New Era | Pastor Caleb Thomas

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it out i need everybody to say "New

era." New era i need everybody to say

new era new era new era i y'all I'm in a

new era feel like some things are kind

of changing 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 forcing to read um now that I'm not

having all these papers to do I I have a

lot of new time that's 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 in the kids ministry is

overthe-top it's It's not daycare it's

not babysitting it's discipling young

kids to where they do better than me and

you that's what they're over there doing

i It's amazing what's happening at the

blend on Wednesdays we're we're feeling

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

restore 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 the 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 43:E 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's 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 i'm 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 may 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 in Joshua chapters 1 through3 and

Joshua 1 · chapter mention

but even before we even get in there we

have to know what happened on the front

end the children of Israel they they

were in exile okay they they were in

slavery in Egypt and there was this guy

named Moses everybody say Mo there was

this guy named Moses moses he was the

one that had the really long wrap sheet

he's the one that that that was running

from his past he's the one that said "I

have a speech impediment god there's no

way that you're going to 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 like they 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's 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 1 come in

Joshua 1 · chapter mention

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 are 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 the madness you

only get one shot tonight

joshua stepped up to the plate getting

ready to go and and here's what I 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 uh maybe a career a

side hustle new business post on social

media doing something like 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 you're starting a

brand new business you're becoming an

empty neester 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." They had to

They had 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 why does it do all that cuz

you don't know the answer it's 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 opinion doesn't just or

what your decisions don't just affect

you an entire school your coworker you

you're at 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 going to stay comfortable or

am I going to step with faith and 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 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

seatel like we we ready to go like no so

so so routine my give me because now now

now there's nothing creative happen

there's no new experiences now now my

faith has gotten stale

I I don't see how stale faith works for

a living God he's doing he makes all

things new all things new so he's he's

always doing something may maybe it's

fear of change where I I'm comfortable

i'm not 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 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 and them

auntie and them grandmama and

them and them

so now I'm having a 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 maybe you've heard this

phrase to get something you've never had

before you got to do something you never

done before right so it otherwise it's

insanity doing the same thing over and

over and expecting a different result

now if I want to go to a new place if I

want to walk into a new era if I want to

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 ain't work out at

that job so you left that job so you

went to another place things ain't work

out there so you went to another place

just cuz I changed locations doesn't

mean it was a new era for me cuz 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 ran 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 want to get everything that

God has for me right now everybody say

right now which means I got to 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 you

can't bring that addiction into this new

season

is going to keep holding you back hey

you you can't bring that lifestyle in

hey maybe it's not even dropping

something maybe it's picking something

up hey maybe let let's start let's start

being more disciplined let's add in some

spiritual disciplines let's let's read

the Bible more than just on a Sunday let

let's talk to God more than just on a

Sunday let's 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 going to take

some new steps let's add something new

because in this new era there's unknown

territory unknown territory because had

you gotten the 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 there's a

new heir I want to take you to i want to

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 going to 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 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 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 there's a

lot of important things in the ark the

first thing it the ark represented three

three main things god's

presence God's promises and God's

power he He His promise his power his

presence his provision he Here's what I

mean by that god's promises it had the

Ten 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 they he

declared over them that was that 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 had a jar full of mana which

reminded them that while they were in

the wilderness and when God was raining

mana 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 cuz 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 cuz that's where

you're going to 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 is 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 can get somewhere you just won't get

where you want to go you won't get where

you want to 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 going to be

able to get that i do things his way and

I'm able to get his results so as 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 that's why Proverbs 3:es 5-6 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 who you're putting

your trust in you better know who you're

putting your trust in you want to hear

something crazy something crazy um I

find myself trusting Tik Tok sometimes

faster than I trust the word of God

i'm more likely sometimes to trust

YouTube faster than I trust the word of

God why why why did th this is time

tested and true just like fine wine it

gets better with time like this it kind

of God kind of knows what he's talking

about and I 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 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 going to get it

there when you need it there we just got

done singing he's an

ontime

God trust it gets tested and that's

exactly it's exactly what the Israelites

face they were following God's presence

and got pushed up to a dead end i 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 going to bring me to a body of

water that I can't get around i'm going

to have to do all this this is delays

god what 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 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

that they didn't know how to get around

it but God knew how to get them through

it they 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 here's the thing god can handle

all of your questions cuz in our unknown

in our new era it's unknown territory

and you and I are going to 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 I want to know what's going on

but let's walk and talk." You ever have

those walk and talk meetings yeah like I

there's sometimes we're here at the

office and we're having conversations

like "Hey just walk with me i want to

hear what you got going on but but

there's somewhere that we're going i we

can't just sit here cuz 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 going

to 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 does bad thing happen 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 and and

and

before before they even before the water

even before the dry ground happened all

these people having

questions y'all might not get it joshua

3 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 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

that God didn't bring you this far just

to leave you god ain't going to ghost

you god isn't going to just leave you

and drop you god isn't going to just

derail you he He's not just going to

bring you here and then completely run

away god is an ontime 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 cuz I have to

do what God said for me to do

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

shouldn't 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

so I'm just going to step out in faith

and I know it's not by power not by

might but by your spirit God that I'm

going to be led into this next season of

my life don't stop keep moving keep

sessing keep believing in his power his

provision and his promises over your

life the only thing that are going to

get you into the next next level of life

faith becomes real when you and I step

so let's step into our new era whether

you're 8 18 38 58 78 108 I don't know

how old you are here's the diff 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 going to 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 I I I I don't know

what that is here's what I do

know this verse here says in Isaiah

Isaiah 43:19

43:19 our opening verse different

translation it says this look at the new

thing I'm going to do what's it say it

is already happening don't you see it i

will make a road to 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 halfhearted part-time faith

completely sold out completely bought in

to who he is

so what is the new step that you can

take toward 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 going to 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 67

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 we're beyond grateful that you make

all things

new Father God that you're you you don't

just come up with you you you don't just

bring us to where we are and then drop

us and say "Okay woo I'm

tired." The 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 on watching online those at Pokei

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 to remembrance 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

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then we hope to see you next time have a

blessed week