SF345 - WHY GOD SPEAKS TO YOU (1 Corinthians 2 9-16)
SF345
WHY GOD SPEAKS TO YOU
1 CORINTHIANS 2:9-16
INTRODUCTION
E. F. Hutton
When God speaks, He has something important to say.
God never speaks just to make noise
God Speaks To You...
1A. GOD SPEAKS IN ORDER TO REVEAL HIMSELF to Me
He Reveals His Name and His Nature In Order That I Might Know Him Personally
Genesis 17:1 (NIV) When Abram was ninety‑nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty ; walk before me and be blameless.
Leviticus 19:2 (NIV) "Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: 'Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.
Malachi 3:6 (NIV) "I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.
John 6:51 (NIV) I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
He Reveals Himself In Order To Build My Faith
Your faith is directly related to your knowledge of God
(Romans 10:17) "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ."
He Builds My Faith So That I Will Be Ready To Act In Obedience To His Commands
How can I Know Him Personally?
I believe God is who He says He is; And that he can do what He says He will do.
I adjust my thinking in light of this belief & obey Him.
I come to know God through experience.
I know God is who He says He is.
2A. GOD SPEAKS IN ORDER TO REVEAL HIS PURPOSES to Me
God Reveals His Purposes so I Will Do His Work
What I Plan to Do for God is Not Important - It is far more important for me to know what God is about to do.
God Will Take the Initiative to Communicate His Plans to Me
Amos 3:7 (NIV) Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.
I Must Be Careful Not to Leave God out of my Plans
Psalm 33:10‑11 (NIV) The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. 11 But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.
Proverbs 19:21 (NIV) Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.
God wants us to follow Him daily; not just some plan
Planning must never become a substitute for God
I Must Understand How God Reveals His Purposes to Me
God reveals His purposes to me through His Word, Pray, Circumstances and the Church.
I join Him in what He is doing.
I maintain constant contact with God
God accomplishes His purposes through me.
3A. GOD SPEAKS IN ORDER TO REVEAL HIS PLANS to Me
God Reveals His Ways to Me, so I Can Accomplish His Purposes
God Uses Kingdom Principles to Accomplish Kingdom Purposes
Isaiah 55:8 (NIV) "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.
God does not work in man's ways
I will not accomplish God's work in my own ways.
God's Purposes Accomplished In His Ways, Will Bring Glory To God
Micah 4:2 (NIV) ... "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, ... He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths."...
I Must Seek to Discover How God wants me to Accomplish His Purposes
Ask: "Is this God's way or man's way?"
"Who is and who will receive glory in this?"
"Does God's Word support it?"
Action Points
Are you growing in your knowledge God?
I will commit to spend more time in Bible study and prayer.
I will commit to undersatanding God's purposes for myself, my family and my church!
I commit to doing God's work His way, even when it does not make sense to me.
I will judge everything according to God's inerrant Word!