How to know if you really hear God!

Good morning, thanks for joining us!

1 week from the start of spring.

does anyone know the difference between March 2020 and March 2021?

This march we have toilet paper!

Q. How can you make God laugh?

A. Tell him your plans.

"Love your enemies; After all, You made them."

PRAYING FOR HEARING

Sam shows up at a revival meeting, seeking help.

"I need you to pray for my hearing," he tells the preacher.

The preacher puts his fingers on Sam's ears and prays and prays. When he's done, he asks, "How's your hearing now?"

"I don't know," says Sam. "I don't go to court till next Tuesday."

2 weeks ago I introduced this segment in my back to the basics: God’s great reset series

I began with asking the question Can I really hear God’s voice for myself.

The answer is Yes.....yes you can

Jesus said you can

John 10:27 NASB95

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;

So Jesus has made it clear, as His follower you do hear from God.

However I also mentioned that there are multiple voices you can be listening to.

Your own

the enemies

God’s

So when God says something to you, how can you confirm its actually from Him?

and not one of the other sources.

That’s what we want to delve into today.

I have found the best way to do this Is by learning to recognize God voice.

Just like your best friend or spouse don’t have to tell you who they are when they call you on the phone.

when God speaks you have the ability to recognize that its Him who is speaking.

But I fully recognize this can be a challenge in itself.

If your head is full of thoughts it can make it very difficult to hear from God.

I talked briefly last time about quieting yourself before God,

but let’s take it a little deeper.

How do you quiet the voices so you can hear God clearer?

Let’s start 1st with How to quiet the enemies voice.

Last time I mentioned how to recognize the enemies voice.

John 10:10 NASB95

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Steal Kill and destroy that’s all the enemy know how to do.

thoughts that fall into those categories are definitely from the enemy.

It’s thing to recognize, but it another step to silence them.

So How do we silence the enemies voice in our heads?

James 4:7 NASB95

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

1) Submit to God 2)Resist the devil = devil must flee

Let’s recognize

Just because you think a thought does not mean its your own!

In fact there can be a sinful thought in your head and you not even sinning!

How can I say this?

When often the origin of the sinful thought comes from the enemy.

The sin comes about after we accept and meditate on that sinful thought

That’s why the Apostle Paul wrote to the Church in Corinth

2 Corinthians 10:5 NASB95

We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,

1) Submit to God

Taking every thought Captive to the Obedience of Christ!

Be careful what you think!

Depressive, fearful, belittling, negative, hostile, discouraging thoughts are implanted by the enemy.

Its your job not to accept these thoughts.

If you do, they will lead you into sin.

Instead we are make them obedient to Christ!

You can’t just ignore the thought. That never works.

Have you ever been watching what you eat and someone make a batch of fresh chocolate chip cookies.

What happens if you say “I’m not gonna eat it” (repeat)

Your gonna eat it! without question.

Because the act of repeating or meditating actually give it credence and a foothold in your mind.

and eventually you will succumb.

2)Resist the devil

So how do we defeat the enemies thoughts?

Replace them with God’s thoughts.

Instead of eating the cookie have an apple!

Philippians 4:8 NASB95

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

Don’t allow your mind to become the devils playground.

Jesus showed us how this works after he fasted in the wilderness for 40 days.

When Jesus was at His weakest the devil came to tempt Jesus

Matthew 4:1–11 NASB95

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’ ” Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You’; and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’ ” Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.

Jesus (the Word) used the Word of God to refute the enemy

To silence the enemies voice in your head it can only be done by coming into compliance with the Bible

Jesus’ temptations follow three patterns that are common to all men.

The first temptation concerns the lust of the flesh

Our Lord is hungry, and the devil tempts Him to convert stones into bread, but He replies with Scripture, quoting Deuteronomy 8:3.

The second temptation concerns the pride of life

here the devil uses a verse of Scripture (Psalm 91:11–12), but Jesus replies again with Scripture to the contrary (Deuteronomy 6:16),

stating that it is wrong for Him to abuse His own powers.

The third temptation concerns the lust of the eyes

if any quick route Jesus becoming the Messiah could be attained, bypassing the passion and crucifixion for which He had originally come, this was the way.

The devil already had control over the kingdoms of the world (Ephesians 2:2) but was now ready to give everything to Christ in return for His allegiance.

But the mere thought almost causes the Lord’s divine nature to shudder at such a concept and He replies sharply,

“You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only” (Deuteronomy 6:13).

Again another great reason to be in the Bible regularly is that its your source to rebut the enemy.

If you try fight the devil under your own strength and intellect you will be sorry

Even Michael the mighty Archangel did not try to fight the devil under his own power.

Jude 9 NASB95

But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

Lord Rebuke you. aka Jesus aka the word of God aka the holy scripture.

Renewing

Sometimes you just got to tell the devil to get out of your head is Jesus name!

the Bible tells us

Romans 12:2 NASB95

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

The devil implants a negative thought.

def negative thought. any thought that is contrary to the word and will of God.

Think of it like a fishing lure. He dangles it infront of you hoping you will bite. then he’s got you

If you bite it will force you down a downward spiral of self destruction.

with the ultimate goal of theft, murder, and destruction.

But if you resist the bait with God’s help the devil has to move on.

this doesn’t mean the devil won’t try to come back.

He will try every trick in his repertoire to sew the seeds of destruction in your life.

and His only access point is your mind

renewing your mind is a process to change your thinking so you begin to think with the mind of Christ

you think the way God thinks

1 Corinthians 2:16 NASB95

For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.

How do you Renew your mind?

1) Submit to God 2)Resist the devil = devil must flee

3) Renew = how you keep the devil out

Its an ever growing cycle in you thoughts

Submit > empowers you to Resist > which renews your mind > allows you to submit > Empowers your to resist> etc

let me assure you, by submitting, resisting, and renewing you can silence the enemies

Programmers expression Garbage in=Garbage out

You can’t bake an amazing cake with lousey ingredients

You become what you spend your time thinking about!

Next lets go into discerning the difference between your voice and Gods

As you mature in your relationship with God

the struggle in hearing God’s voice becomes less and less about the enemies voice and more so about your own voice.

Did God say that or is that just me?

this is a very common scenario in the life of the believer

Let me simplify it before we break it down

This is one of the most helpful things I learned in distinguishing my voice from God’s

Is the thought Good?

James 1:17 NASB95

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

If the though is good. then it is coming from God and not from you.

You don’t even have the ability to have a good thought apart from God.

All good things come from God!

Struggles

Emotional interference

It is most common when you get emotionally involved in the answer.

emotions are not wrong,

but your own desires can greatly limit and even influence your own ability to hear from God

Many American prophets stated Donald Trump would win the next election?

The fact that Joe Bidden is the President, kinda proves they were wrong?

These prophets have been right about so many things, how could they be wrong about something as major as this?

I believe simply answer is they were prophesying their own desires rather than God’s heart.

I totally get this.

For me the hardest times to hear God accurately are the time you are emotionally vested.

things I really want to occur.

eg Dad dying from ALS

The Key is to ensure you are hearing from God in the normal times, that will carry the challenging time

In the times that you really need to hear God the most, seem to be the times He is quietest

I’ve heard it said. The only time a teacher is silent is during the exam.

God can test us to see if we’ve been listening!

So now I’ve laid out the challenges, what’s the solution?

Humility

Luke 22:42 NASB95

saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

It’s important for each of us to come to that place, where we are concerned more about what God wants then what we want?

If your own desires are paramount, it will inhibit your ability to hear from God.

become satisfied with His will being done, and less concerned about you own will

Obedience

Deuteronomy 30:10–14 NASB95

if you obey the Lord your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul. “For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. “It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ “Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.

Do What God tells you to do.

The more you obey, the greater your ability to hear from Him will increse

conversely disobedience will quiet His voice

Peace

Philippians 4:7 NASB95

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Peace Test

Make a decision in your heart

Wait to see if it is blessed with God peace

If not make another decsion

Wait for His Peace.

If it comes, follow through with the decision.

Confirmation

Matthew 18:19 NASB95

“Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.

Acts 15:28 NASB95

“For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials:

Agreement of believers is a powerful tool to confirm the word of God

I can tell you, every major word God has given me it has been confirmed by Spiritual mature people

I can’t tell you the number of time I preached a sermon only to find other pastor teach the same message on the same Sunday.

It’s one way God confirms what he has said to me is real.

Story of my calling to become a Pastor

Godly Counsel

Proverbs 19:20 NASB95

Listen to counsel and accept discipline, That you may be wise the rest of your days.

Proverbs 11:14 NASB95

Where there is no guidance the people fall, But in abundance of counselors there is victory.

eg of Church closing due to Covid

The reason why we have elders in the church is to give Godly counsel

seek out Godly counsel.

develop the needed relationship for this to flourish

I’ve notices a common characteristic of people who claim to hear from God, but their lives don’t line up with Godly principles.

they might even claim to be prophets because they don’t fit it.

truth is They refuse instruction, they are loaners and rebel against counsel.

don’t allow that to become you.

Hearing from God shouldn’t make you feel alone,

God created us to be in community

Let’s Pray.