Embracing Expansion: Preparing for God's Blessings
Summary
In this new year, we are called to embrace a vision of expansion and preparation as outlined in Isaiah 54. The Lord is speaking to us about enlarging our tents, stretching our tent curtains wide, and not holding back. This is a call to prepare for the blessings and growth that God desires to bring into our lives and our community. The prophetic word from Isaiah 54:3 promises that we will spread out to the right and to the left, and our descendants will dispossess nations and settle in desolate cities. This vision is not just for our church but for each of us individually. We are to prepare ourselves to receive the blessings God has in store, ensuring that they do not become burdens due to a lack of readiness.
The analogy of lengthening cords and strengthening stakes speaks to the need for a strong foundation. This foundation is both lateral, emphasizing community and accountability, and downward, focusing on personal intimacy with God and spiritual discipline. Just as the giant sequoias stand tall due to their interconnected root systems, we too must be deeply rooted in community and in our relationship with God. This preparation involves being proactive rather than reactive, ensuring that we are ready for the expansion God is bringing.
We are reminded that opposition will come, but it will not succeed in destroying us. God promises that no weapon formed against us will prosper. Instead, the challenges we face will be used to forge us into instruments for His kingdom. This process of being forged involves enduring and overcoming the blows of life, allowing God to shape us into the people He has called us to be.
As we move forward, we are encouraged to go deeper in our faith, to surrender fully to God's will, and to trust Him to lead us into the blessings He has prepared. This is a season of stepping out in faith, letting go of fear, and embracing the fullness of what God has for us. We are called to be a community that supports one another, grows together, and stands firm in the promises of God.
Key Takeaways:
1. Vision of Expansion: God is calling us to prepare for expansion by enlarging our tents and stretching our tent curtains wide. This involves being proactive in our spiritual growth and readiness to receive God's blessings. We must not hold back due to fear or uncertainty but trust in God's promise of growth and expansion. [04:34]
2. Foundation of Community and Intimacy: A strong foundation is essential for sustaining growth. This foundation is both lateral, emphasizing community and accountability, and downward, focusing on personal intimacy with God. Like the sequoias, we must be interconnected and deeply rooted in our faith and relationships. [38:18]
3. Overcoming Opposition: While opposition will come, it will not succeed in destroying us. God's promise is that no weapon formed against us will prosper. The challenges we face are opportunities for God to forge us into instruments for His kingdom, shaping us through the trials we endure. [17:13]
4. Going Deeper in Faith: We are called to go deeper in our faith, surrendering fully to God's will and trusting Him to lead us into the blessings He has prepared. This involves letting go of fear and embracing the fullness of what God has for us, stepping out in faith and allowing God to guide us. [47:11]
5. Community and Service: As a church, we are called to build a strong foundation through community and service. This involves stepping up to serve, supporting one another, and being united in our mission. By working together, we can sustain the growth and expansion God desires for us. [45:33]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[02:09] - Vision of Expansion
[04:34] - Prophetic Promise
[05:43] - Blessing from Barrenness
[08:18] - Preparing for Blessing
[09:53] - Proactive vs. Reactive
[10:51] - Be Strong and Courageous
[13:35] - Removing Shame and Fear
[16:16] - No Weapon Shall Prosper
[19:13] - Creator Over Creation
[20:40] - Opposition vs. Oppression
[24:16] - Forged for the Kingdom
[28:02] - Strength and Pliability
[32:15] - Lamp to My Feet, Light to My Path
[38:18] - Lengthen and Strengthen
[45:33] - Community and Service
[47:11] - Going Deeper in Faith
[51:01] - Call to Surrender
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Isaiah 54:2-3
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Observation Questions:
1. What specific actions does Isaiah 54:2-3 call us to take in preparation for God's promise of expansion? How are these actions described in the sermon? [04:34]
2. How does the analogy of lengthening cords and strengthening stakes relate to the concept of building a strong foundation, as discussed in the sermon? [38:18]
3. What is the significance of the promise that "no weapon formed against you shall prosper" in the context of the sermon? How does this promise relate to the challenges we face? [17:13]
4. How does the sermon describe the role of community and accountability in sustaining spiritual growth and expansion? [41:46]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. In what ways does the sermon suggest that personal intimacy with God and spiritual discipline contribute to a strong foundation for expansion? [38:18]
2. How does the sermon interpret the promise of overcoming opposition in Isaiah 54:17? What does it mean for challenges to be used to forge us into instruments for God's kingdom? [17:13]
3. What does the sermon imply about the relationship between fear and faith when it encourages us to "go deeper" and "surrender fully" to God's will? [47:11]
4. How does the sermon connect the idea of being proactive rather than reactive with the preparation for God's blessings? [09:53]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on the areas of your life where you feel God is calling you to "enlarge your tent" and "stretch your tent curtains wide." What specific steps can you take to prepare for this expansion? [04:34]
2. Consider your current spiritual foundation. How can you strengthen your connection with your community and deepen your personal intimacy with God to support future growth? [38:18]
3. Identify a challenge or opposition you are currently facing. How can you view this situation as an opportunity for God to forge you into an instrument for His kingdom? [17:13]
4. What fears or uncertainties are holding you back from fully surrendering to God's will? How can you take a step of faith to overcome these fears and embrace the fullness of what God has for you? [47:11]
5. Think about a time when you reacted to a situation rather than proactively preparing for it. How can you apply the sermon’s message of being proactive in your spiritual journey? [09:53]
6. How can you contribute to building a strong foundation of community and service within your church? What specific actions can you take to support and serve others in your community? [45:33]
7. Reflect on the analogy of the sequoias and their interconnected root systems. How can you ensure that your spiritual growth is both wide and deep, supporting both personal and communal development? [41:46]
Devotional
Day 1: Embrace the Call to Expand
In this new year, God is calling us to prepare for expansion by enlarging our tents and stretching our tent curtains wide. This involves being proactive in our spiritual growth and readiness to receive God's blessings. We must not hold back due to fear or uncertainty but trust in God's promise of growth and expansion. The vision from Isaiah 54:3 encourages us to spread out to the right and to the left, with the assurance that our descendants will dispossess nations and settle in desolate cities. This is not just a call for the church but for each of us individually. We are to prepare ourselves to receive the blessings God has in store, ensuring that they do not become burdens due to a lack of readiness. [04:34]
Isaiah 54:2-3 (ESV): "Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities."
Reflection: What specific steps can you take this week to prepare for the expansion God is calling you to, both spiritually and in your daily life?
Day 2: Build a Strong Foundation
A strong foundation is essential for sustaining growth. This foundation is both lateral, emphasizing community and accountability, and downward, focusing on personal intimacy with God. Like the sequoias, we must be interconnected and deeply rooted in our faith and relationships. The analogy of lengthening cords and strengthening stakes speaks to the need for a strong foundation. This preparation involves being proactive rather than reactive, ensuring that we are ready for the expansion God is bringing. Just as the giant sequoias stand tall due to their interconnected root systems, we too must be deeply rooted in community and in our relationship with God. [38:18]
Colossians 2:6-7 (ESV): "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."
Reflection: How can you strengthen your spiritual foundation this week by deepening your relationships with God and your community?
Day 3: Triumph Over Opposition
While opposition will come, it will not succeed in destroying us. God's promise is that no weapon formed against us will prosper. The challenges we face are opportunities for God to forge us into instruments for His kingdom, shaping us through the trials we endure. This process of being forged involves enduring and overcoming the blows of life, allowing God to shape us into the people He has called us to be. We are reminded that opposition will come, but it will not succeed in destroying us. [17:13]
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (ESV): "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed."
Reflection: What is one challenge you are currently facing, and how can you see it as an opportunity for God to shape you into who He has called you to be?
Day 4: Deepen Your Faith
We are called to go deeper in our faith, surrendering fully to God's will and trusting Him to lead us into the blessings He has prepared. This involves letting go of fear and embracing the fullness of what God has for us, stepping out in faith and allowing God to guide us. As we move forward, we are encouraged to go deeper in our faith, to surrender fully to God's will, and to trust Him to lead us into the blessings He has prepared. This is a season of stepping out in faith, letting go of fear, and embracing the fullness of what God has for us. [47:11]
Ephesians 3:16-19 (ESV): "That according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
Reflection: What fears are holding you back from fully surrendering to God's will, and how can you take a step of faith to overcome them this week?
Day 5: Serve and Support in Community
As a church, we are called to build a strong foundation through community and service. This involves stepping up to serve, supporting one another, and being united in our mission. By working together, we can sustain the growth and expansion God desires for us. We are called to be a community that supports one another, grows together, and stands firm in the promises of God. This preparation involves being proactive rather than reactive, ensuring that we are ready for the expansion God is bringing. [45:33]
1 Peter 4:10-11 (ESV): "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."
Reflection: How can you actively contribute to your community this week, using your gifts to serve and support others in their spiritual journey?
Quotes
"Your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities. I love that we brought Lexi up to pray for her as we're sending her out. She has an assignment that the Lord has opened the door for her. I believe that's what we're doing. We're sending her out. Honestly, you guys, in not too long from now, that's going to be like a weekly thing that happens here. And it's not that we want to just get you out of here, but we want the kingdom to expand. We want the kingdom to advance." [00:02:09] (27 seconds)
"Barrenness means that there is blessing coming from barrenness. Barrenness means to be without child, right? A barren woman. Back in that time, I can't really explain to you how important it was for a woman to be able to have children. It was of the utmost importance for women to have children. So he's speaking in this analogy to God's people. Listen, I know that you feel that you have been barren for so long, but there is a blessing that is coming from your barrenness." [00:07:08] (31 seconds)
"If God were to open the doors right now, and 300 people walked in here with 80 children right now, that would be a blessing, but very shortly we would realize this is a burden that is too much for us to handle. We are not prepared for this. We're not prepared. So I believe that what God is speaking to us right now, the rhema word, the now word for us is to prepare. Prepare. Strengthen your foundation." [00:08:18] (34 seconds)
"So God is speaking a word and in light of what he is showing us, in light of what he is saying that he wants to do, not only here but in your life, you need to be proactive to prepare yourself for it. Right? Because oftentimes if we just react to things, it's too late. If all you do is, you're just a reactory person, which is better than not doing anything at all, but if all you're doing is reacting, there's no time to prepare." [00:09:53] (31 seconds)
"Be courageous, no matter what you see, no matter what you feel, no matter what you're not feeling. If I'm telling you to go, I need you to go. Be strong and courageous, and don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. I believe that the Lord is speaking that to us today. Don't be afraid. I am speaking. And I'm calling you out to move. I'm calling you out to expand. I'm calling you to stretch yourself. I'm calling you to lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes." [00:10:51] (34 seconds)
"I know that, you know, it's easy to stand up here and to give an encouraging word to you and to not really know exactly what you've all been through, because I know that the majority of you have been through a lot in your life, more than I could ever imagine. More than I have. I've been through a lot, but I'm sure there's a lot of you that have been through way more than I have." [00:14:44] (31 seconds)
"The promise is that no weapon formed against you will succeed in destroying you. This is God's promise to stand on. The interesting thing is, and again, if you read verse 14 or 15, God even says this. Listen, and this is a, when I first read this, I didn't understand what God was saying. But the more that I meditated on it, I got it. He's saying, listen, I'm the one who created the blacksmith that forges the weapon of destruction." [00:18:04] (31 seconds)
"So although a weapon has been forged against you, I'm telling you right now, because I am the creator. I am sovereign, which means I rule over everything. There is nothing that happens that I do. I do not allow to happen. So my promise to you is, and God never lies. He never goes back on his word, is that the weapon will not destroy you." [00:19:32] (24 seconds)
"When you're moving in the same direction as him, there's not much opposition from the enemy, because you're not quite on his radar anymore. You don't, he don't care. You're, you're, but when you begin to turn your life towards the Lord, and you begin to move toward, that's why a lot of people say, man, when I, when I got baptized, or when I gave my life to the Lord, it's when I felt the most opposition in my life." [00:21:06] (22 seconds)
"These sequoias, none of them are standing alone. So where the tallest tree is, there's many other tall trees around it. None of them are singular standing trees just kind of in a field all by themselves. They are all in a forest. They're all linked up in a community of other giants. And the root systems, they spread out. And what happens, is they interlink with each other." [00:38:18] (29 seconds)
"Lord, help us as leaders here in this church, oh God, to build the infrastructure that is needed, spiritually, organizationally, God. Help us, Lord God, to follow through and just have this open door where the people that are stepping up, Lord, to say, yes, I am ready. I want to be used. I want my life to be fervent and fruitful for the kingdom of God. Lord, help us, Lord. Help us all together, Lord, that lateral foundation, Lord. Let these roots go wide today." [00:53:17] (34 seconds)
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