The Gospel Is Simple
Rodney Howard Browne teaches that if you
do any study on issues, try not to get side
tracked away from the simplicity of the gospel. Do not
run off on a tangent into something that does not produce
life.
You will always know if you are into false
doctrine when you begin to lose your joy and your peace.
The scripture says, “In thy presence is fullness of joy; at
thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm
16:11). Let peace be your umpire.
Allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you in
your study of the scripture. Remember that the Holy
Spirit is the teacher. He will take God’s Word and make it
alive for you. The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Having a Hearing Ear
Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice. The voice
of a stranger they will not follow.” (See John 10:5, 27.) It
is interesting to find out that many Christians who have a
“quiet time” really have a quiet time because they never
hear from heaven. They never listen to see if God would
actually speak to them.
“As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are
the sons of God” (Romans 8:14). God will lead you by
His Spirit, but there needs to be a sensitivity to the
anointing and it only comes with spending time in His
presence. Only then do we recognize when God is
speaking to us and instantly obey. In other words, we
need to develop a hearing ear.
He That Has Ears to Hear
“He that has ears to hear what the Spirit is
saying,” is a phrase that is repeated throughout the New
Testament. It’s not talking about the natural ear, but the
spiritual ear.
We know the story of Samuel and how he heard
someone calling his name. He went to Eli and said, “You
called me.” Eli said, “I did not call you.” This happened
several times and then Eli realized that it was God who
was speaking even though he did not hear that voice (not
having ears to hear). He then said to Samuel, “Go lie
down and when you hear the voice, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for
your servant is listening.’” (See First Samuel 3:1-10.)
The Case of the Broken Telephone
We have heard the sayings, “There is none so deaf
as those who will not hear,” and “People hear what they
want to hear.” I am reminded of a story I heard of a
farmer who wanted God to speak to him, One morning,
as he was sitting on his front porch of his farmhouse, a
hand appeared and wrote in the sky the letters G P.
Instead of finding out any further information, the
farmer sold his farm and went on the mission field to
fulfill his heavenly direction. After failing hopelessly and
spending much time in prayer, he heard the Lord speak to
him. He said, “What is the problem, son?”
The farmer said, “Lord, I obeyed You. I did what
You told me. I read the letters in the sky and knew it
meant, Go Preach.” The Lord then said to him, “Son, the
letters did not mean, Go Preach; they meant, Go Plow.”
In this man’s zeal for God, he ran ahead and
misinterpreted the will of God for his life.
Perfect Timing
It is interesting to realize that most people don’t
miss God in the general direction of what God has called
them to do. Rather, they miss the timing, partly because
they don’t listen to what the Spirit of God is saying.
They have never developed their spiritual ear to
the point of hearing God’s voice more clearly. Instead,
they are led by circumstances and situations in their lives.
Blown by the winds of adversity, they wander around
aimlessly, never accomplishing the will of God.
Charismatic Gurus,
Have You Had Your Fortune Told Lately,
and Other Horror Stories
Another scenario is that some Christians gravitate
to so-called “prophets” ( charismatic gurus of the day ( to
get another “word from God.” But it’s always something
vague, something remote, and it never produces a
workable, tangible reality in their lives.
After several years, the individual has a large
collection of predictions, dating back over the years, and
not one has come to pass. But it’s another nail in the
religious coffin of death and bondage.
The truth of the matter is that prophecy is
confirmation, not information. The Bible says, “As many
as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”
It does not say, “As many as are led by the prophets are
the sons of God.”
TRUE WORSHIPPERS
My Worship
Foundation Scriptures: John 4:19-24
The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 4:19-24 NKJV
1. The differences between Old Testament worship and New Testament worship.
- Everything changed after the Cross, Resurrection, and Pentecost.
- 2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV—Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
- What changed everything? The veil of the temple was torn in two (Matthew 27:51), the Holy Spirit came out of the earthly tabernacle, made by the hands of man, to come and live in our hearts. We are His temple, made by His hands.
- True worship comes from the heart.
2. We can learn a lesson from the children of Israel.
- Exodus 32:1-8
- While Moses was in the Glory, they were building a golden calf and worshipping it.
- This sounds like the modern church.
- What is a golden calf in today’s context?
- Anything that takes away from the presence of the Lord.
- Anything that draws attention away from God Himself.
- We don’t need anything other than our hearts, our hands, our mouths, our feet and His presence.
- His manifest presence is what we look for.
3. A type of Pentecost.
- The priests could not stand to minister— 2 Chronicles 5:11-14 KJV—And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course: 12 Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:) 13 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; 14 So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.
- The priests could not enter the room—2 Chronicles 7:1-3 KJV—Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house. 2 And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord’s house. 3 And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
- The fire fell. The house was filled with the cloud of God’s glory. They worshipped, saying, “The Lord is good and His mercy endures forever”.
4. The Holy Spirit and worship.
- The Holy Spirit is our Comforter—our Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, and Standby
- Ephesians 5:18-20 KJV—And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Be filled with the Spirit.
- Speak to yourselves in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord.
- Give thanks always for all things.
5. New Testament worship is Spirit-led and proceeds from the anointing—not the flesh or the mind.
- Music that is anointed.
- Lyrics that glorify God.
- Word content—words of power, words of faith— not just mere words.
- Worship is about Jesus not about us.
- You cannot worship with an arrogant heart—true worship comes from a humble heart.