SERMON NOTES

As we step into December, we begin a new series: BEHOLD — a call to look again, to lift our eyes, and to recognise the God who keeps His promises. Christmas didn’t begin in a manger; it began long before that, with a sound from Heaven announcing that God was preparing something extraordinary.

A Promise Spoken Before It Was Seen

Long before Jesus was born, God had already released a word into the earth. Isaiah 7:14 declares: "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”

Seven hundred years before Bethlehem, God spoke the promise. Before the world ever saw the Saviour, Heaven announced Him. Every promise from God begins with a sound — a declaration that something is coming.

We see this pattern throughout Scripture:

• Before creation, God spoke: “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3).
• Before revival came to dry bones, Ezekiel heard “a rattling sound” (Ezekiel 37:7).
• Before Christ was born, the prophets released the word: “Behold!”

Heaven always releases a sound before God releases the sign.

Today, God still speaks this way. Often, before you see any outward change, you feel something stirring inside — a Scripture that becomes alive, a word of encouragement that won’t let you go, a song that awakens your faith. These moments are not random; they are Heaven clearing its throat, reminding you that the promise is already in motion even when you cannot see it yet.

Preparing the Way for What God Promised

If a promise begins with a sound, how do we respond? Isaiah gives us the blueprint in Isaiah 40:3–5: “Prepare the way for the Lord… make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

Before the promise comes, preparation must begin. John the Baptist fulfilled this Word in Luke 1:17 — making ready a people prepared for the Lord.

Preparation is the evidence of expectation. It’s the spiritual act of faith that says:

• “I’m not waiting for God to move; I’m getting ready for Him to move.”
• “I believe the promise so strongly that I’m making room for it now.”

We prepare for what we expect. Parents prepare a nursery before the baby arrives. We clean the house before a guest of honour comes. And in the same way, when God speaks a promise, He calls us to prepare the path for its arrival.

Preparation becomes the prophecy of our expectation.

When Heaven Roars

Once the sound has gone forth and the preparation has begun, something supernatural happens: Heaven releases a roar. Revelation 5:5 declares: “Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah… has conquered.”

A lion roars to establish territory, announce its presence, and defend what belongs to it. In the Spirit, the roar of God declares:

• The promise is close.
• The breakthrough is near.
• The season is shifting.
• The enemy must step back.
• God is stepping in.

Just as music signals the moment for the bride to walk in, or a pilot announces landing before the wheels touch the runway, God announces breakthrough before the breakthrough becomes visible.

Heaven doesn’t whisper when your promise is near — Heaven roars.

A Season of Awakening

This December is not simply about remembering a baby in a manger. It is about recognising the Lion of Judah moving powerfully in the lives of His people. Jesus may have entered the world quietly, but He moves loudly in the Spirit.

For many people, the promise has felt delayed or even forgotten. But the roar of God reminds us:

• “I’m closer than you think.”
• “I’m moving faster than you know.”
• “Prepare the way — the promise is at the door.”

This is a season of reawakened expectation. A season where dormant dreams stir again. A season where God’s voice becomes thunder in your spirit, announcing that something is shifting.

A Word Over Those Stepping Into Their Calling

On this special Sunday, we also celebrated our Discipleship School graduates — individuals who have heard the sound of God, prepared their hearts, and stepped boldly toward His calling. They haven’t only completed a programme; they’ve entered a new season marked by purpose and promise.

Their journey is a reminder to all of us: when we respond to God’s sound with preparation, He reveals what He planted within us. Their next season isn’t quiet — it is roaring with destiny.

Let Heaven’s Roar Awaken Your Faith

As we head into this month, may the roar of Heaven awaken fresh faith within you. May it call you into expectation again. May it stir the belief that God is closer, louder, and more active than you realise. This is the season to behold the Promise. This is the season to prepare room.

This is the season to recognise the Lion who roars over your life, your family, your future, and your calling.

God is moving — and the promise is nearer than it looks.