Hosanna Fellowship- October 30, 2011Jeff Oakes


Hosanna Fellowship

"Its Time for Elevation-Raise the Voice"

I. God is the Rock Who is Higher Than…

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

(Colossians 3:1-2)

As we talked about last week, Exercising our minds on things above brings transformation to our souls because our minds are renewed with the reality of what is eternally true. Therefore, we must engage our members through the Holy Spirit into what is actually taking place where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. It is the place of wisdom, revelation, illumination, and understanding. We then can join with the rest of the saints and comprehend what is the width, length, depth and height of the love of Christ and the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:18-19)

II. Elevate Our Voice

And David spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said, "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. "For the waves of death encompassed me, the torrents of destruction assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. "In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I called. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry came to his ears.(2 Samuel 22:1-7)

A. Once again we see in David’s life the example of one who is called, anointed, and equipped, yet has to endure many enemies and afflictions. It is in the context of this positional reality that he has to experientially exercise his thinking on things above. As a part of that exercise he physically does something that is so important for us to remember and that is to lift our voice to the Lord as well.

B. Prayer is essential in transformation. If we are going to be changed then in the times of testing, resistance, and blessing we have to lift up-elevate our voices to the Lord our Rock.

C. Ask and it shall be given…

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:7-11)

Just as David cried out to or called up-on the Lord we too must elevate our voices. Whether it is in a time of desperation, or in a time of rejoicing lifting our voice reminds us that He is our Rock, the sure foundation. Elevating our voices strengthens our footing in every season of Life. Prayer is fundamental, foundational, and functional to the believer.

III. Elevate His Voice

"Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations of the heavens trembled and quaked, because he was angry. Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. He rode on a cherub and flew; he was seen on the wings of the wind. He made darkness around him his canopy, thick clouds, a gathering of water. Out of the brightness before him coals of fire flamed forth. The LORD thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered his voice. And he sent out arrows and scattered them; lightning, and routed them. Then the channels of the sea were seen; the foundations of the world were laid bare, at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils. "He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. He rescued me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support. He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.(2 Samuel 22:8-20)

A. We need to listen to the voice of the Lord. David reminds us that when He speaks everything shakes. Many of us do not trust that the Lord will speak on our behalf, yet He has already declared his great Will, Love, and Affections for us…we must trust His Word.

B. God delights in speaking to us. His desire was to speak to the children of Israel directly but it was the children of Israel that rejected the voice of the Lord.Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, "You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die." Moses said to the people, "Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin." (Exodus 20:18-20)Let us not be like them but let us love to hear his voice.

C. God speaks to us through His Word –Elevate His Voice

D. God speaks to us through Holy Spirit- Elevate His Voice

E. God speaks through other saints- Elevate His Voice

IV. Elevate His Conversation over self-conversation

again he appoints a certain day, "Today," saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." (Hebrews 4:7)

  • Hardness of heart comes when we hear His voice, but don’t change our inner conversation. It is the thoughts and talk we have within. Everybody has inner conversations. Some allow those conversations to come outside, thus we see people talking to themselves.
  • Is your inner conversation an echo of His voice or is it opposed to His voice?
  • Actions of Faith come when we accept and trust His voice over our own inner conversation. It brings transformation within.