Call Me Crazy
Notes
Transcript
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Welcome: Chuck
Offering: Bill
Announcements: Jonathan
Penny March: Chuck & Jonathan
Worship Intro: Chuck
Call Me Crazy
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: It’s Important to Speak & Listen
A man feared his wife was not hearing as well as she used to, and he thought she might need a hearing aid. Not quite sure how to approach her, he called the family doctor to discuss the problem.
The doctor told him there is a simple informal test the husband could perform to give the doctor a better idea about her hearing loss. 'Here's what you do,' said the doctor. 'Stand about 40 feet away from her and in a normal conversational speaking tone see if she hears you. If not, go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and so on until you get a response.'
That evening, the wife is in the kitchen cooking dinner, and he was in the den. He says to himself, 'I'm about 40 feet away. Let's see what happens.' In a normal tone he asks, 'Honey, what's for dinner?'
No response.
So the husband moves closer to the kitchen, about 30 feet from his wife, and repeats, 'Honey, what's for dinner?'
Still no response.
Next he moves into the dining room where he is about 20 feet from his wife and asks, 'Honey, What's for dinner?'
Again, no response.
So, he walks up to the kitchen door, about 10 feet away. 'Honey, What's for dinner?'
Again, there is no response.
So he walks right up behind her. 'Honey, what's for dinner?'
'Earl, for the 5th time, It’s CHICKEN!'
B. TEXT
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow Me” .
C. THESIS
1. We live in a day of chaos, confusion, complexity, and conflict. We read the daily newspapers and watch television news reports, but a lot of what we hear isn't really the truth. In many cases, it is the agenda or the opinion of those who own the news outlets. Everywhere there are voices speaking, telling us what to believe, how to live our lives, and even how to think.
2. In many cases, is the agenda or the opinion of those who own the news outlets/ world.
Recently in a interview Vice President Mike Pence spoke about his faith and the fact that he speaks to Jesus in prayer and Jesus answers him.. One particular actress Joy Behar took this statement and ran with it on a talk show. She said of the statement by Vice President Pence..
Everywhere there are voices speaking, telling us what to believe, how to live our lives, and how to even think. Which voice are we listening to?
"It’s one thing to talk to Jesus. It’s another thing when Jesus talk to you," "That's called mental illness, if I'm not correct. Hearing voices."
She’s not correct. , it’s not about hearing voices, it’s about hearing a voice, the voice of God! And if hearing the voice of God is a mental illness, then please, Call Me Crazy!
5. If ever we needed to hear the truth, we need to hear it now. The good news is, God is still speaking today.
If there was ever a time we need to hear the voice, we need to hear it now. And the good news is, God is still speaking today!
If ever we needed to hear the truth, we need to hear it now. The good news is, God is still speaking today.
So today we’re going to look at characteristics of His Voice, and How to Hear God’s Voice.
We have many instances of GOD speaking to his people..
A. EXAMPLES OF GOD SPEAKING
1. Adam and Eve heard the voice of the Lord walking in the Garden of Eden ().They walked along with the voice, i.e., they kept His pace and direction.
2. One day the farmer, Noah, began to hear God speaking to him about a flood-judgment because of sin but God told them how He would spare Noah’s family if he obeyed God's voice and built an ark.
3. Abraham heard God’s voice telling him to separate from his idolatrous family and travel to a distant land which God promised to Abraham and his descendants as their inheritance.
But Today we are going to focus on Samuel..
a. He saw a burning bush and as he approached, he heard a voice speaking out of the midst of the bush calling, "Moses!” God said some pretty insightful things to Moses:
“I have seen.”
Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.
At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.
1 samu
Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.
At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.
Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.
At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.
1 Samuel 1. The Scarcity of Revelation in Israel (1)
i. The word of the LORD rare in those days because of the hardness of heart among the people of Israel and the corruption of the priesthood. God will speak, and guide, when His people seek Him, and when His ministers seek to serve Him diligently.
“I have heard”
One reason the voice of God is not recognized is disobedience! No wonder our world finds hearing his voice so odd! so foreign! No wonder the church finds it so odd! Expound
“I am concerned”
Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down.
And the Lord called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
1 samuel 3:4-
“I am come down.”
“I will send you.”
And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.”
These give us great consolation as to God’s awareness of us.
1 samuel 1
Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.
At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.
Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down.
And the Lord called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
1 samuel 3:1-
1 samuel 3:4-
And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.”
Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.
At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.
Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down.
And the Lord called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.”
There is a difference between speaker recognition (recognizing who is speaking) and speech recognition (recognizing what is being said).
1 Samuel 3:1-
There is a difference between speaker recognition (recognizing who is speaking) and speech recognition (recognizing what is being said).
Samuel recognized his name. He recognized what was being said. However he did not recognize who was speaking! Samuel was young and had not yet given his heart to the Lord, so I’ll cut him some slack. Eli however should have realized that if it was not him calling Samuel, it was God! Why? Because he was in the Church! He should have come expecting to hear! Even though it was rare, even though he was older, even though that was the norm he should have never stopped the pursuit! Expound
For the study, phoneticists created a “voice lineup,” which operated similarly to when the police line up a group of individuals with similar physical features before a witness. But in the voice lineup, several voices with similar acoustic properties were presented sequentially, with recordings of each voice uttering between one and 18 syllables.
A group of 44 French-speaking adult participants listened to a voice lineup featuring both the voice of a close friend or family member, and other similar-sounding voices.
I often hear the question: How do I know it’s God’s voice?
7. “I will look to see what He will say to me” .
Voices have characteristics and God’s voice is no exception..
1. The book of Hebrews tells us of God's ultimate speaking to us: through his Son Jesus Christ; “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe” .
When Jesus spoke, being God incarnate, His words were God's clearest and most authoritative voice speaking to us. After he returned to heaven, however, God sent the Holy Spirit to continue to speak to us. He spoke to the apostles all through the Book of Acts.
3. After he returned to heaven, however, God sent the Holy Spirit to continue to speak to us. He spoke to the apostles all through the Book of Acts.
II. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VOICE OF GOD
A. MATCHES SCRIPTURE
When God speaks to you He reminds you of His promises (). God's voice always matches Scripture. God never says anything contrary to it.
For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.
For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.
2 corinthians
Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 1
in him they are “yes” Indicates that God’s promises are true, trustworthy, and fulfilled in Christ.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
God is not man, that he should lie,
or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
We can trust the word of GOD!
So, if you hear the voice of God say, You should go to the bellagio in Las Vegas and put $50,000 on red 7 and your desire for wealth will be met, But you read..in 1 timothy 6:10
God's voice is always reconciling. He does not judge willingly. He longs for us to come to repentance. So He is attempting to woo us back to him or get us to see the things that hinder our relationship with Him.
1 timothy 6
So, if you hear the voice of God say, You should go to the bellagio in Las Vegas and put $5000 on red 7, But you read..
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
you should realize thats not a characteristic of God’s voice! It does not match scripture.. Run!
B. IT BRINGS CLARITY & PEACE
God's voice is clear, peaceful and calm. Satan, our enemy, always spreads confusion, is in a hurry, accuses and causes doubt.
If you are confused, feel rushed and have doubt hanging over your decisions, then you are listening to the voice of Satan. Thats the voice you have chosen to recognize!
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
One of the biggest reasons we do not have peace in our everyday lives and decisions is our inability to be quiet!
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;
Quick to hear and slow to speak! Expound
C. IT IS CONSISTENT
God's voice reflects His character, purposes and plan. God has a definite plan – the reconciliation of the world – and is always working to bring that about.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Hebrews 1. The Enduring Principle: The Unchanging Nature of Jesus (8)
b. Yesterday, today, and forever: His unchanging nature provides a measure for all Christian conduct, particularly in the word and in worship. We should not expect something completely “new” as if it were from a “new Jesus.” The nature of Jesus as it is revealed in the Bible is the same nature of Jesus that should be seen in the church today.
We often want to create a culturally relevant Jesus! As if he evolves with what we see as acceptable or not.. Slippery slope! Well we have changed and evolved so God should as well. Expound
D. IT IS AUTHORITATIVE
God's voice has authority to accomplish what he says. His Word accomplishes that for which it was sent. It is life-giving.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 28
Matthew emphasizes this theme throughout his Gospel (e.g., Matt 7:29; 9:6; 21:23). Jesus has repeatedly demonstrated His authority over all things—the human body, demons, natural elements (such as wind and water), the Sabbath, sin, and even death.
F. IT CENTERS ON JESUS
God’s voice is the final word! No negotiations! You either accept his authority or you don’t! Expound
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow Me” .
III. Know Your God’s Voice
HUMOR
A woman is said to have gone to her Pastor and said, "A brother has spoken to me and said the Lord is sending me to Africa." The Pastor replied, "If you do go, you'd better take that brother with you otherwise you won't know when to come back, will you?"
Remember? There is a difference between recognizing who is speaking and recognizing what is being said.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
God is your standard! There is no other voice as important! No other opinion that trumps his plan! recognize who is speaking! Expound
2. John Osteen replied, "If you do go you'd better take that brother with you otherwise you won't know when to come back, will you?"
A. HE SPEAKS THROUGH MORE THAN ONE AVENUE
Multiple conformations
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;
B. OTHER WAYS GOD SPEAKS TO US
God desires to speak to us every single day! And what he wants to talk to you about is written in a book he wrote for you..
1. THE WORD of GOD – the Bible – is the primary way
God speaks to Christians. It tells us God’s will on many subjects, and on subjects not specifically mentioned, it lays down principles we can use to understand God’s will. Additionally, the more you know about God and His ways by reading the Bible, the easier it is to find His will to other areas. It’s like knowing your DAD; you know without asking him what he would do in most situations. Because of the relationship!
Don’t get caught waiting for the burning bush moment in your life while the word Of God collects dust on your shelf!
6. EXAMPLE OF OTHERS. Will what I do lead others into the will of God, closer to God, or will I set a bad example for others?
7. IS THIS ACTION REDEMPTIVE? Is it going to be for yourself or others? The main object of God’s work is the church. We must get along with the members of the Body, and all that we do should positively impact the Body of Christ. Don’t break fellowship with the church.
Close
Close
sums it up..
2. The boy said to his father, "Daddy, what is the captain doing?" His father replied, "The captain is taking our bearings, seeing where we are, finding out if we are going in the right direction."
3. When we come to church, we are checking in with God; we are seeing where we are; we are finding out about our directions in relation to His will concerning our journey of life.
about our directions in relation to His will concerning our journey of life.
1. God says, "Be still, and know that I am God." .
You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
2. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” .
God says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” .
If you truly want to hear from God, you need to purpose to hear from Him, that is, to draw near to God. Through his word, through prayer. Cultivate the relationship. So that when the time comes, and he calls your name, you will recognize his voice...
When God calls your name, will you recognize his voice? Or are you listening to what you wan’t to hear and masking it as his will?
CALL ME CRAZY