The Command To Expand
(Isaiah 54:2-4 NKJV) “Enlarge the place of your tent, And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, And strengthen your stakes. (3) For you shall expand to the right and to the left, And your descendants will inherit the nations, And make the desolate cities inhabited. (4) “Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame…
(Isaiah 54:2-4 MSG) “Clear lots of ground for your tents! Make your tents large. Spread out! Think big! Use plenty of rope, drive the tent pegs deep. (3) You’re going to need lots of elbow room for your growing family. You’re going to take over whole nations; you’re going to resettle abandoned cities. (4) Don’t be afraid–you’re not going to be embarrassed. Don’t hold back–you’re not going to come up short…
Enlarge (HEB) = To expand, to widen, to go beyond, to make more room, to increase capacity, to go further, to occupy new territories with no limits or boundaries
“There is no limit to how far we can go this year.”
What Will It Take to Expand Our Vision?
Question and Answer:
“Lord, what will it take for us to fulfill our personal vision, as well as the vision for the church and ministry?”
- You will have to develop an uncommon faith to believe and receive all that God has planned for you.
- The Dictionary defines “uncommon” as: out of the ordinary, unusual.
Paul’s Strategic Faith Development Plan
(1 Thessalonians 3:10 NLT) (10) Night and day we pray earnestly for you, asking God to let us see you again to fill the gaps in your faith.
(2 Thessalonians 1:3 MSG) (3) You need to know, friends, that thanking God over and over for you is not only a pleasure; it’s a must. We have to do it. Your faith is growing phenomenally; your love for each other is developing wonderfully. Why, it’s only right that we give thanks.
Steps to Develop an Uncommon Faith
In order to develop uncommon faith, you will have to take some uncommon steps.
- Realize your faith potential.
- We all have an unlimited faith capacity.
- How far we go is totally up to us.
- Receive Jesus as the Developer of Your Faith
(Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV) Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (2) looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Jesus will become our “Faith Trainer” when we decide to live by faith. He will develop our faith the same way a trainer develops our body.
Expect Him to develop our faith every time we put our faith on the line.
- Give the Word first place and make it final authority.
(Proverbs 4:20-22 NKJV) My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. (21) Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; (22) For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.
(Luke 10:38-42 NLT) As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. (39) Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what He taught. (40) But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to You that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” (41) But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! (42) There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:42 AMP …Mary has chosen the good portion [that which is to her advantage], which shall not be taken away from her.”
How do we give the Word first place?
We must build our busy schedule around the Word instead of trying to fit the Word into our busy schedules.
What does it mean for the Word to be the final authority in our lives?
We don’t make the Word fit our lifestyle, we adjust our lifestyle to fit the Word of God. (i.e. Rom. 13:8 AMP – Keep out of debt and owe no man anything.)
- Continually feed on the Word.
(Matthew 4:4 NKJV) But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD.’ “
BBE – “Bread is not man’s only need, but every word which comes out of the mouth of God.”
CEV – “No one can live only on food. People need every word that God has spoken.”
The Word is faith food for your spirit. God’s Word contains the proper nutrients for developing strong faith.
(Romans 10:17 NKJV) So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
(Job 23:12 AMPC) I have not gone back from the commandment of His lips; I have esteemed and treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.
John Osteen – “If you will put the Word in your heart when you don’t need it, it will be there when you do need it.”
- Meditate on the Word.
(Joshua 1:8 NKJV) This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
- Meditation in the Word builds your faith capacity.
- Meditation allows the Word to take root in your heart.
- Meditation is fixing your mind on the Word of God.
(Isaiah 26:3 NLT) You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!
How to meditate the Word of God:
- Go to the Word that covers your situation.
- Apply that Word to the situation.
- Place yourself in agreement with the Word.
- Imagine the desired result instead of the dreaded outcome.
The Word you meditate on will become the reality you desire!