Recognizing God's Voice
Notes
Transcript
Handout
We’ve been talking about getting on the right frequency to hear from God. Tonight, I want to finish the series with a message titled, Recognizing God’s Voice.
John 10 has been the theme verse for this series.
3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. 5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”
The sheep recognize the voice of the shepherd.
We have talked about the fact that God doesn’t have a speaking problem… we have a hearing problem.
We will learn today that the devil has a voice and we want to learn the shepherd’s voice so we don’t listen to the devil’s voice.
Week 1 - Important for your heart to be prepared.
Week 2 - God speaks to me
Week 3 - Whispers of God… that still small voice
Tonight,
Recognizing God’s Voice
Recognizing God’s Voice
How do we know it’s God we hear or someone else or the devil … or something else?
How do we know if we are hearing from God? You may have someone come up to you and want to give you a word. Sometimes they miss it so it’s important for you to filter what someone says. It may not resonate with what else God has already been doing.
I know we think that should not take place, but it will. If we are all going to hear from God, sometimes we may not hear right, so we need to give people some grace.
Peter heard from God when he said Jesus was the son of the living God, but missed it when Jesus had to tell him to get behind me… Pete went from hearing God to missing god in minutes.
We need the instruction of this verse.
1 Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.
Test the spirits… Sometime this is easy like when someone says that God told them to leave their wife for their mistress.... NOT
12 There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.
People think that God wants them to be happy… he wants you to be holy. Happiness comes from obeying God, living for him and becoming more and more holy.
Here are several ways to know.
1. Does it line up with the Bible?
1. Does it line up with the Bible?
God’s voice will never contradict God’s word.
Here is an example…
3 Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife for just any reason?” 4 “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’ 5 And he said, ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ 6 Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”
Jesus didn’t answer them… He said … Haven’t you read… Jesus told them that the answer was already in the Bible. Why are you asking my opinion when it’s already been written.
There are a lot of things that we used to call sin that we don’t call sin anymore. People will ask if this is ok… Listen… It is written…
God doesn’t hate divorced people… he does hate divorce.
Look at this truth.
33 And though all heaven and earth shall pass away, yet my words remain forever true.
God’s word isn’t going any where. It will always be true. You need to look at the whole counsel of God. You can take anything out of context and make the Bible say something it doesn’t. The devil did this against Jesus. He would go, doesn’t the Bible say? Jesus replied with the WOG…
2. Will it make me more like Jesus?
2. Will it make me more like Jesus?
If I follow through with what I am feeling, will I be more like Jesus? This is the goal of every Christian. You have to meet Jesus befofre you can have the power to be like Jesus.
Salvation if free, but Jesus says follow me. Regeneration takes place where he begins to change us.
Growth Track… Small Groups… Fresh Start …
5 In your lives you must think and act like Christ Jesus.
If what you are thinking about doing will not cause you to be more like Jesus… don’t do it.
5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Maybe you still don’t know what Jesus would do… Here is a list that any word from God must meet…
17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.
These are filters… pure… peace loving… gentle… yielding… merciful...
ILL - of a guy that had to forgive his wife for cheating… some pastors told him to leave her. He said that God had given him more chances and he thought he could give her another chance…
3. Does Godly counsel agree?
3. Does Godly counsel agree?
Sometimes godly counsel might disagree. Get plenty of counsel, but make sure it’s godly counsel. And get an agreement of godly counsel.
We don’t need to trust every spirit, we need to test the spirits.
15 Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.
20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. 21 Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.
6 So don’t go to war without wise guidance; victory depends on having many advisers.
Don’t go looking for someone to agree with you, get agreement from godly people.
Lord if its’ your will for me to get a dozen Krispy Kreme’s let the hot light be on… after 5 laps around the store it was...
4. Do I have peace?
4. Do I have peace?
We don’t worship an external God, we have God living in us and he will give us peace when we are moving the way he wants us to move. We have the holy Spirit inside of us and most of you have felt it when they clash. The Holy Spriti talks by giving you peace.
God has a peace that the world can’t give us…
33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people.
God is the God of peace.
ILL - of God giving peace about something
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
exceeds anything we can understand… it goes beyond the pros and cons list.
Getting on the Right Frequency
Getting on the Right Frequency
Frequency can mean to be on the right channel or it can mean often. So look at these…
Tune in to God every day
Tune in to God every day
The goal of reading your Bible is for you to read the Bible, it’s to get to know Jesus in the Bible.
4 When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice.
How do you become familiar with his voice? you listen all the time.
How many of you mothers can hear YOUR kid.
I can hear Kathy’s voice out of a room…
Tune out things that oppose God
Tune out things that oppose God
Movies… music…
5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”
Tune out the other voices and tune in God’s voice.
Take steps toward what God has spoken
Take steps toward what God has spoken
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
Jesus says to follow him.
Wrap up -
HS, what are you trying to say to me today? There is probably one point that God said to you… thats you.
Some of you need God’s guidance… others peace… its time for you to take a step.
Prayer
Jesus thank you for going to the cross and paying for what I did. Please forgive me and be my Lord. I believe that you died for me. Today I surrender all to you.