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Jan 27, 2019

Transitions and Promises

Transitions and Promises

Speaker: Dennis Gallaher

Series: Moving Forward

Category: Sunday Morning

Pastor Dennis gives a Word for us as a church and for each of us as individuals on moving forward with a steadfast grip on the God of great grace.

Job 42 - Promises

Remember the Lord’s promises to Job (last week's sermon):

  • He promised that He would accept his prayers. v 8
  • He promised to restore. v10
  • He promised to bless. v 12

Job 42 - Covenant Blessings

In Job 42, there are 3 covenant blessings as well as the Lord’s promises to Job. These blessings are made on the basis of who God is, not what we do. These are not rewards for Job’s good behavior.

Before these great promises, there is a great declaration that Job made that is another part of the covenant promises of God. In Job 42:2 “I know You can do all things and no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. I know You can do anything and no one can stop You.”

Job was declaring that no matter what life had brought his way:

  • God’s ways were so much greater than his.
  • God’s promises still remained rock solid.
  • God’s character and nature was to be trusted beyond the circumstances of life.

A prophetic word for our church:

            “I have begun to give . . . now begin to possess.” Deut. 2:31

A few changes are announced for Freedom Fellowship Church by Pastor Dennis. Pastor James will step into the role of co-pastor with Pastor Dennis (who will stay fully engaged at Freedom but also be traveling and teaching in the states and abroad). This is seen as an interim step before Pastor James and his wife, Kelly, assume the senior leadership of Freedom Fellowship. The second announcement is that Jennifer Adams (who serves along with her husband, Chris) will be recognized as the Women’s Pastor of Freedom Fellowship Church. 

God gives rest and nourishment in times of great change. 

We’ve been at rest . . . now, it’s time to rise. In the story of Elijah in I Kings 18, Elijah stood in the gap of trouble with a steadfast grip on the God of great grace. But Elijah hit a wall after being a fearless warrior against idolatry and wickedness. He runs for his life. His passion, purpose and plans were sapped and complete. As he looked forward, he saw nothing. He slept and ate and slept.

Are you at a point where life, as you have known it, is done? Well – God always shows up and our job is to follow and obey. Get up and see what God has. Don’t stay in the cave. As Elijah saw, God wasn’t in the wind, or earthquake, or fire. Don’t we want God to blow apart the circumstances of life, to shake up our world and make it exciting again, to burn up the rubble and garbage so we can start over? When this doesn’t happen, we figure that God’s abandoned us but God wants us to know His heart and not just his hand! Vs 12 . . . and then the sound of a gentle blowing.

The still small voice of God. When the Spirit of God comes, it is most often without fanfare. God gives Job three great gifts. I Kings 19:15-16

  • “You shall anoint kings” – In order to move forward, you must engage in meaningful ministry in service to others.
  • “You shall anoint Elisha in your place” - In order to move forward, you must see legacy as a blessing – give up your place.
  • “I will leave 7,000.” – In order to move forward, you must be in community.

The still small voice of God is much more common than the shout and scream you would like. Isaiah 30:21 "Your ears will hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left."

Are you on hold from the tragedies of life?

How can you apply the blessings of God to your life?

Are you at a point where life, as you have known it, is done?

Listening to the still small voice, can you see yourself moving forward?