The Supernatural Dimension: Supernatural Silence
The Supernatural Dimension • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 374 viewsNotes
Transcript
Intro:
3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
;
Today, we will begin a series entitled, [The Supernatural Dimension]. The subject of my message is, [Supernatural Silence].
Supernatural is defined, (of a manifestation or event) attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature.
There are supernatural occurences taking place that we cannot see with the naked eye, but they are real nonetheless.
Supernatural is defined, (of a manifestation or event) attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature.
Simply put, science cannot explain away every things that takes place in our world or universe. We live in a day and age where it seems people have two views on the supernatural.
Some refuse to admit it exists, assuming it is merely made up for entertainment. While others have a warped view on the supernatural and they are bound by superstitions, “don’t walk under a ladder or watch out if a black cat comes by.”
My great-grandfather used to throw salt over his shoulder if it ever spilt for some superstitious reason. My grandmother told me, never count how many people are at a funeral, because that is how many years you have left.
These superstitions distract us from the real supernatural dimension. Whether we realize it or not, we live in a supernatural world.
Whether we realize it or not, we live in a supernatural world. Behind the veil of the visible universe, is a supernatural dimension that consists of God and Satan or angels, and demons.
Behind the veil of the visible universe, is a supernatural dimension that consists of God and Satan or angels, and demons. There are supernatural occurences taking place that we cannot see with the naked eye, but they are real nonetheless.
There are supernatural occurences taking place that we cannot see with the naked eye, but they are real nonetheless.
Satan does have power. I know I have told this story before, but I think of it every time I discuss the supernatural.
When I was in High School, I watched a movie with a girl who worked with me at J.C.Penney. She wanted to watch a scary movie. I thought, I am tough, I can handle that!
I took multiple restroom breaks and tried to ignore the movie because the fear I felt. I prayed in tongues all the way home and I told God, if You will remove this fear from me, I will never watch another scary movie again. Instantly I had peace.
Why do I share that story? Satan uses his supernatural power to bring fear, worry, and bondage. Never say those things are just “made up.” NO, God doesn’t give a spirit of FEAR.
Why? Because He gives a Spirit of power. Satan’s supernatural power pales in comparison to all God can and will do in and through His people.
Therefore, God developed a plan. He wants to give His people the upper hand in spiritual warfare. Remember, Satan has ONE goal. He wants to destroy us.
However, we can overcome the spiritual strategies of Satan when we realize our place in this supernatural dimension. God wants us to become supernatural people. Therefore, He gives us the necessary power to fulfill this task.
In our text we read about what took place on the Day of Pentecost. 120 believers gathered in the Upper Room waiting for the promised Holy Spirit.
They did not know what would take place, but they followed Jesus’ instructions to wait. Finally, after ten days of waiting, the Holy Spirit fell and baptized them with supernatural power.
I love this story so much. But I noticed something about it a while back. I looked at each part of the story and remembered an Old Testament example where that mirrored what they New Testament church faced.
For instance, today we will look at supernatural silence. The Day of Pentecost, which was the greatest event in the church after the resurrection of Christ, occured after ten days of seeming silence from heaven.
Jesus died on the Jewish feast of Passover. The Holy Spirit came on the Jewish feast of Pentecost. There are fifty days between these two events.
We read Jesus spoke to His followers for forty days after His resurrection. This means that the followers of Christ waited, prayed, and sought God for something supernatural.
Each day they prayed, they were met with silence from heaven. It was not until AFTER TEN DAYS of silence that God finally answered their prayer.
Which leads me to this question, why if God is supernatural, are we at times met with silence? What is happening in the supernatural dimension when it seems that God is not answering our prayers?
Those in the Upper Room faced ten days of silence from heaven, what was going on behind the scenes? To answer this questions, I want to go to the book of , to see the answer.
We will look at the supernatural silence, and read of a [Supernatural Vision], [A Supernatural Void], and [A Supernatural Visitation].
Let’s begin
1. A Supernatural Vision
1. A Supernatural Vision
1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, but the appointed time was long; and he understood the message, and had understanding of the vision.
1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, but the appointed time was long; and he understood the message, and had understanding of the vision.
The prophet Daniel held a unique position in the history of God’s people. He lived during the time when Judah went into captivity. He was one of the first to leave Jerusalem and go to Babylon.
The King Nebuchadnezzar attempted to indoctrinate Daniel and the other young men in the Babylonian ways. However, Daniel never lost his connection to God.
Even though the king stripped him of everything he held dear, his homeland, his family, even his ability to have children, Daniel stayed close to God.
He became acquainted with the supernatural dimension. We know the story of Daniel and the Lion’s Den. However, God also used Daniel interpret dreams and vision, which became invaluable for the kings he served.
He ate fruits and vegetables for ten days, refusing to touch the kings meat, and by the end he looked stronger and actu
The Lord spoke to him on a regular basis, but this time something peculiar happened. He had a vision. Immediately he identified it was from God.
God revealed something to Daniel. He knew it was divine in origin. He understood it dealt with what would happen in the future, but he could not understand its full meaning.
There are times God will show us something or we will sense something in our spirit. However, we may not always know the full meaning of what God wants to do.
Therefore, we must trust that God is speaking, even when we do not see everything He wants to accomplish! Daniel had a supernatural vision, but it was followed by...
2. A Supernatural Void
2. A Supernatural Void
2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. 3 I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
As a person who understood the supernatural dimension, Daniel identified that he needed to pray and fast. He fasted for three weeks, has anyone ever done that?
Here is where we get what is called the Daniel Fast. He refused any pleasant foods, no sugars or meat, and he sought God for the answer to the perplexing vision God sent.
To fully appreciate what Daniel felt, let’s discuss what took place around him. First, Daniel was at least eight years old by this point. He had served God for decades, but this time he feels a void as God is silent on the vision.
After decades in Exile, the Jewish people grew indifferent in their relationship to God. It was years since they worshipped the Lord in the temple.
Furthermore, he heard word of what took place back home in Jerusalem. The temple was destroyed. Those who were left behind were also spiritually indifferent to the things of God.
It was years since they worshipped the Lord in the temple. Furthermore, the temple was destroyed
Daniel knew in his heart that God needed to do something to draw His people back to Him. Therefore, God sent a vision, but they vision was not yet interpreted.
Therefore, Daniel fasted and prayed. He wanted God to help him understand what the vision meant. He had an idea, but he wanted revelation from heaven.
However, as he prayed, God remained silent. Normally by this point and angel would have come with an explanation. Yet nothing came to Daniel.
Therefore, he waited and trusted God, even though he felt this supernatural void in response to the supernatural vision. However, God soon gave...
3. A Supernatural Visitation
3. A Supernatural Visitation
4 Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, that is, the Tigris, 5 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz! 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude. 7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. 8 Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength. 9 Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground. 10 Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands.
10
After twenty-one days of prayer and fasting, God sent a divine visitor to speak to Daniel. But remember, he was in his eights and he was physically weak because of his extended fast.
As he walked by the river with a few people, he saw what no one else could. The man wore linen clothing with a gold belt. His body looked like a precious gem. His eyes flamed like fire. And his voice sounded like a loud roar.
Seeing the angelic visitor was one thing, but hearing his voice was too much for Daniel. His strength left him and Daniel couldn’t stand.
But the visitor reached down and touched Daniel. He wanted Daniel to hear this message from God. Daniel might have wondered, why did God wait so long to answer my prayers? Why the three weeks of silence?
11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. 12 Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. 14 Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”
Seeing the angel gave Daniel a glimpse into the supernatural dimension. But now he heard by God stayed silence. The fact is, God didn’t stay silent.
The moment Daniel called out to God for understanding, God dispatched an angel, likely Gabriel, to come and speak to Daniel. What took him so long?
The angel explained, as I headed your way, I was met with demons. These demonic forces withstood the angel with the answer.
The spiritual warfare was so intense, that this angel had to call on Michael, a warring angel, to come and bring supernatural help in this spiritual battle.
How long did this spiritual warfare take place? Twenty-one days!
How long did Daniel fast? Twenty-one days!
The answer God wanted to give Daniel was so important that Satan did all he could to stop the angel from coming. However the angels pressed on and fought the demonic forces, eventually providing a way for victory in the battle.
Even as I typed this part of my message, I couldn’t help but think, what would have happened if Daniel stopped praying a few days after he felt the spiritual void?
It is almost as if the more Daniel prayed and the longer he fasted, the greater the angels succeeded in the spiritual battle. What the angel wanted him to understand is, his determination to wait on God and to keep praying resulted in a supernatural visitation.
The supernatural visitation had a lot to do with the angels fighting the demons. But it also had a lot to do with Daniel pressing in and praying more than he ever prayed!
Close:
God gave Daniel and supernatural vision, however, as he prayed he felt a supernatural void. But finally, the his prayers led him to a supernatural visitation.
Why was their supernatural silence?
Because God worked on Daniel’s behalf by fighting off the demonic enemies. It wasn’t that God didn’t answer, only that the answer had not yet arrived.
Let’s take this story and return to the Day of Pentecost. Just before the ascension of Jesus, He promised to send power from heaven to His church.
He promised to send the Holy Spirit. On day one they waited, but one day turned to two, two turned to three until finally they waited ten days.
There were some who wondered, Jesus promised something supernatural, but all we’ve heard is silence. In fact, tells us 500 people saw Jesus after He rose from the dead.
Meaning, they heard the instructions to wait for the Holy Spirit to fall in Jerusalem. But on the Day of Pentecost only 120 were in the Upper Room.
Evidently they took God’s silence as a denial of His promise. But for those who endured the silence experienced the supernatural dimension.
Jesus gave a supernatural vision- everyone can have His power
There was a supernatural void- they had to endure ten days of silence from heaven
But for those who waited, there was a supernatural visitation and from that day forward, they walked in the supernatural dimension!
What does this mean for us?
It is God’s vision that we walk in the supernatural. But we have to keep trusting Him even when we feel a void.
There are times it seems that God is not listening to our prayers.
There are seasons where it feels that God is absent.
There are moments when we might question, should I keep praying about this same thing over and over?
The answer is YES, YES, YES. I have often wondered, how many times have we given up RIGHT when God was about to answer our prayers?
For if we could see in the Spirit, we would find that God is fighting for us. He is working on our behalf. Even when our circumstances say otherwise. Even when it feels like there is defening silence from heaven.
More often than not, the silence is not God denying us an answer. Instead, it is a challenge for us, will we continue to engage in spiritual warfare.
Will we remember?
17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
1 The righteous perishes, And no man takes it to heart; Merciful men are taken away, While no one considers That the righteous is taken away from evil. 2 He shall enter into peace; They shall rest in their beds, Each one walking in his uprightness. 3 “But come here, You sons of the sorceress, You offspring of the adulterer and the harlot! 4 Whom do you ridicule? Against whom do you make a wide mouth And stick out the tongue? Are you not children of transgression, Offspring of falsehood, 5 Inflaming yourselves with gods under every green tree, Slaying the children in the valleys, Under the clefts of the rocks? 6 Among the smooth stones of the stream Is your portion; They, they, are your lot! Even to them you have poured a drink offering, You have offered a grain offering. Should I receive comfort in these? 7 “On a lofty and high mountain You have set your bed; Even there you went up To offer sacrifice. 8 Also behind the doors and their posts You have set up your remembrance; For you have uncovered yourself to those other than Me, And have gone up to them; You have enlarged your bed And made a covenant with them; You have loved their bed, Where you saw their nudity. 9 You went to the king with ointment, And increased your perfumes; You sent your messengers far off, And even descended to Sheol. 10 You are wearied in the length of your way; Yet you did not say, ‘There is no hope.’ You have found the life of your hand; Therefore you were not grieved. 11 “And of whom have you been afraid, or feared, That you have lied And not remembered Me, Nor taken it to your heart? Is it not because I have held My peace from of old That you do not fear Me? 12 I will declare your righteousness And your works, For they will not profit you. 13 When you cry out, Let your collection of idols deliver you. But the wind will carry them all away, A breath will take them. But he who puts his trust in Me shall possess the land, And shall inherit My holy mountain.” 14 And one shall say, “Heap it up! Heap it up! Prepare the way, Take the stumbling block out of the way of My people.” 15 For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones. 16 For I will not contend forever, Nor will I always be angry; For the spirit would fail before Me, And the souls which I have made. 17 For the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry and struck him; I hid and was angry, And he went on backsliding in the way of his heart. 18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will also lead him, And restore comforts to him And to his mourners. 19 “I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,” Says the Lord, “And I will heal him.” 20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, When it cannot rest, Whose waters cast up mire and dirt. 21 “There is no peace,” Says my God, “for the wicked.”
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: 3 “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” 4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. 5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 6 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. 9 And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him. 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. 21 But that you also may know my affairs and how I am doing, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make all things known to you; 22 whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our affairs, and that he may comfort your hearts. 23 Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
Hear me this morning, DO NOT GIVE UP when God is about to come through for us.
He is calling on us to understand, silence does not mean God cannot hear us. It could be that He dispatched an angel to bring the answer, but the enemy is fighting against us.
So we must remember, sometimes God’s silence is supernatural. Therefore, if it seems God is silent because:
our family is not saved
our bodies are in pain
our hearts are hurting
our minds our troubled
our situations seem to get worse
or our problems are still present
Then I urge each of us, KEEP PRAYING, KEEP FASTING, KEEP PRAISING, KEEP SEEKING, KEEP KNOCKING, and KEEP TRUSTING.
For just when our strength is almost gone, a hand from heaven can reach down, touch us, and explain the moment you set your heart to understand God sent me with the answer, but I had to fight the enemy to get here.
Just when we think, I have waited ten days, ten months, or even ten years for the answer, maybe it’s not supposed to happen.
God can exchange the silence and SUDDENLY send sound from heaven like a rushing mighty.
So I declare over our lives and our church, GOD IS NOT DEAF, HE IS NOT MUTE, His silence is an opportunity for us to pray like we’ve never prayed before.
And when the answer finally comes, trust, we will rejoice that we didn’t give up in the process of receiving our answer.
Let’s ask God to help us walk in this supernatural dimension.