Turn the Page
“YOU CAN’T START THE NEXT CHAPTER IF YOU DON’T TURN THE PAGE”
AND I AM CERTAIN THAT GOD, WHO BEGAN THE GOOD WORK WITHIN YOU, WILL CONTINUE HIS WORK UNTIL IT IS FINALLY FINISHED ON THE DAY WHEN CHRIST JESUS RETURNS. PHILIPPIANS 1:6 NLT
This confirms that he’s going to continue to use us, so we have to continue to move forward…to turn the page.
“FOR I AM ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING NEW. SEE, I HAVE ALREADY BEGUN! DO YOU NOT SEE IT? I WILL MAKE A PATHWAY THROUGH THE WILDERNESS. I WILL CREATE RIVERS IN THE DRY WASTELAND” - ISAIAH 43:19
AFTER THE DEATH OF MOSES, THE LORD’S SERVANT, THE LORD SPOKE TO JOSHUA SON OF NUN, MOSES’ ASSISTANT. HE SAID, ‘MOSES MY SERVANT IS DEAD. THEREFORE, THE TIME HAS COME FOR YOU TO LEAD THESE PEOPLE, THE ISRAELITES, ACROSS THE JORDAN RIVER INTO THE LAND I AM GIVING THEM. JOSHUA 1:1-2
“I PROMISE YOU WHAT I PROMISED TO MOSES: ‘WHEREVER YOU SET FOOT, YOU WILL BE ON LAND I HAVE GIVEN YOU…NO ONE WILL BE ABLE TO STAND AGAINST YOU AS LONG AS YOU LIVE. FOR I WILL BE WITH YOU AS I WAS WITH MOSES. I WILL NOT FAIL YOU OR ABANDON YOU.” JOSHUA 1:3
MANY TIMES, THE NEXT BIG THING GOD WANTS TO DO IN YOUR LIFE IS RIGHT OUTSIDE OF YOUR CURRENT COMFORT ZONE.
I want to outline 5 steps to help you turn the page….to take a confident step towards the next big thing God has for you! Are you all ready to learn how to turn a page in your Life?
“FORGET THE FORMER THINGS; DO NOT DWELL ON THE PAST. SEE, I AM DOING A NEW THING! NOW IT SPRINGS UP; DO YOU NOT PERCEIVE IT…?” ISAIAH 43:18-19
Psalm 145 says this:
THE LORD IS GRACIOUS AND COMPASSIONATE, SLOW TO ANGER AND RICH IN LOVE. PSALM 145:8
FOR I WILL FORGIVE THEIR WRONGDOING, AND I WILL NEVER AGAIN REMEMBER THEIR SINS. HEBREWS 8:12
God is saying I FORGIVE YOU for what you’ve done wrong! And he will NEVER AGAIN remember your sins AND God is not a man that he shall lie so you can take that promise to the Grave!
“IS NOT THIS THE KIND OF FASTING I HAVE CHOSEN: TO LOOSE THE CHAINS OF INJUSTICE AND UNTIE THE CORDS OF THE YOKE, TO SET THE OPPRESSED FREE AND BREAK EVERY YOKE?” – ISAIAH 58:6 NIV
Some of you in here are wounded and it hurts and again it’s defining your life. What they did or what they said– maybe its time for you to move on from it. Listen, That quote from earlier – let me alter it –
“YOU CAN’T START THE NEXT CHAPTER OF YOUR LIFE IF YOU KEEP RE-READING THE LAST ONE.”
You cant step into the next big thing God has for you if you are still making decisions taking into account an old past hurt.
DON’T LET ANYTHING FROM YOUR PAST ROB YOU FROM YOUR FUTURE.
…WATCH OUT THAT NO POISONOUS ROOT OF BITTERNESS GROWS UP TO TROUBLE YOU, CORRUPTING MANY. HEBREWS 12:15 NLT
Let go of past hurts and let God move!
Judges 6 gives such a powerful example of what happens when you let go of doubt and choose to believe the promises of God.
The Israelites were handed over to the Midianites because they did some bad things. The Midianites were so cruel to the Israelites that they literally made hiding places in the mountains and caves. One day – an Israelite named Gideon was threshing wheat in the bottom of a winepress, so that he could stay hidden when an angle of the Lord appeared. Let’s take a look:
“THE ANGEL OF THE LORD APPEARED TO HIM (GIDEON) AND SAID, ‘MIGHTY HERO, THE LORD IS WITH YOU!’ ‘SIR,’ GIDEON REPLIED, ‘IF THE LORD IS WITH US, WHY HAS ALL OF THIS HAPPENED TO US? AND WHERE ARE ALL OF THE MIRACLES OUR ANCESTORS TOLD US ABOUT?” JUDGES 6:12-13
Have you ever asked that question? If God is with me – then why is this happening!? That’s the doubt I’m talking about – but listen to what happens:
THEN THE LORD TURNED TO HIM AND SAID, “GO WITH THE STRENGTH YOU HAVE, AND RESCUE ISRAEL FROM THE MIDIANITES, I AM SENDING YOU!” “BUT LORD, ‘GIDEON REPLIED, “ HOW CAN I RECUE ISRAEL? MY CLAN IS THE WEAKEST IN THE WHOLE TRIBE OF MANASSEH, AND I AM THE LEAST IN MY ENTIRE FAMILY!” “THE LORD SAID TO HIM, “I WILL BE WITH YOU AND YOU WILL DESTROY MIDIANITES AS IF YOU WERE FIGHTING AGAINST ONE MAN” JUDGES 6:14-16
Gideon ended up overcoming his doubts and he ended up defeating the Midianites and bringing peace to Israel for the next 40 years – someone that had no confidence in what God wanted to use him for does something so big!!! Heres what I know – Gideon went from Hiding to hero because he was able to throw his doubts upon the Lord and let God do a huge work through him!
YOU DON’T HAVE TO UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY TO OBEY IMMEDIATELY
Whatever God is calling you to next, I want to challenge you…listen to the call and act. Take the step and see what God is going to do through your obedience! Heres what I know IT’S A TRUST THING!
WITHOUT FULL TRUST THERE’S NO SURRENDER, AND WITH NO SURRENDER THERE’S NO FREEDOM.
BUT WHEN YOU PRAY, YOU MUST BELIEVE AND NOT DOUBT AT ALL. WHOEVER DOUBTS IS LIKE A WAVE IN THE SEA THAT IS DRIVEN AND BLOWN ABOUT BY THE WIND. JAMES 1:6 GNT