The Chatterbox - Week 1 Series

Crash the Chatterbox

April 27, 2014

Isaiah 55:1-3

The voice you give your attention to will determine your future. If you listen to the world’s way of living life, of doing your own thing, of being your own god, of serving your interests and needs — then add to that the voices you hear in your head and heart . . . the voices which tell you, you can’t, you won’t, you shouldn’t, you’re not good enough, you’re not — then that’s the way you will move throughout life.

You can spend your whole life trying to fix everything around you, and never realize you’re being sabotaged from within yourself. To do the will of God doesn’t mean we can just flick the devil off our shoulder. So, stop blaming the devil, the battlefield is our heart and mind. Don’t blame the devil. Start transforming your mind with the will and word of God.

We need to learn how to defy our inner critic. Those voices always talking to us, telling us how bad we are. The voices I hear when I’m preaching. Oh, we all hear them – “They don’t like your messages, they don’t like the jokes, that one is asleep. You don’t do things the right way, you don’t talk the right way, you don’t dress the right way. Sermons are too long, not long enough, too many videos.”

It’s all around us - - - Chatter – chatter – Chatter – chatter – Chatter – chatter

However, if we can learn to dispel those other voices, and learn to focus on God’s voice. To hear the promises God has for us — the promises which will certainly defeat the lies which are being cast our ways — then, then we will have the opportunity to live the abundant life Christ is calling us to live. But we must choose.

Have you ever forgotten something, it’s not a big deal what you forgot, but the first thoughts are — “I’m an idiot! I’m so stupid! We think about what a disgrace to the world we are!” I thought that on Friday. I was working on this sermon and I forgot my earbuds. I only have about 3 pairs of earbuds and 2 pairs of headphones. You would think that’s enough, but my favorite pair of earbuds is missing. I was using a backup, but I forgot the back up at home, and had to use the back up for my back up! I looked in my car and thought . . . ‘you’re an idiot!’ All worked well with my 3rd back up. But, it’s the negative words . . . the lies which we ultimately believe. Those words bring us down.

With that in mind, listen to this invitation from Isaiah.

1 Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters;

and he who has no money, come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,

and your labor for that which does not satisfy?

Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,

and delight yourselves in rich food.

3 Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live;

and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,

my steadfast, sure love for David.

Do you hear that invitation from Isaiah. It’s to all of us. And all of us, none excluded — we’re all thirsty. We’re all wounded in one way or another. Now, Isaiah is speaking to people who have been disobedient. The Israelites have been led astray by their wrong desires; they’ve turned from God and now God is inviting His people back. God wants to have a relationship with his people and He wants them to have lives which are full of His abundant love, grace and power.

Did you hear how much money you needed to come to God’s store to buy and eat? Look back at verse 1~

1 Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters;

and he who has NO MONEY, come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk WITHOUT MONEY and WITHOUT PRICE.

Now, can you imagine going to the grocery store and getting ready to pay for your groceries and the cashier said, it’s paid for! WOW! What a blessing! And God has done that for us. He took on that sacrifice so we wouldn’t have to pay. This is part of the invitation to come back into relationship. This is not being said because they were on good behavior. They were on bad behavior and this is God’s offer to come back, to be in relationship with Him. Oh, folks, we have a great God, don’t we?!

Now, I want you to hear again, what God is telling the people, because it most definitely applies to us ~