The God Of Transitions
(This Weekly Prayer Summary was written by Irene Sentosa, from the CBC English Prayer Ministry Core Team, and edited by Brigitta Tedja)
Watch full sermon here
Pastor Dion opened this week’s sermon by sharing about our youth conference, “Selah” that took place last week and how God moved powerfully among our youth during this event. Many of them never experienced God, suddenly experienced the touch of God, were able to hear God’s voice, and were filled with the Holy Spirit for the first time.
During the month of August, our Church focus is “Advancing Through Transition.” Pastor Dion Kurniadi continued the series with a sermon entitled, “The God of Transitions”. He began by sharing his experience on how he and his parents moved to different places more than 10 times in the past. Moving is never convenient for most of us; it’s never comfortable, but it’s a necessity as the place where we were before could no longer sustain us. Moving is like a transition. If you want to advance, you need be willing to go through transition. On the opposite end, if we want to remain at the same place where we are, there will be no advancement. Advancement is always connected to movement.
Genesis 12:1-4 NLT:
“The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” So, Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.”
Transition has nothing to do with the age. People who are older tend to settle down, but our God is the God who is not bound by time. He does not see us from our outward physical appearance, but He sees our inward spirit. The same fire that we had when you were younger should be brighter as we become older. God called Abraham when he was 75 years old to leave everything behind and the same God who called Abraham is the same that is calling us now for us to get out. No matter where we were before, has God taken you to a place where you were never there before in your life? If our answer is a “no”, then we may have been stuck.
Transition can be the most dangerous place, but it is the most important place at the same time. It is dangerous if we do not move in transition. One of the examples is found in the story in Genesis 13. Terah, Abram’s father, and his family set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan, but when they came to Harran, they settled there and he died in Harran.
Haran = crossing place = junction
Terah decided to stop at the junction, not to move forward, and decided to settle there because it was comfortable. Then he died there and was not able to see the Promise Land.
In the junction, we can have a change of destination; we have an opportunity to come out of our old pattern and follow after where God is leading us.
If we want to be successful in transition, we need to be willing to cross over.
Let us say “YES” and move forward together with God!
“Transition is a movement, a development, an evolution from one form, stage, place, things to another. It is separating yourself from the old so that you can be the new.”
- Pastor Paul
Genesis 47:1-2 NIV: “Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen.” He chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen.”
Joseph’s family members stayed in Goshen, the best land in Egypt, and they stayed there for a long time. Originally, they were there only to avoid famine, but after a long time, they got comfortable and started following the Egyptian’s ways such worshiping idols.
The same can happen to us, that after a while, complacency and comfort can cause us to lose our identity.
God never intended the place of transition to be our destination.
Romans 8:28 MEV: “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
Exodus 1:8-14 NIV: “Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.” So, they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.”
Exodus 2:23-24 NIV: “During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob.”
Keys for Graduating Transition:
1. Build Relationship with God
Genesis 12:6-8 NLT: “Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites. Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the Lord, who had appeared to him. After that, Abram traveled south and set up camp in the hill country, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built another altar and dedicated it to the Lord, and he worshiped the Lord.”
Transition will cause us to know God like never before. Transition causes advancement.
Ask ourselves, “Am I growing in our relationship with God since I received Jesus? Can I discern His voice better? Am I able to hear Him more?”
How can we build our relationship with God? Just like Abram, we need to build an altar of worship dedicated to the Lord.
2. Follow the Right Leader and Be Around the Right People
When we want to be on fire, be surrounded with the people who are on fire. When we want to be free, be surrounded with the people who are free.
Be around people who are hungry, more hunger gives us more access to God.
Joshua 5:13-15 MEV: “Now when Joshua was by Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him. In His hand was His drawn sword. Joshua went to Him and said, “Are You for us or for our enemies?” He said, “Neither, for I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” Then Joshua fell with his face to the ground and worshipped. Then he said, “What does my Lord wish to say to His servant?” The commander of the army of the Lord said to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” So, Joshua did this.”
We must understand that it is not God for us, but if we are with God. When we submit ourselves to God, God will be for us.
Many of us cannot access God’s anointing and power because we choose our own way.
3. Be Ready to Change Your Diet and Attitude
If you want to transition, we need to allow God to change our diet and attitude.
When we have a diet of oppression, everything that comes from our mouth is negative. Stop eating the garlic and onions that make you stink. Stop taking all the negative things that the world gives, and start eating the manna from God and His words.
>> Leave the place we are at now to the land where God will show us to advance! <<
Prayer Points:
Pray for all of us to have a fresh new encounter with God. Pray for a new hunger to go after God's heart.
Pray to break against spiritual complacency and stagnancy. Pray that we would not be stuck in our old ways and resist transition/change.
Pray that the Church will be ready and prepared for the coming season of transition
Pray for renewal of mind and that we would allow the Holy Spirit to change and ready us for the new season of transition God is about to do to bring us into advancement.
Pray that the Church will embrace the process in transition, have courage and boldness to be willing to leave our comfort zone, the place of familiarity, and to move forward with God.
Pray that the Church would be ready to shift, change, and cross over into the new place God will bring us into.