ARE YOU THROUGH (ISAIAH 43:18-19)

 

ARE YOU THROUGH?

BIBLE PASSAGE: ISAIAH 43:18-19

Picture taken from Google

Lesson Prepared by: Krisha of Solomon’s Wisdom FB page

JANUARY 23, 2022

 

MEMORY VERSE

 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.

ISAIAH 43:19

 

INTRODUCTION:

When you were a child, you had no responsibilities to think about, you had no duties to fulfill, no deadlines need to pass, no bills need to pay, no relationship to work on it and no future to think more about but now you’ve a lot of responsibilities and thoughts and dreams need to fulfill. Sometimes these are some of the reasons why you raise the red flag indicating of surrender. These reasons make you set aside spiritual matters and do the work to fulfill your responsibilities. The question for today in your spiritual life is, “ARE YOU THROUGH?”

There are Christians thinking that when they were young, they did their best in the ministry and now in their middle age, letting others serve and thinking others can do that; I’M DONE! ARE YOU REALLY THROUGH IN THE MINISTRY?

Others think, when they are in senior years, there are no ministries for them because they are already weak and have bad memory. Of course, you cannot do the Bible Study in highlands, you cannot teach kids in the field that requires strong and big voice but there are some other ways. You can be a prayer partner; get involved in prayer ministry. Don’t say, “I CAN’T” COMMON! You mean you cannot talk to GOD? Be an encourager (huwag maging pasaway), that’s a great personal ministry in the body of Christ. Come to church and don’t be late in the ministry even in your senior years; that would be a great testimony to the young ones. Also, this is a great opportunity to apply God’s word in your life; be a wisdom seeker (pray for it). Just don’t live your life like you are through in the ministry.

Other scenario in Christian life wherein you are tired of the hectic schedules and your tiredness seems like above your head. Then you’ll say, “I’m tired of this, I’m done. It’s over!” Is the question, “Are you through?” fits you?

The passage tells that this was the time they were in captivity. Remember their situations, they were not at peace. Like Israelites, we are in captives of so many things, the work, relationship, and situations in life. Our work holds us back, relationship makes us to be a double-minded person; we consider their feelings and the time we spent with them, and this is the reason we don’t like to spend much on spiritual matters. Also, the situation in life, like financial issue - trouble in budgeting or no budget at all and a lot more. You know what, if we don’t fight for it; we’ll keep on troubling by these. The enemy will keep on giving us reasons not to involved in the ministry UNTIL WE ARE USED TO IT.  Whatever circumstances we are involved in, you are in pain right now, something troubles you, you have anxiety, and you want to give up, always remember… GOD’S NOT THROUGH WITH YOU YET! AMEN!

There are things holding us back from everything God wants to do to fulfill His desires for us. However, He promises great and marvelous works; doing ways we can’t even imagine but we need to discern the path to take with a God’s setting mindset by…

 

LESSON OUTLINE:

1.  SHIFTING YOUR FOCUS (ISAIAH 43:18)

Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.

The children of Israel had failed God miserably, though God had been good to them, they return to evil ways. God gave a temple, but they gave Him idols worship, He gave the truth, but they live in proclaimed lie, he gave them wealth, but they used them to abuse. The Israelites did not deserve to receive anything from God, yet He still loved them; yet he earnestly wanted to help them and transform their lives. God charged Israel to do the exact same thing to telling us to do today: Forget about your past hurts, your pains, disappointment, the rejection, the shame, the memory; God wants us to be free. God wants to be free by shifting our focus by forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14). We have to shift our focus. The long as we’ve been a slave to the past, focusing less to the future. It’s good to have future with God. It will be greater; Job 8:7 says, “Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.”

2.  SHARPENING YOUR FOCUS (ISAIAH 43:19a)

 Once we shift our focus, we must sharpen our focus. Verse 19a says, “Behold, I will do a new thing…” The word, “behold” is an interesting word; it means to perceive, it means to know by see. God required the children of Israel to see it before they see it. Look I will do a new thing in your life; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? Though God will do a new thing, we can’t see it. In our journey of life, do you see the possibilities, or do you see your problems? We are not able to sharpen our focus.

 

Some of us or most of us have eye problem. I have a problem seeing in a distance; it’s blurry. According to Google, “A nearsighted person sees near objects clearly, while objects in the distance are blurred. Farsightedness is the result of the visual image being focused behind the retina rather than directly on it.” Others here have the same with mine or some are worse. I have searched that there’s a medical procedure to correct the eyes. We call it Laser Eye Surgery. What is it? Laser eye surgery is a medical procedure that involves the use of a laser to reshape the surface of the eye. This is done to improve or correct short-sightedness, long-sightedness and astigmatism. It can also be helpful in overcoming presbyopia (difficulty seeing up close as we get older). With this, we can see a 20/20 vision. But because we can’t afford that, we use eyeglasses. Using this, it eliminates all medium of obstructions that will hinder you from seeing what it’s really there (put glasses on). We’re talking here, not just on natural but spiritual. In order for us to see the bright future in our lives, which mentioned in Jeremiah 29:11, ^“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end,” we need to sharpen our focus. So that we may be able to see what to see. Sometimes you cannot see the need to minister because you have to do a lot of things. We need to remove the obstructions that cause us not able to see clearly; remove everything contrary to the plan of God. “I want to see.”

3.  STRUCTURING YOUR FOCUS (ISAIAH 43:19a)

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.

The land of blessings, God promised Israel. God wanted them to shift, sharpen and also structure their focus. Bible said that He will even make a way in the wilderness and even in the desert- “I’ll bless you.” But no matter what situation you find yourself in, God is still able to bless you. Do what God is offering. If they refuse God’s leading, they would have been doomed to remain in their captivity. At any point, if Israel refused to be led by GOD to draw in the direction on which God was leading them, then they would have remained in their condition. That’s why there must be structure focus. Structure focus requires TRUST; it requires complete trust. Knowing that even in the wilderness, even in the desperate situation, even when it doesn’t make sense that GOD COULD STILL BLESS ME. GOD CAN STILL USE ME even when it doesn’t make sense.

 

CONCLUSION:

There is no greater example of the structure focus in our humanity than our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was in the garden of Gethsemane. His wet so hard and his pores poured blood.

Jesus said, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me:” Three times; not one time, not two time but three times (Matthew 26:36-46) he prayed this prayer. The Father didn’t answer verbally; he answered with a silence then Jesus ultimately said, “NEVERTHELESS NOT AS I WILL, BUT AS THOU WILT.” (NEVERTHELESS, NOT MY WILL BUT THY WILL BE DONE.)

As the soldiers marched Him to the Calvary, He trusted God with His future. As they hang Jesus on high on the cross, He trusted God with his future. As before he died, he said, “Father into Your Hands I Commend My Spirit” (Luke 23:46) then He gave up the Ghost. Glad He didn’t stop right there; all day on the first day, he was on the grave and all day on the second day, he was on the grave but early on the third day, HE’S ALIVE. He can say, “I still have a plan for your life.” If he has power to raise from the grave, then he has all the power to do something great for you and me God declares, “I AM NOT THROUGH WITH YOU YET.”