Download... July 24, 2011. Sunday Morning Service. Bro. Dave Goble.
TEXT: ISAIAH 59:1-4
1 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.
4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.
It was not that God could not hear, but their iniquities of their heart that had distanced them from Him.
What a merciful God we serve! The congregational chorus we sang earlier, “Peace Like a River,..Love like a Fountain,..etc., is relevant to what we will talk more about.
Isaiah 50: 1 Thus saith the Lord, Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.
God is saying “Have I billed you the divorcement? No,..it is because of your iniquities,..that you have sold yourselves to the enemy of your soul. It was not because God has failed to hear, save you, etc., but mankind has caused their own separation from His help. It is not God’s will that you be separated from Him! No child of God/saint wants to think that God has stopped “hearing them.” There may be times of “dark valleys,” places of discouragement, etc., causing others to erroneously speculate that iniquity is a cause of your dilemma. ..Let God be the judge of that. It is often the worldly life styles, choices, meditations, etc., that will separate them from God’s holy paths in life. The bible has a lot to say about “hearing.” Revelations 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. Has God stopped hearing you?
Mark 12: 29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
Our God is not of a multiple concept of gods. People too often put their treasures in this world, in essence making many gods in their lives. God will not be shared. He ask for ALL of our heart! Iniquity, (or sin),.. is not often heard or defined as the bible defines it. Iniquity is a word hardly heard at all, (except in the bible). God sent His son, for the remedy of iniquity. If there is still in your heart,.. an abiding of iniquity,.. it is not on God’s part. Often folks say they pray about “this or that.” But is God hearing you? Sin separates! This notion gets into mankind’s hearts that they are not of sin or evil,.. even though they do not forsake sin. They often are involved in circumstances, that they know are an alteration of God’s holy will. Yet,..they are convinced they are not sinning. They are deceived into a backslidden condition, if they were formerly redeemed from sin. Slowly,..leaking out. Why does it happen? Because they have not held on to “their first love.” A sliding back, a leaking out, ...took place in their spiritual vessel.
Bro Goble told of an experience of his in the “corporate world,” trying to find out where the company’s “leakage” was coming from. They wanted to identify it. Spiritually speaking, people often “spring” leaks in their hearts,..away from God. The Holy Spirit is needed to help us to “own” where those “leaks” are, and to have God “plug” them up. Otherwise if not careful, you will “leak out” entirely. “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches.” Revelations 2:17a He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; .. Has God stopped hearing you?.......
The relationship comes naturally between God and His children,.. just as He desires it to be. Bro Goble made reference to the prior Thursday’s service, of how in the message “we asked people to ask the ‘why’ of ‘what’ we do in the things of God,.. and otherwise.” Bro David Goble also shared how he cannot entirely trust himself. Because we are ALL human, we all have human weaknesses. Anything we can trust,.. is because God is there! The strongest one needs to not entirely trust themselves alone. Evil resides in humanity. Evil obviously does not reside in God, and is why He should be our only source of placing our complete trust in. Our trust cannot be successfully put in any temporal thing or being. We can only have true faith in God alone!
I Kings 18:37 Hear me O LORD, hear me, that this people may know, that thou art the Lord God, and thou hast turned their heart back again.
Here the prophet’s cry was for God to hear him, to make known His power. God would not hear the false prophets because of the iniquities in their lives. We need assurance,.. He is the creator, ..we the created! We are doubtful in our human nature, He is our only true source of infinite power and confidence. People always need assurance, and security. That’s why the born again experience is so valuable. If not possessing it, you’ll buy into the spiritual criticisms so prevalent in the world today.
Bro Goble can remember when God did not hear him, and that he was bound for hell. It was a merciful knowledge God had convicted him with. He remembers also the day when he confessed and forsook all his sins. Then God did hear him! There was a true experience gained then. So many “intellectuals” get mixed up because they do not acknowledge where their confidence should be. In the “natural” people often succeed financially when they put their “investments” in that which is proving itself. Some often explain all spiritual needs away because of allowing their satisfaction to be in their flesh and sin. When "those,".. take their last breath,..they will not escape facts. Has God stopped hearing you?
Sin requires motivation,.. and understanding. Matthew 19:13,14 13Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. 14But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. Children of heart are they, that do not wrong ...based in motivation or intent. Likewise spiritually we may ignorantly do things that do not please God. The difference is the attitude of repentance for anything displeasing to God that we learn of. There must be an attitude of repentance for any error. Joy comes from the well of salvation, because of an attitude of repentance for anything displeasing to Him. Is there still an attitude of repentance from love bubbling out, within you?
Before knowing God, guilt often motivates,.. as to presumptuously expect God’s acceptance. After Salvation,.. an attitude, and contrite heart motivates even our “unconscious” actions. An attitude of repentance can be lost though, even from God’s children if they spiritually become cold, into a backslidden heart condition. We must be ever concerned with whether God hears us, or we will not eventually be aware if we “lose out” to a spiritual state, where God will not hear us. We cannot “count on” our faithful church attendance, good works, church membership, etc. Those things cannot give us a substitute for spiritual strength in salvation, as from the application of Christ’s shed blood. If God is not your supreme treasure, ..He will not hear you. Matthew 6: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Bro Goble shared how when Sis Elina from Cuba was visiting, he told her that his “job” is to manage what other men before him have “built.” All our work for God is to be added, or built upon by the next generation of God’s true servants,..to “water” and nurture in continued “building.” Even then though the principal held is that there is no little i’s or big u’s ,...there is biblically a “pecking” order of office. God has placed them to shepherd us locally.
We need to fear the day when God does not “move us.” When there is no longer toward us, a “moving of the water,” ..or spirit. Bro Goble shared his knowledge of a religious group that are not Amish, but dress similarly,..with clothes like the 1800’s, of dark material, high necks, long sleeves, etc., for the sole reason to show society what God’s church looked like in earlier times. Their illustration though is not needed,.. as God is still the God of revelation.
The truth in principal never changes. In minor ways only, do we find variations down through the ages, to meet the different circumstances of the then,.. present times. God then does so,.. to meet those current needs. Guilt,..who needs to walk around with it? It is something a portion of mankind uses for a “religious control.” But guilt, in a sense of truth, comes from God to cause conviction for doing that which they understand is wrong. It is a spiritual safety valve, to cause a natural pressure to lead back to God. Guilt is necessary. God has provided it as a way to show us our need to obtain a clean heart, soul, or conscious. The problem often is, that too many live with a heavy guilt,..that they were/are not willing to repent of. Not willing to give up their sin. This is somewhat because of false religion telling lies to their people. To have truth, you must have a repentant heart, forsaking all your sins, ..be rid of your guilt. False religion often claim “no guilt” in their teachings,..saying guilt is “old fashioned or antiquated.” Has God stopped hearing you?
We need to consider a parable here,..using our coastline “meeting” the sea. The “forces wear on these coastlines, which remain, ..it is unchangeable. The shore in a small sense does change. The coastline is like life. If we are the land, life meets at the coastline, causing changes through the tides. A lot of forces are in play. If we build a house on the coast,..where we exactly build it, determines the endurance, ...or determines if your house survives, etc. Spiritually, we live on the coastline, whether we like it or not. Life’s tides will happen whether we serve God or not. How we build,.. will determine whether or not we survive. If we knowingly choose a “precarious spot,” that will determine if we spiritually survive whatever in life happens to us.
Bro Goble shared how he enjoys a good storm on the coast, as long as he is in a safe place, enjoying a warm fire. How exciting! God helps us to build in a safe place spiritually on a secure foundation in His word. Your coastline of life, ...will change. We don’t need to fear, though, the “coastline” will always be there. What we do need to be concerned about, is where we are building on it, ...so we won’t have a spiritual loss. How, ..or where you build, can cause a separation between yourself, and God’s sustaining will, if it entails iniquities within. If you see a “crack” in your spiritual house,..you better get help,..do something about your spiritual needs ..for your spiritual life’s sustenance. Be tender to the voice of God. Seek His forgiveness for any errors.
Can God hear you?
