Untitled Sermon (20)

INDEED GOD SPEAKS: How Will I Recognize His Voice?

1 Samuel 3:1–4 NASB95

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord before Eli. And word from the Lord was rare in those days, visions were infrequent. It happened at that time as Eli was lying down in his place (now his eyesight had begun to grow dim and he could not see well), and the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was, that the Lord called Samuel; and he said, “Here I am.”

In our previous two messages we have learned that God Indeed Speaks Through Dreams and Visions, and today we will ask and answer the question “How Will I Recognize His Voice?”

I. The PEOPLE who will RECOGNIZE His voice!

Those who will recognize God’s voice will be:

A. AVAILABLE enough to HEAR it!

1 Samuel 3:1 NASB95

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord before Eli. And word from the Lord was rare in those days, visions were infrequent.

Exodus 3:3–4 NASB95

So Moses said, “I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.” When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

B. HUMBLE enough to HANDLE it!

Exodus 3:5 NASB95

Then He said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

C. WILLING enough to OBEY it!

John 7:17 NASB95

“If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.

1 Samuel 3:17–18 NASB95

He said, “What is the word that He spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. May God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the words that He spoke to you.” So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the Lord; let Him do what seems good to Him.”

D. DESPERATE enough to NEED it!

1 Samuel 2:12–13 NASB95

Now the sons of Eli were worthless men; they did not know the Lord and the custom of the priests with the people. When any man was offering a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand.

II. The PROBLEMS that will COMPLICATE it!

A. Not BEING a CHILD of GOD will complicate it!

1 Samuel 3:6–7 NASB95

The Lord called yet again, “Samuel!” So Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he answered, “I did not call, my son, lie down again.” Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor had the word of the Lord yet been revealed to him.

B. Not being FAMILIAR with the WORD of GOD . . .!

1 Samuel 3:7 NASB95

Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor had the word of the Lord yet been revealed to him.

C. A SPIRIT of UNBELIEF will complicate it!

Hebrews 11:6 NASB95

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

D. A DOUBLE-MINDED person will complicate it!

James 1:7–8 NASB95

For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

III. The PRINCIPLES that will CHARACTERIZE it!

1 Samuel 3:9–10 NASB95

And Eli said to Samuel, “Go lie down, and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Then the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”

What are some practical principles we can utilize when discerning the Voice of God?

A. God’s voice will AGREE with SCRIPTURE!

Galatians 1:8 NASB95

But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!

B. It can CONTRADICT good COUNSEL!

Acts 21:12 NASB95

When we had heard this, we as well as the local residents began begging him not to go up to Jerusalem.

Acts 21:13–14 NASB95

Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” And since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, remarking, “The will of the Lord be done!”

C. It will be DIFFERENT from your VOICE!

Isaiah 55:8 NASB95

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.

D. It will be POSSIBLE to MISTAKE it at first!

1 Kings 19:11–13 NASB95

So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

How Can We Train Our Spirit To Hear God’s Voice?

ASK God to SPEAK to you!

ANTICIPATE God SPEAKING to you!

ACKNOWLEDGE God SPEAKING to you!

ACT on WHAT God SPEAKS to you!

1 Samuel 3:9–10 NASB95

And Eli said to Samuel, “Go lie down, and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Then the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”

In Closing, Notice This Powerful Truth:

1 Samuel 3:19 NASB95

Thus Samuel grew and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fail.