TOPIC:        Stretching to New Levels
TEXT:          Isaiah 54:2
Preacher:  Pst. Segun Esho

INTRODUCTION

Everyone has the capacity to stretch. One of the tragedy of life is that, we are very comfortable in the comfort zone, and God expects us to stretch, to move from one level of glory to another.

Proverbs 4:24

The path of the Just is like a shining light, that shineth brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. [KJV]

 

God expects you to be better in all areas of your life, he is a God of one level to another. Some persons are relaxed in the current level of their spiritual life, academics, finance, etc, but it is God’s desire that we change in levels per time. For you to stretch to the next level, there are some few things you may need to adopt:

1. NEW ATTITUDE:

Phil. 2:5 Let this mind be in you as it was in Christ Jesus [KJV]

Phil. 2:5 Let this attitude be in you as it was in Christ Jesus [NIV].

In other words, you cannot move beyond the level of your attitude. What is Attitude? “The way you feel, think, your view about life”. Do you know that it is not what happens to you that matters, but your response (attitude) towards the issue.

How do you develop a good attitude?

1. Watch what you see: What you see and look affects your attitude. Gen. 3:6 “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat”. The bible talked about Eve, it was what she saw that affected her attitude towards the command. Hence, you need to see and hear the right things.
2. Be watchful of what you hear: Gen. 3:11. In this scripture, a question was asked who told you? This shows that what you hear can affect your attitude. Who told you that you can’t be successful, rich, healed, have babies. The bible says in “Rom. 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Do you know that fear come also by hearing the word of the devil, man, bad news.

iii.      Watch what you say to yourself (Internal Dialogue): what you say to yourself can affect your attitude. “Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

1. Your Association: Who you associate with determines what happens to you. If you must move forward, you must choose your association. “Proverbs 13:20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”

2. NEW DISCIPLINES:

“Isaiah 28:10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.” You need to imbibe new disciplines, no matter how little it is, in other to move to the next level. You don’t necessarily need to start very big. Bible says in “Job 8:7 Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.”

You need to have new disciplines in the following areas:

1. Study of the bible
2. Your health and lifestyle

iii.      Your eating habit

1. Exercise
2. Your prayer life, etc

3. NEW COVENANT:

There is a level you get to in life, when you have prayed and fasted, and nothing seem to be working; then you are expected to enter a new covenant. Covenants are agreement and vows. The various types of covenants are:

1. Covenant to yourself: “Job 31:1 I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?”.
2. Covenant between man and man

iii.      Covenant between man and God. 1 Sam. 1:11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.”

CONCLUSION:

Attitude + Attribute + Aptitude + Gratitude will take you to ALTITUDE. Everyone is born with a purpose, your purpose is your attributes, your skills is your aptitude, when you are grateful to God, it is gratitude. With all this in place, and attention given, you will gain Altitude indeed.

PRAYER:

O Lord my Father, take me to new levels in Jesus precious name.