I.
a. Luke 5:36And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. 38 But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.KJV
i. God wants to pour into us a “new wine” that will be so powerful we will need to be renewed in order to get filled!
ii. We cannot go forth into all that God has destined for us if we have allowed ourselves to become “hardened” to the place where we cannot or will not expand. As God fills us with more of Him if we try to function in the same ways we have all this time we will not be able to contain all He has for us. He is bigger than our current “wine skin” and wants to enlarge us spiritually to be able to aceept His outpouring.
iii. On the day of Pentecost those in the upper room had to be ready for something, but they were not sure what they were even waiting on, they had to allow God to expand their expectations beyond what their current experience level was. They were waiting in faith on something they didn’t even know how to prepare for. God enlarged their “vessels” then poured into them the Holy Ghost! Even after God enlarged their faith they were still overflowing with God did in and to them . . .
1. John 7:38He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water .
39(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.KJV
2. This was a new experience unlike anything they had been a part of before. Rivers were coming forth from their innermost being! God was taking His people into a new season of fresh wine and new spiritual clothes!
II. Ready For The Trip
a. I remember once time Rhonda and I took the kids on vacation. It was our very first family vacation and we were so excited. The excitement was intensified by the fact that Rhonda and the kids did not know where we were going! I had planned our first (of many) trips to Colorado. At the time we were living in Oklahoma, right smack dab in the middle of the middle! All Rhonda knew was that we were going on vacation – I did not tell her WHERE we were going until we were already on the way. I probably should have told her considering it was summertime in OK and temps are much cooler in CO than they were in OK. We survived. The point is that if we know where we are going we will know to “dress” accordingly, or at least know we are NOT prepared. God wants to move us so far out of our comfort zone the GPS cannot even find us!
i. Joshua 3:4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore. 5 And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD KJV
III. Ask Big, Expect BIGGER
a. Joshua 10:12Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. 13 And the sun stood still , and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. 14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel. KJV
i. Joshua not only hads the audacity to ASK God for something He had never done before, but he also EXPECTED God to respond according to his faith!
ii. We sometimes can bring ourselves to ASK, but there must be expectation to see what we have asked for, our faith must rise up and above the waves.
1. Peter not only asked The Lord was it Him and could he come to The Lord, but in the process of time he got out of the boat and then did something only one other man in recorded history before or since has ever done!
IV. Here It Comes!
a. Isaiah 54:1Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD. 2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; 3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. 4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. KJV
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