HEARING THE VOICE OF GOD
Divine Direction • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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GRADUATIONS:
Fuel Graduation
Practical Pastoral Graduation
Juan Ramos (here)
Renae McGee (here)
Matthew Brock (paper?)
Justin Kotaska (Geneseo)
Jeff Herman (paper?)
Amanda Diericx (paper?)
INTRO:
Series: Divine Direction
Week One: “Making Decisions”
The Title This Week: “Hearing the Voice of God”
GPS - not only gives us a map; it talks us through Turn by Turn directions.
In the fifteenth century, Joan of Ark a 17 year old French girl who led her country to victory in battle was burned at the stake for claiming God spoke to her.
There are those who have abused the claim, “Thus saith the Lord”… and then come across as crazy.
People can get wounded and leave the church
STORY: In youth ministry I have had students meet with me because they had another student say that God told them they were going to marry them. They were like, “God didn’t tell me to marry you.” LOL
So…how can we hear the voice of God?
MESSAGE:
1. DISCONNECT FROM DISTRACTIONS
“Notifications are an Invitation to Interruption”
- Michael Todd
Are we too busy? Is it too loud? Are we taking our Sabbath?
Are we sitting and soaking in His presence?
Are we Silent and Meditating upon Him?
Schedule times of stillness and silence
Some people only come to God when they are in trouble or are faced with a difficult situation?
How can we recognize a voice we only listen for when we are in need?
Jesus retreated from people often. He got alone and listened for the voice of His Father.
He set the example for us to follow.
Story:
A zoologist was walking down a busy city street with a friend. In the midst of the
honking horns and screeching tires, he exclaimed to his friend, “listen to that cricket!” the
friend looked at the zoologist in astonishment and asked, “you hear a cricket in the
middle of all this noise and confusion?” without a word, the zoologist reached into his
pocket, took out a coin, and flipped it into the air. As it clinked on the sidewalk, a dozen
heads turned in response. The zoologist said quietly to his friend, “we hear what we listen
for.”
9 So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went back to bed.
2. POSTURE YOURSELF WITH PURPOSE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD.
You have removed the distractions… now anticipate God’s voice and leading.
Take a journal and pencil into your prayer time. Write down thoughts or senses that you have during that time.
The world is perishing for lack of the knowledge of God and the Church is famishing for want of His Presence. The instant cure of most of our religious ills would be to enter the Presence in spiritual experience, to become suddenly aware that we are in God and that God is in us. This would lift us out of our pitiful narrowness and cause our hearts to be enlarged.2
A. W. Tozer
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.
When we hear God’s voice and follow His leading, we are capable of remaining in the center of His will, experiencing all that He has for us.
3. LEARN TO RECOGNIZE HIS VOICE
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
What does His voice sound like? How does God speak?
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
God Speaks… Through His Word
This is the main way God speaks to us
If you don’t read the Bible you are missing the main voice of God
God Speaks… Through The Holy Spirit
Spirit of the Living God inside of you directing you.
63 The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
God Speaks… Through Other People
We don’t like this one do we? It may be a boss, a friend or an enemy. It may be a pastor, or parent.
God Speaks… Audibly
The Creation of the World
He gave Noah instructions for building the Ark
God spoke to Abraham in regards to the Covenant
Elijah
12 And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.
He spoke audibly at Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River. “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.”
God Speaks… Through Angelic Visitation
God Speaks… Through Dreams and Visions
God Speaks… Through Signs and Miracles
4 And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.
God Speaks… Through Creation and Nature
Creation… Balaam’s Donkey
28 Then the Lord gave the donkey the ability to speak. “What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?” it asked Balaam.
29 “You have made me look like a fool!” Balaam shouted. “If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!”
30 “But I am the same donkey you have ridden all your life,” the donkey answered. “Have I ever done anything like this before?” “No,” Balaam admitted.
b. Nature…
1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.
2 Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.
3 They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard.
God Speaks… Through Media
The message can get to all nations through media
God Speaks… Through Our Conscious
“I had a sense”
“The thought hit me”
4. TAKE ACTION
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
Human nature has a…
Desire for Health but a neglect for Discipline
Desire for GOD but neglect for Devotion
20 Then David continued, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly.
If we want to hear God’s voice we must be committed to obeying it.
Many times we can’t hear His voice because sin has separated us from
God.
9 Then he said, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
i. Hearing has to with a person’s willingness to be changed by what he or she hears.
ii. If we don’t follow through on the Holy Spirit’s leading, He may see no reason to continue speaking.
iii. If we haven’t followed through on previous instruction do you think He will give us new instructions
CONCLUSION:
1. Posture yourself for hearing from God this morning… Let’s go
2. This week…Fasting and Prayer this week:
- Let’s change our appetite this week!
- No Food just the Father and His Presence!
3. Then Act upon what He says, BE LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD