Sound
Pt. 4 – Sound Barriers
If you have been here the last 3 weeks then you are surely becoming convinced that there is power in sound. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and that is probably true. However, as powerful as sight is sound rivals its impact. You simply change the sound and the feeling, impact, results change!
I stated that our problem is that our world has learned to harness the power of sound more effectively than the children of God. So I have been trying my best to teach you some principles and truths about sound.
Week 1: Sound precedes victory. Your situation will line up with your sound. Silence is for a season. You can't accept silence as a substitute for sound.
Week 2: Sound must not be tied to your sight. Otherwise on your good day you will have sound but in the midnight hour you will be silent and defeated. Your sound must seep. Your sound isn't really for you. It as we hear from each other that we find strength!
Week 3: Sound draws people. If no one is being drawn to us they won't be drawn to God. I challenged you and asked, "Is the sound of your life drawing anyone?" Then I challenged you that the sound components that caused the greatest revival man has ever seen are the same components we need today. The sound of praise marked by the sound of Pentecost! It is Spirit breathed, empowered praise that will draw people to us and ultimately to God!
So today let's keep going and maybe wrap this thing up by talking about Sound Barriers!
Text: Luke 18:1-8 (read on your own), 35-42
He came to the outskirts of Jericho. A blind man was sitting beside the road asking for handouts. When he heard the rustle of the crowd, he asked what was going on. They told him, “Jesus the Nazarene is going by.” He yelled, “Jesus! Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!” Those ahead of Jesus told the man to shut up, but he only yelled all the louder, “Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and ordered him to be brought over. When he had come near, Jesus asked, “What do you want from me?” He said, “Master, I want to see again.” Jesus said, “Go ahead—see again! Your faith has saved and healed you!” The healing was instant: He looked up, seeing—and then followed Jesus, glorifying God. Everyone in the street joined in, shouting praise to God.
This passage reteach many of the lessons that I have already taught you. It shows us that the crowd had a shout after they saw miracles but this man had a shout prior to his miracle. His sound changed his sight. In fact, when Jesus responds to him Jesus says, "Your faith has made you whole." What faith? This man's faith was exhibited by his sound! His sound wasn't tied to his sight it was tied to his spirit. When you can't even see you can still sound! Your sound may actually bring you sight. His sound seeped. Others were impacted by his sound.
However, the aspect of this passage that I want to hone in on is important because many of you for the first time or for the first time in a long time are beginning to make a sound, embrace your sound, move out of silence into victory and it is imperative for you to learn the main lessons of this account. There are two:
a. You will encounter Sound Barriers!
This man has the greatest opportunity of a life time! He has the chance to meet Jesus face-to-face! He jumps at that opportunity. Jesus is going to pass by where I live! When he hears this news he begins to yell to Jesus! Our desperation is usually revealed by our sound! Immediately he encounters sound barriers! People that have already seen Jesus, encountered Jesus, perhaps have even been touched by Jesus immediately step in and try to quite this man's sound.
"The biggest threat to the church today is fans who call themselves Christians but aren’t actually interested in following Christ. They want to be close enough to Jesus to get all the benefits, but not so close that it requires anything from them." - Kyle Idleman
The people that resisted the sound were those who were around Jesus but had no desire to be changed by Jesus or had already been changed by Jesus and wanted to keep Him all to themselves. They didn't want anyone else to touch Him. Their mentality must have been "Bless me and I am good. Bless them and I have a problem!"
I have news for you today . . . being around Jesus is great . . . being touched by Him is better. Some of you have been around Him for long time but have you been touched? Those of you who need a touch can't allow those around Jesus to silence them.
Your sound will make some folks uncomfortable and when it does you will have two types of folks that will rise up in your life . . . sound dampeners or sound proof folks. There will be folks who will try to quiet your sound or some who make every attempt to kill your sound. Some of you need to make some sound clips and get away from sound barriers.
You might as well get ready for it. You might as well mark it down. The reason this happens is because if you have't experienced my blindness you can't understand the sound of my desperation. When someone doesn't understand your pain they can't understand your praise! And we fight what we don't understand.
When you get desperate and determined enough to make a sound there will be sound barriers that will rise up all around you. Some of you are living with a sound barrier. Some of you are sitting next to a sound barrier right now! News flash there can be sound barriers in church (just not this church)!
Greenville Experience - I have been exposed to sound barriers and I have been one. Sitting down and 4 years later
My response should have been nobody came to see them anyway. They came to see Jesus. But sound barrieritist is very contagious. If you allow a sound barrier to stop your sound . . . chances are you will become a sound barrier as well!
Are you a barrier to someone else's sound? What will you do if you don't understand or appreciate someone else's sound?
Who do you need to avoid so that your sound won't be stifled and stopped?
B. Persistence is the key to breaking through Sound Barriers
Since it is absolutely inevitable that you are going to encounter sound barriers what is the key to pushing past them? PERSISTENCE. It is interesting to me that in Luke 18 verses 1-8 Jesus teaches a parable about being persistent (widow and judge) and then in verse 35 this blind man acts this lesson out "live" and those that had probably heard the lesson resist it in application.
When this blind man encountered sound barriers who tried to stifle and silence his sound rather than cowering down he yelled "ALL THE MORE!" Jesus responds to persistence.
I want to encourage you this morning that the best way to override and break through the sound barriers in your life whether they be people, attacks, fear, doubt, or pain is to get an "All the more" Sound! Get a sound that says if you resist me, then I will be even more persistent in my praise. If you fight my sound, then I will sound off even more. The volume (not talking about volume as loudness but quantity) of my shout will drown out every attempt to stop it.
Come on look at your neighbor and say, "Get ready to hear some persistent praise from me!"
Some of you need to have a dialogue withe enemy for just a few moments and tell him . . . hit me with everything you got but I refuse to stop my sound. In fact, the harder you hit me the more I will sound off!
Sickness? I will still sound off.
Pain? I will still sound off.
Chaos? I will still sound off.
Brokenness? I will still sound off!
Fear? Hear my sound!
Death? That can't stop my sound!
Doubt? I will shout you down.
Threats? Turn down your hearing aid cause I am about to deafen you!
If some of you would just stay persistent you would see your miracle. Some of you are giving up your sound a moment too soon. Some of you are allowing others to quite you one moment before you would have encountered the very touch you so desperately need! Some of you falter in your sound to your own demise!
We must have a persistent sound. I know you have a sound in January but will you have a sound in December?
Persistent sound produces persistent presence!
