How Can we Hear God's Voice?

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Scripture - Read

Romans, Volume 2: The Reign of Grace (Romans 5:1–8:39): An Expositional Commentary Chapter 115: Five Unanswerable Questions

Commentators have called these verses a “hymn of assurance,” “a triumph song,” “the highest plateau in the whole of divine revelation.” But these accolades are surely all too weak. This is a mountaintop paragraph. It is the Everest of the letter and thus the highest peak in the highest Himalayan range of Scripture.

Group Discussion

Romans, Volume 2: The Reign of Grace (Romans 5:1–8:39): An Expositional Commentary Chapter 115: Five Unanswerable Questions

Commentators have called these verses a “hymn of assurance,” “a triumph song,” “the highest plateau in the whole of divine revelation.” But these accolades are surely all too weak. This is a mountaintop paragraph. It is the Everest of the letter and thus the highest peak in the highest Himalayan range of Scripture.

Group Discussion

How has this sermon series on “Questions” been for you?

The Bible says that he loves us, there are even songs that state, “Jesus Love Me”, is God’s love a easy thing, or difficult thing for you abide in?

Read . When you think of God’s love is it something that you can “sense” or “feel”?

But how can we sense it?

Read , David

David prayed this prayer 143:10 let me hear of your steadfast love

Scott stated, “We expect people to say that we love us, and if we don’t hear it, we feel we are missing it.” Do you experience this to be true in your own life?

But how do we hear it?

In the book, “When people are big, and God is Small by Edward Welch, he writes, “The goal for many people is that they feel something. Schleiermacher, a German theologian of the 1800s, made this the essence of religion. Theology for him was nothing more than religious feelings made articulate, ‘Religion’ he said, ‘is a feeling of absolute dependence.’ Although Schleiermacher was extreme in his views, aren’t they recognizable today? Have you watched the faith healers? Have you heard preachers who hope to create an aesthetic response to the sermon? The church’s emphasis on emotion may be more dependent on cultural traditions than on Scripture.

How do we sense it?

In the book, “When people are big, and God is Small by Edward Welch, he writes, “The goal for many people is that they feel something. Schleiermacher, a German theologian of the 1800s, made this the essence of religion. Theology for him was nothing more than religious feelings made articulate, ‘Religion’ he said, ‘is a feeling of absolute dependence.’ Although Schleiermacher was extreme in his views, aren’t they recognizable today? Have you watched the faith healers? Have you heard preachers who hope to create an aesthetic response to the sermon? The church’s emphasis on emotion may be more dependent on cultural traditions than on Scripture.

Scott also stated, “In human relationships we want to hear we are loved in the way we desire. What keeps us from hearing it, is we feel we deserve to be told in a certain way that we are loved.” What are things in our lives, that make us feel we deserve this, and what standards do we use to substantiate this feeling of entitlement, or “deserving”?

We expect people to say it, and if we don’t hear it, we feel we are missing it.

In human relationships we want to hear it in the way we desire

When it comes to parenting, there are two questions that every young persons asks:

Do you love me?

What keeps us from hearing it, is we feel we deserve it in s certain way.

Can I have my own way?

Have you recognized these to be true, and how do you generally approach these questions with children?

Yes I love you, and yes you can have your way.

No I don’t love you, but you can have your way, so you can stay out of my way

No I don’t love you, and no you cannot have your way

Yes I love, but no you cannot have your way in life. (This leads to maturity)

How do you see these questions in light of how you question God’s love for you?

Two questions that every young person asks

Do you love me

Can I have my way

Every parent can answer

Someone read ; The serpent tempted Eve, by saying, “look at how much God doesn’t love you, because he is not giving you want you want!” Have you ever looked at the temptation to sin in our lives bringing us back to the Garden of Eden.

No I don’t love you, but you can have your way, so you can stay out of my way

No I don’t love you, and no you cannot have your way

Yes I love, but know you cannot have your way in life.

Now, by this, instead of looking at the entire Garden and seeing the gift and love that God has given. They see what God has kept from them, and they ignore God’s love. God is saying:

This is the same way that we approach God (tell me you love me, by giving me what I want)

Now, by this, instead of looking at the entire Garden and seeing the gift and love that God has given. They see what God has kept from them.

I love you

I have provided the Garden

I know things that you do not, because I am God.

This is David with Abigail

The Rich young ruler () also reflects this truth. When Jesus said, “sell all your things,” he did not hear Jesus say, “I love you.” because he did not get what he wanted. Do you see this to be true with your spouse? If it is true with your spouse, do you see it most importantly with God?

Jesus got to the heart, that he loves things more then he loves God

“Maturity is hearing people say I love you, in the way that they say. Not as we demand how they speak it” Do you agree with this definition of maturity?

When he said, “sell all your things” he did not hear Jesus say, “I love you” he missed it, because he didn’t get he want

Maturity is hearing people say I love you, in the way that they say. Not as we demand how they speak it

All of the things also, in this passage are things that could tempt us to not believe that God loves me.

answers this question with God

2 Corinthians list shows this hardship

The promises of God, say that he is for us and not against us.

shows God’s love for us. Anytime you hear past tense in the Romans of God’s love it refers to .

All of the things also, in this passage are things that could tempt us to not believe that God loves me.

Verse 32 shows God’s love for us

Accusations come from the devil

Anytime you hear past tense in the Romans of God’s love it refers to

Accusations come from the devil

Accusations come from our own selves.

Accusations come from our own selves.

Are any accusations that come from the devil or ourselves ever true, pertaining to separating us from the awesome and beautiful love of God?

Verse 34 who is to condemn us

asks who is to condemn us?

Others could

Others could

We condemn ourselves

We condemn ourselves

Does others condemnation or our own personal condemnation have any effect on God’s sovereign choice in whom he loves, how he loves, or in what way he loves us?

Verse 35 who separates us from the love of God

who separates us from the love of God - Is there anything that is physical that could ever separate us from the love of God?

Shall tribulation

clear reminder, that there is nothing physical, or metaphysical that can separate us from God. (Reference )

We are actually judging God by our own standard, rather then by what God has showed us. God has told us in the best way possible, we must plead that he gives us ears to hear, and eyes to see that love. Prayerful ask yourself, “By what standard, am I measuring God’s love for me?” Christ or my own?

God has told us in the best way possible, we must plead that he gives us ears to hear, and eyes to see that love.

Closing thoughts

Romans, Volume 2: The Reign of Grace (Romans 5:1–8:39): An Expositional Commentary What Do You Say?

God used this great doctrine of the keeping power of the love of God in Christ to save Charles Haddon Spurgeon, one of the most powerful evangelists who ever lived. He became a Christian when he was only fifteen years of age. But he had already noticed that friends of his, who had begun life well, had made a wreck of their lives by falling into gross vices. Spurgeon feared that he might fall into them, too. In later years he explained his thinking: “Whatever good resolutions I might make, the probabilities were they would be good for nothing when temptation assailed me. I might be like those of whom it has been said, ‘They see the devil’s hook and yet cannot help nibbling at his bait.’ ” Spurgeon feared that he would disgrace himself and be lost.

It was then that he heard that Jesus will keep his saints from falling and will bring them safely to heaven. The doctrine had a particular charm for him, and he found himself saying, “If I go to Jesus and get from him a new heart and a right spirit, I shall be secured against these temptations into which others have fallen. I shall be preserved by him.” It was this truth, with others, that brought C. H. Spurgeon to the Savior.

“What do you say to these things?” This is a divisive question, as I said. But it is a decisive one too, and I urge you to decide. May God give you grace to respond to the message in faith and with joy.

How

Closing Prayer