Building A Voice

Starting a series - Shouts in the wilderness.

You have a voice that God desires to cultivate and bring into a powerful position of influence…

(NLT) — 2 just as the prophet Isaiah had written: “Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way. 3 He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’ ”

You ever feel like your voice just doesn’t matter???

ILLUSTRATION- Calling a cat over, Talking to my little cousin,

KEY- Your voice makes a difference even when it feels like you are shouting in the wilderness.

Tonight I want to wake up a generation and realize that your voice makes a difference… You might say, yeah but you don’t understand my friends, you don’t understand my surroundings, you don’t understand my background, you don’t understand my location…

The power of your voice isn’t about who is listening, where you are, or who will ever hear you… It’s about what you say.

ILLUSTRATION- Being in a kid’s service where everything went wrong, but I simply began to speak God’s word.

POINT- Your voice matters when your message is popular, but it also matters when it isn’t popular.

CHALLENGE- We are not called to be “rock star” christians. But to use our voices with conviction.

KEY- Jeremiah was a prophet chosen by God to use his voice to communicate a message God gave him.

(NLT) — 1 The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 2 “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” 3 So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. 4 But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over. 5 Then the Lord gave me this message: 6 “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand. 7 If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, 8 but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned. 9 And if I announce that I will plant and build up a certain nation or kingdom, 10 but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless it as I said I would. 11 “Therefore, Jeremiah, go and warn all Judah and Jerusalem. Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am planning disaster for you instead of good. So turn from your evil ways, each of you, and do what is right.’ ”

KEY- God was not showing Jeremiah the potters house for Israel’s benefit, but rather for Jeremiah’s.

Jeremiah first had to see the vision God had for his people.

MAINT POINT- God was showing Jeremiah the truth of his power and love in order to build Jeremiah’s voice - God wants to build your voice for his use.

CHALLENGE- We are not called to be “rock star” christians. But to use our voices with conviction.

How does God build my voice??

1. He gives you a word.

(NLT) — 1 The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said,

KEY POINT- When your voice is echoing his word you can expect real change to happen.

POINT- Every word of the Lord comes with authority and power.

(NLT) — 105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.

(NLT) — 8 The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.”

The enemy would love to distract from his word.

KEY- God’s word goes out and starts a reaction, all those who ignore it get left behind.

2. He shows you the problem.

(NLT) — 4 But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.

Sometimes he won’t show you what the problem is, but where the problem is…

Is it in your hands or his???’

3. He shows you the hope.

(NLT) — 4 But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.

CHALLENGE- Do you have a heart for the people God called you to?

Conclusion…

(NLT) — 2 just as the prophet Isaiah had written: “Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way. 3 He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’ ”