New Era

Hey y'all, welcome to Free Life Chapel where we help you discover and live the free life in Christ My name is Anna and we are so excited that you decided to tune in today Feel free to check out our website freelifechapel.org to find out more about who we are what we do and how you can become a Part of it if you ever find yourself in the Central Florida area Please come visit us Free Life Chapel would love to connect with you until then Please enjoy our amazing message we have in store for you. Check it out. I need everybody to say new era. I Need everybody to say new era new era Y'all I'm in a new era Feel like some things that kind of changed in a little bit like okay, obviously I just graduated from school It's like there's a new era I got all this extra time on my hands now that I'm not forced to be enjoying to read Now that I'm not having all these papers to do I have a lot of new time. That's on my hands There's a new era going on at free life if you've been here for a minute you kind of feel The pressure you kind of feel the pulse you feel what's happening There's a new era going on in the next gen here at free life Chapel. What's happening at the kids ministry is Over the top. It's it's not daycare. It's not babysitting is Discipling young kids to where they do better than me and you That's what they're over there doing it's amazing what's happening at the blend on Wednesdays We're we're filling this new era like we're busting out of the scenes We had 36 students get baptized just this past Wednesday night Been celebrating all of them like there's been a lot of really really cool things going on Maybe for you you came to Easter last week and maybe you you gave your life to Christ And this is now a new era for you. Maybe you Rededicated your life to Christ. Maybe for you You you've been a Christian for a while and you kind of prayed what David did God restored to me the joy of my salvation Let me feel something again. Let me get moved by you again where you're not just a Sunday thing You're my everyday thing. And so I don't know. I don't know where you find yourself But I want to declare over you that it's a new era that there's something new that is happening there's new movement There's new engagement. That is not just in your life, but it is being ordained and it is being

Orchestrated from heaven because Easter was not the finish line Easter was a starting line and it's because of what Jesus did on the cross and in his resurrection That you and I are able to line up on the blocks and get ready to run at everything that life has for us There's a verse in Isaiah chapter 43 verse 19. The Bible says this I want you to read the highlighted parts with me and make It loud. Here's what it says for I'm about to do something new see I have already begun Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness and I will create rivers in the dry Wasteland, what is this verse saying that God is still in the business of doing something new? He's still the same God that we get to read about He's still the one who is able to do exceedingly Abundantly above all that you and I can ever ask or think according to his power That does not have an expiration date That ain't no best if used by when it comes to God. He is always Always him Always on time. He's always Has the power and there's something new that is coming about maybe God is calling you into something new What new chapter is God doing in your life? I'm not saying The new thing is for you to quit your job and go do something else Not saying the new you is to leave your relationships and go to another one. Maybe the new you is new engagement in the same place Maybe maybe the new you is there's a new me showing up for my kids. There's a new me showing up for my wife There's a new me that's showing up for my friends. There's a new level of engagement For me when it comes to my church, there's a new buy-in in my personal relationship with Jesus. There's something new Happening. What is the new thing for you in? The Bible we we get this story of Joshua and Joshua chapters 1 through 3 and but Even before we even get in there. We have to know what happened on the front end the children of Israel They were they were in exile. Okay, they were in slavery in Egypt and there was this God named Moses. Everybody say Mo There's this guy named Moses Moses. He was the one that had the really long rap sheet He's the one that that was running from his past he's the one that said I have a speech impediment God There is no way that you're gonna be able to use me. God said don't tell me What I can't do, let me show you what I can do.

God used Moses in order to talk to Pharaoh after 10 plagues and after crazy events, after the splitting of the Red Sea. It didn't happen in Moana first. It happened in the Bible first. That was a God thing. After the splitting of the Red Sea, they walk across on dry ground. Moses then is leading all these people. He's leading them through the wilderness for 40 years. 40, decades, he's there for a while. For some people, this is the only leader that they know. And then it's time to pass the baton. Moses passes away, but God's vision did not. God's plan did not. There was a transition that was happening. And although the Israelites did not understand what was happening or how it's happening, God was carrying them through to the next season. And that's where we see Joshua chapter one come in, where God was really commissioning Joshua that, hey, bro, you're the next person. You're the one that I want to take in line. You were born for such a time as this. This isn't for you to pass to the person next to you. It's not somebody else's job to lead them. Joshua, it is your job. That's why you were at the job that you're at. It's your job to impact them. It's your job to minister to them.

It's your job to minister to your family. Stop waiting for the church to do it. Stop waiting for your coworker to do it. Stand in the purpose that God has called you for. That if I am here, it is my job. It is my purpose. I am ready for this moment to make a difference everywhere that I'm at. It's really what God was saying. It's what God was saying to Joshua, bro. This is your moment, let's go. This is the moment to manage. You only get one shot. Joshua stepped up to the plate, getting ready to go. And here's what I hear God saying. Why would you stay in the old whenever I'm doing something new? Why stay in the old when God is doing something new? Have you ever wanted to start something like maybe a career, a side hustle, new business, posting on social media, doing something and you did it really, really good at first? And then you stopped? Yeah, whatever God starts, God completes. Whatever God starts, he finishes. And so if God is starting something new, I know that it's in my best interest to be a part of whatever it is that he is doing. Whether you're in school, about to graduate to another grade, just graduated,

you're graduating high school, about to graduate college, whether you're starting a career, building a family, building a business, you're building a family, you're starting a brand new business, you're becoming an empty nester, or you're about to retire, here's what I know, the end of one chapter always starts the beginning of the next chapter. God is doing something new in you and in me. Joshua and the Israelites, they had to make a choice though when it came to this new season. Everybody say new season. He had to make a choice and here was the choice. Do I stay comfortable or do I step with faith? Because those two aren't always the same thing. Stepping in faith is not always comfortable. Stepping in faith is usually scary. Stepping in faith usually makes you go pale. Stepping in faith might have you curling your toes a little bit. Stepping in faith brings a whole lot of questions. It makes you wonder. Stepping in faith, why does it do all that? Because you don't know the answer. The whole reason why it's called faith. If I knew it, then I wouldn't need faith in order to walk in it. Stepping in faith can get scary. Joshua, he's realizing, okay,

my decision doesn't just affect me. An entire nation. Parents, your decision doesn't just affect you. An entire legacy. Students, your decisions don't just affect you. An entire school. Your coworker, your work. Your decision doesn't only affect you. The entire job, the entire culture of what you're setting up. Our decisions have ripple effects. What decisions are you and I making? He had to decide, am I gonna stay comfortable or am I gonna step with faith? And the question that I have to ask myself is am I stuck in what is comfortable instead of stepping with faith? You ever been comfortable in your routine? Well, I know what I'm supposed to do on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. This is what I do on Sunday. This is what I do. This is the time that I wake up. This is the service that I go to. This is the seat that I sit in. And if anybody sits in my seat, I see, tu quieres pelear, like we ready to go. Like now, so routine might give me, because now there's nothing creative happening, there's no new experiences now,

now my faith has gotten stale. I don't see how stale faith works for a living God. He's doing it, he makes all things new, all things new, so he's always doing something. Maybe it's fear of change, where I'm comfortable, it's not even that I'm comfortable, I'm just too scared to take the next step. So I'm now more focused on my insecurities than I am God's superiority. I'm more focused on what I can't do rather than what he has been doing and can continue to do, maybe it's because of past experiences with Jesus where I'm still having to recall what he did 15 years ago, but I can't tell you what God did for me this week. Maybe it's bootleg faith. You know what I'm talking about. The faith of your mama in them, auntie in them, grandmama in them, and them. So now I'm having to ride on the coattail of somebody else, but then as soon as life happens for me and the lights get turned off and everybody goes to bed, who's there with me? Who do I have helping to guide me when everybody else is away? Here's what I'm learning, new eras require new steps. A new era, it requires new steps. There has to be something new that's going on.

Maybe you've heard this phrase, to get something you've never had before, you gotta do something you ain't never done before, right? Otherwise, it's insanity, doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Now, if I wanna go to a new place, if I wanna walk into a new era, if I wanna walk into a new season, I might have to change something. I can't take old things into my new season. It's called baggage. I can't take an old mindset into my new season. Oh, you don't believe me? You ever been at a job? Things didn't work out at that job, so you left that job, so you went to another place? Things didn't work out there, so you went to another place? Just because I changed locations doesn't mean it was a new era for me because I was in my same mindset. I change me, change your mind, you change your life. I change me, I change everything that's around me. I can't bring old things into my new season. I don't know if you ever did sports, but if you ever seen somebody running with a parachute on their back, it slows them down and they're having to work harder to go the same distance as somebody else. Here's the thing, that's great for sports training.

It makes you stronger. For you and I, it delays us in our life and your family can't afford for you to be delayed. Your future can't afford for you to be delayed. Your future generations can't afford for you to be delayed. I wanna get everything that God has for me right now. Everybody say right now. Which means I gotta change. Nothing changes until something changes. What is it that God might be asking you to drop for this new season? You can't get into this new season with them. Not bad people, might just be bad for me. Bad for where I'm going. Hey, you can't bring that addiction into this new season. It's gonna keep holding you back. Hey, you can't bring that lifestyle in. Hey, maybe it's not even dropping something, maybe it's picking something up. Hey, maybe let's start being more disciplined. Let's add in some spiritual discipline. Let's read the Bible more than just on a Sunday. Let's talk to God more than just on a Sunday. Let's maybe not just listen to other people pray, but maybe let's open up our own mouth that God gave us and start praising him ourselves. Hear yourself praise. I don't know what it is, but nothing changes if nothing changes. And in this new era, it's gonna take some new steps.

Let's add something new. Because in this new era, there's unknown territory. Unknown territory. Because had you known the route to get there, you would have gotten there by now. You would have already done it. You would have already done it. That's why in this story, Joshua and the Israelites, God said, hey, there's a new era I wanna take you to. I wanna take you to the promised land. Oh, you've heard about it. You've dreamed about it. You kind of got a taste and a glimpse of what it was, but you haven't even fully experienced it yet. And I want to take you there, but catch this. You don't know how to get there. So how are you gonna get there? Here's what God told Joshua to tell the people. I need y'all to follow the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the what? The Ark of the Covenant. It was the symbol of God's presence for the entire nation. The Levites, the priests, they would carry the Ark of the Covenant and the Ark went in front of everybody and then the entire nation would follow behind the Ark. If the Ark stopped, they would stop in the name of love. If the Ark went to the left, they went to the left. If the Ark went to the right, they went to the right. If the Ark sped up, they would speed up.

It was a big game of Simon Says. They did whatever the Ark did. It was the representation of God's presence. And it was very, there was a lot of important things in the Ark. The first thing, the Ark represented three main things. God's presence, God's promises, and God's power. His promise, his power, his presence, his provision. Here's what I mean by that. God's promises, it had the 10 commandments on the inside of it. It had God's word, which showed them that God was a living God that was in communication with them, that he has promises that he has declared over them. And so while they were following, they might have doubted, but they were also remembering his promises that he's declared over them. That was his promise. He had power inside of the Ark of the Covenant. There was Aaron's staff, which was a sign of leadership, of God-appointed leadership, of God being able to use a man in order to do whatever he wanted to do, not because of how good the individual is, but because of how amazing and how powerful God is. It had promise, power, and provision. It had a jar full of manna, which reminded them that while they were in the wilderness and when God was raining manna down from heaven,

it reminded them, God will provide for whatever my need is. There is nothing too big for my God. He is more than able. And so while they're walking, they're getting this representation and one of my favorite parts of the Ark, right above, there's two angels on the top of the Ark, that spot in the middle, it's called the mercy seat. The mercy seat, yeah, because the closer you are to God, the closer you are to the mercy that you need. And as long as they were following God, if they fell down, it's all right, get back up and get back to God's presence because that's where you're gonna find mercy. I went sideways, that's okay. Get back in alignment and you will find mercy as soon as you pursue God. And as soon as you continue following God, you are always following your mercy. And so the nation of Israel being led by Joshua, this is what is happening for them. They're going and they're being directed by God's presence. The way into your new era is by following Jesus. There's no other way for you and I to get there. Oh, you could get somewhere, you just won't get where you wanna go. You won't get where you wanna go. I've gotten myself in a lot of situations. Situations.

I didn't like the end results of those. But what God has for me, I want every single thing. How am I gonna be able to get that? I do things his way and I'm able to get his results. God, you're stepping into your new era. Understand you're not stepping alone. You're stepping with God promises over your life. Where he says that you're the head and not the tail. Where he says that you are more than a conqueror. Where he says that you are able because greater than is he that is in me than he that is in the world. You're stepping with his promise, you're stepping with his power, you're stepping with his provision. His promise, his power, provision. His promise, his power, provision. All while pursuing and receiving his mercy. The nation of Israel was literally doing what you and I need to do today. Follow the presence of God into the unknown. Watch this, even when I don't know where to go. So our Proverbs chapter three, verses five through six. The Bible says this, read this first part with me. Trust in the Lord completely. Don't think you understand everything. Don't think you, I hear that a lot at my house, it's directed towards me. Don't think you understand everything. Trust in the Lord completely

and all you do remember God and then he will show you the right way. You don't have to know everything but you better know who you trust. You better know who you're putting your trust in. You better know who you're putting your trust in. You wanna hear something crazy? Something crazy? I find myself trusting TikTok sometimes faster than I trust the word of God. I'm more likely sometimes to trust YouTube. to faster than I trust the word of God. Why, why? Why did, this is time tested and true, just like fine wine, it gets better with time. Like this, it kinda, God kinda knows what he's talking about. And I'm realizing this, relationships only move at the speed of trust. And so if I want my relationship with God to be better, I need to trust him faster. I need to trust him more. I did not do an inspection on my truck before I got in it today. I trusted it would get me here. Did none of one of y'all carry a wrench to tighten down them seats that you're sitting in? Before you sat in, you expected it to work. Why not have that same expectation when it comes to God? That when I follow him and when I do things his way,

I just know if he said it, I believe it, I'm walking towards it, and if I don't have it yet, that don't mean it ain't coming, that means it's on the way, don't worry, God's gonna get it there when you need it there. We just got done seeing he's an on-time God. Trust, it gets tested, and that's exactly, it's exactly what the Israelites faced. They were following God's presence and got pushed up to a dead end. They got pushed up to the Jordan River. You mean I'm, I've been doing all this walking, I've been doing all this work, I've been doing all these things, and you gonna bring me to a body of water that I can't get around, I'm gonna have to do all this? This is delays? God, I thought you knew what you were doing. God, why is it that whenever I gave you my life, now I get a bad doctor's report? I thought you knew what you were doing. Man, life seemed to be going good, then I give my life to Jesus, and it feels like all hell's breaking loose. God, I thought you were, I thought the free life was different than this. Again, because they were following God's presence, circumstances didn't look good, but the circumstances weren't over. They didn't know how to get around it,

but God knew how to get them through it. They didn't know what to do, they were losing their minds, and God says, I know how to bring order inside of chaos, I just need you to keep following me. And here's the thing, God can handle all of your questions, because in our new era, it's unknown territory, and you and I are gonna have lots of questions. God can handle questions. People might not be able to, but God can. Don't put people's limitations on God. God says, let your requests be made known to me. Tell me what it is that's going on, and he challenges us to keep moving while we ask the questions. He says, hey, I want you to know, I wanna know what's going on, but let's walk and talk. You ever have those walk and talk meetings? Yeah, like I work there sometimes, we're here at the office, and we're having conversations like, hey, just walk with me, I wanna hear what you got going on, but there's somewhere that we're going. We can't just sit here, because if we sit here, we might get too comfortable, too much time might pass us by, that opportunity might leave. So I care for you, I'm gonna go at a pace

that you can keep up, and that I'm still leading you. So let's go, just keep coming. You got a question on why this bad thing happened to good people? Keep coming. God, why would you allow this to happen? Keep coming. God, why am I dealing with loss? Keep coming. God, I've been praying for my kid. Why haven't they turned back to you? Keep asking the questions, but keep going towards Jesus, because I promise you, there's a way that he is making that you and I might not be aware of. God tells Joshua to, hey, I need you to send the Levites with the Ark of the Covenant, God's presence. Send them out into the Jordan water. They got wet. They went out into the Jordan water, and before, before they even, before the water even, before the dry ground happened, all these people are having questions. Y'all might not get it. Joshua chapter three, verse 11, here's what the Bible says. Look at the Ark of the Covenant,

which belongs to the Lord of the whole earth, will lead you across the Jordan River, what do you mean across? Literally had the Levites get the Ark of the Covenant, start walking into the water. They're getting wet. Nothing is changing. They're doing what he said, but the circumstances haven't changed. They're believing the word that God gave them. Nothing happened. They did everything that God said for them to do, and then the water parted again. They walked across on dry ground. The Bible says the enemies that they were nervous about, they freaked out, not because of Israel, because the God of Israel. God's power scared away the enemies that were trying to hold them back from their new. era from their new season. I don't know what makes it feel like you are being stopped. What is blocking you? What is scaring you? Is it a reputation of something? Is it the past trauma that you've experienced? Is it what people might say? I don't know what it is, but what I do know is that what looked like an obstacle for them turned into God's reputation of his power

and his ability to do the impossible when people believe him. They went across on dry ground by following God's presence. I don't know what the new era is for you, but let me state this. Let me state this. God didn't bring you this far just to leave you. God ain't finna ghost you. God isn't gonna just leave you and drop you. God isn't gonna just derail you. He's not just gonna bring you here and then completely run away. God is an on-time God who knows how to bring to completion that which he starts. So if he said it, believe it, walk it through, buy into his word, and let him lead you into your new era. Tell your questions, tell doubt, pack a bag, you're going with me because I have to do what God said for me to do. Have faith that your God is more than able. Faith, interesting word. There's a difference between wishing for something and having faith for something. Wishing is hoping that something might happen. Having faith is stepping and moving as if it's happening. There's a difference. There's a difference. Wishing is lazy Christianity, which is not Christianity. Having faith, that blind faith.

I don't know what this looks like. I don't know what this next season is. I have so many questions. I'm not qualified for this. I'm not ready for this. If people found out what I did, who I really am, if they knew all the reasons why I should be just like I do, God, you wouldn't even use me. Do you even know me? But you said to do it, and I've heard that you kind of know what you're doing, but you don't know what you're doing. You don't even kind of know what you're doing. So I'm just gonna step out in faith, and I know it's not by power, not by might, but by your spirit, God, that I'm gonna be led into this next season of my life. Don't stop. Keep moving. Keep sensing. Keep believing in his power, his provision, and his promises over your life. The only thing that are gonna get you into the next level of life, faith becomes real when you and I step. So let's step into our new era, whether you're eight, 18, 38, 58, 78, 108. I don't know how old you are. Here's the thing. I don't care how old you are. If you are breathing today,

that means that God ain't through with you, that there's still a purpose that is on your life, that there's still more impact that you're able to make, that there's still more prayers that are able to be prayed that can move mountains, that there's still more people that are able to be served so that they will know the kindness and the goodness of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's still generations that are gonna be able to be impacted when you take your step towards your new era through Jesus. Everybody stand to your feet. Don't let this new era thing just happen around you. It's happening in you. You telling me I need to leave where I'm at? No, maybe you just need to change what you do where you're at. I don't know what it is for you. I don't know what that is. Here's what I do know. This verse here says in Isaiah 43, 19, our opening verse, different translation, it says this, look at the new thing I'm gonna do. What's it say? It is already happening. Don't you see it? I'll make a road of the desert. I'll make rivers in the dry wasteland. Heaven already sees the new era of you. It's just time for you and I to catch up

to what God is doing inside of our life. How do I do that? I follow God's presence. I follow his promise, his power, and his provision. I walk boldly knowing that if God before me, who could be against me? God is calling you into your new era. No more half-hearted, part-time faith. Completely sold out, completely bought in to who he is. So what is the new step that you can take towards your new era today? Not Monday. Today Why wait? Why wait I find out real quick my excuses are just me vocalizing my insecurities Why wait? What can I do right now that will make a difference you might say well, it's not gonna be the biggest move I would say this obedience to Jesus always has Generational impact so I don't don't minimize your step because that could be the step That God is asking you to take that will unleash heaven to do everything God wants to do inside of your life No matter your age No matter your background no matter your personality no matter your past no matter your skin color. No matter your height We ain't all six seven No matter what it is that's going on in your life God is writing a new chapter into your story and is inviting you to join him in Making this type of impact into a new era father God. We love you so much, but we're beyond grateful You make all things new

Father God that you're you you don't just come up with You you don't just bring us to where we are and then drop us and say okay who I'm tired Bible says you never slumber nor sleep. You're always there. You're a very present help in our time of trouble You're our refuge when we don't know what is going on. And so God I pray for myself I pray for all of us in this room those are not watching online those at Polk CI God that you help us step boldly into our new era Not thinking that it's because of how good we are The power that we have the charisma that we have the network that we have but fully knowing it is only by Following your presence by being reminded of your power your provision your promises walking towards your Loving kindness and mercy that we're able to experience this new level of living this free life through you And so God, I pray that you help bring some remembers. Let us know. What is that thing to change? What is that thing to up? What is that thing to drop? What is that thing that we might need to add? That would help us to obey you and God. I pray that we just continue to trust you Faster quicker and better in Jesus name. We pray. Amen. Amen. Amen We hope this message encouraged you for more encouraging messages check us out at our website free life Chapel org until then We hope to see you next time. Have a blessed week