(Approximate time: 30 minutes)
The Anchor of Newness
“Amen. Please be seated. Thank you all for being here.
Look around this room for a moment. What do you see? Right now, we are in a sitting room of our house. To the casual observer, this looks like a simple family fellowship. We are starting just with our family—Vina, Sarneet, and myself.
But let me declare a truth over this room, over this family, and over this moment: This is not just a family devotion. This is a Calling by God our Father, and it holds the seed of a giant beginning!
We are gathered here today because we believe in a God who is not confined by our small budget, the lack of a dedicated building, or the size of our initial attendance. We have seen how much ministry work can weigh down the spirit. We believe in the God of the seed, the God of the small start, the God of the quiet, deliberate moment.
(Stephen Grellet Story:
Stephen Grellet was a devoted Quaker minister known for his tireless travels and commitment to social justice.
One evening, Grellet returned to his lodging feeling deeply troubled. He had spent the entire day traveling but had not managed to complete a single act of kindness he intended to perform, nor had he spoken the gospel message he felt compelled to share. He was overwhelmed with regret and frustration.
As he prepared for bed, he wrote a now-famous line in his journal:
“I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing, therefore, that I can do, or any kindness I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”
The story reminds us that our opportunity to do the “new thing” God has called us to is today. We cannot wait for a better budget, a bigger building, or a more convenient time. The work of the New Exodus must begin now.)
The theme for our first message, and the divine anchor for The New Exodus Ministry Fiji, is the truth that our God is the God of New Beginnings.
You may have heard this verse before, but it is the central truth that empowers everything we do here. Let’s read it one more time:
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV): “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
This verse tells us that Christianity isn’t a simple modification or a slight adjustment of your old life; it is a profound re-creation. And beloved, this FELLOWSHIP is not a continuation of an old work; it is a brand-new creation under the direct hand of God!
My prayer is that today, you and I walk away with three powerful reminders that prove God is not only capable of a new beginning, but He has it written into His very nature.”
Biblical Case Studies of New Starts
A. The New Beginning of a Nation: The Exodus
“Our first example shows us that God starts over with a PEOPLE—and that people is us.
The entire nation of Israel was stuck. They were slaves in Egypt, defined by their past—400 years of bondage, bricks, and back-breaking toil. When Moses showed up, God didn’t just tell them, ‘Try to be better slaves.’ No, God said, ‘Forget the past!’
He did the radical thing: He initiated the Exodus. He didn’t reform their old life in Egypt; He led them into a new journey in the wilderness.
The Lesson for Our Ministry:
This is our Exodus moment. We are leaving the comfort of the familiar to start something new, following a vision that only God has given.
Yes, we may look around and see a ‘wilderness’—we don’t have a big crowd yet, we don’t have a sprawling campus, we don’t have all the resources. But listen closely to the lesson of the Exodus: When God starts a new thing, He gives you all the provision you need for the journey you are on.
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He gave them manna (daily bread) every morning—a lesson in daily dependence.
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He gave them water from a rock—a lesson in miraculous supply.
He will give us what we need, daily, to take the next step. Our job is not to figure out the end of the journey; our job is to be faithful to the next step. Trust the Manna! Trust the Rock!”
B. The New Beginning of an Individual: The New Heart
“Our second example is the most personal: God starts over with a PERSON—and that person is you.
Let’s look at the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel, who gave us a clear blueprint for personal renewal:
Ezekiel 36:26 (NIV): ‘I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.’
A heart of stone is hard, cold, and unresponsive. It cannot grow. When we come to Christ, He doesn’t just patch up our broken stone heart; He replaces it entirely! That is the radical nature of salvation—it is a complete, fresh start in your core.
The Lesson for Our Ministry:
This work we are starting cannot be done with old habits, old bitterness, or old discouragement. This FELLOWSHIP must be birthed from the new spirit that God has put in us.
Vina, Sarneet, and I know that our first and greatest commitment must be to cultivate that new heart daily. When we gather here, our goal is to let God continue to remove the ‘stone’ and replace it with ‘flesh’—soft, receptive, and alive. This Ministry must flow from the health of our own souls.
If we are new creations, then our fellowship will be a new creation!”
C. The New Beginning of a Promise: The Vision
“Finally, we come to the great promise, the ultimate vision for our future, which brings us back to our anchoring text. God starts over with a PROMISE.
This is a powerful word spoken to people who were feeling defeated, overwhelmed, and stuck in exile. God speaks right into their crisis:
Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV): ‘Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.’
Biblical Case Studies of New Starts
“Friends, this is our commission—it has three parts.
1. The Mandate: Forget the Former Things.
It is not just a suggestion; it is a command. God requires your mental and emotional release from past failures, past hurts, and even past traditions that hold you captive. You cannot step onto the new road if you are dragging the baggage of ‘Egypt.’ Release it today!
2. The Vision: Perceive the New Thing.
God says, ‘It springs up; do you not perceive it?‘ He is saying the miracle is already happening! You must train your spiritual eyes to see the road in the wilderness, even when the natural eye only sees sand. That small stream of water is the beginning of the river! We must be a people who look for, expect, and perceive the impossible work of God every day.
3. The Purpose: Streams in the Wasteland.
Why does God give us this new beginning? So we can be a Life-Giving Outpost. We are the answer to the dry places in our community. We are the streams in the wasteland for those who are thirsty, stuck, and discouraged.
Our ultimate purpose is to live out our founding priorities: God First. Family Second. Ministry Third.
This guarantees the New Exodus Ministry Fiji will flow from a place of spiritual health and true family blessing.
If you are tired of carrying the weight of the past, if you are ready to stop being modified and start being re-created, then join us on this New Exodus path!
(Invitation to Prayer/Closing)
Let us stand and pray for the courage to forget and the faith to perceive. Lord, we are ready for the new thing!”
Heavenly Father,
We thank You for the conviction and the clarity of Your Word today. We recognize this moment, right here in this sitting room, as the launch of Your New Exodus Ministry Fiji.
We confess that we have been tempted to dwell on the former things—our limitations, our past failures, and our smallness. Today, we release that baggage! By the power of the Holy Spirit, we choose to forget the past and to look forward.
Give us the spiritual eyes to perceive the new thing that is already springing up, Lord. We trust in Your daily provision, knowing You will make a way in the wilderness and bring streams in the wasteland through us.
We commit this ministry and our lives to Your divine order: God First, Family Second, Ministry Third.
Fill us now with Your hope, Your grace, and the courage to walk this New Exodus path. We pray this in the powerful name of Jesus Christ, our King and Redeemer.
Amen.