OVERCOMING SPIRITUAL DEAFNESS-EPHPHATHA-

SERIES: DIVINE TOUCH

TEXT: MARK 7:32-35, ISAIAH 42:18-25

Happy and blessed are those who have an ear that the Lord has purified, cleansed and opened so that it can hear the divine call. But, there is no blessing for the christian whose spiritual ears are not opened-Mark 7:32-35.

When even one sense fails, it causes a great deprivation and exposes the person suffering from it to the pity of his family. Imagine if all the senses fail!!

• This man lived in a world of his own, a soundless world. He was both deaf and dumb.
• He was cut off from communication on both sides.
• He heard nothing and he said nothing, his world was a world of silence.
• A world of deafness and dumbness is a dangerous world to the victim.
• In his world of silence, he must have formed his own ideas about everything in life.
• He could not understand the ideas of the world.
• He was limited to his own ideas and perceptions.
• He understood God in his own way, even if he wanted to talk to God he did not know what to say and there he could not ask for spiritual help.
• This man was helpless, no one could help him except God.
• God’s desire for us is not deafness-Isaiah 62:1.
• But there was hope for this man, Jesus sighed and said to him, “Ephpatha.” Immediately he was rescued from the soundless state and brought to a world of beautiful sound. His ears were opened and the string of his tongue was loosed and spoke plain-Mark 7:35. Let us learn:-

SPIRITUAL DEAFNESS-Isaiah 42:19.

• This man’s deafness was absolute. He could hear nothing.
• He was absolutely limited especially in the days when there was no sign language and other communication aids we have today.
• The spiritually deaf are no better-Isaiah 42:19.
• Those who have been sent to the people but they are engulfed in debauchery and sin.
• This servant of God has seen the light of the gospel, supposed to reflect the light of God, but he was deaf-darkened and couldn’t hear from God-causing chaos in the church-Jer. 23:1.
• God says, He will bring relief to His wrath by raising shepherd whose ears are already open. They will hear from Him and feed the sheep with the truth till they lead them to the promised land-Jer. 23:4.
• The ears have two purposes:

1. Balance.

• The organ of balance is called the vestibular system. It is found in the inner ear.
• The vestibular is for detecting acceleration and direction of head movement.
• Information coming from the vestibular is sent to and processed by the brain and then sent to other organs like the eyes, joints and muscles.
• This allows us to keep balance and know which position our body is in.
• When we listen to God’s voice, He orders our steps-Psalm 37:23. He makes us walk on our high places-Habakkuk 3:19.
• Our spiritual ears keep our balance and help us not fall into the trap set by the evil ones.
• Spiritual deaf and wicked people usually fall into snares and traps because there is no divine voice guiding them.
• Job 18:8, “For he is cast into a net by his own feet and walketh upon a snare.”
• When we hear God’s voice, our song will be “keep me from the snares while they have laid for me and the gins of the workers of iniquity. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst I withal escape”-Psalm 141:9-10

2. Hearing.

• There is a spiritual ear through which we hear the gentle whispers of the spirit.
• This voice of God comes to us internally.
• Blessed are those who have an ear that God has purified, cleansed and opened to hear the divine call.
• It is a tragedy for any man or woman to lose the signal of heaven. But God is a communicator-Rev. 3:20.
• God communicates his purpose so that we can know his next move.
• He gives divine instructions so that we can know the way to go-Amos 3:7.
• If we must succeed in our ministry, we must learn to hear God like Abraham-Gen. 26:5; Noah-Gen. 6:22; Elijah-1^st Kings 19:12; Isaiah 55:8-9.

BENEFITS OF HEARING GOD’S VOICE.

1. You will live by God’s standard.

• How can we serve God faithfully with spiritual deafness?
• Our walk of holiness-1^st Peter 1:15; Rom. 12:2.
• Holiness is the standard which God has called you and me to live-Heb. 12:14; 1^st Peter 1:16.

2. You will be committed to the real source-God.

• God is the source of everything in heaven and on earth.
• God has specific messages for His children through His hearing ministers and pastors.
• If the preacher hears God’s voice clearly and regularly, the flock will be fed and blessed-1^st Peter 5:2-4; Jer. 17:7-8.
• God is the source of life, let us hear Him-Rom. 11:36.

DIVINE GUIDANCE-2^nd Tim 3:1.

• We are already in the end times, the signs are being revealed daily through many events happening around the world.
• God wants to guide us through this perilous and difficult times-2^nd 3:1, bless us-James 1:12 and give us a haven-Deut. 31:6. Guidance is a great privilege to the children of God-Psalm. 103:7.

WE WILL NOT BE DECEIVED.

• Satan is deceiving the world-Rev. 12:9 because he knows that his time is short-Rev. 12:12.
• Satan disguised himself as an angel of light-2^nd 11:14.
• False christ’s and false prophets are numerous-Matt. 24:24.
• God speaks daily and moment by moment are we hearing?-Jer. 1:17-19.
• Many Christians are deceived to death everyday-John 8:44; 1^st Peter 4:1; 2^nd 2:3.
• Ephphatha-Be opened!! To stand up against the doctrine of Balaam and Nicolaitanes. There are doctrines that Jesus hates-Rev. 2:14-15.
• Thus says the Lord of Hosts, “Let no man deceive you by any means-2^nd 2:3. Listen to His voice-John 10:27. The synagogue of satan will not prevail-Rev. 3:9.

DIVINE DIRECTIONS-Acts 2:17.

“Blessed are the prophets, the seers, the dreamers for God has revealed to them”-Jer. 33:3; Psalm 105:4; Hab. 2:3.

• Ephphatha-Be open to divine purpose consult with God, first-Dan. 2:22.
• In his end time vision, Daniel was told to shut up the words and seal the book-Dan. 12:4. “For the words were closed up and sealed till the time of the end”-Dan. 12:9.
• John was told to seal the sayings of the prophecy of the book, for the time is at hand-Rev. 22:10.
• Psalm 135:6, “Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did He in heaven, and in earth, in the seas and all deep places.”
• Ephphatha-Be open to divine interpretation and meaning of the dreams and visions.
• Daniel tells his friends to desire God’s mercies on King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream-Dan. 2:18.
• Ephphatha-Be open to receive divinely inspired sermons-God has specific message for His children on particular places and situations, issues and promises.
• “A man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven-John 3:27.
• Ephphatha-Be open to divine guidance-tarry, wait, seek God in prayer and fasting to receive divine guidance-1^st 12:7; Eccl. 10:10.
• Ephphatha-Be open to divine placement,
• If God directs you to a particular location to preach or serve the church, please adhere to it.
• Do not turn deaf ears to God’s voice-1^st 15:22.

CONCLUSION

• The cure for deafness is not to hear but to be open. Hearing follows openness, “Ephphatha.”
• Jesus Christ did not tell the deaf man “Now hear” but He said “Ephphatha”-Be open.
• Jesus is saying “Ephphatha” to the closed parts of our lives.
• Let us not be people without heart, sight or hearing-Ephphatha.