Grace Makes Room for the New PART 2 of All Things New Series

All Things New Series Part 2

GRACE MAKES ROOM FOR THE NEW

Jesus says in Mark 2:21-22…

21 No one sews a piece of un-shrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”

What is was He saying? “Christ was bringing something new to the table and it wasn’t going to fit into their old religious system of self-righteousness. The beauty of grace is that it doesn’t patch us up. Grace doesn’t patch our guilt our shame, it doesn’t patch up our mistakes our failures. Grace renews us, it transforms us, grace replaces!

The old is dingy, the new is fresh and bright. The old is done changing. The new moves and stretches. When you put a new shirt in the dryer, the heat causes it to shift in size. Jesus says “this new covenant of grace I bring…it moves. And you can’t expect to wear your old nasty dirty garments and expect to use the grace of God as a patch over your broken places. “Jesus ‘ grace is fresh for today. It won’t match up with that old garment. And when the heat comes on, you’ll find out grace is active. It’ll only continue to expose the rips and tears. In fact, Grace will make them bigger. Grace is destructive. Grace isn’t in the remodeling or refurbishing. It’s in the replacement business.   

WE CAN’T BRING THE OLD INTO THE NEW

WE CAN’T BRING OUR OLD WAYS INTO THE NEW

WE CAN’T PUT SOMETHING OLD INTO SOMETHING NEW

WE CAN’T BRING THE PAST INTO THE NEW

GOD IS SAYING MAKE ROOM FOR THE NEW!

2 Timothy 2:21

21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

Never will you empty out that God won’t pour in!

The Power of Intercessory Prayer

PART 1:

  1. Prayer that pleads with God your needs and the needs of others.

1 Timothy 2:1-5

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

[No prayer is too small no prayer is too big that He will not intercede ON OUR BEHALF]

We see throughout all scripture of people coming to Jesus when he was in their town interceding for a person on their behalf and every time that need was met.

Sometimes it was instant other times it required persistence 

PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF

LUKE 18 – PERSISTENT WIDOW

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

WE MAY QUESTION GOD, DOES HE REALLY CARE?

Hebrews 4:15  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are yet without sin…

QUESTIONS TO ASK OURSELVES:

Are we pressing in for the need that we have been asking?

Are we pressing in for the needs of others

OR we just stop asking 

stop pressing and 

walk away. 

It’s NOT TIME TO GIVE UP ON GOD — KEEP PRESSING IN

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In this particular story of the Canaanite woman we see that she had to press in for God to deliver the promise. 

Matthew 15

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman – 

persistence pays off

21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly. 

JESUS DID NOT SAY A WORD WHEN SHE PLEADED FOR MERCY FOR HER DAUGHTER.

 – where most stop praying

 – where most give up on the need

In verse 25 “She came and knelt before Him”

Don’t stop pleading, don’t stop kneeling before Him asking for that need in your life or of another to be met!

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3 Keys to Living the Right Life

KEY #1

Do you ever wonder if you’re living the right life? In Proverbs it talks about a way that seems right to a man but in the end it will lead to destruction. That’s the price we pay if we go our own way. But Jesus says in John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am lthe way, and mthe truth, and nthe life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Key # 1 – The Right Atmosphere

3 keys to living the right life

Psalm 34:1-4 “ 

We can live a life and live it wrong or live it right.

Psalm 34:1-4

 “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;

The humble shall hear of it and be glad.

3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,

And let us exalt His name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and He heard me,

And delivered me from all my fears.

When we begin to magnify God and praise God that is the key to deliverance.The enemy chooses fear because it is so gripping.

In our life we create the atmosphere. 

Emotions create atmospheres 

If someone is sad angry, upset without a word being said from their spirit you feel whatever they are feeling.

But when we MAGNIFY

When you praise the Lord you confuse the strategy of hell.

When you praise the Lord you take control of the territory you are in.

From worry to worship.

From panic to praise.

How?

Praise is a divine invitation 

That’s How we get Gods favor and blessings and God responds to the atmosphere of praise, thanksgiving, of gratitude!

So whatever situation you may be in, press in to Him! Give Him praise and see how things can change!

Expectation

The year 2016 brought many challenges in my walk with Christ. And yet I overcame every obstacle that the enemy put in front of me. I wasn’t able to overcome them by myself of course but only through Jesus. The outlook that I have before I go into prayer is this; He will meet every need that I have and restore the areas that need to be restored in my life. Your outlook determines the outcome. What are you expecting God to do in 2017?

 

In 2 Timothy 1:12 Paul writes “That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

Paul is saying that yet I have been through many storms, I know what to expect! Because he knows who God is. Knowing who you are in Christ and the power that you have over the enemy is the most important thing to know and understand and not be convinced otherwise.

God is faithful, God never changes, He holds your future in His hands. Are you convinced that He is able to guard you?

 

In 2016 I learned that:

  1.  I can’t do everything by myself
  2. I need help!
  3. To worry less, casting every care to Jesus
  4. Expect a greater outcome

 

What have you learned in 2016? Are you expecting greater things in 2017?

 

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