Charting the New Year: Finding God's Way in Seeking Our Way Message #2

Listen for His Voice-Seeking God in the Stillness (Spiritual Sensitivity)

Introduction

We come back this morning to our series, Charting the New Year: Finding God’s Way in Seeking Our Way.

Our Theme Verse for this series is:

Proverbs 3:5-6. I want you to say it with me aloud and I would encourage you to memorize these verses.

Proverbs 3:5–6 “5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”

Point #1 that we spent the entire message last week as we began this series: Charting the New Year and seeking direction as we follow God’s direction for our lives begins with learning to trusting God.

You will remember that we first addressed the question:

How do you build trust in God’s will and direction for your life?

Firstly,

You Reflect on God’s Faithfulness in your past. Remember God’s handiwork in your life to this point. All the many times He has been there for you.

Spend time in His presence (develop intimacy with Him). We can not build intimacy with anyone for that matter unless you spend time with the other person. Time in prayer, talking, but listening to God. That is specifically what we will be discussing today. Time in worship, time in His Word, time among His people.

Where is a great beginning point? Learning to trust God in small steps of obedience. 10 minute devotions. Asking someone to church. If you will not tithe the 10%, begin with 2-5%. Allow God to prove Himself as spelled out in Malachi and see that the floodgate of blessings overflow in your life. Once God is proven to you in the small things, you will trust Him in the big things.

4. Surrender Control (let go and let God)

“lean not to your own understanding.” Trust Him to take action. Once you have given a matter over to Him that is outside of your ability, trust Him and allow Him to intervene. And, give Him the glory in His responses.

5. Surround Yourself with Testimonies (Community Encouragement-Believers).

This morning we transition to the second point in this series.

This morning our objective is to learn to listen for the voice of God.

Often, we don't hear God because of the noise in our lives, all the other voices, all the other influences jockeying for our attention. There is so much busyness and distraction that we do not allow a pipeline for God into our lives.

To find God’s way, we will learn today that we must be intentional about listening, specifically spiritual listening.

The theme today:

Listen for His Voice – Seeking Direction in the Stillness (Spiritual Sensitivity)

Our focal verse for our time today is Isaiah 30:21.

Isaiah 30:21 (NKJV)

21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,

“This is the way, walk in it,”

Whenever you turn to the right hand

Or whenever you turn to the left.

Prayer

Message

May I submit to you today it is not easy to filter through all the noise of influence jockeying for our attention. There are voices all about that steal our attention and it takes tremendous discipline to filter those influences out.

Digital distractions. Social media-YouTube, FaceBook TikTok, Instagram, and constant endless loops of feeds are bombarding our attention.

News Information Overload-there is literally 24/7/365 local, county, state, federal and world news that fosters anxiety, divisiveness that simply rob you of your peace and times of reflection.

Streaming and Gaming-does not allow for any down time making silence, solitude and meditating almost impossible

Cultural Influences-Consumerism, materialism, overzealous influence of the sporting industry.

Pace of Life and Busyness-Overcommitment-work, family activities, social engagements

Achievement Culture-pressure to perform, to succeed, “hustle”-these mindsets can dominate our mental capacity and leave no room for prayer, Bible Study, Worship, or spiritual thought for that matter.

This morning our focal passage is Isaiah 30:21 “21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,”. Our text comes from the the entirety of Isaiah 30:1-22.

The book of Isaiah is one of the major prophetic books of the OT. Isaiah was a prophet to the Southern Kingdom of Israel, specifically Judah.

Isaiah wrote of an impending judgment to come to the people of Israel, but He offered hope in the coming Messiah and the restoration of God’s people. In today’s chapter, Isiah addresses a period of political upheaval, more specifically about the looming threat of the Assyrian empire that was to come. The Good News is the Good News that Isaiah offers Israel and He offers us today. He prophesied of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ, who came to save us from our sins. Amen. God guided His writing on the scrolls to give us verses Isaiah 7:14, 9:6 and the entire 53rd chapter of Isaiah.

Here at Christmas we reflected on that verse of Hope.

Isaiah 9:6 “6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Amen!

Specifically, here in Chapter 30 this morning, Isiah is writing the fourth “woe” and he addresses the futility of allying with Egypt as their answer to combating the oncoming dominance and invasion of the Assyria empire.

The Emptiness of Worldly Influence in Making Our Decisions vv. 1-7

The vacuum of worldly counsel was distorting the good sense, but better yet, the God sense of Israel. They were listening to the wrong voices.

Isaiah opens the chapter with these words:

Follow me on the screen with the first seven verses of Chapter 30.

Isaiah 30:1–3 “1 “Woe to the rebellious children,” says the Lord, “Who take counsel, but not of Me, And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, That they may add sin to sin; 2 Who walk to go down to Egypt, And have not asked My advice, To strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, And to trust in the shadow of Egypt! 3 Therefore the strength of Pharaoh Shall be your shame, And trust in the shadow of Egypt Shall be your humiliation.”

Isaiah 30:4–7 “4 For his princes were at Zoan, And his ambassadors came to Hanes. 5 They were all ashamed of a people who could not benefit them, Or be help or benefit, But a shame and also a reproach.” 6 The burden against the beasts of the South. Through a land of trouble and anguish, From which came the lioness and lion, The viper and fiery flying serpent, They will carry their riches on the backs of young donkeys, And their treasures on the humps of camels, To a people who shall not profit; 7 For the Egyptians shall help in vain and to no purpose. Therefore I have called her Rahab-Hem-Shebeth.”

or Rahab-”Do nothing” is how that is translated.

We must go back to Israel’s past to appreciate the futility of what is happening here. Israel has not conferred with God about their decisions. They are taking it upon themselves to reach out and ally with Egypt to offer assistance against the force of the growing adversarial dominance of the Assyrian Empire.

Let’s ponder this decision for a moment. We are at a unique vantage point because we have objectivity and we are not in the fires of decision making. You remember that the Israelites were enslaved 400 years by none other than Egypt. The story of Israel/Egypt is a true story, but a metaphorical story that reflects our spiritual pilgrimage in our journey with Jesus. Israel was enslaved to the Egyptians. We were enslaved to the world, sin, and death. Moses as God’s called deliverer for the people of Israel acts metaphorically as Christ our deliverer who saved us. Moses carried Israel from enslavement ultimately to the promised land. Jesus carries us from sin and death and a sentencing to eternal damnation, but graciously and mercifully went to the cross on our behalf to save us for those who believe. Amen.

Yet, as we read the life of Israel we know that they never walked a perfect journey no more than we do. We know that the journey through the wilderness, the 40 year journey is metaphorically that same journey we all walk in Christ. We take three steps forward and other times we backslide. The entire journey of Israel is a picture of our journey of sanctification, growing like Christ more and more each day, but the world has its pull and influence.

Here in the first verse listen to what Isaiah says:

Isaiah 30:1 ““Woe to the rebellious children,” says the Lord, “Who take counsel, but not of Me, And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, That they may add sin to sin;”

Isaiah states “woe to rebellious-NKJV, or obstinate-NIV, stubborn-ESV

Rebellious

A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible (5637. סָרַר)

5637. סָרַר c̨ârar, saw-rar´; a prim. root; to turn away, i.e. (morally) be refractory:—× away, backsliding, rebellious, revolter (-ing), slide back, stubborn, withdrew.

The word rebellious does in fact have multiple meanings in the Hebrew. Yes it means rebellious, or obstinate, but it also means to turn away or withdraw.

I believe what happened in the life of Israel happens to us. Something drew their minds away from God. And dearly beloved, there is something at every turn today that draws our minds away from God.

Israel as reflected in this chapter was falling into a backslidden estate. They were favoring the familiar, the comfortable, the easier road, and as Jesus describes in the NT, the broad path. They left Egypt under enslavement and here years later they are drawn back to the Egypt of old. And the reality was that nothing had changed.

Ill. Repentance-180 degree change. Yes, we move and we sometimes turn back, but the glorious Good News is you can get back on track.

Israel found it the better answer to ally with Egypt as a strength to combat what they sense was coming with the Assyrian empire rather than ally with God. Isaiah on the other hand represented the voice of God reminding Israel that allying with the world, allying with Egypt would be their demise.

Listen to the language we read:

He states you are “carrying out a plan, but not mine, and who make an alliance, but not of my Spirit”, but listen to what Isaiah says the result of that will be:

“that they may add sin to sin.”

Verse 2: “who set out to go down to Egypt”

Dearly beloved, whenever you follow the world and its ways its always a downward move.

The decision “adds sin upon sin.” How did it come about? Seeking counsel some other place than from God.

The noise of the familiar, the comfortable, the easy, drew Israel back. Let’s not overstate it. It might not have been that Israel was so blatantly bipolar to the things of God, but they were distracted, their minds were fixed on other things. God was not in the limelight of their lives, He was not at the forefront of their attention so they turn to the world for answers to their dilemma.

They are turning back to the same world that had enslaved them. They are listening to the counsel of the world.

Verse 5 is the culmination of Israel’s decision.

Isaiah 30:5 “5 They were all ashamed of a people who could not benefit them, Or be help or benefit, But a shame and also a reproach.””

“It adds sin upon sin.”

Ill. Charles-Gambler-Carries $100 to the Georgia line every month to place a bet on the lottery. I asked had he ever won by giving the $100 every month. He said no. I proposed giving him $80 if he would give me the $100 and I would do that for him every month. He did not take my offer. I told him he would be better off doing that than what he was doing.

Why is it that our former lives have such pull? WE can live for some day a Christ centered life and see immediate benefit, yet we fall back to our former life.

That answer is easy, to implement the change is not easy. In fact, you cannot do it in your power, but in the power of the Holy Spirit.

When we choose a life of repentance and change, it is uncomfortable, its the unfamiliar, its all new and it takes time to adjust.

We pick new friends, we choose new languages, we have new loyalties with our time, our talents, our resources.

But what happens is we allow the noise and the pollutants of influence to draw us back into the familiar, the comfortable, the broad path.

My question for you this morning is what counsel, what information, what stream of decision making is invading your being that is not allowing time to hear from God?

Have you succumbed to the world’s influence of digital media? Busyness, consumerism and materialism, over committed in your calendar, following the American dream rather than God’s dream for your life?

Listen to these words in the Bible:

1 Kings 19:11–12 “11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.”

Oh listen to me dear brother or sister. Let’s not allow earthquakes, fires and high winds to be the tool He has to use to get our attention. God used those devises to get the attention of Elijah simply to listen to His direction and will for His life. Let’s not allow that to happen.

What is robbing you from hearing the still small voice of God?

Isaiah conveyed another word that the Israelites were “devising plans.”

Alliance, devise plans

A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible (4541. מַסֵּכָה)

4541. מַסֵּכָה mac̨c̨êkâh, mas-say-kaw´; a pouring over, i.e. fusion of metal (espec. a cast image);

a coverlet (as if poured out):—covering, molten (image), vail.

Israel had allowed a covering over their ears so that they could not hear the voice of God. They had on spiritual ear muffs.

What is muffling the voice of God in your life?

Isaiah 30:6 “6 The burden against the beasts of the South. Through a land of trouble and anguish, From which came the lioness and lion, The viper and fiery flying serpent, They will carry their riches on the backs of young donkeys, And their treasures on the humps of camels, To a people who shall not profit;”

The broader picture of this symbolic language is that there was eminent danger to Israel for seeking the aid of Egypt. There was moral and spiritual danger lurking to make your bed with the world. And notice, they were even giving their resources to the cause.

Matthew 6:21 “21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Dear Ears and Blind Determination will be Your Demise

Isaiah 30:9–11 “9 That this is a rebellious people, Lying children, Children who will not hear the law of the Lord; 10 Who say to the seers, “Do not see,” And to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us right things; Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits. 11 Get out of the way, Turn aside from the path, Cause the Holy One of Israel To cease from before us.””

Do you know that the voice of God sometimes can be like medicine. It doesn’t taste good going down, but the results can be life changing. We read to this point in Isaiah 30 of judgment. Starting at verse 18 and on we will read of grace and mercy. I am so thankful for the grace and mercy of God and His hand to draw me back.

But listen very closely, place yourself in the most intimate relationship, being spousal, be it parent/child, or best friend. There are times there will come about a great divide in a relationship because one has done something against another, one has hurt the other. The wrong can be unfaithfulness, not minding our parents, harsh mean lashing out words, being caught in a lie, and the list goes on.

In order for the relationship to enjoy full restoration there must be some “coming clean” and dearly beloved, and the truth can hurt. The easier thing is to tell a lie or to water down the truth than to face the hurt, face the music, pull out and place all the cards on the table if you will. But, when that is accomplished, after the bottom of hurt and reconciliation takes place, real healing, real restoration and bonding is strengthened.

Our nature is to avoid the truth, to water down or just skim over that part.

Isaiah 30:10 “10 Who say to the seers, “Do not see,” And to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us right things; Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits.”

We do not want to be confronted with the stark reality of our fallen estate. We do not want to hear there is sin in our lives.

If you’ve ever faced for example financial calamity, the propensity is to avoid the reality of how bad things really are. You do not want to go to the mail box. You do not want to open the mail. You do not want to balance your checkbook and face the reality of income against outlay. It’s better not to know that to feel the pressure of the harsh reality. And we know that is not the way you handle such a matter. We must confront truth.

How do we confront the truth over the comfortable?

Invite God’s Correction (Psalm 139:23-24) – Regularly ask God to search your heart and reveal areas needing change.

Psalm 139:23–24 “23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.”

Seek Wise Counsel (Proverbs 27:6) – Surround yourself with people who will speak the truth in love, even when it is hard to hear.

Proverbs 27:6 “6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”

Oh dearly beloved, pick your friends. I love a friend who will encourage me, who will challenge me, who will provide a great example, but I also want a friend to be honest with me, not be a “yes” person, but one who will confront me where I need correcting. Oh, I want that friend to show grace and to do it in love, but I do not want a friend who will scurry around the uncomfortable if a matter needs addressing.

Engage with Scripture (Hebrews 4:12) – Let the Word of God reveal and convict areas of sin and misalignment.

Hebrews 4:12 “12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Do you know how a building gets out of square? The builder does not use a square or a plumb bob or a level to check his or her work.

Dearly beloved, the Bible is the plumb bob, the level or the square of our lives. The Bible acts as a measuring instrument to our walk in Christ. Our lives will seem as if we are plumb until we place the Bible at the forefront of daily life.

The big reason we do not see the need for change is we have not confronted absolute truth. The noise around us has acted as earmuffs from being confronted with truth.

Would you practice along with me ways we can be intentional in hearing the voice of God?

Practice Silence & Solitude

And let me tell you what I am not talking about. I am not talking about self deprivation. I am not insinuating a monastic miserable approach to the action I am advocating, but I am talking about an action that removes the norm distractions you encounter constantly muffles the voice of God.

For example: No newspaper, no smart device, maybe a good cup of coffee looking into a blazing fire, or looking off your back porch at God’s creation. You might listen to some very low Christian background music and as you relax, pray, read your Bible, or just listen to the voice of God. Meditate, contemplate, evaluate God’s influence in your life.

Psalm 46:10 “10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

Yes, in a sense I am talking about a form of fasting, not being miserable or the sense of being deprived, but to be missional to think on other matters, uplifting matters, God matters.

2. Evaluate What You Take In

Yo have heard this statement as it relates to computers. “Garbage in garbage out.” That is true of our minds. We are what we take in. Oh dearly beloved, those things that we take in affect us greatly.

Those things that we read, we watch and we listen to either nurtures spiritual growth or stifles our growth.

Philippians 4:8 “8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

I share this verse quite frequently because Jesus is our greatest example:

Luke 2:52 “52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”

God comes before man. We can not live lives here on earth with our heads in the dirt, but we do not have to live our lives filled with dirt.

Does the newspaper cause you to be anxious? Does Fox News encourage you or cause you to fear? Does a life focused on FaceBook cause you to think about “the haves and the have nots?” Does sultry reading material cause just that, for your mind to be in places it should not be?

3. Simply Your Life

Prioritize God’s kingdom over the worldly pursuits that bombard your day every day.

Matthew 6:33 “33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

What are you giving time to everyday that is just a bunch of fluff. We all have it. Remove it.

When you begin to seek the things of God, the things of this world have less significance.

Patiently Waiting and Listening to the Voice of God Brings Victory vv. 18-22

These verses are bathed in the graciousness of God. If we give God one inch, He will provide us a mile. If we give God one minute, He will give us days of His attention. God wants to bestow His grace and mercy upon us. He wants us to reach out to Him for the asking.

Isaiah 30:18–19 “18 Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him. 19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem; You shall weep no more. He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; When He hears it, He will answer you.”

Isaiah 30:20–22“20 And though the Lord gives you The bread of adversity and the water of affliction, Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, But your eyes shall see your teachers. 21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left. 22 You will also defile the covering of your images of silver, And the ornament of your molded images of gold. You will throw them away as an unclean thing; You will say to them, “Get away!””

Let’s hone in on verse 22 and close.

Isaiah 30:22 “22 You will also defile the covering of your images of silver, And the ornament of your molded images of gold. You will throw them away as an unclean thing; You will say to them, “Get away!””

May we be challenged to take corrective actions this week and in the days ahead to hear the voice of God.

Hearing the truth is not enough. We must respond with tangible changes.

This verse called Israel to remove the idols of their lives. This same verse calls upon us to remove anything that is standing in the way of our intimacy with God.

What Idols are in your way?

Exodus 20:3–4 “3 “You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;”

Reflect on what is taking priority over God in your life? Fortune, family, fun?

2. Repent and Realign

Acts 3:19 “19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,”

Turn away the idols of your life and realign to God’s will.

3. Follow Through with Obedience

John 14:15 “15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

Do you want to demonstrate to God your love for Him?

Jesus stated in John 14:15 that obedience is a measure of our love for Him.

As we depart in just a moment after our time of invitation, I ask you the question this morning:

How can we be intentional of pursuing the voice of God to guide us?

Create a new rhythm this week. Develop some habits that foster your deepening relationship with the Lord. Prayer, worship, study.

Colossians 3:2 “2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”

Celebrate in the little victories-Exploit those victories you enjoy in the week and testify to God’s goodness.

Joshua 4:6–7 “6 that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7 Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.””

Ask God how you can be of service to Him this week and the days ahead.

Galatians 5:13 “13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

Let’s pray.