“If They Only Knew”
I Cor. 2:9-10
Today, one this, the first Lord’s day of 2006, I am impressed to bring a word from the Lord, taken from the book of I Corinthians 2, verses 9-10. There we read, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”
· At this time, who here among us can tell what tomorrow holds?
· Who can tell, who will be born in 2006, and who shall die?
· Who, here, can give, with exact detail, that 2006 shall bring?
It is my belief that no man, or woman…no boy or girl, no angel of God or demon of Satan, can impart these facts to us, or to others.
With that said, who knew that on April 19, 1995, as the spring air cooled the exposed faces of men and women, that a madman had placed and detonated a bomb, that would send 168 souls into the embrace of eternity, some prepared, others, not.
Who knew that on September 11, 2001 terrorist would hijack American planes, and fly them into the World Trade Center, some being vaporized in the explosion of jet fuel and the collision? Others, leaping hundreds of feet to the death, hoping against hope, that some how they might survive.
Who knew that on February 1, 2003 that seven of the brightest minds that have graced this earth, would be snatched from us, in that horrific explosive of the Space Shuttle Columbia.
But, Who knew?
It’s safe to say, that if the citizens of Oklahoma City knew that a madman was going to blow up the Murrull Federal Building, they wouldn’t have been anywhere near.
It’s safe to say, that if the thousands of workers in New York knew that radical Muslims were going to fly airplanes into the World Trade Centers, they, too, would have run as far as possible in another direction.
It’s safe to say, that if the seven astronauts of Columbia knew that the heat shields were going to fail on re-entry, they would have foregone that particular flight, and waited for another.
But, Who knew?
As you sit there today, I’m sure that someone, perhaps more than one, is thinking…wishing that they knew what 2006 holds for them.
· Will I find my soul mate?
· Will I be delivered from the slavery of debt?
· Will I be diagnosed with Cancer?
· Will my backslidden child come home?
Some will invest precious time and money, and seek the counsel of a variety of so-called experts.
· It may be the daily horoscope, or the faithful sayings of the Farmers Almanac, perhaps, or the soothing words of a medium or fortune-teller.
As long as time has been, people, including God’s people, have strained to look into the heart of tomorrow, so as to perhaps themselves today.
King Saul, the political leader of Israel, when faced with a problem that his flesh, his Amalek, could not answer, sought the advice of the witch of Endor, causing him to loss his crown.
As well known as the exploits of a prostitute are, the dealings of sooth-sayers, mediums, and false prophets, are just as infamous. So much so, that God has take time to record, for our protection, the guideline for how we, His people can tell if a forth-teller is speaking for God, or fore themselves.
In Deuteronomy 18:22, the Word of God reads, "When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously:"
That is to say, if a man or woman makes a prediction, and that prediction does not come to pass, then they are not of God.
Yet, to this day,
· people, including God’s people, still consult their daily horoscope before going about their day.
· People, including God’s people, read the Farmers Almanac hoping to brace themselves for what might lie ahead.
· People, including God’s people pay soothsayers, mediums, and witches, to tell them what tomorrow holds.
It goes without saying, that this is wrong. But, let me ask a question. If you knew the future, what would you do with it?
· If you knew that a business owner accidentally left their door unlocked, would you go there and rob him?
· If you knew the winning lottery numbers, would you play them?
· If you someone left the keys in their car, would you take it?
· If you knew where a teacher inadvertently dropped the answers to a test, would you go get them and use them?
How you answer those questions tells a lot about your character, or lack thereof. However, today’s message is not on honesty, virtue or Christian character. Instead, I want to talk about…tomorrow.
As we look forward to what 2006 will bring, I want you to know, with all confidence, that What You See, Is Not What You Get!
Why do I say this? Take a look at verse 9 of our text. It reads, ‘But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear hear, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.”
Did you see it? “Eye hath not seen, …the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” So, no matter what you saw in 2005, or what you think you see in this first day of 2006, I’m here to tell you that, What You See Is Not What You Get.
And, I praise God for that.
Have you ever gone to a restaurant, and ordered something off the menu, because the picture looked so good? What happened when your food arrived? Did it look like the picture? Of course not. No restaurant can deliver a meal that looks as delicious as the one in the picture. So, What You See Is Not What You Get, even when it comes to food.
But, I’m here to tell you, church family, God can do a ‘heap-boo-coo’ better at delivering on His promises, than any restaurant.
· No one has ever sent a promise back to God, and ask Him to do it better.
· No one has ever received a promise from God, and was disappointed, because it wasn’t as pretty as the one on the menu.
How do I know this? Ephesians 3:20 tells me, ‘Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,…’
Now, I’ll tell you, I have a vivid imagination. I can come up with some doosey’s, when it comes to my imagination. So, when I read Ephesians 3:20, God better be ready to ‘show-up and show-out’!!
And, guess what? He’s done just that!
· Over the years, God has done things for me that I shutter to speak.
· He’s pull my bacon out of the fire, more times than I care to remember.
· He’s given me things, good things, in the presence of my enemies.
· He’s exalted me to a position of respect and prominence in His ministry.
Yes, church family, God has ‘shown-up and showed out’
· You’re looking a man, who 6 years ago, was delivering pizza’s for Papa John’s out of the family’s minivan.
· A man who 8 years ago, was selling plasma, down on 23rd and Western, to get gas money to go to work.
· You’re looking at a man, who has stripped and waxed floors, emptied trashcans, and cleaned windows, just to make ends meet.
· And some months, regardless of what I did, the ends did see each other, let alone get to meet each other.
Yet, today…
· You’re looking at a man who has earned one of the highest degrees that can be awarded to someone in the ministry.
· You’re looking at a man, who has been married for more than 17 years, and has yet to have one argument with his bride.
· You’re looking at a man who has been featured in a national magazine.
· You’re looking at a man who has earned more money in one month, than some people earn in one year.
So, you can see that my God HAS ‘showed up and showed out’, in my life. Why should I fear tomorrow, when I have this kind of God on my side today?
· The God I serve was in control of yesterday, when I was delivering pizza’s,
· He is in control of today, when I’m delivering a sermon, and
· He will be in control of tomorrow, No Matter What Comes My Way!
And If You Only Knew the God that I serve,
· you would have no fear of tomorrow, …
· no hesitation of what 2006 has in store for you, …
· no trepidation or wonder about what might happen.
Why? Because the God I serve can ‘show up and show out’ in your life, as well as mine.
But not only is, What You See Not What You Get, but verse 9 tells us, What You Hear Ain’t All To be Heard.
Look at verse 9, “But at it is written, Eye hath not seen, not ear heard…the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
· The devil may have told you that, you’ll never amount to anything.
· That God has given up on you.
· That God doesn’t love you, because of what happened to you in 2005.
Well, you know, and I know, and this church knows,… the devil is a liar, so why bother listening to him, anyway!!
· Your flesh may have told you that the best days of Grace and Glory are behind us.
· Amalek may have said that we’ll always be here, having church at 8801 N. Western.
· That we’ll never get our own building.
· That we’ll never have more than a handful of folks.
But, I said before you today, this first Lord’s day of 2006, to let the devil know…to let your flesh know, to let the forces of heaven and earth know, that what God starts, God finishes!
Philippians 1:6 reads, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”
I’m here to tell you that what you heard, ain’t all to be heard. Why?
· Because my God still has the cattle on a thousand hills!
· Because my God still hears and answers prayer!
· Because my God still loves All of His little children, especially those at Grace and Glory!
So, I hate to be the bearer of Bad News, Mr. Devil, …I hate to burst the bubble of your Mr. Or Ms. Amalek,
· but what they heard about William Noel, ain’t all to be heard.
· What they heard of Grace and Glory, ain’t all to be heard.
· What they heard of you and you and you, ain’t all to be heard.
Because eye hath not seen, nor ear heard….the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.
But that’s not all. Verse 9 gives us one more “som-thin~som-thin’ to consider. Look at it, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen not ear heard, …neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
The last proposition I want you to consider is, What Your Heart Feels, Ain’t All To Be Felt!
Often times, when things go wrong, we say things like, ‘Well God knows my heart.’ Or, ‘Charge it to my head and not my heart. ‘ I’ve said it from time to time, and so have you. But, if the words of Jeremiah 17:9 are true, maybe we should boast on the virtue of our hearts. That verse reads, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
The heart, my heart, your heart, is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked…who can know it? I’ll tell you who knows it, God knows it!
Your heart may be telling you right now,
· This is as good as it gonna get
· What you feel, is the best you’ll ever feel
· What you sense, is all to be sensed.
Well, just remember the words of Jeremiah 17:9, ‘The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked’
And, this knowledge of our heart leads God to give us things better than our heart can even imagine. Let me say it another way, the best your heart could dream up for itself, is dung, human waste, in the sight of God. That’s why our heart can’t even imagine the things that God has prepared for us, …if we love Him!
We need to stop letting our heart felt feelings dictate our passion for Christ. What we need is a Holy Ghost Revival in our Soul. We need a Spiritual Awakening in our Spirit Man. We need a fire placed on our tongue, like Isaiah. We need a burning in our bones Like Ezekiel. We need God to fill us with His Spirit, so that we’d start living our life in and through and by the leadership of the Spirit of God, and not according to the deceitfulness of our heart!
· Church family, if you only knew how much God loves you, you would repent in tears and shame, at the thought of fearing what 2006 holds for you.
· If you only knew that all of the promises of God and ‘Yea and Amen’, in your life, you would stop worrying, …and start praying.
· If you only knew the joy that the Father has in blessing His children, you’d do those things that position you to be blessed, to the glory of Almighty God.
· If you only knew how many windows there are in heaven, you’d have no hesitation in asking God to open one your way!
· If you only knew more about Jesus, you’d understand the words He spoke, “I’ll NEVER leave you nor forsake you!”
· If you only knew the depth of the words “Abba, Father” you’d speak them right now, causing heaven to attend to your beck and call.
· If you only knew the words of the song, “He’s Got The Whole World In His Hand” aren’t just words, but rather a statement of fact.
· If you only knew…If you only knew…If you only knew!
But how can you know?
I imagine, someone here today wants to know these things, and then some. Is it possible to know these things! Yes, it is! How do I know. Take a look at verse 9 again. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
You say, Pastor Noel, we’ve read that verse, again and again, and I still don’t know how I can know. Then, you better take a look at verse 10: “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”
Verse 9 tells us that What We See Ain’t What We Get…It tells us that What We Heard, Ain’t All To Be Heard…verse 9 tells us that What Your Heart Feels, Ain’t All To Be Felt. If we were to stop right there, we would be left to believe that NO ONE can ever see, hear and feel, those things that God has for us in the realm of tomorrow.
Oh, but praise be to God for verse 10: “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”
Did you notice the tense of the verb ‘hath’? It’s present tense. That means that He has, right now, revealed those things to us. Not, He’s going to reveal them in the future, or He did reveal them in the past. He has revealed them to us, right now, in the present.
If They Only Knew, should be I Already Know:
· I Already Know, that my God has showed up and showed out, in my life!
· I Already Know, that my God has the whole world in His hands, including 2006!
· I Already Know, that my God hears and answers my prayers!
· I Already Know, that my God will never leave me, nor forsake me!
· I Already Know, that what God has for me is for me!
· I Already Know, that I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
o I am persuaded that, if I become a millionaire or die a pauper, Jesus still loves me
o I am persuaded that, if I leave to be 100, or come down with Cancer, God is still in charge.
o I am persuaded that, if we build a new building, or get thrown out on the streets, God ain’t through with Grace and Glory Baptist Church.
But, my question to you is: Are You persuaded? My question to you is, Do You Already Know?
You see, right now, the Holy Spirit wants to reveal something to you.
· But if you’re not saved, He can’t do it, just yet.
· If you’re backslidden, He’s not on speaking terms with you, right now.
· If you’ve grieved Him with unconfessed sins, He’s waiting for you to repent.
· If you’ve quenched Him, He’s waiting for you to stop resisting.
I believe with all my heart, that God’s Spirit IS in the revealing business today. Whether or not He’s revealed it to YOU, is up to YOU!
