I do new thing

Isaiah 43, verses 18 and 19. Okay. If you have the Bible there, let's read them all together. We are ready? Yeah? OK. Let me read from the same version that you may have too. He says, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Do not remember the past things and do not remember the old things. Behold, I do a new thing. Soon it will come to light, you will not know it. Once again I will open roads in the desert and rivers in solitude."

Get that word. Say to that person next to you, "Get that word." Omar, get that word. Holy. With an accent on the "i": Receive that word. A call to new things, that's what God put in my heart today. It is something very interesting because, and this is something that I am meditating on more or less in line with the things that God has been bringing to us as a Church in these last weeks and for some reason or another the Lord made me reflect more on this verse that I referred to him last Wednesday. But today the Lord moved me to dwell more on him.

In this text from Isaiah, that verse 18 begins with a call to forget the things of the past. Forget things from the past. Briefly, I'm going to give you a minute. I want you to think about at least three things from your past that you would like to forget but that it is not difficult to forget. You don't have to tell me, just think about it. Three things from your past that you would like to forget but find it difficult to forget. Okay, you already have them there. That was 30 seconds, not a minute. Sorry, my watch is wrong up here.

The point is that what God is doing with that word is that he is motivating his people at that moment, in the context where this word is being brought –remember that the people of Israel, at that moment, were as they say in exile, they were in captivity, they were being pressured by nations, by peoples that were stronger than them and were taking advantage of their nobility. And they were being tormented to a certain extent and in the midst of that situation, this is the word that the Lord brings- 'Forget about your past, don't live in it anymore because I'm going to do something new.'

Now I want you to imagine this: because if you are in a bind and suddenly I come and say: “Look, you know what? Forget about that jam or what caused that jam. Think about the new thing that God is going to do with you”. Did you know? There are times when one is so fed up with that predicament one is in that what I say can go in one ear and out the other.

That new thing is like wow! It seems that it is so and so far that I am still dealing with what I have here right now, or with this that I have been dragging along for a long time.

But the call is to forget about that past. Forgetting about that call means that you have to accept that you have to receive and to some extent you have to intentionally seek those new things. Look at that last part that I said: you have to accept, receive and in a certain way intentionally seek those new things.

It's very interesting, because the text says 'I do', it's like he's doing them. It's up there somewhere, somewhere in that eternal world that was talked about last Sunday there is something that God decrees at that level. That he is already doing it, but we do not see it tangible here in the now and therefore part of the call is that we can make an effort to seek and find and accept those new things that the Lord has as he says "marked for each one of us".

It is part of his purpose, it is part of the intention of the heart of God. Let me go ahead, let me tell you the last point here. As part of this process, my brothers, you have to ask for a supernatural discernment. Why do I say this? Question, by showing hands: How many of you in your prayer time ask the Lord for discernment for x or y situation? The word discernment, I'm not talking about wisdom, I'm not talking about intelligence, I'm not talking about anything else. I'm talking about discernment. Do you pray for it? If you are not doing it, I encourage you to do it.

Because today more than ever we need to be able to discern well the things that are happening around us. Because there are times when new things can happen in our environment and we can say: “Wow! this is God”. But God is not involved in that or for the rascals, for any place. It can be anything else and one has to know how to discern what is "that" new that God is doing in the midst of the chamois of things that is happening around us.

Discernment is important. Why do I mention these three things? I want you to go with me to Matthew, chapter 14. What are these new things to which the Lord is calling us? Those new things to which the Lord calls us.

Matthew, chapter 14. Many of you are very familiar with this story. Verses from 22 to 33. This is one of my favorite passages and I even dare to say that this was the first message that I preached in my life. The passage from when Peter walked on the water so this is a passage close to the marrow of my heart. But look, I'm going to tell you a little about the story.

Verse 22 says: 'Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After dismissing the people, he went up a mountain to pray alone. When night came, he was there alone, and the boat was already quite far from land, tossed about by the waves and the contrary wind. At dawn Jesus approached his disciples, walking on the water of the lake and when the disciples saw him walking on the water they were terrified and began to scream that he was a ghost.

Look at one of the first things I see here. Jesus in his sovereignty in some way or another He orchestrated everything that was taking place on this stage, in this panorama. Because if we look closely from the beginning it says that “immediately Jesus made his disciples go to, get into the boat and go to the other side. In other words, Jesus already had an intention.

Look, how interesting, I like Jesus' treatment, because Jesus sees the whole panorama. We only see part of it: what is in front of us. But He sees further and because He sees further I dare to say that Jesus causes situations in our lives to see where we are, how we are going to respond to such or such a situation.

And it's not just because He is a stubborn God and wants to test us, but He wants to test us. He wants to prove where we are in our life of Faith. He wants in one way or another to stretch us, to teach us something about things, about the purposes that He has for our life and what He wants to do with us.

So in this panorama, I see how in some way or another, Jesus was preparing it and this is where I see that something new happened for the disciples. Something new, unexpected that had to cause the disciples to forget what they knew about the past, what they knew about the science that: there is no one who can walk on water. They had to forget about that theory because they met someone who could break that theory. There was someone who defied the force of gravity and was able to walk on water.

Those new things about Jesus, my brothers, are what catch my attention. Because when new things start to happen, you know what happens? We respond the same as the disciples: we are terrified.

There are times when new things, new changes that happen in our lives, news that one receives –wishful or unwanted- there are times when all these things, like, the primary reaction is like uhh! It scares me.

The cuckoo appeared as if to say. And in the midst of all that stuff, you know I kind of hear the echo of Jesus' words saying, “Hey! Calm down, calm down, don't worry, I am. It is Jesus who is with you." In the midst of these new things, my brothers, look at this. There are four things that I want to highlight here. I'm going to do it as fast as I can. But there is something that I learn from the character of Pedro, here.

If we continue reading the text -verse 27- 'But immediately, Jesus spoke to them saying: Take heart, I am. Do not be afraid'. Then Peter said to Jesus: 'Lord, if it is You, command, order me to come to you on the waters' and Jesus said to him what? ‘Dare, come get out of the boat. Dare yourself'.

I want to do an illustration here for a moment. I need 13 volunteers. 13. I need 11 people to stand here and I'm going to be number 12. He's coming, he's coming. I don't know if the cameras are going to be able to catch this, but 11 people to stand here. Medrat I'm going to use you Jesus, go there. I'm going to do an illustration here. Go now, over there to the other corner.

I want you to imagine this, because there are times when there are things... The 11 are not there but it's okay, some of us are. I am going to play the character of Pedro - let me take off what I have in my pockets - because I am going to get into the water. Here we are in a boat, this is our boat, the boat is moving from side to side due to the waves, things like that, and suddenly Peter, who is known as the reckless one, says to him: "Jesus, if it really is you who is on the the water, I want you to order me to walk on the water and come to you."

And obviously, Jesus says to him 'How?' Tell me your style, how would you tell me? Come on, that's how I liked it. Okay, now imagine this. Look, Pedro received that call but everyone else heard it. What would you say to me before what Jesus said?

"Don't you dare Pedro, look what he told me, you're going to drown." You would tell me: he's going to drown you. Fine. Human response, ladies and gentlemen.

Push me, push me, soft… soft. OK. The point is that in the face of such a challenge, in the face of this new thing that appeared before Peter, Peter decided to take up that call, he accepted that call. And there goes Peter. I don't know if he jumped over the edge or went down little by little and touched the water like this with his finger first to see if he could hold it or not... the point is that he went down and everyone's jaws dropped, too .

The thing is that little by little, Pedro is there. Now but what does the text say next? I'm going to pause the scene. Pause. 'He said: "Come, and Peter descended from the boat, walked on the water to go to Jesus." Pedro when he sees the strong wind –everyone make the effect of the wind and someone make lightning and rain too- Okay.

The point is that in the face of all these things, Pedro began to be afraid and, what happened? Jesus doesn't want to save me. So, Jesus grabs me and I'm like I'm half in and half out, still out of the water and what does Jesus say to me? "Man of little faith."

But how would you tell me? What a jerk you are! Now I don't know if you are going to be able to see this, but this is where I see the beauty of this story, my brothers, because there are many people who, when they read that story, think that what happened with Pedro was a failure.

But what happened with Peter was something else entirely because not only was the man able to walk on the water, but he walked on the water hand in hand with Jesus.

Check this out. When they went to the boat, Jesus kind of didn't drag him, He didn't drag Peter through all the water there. I don't think... drag me, I'll give you permission to drag me... but in the direction of the boat. I don't think Jesus did that. I believe that Jesus grabbed Peter by the hand and the two of them were standing on the water and I believe that the two of them were very close together.

And the two of them went there, foot to foot and hand to hand and those with their mouths open. No, not without trembling because I am holding the hand of Jesus. Those with their mouths open and did not say anything there.

Thank you, thank you to our actors. A round of applause for our actors.

Your request was answered, what was your request? Dragging me or something on the floor... Brothers, look, I know that sometimes I get kind of dramatic. But I want to illustrate something for each of you. In all our stages of our lives, both as individuals, as people, as families, as a church that we are. I understand that there are times when God orchestrates a series of things so that we can see something new from Him.

And there are times that we can be so and so comfortable in what seems common, in what seems familiar to us who look, even though we have Jesus himself in front of us, there are times that we are going to choose to do what the eleven disciples did and not having the courage and courage of what Peter did to dare, and launch himself and walk in that new dimension that the Lord had for him.

Look, my brothers, I cannot say that in these new stages, that in these new dimensions everything will turn out well. If I tell you that, I am lying to you, I am deceiving you and I do not want to do that. I know that in these new stages, in these new dimensions when one begins to launch into new things, there will always be mistakes. There are always going to be moments in which we are going to fall or we are going to make others fall. But it is part of the process.

What makes the difference is that we can recognize that in the midst of these things, we are not alone. But that there is someone who can take us by the hand and who can lift us up to build our lives and in that case failure becomes the foundation for the success of our lives. Failure becomes the seedbed for us to be able to experience the fruits of God's blessing in the midst of our lives.

Perhaps the trip that we gave to another person can become not only the growth opportunity for his life, but also for the other person when we proceed in the way that God has ordered. Instead of looking for the hand of another person, being able to look for the hand of the Lord Jesus that can lift us up and that can put us on solid ground even though it looks like water, but it is solid because we are with Him, that is what makes the difference.

You know what? There is nothing better than enjoying the Glory of walking on the seas of our life together hand in hand with the Master, there is nothing better than that. In the seas and in the storms of life, there is nothing better than enjoying the Glory of walking by the hand of the Master.

Let me say that again. Close your eyes and think about those words: In the seas of our life there is nothing better than the Glory of walking next to the Master's hand. There is nothing better, there is nothing that compares to it. But for that, my brothers, you need guts, you need courage. you know? I thought about these words reflecting on the things that God is doing with us as a Church, my brothers. Pastorally, it is difficult for me to disconnect from those things.

I am so, so moved, excited to see what the Lord Jesus wants to do in our midst, what the Lord Jesus wants to do with me, what the Lord Jesus wants to do with you, with you, with you, with you, with you... I want to see what the Lord Jesus is going to do. I am well convinced that there is something – as the professed Isaiah says: “there is something that the Lord is doing”.

And the Lord Jesus is telling us: 'Forget the things of the past. past, passed The past is there. The glory that you saw there was the Glory that you saw there. The coming Glory is going to be much better. Things like the Lord – look, listen to this – the way the Lord dealt with you there is not going to be the same as how the Lord is going to deal with you now.

That is why discernment is so important, because it is quick when we think of these new things, we are waiting to see what seems familiar to us, what seems familiar to us and that is why the Lord says: “Ah, ah! ! Do not think about what seems familiar to you. Do not think about what brings you memories of the past- Look for new things, crazy things”.

I never thought that I was going to be dragged across the floor by Medrat. But, I believe -it's not that I'm degrading myself- that through this type of illustration something will stay in your head and it's not just the image of Pastor Omar being dragged across the floor by a man who it is twice as big as him. If it is not rather the illustration that Jesus in the midst of those aspects of their lives, He is not going to drag you along.

God is not going to allow you to be swept away. God is not going to allow the circumstances of life to throw you so far down that you are put to shame. The Lord is not going to do that, because the Lord does not let any of his chosen ones fall to shame and you - each one of you - are chosen by God.

God is not going to let you fall into shame, ever. The one who can embarrass you is the other, but the Lord is not going to let that happen. And if you come close, even if you are a glimpse, to that little bit of shame, the Lord will turn it into Glory for you. And I believe that because it is a promise from Him.

So my brothers, -wow! Sharp!- Brothers, look, I want to leave you with this. I want to leave you with this, I want to make you think, make you reflect. I like to do that. I don't just like that his heart beats really hard or something, no. My desire as a preacher as a Pastor is that these words take root in your heart. Because I know that these words are words of life for you.

Because right now, I don't know, I know that you are at a stage, at a moment, you are in a position in your life where our being able to understand these principles of God's word can make a difference in us.

The I understand that if Jesus decides to make me walk in the water – and what I mean by that is to do something totally different, unexpected; to do something that in my head so limited never could have come to my head- if the Lord makes me achieve something like that. Look, I know that it will be first of all for His glory and secondly to teach me what He wants to do in my life and through my life.

Look, today I shared with a brother from the church that this character of Peter had so many areas in his life that were so rough, like so rough, and the Lord Jesus dealt with him in so many ways, dealt with him in so many ways at the same time. point that he did reach the point of humiliation.

But it was a humiliation that he caused himself. Or I go back and say that Jesus himself had orchestrated it. Because Peter tells him – this was the fulminating moment, not the culminating, fulminating moment for Pedro – when Peter said: “Jesus, I will never deny you”. 'You'll see'. "Before the rooster crows, you are going to deny me 3 times" and when it happened - I like the words they use, I believe the Gospel of Luke - 'when Peter realized what he had done, he left and wept bitterly '.

'He cried bitterly.' Those words, my brothers, it's like they reach one's inner being. Finding yourself in a situation where you cry bitterly because you have not offended anyone, you have not frustrated anyone; you have done it to the Lord Jesus himself.

You are wicked in other words.

But the beauty of all this is that Jesus already knew it. Jesus already knew what the final result would be. Jesus knew that it was necessary for Peter to drink away those bitter tears in order to do what he was going to do next in Him.

Look, excuse me for saying this, but it is necessary that you drink two or three bitter tears at some point in your life, because after that the Glory that God is going to bring upon you is going to be wonderful, it is going to be fantastic. Maybe not in the same way as Peter, but in the way that God wants to minister to you.

There are new things, my brothers. God is calling us to new things and as a church and as individuals, as men, as women, as young people that we are, we have to respond to that call from God. We have to respond to that treatment of God in us. Look, if that means that from time to time we have to take our attention and our focus away from the everyday situations of life, look, let's detach ourselves from that for a moment and seek to focus.

Be like, 'okay, I'm in my boat, I'm in the middle of this storm. How am I going to find Jesus in the midst of this? Is Jesus going to appear to me walking through the water? Or are you going out with a scuba team with your mask and tanks? Or is he going to come with a kite? Or is he going to appear to me as a little fish that will jump up and show me something?’

What is he going to do? I don't know. The important thing is that we know how to have that eye to know how to discern what He does. Something that we do not believe that it is some ghost there that appeared out of nowhere, but rather that we can understand and discern and interact. Being able to interact with what the Lord wants to do with us. That we do not stay there soft, flattened in the boat as the other 11 did -not to offend those who were here- but that we know how to dare to leave those areas in which we are comfortable and launch ourselves into what the Lord Jesus has For our lives. Amen? Amen?

We are going to stand up and we are going to pray. Thank you Lord Jesus. Thanks God. Thank you for your Word, Lord. Father your word is life, your word is true, your word is rich, Lord. Your word is fun, your word is strong, your word is serious, your word confronts us at different stages of our lives. You find us through your word.

And Lord Jesus, I do not have the slightest doubt that You are calling us to new things. You want to get us out of anonymity, You want to get us out of the routine. And there are times when we are so used to that routine, when we think that we live as islands separated from others.

But Lord, no, You do not call us to be that. You call us to be a light in the midst of darkness, You call us to be a city set on top of a mountain where any other place, any other nation can see that city. You call us to be a chosen people, a chosen lineage, a royal priesthood.

And Lord Jesus, maybe we don't have the plan of the whole process, maybe we can't see the whole scenario as You see it. And even though that bothers us Lord, even though we don't like being able to have all the details in their place. Lord we declare our total dependence on you because you do see all the pieces. You see all the parts, You still see the future mistakes that we are going to commit, You see them, You already know them.

Although we ask you to free us from them, but even when they happen, Lord, I know that You will be there to lift us up, to strengthen our faith, to strengthen our walk with you. Thank you that in the midst of circumstances You do not let us fall to shame, Lord, but You lift us up and put us on that firm foundation and allow us to walk hand in hand with You, Lord.

That if there is a moment that you let us walk alone, but there are other moments where you are so close. I ask that you help us to discern, Jesus as a people, remove from our eyes, from our hearts, from our spirit, from our minds that veil that prevents us from seeing you clearly.

And Lord, when You appear, when You reveal Yourself, when You show those things that You are already preparing in heaven for each one of Your sons and daughters, Lord, that we do not let ourselves be carried away by fear, that we do not let ourselves be carried away. for the eagerness but that we can understand that you are the one who is approaching us, walking on the waters of our seas, of our lives.

What do you call us to get out of that boat, what do you call us to do, do you call us to experience those new things that you have for our lives, to strengthen and build up your body, Lord Jesus, and each of us can become those solid stones where your church can continue to be built, Jesus.

Father I declare my blessing on each one of the brothers and sisters who are here, Jesus. You call us to new things, You call us, You call us to new things.

Let us receive that call from the Lord to new things. Let's search intensely. Let's not stay seated in the ordinary, in the everyday, in the routine; let us seek, let us intentionally seek those new things that the Lord has.

Seek and you will find, ask and it will be given to you. Knock on the door and it will be opened for you.’

Those are the words of the Lord Jesus for each one of us tonight. Search, ask, knock on the door and you will see, you will receive. Lord, You desire and long to communicate the secrets that are in your heart to each of your children. That perhaps full revelation cannot be given in a single moment, but You know how to take us step by step. Teach us, my God, to know how to follow your step. Being able to collaborate with you, my God.

Bless my brothers as they prepare to leave here, Lord. Take them well, take them with your peace to their homes. Give them a peaceful, restful sleep my God. Renew their strength in a supernatural way, that tonight they can sleep in a peaceful way.

That you reveal yourself through their dreams, Lord, and that tomorrow if you allow it, Lord, you give them a new glimpse of how to get their hands on the different things that may arise during the day. I declare your blessing on your sons and daughters. Your provision on each one of them, your protection my God and the joy of yours that is on each one of them.

Through your son Jesus we give you all the Glory and all the honor, Lord. Amen and amen.