thing, you'll be amazed.
SPEAKER_01: Because his ways are much higher than our ways.
SPEAKER_01: And his ways are sometimes past finding out.
SPEAKER_01: The idea he says this, my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
SPEAKER_01: Now I want you to turn to Ephesians 3, New Testament.
SPEAKER_01: You're doing great.
SPEAKER_01: Ephesians 3, I'm watching your time.
SPEAKER_01: Ephesians chapter number 3.
SPEAKER_01: And along with this, I want you to see a couple of words in this scripture that you're familiar with, but I want you to really see a couple of words that are very important.
SPEAKER_01: Ephesians chapter number three, we're talking about new things, his ways.
SPEAKER_01: When we pass through the fire, when we pass through the waters, when the tribulations and trials come, his praise requires our success, so he wants us to be successful.
SPEAKER_01: Now, it doesn't always look like there's success.
SPEAKER_01: We try something and it seems like we fail.
SPEAKER_01: Brethren, a just man rises seven times.
SPEAKER_01: A just man, a person that's a Christian doesn't give up.
SPEAKER_01: There's a perseverance that God puts in us to say, give it another go.
SPEAKER_01: Give it another go.
SPEAKER_01: Try it again.
SPEAKER_01: And there's scriptures that say that where God would say, go up and they lost.
SPEAKER_01: And go up again and they lost.
SPEAKER_01: He said, All right, now go up a third time and this time I'll be with you.
SPEAKER_01: The idea is don't give up.
SPEAKER_01: And then he says this in Ephesians 3, verse 20.
SPEAKER_01: Verse 20, Ephesians 3, verse 20.
SPEAKER_01: Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.
SPEAKER_01: Brethren, brethren, wait, stop right there for a moment.
SPEAKER_01: That's why we shouldn't just say, now, Lord, uh, if you would do that, what that situation, if you would take care of it this way, I'd appreciate it.
SPEAKER_01: Let me say that again.
SPEAKER_01: Lord, I've got this figured out.
SPEAKER_01: And if you would take care of it this way, I'd really appreciate it.
SPEAKER_01: Sometimes God'll wait.
SPEAKER_01: Why?
SPEAKER_01: Because He doesn't always like to be told what to do.
SPEAKER_01: Come on, is that right?
SPEAKER_01: He's sovereign.
SPEAKER_01: We're not.
SPEAKER_01: Lord, if you do it this way, now Lord, why haven't you done that yet?
SPEAKER_01: You know that would solve it all.
SPEAKER_01: And the Lord's like, waiting.
SPEAKER_01: Like, Lord, now if you would do it this way, time's running out, and I can only see a couple of ways you could do it, and this one would be a good way.
SPEAKER_01: So if you do that and God says, kind of, are you done yet?
SPEAKER_01: Are you done telling me what to do yet?
SPEAKER_01: Are you done?
SPEAKER_01: You're doing you're down there for my glory, not for your glory.
SPEAKER_01: And if you figure it out and tell me what's going to happen, then you're going to tell everybody how smart you are.
SPEAKER_01: So I'm just going to wait till you're done.
SPEAKER_01: I'm going to wait till you're done figuring it out, and then I'm going to show you a new thing.
SPEAKER_01: Because that way didn't even come into your mind.
SPEAKER_01: Why?
SPEAKER_01: Because I told you in the scriptures, now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.
SPEAKER_01: Now, brother, I want to say something.
SPEAKER_01: When we pray, let's remind ourselves it's not just our words going up, but the Holy Ghost takes things up that we can't even utter.
SPEAKER_01: On our behalf, is that right?
SPEAKER_01: So we ask, but it would be good if if you're kind of a type of personality that you like things like ordered and kind of under control.
SPEAKER_01: I'm going to make a suggestion.
SPEAKER_01: Lord, now if you do it that way, that would really work out, and that's a good way, and I think that would do.
SPEAKER_01: But if you got a better way, give him an option.
SPEAKER_01: Like some people's personalities are no, I got it all figured out, I've got it all on paper, you know, I've I've engineered this whole thing, and I'm showing that to the Lord.
SPEAKER_01: Here's the way you do it.
SPEAKER_01: But it would be good to say now, if you have another better way, then I'm okay with a new thing.
SPEAKER_01: You still with me or not?
SPEAKER_01: The idea, he's got ways that are past our ways, thoughts past our thoughts, and we shouldn't engineer our life totally.
SPEAKER_01: Some of the times he's going to engineer it in a way that builds our faith, that builds our patience, that builds the glory inside of us, because read the rest of the verse, stay with me.
SPEAKER_01: Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above.
SPEAKER_01: All that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.
SPEAKER_01: Statement.
SPEAKER_01: The power that worketh in you is not you.
SPEAKER_01: The power that worketh in us is what we've been unctioned with.
SPEAKER_01: What we've been anointed with.
SPEAKER_01: I should say who we've been anointed with.
SPEAKER_01: Because it's the Holy Ghost that's unctioned, and it's the Holy Ghost who is God.
SPEAKER_01: The Father, Son, the Holy Ghost, they're one.
SPEAKER_01: Come on, is that right?
SPEAKER_01: They're the God Head, according to the Bible.
SPEAKER_01: The definition is the Father, the Word, the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit of God.
SPEAKER_01: And the Holy Spirit of God is God, and He's in us, and the idea is according to the power that worketh in us, He can do new things.
SPEAKER_01: We need to be able to embrace it.
SPEAKER_01: We need to be able to understand it.
SPEAKER_01: We need to be able to submit to it.
SPEAKER_01: What do you mean, submit to it?
SPEAKER_01: Well, you didn't do it my way, and now look at the mess we're in.
SPEAKER_01: Come on, you still with me or not?
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you're in the mess you're in because I've allowed the mess to show you something new.
SPEAKER_01: Well, I'm waiting.
SPEAKER_01: I want to be careful, eh?
SPEAKER_01: You can be Real honest with God, but don't get arrogant with him.
SPEAKER_01: If he's got a new thing in his timing, he'll get more glory that way.
SPEAKER_01: And you'll be able to truly say, I didn't know he was going to do that.
SPEAKER_01: Man, I didn't have that figured out.
SPEAKER_01: Boy, what a God we have.
SPEAKER_01: Man, this is great.
SPEAKER_01: It's possible that going into the first of this year right now, you're facing a situation in some way, shape, or form that you really need a new thing.
SPEAKER_01: You need something you haven't seen before.
SPEAKER_01: You need something to happen, something to shape, something to form that seems impossible.
SPEAKER_01: Now, with God, all things are possible.
SPEAKER_01: Come on, is that right?
SPEAKER_01: You say you're just inspiring us and trying to, I'm trying to give you a book.
SPEAKER_01: I'm trying to give you the Bible.
SPEAKER_01: And the Bible says, He said, I formed you, fear not.
SPEAKER_01: When you pass through the waters, don't be afraid.
SPEAKER_01: When you pass through the fire, don't be afraid.
SPEAKER_01: I own you.
SPEAKER_01: You're down there for my glory.
SPEAKER_01: I can do a new thing.
SPEAKER_01: I can deliver you from that.
SPEAKER_01: And when it's done, you'll turn around and praise me anymore, and you'll tell other people what I've done for you.
SPEAKER_01: Your faith will be built.
SPEAKER_01: And I'll get the glory because you're down there for my glory.
SPEAKER_01: Now, I want to show you one last thing, please.
SPEAKER_01: One last thing.
SPEAKER_01: Here's what we don't want to do.
SPEAKER_01: And I'm not trying to be negative, but we've got to look at the whole book.
SPEAKER_01: Look at 2 Kings, please.
SPEAKER_01: Last scripture.
SPEAKER_01: 2 Kings chapter 7.
SPEAKER_01: We're done.
SPEAKER_01: 2 Kings chapter 7.
SPEAKER_01: Here's what we want to be careful of.
SPEAKER_01: 2 Kings chapter number 7.
SPEAKER_01: He's able to do abundantly exceeding abundantly above anything that we ask or think.
SPEAKER_01: Remember, our success is his praise, his glory.
SPEAKER_01: So he wants us to do well.
SPEAKER_01: He wants us to do well in 2017.
SPEAKER_01: He wants us to do well.
SPEAKER_01: He wants to glorify himself through us.
SPEAKER_01: But here's what we need to be careful of.
SPEAKER_01: In 2 Kings chapter 7, the story is it seems impossible for God to turn this national situation around.
SPEAKER_01: There was a large group of people.
SPEAKER_01: They were in a famine.
SPEAKER_01: It looked terrible.
SPEAKER_01: And brethren, most of us, most of us have never been in a famine.
SPEAKER_01: We've been in a fast, but we've never been in a famine.
SPEAKER_01: A fast means you can eat when you want.
SPEAKER_01: A fast is when I choose not to eat.
SPEAKER_01: A famine is when there's nothing available, even if you wanted to eat.
SPEAKER_01: There's a big difference.
SPEAKER_01: So they're in a famine and they're doing things that are just unspeakable if you read 2 Kings 6.
SPEAKER_01: But I want you to see 2 Kings 7, verse 1.
SPEAKER_01: Then Elisha, Elijah's the prophet on the scene.
SPEAKER_01: Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord.
SPEAKER_01: This is what God is saying.
SPEAKER_01: Everybody, this is what God's saying.
SPEAKER_01: Remember, they're in the famine.
SPEAKER_01: It's really bad.
SPEAKER_01: Thus saith the Lord, here's what God's saying.
SPEAKER_01: Tomorrow, 24 hours from now, about this time, 24 hours from now, shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel in the gate of Samaria.
SPEAKER_01: Now, if you're new to the Bible, here's what he's saying.
SPEAKER_01: Tomorrow everything will be normal.
SPEAKER_01: Tomorrow we'll be back to normal again.
SPEAKER_01: Tomorrow there'll be food again, there'll be commerce, there'll be trade.
SPEAKER_01: Tomorrow we'll be back to marketing and trading and selling and what is normal.
SPEAKER_01: Tomorrow, 24 hours from now, that's going to happen.
SPEAKER_01: And may I say that was a new thing.
SPEAKER_01: They had never seen that before.
SPEAKER_01: They had never experienced that before.
SPEAKER_01: And God says to Elisha, tell everybody, 24 hours from now, tomorrow, everything will be back to normal.
SPEAKER_01: I'll have this thing back to normal.
SPEAKER_01: And may I say that was going to take a miracle.
SPEAKER_01: An absolute miracle.
SPEAKER_01: And notice what one of them said.
SPEAKER_01: Stay with me.
SPEAKER_01: The Bible says this, tomorrow it's going to be sold in the gate, verse 2.
SPEAKER_01: Then a Lord.
SPEAKER_01: Notice it's a little L Lord, but it's a leader.
SPEAKER_01: It's an important person, it's a prominent person.
SPEAKER_01: Then a Lord, whose hand the king leaned.
SPEAKER_01: So this is an advisor to the king.
SPEAKER_01: When it says, then a Lord, whose hand the king leaned, that means this is an advisor to the king.
SPEAKER_01: This would be like somebody in the cabinet in our country.
SPEAKER_01: This Lord, who's on the hand king leaned, answered the man of God, said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be?
SPEAKER_01: You know what he just said?
SPEAKER_01: No way.
SPEAKER_01: Nope, can't be done.
SPEAKER_01: This prominent Lord, advisor to the king, said, nope, can't be done.
SPEAKER_01: Why?
SPEAKER_01: Because it was above his ways.
SPEAKER_01: It was above his thoughts.
SPEAKER_01: It was above what he was capable of thinking.
SPEAKER_01: It was above a practical basis where you look at it and go, this can't be figured out.
SPEAKER_01: This can't be solved.
SPEAKER_01: He was looking at it like a human.
SPEAKER_01: And a human, through human eyes, we only see so much.
SPEAKER_01: And this lean, this Lord, on whose the hands, the king lean, the advisor, looked at it like a human, looked at all the poverty or the famine going on and said, There's no way that can happen.
SPEAKER_01: It is impossible.
SPEAKER_01: He challenged Elisha.
SPEAKER_01: You know what he just said?
SPEAKER_01: There's no way.
SPEAKER_01: There's no way that God can do that.
SPEAKER_01: I don't care what you said.
SPEAKER_01: There's no way that that can happen.
SPEAKER_01: No way.
SPEAKER_01: Elijah had just made a proclamation, came straight from God.
SPEAKER_01: Tomorrow, 24 hours, we'll be back to normal.
SPEAKER_01: Well, the advisor said, No way.
SPEAKER_01: If the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this be.
SPEAKER_01: And notice what Elijah said.
SPEAKER_01: Elijah said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shall not eat thereof.
SPEAKER_01: Mr.
SPEAKER_01: Advisor to the king, you're going to see it, but you're not going to partake.
SPEAKER_01: You're going to see it, but you're not going to experience the blessings.
SPEAKER_01: You're going to see what God does that's impossible, and he's going to do it, but you're not going to get to participate in it.
SPEAKER_01: Are you still with me?
SPEAKER_01: You're going to see the blessings.
SPEAKER_01: You're going to see what God did.
SPEAKER_01: But because of your attitude, Mr.
SPEAKER_01: Advisor to the king, you don't get to partake of it.
SPEAKER_01: Your gain-saying negative attitude negates you from participating.
SPEAKER_01: I'll guarantee, if I was in that room, it went silent.
SPEAKER_01: Silence was thick in that room.
SPEAKER_01: This was a king's advisor.
SPEAKER_01: This was somebody prominent, challenging the prophet.
SPEAKER_01: And the prophet said, Tomorrow, God says it's all going to be taken care of at this time.
SPEAKER_01: Elijah didn't say he had it figured out.
SPEAKER_01: He just said the word of the Lord came to me and says, Tomorrow, everything's going to be back to normal.
SPEAKER_01: And the king said, or the king's advisor said, There's no way.
SPEAKER_01: And I think the room just went silent.
SPEAKER_01: And then Elijah said, You will see it.
SPEAKER_01: But you will not participate in it.
SPEAKER_01: You know what he said?
SPEAKER_01: You won't be eating tomorrow.
SPEAKER_01: You won't be trading.
SPEAKER_01: You won't be in commerce tomorrow.
SPEAKER_01: Your business career is done.
SPEAKER_01: Your political career is done.
SPEAKER_01: In fact, you don't know it, but you're done.
SPEAKER_01: Come on, is that right?
SPEAKER_01: What happened?
SPEAKER_01: Well, if you read the rest of the story, God puts it in here.
SPEAKER_01: And uh it says later that that one who had made that statement.
SPEAKER_01: Well, look if he would, look at verse 18.
SPEAKER_01: Let's read the rest of it, and we're done.
SPEAKER_01: Verse 18.
SPEAKER_01: And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley of shekel and a measure of fine wheat for a shekel shall be tomorrow.
SPEAKER_01: About this time in the gate of Samaria.
SPEAKER_01: And the Lord, that advisor, answered the man of God, saying, Now, behold, if the Lord shall make witness of heaven, might this thing be.
SPEAKER_01: And he said, Behold, thine sh behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shall not eat thereof.
SPEAKER_01: And so it fell out unto him.
SPEAKER_01: For the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died.
SPEAKER_01: Um, so you say, what does that mean?
SPEAKER_01: Like that, those are archaic words, troad.
SPEAKER_01: I don't get it.
SPEAKER_01: It's like when they opened the doors of Walmart.
SPEAKER_01: Okay, now you got it.
SPEAKER_01: That's trode.
SPEAKER_01: T-R-O-D-E.
SPEAKER_01: So you got it now.
SPEAKER_01: This is not archaic.
SPEAKER_01: This is current.
SPEAKER_01: When they opened those gates and there was food out there, and people had been starving and children had been dying, there was a mad rush.
SPEAKER_01: And that that advisor to the king was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
SPEAKER_01: But it wasn't the wrong place at the wrong time, it's what he said.
SPEAKER_01: It's his attitude.
SPEAKER_01: It's not believing God.
SPEAKER_01: Brethren, I don't know about you, but this year I don't want to just see it.
SPEAKER_01: We want to participate in it.
SPEAKER_01: We want to give God glory on the new things.
SPEAKER_01: Nothing wrong is it with saying to somebody else, hey, you know what?
SPEAKER_01: Uh would you pray for me?
SPEAKER_01: I need a new thing.
SPEAKER_01: Ask God to pray with me.
SPEAKER_01: I need a new thing.
SPEAKER_01: What do you need?
SPEAKER_01: I don't know, but I need a new thing.
SPEAKER_01: Well, what is it you're asking for?
SPEAKER_01: I don't really know.
SPEAKER_01: I just need a new thing.
SPEAKER_01: Well, then how am I supposed to know?
SPEAKER_01: I didn't just know, I can't utter it.
SPEAKER_01: It won't come out of my mouth because his ways are above my ways, his thoughts are above my ways, and these are things I can't even think and say.
SPEAKER_01: I just know this.
SPEAKER_01: I need a new thing.
SPEAKER_01: And God knows what a new thing is because it's in his book.
SPEAKER_01: And if I get a new thing, then I'll give him glory.
SPEAKER_01: Well, how will we know?
SPEAKER_01: Oh, we'll know.
SPEAKER_01: We'll know.
SPEAKER_01: Those people knew what happened, and they knew there was food out there, and they knew how it came about, and they knew it was God.
SPEAKER_01: Why?
SPEAKER_01: Because he had a whole army leave everything behind.
SPEAKER_01: Well, how'd the army leave?
SPEAKER_01: They heard a noise.
SPEAKER_01: What do you mean they heard a noise?
SPEAKER_01: Why, how in the world can an army leave because they heard a noise?
SPEAKER_01: When God puts a noise that puts them in fears, they flee.
SPEAKER_01: And the whole army fled and left everything behind.
SPEAKER_01: They opened the gates and said, the army's gone.
SPEAKER_01: The one that laid siege on us, the one that's created all this famine.
SPEAKER_01: Well, they're gone.
SPEAKER_01: First of all, they thought it was a trick.
SPEAKER_01: Wasn't it a trick?
SPEAKER_01: And when they opened those gates, people went.
SPEAKER_01: You say, how?
SPEAKER_01: They went so they could live.
SPEAKER_01: They went so their children could live.
SPEAKER_01: There was a mad rush because they were in there dying.
SPEAKER_01: There was sickness and ailments, and children were hungry.
SPEAKER_01: Don't you think there were mamas and daddies heading out that gate as quick as they could to bring food back to their children?
SPEAKER_01: And God did a new thing.
SPEAKER_01: And by the way, just what the man of God had said happened.
SPEAKER_01: Let's not be like the Lord that leaned on the king's, the hand of the king leaned on him.
SPEAKER_01: Let's believe that God can do new things.
SPEAKER_01: There's a new thing if you're not saved yet.
SPEAKER_01: It's a new thing.
SPEAKER_01: Because in Christ Jesus, we became a new creature.
SPEAKER_01: When you get saved, you become a new thing.
SPEAKER_01: You say, don't call me a thing.
SPEAKER_01: I could show you in the book of Revelation where we're called things.
SPEAKER_01: Come on, is that right?
SPEAKER_01: And all the things on the earth are supposed to praise Him.
SPEAKER_01: You get saved, you'll be a new thing.
SPEAKER_01: I don't like to be called a thing.
SPEAKER_01: You'll be a new creature in Christ Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: Old things are passed away.
SPEAKER_01: Behold, all things become what?
SPEAKER_01: Say it?
SPEAKER_01: New.
SPEAKER_01: And that makes it a new thing.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for listening to this message by Pastor Doug Fisher of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Lemon Grove, California.
SPEAKER_00: To learn more about Lighthouse Baptist Church, visit our website at www.lighthousebaptist.com or call 619 461 5561.