DISCERNING THE VOICE OF GOD.

How do you know God is talking to you.

How can you tell the difference between when you are talking to God, and not?

When are you talking to you.

When is God talking to you.

Or when is Satan talking to you.

We need to understand this so we can have clarity in our day to day decisions.

I would like for you to turn your bibles to the book of Hebrews.

The book of Hebrews, chapter #5.

And while you are doing that, i would like to give you a brief understanding of this book.

The book of Hebrews was written by an unknown writer.

This means, we really don’t know for sure who wrote this book.

But we do know to whom he is writing, and why he is writing.

He is writing to some Messianic Jews.

These are Jews who have converted to Christianity.

And they are contemplating quieting Christianity, and returning to Judaism.

Have you ever, or do you know someone who was saved and thinking about calling it quits?

I mean thinking about returning to that same place God has pulled them out of.

This letter is written to encourage them not to quit.

we now live in what i would like to call “a quitting society.

People quit their jobs.

They quit their marriages.

They quit their relationships.

they just quit everything.

Just quitting to be quitting to be quitting.

Quitting ministries.

quit preaching.

quit singing in the praise team.

People get mad they just quit.

You know what i’m talking about.

You're playing marbles and not winning you quit.

not winning on the basketball court, you take your ball and go home.

Children quit and grown folk stay for the long haul.

Mature people stick it out.

Yes, there will be times we don’t always agree.

But i’m going to tell you, and i know somebody here knows what i’m talking about.

I;m from the suck it up generation.

My grandparents use to tell me when i wanted to quit something, SUCK IT UP, and get back out there.

Saints we have to learn to suck it up, and no matter what, stand firm in the faith.

Alright lets get in the word.

Hebrews 5:12.

King James Version Chapter 5

For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat

Can i take my time right here while we work with this verse?

What he is saying is, by this time in your journey in Christ, you should be teachers.

You been around the kingdom and walking with God long enough. That you should be teachers.

You should be able to teach others, how to live a christian life.

But by judging the way things are going on, you have need that someone teach you again.

Please don’t laugh at me, but when i was in the 5th grade i got held back, some would say i had to repeat the 5th grade.

But my point is that i should have been ready to move to the next grade, but i was still in need of someone to teach me.

King James Version Chapter 5

which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk,

We have become such as have need of milk.

We need to go back to the breast for milk because we are not yet ready for strong meat.

Somebody say, you got held back, repeat the grade.

Verse #13 says:

For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

There is nothing wrong with you at this point if you fall in this category, You still have an opportunity to go to summer school and get it right.

In the end when Jesus come, you can still graduate to God’s Kingdom in Heaven.

You just have to put in the extra time right now.

Use some of that time you spend with your friends in God’s word.

Use some of that family time, and make it God’s time.

God needs your time and focus, so you can hear from him.

Jesus said, My sheep know my voice.

If you stay in the word you won’t hear satan trying to talk to you.

You won’t hear yourself telling you what you want to hear.

This is when you can get a pure word from God.

So what verse #14 is saying is.

by this time in your life you should be able to discern what is right and what is wrong.

King James Version Chapter 5

14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

You should be of full age to eat of the strong meat.

It’s time out for calling wrong right, and right wrong.

By this time in you life you should know what is good and what is evil.

What’s right and what’s wrong.

What’s Holy and what’s not Holy.

Right here i would like to take a commercial break and say,

To my church, to my friends online, to my fellow leaders, and most of all to my wife.

If i have ever done or said anything hurtful to you, or unpleasing to God to you, this is a public apology to everyone.

Now lets get back to the Fathers business.

Part of my duties as your Elder is to make this journey of yours in Christ as easy as possible, to get you to the point where you no longer need to live on milk alone.

Get you to the point where you are able to not only survive with milk, but with strong meat.

To put you in a position where you are able to do what it says in 2 timothy 4:2

King James Version Chapter 4

2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

Saints can i tell you something?

This verse is not just for preachers.

Not just for Elders.

Not just for Evangelist.

Not just for Pastors.

Not just for teachers.

Not just for Deacons.

This verse is from God written to all of us.

It’s telling all of us to preach to word.

It’s telling us to Be Instant.

In other word, Be ye all so ready.

Be ready in season, when people want to hear God’s word.

Be ready out of season, when they don’t want to hear the word of God.

We have to be ready when we want to preach.

And we have to be ready when we don’t want to preach.

I think Jeremiah put it best in Jeremiah 20:9.

King James Version Chapter 20

9  Then I said, I will not make mention of him,

Nor speak any more in his name.

But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones,

And I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.

Jeremiah had made up his mind he would mention him or even speak anymore in his name.

But because he had so much in him, that God had given him, he says it was like fire shut up in his bones.

Saints, it’s something about fire that will surly make you move.

lets take a look at Jonah.

you know the story.

Jonah is the prophet, in the book of Jonah.

God commanded him to the city of Nineveh to prophesy against it, for their great wickedness is come up before me.

But Jonah instead of doing what God commanded him to do.

instead he attempts to flee from the presents of the Lord, by going in the opposite direction.

And we all know how that worked out.

Reprove- Be ready to scold or correct in a kind way.

Rebuke- Be ready to show a strong expression of disapproval if need.

Just because we are Christians, don’t mean we have to just settle for anything, That’s not bible.

Exhort- Be ready to strongly urge folk to do the right thing. urge them to follow Christ.

Longsuffering and doctrine.

Saints, we have to get to the point were we are not being spoon-fed.

Not only do we need to be on a diet of meat, but we must learn to feed ourselves.

You must be able to go into the word yourself sometime, instead of someone having to feed you all the time.

Somebody here remembers the old saying.

If you give a man a fish, he will eat for a day.

But if you teach a man to fish he will eat for a life time.

If we teach you the word, that word will feed you for the day.

but, if we teach you to study for yourself you will continue to grow for the rest of your life.

How many of you know that God will talk to you, How many of you know that God is still in the talking business?

How many of you know that the Devil is in the talking business?

How many of you know, when the devil talks to you it is not in a demonic voice?

If he shows up, he won’t be wearing a red suite, with a pitch fork, tail, and horns coming out of his head.

He’s going to be dressed as an angle of light.

He’s going to sound like an angle of light. he’s going to sound saved.

He knows more verses and scriptures than all of us put together.

And it’s sad because a lot of people think that God is testing us in certain situations, when in fact we have be tricked by satin.

So Elder, how do i know when it’s God talking to me?

Well, turn your bible to Colossians 3:15.

A lot of you may not know where it is, so just go to the front of your bible and look it up, i’ll wait.

The first thing we have to understand is the characteristic of God.

King James Version Chapter 3

15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

The peace of God.

So the first characteristic of God is that God governs by peace.

God does not rule by stress and confusion.

so peace is a characteristic of God’s voice.

God’s voice brings peace.

That internal peace that only God can give.

Has anybody here today ever felt that peace?

There are four other ways to know that it’s God talking to you.

Do you want to hear them?

Well i’m sorry but i’m going to have to give them to you next time i preach, because i gotta close.

Just tell somebody on line he’s talking to you.

This is where i let you know that the most important thing you can do is to learn to hear from God.

I mean really hear his voice.

Some people will have you believe that God no longer communicates with man.

That’s one of the biggest lies satan would have you to believe.

Some folk would have you believe there are no longer miracles done by God anymore.

Again, i say, that's a lie also.

I stand before you today a walking, talking miracle.

and anyone who knew Physco can testify to that fact.

And as i have had the opportunity to talk to most people on this line.

I know God is still in the miracle business.

If i never get another amen, that’s worth one right there.

Today i close and leave you with a few scriptures.

someone read Colossians 4:1-6 as i take my seat.

King James Version Chapter 4

4 Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.

2 dContinue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; 3 Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: 4 That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. 5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. 6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.