Are you getting His notifications?
1 Kings 19:11-12 (KJV) And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: 12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
I. Getting notifications and information; even the way we speak is associated with our phones. Our phones have become part of our everyday life.
A. We now follow people on Instagram, Twitter, Tik Tok, and Facebook. We send friend requests through Facebook, we publish our thoughts for all to see rather it be “tweets”, “what’s on your mind” or updating a blog. We have stories, reels, vlogs, and posts everywhere and it has been embraced by people and corporations. We see the logos for these social sites splashed over everything from dog food to gourmet restaurants.
1. Everyone is now a brand or a self-labeled influencer and can be found on their branded @ page or hashtag. Some even measure their social status by how many “friends”, “followers”, likes and shares they have. Being viral is a way of life now.
2. We no longer wait until the next day to get yesterdays news. We get our information in real time now. News is no longer delivered by members of the press, field reporters, or news anchors. Most of our news comes through those with the fastest fingers, Wi-Fi, or cell service.
3. Children now don’t play with toys they watch someone else do it on their YouTube channel. They will watch other kids and some adults play with toys or open toys rather than do it themselves. Parents now are scripting their child’s early years for a pay day.
B. There was a time when having a car, a job, or a home mattered. Now it’s more important to have a phone in your hand then a roof over your head.
1. When we went to Guatemala, we would drive through some of the poorest villages and see women washing their clothes on rocks and checking their cell phones (probably updating their status on FB “Another day at the Laundry Mat”) these people still cooked on wood stoves and had no electricity, but knew how to update their status.
2. Truly we live in a time when now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. I read several years ago before smart phones were main stream that one communication company advertised that they were now reversing the curse of Babel. Science Fiction is now science fact. We have surpassed Dick Tracy’s wrist watch and Captain Kirk’s communication device.
C. We have even become conditioned by the sounds of our phones. Let’s just try a little social experiment here, how many of you have a smart phone? Let me ask you a few questions and in your mind and be honest with yourself answer then honestly.
1. *You don’t like to turn off your phone, *Constantly checking your phone for missed messages, emails, notifications or calls even when you don’t get a notification tone, *Charging your battery even when your phone is almost fully charged, *Taking your phone with you everywhere you go, even into the bathroom, *Sleeping with your phone or keeping it next to you while you sleep, *Repeatedly checking to make sure that you have your phone, *Fear of being without Wi-Fi or being able to connect to a cell network, *Worrying about negative things happening and not being able to call for help, *Stressing over being disconnected from one’s online presence or identity, *Skipping activities or planned events in order to spend time on the mobile device, *feeling your phone vibrating or ring when it doesn’t.
2. If you answered yes to any of those questions you have a psychological attachment to your phone and have what Psychologist’s call “NOMOPHOBIA” which is an abbreviated form of "no-mobile-phone phobia." For those that feel the phone vibrating when it’s not you have “PHANTOM RINGING SYNDROME”.
3. Researchers say the reason why people check their phones so much is because of dopamine (the hormone of” happiness”). So, every time we see a notification, e- mail, or hear the phone ringing, the dopamine level is rising because we believe something new and interesting is happening and might be missing out on something. The problem is that we can’t know in advance what will happen or what that notification will be about so the feeling to keep checking occurs; your phone is like a mini slot machine, which either can make you feel good or bad.
4. People have developed what is called FOMO or fear of missing out. Studies revealed that this fear can be so powerful that many people never turn off their phones, even at night or during times that they won't be using their devices.
5. The fear of missing out on something is perhaps what leads so many people to report that they would respond to a call or text even if they are in the middle of something else. The study revealed that people were often willing to interrupt life activities in order to respond to a call. The majority of people 80% were willing to answer a call while watching television, 40% would respond to a call while eating a meal, and 18% would be willing to answer the phone when they were in bed with another person.
II. While in prayer a few weeks back during our Sunday Night Prayer. The Lord spoke these words to me, “We respond to the sounds of our phones, we respond to notifications, we respond to comments and reactions, we will listen to the voices of others but what about Me? Are you getting My notifications?”
A. My text takes place at a time when Elijah is just overwhelmed. Jezebel is after him, he is depressed and wallowing in self-pity. He feels he is the only one that still cares about living right. Everything just feels off and Elijah is overwhelmed. How many right now can say I am overwhelmed. For over a year and a half everything has been negative and it has taken a toll on you.
1. We know that in scripture that it says, Job 5:7 Yet man is born unto trouble. Jesus said, “In this world you will have tribulation” we know that being a Christian does not exempt us from a trouble-free life, Many [are] the afflictions of the righteous: the sun will rise on the evil and on the good, and …rain on the just and on the unjust. We understand that we are not exempt from life’s troubles, without hardships without pain, without heart ache. We know that there is no guarantee we’ll never hear the word “cancer” or “terminal”. That we’ll never cry over wayward children. That we’ll never be lied on, or that we’ll never lose someone we love, or there won’t be times when we feel like quitting.
2. All you have to do is look in the Bible and you will see what I'm talking about. David was a great Man of God, a great King of Israel, a worshipper, but that did not exempt David from pain. If you study David’s life, you will see a man who endured much pain. Look at Job: He was a righteous man, but he endured more grief and pain than would seem humanly possible. He would say My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
3. There just seems to be a spirit of heaviness and a spirit of fear everywhere we turn. The church and the world are overwhelmed with constant negativity. Christians are splitting hairs and dividing over days, and months, and times, and years. We are spending our time disagreeing over the Word rather than sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
a. Paul said in 1Co 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. He also says in Ga 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. Paul instructs us in 1Ti 4:7 But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. Other versions read; but reject the unsanctified and silly stories, don’t have anything to do with worthless, senseless stories. Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas
b. I like what Paul said in 1Co 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. I don’t have time for the nonsense if it isn’t about Jesus then don’t waste my time. Well, what about this… how about Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. My hope is in Jesus, my strength is in Jesus, my salvation is in Jesus, etc…
c. I don’t understand Christians that talk about the Coming of the Lord, always talking about as the days of Noe were, wars and rumours of wars, nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these [are] the beginnings of sorrows, but when ye shall see these things come to pass, we get bent out of shape as if we can stop the prophetic from happening. Do we want Him to return or not?
d. I don’t understand these posts, these memes, these live videos where all that is being shared is hatefulness. Angry Christians that only smile when they talk about everyone going to hell. Paul said in 2 Tim. 2-5 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. Are we making full proof of our ministries Pr 11:30 The fruit of the righteous [is] a tree of life; and he that winneth souls [is] wise.
4. Spreading fear is not sharing the Gospel. 2Ti 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Yes, there is a hell and except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Hell is real the Bible says it’s an everlasting fire, Matthew 25:41, It is an everlasting punishment, Matthew 25:46, It is an outer darkness, Matthew 8:12, It is an everlasting destruction, 2 Thessalonians 1:9. While it is real, we should take no pleasure in wanting to see sinners go to hell. We are supposed to sow and water and let God give the increase, not burn up the harvest.
III. What God said to Elijah in my opening text He is speaking to us. God said I am not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire. Let me make that a little more modern, you will not find Him in your newsfeed, you will not find Him in your notifications, you will not find Him while scrolling. God says He is not in the distractions but away from them.
A. He is telling us to listen to Him, what you are looking for is in My still small voice. If you want to hear My voice, get away from all the other voices. What you need is a Thus saith the LORD.
1. A voice that says I [am] the LORD that healeth thee, a voice that says there is healing to the brokenhearted, deliverance to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, liberty them for those that are bruised, a voice that says For with God nothing shall be impossible, a voice that speaks deliverance, …restoration, …reviving, …joy, …hope, …redemption, …truth, …freedom, …strength.
2. A voice that says you are a child of God, …called to a purpose, a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, we are God’s handiwork, more than conquerors, you are a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. A voice that says Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
B. If all you are getting from your notifications are things that are exhausting you and getting you nowhere but upset, aggravated, confused, and always feeling like you are running in circles; then you know that is not of God. 1Co 14:33 For God is not [the author] of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
1. Peace is the key there. The true test of a thing is do you have the peace of God. God leaves you with peace not in pieces. Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. The Bible has a lot to say about being in peace, the peace of God, the God of Peace, peace from God, if you can’t find any peace in it, then get out of that thing and go where Jesus is!
2. Get alone with God. Turn off the phone. Find you a place where He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
3. Let His word lead you and guide you let it be that lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. If you want to hear what God is saying to you, you need to go where He is. How can you have a little talk with Jesus if He has to talk over YouTube, CNN, Fox News, etc.
C. Before my opening text, Jezebel sends a messenger to Elijah, he got a notification from Jezebel that he was going to die. After he read the message it sent him into a frenzy of depression and self-pity and prayed that God would take his life.
1. Messages/words are sent with intentions. When man sends a message it has an assignment, an agenda that doesn’t always have your best intentions in mind. When God speaks, you don’t have to worry about His intentions because His words always align with themselves. Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
2. One message got Elijah so worked up that he forgot about all that God had just done. He forgot that God proved Himself as the one true God before the prophets of Baal by sending fire to consume the offering, he forgot that a cloud the size of a man’s hand was about to end a famine, he forgot that he outran the king’s chariot. One notification made him forget all that just happened.
3. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: now satan doesn’t send messengers to you, he has access to you all day long. Our phones are his new delivery boys. We can have a great day, got our praise music playing through our phones, reading daily devotional and then a notification pops up and everything changes. Our singing turns to sighing, and just like Elijah we forget everything and go into a cave, into a dark place, a place of isolation.
D. All you need is one word from God for a turn around. Are you getting God’s notifications? There was a great wind, earthquake, and fire, but it wasn’t the wind, it wasn’t the earthquake, it wasn’t the fire. It was the still small voice of God; it was the word of God. One word from God changed everything. One word from God deleted that message from hell. One word from God and Elijah came out with a new anointing, with a new vision, with a new fire.
1. The enemy didn’t steal your word, temptation didn’t burn it up, and it didn’t get choked with cares and riches and pleasures of [this] life. It only takes one word for [such] a time as this. God’s word: it shall not return unto Him void, but it shall accomplish that which He please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] whereto He sent it.
2. Yeah, I know I went in depressed but I’m coming out dancing, I went in fearful and afraid, but I’m coming out full of faith and power. I went in empty but I’m coming out full. I went in thinking it was over, but I’m coming out knowing it’s just getting started. I went in to get away from Jezebel, but I’m coming out to get rid of Jezebel. I went in to surrender my anointing, but I’m coming out to distribute my anointing. All I need is a word from God. Satan I am blocking you; I am turning off your notifications. I am only interested in what God has to say. I don’t need fear, I need faith!
