Preparation to HEAR GOD
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION:
INTRODUCTION:
One evening, as I came home I picked up my guitar and was jamming, and an hour and half later I was still jamming. However this time, Alexis was trying to get my attention. I had zoned her out due to concentrating on the guitar
We live in a world today where their Are voices all around us and they become, so loud that it becomes hard hearing the Lords voice.
In fact, in these moments, we are often consummed by other things that we even forget that the Lord is speaking
Our thoughts, the things we are concentrating on, and other distractions can often drown out God speaking.
The truth is the Lord desires to speak to his people, but are you valuing his voice enough to drown everything out to focus on him
Often our mentality is I don’t have time, I Can’t hear him, I have other things, But is if you value something you will make time
Like a proffesional athlete “ 1% of all high school students will have an opportunity to play in college” If a athlete desires to Be in the 1% then they will work for it.
I would hope that if you are a follower of CHrist that your desire is to Hear the voice of God and that comes by seeking him out, why in may cause getting rid of distraction.
One of the greatest verses that I have come to reflect upon is
“Be still, and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world.”
Scholars believe that this psalm was to be sung in worship but the way it was written was the author was probably living through a time of war, conflict or just a personal issue
Throughout The chapter we see the writer was encouraging to stand in the the strength of the Lord
In every situation the writer emphasizes the Lord is a refuge in strength , their stronghold , and The Lord of host is with us
BE STILL :
He is not Just Saying be still or rest but in other translations its “ CEASE STRIVING “
STop fighting and open their eyes to who he is
It’s easy to be fearful when things are going well or facing challenges, However We need to walk up and realize God is on our side
When we read this verse, it can be read like stop striving, stop fighting, and stop trying to do things on your own. Stop stressing about the battle ahead and trust me. Wake up! I am the Lord. I am your refuge and your strength. You have nothing to fear or worry about when I am with you. I will fight your battles and deal with your enemies. So get out of my way. Step back, open your eyes, and acknowledge who I am and what I can do
In the midst of conflict take a step back open up your eyes and acknowledge who God is and what he can do , Listen to his VOICE
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me,
Jesus is teh true shepherds.
When we have that relationship with him a choose to follow him, and obey him, we begin to listen and know his voice
A shepherded guards , guides , protects, fends , and tends his sheep and thats what Jesus does for you and I
A shepherd has a special relationship with shape
Sheep recognize and respond to the shepherds voice above all others
Some have said that shepherds will break the leg of the sheep that keep wandering away carry the sheep —- this creates a bond so that the sheep will not strays again and stay close to the shepherd.
Shepherds also to protect their flock from wolves and other wild animals
THis gives a picture of Jesus being our good shepehrd who gave his life that we might live , HIs Skeep hear his voic de and we respond to him
When we follow him , we recognize his still small voice
Today I want to talk on preparing to hear the voice of God.
Again if we take value in something, then we will take preparaction
If we truly care about something, then it becomes a priority
If we want to hear the voice of God, we should prepare Our hearts , get rid of distractions and spend time with teh Lord
Lets turn to Exodus 19 “In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that very day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. When they set out from Rephidim, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness; and there Israel camped in front of the mountain. Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. ‘Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.” So Moses came and called the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the Lord had commanded him. All the people answered together and said, “Al…”
With all the distractions of life, the questions we can ask are How can we prepare or be ready to hear teh voice of God? How can we prapare to hear from the Lord aside from being still
Look back to the Lord who saved you
Look back to the Lord who saved you
Background :
Almost fifty days after the first Passover and their miraculous deliverance from slavery, the children of Israel arrive at Mount Sinai in the wilderness somewhere East of Egypt. Moving out on faith but also frustration—> Probably thinking where is the land of milk and honey, but georgraphically they are taking a few steps back
. Terrified, exhausted, and completely unsure of what lies ahead, the Israelites camped at the base of this mountain for nearly a year.
Their arrrival was the fulfillment of Gods promise. God First revealed himself to Moses in the Burning bush. Exodus 3:12 I will be with you. And this will be a sign
God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”
God made his fulfillment by bringing his peopel out of Egypt to worship him at The mountain.
AT this Point God Brings Moses up on the Mounatin to speak to him
Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel:
‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself.
‘Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine;
Before God tells Moses what to do, he reminds him of what he’s done.,
He saying hey don’t forget that I’m the one who brought you out of Egypt, I’m the one that rescued you. DOnt forget what I’ve done to your enemies. DOnt forget that I’ve carried you
Now that You have remebered what I’ve done Now Im calling you to obedience
Through out scripture we see this same statement , “ If you obey my voice AND Keep my commandments, then you shall be my own possession
When we follow God out of reverence , we should desire to follow his commands and to seek his voice as he speaks to us
APPLICATION:
APPLICATION:
In the same way, if you are going to prepare your heart to hear the Lord speak to you….-
>Be mindful of what he has done
Be mindful of how he saved you ( Saovation and through life )
How has God worked in your past
Look back of how God has delivered you
Everyone has been a slave to sin, but when Jesus died on the Cross, he took the penalty and delivered us from sin and death .
When we remember the cross and what he’s done, it stirs something up in our spirit to want to be obedient and follow him and be receptive of what he wants to speak
LOOK AT WHO YOU ARE
LOOK AT WHO YOU ARE
and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”
When Isreal obeyed the Lord and kept his covenant, they became his people
In Fact they were kingdom of priest and holy nation
This was their identity and what the Lord has labled Them
When it comes to preparation of hearing form the Lord, we need to remember our identity
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,
knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;
becuase we are no longer bound to sin, becuase Jesus paying the price….. We can have fellowship with him ( that means we can talk and we can hear )
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Our identity completely changes our relationship with God and our families, just as it changes the way we see the world.
Our new identity in Christ means we have the same relationship with God that Christ has—we are His children.
God has adopted us as sons. We are able to call Him “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15–16). We are both joint heirs (Galatians 3:29) and friends (John 15:15) of Christ
Sometimes in life we hit the spots where we fill like we don’t hear Gof becuase we have forgotten our identity. We see our situation around us and forgotten who we belong to
But remember that no matter How broken you feel like you are or how far away you’ve ran, God still desires to speak to you
God knows your deepest needs, struggles, fears and regrets
He knows how deeply you are Hurging and is desperately waiting to retsore that relationship
Remember the movie the Lion King? Remember when Simba checks out and runs as far away as he could in the other direction? He forgot who he was. A transformation happens when Simba looks into the water and his reflection becomes the face of his father Mufasa. Here are the words that are exchanged between father and son.
Mufasa: Simba.
Simba: Father?
Mufasa: Simba, you have forgotten me.
Simba: No! How could I?
Mufasa: You have forgotten who you are, and so forgotten me. Look inside yourself, Simba? You are more than what you have become.
Simba: How can I go back? I’m not who I used to be.
Mufasa: Remember who you are. You are my son, and the one true king. Remember who you are.
IF YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN
GOD LOVES ME AND I AM HIS
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Remember the Lord desires to have that relationship and wants to speak to you . To take prepportion remember your identity
LOOK IN and Purify your Heart
LOOK IN and Purify your Heart
The Lord also said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments;
and let them be ready for the third day, for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.
“You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Beware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch the border of it; whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.
I love how the Lord challenges the peopel to consecrate ( purify themselves ) , and then tells them TO BE READY for the lord
When we come clean before God, we should come with an expectation to hear his voice
God is a close and affectionate God that desires good things for us , ( Like an eagle carrying for its babies) But God is also Just. His holiness outshines the darkest places
the Bible says that King David was a man after Gods on heart, yet he fell short to the glory of God.
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.
When we go before the Lord, and prepare to hear his voice we should look in and ask teh lord to purify our hearts
God tells them to wash everything.
There is not to be a trace of defilement. And they are not to touch the mountain lest they be killed.
All of these instructions of purification may seem a little over the top to us. That’s only because we’re used to seeing God as close at hand, easy to approach, just a friend we can get along with.
We don’t take sin as seriously as God does. But here we God Call his people into holiness.
because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
When you see things in light of God’s holiness, you realize how far you have fallen.
You understand that you can’t expect God to overlook your sins and failures, your darkness, as if it’s not a big deal.
Prepare to listen to God requires confession, repentance, and consecration. Look inside and purify your hearts
Look up in awe and receive what he has
Look up in awe and receive what he has
So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.
And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.
Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently.
When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder.
Here we see God and his amazing display of power.
He is revealing himself through thunder, lightening , smoke and an earthquake.
After weve realized what hes done in life, we’ve realized our identity ( that we have a relationship with God) , we’ve searched our , now we go with expectation to receive his word and what he desires to speak
The Lord can speak however he desires, but it may be rare to speak through a donkey or sky… But we do have his word in which he can speak to us daily. you long to hear from God? Do you want to hear His voice?
If you say “yes,” One way to hear his voice is by openin His Word
In the Bible we encounter the Spirit-inspired words of God, a gift that promises eternal life and spiritual maturity, a Book that shows us God Himself.
God is speaking through His Word today.
Stand in awe, and listen.you long to hear from God? Do you want to hear His voice?
If you say “yes,” but rarely open His Word, your actions say that you don’t really want to hear Him.
In the Bible we encounter the Spirit-inspired words of God, a gift that promises eternal life and spiritual maturity, a Book that shows us God Himself. God is speaking through His Word today. Stand in awe, and listen.