Tune In
Pt. 4 - Amplifier
I. Introduction
?I have noticed over the last few years that hearing is not as easy as it once was. I am not saying Julie is getting old but I find myself saying “Huh” or “I can’t hear you” more often!
As I think back over my life, although I have become more experienced in hearing God, I have also discovered that when I was younger I seemed to hear God more easily. Could it be the cares, responsibilities, and noise of life increases as we get older.
With that in mind, I began to think about sound. For those of you that are not students of sound let me try to explain. All of you have probably experienced an instance in which you are at a stop sign minding your own business, deep in thought, maybe even have a sweet little background worship music or something playing when all of the sudden a car pulls up five cars behind you and instantly bolts begin falling off of your car because of the sheer amount of sound emanating out of their vehicle. Dentures are rattled loose. Massage appointments can be cancelled. People think they are hungry. It is one of those young, soon to be deaf, whipper snappers that have an incredible amount of sound coming out of their radio. If you don't understand sound, then you make the conclusion that this sound is a result of massive speakers - and although they may have those installed - the truth is the most important part, although usually invisible, of that system is not the speaker but the amplifier. The truth is this morning if the church didn't have these little boxes right here you wouldn't be able to hear anything I said even with our massive speakers. So amplification is crucial to being able to hear the source of the sound.
This brings me to our text this morning . . .
TEXT: 1 Corinthians 2:9-16
(NIV) However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” things God has prepared for those who love him—these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
(NLT) Verse 14 - But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.
As we conclude this series I wanted to make sure that I help you put together a sound system that will enable you to hear God.
In order for the sound system to work you need a source. In Matthew 4:4 Jesus is confronted by the enemy and He rebukes the devil by quoting Deut. 8:3 - we live off of every word that procedeeth out of God's mouth. In other words, God is constantly speaking. We have a source. However, source isn't enough. We need speakers. The fact is we have all kinds of speakers that are utilized by God to communicate . . . dreams, visions, circumstances, His written Word, prophets, thoughts, counsel, nature, peace, etc. However, here is the problem. In Job, one of Job's friends makes this accurate statement . . . "Indeed God speaks once, Or twice, yet no one notices it." So, God can speak and utilize speakers and we can still miss Him. Source? Yes! Speakers? Yes! However, there is often the missing component. In order for us to hear God this year we need to get the final component in place that will enable us to clearly hear or tune in! We need an amplifier and according to Paul, thankfully, we have One. Paul says that it is the role of the Holy Spirit to amplify the spiritual truths that are being spoken by God so that we can not only hear them but understand them.
Let's go back and see what Paul tries to teach us about the amplifier.
1. Spiritual is understood by spiritual.
Paul says those who are not spiritual reject the spiritual because it sounds foolish to them. They have no ability to understand it. So, this morning I need to encourage you to be spiritual! That sounds like crazy instructions while in church. We have concluded that we ARE being spiritual because we are coming to church. However, my question is this . . . how many of us are only spiritual on Sunday? How many of us are only developing a taste, appetite or desire for or pursuing spiritual things on Sunday? In order for us to be able to hear clearly we must flex our spiritual muscles all week long until Sunday is simply a culmination of all the spiritual exercise that we have put in during the week. Runners don't show up for a race and then train. Likewise, we can't show up on Sundays and expect to correctly utilize all the gifts, see people's lives changed, hear God, or handle spiritual things maturely if we just do this on Sunday! How spiritual is your Monday? Tuesday? I want to submit to you that the spiritual level of YOUR week days will determine the spiritual level of OUR Sunday! You can't operate all week long in the natural and expect to be able to understand the spiritual. Spirit amplifies Spirit!
2. The Holy Spirit isn't just for speaking but, also for hearing!
As Pentecostals we tend to put all of our attention on Acts 2 and the speaking that took place. They all spake in tongues. So, we have made the Holy Spirit about speaking. However, we fail to read until verse 5-6 which says ... Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.
I am thankful that the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to speak with authority and anointing. I am incredibly thankful for the gift of tongues that allows me to pray the mysteries of God. The Holy Spirit prays through us and intercedes with perfect prayers! I am incredibly thankful for this. However, I am equally thankful that the Holy Spirit can give us the ability to better hear God. On the Day of Pentecost we see the Holy Spirit at work helping people hear!
My challenge to you this year is to go beyond just utilizing the gift of the Holy Spirit to speak. Let's allow the amplifier to amplify. Paul says the Holy Spirit knows the thoughts of God. We know that the thoughts of God our higher than our thoughts. How in the world can we expect to understand, comprehend, or obey them unless we allow the Holy Spirit to get into our system and empower us to hear and understand!
Which leads me to the final challenge I want to make to you regarding this amplifier.
3. Amplifiers have to be inserted into a system.
Use electric guitar player - this is what happens when you don't rely on the Holy Spirit - play your favorite rift. It is there but you struggle to hear it. Now plug in and play the same rift. It is clear. It is unmistakable. It is prominent. It is potent.
The only difference between the two was we inserted and engaged an amplifier. Just because an amplifier is available doesn't mean you are using it.
As we try harder to tune in this year I challenge you insert the Holy Spirit into your system. I realize that there are many under the sound of my voice that don't come from a Pentecostal background and the idea of Baptism of the Holy Spirit is foreign or even scary. While others of you are so familiar with this experience that you have come to the place where you underestimate or underutilize the great gift that resides in you because you made it about speaking and not hearing. Wherever you fall on that spectrum I want to challenge you to insert the Holy Spirit. What does that mean? It means if you haven't experienced the Baptism of the Holy Spirit begin to research it, explore it, read about it, talk to people who have and then begin to ask God to give you everything He has for you. Begin to ask God to help you hear Him. Ask God to allow the Holy Spirit to amplify His voice. If you have been Baptized in the Holy Spirit, then I am challenging you to go back and utilize this gift afresh and anew. Some of us have shelved it for too long. The power to hear is atrophied. Without thought we pray in the Spirit but we don't listen to the Spirit.
The amp must be turned on, inserted, integrated into the system or we will miss the potent, powerful, unmistakable, and prominent words that God wants this body and you as an individual to receive this year! Let's tune in!
