Sound Has A Message

There's a message for the church. God is shaking things up, and we've got to make up our mind. Choose you this day whom you will serve. There's a lot of voices. There's a lot of ideas. There's a lot of opinions that are bombarding each of us every day of our life. And you can look and find what supports what makes you most comfortable, what makes you most energized, and what makes you most excited. But I've come with a resounding message: that if it does not align with the word of God, you better back away. Now's not the time to sit down, to get on the sideline, and to play church. The enemy is out to defeat and to destroy you, because he understands that time is limited, right? He understands that he only has a few more days. And he understands the victory that we have if we hold true to the word of God.

September 29, 2014, during a Kansas City Chiefs game against the New England Patriots, there in Arrowhead Stadium, the noise reached an astonishing 142.2 DB, setting a record — against world record — for the loudest stadium in sports.

There's power in sound. I titled today's message "Sound Has a Message." And if I was a subtitle, it: "Don't miss the sound."

There's power when a sound goes forth. In this world, it has learned how to harness that power, how to use it effectively — sadly, probably more effectively than the church. Not noise just to be noisy. But if you attend or watch a football game, you can see that the crowd, they understand that principle: if they can get loud enough, they can cause confusion on the field for the opposing team, even to the point that they have to change their play, or even receive a penalty because of a delay in the game. And it's all because the sound affected the ability of the players to hear the message delivered from the quarterback.

San has the power to create. Scientists have shown and have taken sound vibrations and created very intricate details. And you can go online and Google later and see vibration art designs just generated from a sound. Sound calls the very creation that we read about in scripture. Genesis 1 and3 says, "And God said" — the sound went forth, and light was produced.

Sound also has the power to destroy. We've heard, or we've seen, opera singers shatter glass from the sound of their voice. I started to come and do that for you today, but I'm — sound is even used to treat certain types of cancer, because of the ultrasonic Sound Vibrations that can destroy the molecular structure of the cancer and kill the cells, destroying the cancer as a whole.

Many of you have been in traffic and heard these big booming radios that all the Bas is coming out. And if you listen closely, a lot of those cars are rattling, because the very sound — they don't even recognize, most likely — is producing a frequency that is deteriorating the very metal that their car is made of. Now, I wish it happened more rapidly a lot of times, but that's just the old man in me.

Sound is a powerful thing, though. The glory of God has a sound. Acts chap 2, verse 1 and 2: "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one Accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound — there came a sound from Heaven, as of a rushing Mighty Wind — and it filled all the house where they were sitting." What came into that place? It wasn't the wind, but it was a sound. And it filled all the house. The house was full of the sound of God's glory coming and ascending upon that crowd that was gathered there that day. That sound, it was one that was powerful. It was a distinct sound. And that sound has a message, continues on to each of us today.

God has come to each of us to make a difference in our life, to change us from who we are and who we were, to who he desires for us to be. It's not without a doubt — every sound, it carries some kind of message. If you hear the sound of a siren going by your house or your place of work, whether it's an ambulance or a police or a fire truck, or if you're in the road in front of them, you understand that message is clear: that you need to get out of the way, there's an emergency happening, and it does not involve you, hopefully. If you hear the sound of glass breaking at 3:00 in the morning, that's a quick message: hey, somebody's coming in uninvited, grab a weapon. If you hear the sound of a dog barking or whining, scratching at the door, he's kneeing outside. That dreaded sound every morning when the alarm goes off — that message that it's time to get up, life starts again. Or that very clear, distinct sound, on occasion we've had intruders in our house called mice. My wife is quick to set traps by the multitudes, because that cannot reside in the house, and her as well. So the lady who sleeps through everything can sit straight up in bed when one of those traps does that snap, no matter what time it is. And the next thing I get is an elbow in the rib: "It just went off. Go get it." My response is, "It's dead. It'll be there." "No, it's got to go. It has to go." So if you have trouble getting people up, maybe try the mouth strap approach. I don't know. But, or nowadays, you hear that ringing wind chime noise that everybody's phone produces — that sound that we know there's an Amazon package at the front door causing motion on the ring camera. Your purchase has arrived. Or maybe, if you've ever been in this build building, or any of the buildings on our campus, when the wind begins to blow, there is a sound, and sometimes you say, "Woo, it's a little eerie." But the truth is, there's a sound that's a response. It's a message: hey, something's happening. This building is moving.

We come to tell you, sound has a message. And the sound of the church, us as the body of Christ, has a message to spread as well. We must release the sound that God has placed in us. The message that he has placed within us, we must share with a world around us. We, the people of God, must harness the power of the sound and deliver the voice of God through us, to be a witness to this generation ation.

The sound of the church cannot sound like the world. If the sound of the church sounds like that of the world, and the church is delivering the wrong message, we cannot afford to deliver the wrong message. I've done sad, times too short. It's not time to pat a cake for Jesus. There's life and death on the line. Eternal life, eternal death, depends on the message in the sound that we portray. The Church must have a distinct sound. There's too many sounds that are coming from the so-called church today, but it is not that distinct sound that must be heard from God's church, clear above every other noise and distraction that faces life today.

1 Corinthians 14:7 and 8 says: "Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the pipe or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there's a distinction in the notes? Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?" We're in a battle today. You've got to tune your ear to hear the call to fight. It's so easy to hear the distractions and all the voices coming in through our ears today. This verse, it instructs us that unless there is a distinction in the sound, how must we prepare for what's coming?

The problem that we face today is there's no real distinction from the world and the church, in its sound. They've blended together. They've come is one. If we're not careful, we'll fall prey to, "Let's just sound what they are used to hearing." That's not what we're called to do. We must not succumb to the LOL of Hell, to just listen to the sound of the world that says, "Just do what makes you happy." That's a false reality, because happy is only temporary. But I've come to tell somebody: if you will dedicate your life to Jesus — Jesus Christ — there is a joy that is unspeakable. That Joy gives us strength. That Joy will give us Deliverance, regardless whether we're happy with our current situation or not.

If we're not careful, that same sound you hear in the world can bleed into the church. Understand, this goes much further than the music. I'm not talking about the music T that we play and the songs that we sing in church. It — you know, there's different genres of music. There's keyboard and organ and drum, and there's all the way to banjos and washboards. But that's choice and preference. But there's a distinct sound that must go with the message that the church must be spreading to this world. And it's not one of music, and one of blending in and being accepted in their culture. But it's one that's very clear, that's very distinct.

Sound is defined as energy that travels in waves through the air, water, or other substances, that can be heard. Energy is defined as the ability or capacity for doing work. The sound of the church has work to do. Therefore, we must be very distinct from what the world is set out to do. The sounds of the world are these: the sound of gospel, the sound of abuse, the sound of backstabbing, the sound of negativity, sound of defeat, the sound of hopelessness, the sound of Lies, sounds of lust, and sounds of the flesh. We've got to have a different sound. The Sounds coming from the Church must be distinct and different, and reflective of what the word of God says to every individual.

Exodus 32, verse 17, says: "And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, 'There is a noise of war in the camp.' And he said, 'It's not the voice of them that shout for Mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome, but the noise of them that sing do I hear.' And it came to pass, as soon as he came down to the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. And Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and break them beneath the mount."

This sound that Joshua heard was a sound of false and corrupt worship. It was the sound of man, and not the sound of God. God — we're not careful, we tune in to the wrong voices, the wrong sounds. And we begin to think, "Well, this is okay. I can accept that. I can do that. How dare a minister tell me I can't participate in this, or I can't —" You feel in the blame. This sound that was bird there in this congregation, at the foot of the mountain — bird from their desires and the pleasures of mankind, satisfying their own carnality. And I fear some of the churches have gone that direction: "If I can just get the people in, will'll soothe the itching ears. I'll tell them what makes them stay here. I'll tell them what makes them most comfortable." But I've come to tell you, we're called to have a different sound. We're called to stand up against the corruption of this world, and what it tries to say you must tolerate, and you must accept, and you must Embrace. I've come to tell you, the word of God says no way. I've come to tell you, the word of God says we are victorious. The word of God says you can be filled with his Spirit. You can be an overcomer. You don't have to live a life of addiction and bondage and captivity. But we serve a God who is greater than whatever difficulty you may face. He's a Healer, bigger than any disease or sickness you may encounter. He will deliver. He will set free. He will be victorious, if you will resoundingly sound the alarm, that he is my God and my savior, and I will serve him faithfully. I will follow what the word of God says, regardless what this world tries to say.

We've all heard the messages: "God wants you to be rich, and he wants you to have this and that, and this material IAL thing." If God blesses you, that's okay. But don't think that just because I serve God, that he's going to give me all of these things. This type of thinking and sound, it makes it look like we sign a contract with God: "Well, if I just show up and I pay my tie, then you need to provide all these things for me. You know, prosperity and Financial Security is promised to me." I don't see that in the word of God. What I do say is, I — he promises to provide all of my needs, not my wants. I have a long list of wants. But I can say with all Assurance: he has provided all of my needs. Yeah, it's not always been steak and lobster. I don't like lobster, so I'm glad he didn't do that. But sometimes it's round steak on his baloney.

I remember, right after we got married, we didn't have two pennies to rub together. And you know, our main dish was rice and a can of vegetable soup. You mix that up, man, you had a meal. And there's nothing wrong with that. God provides your needs. Sometimes we say, "Well, I'm beyond that." Shame on me for thinking I'm better than anybody else. God asked me to go here, to do that, to provide this for someone else. Let me hear that sound. Let me not tune into the sound that just is convenient and makes me happy. Because there's a lot of voices that will get your attention, that will tell you, "Won't you just do this?" Or, "Just forget that person. They've done you wrong." I don't read where God just abandoned anyone. Are we not to be like Christ? The sound — there's so many sounds in the world. I started to bring a radio, but I couldn't find one that worked. So, nobody has a radio, you know, the old transistor radio. You could tune it. There's all kind of waves going through this room right now as we speak. You could pick up this station and that station. And you're not careful, you'll lock in on the wrong voices in your life. You'll hear the wrong sounds and think, "Well, this is okay. This is acceptable. I'm comfortable living with this."

Romans 7, and verse 15-20 — there's a struggle: "I do not understand what I do. For what I want — I do what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate I do." Almost a Dr. Seuss. "And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. And it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know the good itself not does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it."

The struggle we all face. "I want to do," but man, it's just easier to do. But none of us like to say it's the sin in me that's causing me to do this. And I've got to listen to the sound that can get rid of the sin. I've got to tune in to the voice that can forgive the sin, and give me the ability to overcome, and to stop doing what I don't need to do, and to do what I should be doing, that I know to do from the very beginning. So that internal struggle, the sounds of the Flesh and the selfish desires — as pastor says, that flesh works out all night, and you got to tackle it the next day.

1 Peter 2 and 11: "Behold, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lust, which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of your visitation."

The Church must have a distinct sound. The church, the body of Christ, the true believers, the people of God, must bring back that distinct sound before the Lord. We cannot sidetrack. We cannot stray from it. If we're going to be victorious, and we're going to make it in the Rapture, we've got to have that sound resilient in our life. We must present the proper sound that is pleasing before the Lord. A sound that's not delivered from our fleshly desires. It takes us overcoming that struggle to give in to the flesh. But it is one that is a sound of joy and peace, because of who God is in your life. You can wake up with that calm Assurance, to know: "God, I'm being all I can be for you. You and I know that your peace resides in me, and you are faithful. I may not like what I face. I may not be happy with my current situation, but my joy can remain consistent in him."

When you look at the priest who went in — Exodus 28, he gives us what he had to wear: "You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. There shall be an opening for his head in the middle of it" — that's a good thing — "He shall have a woven binding all around its opening, like the opening in a coat of a male, so that it does not tear. And upon its hymn you shall make pomegranates of blue, purple, and Scarlet, all around its H. And bales of gold between them all around: a gold Bell and a pomegranate, a gold Bell and a pomegranate, upon the him of the robe all around. And it shall be upon Aaron when he ministers. Its sound will be heard when he goes into the holy place before the Lord, and when he comes out, that he may not die."

Sound is not a new thing. Sometimes this scripture has been misinterpreted of, you know, what's the bails about. And — but the truth is, there was a place on the robe for the bells to be swn in. As he entered into the holy of holies, these bells would make a sound. When the high priest, he went into that Holy place, there was a blood sacrifice on that day of atonement. And he wasn't dressed in that robe with the pomegranate and the bail at that moment. He was dressed in his Priestly garment. But he go through that process of sanctification and purification: this blood from the sacrifice at the Brazen altar, he carried into this holy Place upon him. The blood that he sprinkled on the altar of incense, there before the veil, and allowed him to be able, because of the process, to enter into the holy of holies. He changed into that robe with the bells and the pomegranates. The blood was what made the difference, to allow him the ability to go in. But it also gave him the ability to make the sounds. Because without the atonement, without the shedding of blood for remission of sins, he would not have survived going into that Holy place. He never would have made it into the holy of holies. He would have died, because God would have rejected him in the offering, because he didn't do it right.

There's a right way to come before God. You can't make up your own idea and opinion. You've got to go the way God instructs us to go. You got to seek remission of sins through forgiveness, through the washing in baptism in Jesus' name, and the infilling of his Spirit residing and overflowing within each of us, is his plan today. Cuz you see, there was somebody who did it wrong: NB and Abu. They were slain. When you read there in Leviticus 10: "N dab and Abu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his sensor, and put fire therein, and put incense there on, and offered Strange Fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord."

If there was a right way and a wrong way, then there's a right way and a wrong way now. There's a right sound and a wrong sound now. But the beautiful thing was, when he went into that holy of holies, the Bell begin to make their noise, because of the movement of him in worship. And when we enter in — because he has made access to each of us to come before his presence — we too can produce a wonderful sound, a beautiful sound, to almighty God, as we recognize what God is in our life, what God has done for each of our lives. And we can enter in with worship and praise and adoration into that Holy Place, regardless who says you're not available. You can, and it is available to you. It wasn't a sound of the flesh, but it was a sound that drowned out all the fleshly noises that were going on around him. It allowed him to go in and just be God, and I — no distraction, no other noise. Because what God had orchestrated in the BS was just enough to drown out all the noise that could have been interpreted outside, without that taking place.

But you know, the noise didn't sound until he began to move. It requires movement on our part. We got to move beyond our comfort zone. We got to move beyond, "Just won't you just make something pretty for me?" I'm afraid we come too often and say, "All right, what's the performance for the day? If you can get my emotions up, then maybe I'll get involved." But I've come to say, church is not emotion based. Nowhere does it say, "When the song hit you just right, then you begin to worship." But I read where it says, when we come into his gates with Thanksgiving — Thanksgiving is the key that allows us to open and go into his courts. And when we enter into his courts, then praise should readily spring forth from within us. There is a proper sound that must proceede from us as we come into the presence of God, just as bells that ring as the high priest entered in. We must enter in with a joyful sound, in the right attitude, recognizing and embracing the fact that he, as the song they sang, "paid it all."

And I'm afraid too often we hear the sound, but we dismiss the message. "Y'all sang really good today." "What do we sing?" "I don't know, I just enjoyed it." But we've got to embrace the message: "Jesus Paid It All." Yeah. "All to him I ow all." When's the last time you say, "God, I'm coming, and I'm giving all back to you. God, I'm going to give you a lot, but I've got to go eat afterwards. God, I'm going to give you mostly this, but you know, I've got some plans later that I need to get to." What would God do if we would just come in and say, "It's all yours today, God. All the sound is going to you. All the distractions, I've put aside, and they'll be there when I get back to them, but I'm not paying attention to them right now, God. I'm going to allow my praise and my worship and my adoration, that you're so worthy of, to consume me in this place today. And God, you do what you want to do, and I want to be here to be a participant in that."

We must bring that distinct sound of the church, as we deliver this gospel to a weary world. The sound that brings a message of Hope, a message of Peace, a message of Joy, a message of Salvation, that they can get nowhere else. Because this same sound is also a reminder to the devil, that there's a Unity that he can't divide. There's a tongue that he can't understand. There's a fire he can't control. There's a power that he can not handle. There's a Revival that he'll never be able to stop. There's results taking place in people's lives that he cannot change. There's evidence that he cannot deny, that there is an all powerful God who defeated him and death in the grave. And it's all in the sound.

Acts chapter 2, we go back there, verse 6: "Now when this was noised abroad" — there's another sound — "the multitude came together and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, 'Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans?'" This was a sound that was different from any other sound they had heard. But it carried a message. Message that something was different. Something had changed. And it was the message that they had all been waiting for. It didn't sound like the world. It didn't sound what they were used to hearing. It didn't sound like just some form of godliness that had no power. But there was a sound that carried a message: that God loves you. It was a sound with a message that caused 3,000 souls to be saved in that day.

What sound are we spreading to this gospel world around us? What truth are we sending forth? They had something that made a difference. And this is a sound that must still be heard from the church today. We serve a good God. We serve a saving God. We serve a healing God. We serve a delivering God. And you cannot do too much, or go too far, or be too bad, for my God to love you and to touch your situation. The sound of Victory, the sound of Freedom, the sounds of chains breaking from sin's bondage and destruction in lives, can be heard, and should be heard, every service in our church. As our magicians come — God is here, and nothing is impossible to God. The limits are in us. The sounds that the world tries to penetrate us with, and tell us, "Well, it's not going to happen. It's not — that happened back in the Bible, but it's not going to happen today." I've come to tell you, the sound is the same sound that happened in the upper room on the day of Pentecost, that still sounds in this world and in this place today. "I've come to seek and to save the lost." And he's still in the saving business.

The church cannot sound like the world, because we've got too much work to do, to even be close to that sound. We've been called to be separate, to be apart, to lead people to a Christ who died for them and can make a difference in their life — life — can set them free from the sin that has them bound. The Church must make the sound that the King of glory is here in this place, to touch you today. The message that God loves you, regardless who you are, how you're living, and what you're dealing with. His love does not change. We serve a God who delivers, a God who saves. He's an ontime God. He is enough.

What do you need today? What did you come expecting from God today? Can you answer that question? Because the church needs to make the sound that victory is mine.

As you stand with me: Psalm 66, verse1 and2, says, "Make a Joyful Noise unto the Lord, all ye land. Sing forth the honor of his name. Make his praise glorious." That's a wonderful sound. The church should be a place that makes a Joyful Noise. A Joyful Noise does not draw attention to the person making the noise, but it brings attention to the one deserving of all praise and honor. And the sound that should go forth in adoration to the King of Kings, to the Lord of lords, the one who will make a change in your life. It's not one of Flesh. It's not one of complaining. But this noise begins with a pure heart that uplifts and exalts, and it honors almighty God. A Joyful Noise is the sound of truly crowning him Lord and king of your life.

Acts two, the birth of the church, states it all started with a sound. And that sound caused people to come and to inquire about what was going on. The sound that carried the message of repentance. It carried the message of baptism and the infilling of the Holy Ghost, through all of mankind. And we too must remain steadfast in that sound.

What sound is going forth today? 1 Corinthians 6:1 19 tells us that "your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God. You're not your own." Some people bow up on that: "No, I'm my own person." No, you're not, according to the word of God. So won't we act like we Bel belong to God? Want the praise go forth, as in recognition that he is the one who saved me, who designed me, who created me to be a vessel for him?

Joshua 6 and 20 says: "When the trumpet sounded, the Army shouted. And at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed." Don't tell me the sound don't make a difference. "Everyone chared straight in, and they took the city." I've come to tell you, Center Point: God has promised us a city. God has promised our city. The city of M Murphysboro belongs to us. But we've got to make a sound. We've got to proceed forward and take this city that God has promised to each of us.

As these altars are open — if you're full of the Holy Ghost, there's a sound that we must make that draws the attention of God. God is drawing near to those who will praise him. Maybe you're in the middle of a storm. The enemy has got you focused on the sound of the storm. All the Thunder and the lightning has gotten you distracted. But I've come to tell you, there's a sound that is more resilient than any thunder or lightning. And it's that still small voice of almighty God, as he speaks, "Peace, be still," in the midst of your storm, in the midst of your trial. There is the Master that is walking among you, saying, "I'm still in control. I've got your situation. I see your situation, and I'm working on it."

Maybe you're here today, and you need to experience this message of Hope, and this message of salvation, for your own life. I invite you to come to these altar today. Come with a sound of praise and worship, thanking God for the presence that you feel here, and the one that's willing to fill you with his Spirit. He will meet you in that moment, and we will cause a new sound to come forth. A Heavenly language and joy unsp will flood your soul today.

It's time to pray. It's time for us to release that sound to almighty God here in this house today. Church, it's prayer time. Let's pray. Oh.