The One Thing That Cuts You Off From Hearing God

Devotional

Day 1: Remaining in the Huddle with Jesus

John’s football analogy reveals a truth: fellowship with Christ is like staying in the huddle to hear the play. When believers step out of sync with Jesus, they lose clarity and direction. Obedience keeps them close, while unconfessed sin creates distance. Intimacy with God isn’t about perfection but daily surrender. Just as a quarterback leads the team, Jesus guides those who stay near. Shame comes from ignoring His voice, but courage flows from abiding. [55:44]

“Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And the way we know he lives in us is by the Spirit he gave us.”
(1 John 3:24, NLT)

Reflection: What practical step can you take today to “stay in the huddle” with Jesus? How might unaddressed sin be distancing you from His guidance?

Day 2: The Holy Spirit as a Gentleman, Not a Showman

The Spirit doesn’t force His way into chaos or hype. He waits for invitation, like a friend respecting boundaries. Weirdness doesn’t attract Him; humility does. The businessman who paused for daily divine instructions saw breakthroughs without theatrics. True partnership with the Spirit requires quiet listening over performative spirituality. His presence brings order, not confusion. [15:12]

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image.”
(2 Corinthians 3:17–18, NLT)

Reflection: Where have you equated spiritual depth with emotional intensity? How might you create space to quietly listen for the Spirit’s voice this week?

Day 3: Grace is Power, Not Permission

Grace isn’t a loophole but a lifeline. It transforms desires, making obedience possible. Like a husband guarding marital intimacy, believers protect fellowship with Christ by rejecting sin. Distorted grace excuses rebellion; true grace empowers holiness. God’s divine nature within believers equips them to live beyond human effort. [41:53]

“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all this by coming to know him.”
(2 Peter 1:3, NLT)

Reflection: Is there an area where you’ve treated grace as permission rather than power? How does God’s nature in you change your approach to temptation?

Day 4: Testing Teachings Against the Original Gospel

New revelations must align with Scripture’s foundation. The Bereans didn’t blindly accept Paul’s words but checked them against God’s Word. Distortions creep in when teachings prioritize novelty over truth. Staying anchored to Christ’s eternal message guards against trendy deceptions. [37:15]

“The people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica. They listened eagerly, then tested everything by Scripture to see if it was true.”
(Acts 17:11, NLT)

Reflection: When have you uncritically accepted a teaching because it sounded spiritual? How can you cultivate a Berean-like approach to truth?

Day 5: Obedience Over Weirdness

The Holy Spirit thrives in ordinary faithfulness. A businessman’s daily 30-minute listening habit unlocked supernatural success without strange methods. Weirdness distracts; obedience attracts. Children flocked to Jesus not because He acted bizarrely but because His love felt safe. [13:57]

“If we claim to have fellowship with him and keep living in darkness, we’re lying. But if we live in the light, we share fellowship with one another.”
(1 John 1:6–7, NLT)

Reflection: Where have you complicated faithfulness with unnecessary spiritual theatrics? What simple act of obedience is God inviting you to embrace today?

Sermon Summary

Jesus gives Revelation to produce faith and hope, not fear. John the apostle then writes 1 John 2:24-28 and presses one thing three times: remain in fellowship with Christ. The word abide means dwell, stay, keep close. John anchors this abiding to “what you have been taught from the beginning,” which is not a private starting point but the Living Word made flesh. The beginning is Christ himself, the Word who was with God and is God, and the apostolic witness to him.

The Holy Spirit in 1 John is the indwelling teacher, yet Jesus also gives apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. The Spirit illuminates truth both in the secret place and through the gifts Christ appoints. The Bereans model the balance: receive with readiness, then search the Scriptures daily. James’ line, “it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us,” shows that genuine guidance bears spiritual recognition. Ulterior motives dull discernment; purity of heart hears. The Spirit is a gentleman who must be welcomed. “Where the Spirit is Lord, there is liberty,” meaning when he is allowed to master the room, freedom follows. Weirdness does not attract him. Obedience does.

Paul’s warning to Galatia draws a boundary: even if an angel preaches another gospel, let him be accursed. Perverting grace happens two common ways. Legalism says grace must be earned by the law. License smuggles in permission to sin by calling it grace. True grace is God’s power that gives everything needed for a godly life and a new nature that actually wants to obey. Obedience does not purchase relationship; it protects fellowship.

John’s call to remain in fellowship is about courage at Christ’s return. Habitual sin erodes that fellowship, like a receiver missing the huddle and guessing the play. Staying near the huddle is the point. If sin is conceived and carried to term, it leads to death. But the aim here is simpler and nearer: keep the fellowship. Protect the closeness. Live ready so as not to shrink back in shame when he appears. Love for God and the fear of God guard that readiness. Abide in what was from the beginning. Welcome the Spirit as Lord. Refuse novelty that shifts the center. Let grace empower obedience, and stay in the huddle.

Key Takeaways

1. Remain in fellowship with Christ Abiding is not a mood but a practiced nearness that keeps courage alive for the day of his appearing. John ties confidence at Christ’s return to a present, ongoing fellowship that is guarded, not assumed. Intimacy is maintained by obedience, not manufactured by intensity. The more the heart stays near, the less it will shrink back in shame. [06:23]
2. Where the Spirit is Lord, liberty Freedom flows where the Spirit is actually allowed to lead, not where he is mentioned in passing. Control and programs can crowd him out, while yielded hearts make room for his mastery. The Spirit does not force his way; he is welcomed by surrendered authority. Liberty is the fruit of his Lordship, not human management. [09:14]
3. Grace empowers obedience, not license Grace is not a permission slip; it is divine power that gives a new nature and the capacity to obey. Legalism tries to earn grace, and license tries to neuter it, but both pervert the gospel. Real grace both forgives and forms, cleansing the past while training the present. The gospel keeps pardon and power together. [41:53]
4. Guard against novelty and perversion The truth “from the beginning” is the plumb line when clever distortions sound persuasive. A hunger for followers or fresh angles can pry the center off Christ and his Word. Receive with readiness, then verify with Scripture like the Bereans. The inward witness and the written Word stand watch together. [34:26]
5. Welcome the Spirit without weirdness The Spirit is not strange; people can be. Oddity does not attract him; obedience and purity do. Discernment learns to test impressions, check motives, and seek confirmation that “seems good to the Holy Spirit and to us.” The Spirit’s presence makes children safe to draw near, not anxious to pull away. [30:29]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:49] - Have you ever been wrong?
[03:34] - John’s Patmos vision and purpose of Revelation
[04:40] - Revelation produces faith, not fear
[05:22] - 1 John 2:24-28 read aloud
[06:55] - Abide means dwell and stay
[09:14] - Where the Spirit is Lord, liberty
[12:50] - Marketplace story of listening to the Spirit
[16:31] - The Spirit teaches and the fivefold equips
[21:21] - “Seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us”
[25:28] - Ulterior motives block hearing God
[29:26] - The Spirit is not weird, obedience attracts
[31:57] - Obedience maintains fellowship, not earns relationship
[33:57] - Stay with what was from the beginning
[36:35] - Even an angel? Do not receive another gospel
[38:24] - Two distortions of grace explained
[41:53] - Grace is power to obey
[49:51] - Speaking truth in love will cost
[55:04] - Fellowship vs relationship and the huddle
[57:14] - Courage at His return, no shrinking back

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
1 John 2:24-28 (ESV)
Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life. I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him. And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.

Observation Questions

Three times in 1 John 2:24-28, believers are urged to "abide" or "remain" in fellowship with Christ. What specific reasons does John give for this command?
The sermon emphasized that "grace is power to obey, not permission to sin" ([41:53]). How does 2 Peter 1:3-4 (referenced in the sermon) support this idea?
What two common distortions of grace were highlighted in the sermon ([38:24]), and how do they contradict the gospel?

Interpretation Questions

John ties abiding in Christ to having "confidence and not shrink from him in shame" at His return (1 John 2:28). Why might habitual sin erode this confidence, even if our relationship with God is secure?
The sermon stated, "Where the Spirit is Lord, there is liberty" ([09:14]). How does the Holy Spirit’s lordship differ from human control in producing true freedom?
The Bereans were commended for testing teachings against Scripture ([37:15]). Why is both readiness to receive truth and discernment necessary when evaluating spiritual guidance?

Application Questions

Abiding in Christ is described as a "practiced nearness." What daily habit could you strengthen (or start) to intentionally "stay in the huddle" with Jesus, like a football team staying connected to their quarterback ([55:04])?
Reflect on an area where you might resist the Holy Spirit’s leadership out of fear of "weirdness" or losing control. What practical step could you take to yield more fully to His guidance this week?
The sermon warned against teachings that "shift the center" away from Christ ([34:26]). How can you cultivate discernment when encountering new spiritual ideas or trends?
Share an example of how grace has empowered you to obey God in a specific struggle, rather than using it as an excuse to compromise. How did this deepen your fellowship with Him?
The marketplace leader in the sermon prioritized listening to the Spirit daily ([13:57]). What mundane or "insignificant" area of your life might God want to speak into if you invited His input more intentionally?

Sermon Clips

31s

“Let me tell you what I've learned in forty three years of ministry. If I have an ulterior motive Mhmm. I want clicks on YouTube Yeah. It's gonna cause me not to hear him. Mhmm. I want followers. I want subscribers. It's gonna cause me not to be able to hear him. Yeah. I have got to go into every meeting almost with the attitude Jesus had. I'm gonna speak the truth. I love these people, and if they all walk away, they walk away. Because that's what happened in John six.”

35s

“Paul makes a statement. Okay? Because these people that lead us astray, they can quote scriptures, they can sound convincing, they can appear sincere, but Paul says, then we will no longer be like immature children. We won't be tossed and blown about by any every wind of new teaching. New teaching. New teaching. Stay faithful to that which was taught from the beginning. Do you know how many ministers have gotten in trouble because they're trying to come up with a new revelation to draw followers, subscribers?”

38s

“And he actually showed me that the people's eyes were on me, not on Jesus. And he showed me what to do. I've never done this but once. Mhmm. I've done this only one time in forty four years of forty three years of ministry. You don't even know it because I've never shared it with you. I got up and I stood behind the pulpit and I said, the spirit of God showed me that every one of you are to pray and to worship him privately. I don't have a thing to say. I'm finished. Good night. And I walked off the pulpit.”

76s

“The people were weird. Mhmm. They were they're weird if they're playing tennis. They're weird if they're playing cards. They're just weird. They chose because and I'm gonna tell you why they get weird. Because they think weirdness for some reason will attract the holy spirit, and that's not true. Weirdness does not attract the holy spirit. Yeah. Obedience attracts the holy spirit. Really good. Now, that guy said how uncomfortable he was. Mhmm. But when he did it, it actually opened up the meeting and the and there was 20 hospitals bought. Yeah. Okay.”

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John Bevere This sermon · AI assistant

How does one remain in fellowship with Christ?

What distinguishes true Holy Spirit guidance from weirdness?

How does grace empower obedience rather than license?