In Context Series | “God is Doing a New Thing”

Speaker: Lead Pastor Dustin Aguilar

Scripture:
Isaiah 43 and 44, Joel 2, Acts 2

What to Believe:
Isaiah 43:19 can be taken out of context especially when you hear a pastor talking about you and your life and this "mysterious new thing" God is doing. It involves God "making a way through your wilderness/desert". Isaiah 43:19: This is a prophecy made 150 years before the Israelites were sent to Babylon. Isaiah 40-55 are comfort passages/chapters

70 Years into captivity God brings up the first exodus out of Egypt

He tells them not to remember the former things; in context He tells them He is doing a new thing. A new exodus is coming different from the first one. 

New Thing #1 (delivered by Moses: Let my people go)

In the New Exodus, God will provide water in the desert.

New Thing #2 (delivered by King Cyrus; God changed his heart, and he delivers them)

Isaiah 44:24-28

In the New Exodus, God sets the people free by changing the heart of the king. 

God has the power to change the human heart. God can accomplish His plan no matter who is king/elected. God can get the job done through somebody or despite somebody. God is Sovereign no matter who gets elected. 

New Thing #3 Forgiveness of sins 

Isaiah 43:24 They have not obeyed his or followed His law. They did not earn His forgiveness. He gave them forgiveness for "His own sake". Forgiveness is never earned. You ask for forgiveness by the blood of Jesus and He gives it to you. He wants to do it. 

The New Exodus is about forgiveness of sins for God's own sake. 

This Exodus points forward to the ultimate forgiveness through Christ's own blood. 

New Thing #4

Isaiah 44:3 God is talking about pouring His spirit out on His people. Joel 2, Acts 2

The New Thing God was doing in Isaiah 43:19 is ultimately about the coming of Christ, the forgiveness of sins, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 

What does Isaiah 43:19 have to do with us today in its context? We are living now in the new thing God was speaking about. This is about the new covenant that we are in right now. We can have forgiveness of sins and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. 

Forgiveness and the Holy Spirit can become theological concepts to us, but this is a real-life reality.