: “ALL MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE BUT VERY FEW HEAR MY WHISPER. THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHEN I SPEAK AND WHEN I WHISPER”.
WHEN GOD ASKS YOU A QUESTION, IT IS NOT BECAUSE HE DOESN’T KNOW. HE IS TRYING TO TEST HOW MUCH YOU HAVE LEARNT.
HE WANTS TO KNOW WHETHER YOU ARE READY FOR PROMOTION OR NOT.
GOD KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU, THERE IS NO POINT HIDING ANYTHING FROM GOD.
- Pastor E.A. Adeboye at RCCG Special Sunday Service || GOING HIGHER PART 52
Father Almighty, we specially want to worship you today. We want to thank you that it is now one year since we started this series and you have been with us all along. Thank you for revelational knowledge, thank you for showing us hidden secrets from the life of Elijah week after week. We worship you, Today in a very special way Lord reveal yourself to us, let us know you Lord, let us love you, let us be more and more like you in Jesus mighty name we have prayed. Amen.
We are continuing with our study on GOING HIGHER part 52, that makes it exactly one year since we started our study for this series called GOING HIGHER. That should give you a hint that we are about to get into some very deep waters.
1 Kings 19:9-14
We have quite a lot to learn from this passage and I pray that the Almighty God will anoint your ears and grant you a heart of understanding. If you notice in this passage first of all it says “the word came to Elijah” and then next a voice came unto him. There was a word and there was the still small voice. In John 10:27 Jesus said my sheep hears my voice, in John 13:21-30, when at the Last Supper, Jesus Christ said someone is going to betray me and the disciples were asking “Is it I?” and Jesus was not answering. Then Peter beckoned to John the Beloved and said “ask him, he will tell you”. Jesus told John but if you read that story only John heard. It is the fellow I am going to give something in his mouth just now. Church Gist. After he did that one, the Bible said he told Judas “whatever you have to do, do it very quickly”. Everybody didn’t know what Jesus was asking him to go and do because they did not hear what the Lord said to John. In one of our Holy Ghost Services, the Lord said something to us. He said, “all my sheep hear my voice but very few hear my whisper. There is a difference between when I speak and when I whisper”.
- I pray that because you have been with us on this journey this far learning to go higher day by day in the Lord, I pray you are one of those who hear His whisper.
That is by the wayside, what is crucial for us to discuss really today is that the Lord asked Elijah the same question twice. 1 Kings 19:9,13. You all know very well that God is not a talkative, if He should be asking the same question twice there should be something here. There is a meaning here. When a teacher asks a question, it is not because the teacher does not know the answer. After all, it is the Lord who sent an angel to go and feed Elijah and told him to eat twice because the journey was far. It was God who said go to Horeb, we are going to have an appointment there. So if you send me to Horeb and you are now asking me what am I doing here. When a teacher asks a question it is not because he does not know, he wants to know how much you have learnt. He wants to know whether you are ready for promotion or not. Usually, when God asks you a question, it is a test, an examination. In John 6:5-7, the Bible said when Jesus saw the crowd, he turned to one of the disciples and said where are we going to find food to feed these people. Church Gist. The Bible added it there that he said this to test him, for he knew what he was going to do. The teacher knows the answer, it is a test for the student. John 3:1-2 tells us clearly that Jesus was a teacher. It will amaze you that throughout the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, they never really called him Evangelist or Preacher or Pastor or Apostle, they kept calling him teacher. John 20:14-16. While everyone had been calling him “Rabbi”, someone who was very close to him called him “Raboni” which means ‘teacher of teachers’ – the one who teaches Rabbis. Everywhere Jesus went, he went teaching including by the seaside, he went to teach. When God asks a question, it is not because He does not know the answer. For example in Genesis 3:1-11, you know the story that the fruit He said they shouldn’t eat, they have already eaten it and other things followed yet when He came down, He said: “Adam where are thou?” Adam and Eve were hiding behind a tree and He came down from heaven, He was the one who planted the tree, He knew where they were hiding and He still asked where are you. They came out and said we are hiding because we are naked. He went on to ask who told you that you are naked, have you eaten the food I asked you not to eat? As if He didn’t know.
In Genesis 4:3-10, He asked Cain where Abel is and when Cain said he didn’t know, He said but his blood is crying to me. I already saw what you did, I know where you have buried him. I know you have shed his blood. Which brings me to a very serious point: how much does God know particularly about you? How much does He know? Acts 15:18. How much does He know? Everything that is going to happen before the beginning of the world, He knew. Isaiah 40:28 says there is no searching of his understanding. He knows so much that you can’t even begin to imagine.
Daniel 2:20-22 says:
(i) He gives knowledge to those who do not know. If you say you are a Professor, everything you know He revealed to you.
(ii) He reveals deep and secret things. So if you are doing research, what you are searching for He already knows it and He is the one who can reveal it to you.
(iii) He knows what is in the dark. Everything that happens in the dark, He knows them all.
Years ago when scientists said they have discovered a lens that sees in the dark, I smiled. Take a good look at the eyes of the cat, it can see in the dark. Take a good look at the eyes of the lion, it can see in the dark. What you are just discovering has been there all along. Revelation 1:8 says He knows the past, He knows the present, He knows the future. He is Alpha, He is Omega, He is the One who is, the One who was and the One who is to come. Where you are coming from, He knows it. Where you are going, He knows it.
How much about you does God know? Psalm 139:1-6 answers the question for you. David said when I am standing up, you know it. When I am sitting down you know it. That’s why in Psalm 1 when he was talking about the man who will be blessed, He talked about your walking, your standing and your sitting because He is monitoring every bit of it. He even knows your thoughts, David said so.
Mark 2:1-12
When four boys brought a man who was crippled through the roof and the Bibles said Jesus saw their faith and said “son thy sins be forgiven thee”. Then the people were thinking in their heart, who is this man claiming that he has the power to forgive sins. Church Gist. They didn’t say it out but He heard. This is why you should watch your thoughts. He knows everything you say including your jokes. Matthew 12:36 says every idle word that a man shall speak, he will give an account on the day of judgment. If I were you I would be careful what I say because I will give an account of what I say because everything you say is recorded.
Before you were born He knew you. Jeremiah 1:4-5. Where you are supposed to end, He knows it. Jeremiah 29:11 – ‘There is an end that I have planned for you’ some people call it destiny. He knows what you have done, I am sure you don’t like that. Those things you are trying to hide from Him, He is aware of them. Acts 5:1-12, a man and his wife sold a property and decided to keep some part of the money and bring the remaining to the Apostles. Church Gist. The Apostles said “Sir, is this all the money?”. Peter wasn’t angry that they didn’t bring all the money. He was angry that they lied to the Holy Spirit. What you have done, He knows. What you are doing, He knows. In 2 Kings 5:20-27, when Gehazi decided to run after Namaan to collect some money, Elisha didn’t leave the house but He saw everything that was going on. He saw everything.
He knows what you are doing, He knows what you are going to do tomorrow that you have not even done yet. Consider Genesis 22:1-14, God gave Abraham a test “that your son Isaac the one you love, go and offer him as a sacrifice to me”. God knew what He was going to do. God already put a ram on the mountain, how did it get there? Who put the ram there? That ram was there strategically waiting because God knew Abraham was going to obey. Which explains Romans 9:10-14, God said before Esau and Jacob were born that He has hated Esau and Jacob has He loved. Church Gist. How can that be fair, they haven’t done good or evil? God knew in advance what was going to happen in Genesis 25:29-34. No use trying to hide from Him because in Psalm 139:7-12 David said where can I hide from you? So you have discovered a lens that can see in the dark? Darkness has never been darkness to God. He can run but you can never hide from God, if you don’t believe me, ask Jonah. Jonah 1:1-17. God knows everything, you can’t run from Him.
I have good news for you who think that because God knows everything that means your future is already fixed. It doesn’t matter what you do, you are going to end up whichever way He wants you to end. No! Daniel 2:20-21 says something beautiful that He changes times. He can rearrange your future. Don’t forget He is supreme. He can rearrange your future. The fact that you are alive reading this particular sermon means there is hope for you to end well. Consider Luke 23:39-43, there was this thief on the cross, already on the way to hell, hell was already waiting for him but he turned to the Lord Jesus Christ and said I know I have done evil and I deserve to go to Hell but please remember me in your kingdom. Jesus Christ said I snatch you out of the mouth of hell. Listen to me brother or sister, you can cry to God today and He can rearrange your future.
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