Breakthrough Night: Grace to Walk Calmly When There Are No Guarantees

Sermon outline

You were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world and set apart for God's purposes, so when He has given you a word, do not panic and plan around it; take Him at His word.

1. Why we gather on the last night

   An atmosphere of expectancy is necessary for families to experience the Lord's presence. He gives three reasons for the meeting: to bring to fruition what the Lord has already begun in each life, to stand together in unity for breakthrough and deliverance, since some things come out only by prayer and fasting, and to set families apart for God's purposes.

   “When I look at all the beautiful people here tonight, I do not see young. I do not see old. I do not see busy. I do not see stagnant. I see sons and daughters of purpose.”

   • Mark 9:29

2. Employed by the delightful resolve of God

   Reading Ephesians 1 side by side in the New King James and the Mirror Bible, he notes that Paul calls himself an apostle by the will of God, which the Mirror renders as employed by the delightful resolve of God. So is every believer, whatever surname or family or circumstances they were born into, whatever their bank balance or car.

   “We were all born with a purpose and a plan set apart for the glory of God.”

   • Ephesians 1:1

3. Set apart is not the same as isolated

   The night before he spoke of how the devil isolates people to alienate them from God. When God sets you apart, there is also a separation, but it is so He can work on your character and speak clearly away from the clutter of everyday life. The fast was that separation: from food, and from people and things we would normally turn to.

   “It was a reminder that I'm setting myself apart because it's godly purpose.”

4. Chosen in Him and loved as Christ is loved

   God blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ and chose us before the foundation of the world, before the fall of man. In the Mirror Bible, Jesus is God's mind made up about us, and His love for His Son is His love for us. We are servant and son, soldier and son, seated with Christ as co-heirs.

   “You are not anybody's second best. You are God's best.”

   • Ephesians 1:3-6
   • Romans 8:17

5. Predestined means there is purpose in where you are

   If you are predestined, then what you are doing now sits within God's purposes. Stop looking at it selfishly and ask, Lord, what are you showing me in this? He speaks of a fasted life and of times of fasting through the year, and says God does not need our permission to bless us.

   “God doesn't need our permission to bless us.”

6. When God has given a word, do not panic

   He brings up testimonies from the fast, of some twenty-two he has received. A young graduate who had auditioned without success was offered a television role without an audition. A young man was told the job he applied for was already his, panicked and took another post, and was then offered the original job on far better terms. A faithful family's school fees were provided for. The lesson is patience and obedience: when we panic and make contingency plans, we are not taking the Lord at His word.

   “Just because it didn't happen in our time didn't mean that God was not working.”

   • Matthew 6:6

In this message