New Things

Text:

Isaiah 42:6-9, 14-17:

6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

9 Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.

 

2 Corinthians 5:17:

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

 

Theme:

New Things

 

Introduction:

• The Book of Isaiah is the first of the books of major prophecy in the Old Testament and are written, of course, by the prophet Isaiah, sometimes referred to as “Esaias” in the New Testament.
  • The book is divided into three sections:
    • The first section (35 chapters) is purely prophetic and written during the Assyrian threat.
    • The second section (4 chapters) is historical and reflective of the life and times of King Hezekiah.
    • The third section (27 chapters) is once again prophetic and written during the Babylonian threat.
  • The book has 66 chapters, the same number of chapter as books in the Biblical canon.
    • 39 chapters in the first two sections — the same number of books in the Old Testament.
    • 27 chapters in the third section — the same number of book in the New Testament.
• The Second Epistle to the Corinthian church by the Apostle Paul, it has been well said, shows the individuality of the apostle more than any other.
  • Paul was a REAL man, who made REAL mistakes, was forgiven by a REAL God, and had a REAL testimony.
  • Paul incessantly impresses upon the church the need for order and structure within their young church…not based on divine commandment but instead on human permission
    • As he says in 1Corinthians 7:6, “But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.”
    • This is an example of the authority of the scripture being based upon divine inspiration and not divine commandment.
    • As Christians, we inherently believe that the Bible, in its entirety, is the divinely INSPIRED Word of God.
• Tremaine Hawkins sang this song which became a classic Gospel song in the Black Church:

A change, a change has come over me.

He changed my life and now I’m free.

He changed my life complete,

And now I sit at His feet

To do what must be done. 

I’ll work and work until He comes.

Oh, a wonderful change has come over me!

• The Christian experience is founded upon CHANGE:
  • The text in 2Corinthians supports this theory
    • “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
    • The child of God experiences a myriad of CHANGE to manifest their spiritual transition from the OLD to the NEW!
• However, just as children who on Christmas morning prefer the gifts under the tree to those strewn through their rooms, WE GRAVITATE TOWARDS THE NEW THINGS!
  • The new car, the new house, the new job, the new friend, the new love, the new clothes, the new music, the new trends, the new movies…and so on.
  • We are excited by NEW THINGS!
• The Creator knows His creation and, therefore, markets the saving power and presence of Jesus, the Christ, through the NEWNESS attained through a relationship with Him!!!
  • Once again, 2Corinthians 5:17 supports, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Hmmm, there’s something attractive and life changing in these…NEW THINGS

 

Body:

• As a foundation, let us first understand the OLD THINGS to which Paul was referring?
  • The Old Man à The Sinful Nature
    • Romans 6:6, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”
    • Ephesians 4:22, “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;”
  • The Old Ways àThe Sinful Ways
    • Romans 3:20, “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
    • Colossians 3:9, “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;”
  • The Old Places à Seeking the Face of God
    • Leave à As God told Abram in Genesis 12:1, “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:”
    • Don’t go back à As Jesus said in Matthew 26:41, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
  • The Old Acquaintances à Seeking the relationship with God
    • Family à Luke 14:26, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.”
    • Friends à Jeremiah 9:4, “Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders.”
      • Why? à John 6:27, “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”
• What are the NEW THINGS to which Paul was referring?

New Things — newly converted from Old Things

“I looked at my hands, and they looked new.  I looked at my feet, and they did too.”

• Same person, reputation, and looks
  • If you were 5’ 5” tall and 200 lbs., once converted, you are still 5’5” tall and 200 lbs.
  • If you were known as a liar and a thief, once converted, you will initially still be known as a liar and thief.
  • If you were a quick-tempered person, once converted, you will initially still be a quick-tempered person.
• God converts some things
  • Acts 3:19, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;”
  • As the spiritual exemplifies —“Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind but now I see.”
• Then, God leaves some things the way that they are – WE MUST GLORIFY HIM ANYHOW!!!
  • 2 Corinthians 12:9, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

New Things — did not exist before

“I got a new walk.  I got a new talk.”

• Isaiah 42:16 teaches us, “And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.”
• Then Isaiah 43:18-19 echo, “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. 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.”
• Salvation in Jesus brings about:
  • As Galatians 5:22-23 explains, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
    • It’s new in Jesus and did not exist before. The Holy Spirit brings these about!

Conclusion:

• One “thing” transcends both the OLD and the NEW à NEW LIFE
  • John 10:10, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
    • HAVE LIFE
      • Through Salvation in Jesus, the Christ, God gives us back the life that Sin took away — LIFE as God meant for it to be.
        • Romans 5:18, “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.”
    • HAVE IT MORE ABUNDANTLY
      • On top of LIFE, God gives us more than we deserve or could have ever imagined!
        • 1Timothy 1:14, “And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.”
        • John 3:16 reminds us, “For God SO loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
          • Now in my new life I have…
            • A new walk
            • A new talk
            • A new understanding
            • A new song
            • A new desire
            • A new direction
              • A new way of thinking
              • A new way of doing
              • A new way of being
              • A new way of acting
              • A new way of reacting
            • In Jesus, I’ve got NEW THINGS
              • I can keep the Old vehicle because Jesus carries me
              • I can keep the Old house because Jesus is my shelter
              • I can keep the Old clothes because Jesus is clothes me in my right mind
              • I can keep even deal with the Old bills because Jesus paid the price for me on Calvary!
                • He got up EARLY that third day morning
                • With ALL POWER in His hand
                • He got to give us NEW THINGS…NEW THINGS…NEW THINGS!!

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