How the Lord Speaks Pt. 2

Specific Time

-Let’s think back to God Speaking like a Flashlight

-When do you use it?

+When it’s dark

+There is a Determined time

+A flashlight can be used at any time; but there is always that Determined time

*This aspect is one of the most important when learning how God speaks.*

A Designated Time

-Just like a flashlight God has a designated time to talk.. WE SHOULD DESIGNATE A TIME TO LISTEN

-We find all throughout the Bible people with designated times

-Gen. 3:8 “And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.”

-Ps. 55:17 “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: And he shall hear my voice.”

-Ps. 119:62 “At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee Because of thy righteous judgments.”

-Ps. 119:147 “I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word.”

-Mk. 1:35 “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”

A Dedicated Time

Think about the Flashlight. In daylight or a lit up room its much harder to see the flashlight if it’s visible at all.

*God’s Word is the same way!

*God’s voice will not be hear or it will be much harder to hear if you have 100 other things grabbing your attention! GET ALONE WITH GOD!!!

-You can’t read the Word of God and watch TV at the same time and expect to hear God’s voice.

-My point is you need to have a dedicated time to listen and read the Word of God.

-Jesus gives us a parable we could apply right here

-Luke 8:5-8 “A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”

-you can’t expect the seed of the Word of God to take root if you have other junk in your life distracting you and hindering that seed to have a lodging place.

-To hear the voice of God you need to learn how to shut out the voice of man

-Matthew 6:6 “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”

-SHUT OUT ALL DISTRACTIONS

A Daily Time

When does dark come? As often as the Day comes.

Every single Day there is a Night.

So How often do you need this light? EVERY SINGLE DAY!!

-How would it make you feel as a parent if your child only came to you when you needed or wanted something?

-Sadly thats how God probably feels when some of his children only come to talk to him when they need something.

-If you only want a word from God when you want it, God will not obligat himself to speak to you.

-I’ve been talking about Darkness in relation to the flashlight, but lets apply it to our life and the world around us.

-We do not realize how dark our world is.

-we don’t realize how dark our life is.

-we need to realize the darkness around us and the darkness of our flesh and sinful desires.

***This is why we need this time DAILY!!!***

-Let me put it to you in better way we may be able to relate to.

-how often do you eat?

EVERYTHING REVOLVES AROUND FOOD

-The Bible often refers to the Word of God as food:

-Jeremiah 15:16 “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.”

-Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

-John 6:35 “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

-1 Corinthians 3:2 “I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.”

Why do you think God Likens the Word of God to food?

-to get his point across of how badly we truly need it!!

Back to my question how often do you eat?

-Multiple times a day

Think about a hospital. When someone gets too sick to even feed themselves they have to get a feeding tube. My point is, if you are only seeking God when you think you need him, you’ll find out then when you do need him you are too weak to be able to seek him. This is why it is so important to seek God daily, pray to God Daily, meditate on his Word daily.

I’m not here to tell you when to set your own time for you and God to get alone. I’m just hear to tell you that it is needed if you are seriously wanting to hear from the God of Heaven and Earth.

(Close with Mt. Victory Testimony)

2 Timothy 1:8-12 “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”

2 Timothy 2:1-7 “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits. Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.”