Filtering the Noise

Who are you listening to?

What voices are the loudest in your life?

How do you filter the noise to discern what’s good and true?

The voices you listen to SHAPE the person you BECOME.

FILTERING THE NOISE

1. Not every VOICE deserves your TRUST.

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

1 John 4:1

Spirits: The Bible clearly defines the spiritual realm as an unseen reality that is just as real as the physical realm. We have a very real enemy whose agenda is to bring chaos, destruction, and death to all that is good.

“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.”

- C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

Do not believe: Blind faith is not Biblical.

The Voices We Hear:

• Inside our HEAD. (shame, guilt, insecurity, hopelessness)
• In our LIFE. (past/present – parent, coach, teacher, pastor, boss, friends)
• In our WORLD. (culture, news, social media, political party)

Test: to examine carefully, to determine the genuineness of, to look over closely.

Street Philosophies:

• Live your Truth.
• If it feels good, do it!
• Follow your heart.
• Don’t change me, love me.

2. The Test: Does it align with the GOSPEL of JESUS?

This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

1 John 4:2-3

The Gospel of Jesus:

• The PERSON of Jesus. (Who Jesus is.)
• The PRACTICE of Jesus. (What Jesus taught and lived.)
• The PROVISION of Jesus. (What Jesus accomplished.)

Counterfeit Gospels:

• The THERAPEUTIC gospel. (Jesus is a self-help guru.)
• The HUMANISTIC gospel. (Jesus is a guide, not God.)
• The SPIRITUAL gospel. (Jesus is a technique for enlightenment.)

3. Victory is already YOURS.

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

1 John 4:4

4. Turn down the NOISE and tune into GOD’S VOICE.

They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

1 John 4:5-6

APPLICATION:

• Track what you consume: Pay attention to the voices shaping your life.
• Tune into God’s voice: Start with 5 minutes a day. (Silence, Scripture)
• Speak truth over your life: Greater is He who is in me…

The voices you listen to SHAPE the person you BECOME.