Block Out The Noise

Second Peter chapter three. I'm actually going to go to three different places in Scripture to set up the message today and what I feel like God has for us. The first spot is gonna be Second Peter chapter three, and then we're gonna go to Numbers 13, and then Joshua 14. And as I read these — for the, uh, the ministers — ministers — ministry, and the — in the group — you may scratch your head a little bit, but I promise I'm going to do my best to weave this together with the Lord's help. So stick with me. Don't check out right off the bat. You know, preachers are bad about that. I'm guilty, too. Sometimes I get out there, and someone gets up, and they use a verse, and I'm like, "I know what's going to be." No, I'm going to go against me, too. So you don't know where I'm going. Look at your neighbors, say, "We don't know." And I don't know either. So how can you know, if I don't know? I just know what God told me to start with. And I've been working on this. And some of you in the crowd that have ministered before, you probably felt like this tour. I got, I got about this much of this much message. So I just finally said, "All right, God, I'm just going to hang on, and we'll see where it goes." But I want to preach "Block Out the Noise." Block out the noise.

II Peter 3. Peter write, he said: "Beloved, I now write unto you a second epistle, and both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder." So he's reminding us here — and everybody following so far? We're being reminded: "That you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before, the holy prophets, and of the commandments of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior. Knowing this first, that scoffers will come in the last day" — uh-oh, I believe we're in the last day, and I believe the scoffers are among us. They're in our society. They're in our world. "Walking according to their own lust, and saying, Where's the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." Skipping down to verse 9, says: "The Lord is not slack concerning His promises." He hasn't forgotten. He didn't say something and forget He said it. I'm guilty of that. You're probably guilty of that, too. Not God. "He's not slack concerning His promises, as some encounter slackness, but His longsuffering told us, not willing that any should perish, but this should all come to repentance."

Numbers chapter 13, verse 30. And if you will give me a little liberty to use the NIV for this verse today — I like how it says it says: "Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses, and said, We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."

Joshua 14, verse 13: "And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb, the son of Jupiter, Hebron for an inheritance. Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb, the son of Jupiter, the Kinsaid, unto this day, because that he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel."

Block out the noise. Jesus, I'm so thankful that You are here. Your presence has filled this place where we are, and I know You desire, God, to have Your will fulfilled today. I pray for the next little bit that You would anoint our hearts and minds to receive Your already anointed word, that Your will be done. In Jesus' name we pray, and amen.

You know, in our day and age, there's a lot of weight that is giving to professional athletes in our society. Their talent, their ability, and agility, whatever you want to say, it seems to cause them to be placed upon pedestals, as examples of what we could look to in our world. Now here's — here's the deal: not all professional athletes are bad people. There are some who are very self-serving and self-focused, but not all. There are some who are actually pretty good people. Now I'm not saying that they are scripturally, or theology — theologically correct in — in the life that they live. I'm just saying, they're — they can be good people. But one of the things I find most interesting about professional athletes is this: is their ability to block out the noise when it comes time to play. All of them, for the most part, have this ability there, that they can — they can turn off the crowd. They can turn off all of the negative things that have been said. They can — they can seemingly, uh, forget, uh, bad plays that have just happened. They can block out the noise that is there, so much so that they've actually done studies, and — and — and tried to dive into the mind of — of athletes, and what gives them this ability over what would be normal individuals in life. In fact, there was one of the studies that I read that talked about that they have the ability to filter out — talking about professional athletes — filter out the background noise, and to listen to the important information, and to concentrate. That they discovered that even in — in — in places where the crowd noise would be so loud, that professional athletes had learned how to tune in to specific voices that were there, whether that was the voice of the quarterback for football, or the coach on the sideline during a basketball game, or — or in a baseball, whatever the case may be, they — they had the ability to be able to block out the background noise that was going on, and learn to listen and tune into the voice that they were trying to hear.

In fact, one — when — so neuroscientist Dr. Nina Krass of Northwestern University says that they have discovered an enhanced ability to tamp down background electrical noise in their brain. She says this: "While playing a sport, they have an enhanced ability to listen to their coach or teammates that are seemingly physically far away. They've learned how to tune in their auditory ability to determine the distinct sound of the voice they're listening for." Now I know about you, but as I begin to read that, something inside of me begin to stir: that in the world in which we're living in, where there's so much noise all around us, we are bombarded with information constantly in our life. The news cycle never ends. The stories are all around us. We — we have no lack of information available at our fingertips, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. It's there. With all of the stuff that's going on, I'm — I'm feeling like we need a reminder, that it's our responsibility to block out the noise around us, so that I can better tune in to the voice of my God. For He has not stopped talking. He has not stopped talking. He is continually trying to — to lend His voice into our life. But there are so many other things that we have either been immersed in, by no fault of our own, or that we have allowed to come into our life unaware, and they are blocking the very voice that is trying to guide us. We must be very careful.

When I look at the story of — of Caleb in the Bible — Caleb was one of 12 spies who were given direction by God to go and evaluate the gifts that God had for them. The story is this, and I feel like most in the room will be familiar, but just in case we have, uh, someone here that maybe isn't fully, uh, aware of the story: there had come a time when — when God's chosen people had found themselves enslaved in the nation of Egypt. What I find interesting here is that when they arrived in Egypt, they — they came, and they were given the very best of the land. Joseph had went ahead, and he has his own, a very unique and fascinating story, about how that he had been given a dream by God that he was going to be elevated up. And he had no idea what the process was, and — and he really had a — had a — had a trouble keeping his mouth shut, from telling everything that he thought was going to happen. He landed himself in some trouble. But all along the while, we were constantly told by the word of God that God was with Joseph. And even though things didn't go by a plan scripted by man — because if you and I want to script our stories, I promise you, and I will not put any difficulties in there. It'll all be sunshine and smooth sailing. If we are pinning our own story, we — we won't, we want right into that story struggles and trials and difficulties, sicknesses, and all — we leave those things out, if we're writing the story. But Joseph was — was doing his best to maintain the relationship with God. But God took him through some highs and lows, all the way to a prison camp. But through that whole process, God was putting things into Joseph that He was going to pull out later, when He elevated him.

I'm speaking to somebody at the very beginning of this message: don't discount what you're going through right now in your life. It could be the very things that are setting you up for the fulfillment for which God has — has had a plan for you from the very beginning in your life. And it could be that the very thing you're trying to pray out of your life, God has purposely put into your life, so that He could pull it out later.

But when — but when Israel, Joseph's dad, shows up with his brothers in there, they were given the very best, because Joseph had been good. We love the words when Joseph is being confronted by his brothers, and he says these things: "What you intended for evil, God intended for good. What you thought was going to be getting rid of me, God took that very thing, and He allowed me to be in the position that I'm in today." But somehow we're not given all the information. The very thing that they were given ended up becoming the very thing that enslaved them. Oh, there's a message right there. Somebody had to preach that. The very opportunity that had been given to them, somewhere along the line — became the very thing that enslaved them. And we find that 400 years later, they're enslaved, and Egypt is ruling over them. They begin to cry out to God. God hears their cries, and — and fast forward the story: He uses Moses, and He brings them out. He proves not only that He listens to His people, but that He has the ability to remove them from the things that have enslaved them. And He brings them out and says: "I want to be your God. I think I've proven Myself to you. And I want you to be My people. I want you to be very distinct. I want you to be set aside. I want you to — to know that you belong to Me, and — and that I'm a very jealous God. And — and I also want you to know, I didn't just bring you out to wander you around, for you to be a people with no country, but I'm gonna give you a land." In fact, they referred to it as the promised land. It was a land that the word of God says it was flowed with milk and honey. It was a place where — where there was going to be an abundance, and life was going to be good. This was what was promised to them.

And as they get up to the edge of the promise that God has for them — the very God who proved Himself, the very God who showed He was faithful, the very God that said, "I'll take care of your enemies," the very God who drowned the army in front of them, the very God who performed all the miracles — says, "I'm going to give you something." That God said: "I've chosen men from among you, 12 men, and I want them to go and look at what I'm going to give you."

If I went up to one of my daughters and I said — I think they're here. Any, all, any of my kids in the room today? I think they're here somewhere out there. Did you bring them? Oh, there's one back there. Kaylee, if I went to Kaylee, my oldest, and said: "Kaylee, I'm going to take you over here to the car lot, and I'm going to purchase a car for you. I want to buy a car for you. I just want you to go over there, before I get there though, and I just want you to look at the car that I have. I've already picked it out and set aside at your car. Just want you to go evaluate the car." I won't tell you right now, that girl would be excited. She would be so happy. Because what I — what Dad has said — because Dad has proven to be a man of his word. I think you'd say that, wouldn't you, Kaylee? Wouldn't you — the Dad's a man of his word? That she would have full confidence, that if I said I've — I've already picked your glasses, when she goes, that she's going to go over there, and that that car belongs to her. I don't think she's going to go over there and say, "Well, Dad, I see the car that's there, but you know, it's — it's got a scratch on it." And — and — and Dad — I just — and began to see flaws. She would see the gift.

See, the — the children of Israel were given the gift of a promised land. The instructions that were given was for the spies to go and check out what I'm giving you, and see if it is a good land, see if it does not check off all the boxes that I said were going to be there: a lamb that would flow with milk and honey, a land that would be fruitful land, in a place where you would want to raise your families. That was what the job description was, was to go evaluate what I'm giving you. I don't think any of us here are confused with the job description. But yet, somewhere along the way, we see they misunderstood the job.

Numbers 13 and 2 says: "Send out men to explore the land of Cana, the land that I am to give the Israelites. Send one leader from each of the 12 ancestral tribes." But somehow 10 of the 12 missed the point, that He was giving it to him. Somehow ten of the twelve forgot that God had brought them out of Egypt. Somehow ten of the twelve seemingly forgot that He drowned Pharaoh's army in the water. Somehow ten of the twelve seen what God did not ask them to see. They were short-sighted. Instead of seeing the plenty that was there, they seen that there were walls too large, and giants who were too big. Some — some reason they forgot the victories, and the deliverances, and the provision that God had for them.

Why are we so prone and easy to forget the good, and only remember the bad? Why is it that we seem to always focus on the negative, and what didn't work out quite the way we wanted to, and forget how good God has been? Why is it that we'll hone in on one situation that didn't go according to our plan, and according to our definition, and according to the way that we would have scripted, and somehow forgot all the other times in life when God has proven Himself to be faithful, time and time again — that He was a provider, that He was a healer, that He was a restorer, that He was a savior? Somehow it erases all of those things, because there'll be one instance where it didn't go the way we thought it should have went, and that negates everything else that God has ever done.

And what we see, this is what's taking place here in the story. For God had given the word: "It's yours. I just want you to go look at it before you possess it." See, we got to be very careful and what we pay attention to, and what noise we're allowing to influence our life. Because when we allow the noise in, it causes us to hesitate. And I want you to know, church, there's a danger in hesitation.

Israel had left the land of Egypt. It had left slavery in captivity, after being there right at 400 years. They came to a place called Qaddish Barnia. The word Kadish, if you look it up and study it, in its simplest form simply means holy, or holiness. Being holy does not only mean that I am being withdrawn from something, but it means I'm being withdrawn unto something. Here Israel had an opportunity, that God had taken them away from the very thing that had enslaved them, and is going to bring them into something that was going to bountifully bless them for the rest of their lives. However, they seen all the things that they themselves could not accomplish and conquer, and that is all they focused on. When they got to the point of separation, they found their faith and their patience were being tested. And somebody here today in this room, somebody listening online, needs to hear me today: that the — the reality is simply this — only once your faith and patience starts being tested, is God really bringing you into the good things He has for you in your life. There is the initial experience that we all love and we have, and a wonderful opportunity to think back on, when God met us in an altar, or a special prayer time in our life, and God was so good, and it seemed to you and I, we didn't have to do a whole lot but cry out, and God met us right there where we were. That same thing took place to the children of Israel. They were enslaved, and God heard their cry, and He sent Moses to tell them that "I hear what you're saying, and I'm going to bring you out of that." But along the way, God does not always repeat Himself in the same manner. Usually we find this, those that have been living for God for a while, and that is that God is constantly stretching our faith, and — and showing us how He continues to operate in different areas and different ways in our life. And God was doing the very same thing here. Faith and patience are both going to be tested along the way. You should expect this in your life. You're going to have to listen to some bad reports from some people that are around you. But I'm here to tell you: let every man be a liar, and God be true. His word is forever settled. And if He has spoke something over you, I promise you today, He intends to see that work finished and completed, until the very end.

There's always going to be negative people in your life. There's always going to be a naysayer around. But my God is true. My God is faithful. He has never left me down. I may not have always understood why, but He has stood by me time and time again. Not everybody's going to be happy for you. Not everybody's going to be happy that you're making changes, drawn in closer to God. Matter of fact, it'll surprise you sometimes: the very ones you thought would be supportive of your decision to live and follow after God oftentimes end up being your biggest detractors, the very ones who'll cause you to trip and stumble. It's so confusing, because we don't understand this.

There's always going to be noise we have to block out. I've known that God is doing a special thing in our church. I was talking about it in the last half of 21, that God was beginning to stir some folks into new areas of prayer, new areas of dedication. And — and I've seen, on an individual level, that people have been making some changes in their life. I feel like — and this is not just preach or talk, this is not just pastor motivating you — but I feel like this 22 is going to be the greatest year Center Point's ever had. But we have to be careful with this, okay? Hey, I don't mind you clapping. I'm not trying to cut you off. But we got to be very careful with this, okay? For this reason: is there's so much noise going on around us, that oftentimes we can miss what God is doing. There's so much going on in our world, so — many things that we — we're having to adjust to, and — and — and — and get ourselves positioned into this new reality that we're living in, and — and — and — and what has taken place in our life over the last two years. And — and dealing with covet, and dealing with the separation, and dealing with — with vaccines, and dealing with — with — with — with everything that comes along on that. And on top of that, you throw in the, uh, how our economy is doing, and inflation. And you throw on top of that, now we have wars, and — and rumors of wars, and things are being set in emotion. And then you tell, on top of that, political unrest and instability inside a nation who's always seemingly be rock solid on everything. You throw on top of that, that we're as divided as a country as we have ever been in. And without being fully, uh, engaged: noise, noise, noise, noise, noise. Everywhere I look there's noise. Everywhere I look there's noise. There's stories, there's noise, and it's constantly bombarding where I'm at. But I want you to know, in the background, with everything going on, the church is still alive and well. And God is still moving. People are still being filled with the Holy Ghost, baptized in Jesus' name. We're pushing into new countries. Things are going on in the background. Noise, noise, noise. The enemy's trying to silence what's going on. But I'm telling you: victory, victory, victory, victory, victory, victory is in the background of our lives. We had over 20 people filled with the Holy Ghost since we turned the first of this year. We had over 20 baptized in Jesus' name. And I promise you, in all likelihood, before this service is overlay, somebody's going to be filled with the Holy Ghost today. So I'm telling you, block out the noise.

Kadish Barnia should have been a place of conquest, but instead it became a place of hesitation. They hesitated on the edge of greatness. They hesitated looking at their promise. The Bible's full of people who did the very same thing they did. Lot's wife, in the middle of deliverance, look back and hesitated. Demas, in the New Testament, hesitated too long, and his love for the world cost him. Agrippa was almost persuaded, but would have hesitated in a moment, and didn't allow conviction to have its full work. The rich young ruler stopped short of the greatest commandment. Absent, a man who — who — who died gambling with a final decision. Balaam became so competent in his backslidden state. Be careful when you find your place itself in a place of victory, and you hesitate.

The human heart often has a similar response with some of the very best of intentions that come in life, and purposes. Right when they come to the point of blossoming, you stop and fall short of what God fully had intended for your life. And the warmth and confidence, and in that environment, hope glows, and things are set in motion. But in the chill of hesitation and delay, it can cause you to wither and die.

I'm here to say something very important. If you're a note taker, don't miss this point. We must always remember, in the spiritual concept, to hesitate us to backslide. For we are always in motion. We are either moving closer to God, or we are drifting away. We are never setting steel. And the moment you come up to a point of hesitation, you have stopped the progress in your life. And so, stopping, you are sliding backwards. Be very, very careful. To refuse to listen to the call of God on your life is to back up from where you have already been. And spiritual life can never afford to be static. We are called to be dynamic in all that we do, because we have a God who's dynamic in everything that He does. We have a God who is always moving forward, who is always about victory, who is always about pushing in our lives. Never forget: once God has set your life in motion, He will finish the work. Desire — Philippians 1 and 6: "Be confident, be confident, be confident, be competent of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you, we'll perform it, we'll see it through." If you're going to be confident, it's called out right here. Be confident in this, that nothing but you can stop this. Nothing but you can stop this. The enemy can't stop it. He would if he could, but he can't. So he convinces you. He convinces you that — and in the moment you hesitate, you stop the progress that is there. You got to be careful what God's doing. He's setting stuff in motion.

I'm — I'm preaching to somebody right now, that you're — you're in a state of hesitation. You're in a state of idol, right now. And I'm trying to preach to you that you don't need to stay there. You're so dangerous and vulnerable in a state of hesitation, when God has provided you an opportunity for victory in your life. The New Living says this: "I am certain that God, who begin a good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished." He's not giving up on you, until you get to where He wants you to be. He wants to finish what He started in you. Don't be discouraged. Don't give up. He will finish. You've got to learn how to block out the noise. Learn how to block out the negativity, and the noise of failure, and the noise of our culture, and the noise of social media, and the noise of your detractors. You got to learn to push that stuff into the background. They're always going to be somebody to tell you you can't. But I'm here to tell you that God is on your side.

The 12 spies go into the land of Canaan. They go in to look around. They admired the fruit, how that it grew in abundance. They admired the land, and how comfortable it would be, places that they were gonna be able to move into, homes that they didn't build with their own hands, pastures that they — they were going to be able to let their livestock grazed in, gardens that they didn't plant. But yet the fenced cities and the giants who inhabited them somehow terrorized their hearts. Listen to their words in Numbers 13 and 32: "And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we had gone to search it, is the land that eateth up its inhabitants thereof. And all the people that we saw in it are men of great statue. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants. And we were in our sights grasshoppers, and so we were in their sights."

All of a sudden, they walked away from the — from the — from the truth that God said: "This is your land. It's going to belong to you. I'm giving it to you." You don't have to go in with any other mindset but this: "I'm walking through my inheritance." Do you hear? He says, "You're walking through your inheritance. Go check out the gift that I am going to give you." He didn't say anything to them about having to fight. He didn't give him any other instructions. Stuff was going to come. He just simply said, "It's enough for you to know this truth. Where you're going to walk is yours. It belongs to you. Go see what I have promised you, if it is not a good land." I'm preaching to somebody today, that your promise is still there. Don't focus on the giants. Don't focus on the walled cities. Block out the noise that's speaking, and listen to the voice of victory in your life.

We get out of sync with God when we start listening to the critics. Thank you, Brother Haskins. We get out of sync with God puts us in motion. And when we get out of sync with God, mo hills look like mountains. When we get out of sync with God, prayer rooms fall silent. When we get out of sync with God, the soul becomes discouraged. When we get out of sync with God, dreams begin to die off. We got to be very careful about the voices we're tuning into in our life.

This is what happened to the children of Israel. Listen to what else they said. Numbers 14, verse 1: "And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried. And people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, and the whole congregation." Yeah, be careful. You start paying attention to the noise, all of a sudden leadership's not doing all they can. That's another message for another day, but that's what's going on. Verse number 3: "And whereof hath the Lord brought us into this land, to fall by this —" Listen, they're already planning their defeat. They're scripting it out. Instead of writing the story of victory — instead of — instead of going ahead and being very comfortable in the fact that God has said it belongs to you, instead of saying, "We're going to go in, and we're going to celebrate, and I'm going to pick out my house, and I've already spot out a piece that belongs to" — instead of writing that story, they're writing their defeat. You better be very careful what you're listening to, because it will affect the exact future you'll pin for yourself. "Fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be prey. Were it not better for us to return into Egypt?" And they said to one another, "Let's make a captain and return to Egypt." Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me right now? He brought you out of that mess, because you were cried out under the hardship in slavery. But all of a sudden, you looked at a circumstance that you didn't think was possible, even though God had already told you, "I'm going to do it." And now you've determined, "I was better off back." That's why I've seen people who've come in, and they'll have an initial experience with God — and I'm thankful for initial experiences, but you gotta have more than just a one time in the altar. I'm going to take it a little further: you've got to have more than just a one-time — infilling of His Spirit. But you need to have it day by day, and by day, and by day, because that's how you silence those voices in your life, and learn to tune out the noise that's around you. And when you do, you can script out the future that God has for you. But if you don't, you'll find yourself going right back to the very thing that God brought you out of, and becoming enslaved again.

I've seen many make a turn around their life, only to give up when it gets a little bit hard. When — where — where, O theologian? Where, O scholar of the word? Where, O Christian follower and disciple, does it say in this book that once you come to Him, you'll have no more trials or difficulties in your life? Where can you show me in this, that it says that it's going to be perfectly planned out for you, with no struggles from this day forward? No, ma'am. No, sir. That's not what it says. But it says, "I will be with you." That's what it says. "I will go with you." That's what it says. "I will go before you, and I'll come around behind." And there may be some things that's going to look really scary from time to time, but "I'll never leave you by yourself." There's going to be some days when it's going to be dark. There's going to be some days when it's going to be cloudy. There's going to be some days it's not going to work out the way you thought. But He is there. He is there. He is there.

I'm sorry, this lapel is making me lose my voice. There's going to be some days where you're just going to have to dig your heels in. You're going to have to have some tenacity. You're going to have to have a little stick to it this. You're going to have to have a little something inside of you that says, "Hey, I know it may not be the way I want it to be, but we're going to make it through this thing." I'm fighting against something right now. I need a prayer warrior to start praying. I'm speaking some truth into somebody's life right now. I know things aren't the way he wanted to. And I know some of you have suffered some great loss. But even in the midst of your darkest day, your God has been as close to you as He has ever been. Maybe you don't feel Him right now. Maybe you wonder where He is. I promise you, call out His name. Call out His name, and in that moment, He will meet you right where you are. Silence those voices. Silence and noise in your life. Silence that thing that says there's a God who doesn't care about you. That is a lie from the pit of hell. I'm telling you, choices matter. How you view things matter in your life. Who you hang out with matters in your life. What voice you allow to speak matters in your life. And there are some of you that respectfully need to look at some people and say, "Shut up." There's some people you need to cut out of your life, because they're bringing nothing but negativity. There's a God who's already spoke a word over you. He doesn't have to speak it a second time. You need to find somebody in your life to be an encourager. You need somebody you can couple up with, and say, "Sometimes I get a little discouraged, so I'm giving you permission to speak some life into me." Always somebody will couple up with somebody right now. Just grab an arm by somebody and say, "I need you in my life." Whoo!

Second Timothy 3:1 says: "But know this: in the last days, perilous times will come." Ladies and gentlemen, we're in perilous times. How much worse does it need to be for you to understand we're in the last days? "Men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God." That's 20 22. That's where we're living right now.

Let me ask you a question. On this last Sunday in February 2022, the choices you're making right now, where are they taking you? Put your foot back out there. I'm gonna get on your toe again. Don't tuck it in. Are the choices you're making right now — are they setting you up for the success that God has already spoke in your life? What you're doing right now, right in this moment — our choices matter. Are you making a choice that is going to lead you to fulfill God's purpose for this year in your life? Is it leading you to the life that God has for you, to the promises He has given? Because our choices matter. And the noise surrounding us is trying to drown out the voice of God speaking into you. Don't give up.

So you gotta — you gotta — you gotta learn to — you gotta learn to block out the noise. You gotta learn to fix your heart. See, there was something different about Caleb. Something different about this guy. He looked at things a little bit different. He — he was strong in the face of doubt. He — he was on the same journey with everybody else. He — he didn't go to somewhere else. He didn't say, "Hey, you guys, you — you go over there, and Joshua and I, we're going to go over here." He — he didn't miss the giants. He didn't miss the walls. But somewhere deep down inside, he had settled an issue: if my God said it belongs to me, it belongs to me. And no matter how bad, how big, how ugly, how tall, that doesn't matter, because none of that is bigger than my God. See, some of you are allowing your circumstances to be bigger in your mind than your God really is. You're allowing those — those — those circumstances to dictate and set the parameters, when God's already spoke outside those things, and says: "No, no, no. It's yours. It may look like somebody else is living in that house. It may look like somebody else has planted that garden. It may look like somebody else is in that pasture. But it's yours. It's yours. It's yours. Just go look at it."

Caleb was strong. He was strong in the face of doubt. He was strong in the face of time. Boy, isn't that something we get caught up on? "Well, God, you know, he's — it's been like seven minutes, God. I prayed. I need it right now. I'm gonna get on this, apostolics, a little bit: God, I need it right now, in Jesus' name." Well, I'm glad we use Jesus' name. We do everything we do in that name. But that is not some way of leveraging God to do something outside of when God wants to do it. He stood strong in the face of doubt. He stood strong in the face of time. He — he stood strong in the presence of his peers. He didn't let pressure get to him. He didn't let all them going over there. He didn't have a moment where he was like, "Well, I don't know. I guess maybe it is a little worse than what I thought." He didn't allow their negativity to skew his mind and what was going on. Somewhere, he had fixed his heart on the reality that God said, "This is My promise." He personalized it. He didn't say it was out. He said it mine. "God promised me." In fact, he referenced later and said, "I want my mountain."

The same spirit that Caleb possessed in his life needs to be heard in our lives today, here at Center Point. Our voices must be heard. Our prayers must be felt. Our worship must be aligned. And our spirit must be disciplined. And if our voices are loud and strong, the carelessness and thoughtlessness of the voices around us can be drowned out, and we can push through. What the world needs is some able men and women. What the world needs is some able men. You don't know what that's about? Go watch last Sunday's message, because He needs able men and women. He needs some able men and women who know where they're going. They're not confused. They're not wandering around. But they have their eyes set on the prize, because God's already set the destination for him. And the only way this happens is when we fix our heart on Him, and we block out the noise that's around us.

First Kings — you can be seated — First Kings 18. Elijah. If you — if you like reading the Scriptures, in — in First Kings 18 doesn't get your motor running, you're dead. If the man of God shows up and calls down fire — now we read 18, and I'm like, "Man, come on. Give me some barrels of water and some stones. Throw some up here. We're going to call it down. It's going to lick up the water. It's going to be a moment right there." I mean, that — that's something that we — that — that we all are inspired by. But there's a First Kings chapter 19. And if you don't know, 19's kind of interesting. Because 18: Elijah, man — I mean, he is like kicking him in the teeth, knocking him out. I mean, he is like — he's doing it. He — he's at the pinnacle. But in 19, he allows one woman — I love you. I'm not going — I'm going over here. He allows one woman to sow a little seed of doubt. He — he — Jeff — he's called down fire from heaven. I mean, I'm gonna tell you what: I would be strutting. I would be like — it'd be on my car. "Don't mess with me, fire." Sister Kenny, that'd be me. I mean, I would have some swag. One — one woman says, "I'm gonna kill you." Now I don't know about you, but I'd be like, "You're gonna kill me? You're gonna — I just called down fire from heaven. I took out all your profit. You're gonna kill me?" And I'd love to tell you that was his response. But Brother Johnson, somewhere along the way, he lost his focus. That's why you got to be very careful, right after a great victory, of the noise. There ain't no doubt, there was a few people — patting him on the back: "Elijah, that was awesome. That was awesome. That's my friend, Elijah." Noise. Even the noise that you think's okay can still be noise you need to block out. Can I — can I preach with you right now? I know I'm not screaming. Please don't make me scream. My voice is hurting already. Listen: one chapter later, in the continuance of the story, he's allowed a voice to penetrate in, and cause all of the victory to go away, because he goes and hides. One voice. One voice that should have been blocked. That's why it's important: your decisions, what you choose to listen to, makes all — it's — it's one thing when it's the big negatives, you know: it's adultery, fornication, pornography, drugs, alcohol. "Yeah, I block those voices." And there'll be one small voice of doubt that can weave its way into your life. And what we see is, he goes and finds himself hidden in the cave, and God's standing outside going, "What are you doing in the cave?" And he's having a pity party. "Ain't nobody standing up for you but me." Really, Elijah? There was a whole lot of other folks there on Carmel besides you. "Nobody else even cares. I'm the only one even trying." And God's saying, "I got a whole bunch of folks that still haven't bowed down their knee."

But I want you to notice: if you went there and studied — I'd given this first, but if you go to 19 — God's trying to get his attention. He's using wind, and tornadic activity, all this stuff's going on. But it was the still small voice. Elijah had to get to where he could quiet everything around again, so that he could hear the voice of God. Somebody needed to hear that I just said there. You got to be very careful the voices you're allowing in. Block that noise out. You got to have — you got to have your heart set, and block out that stuff in your life.

Psalms 57 and 7 says: "My heart is fixed, though God, my heart is fixed. I will sing and give praise." That word "fixture" shows up often times in the Scripture. It means many things: to be firm, to be stable, to be established, to be secure, to endure, to — to be determined, directed, steadfast, arranged, settled, set up, accomplished, made firm, furnished, and restored.

Caleb had the picture in his heart for 45 years. He didn't forget. He was on board from day one. From day one, his mind was settled: that God said, "This is my promise." And the naysayers showed up, and God said, "You're not going to go in there" — in fact, except for Caleb and Joshua, because those men, they had their heart committed: "I'm going to make the rest of y'all die out, out in the wilderness." You think about that: 40 years, he's watching his friends die off. He's watching people pass away. This body's falling out in the desert. But somewhere deep down inside of him, even though the time was taken a lot longer than he would have planned, he still had a memory of the promise that God had given to me. I'm speaking to somebody: God promised something in your life, and some time has passed, and you're tempted to give up on what God has spoken. It is still as true today as it was the day He spoke it in your life. And there may be others who have wandered off. There may be others who have died off in your life. But I'm telling you, that promise is going to come to fruition in your life, because God started it, He'll finish it.

Joshua 14:8: "Nevertheless, my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the Lord my God." See, the other ten spies, they walked by sight instead of by faith. That's why the Bible instructs that we walk by faith, and not by sight. There's always going to be something that looks like it's going to overwhelm you, but it won't overwhelm God. Full of distrust, they infected the whole congregation. They became the noise that everybody bought into. But Caleb refused, and he silenced the critics in his mind. Remember this. Remember, another note here: the approval of the multitude is never a good justification for a decision. The approval of the multitude is never a good justification for a decision. Truth and right are often in the minority.

Matthew 7, verse 13: "Enter ye into the straight gate. For wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth the destruction. And mainly there be the retreat, because straight is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life. And few there be that find." Those are red-lettered words, ladies and gentlemen. Caleb stood alone with Joshua, in a time of a national panic.

Answer me this question: Why is fear easier to foster than hope? Why is it easier to depress rather than to cheer? Why is it easier to be negative than to be positive? Why is it — why are we drawn to those things? You got to learn to block out those voices, and block out that noise. Caleb's challenge was simply this: he desired the mountain that he saw earlier. He desired that mountain that he had walked on. He had seen it with his own eyes. He knew, and God had said, "It was yours. It belonged to him." He didn't care that it was and infested with giants. He didn't care that there was walled cities. He didn't care that there was stuff going on there. Caleb realized that some of the highest blessings are faced with some of the greatest difficulties. But God said, "It belongs to you." Nothing worthwhile is ever easy. But when you fight for something, it has a whole lot more meaning and value.

Now I'm gonna close this out. I know I've preached for a long time today, and musicians can come. But I had felt so strong in prayer this morning, that God had delivered this word inside of me, for me to deliver to His church. Somebody needs to learn to block out the noise. Block out the noise. Some of you have become so consumed with the headlines of the day, that you don't even realize how cold you've grown in your walk with God. You, and trying just to keep — and you've heard me say this before — you, and just trying to keep your — your arms length separation from the world, have not realized that God has drifted way over here. I should say, the world is drifted away from God. God has stayed the same, but the world is drifting. And if you're just keeping your arm length from it, you continue to drift further away from God too, all the while thinking that you're okay, because you're separated from the world. You got your length. And you're listening to all the stuff that goes on, and you're buying into all these things. Listen to me: there's so much going on, and people have caught themselves wrapped up in some — some just outright craziness. Now we can read about the — the children of Israel. We can — we can sit here in 2022, and we can say, "They should have just listened. Why did they get caught up in the giants? Why'd they get caught up? They were bringing back all the grapes and all the stuff. And God had already performed the miracles. And He'd already brought him out of Egypt. And He'd already parted the Red Sea. And He'd already drowned Pharaoh's army. And He'd already — and He's already went to Calvary, and died for you. And He's already filled you with His Spirit. And He's already kept His hand upon you. And He's already allowed you to be in this room today. And He is already —"

I'm gonna ask — I'm gonna ask. I want you to think. I don't want you — I want you — I'm looking for — I'm not looking for — for a physical response right now. I'm gonna ask you: has — has He not already proven Himself to you? What more does He need to do? See, when we get — when we allow the noise of the day to come in, we find ourselves getting wrapped up. And we find ourselves getting anxious. And we find ourselves getting worried. And we find ourselves being focused on little inconsequential things that don't really matter. And we find ourselves bickering, brothers and sisters, and instead of loving, instead of affirming, instead of uplifting, instead of — I'm here to tell you, you got to block out the noise, because it's killing us. It's killing us.

What is it that you're allowing to hinder — what is it you're allowing to hinder you from the vision that God has placed in you? What is it? What possible thing could there be?

Now, I've been discouraged. I'm quite sure that there'll be another time in my life when I'll be discouraged again. But I've learned, in my discouragement, I can't live there. I had to take my cue from the Scriptures. I had — I took my cue from David. David — Ziklag had come in. Everything's been taken. They've hauled everything away. It took all the — took all of their wives, took all their children, took all their stuff. And even his band of misfits look at him and say, "It's your fault." But there's a little powerful thing right there, because it says this, that David, when he had nowhere else to go, he silenced all the voices, and he encouraged himself in the Lord. He encouraged himself in the Lord.

So I don't know what all you got going on in your life. I don't know every story. I know some of what's in the room, but I, by and large, don't know where everybody's at. But I do know this: the enemy is doing his very best to keep us distracted in this hour. He's doing his very best to bombard us with information from everywhere, to keep us on the edge of walking away. And this pastor's coming to church today to say: block out the noise. In the background, people are still receiving the Holy Ghost. In the background, there's 50 over at Watertown, two weeks ago. In the background, last Sunday, Steve Nicholson baptized somebody in Jesus' name, in Carthage, our daughter churches. In the background, we got Bible studies going on at New Salem. In the background, kids are receiving the Holy Ghost, and kids church in the background. There's people being baptized in Jesus' name around here. And the bapti — and the band — the background, God is filling people with the Holy Ghost. So don't get caught up in all of the loud voices, and forget that there's a God who's walking in the background of your life, saying: "Victory is yours. It's your land to possess. I gave it to you long ago. I did everything I needed to do, for you to live an overcoming life. There's not one thing lacking in you. There's not one thing lacking in you. God has already put what you needed to be successful. If you're a bloodball child of the king, filled with His Spirit, you have everything you need."

So, as you stand with me today, and I pray this prayer, these altars are open. This is a chance for you to block out the noise. Will you bow your heads to me? If you're okay, if you're comfortable closing your eyes. "Jesus, I've delivered my heart to You. I delivered the word that You gave me. I pray, Lord Jesus, now, that You would do the work. The seed is out there, Lord God. That was my job, Lord. I pray that You would water that seed. That You would bring the harvest forth, that You have intended. God, those in this place who've allowed so many other noises, so many other voices in their life, to be a distraction — God, I pray in the name of Jesus, right now, that there would be a silence fall over their mind, that they could hear that still small voice of You, speaking truth into their life. Oh God, I pray Your Spirit be poured out in this place. I pray right now, God, that the gifts of Your Spirit be poured out in this place. God, change us. Bring us to where You want us to be. Silence the noise. Let us become who You want us to be. In Jesus' name."

I just want to speak the name of Jesus.