"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him, but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit." (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)
Introduction
2002 has been an incredible year. That’s why it makes good sense for us to pause and reflect on the things we have seen, the things we have heard, and the things we have conceived from the Lord in 2002.
In 2002, we have seen loved ones lost to addictions, diseases, and even death. We have seen financial difficulties drive us to the brink of bankruptcy. But, there is a bright side! We have also seen deliverances from situations where there seemed to be no way out. And now that we’re out, we can shout, "If it had not been for the Lord on my side…"
In 2002, we have heard the stories of war and terrorism in foreign lands. We have heard the rumors of war and terrorism in our own land. And yet, there is a bright side because we have heard the word of God preached and taught with passion and power by our beloved Pastor, Terry Walker. Consequently, biblically sound preaching and teaching has taught us to say, “The Lord is my Shepherd… surely goodness and mercy shall follow me… and I will dwell…”
I find it interesting that the things we have seen and the things we have heard play such a significant part in what we conceive. Our audio and visual experiences have our psychological apparatuses baffled and bewildered. As a result, we grapple with inclinations and imaginations of what will happen next. Will there be a terrorist attack in our own backyards? Will our children be gunned down while being in the right place at the wrong time? Will I lose my job? What about our aging parents? But, there is a bright side because the Bible teaches us that; "He will keep them in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him." I know that there is somebody in this house whose mind is stayed on the Lord. There is somebody in this house who is not worried about terrorist attacks, disease and sickness, layoffs, children gone astray or anything else! Somebody in this house will heed the Lord’s advice, "don’t worry about tomorrow." Jesus said, "…Today has enough stuff to keep your mind occupied." The Lord said, "…You take care of today and let Me deal with tomorrow!" And, so it is with 2003.
Body
In our text, that Afro-Asiatic apostle, that Gospel Globetrotter, Paul reminds us of the words of the prophet Isaiah. He says, "your eyes have not seen, your ears have not heard, and your mind has not even conceived the things God has prepared for those who love Him." En othra parabras, "Baby, You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet!"
We want to share two points with you:
1. Fall deeply in love with God.
2. Embrace the benefits of being deeply in love with God.
And, since I know that we like our sermons to have 3 points, I’m going to deal with the word - conceive. Prayerfully, this will fulfill our need for 3 points.
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him," but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit."
This statement doesn’t apply to everybody. Paul wasn’t talking to just anybody. Paul was talking to a peculiar people. Paul was talking to a royal priesthood. Paul was talking to people who love God! Paul was talking to the Church! Paul was talking to us!
To get all that God has for in store for you, to be all you can be in 2003, you must fall deeply in love with God. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Well, as simple as it may sound, evidently many so-called Christians (those who claim to love God) struggle in this area. It is said, (talking to Christians), "the only Bible some people will ever read is you!" In other words, the way you live your life is how you demonstrate to the world just how much or just how little you love God. The former generation, the elder saints said it like this: "If you love the Lord, you ought to show some signs!" Jesus told Peter, "If you love me, feed My sheep." I have news for you, these precepts also apply to you and I. But, the question is: what are you feeding God’s sheep through your lifestyle? When we love the Lord with all our hearts, all our minds, and all our souls, then and only then will we be able to love each other and love ourselves. Did you miss the relevance of what I just said? Watch this: If you want to experience real joy, unspeakable joy, you have to get your loving in order. You can’t spell ’joy’ any kind of way. You have to spell it right! Your priorities have to be in order. You must:
- Love J(esus),
- Love O(thers), and;
- Love Y(ourself).
In that divine order. That’s real JOY!
Once you have fallen deeply in love with God, then you qualify for the benefits. We’re making our second point, now. Embrace the benefits of being deeply in love with God. Paul is talking to everybody that loves God, from the youngest to the oldest, from the fastest to the slowest, from the most educated to the least educated. He says, “We might have seen and heard some things in our lives that amazed us, astounded us, and astonished us”, but Paul said that, these little encounters in our lives [these present day sufferings] are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us! But, … its that third sensory reference is what really captures my attention. Paul goes on to say, not only is our sight blurred, and not only is our hearing impaired, but our minds are also quite limited. None of us have conceived in our thoughts, dreams, or imagination the things God has prepared for us - NO ONE! As wise and knowledgeable as Solomon was - he couldn’t even conceive it. I’m really trying to help you here.
I found the word "conceived" 32 times in the Bible. In every single case, it is used as a prerequisite for giving birth! Upon further examination, we can conclude that "conceived" simply means becoming pregnant. In order to give birth, you must first become pregnant. For humankind, it takes two people to become pregnant. It doesn’t matter what scientists come up with (artificial insimination, DNA cloning, etc.) there is no way around the fact that two cells (one male and one female) must join in order to become pregnant. The metaphor is beautiful because principally speaking; the same thing takes place between our minds and the Holy Spirit. An idea, a thought, a vision, a dream must be conceived in our minds by the Holy Spirit before it can be manifested, before it can be born, or before it can become a reality in our lives.
Now, of the 32 occurrences of “conceived” that I found in the Bible, 27 are specifically associated with becoming pregnant with children. The other 5 occurrences are specifically associated with becoming pregnant with thoughts. Furthermore, 4 of these 5 references are thoughts of an ungodly nature. It is only here, in his first letter to Corinth, that Paul uses “conceived” in a positive light concerning a thought of a Godly nature.
Allow me to clarify. You see, I have a vivid, vibrant, vivacious, effervescent imagination about the things I want in this life. I want a beautiful home with elogant furnishings and all of the amenities available. I want a new E-Class 500. I want to travel the world. I want the best life has to offer! And yet, Paul snaps back bluntly and says, "Man, that ain’t nothing!" What’s my point? You should have caught it by now… It’s right there! There are some benefits of being deeply in love with God. And, God has prepared your benefits - ALREADY!
- God has prepared great things for those who love Him, ALREADY.
- God has prepared wonderful things for you and for me, ALREADY.
- God has prepared your deliverance, ALREADY.
- God has prepared your healing, ALREADY.
- God has prepared a career for you, ALREADY.
- God has prepared a bright future for your children, ALREADY!
- God has prepared a table before you in the presence of your enemies, ALREADY!
There’s no need in fretting about the new year. A thousand years is like yesterday to the Lord. Time is in God’s almighty hand and He has it under control... ALREADY!
Conclusion
How can I be so sure? Well, the answer lies in the 10th verse. "but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit." Paul informs us that we have a Resource!
- A Resource full of love.
- A Resource full of grace.
- A Resource full of mercy.
- A Resource full of power.
And it doesn’t stop there; God conceives, God reveals, and God gives birth to His plan for our lives to us through that Resource!
- We can tap into that Resource.
- We can receive power from that Resource.
- We can receive the anointing from that Resource.
- We can receive favor from that Resource!
That Resource is The Holy Spirit! The Lord has already prepared the blessing - to get yours, you have to be sensitive and receptive to the Lord and show Him some love!
There is a song, by an artist named Jaheim, entitled "Fabulous." Although it is secular, the closing chorus is Biblically sound. Young people, help me out as I take my seat. "U-N-I-T-Y is all we need to get our R-E-S-P-E-C-T, so never G-I-V-E U-P and keep your H-E-A-D U-P…”
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him, but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit."
Embrace 2003 because “Baby, You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet!”
