When God changes your season

Ecc 3:1, Matt 4:18-22

My testimony of life and progress. He kept me alive, he promoted me at my place of work, he finds me worthy to use as His vessel unto honor. 

Recent events in my life and around me, plus the word that has gone forth for us this year suggests to me that God is changing the season at this time. 

A season is a period of time during which certain predictable or expected things happen. For example, during the rainy season, we expect rain. During winter, you expect snow etc. So if you have been in summer and you suddenly notice the weather begins to get cooler and the leaves begin to fall off the trees and the days begin to get shorter, then you know that the season is changing. 

When you study the bible, you discover that God is very much interested in seasons. In fact He created them in Gen 1:14. He uses them to arrange your blessing as in Lev 26:4, Psa 145:15-16, he ties His blessing to the season you are in. So when God says he's about to do a new thing, it means He is about to change the season you are in. 

He's about to rearrange your season, so that those things that you are expecting can begin to come to pass. That's why God said in Hab 2:3 the vision is yet for an appointed time, wait for it. There is an appointed time or a suitable season for when that vision in your heart needs to be activated. Don't go in too early and make sure it's not too late. I am here to announce to somebody that NOW is your time. 

God is changing your seasons now. That is why you can expect new things. New seasons produce new things. 

There are several instances in the bible when God changed the seasons of His people. 

In the book of Exodus is recorded where God changed the season of the children of Israel. They moved from a season of slavery to a season of freedom. They had been in bondage for 430 years. Then God commissioned Moses in Exo 5:1 to announce to Pharaoh that a new season has arrived. This week, God will announce your new season to the world. The new season that Moses announced meant the children of Israel were delivered from slavery and into freedom. Today every thing that has been holding you in bondage has expired for ever in Jesus Name. 

In 2 Kings 4:12-17. God changed the seasons of the rich woman who had no children. She thought she had every thing but God said no. I can give you more. Someone is leaving this place this morning with more blessings than they asked for. God changed the woman's season and gave her a child. I declare this morning that every season of barrenness is over in Jesus Name. 

In 1 Kings 16:5-9. God changed the seasons of Elijah. He moved from the brook Cherith to the widow woman. The time of depending on ravens etc was over, now his prosperity depended on connecting with a rather unlikely benefactor. A poor widow. There is someone here that God is changing their season where you have been finding sustenance before will change and it will surprise you where your next major contract or breakthrough is coming from. 

In 2 Kings 3:16-20. God changed the seasons for Israel without even giving the usual signs. There was a famine, the army needed water to continue the battle and God said to these people  stop looking for the physical signs, just look to my word. You will not see dew or rain but you will get the water you need. Just like God is saying to someone this morning, stop looking at the economy or the stock market, your season is about to change, new things are about to spring forth. All I ask is to believe my word only. 

One thing you need to take advantage of a change in season is awareness. You need to be sensitive to when the rainy season arrives so you can plant your seed. God expects us to be able to recognize the seasons. He specifically mentions the children of Issachar in 1 Chron 12:32 because they were sensitive and could discern the times and the seasons, they could understand what God was doing at a given time. Christians have an advantage over the world because whereas the world would look to CNN, BBC or The Guardian to understand the seasons, we would look to God and His word. 

May you never miss your season. 

May you receive insight to recognize God's season for your life. 

In our text in Matthew 4:18-25, God took 4 fishermen and announced to them a change of season. They had been catching fish before but now they were going to start catching men. Someone's assignment is about to change in this place. 

There are certain things I like about the lives of these fishermen after God stepped in and changed their season. 

1. They experienced lasting change. Not a flash in the pan. 

2. They were not only blessed but became a blessing

3. New things happened on their inside as well as on their outside

So what are the special ingredients you must add to make your own season produce as much as these fishermen? 

4 lessons we want to draw from this passage.

1. You need an encounter with Jesus. It is only an encounter with Jesus that can irrevocably change a man's life. There was a woman in Samaria who met Jesus and her entire life changed... John 4:28-29

many years ago at a university in Ile-Ife, at the Anglican church on campus, I encountered Jesus for the first time even though born into a christian home where my father was a layreader in his church. 

You may have encountered Jesus before for the first time but you discover now that you need a refill. You are welcome today is your day. 

Eph 3:14-19, Col 1:9-14 AMP

2. You need to be available for Jesus. Put yourself in the position where God will find you. Being available for God means something different. The world sees it as making yourself visible, making sure you are noticed. That's why Jesus did not go to the synagogues of His day to call His disciples. 

Being available for God means doing what your hand findeth to do and doing it well. E.g. David, Samuel

It means being consistent and diligent in your current service to God. E.g. Story of lady in my church in PH

Being available for God means having an interruptible life. Many high-powered executives, focused etc but can still be interrupted by God e.g Team Nehemiah.

Availability is more about attitude than location.

The words of the song by Rev Milton Brunson

chorus:

Lord, I'm available to you

My will I give to you

I'll do what you say do,

Use me Lord to show someone the way

And enable me to say,

My storage is empty and I am available to you

3. You need to trust God now more than ever before. When God changes your season in this new direction. Many have been caged with fear, they feel that God is calling them in a particular direction, but fear has kept them on the same spot. Or it could be what would people say? What if I make a mistake? What if I fall? Well if you fall, you will rise again and do greater exploits for God. Just come and ask me. Amen. E.g. Story of the navigator. 

Pro 3:5-6, Deut 31:6, Isa 26:3-4, Isa 41:10, Psa 32:7-9, 1 Pet 5:7

4. You need to step up your commitment level to God. These fishermen dropped everything and followed Jesus. We are not asking you to abandon your house and move to Pastor Id's house. We are saying though that you and I need to step up our game when it comes to living for Jesus.

We need to watch less TV and read more bible

We need to get off the Internet and get on our knees

We need to say sorry more often

We need to spend less on efisi and sow more in the kingdom

We need to gossip less and talk about Jesus more

We need less of playing church and more of reaching out to love someone with a Jesus love.

We need less of I and more of Him

I believe there are people here this morning that God has started to change your seasons. By the time God begins to manifest what He's doing in your life, people will no longer be able to recognize you. Your story will have changed. Tell your neighbor, look at me very well now because God is taking me somewhere and you may not recognize me again.

Remember, you need an encounter with Jesus, you need to be available for Him, you need to trust Him completely, you need to step up your commitment level.

Let us pray.

Order

Genesis 1:1-3 (NKJV)

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.

The greatest difference between Nigeria and Netherlands is order. 

Order is...

1. The right arrangement of things. The way things should be done. 

2. Where order is, blessings flow. See scripture on unity. Unity = order. Psa 133

Order is also about appropriate relationships. You have no business sleeping in another man's house who is not your husband. Let there be order in your relationships with the opposite sex. E.g. Spending too much time together. 

Order is about respecting hierarchy and promoting unity. A dis-united church, organization, family is a place where there is no order and God will not command His blessings there. 

3. It is possible to carry the Spirit of God but your life is still in chaos. Gen 1:1. Nigeria is another example, probably no other country prays like we do or has larger churches but...

Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV)

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

The grace is available, freely given, but we prefer to use it kill enemies, oppress our neighbors, get as much as you can and sit on the can. 

4. Before God could start to bless the earth, He first removed chaos and brought order. Psa 133. 

Have you noticed how you feel when you get into a place where there is order? You want to stay there. If they say ask you to pay a small fee, you do it without complaining. 

Order attracts honor, anywhere there is honor, a blessing must follow.  Honor thy father and mother. 

5. The primary duty of man is to create order on the earth. See God's commission to man. You have been commissioned by God to bring order in your surroundings. Start fulfilling your purpose. 

Genesis 2:15 (NKJV)

Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.

Where is your garden? Are you tending it? Stop this I do not care attitude. 

6. What did Jesus say about order? He fulfilled prophecy. He made sure of it. He obeyed the laws of the land, that is order. 

He was born to fulfill prophecy

He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to fulfill prophecy

He died on a cross to fulfill prophecy

He rose again on the 3rd day to fulfill prophecy

Get used to documenting the way you do things and sticking to it. If there will be a change, then do it properly with the right consultation. 

7. There are 2 types of order, physical order and spiritual order. Physical is controlled by the spiritual. When spiritual has order and physical is in chaos, it's only a matter of time before the physical must follow. If Jesus is on the inside, it must show on the outside. 

When spiritual is in chaos but physical is in order, then you are only sitting on a time bomb. Sooner or later it will show. A house built on sand will collapse once the rain and wind begin to blow no matter how beautiful. Govts like USSR, Libya, Egypt etc. what about Nigeria?

You must pay attention to putting your spiritual house in order so that your physical house may enjoy long-lasting order. 

A man who has plenty of wealth and influence without corresponding spiritual order will one day die like a chicken. That's what happened to Pharaoh. 

When you have order in the spirit, then you cannot be sick in your body. As He is, so are we in this world.  

You can be very religious but lack order in many areas of your life. 

How do you bring order?

The first thing to do is to make sure there is light. 

1. Light is revelation. Revelation of His Word. Of purpose. E.g. King Josiah. 

2. Light is relationship. With Jesus as well as with neighbors. If we are in the light, as He is in the light. 

3. Light is illumination. See what you are doing. Find out how to do things. Ask questions. Seek wisdom. Learn. 

4. Light is a weapon to keep the darkness away. It takes effort to get light. If nothing is done, darkness will naturally come e.g. In Nigeria. 

Jesus said, I am the light of the world. Ask Jesus into your life today. 

4. 

The meal that prospers

Having a meal is generally a good thing. Dining with the king of kings is an especially good thing. 

One of the characteristics of dining with the king is that you experience overflowing blessing. 

Psalms 23:5 (NKJV)

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.

You are about to eat a meal that will cause your cup of prosperity to run over. 

Not every meal prospers

Jeremiah 31:29 (NKJV)

In those days they shall say no more: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children's teeth are set on edge.’

A meal of sour grapes is a meal that does not prosper. 

1. The company you keep. Psalm 1:1-3

2. The presence or absence of God. Job's children. Job 1:13, 18. King Belshazzar Daniel 5:1-4

- Job's children just wanted to enjoy life and an ill wind of destruction blew upon them. Maybe if they had been more mindful of God...

- it's not every party food you must eat, ask what are they celebrating? To which god did they dedicate it to?

3. The food itself that you're eating. Two women who ate their children. May you not eat your future. 2 Kings 6:28-29

4. The heart of the person giving the food. Pro 23:6-8. Make up your mind never to take something that is not given to you with love. God is your source!

How does it prosper?

1. It multiplies itself. 5 loaves miracle. You will never go hungry again. 

Matthew 14:19-21 (NKJV)

Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

2. It separates you from evil. The children of Israel ate a meal and were delivered from the angel of death.  After tonight's meal, every plan of death and destruction over your life is cancelled. 

Exodus 12:13 (NKJV)

Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

3. It takes sickness far away from you. I will bless your food and water

Exodus 23:25 (NKJV)

“So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you.

4. It opens your eyes to revelation. Disciples on the road to emmaus.

Luke 24:30-31 (NKJV)

Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.

5. It exposes your enemies. Judas at the table with Jesus

John 13:21-27 (NKJV)

When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke. Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke. Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”

6. It prospers you supernaturally. Israelites who asked for gifts of the Egyptians. God is about to bring about the miracle of restoration for someone here. The anointing for catchup!

Exodus 12:35-36 (NKJV)

Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.

7. It helps you overcome generational enemies that are too strong for you. The meal overpowered Pharaoh and all the forces of Egypt. After eating this meal, Egypt will let you go. 

Exodus 12:31-32 (NKJV)

The Exodus Then he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the Lord as you have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also.”

8. It delivers you from hell. When eaten with revelation

Revelation 3:20 - Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.