God Speaks to His people

We are halfway through our sermon series, the 7 realities of Experiencing God. It's my prayer that God will not only reveal Himself to you personally but you will be forever changed through your experience with God.

Each of these 7 retaliates builds upon one another. You start with reality #1, then once you have #1 down, you go to step 2 or reality 2.

THE FIRST REALITY IN EXPERIENCING GOD WAS THAT GOD IS AT WORK ALL AROUND US.

All you have to do is look around, and you cannot help but see God at work not only in creation but through His Church and the His People.

THE SECOND REALITY IS THAT GOD INVITES US TO A LOVING RELATIONSHIP.

THE THIRD REALITY IS GOD INVITES US TO BECOME PART OF HIS WORK.

Notice the progression: 1st, we recognize that God is at work. We understand that it is Him working around us.

Second, we come to the love relationship that He created us for and when we are back in relationship with Him.

Third, we recognize that God invites us to join Him to do His work.

What is God's Work? It is reconciling the world back to God.

The Bible says that not only was Jesus reconciling the world back to God – He did it through the cross and resurrection, but also, we have been given the ministry of reconciliation- Helping others find their way back to God.

Wouldn't you agree with me that sometimes we get lost, and we need help? AMEN? In the days of cell phones and GPS, we often find the way. But spiritually we live in a broken world, and God knows that sin is prevalent in today's society. It's not a secret that we sin. Evil has been here pretty much from the beginning. God knows it, and He knows that we have trouble with it. So He has commissioned the Church, He commissioned His people to help others find their way back to Him. This is the work that we have been called to do.

The question you have to ask yourself is: Are you in the middle of where God is working?

You may remember that last week I said that you must get out of the boat if you want to be where God is working. It requires us to be uncomfortable, in uncharted waters, even in a storm, but we find peace when we step into where God is at work and focus on Him.

WHICH BRINGS US TO TODAY:

OUR FOURTH REALITY IS EXPERIENCING GOD: GOD SPEAKS TO HIS PEOPLE.

We see that God has spoken to His people from the very beginning of creation. There are three phases in the Bible where we see that God spoke and is still speaking. The Old Testament, the four Gospels, and from the book Acts to today.

Long ago, God spoke to the people through prophets at different times and ways. Sometimes God spoke in an audible voice. Samuel heard a voice calling His name. God spoke through visions to Ezekiel. He spoke through dreams to Joseph. You may remember the story of Joseph, how he dreamed that his brothers would bow down to him, and in the end, they did. God spoke to Moses through a burning bush, and to Joshua, He came as a military commander. In Numbers chapter 22, God spoke through a donkey of all things.

In the New Testament Gospels, we find that God spoke to the His people as the incarnated God, the visible manifestation of the invisible God.

Jesus spoke to people as a child, through His ministry for 3.5 years, He spoke as a resurrected Christ, as a bright light to the Apostle Paul.

From the book of Acts to today He speaks to the people through God The Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit speaks to a person, that is an encounter with God, and it is just as vital that we respond obediently to Him as it was for Moses, Noah, Abraham, Jeremiah, Mary, Joseph, the disciples, or any other person that God spoke to.

The truth is; What you do next when God speaks to you reveals what you believe about God. (X2)

In John chapter 8 –is where our verse comes from today, Jesus is speaking to the Jews, and He is talking about the freedom that comes from trusting in Him, and that promise is for us today as well. Then He speaks of how the Religious leaders are trying to kill Him and that they are of the devil. Then Jesus says in verse 47 something very interesting; He says something that doesn't take a lot of research or define the words from the original text. What Jesus says is straightforward. Look there with me; This is the Word of God: Verse 47 "the one who is from God listens to God's words." (X2).

Throughout the Old Testament and New Testament to even today, God speaks to His people in many different ways to give us direction, love, truth, wisdom, guidance, and courage, so we will know what He wants us to do next.

Which brings us to our Take-Home Truth today:

Our Take-home truth is;

God speaks to reveal Himself, His Purposes, and His ways.

The Bible tells us in Isaiah 55:8, "for my thoughts are not your thoughts and your ways are not my ways."

God speaks to reveal His wants, His purpose, and His ways. When you come across God talking to the His people in the scripture, you will find that the way He communicated to each person was often unique. A burning bush, a donkey, a bright light. We also notice four truths when God speaks:

1. God makes experiencing Him and His voice very personal.

2. The person knows it was God Speaking.

Today, this is a big problem because many who say I heard God speak to them people think they are a little off. They talk about them like they may be crazy. They don't believe it. SO, we are conditioned not to say what I Heard God say to me. God told Moses, "I'm who I am"- Jesus told people that He was the Son of God, The Light of the World, The Good Shepherd.

3. When God spoke to people, they knew what He said.

Again there is trouble today because people don't want to accept that God speaks to us. So we are conditioned that when God speaks, we begin to question it and want to pray about it.

4th when God speaks, it is an encounter with God.

Have you ever heard of someone's testimony that they heard God speaking directly to them? Last week I told you I was called to the ministry on a Sunday at 3 am. I heard this voice that I can only attribute to God calling me to be a pastor. God speaks to His people to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways so we will become involved in His work and that we will glorify Him.

So how does God speak to us to reveal Himself, His purpose, and ways?

I want to share with you today four ways that God speaks to us today.

The First way God speaks to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His way is through the Word.

God speaks to us through His Holy Scriptures.

The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy in 2nd Timothy 3:16 and told Him that:

"All Scripture is inspired (GOD BREATHED) by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness."

I believe that it is the same breath that breathed the breath of life into Adam's nostrils to bring him to life is the same breath that breathed the Holy Scriptures into Life- and it is through the breath of God that we receive eternal life.

Paul speaks of four points about the Holy scriptures- These four points make the scriptures alive today.

First, Paul says that Holy Scripture is to be used for teaching.

This teaching from the Bible instructs us in God's truths, commandments, and promises. The content and teaching of the truth must flow from and be consistent with the Word of God.

Paul was identifying its source as HOLY by calling the Bible God-Breathed or inspired by God. Yes, the Bible is written by men, but it is inspired by or breathed out by God- Paul reminds us of the scripture's authority in our lives.

When we read the Bible, its teaching guides our lives and our conduct, in which we live for God. In Hebrews, it describes the Bible as "The word of God living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword."

The Word of God is the living Word of God.

Second Paul said that the Holy Scripture is use the Word for rebuking.

Rebuking those in sin, in the church and out of the church- Rebuking those who are not in the will of God.

To rebuke is to criticize sharply or to have strong disapproval.

Jesus continued to show His disapproval of sin in the scripture. The Word of God tells us that sin is forgiven through Christ's sacrifice. Sin is so powerful in our lives that it took the blood and death of the Son of God for us to be forgiven. The Bible describes sin as dark but the righteousness of God as the Light.

Once we have been taught- we can then be rebuked then comes God correcting us through His word. The Word of God should straighten us out. It strengthens us and encourages us to walk in the manner of God.

Third, it is used for training in righteousness.

This Word of God is the training manual for living in the presence of God each day of our lives, whether you are a new Believer or you have been a one for years. Righteousness comes from God. The Bible says that we should not be hearers only of the word of God but doers of the word. This is where the training in righteousness comes in.

You see, the Bible is not merely a history book, but rather every story, every book, every prophecy, every teaching point comes from the author God; it shows us the way, it is the Living Holy Word of God, and God speaks to us through it.

Here is what should happen when we read God's Word – the Holy Spirit reveals its truths to us- we are to adjust our lives to God then –as we adjust our lives, we come into obedience to God, as we obey Him, God works through us to accomplish His purposes- then we come to know God in a more personal way.

This is the most straightforward and effective way of God leading us.

God speaks through His Holy Word, and when you open it up to examine it, read it, and find answers, you are face to face with God, and if you stay long enough, He will instruct you.

First, God speaks to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His way is through the Word.

The second way God speaks to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His way is through prayer.

Now, I know you might be thinking, Pastor, didn't we hear you talk about prayer last week? Yes, we did, but here is what I believe about prayer besides God's Holy Word; prayer is the second most single way God speaks to us. And it is the single most way that we talk to God. That's how important it is.

The problem is how we approach God in Prayer- Prayer is not just spilling your guts to God through our thoughts, desires, feelings, disappointments, or concerns, but also seeking God's will for our lives.

When we go to visit her, our youngest daughter sees us, and it's like she throws up all the information she wants to tell us. She talks very fast and wants us to know everything going on.

We are like that to God; we essentially tell Him about our lives, then move on with life.

Before Jesus' death on the cross, humanity had access to God ONLY through the religious leaders. They spoke for God to the people and God for the people. When Jesus was on the cross, He cried out, "It is Finished" the earthquake happened, and the veil that separated sinful man from the Holy God was torn from top to bottom. This now gave humanity access to the Father God. Here is the thing about prayer; it is so crucial that Jesus showed us by example how to pray to God then He, through His blood sacrifice, gave us access to God.

We only have access to God through the death of Jesus. "Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Now prayer is a two-way communication or fellowship. Have you ever been in a conversation, and you could not talk? Was that frustrating to you? Well, God speaks to us through prayer, and He wants us to listen long enough so that He can speak. Too often we pray to seek God's Guidance, but we fail to listen for His response. We want to dump the load of problems we have on Him, and then we wonder why HE doesn't fix them.

FOLKS, God's desire to speak to us is far greater than our desire to hear HIM.

The next time you pray, I want to challenge you to stop and say to God, I am listening, and then just sit there in silence for a moment.

I read this some years ago:

A man whispered, God, speak to me, and a meadowlark sang, but the man did not hear.

The man yelled 'God speak to me" thunder rolled across the sky, but the man did not listen,

The man looked around and said, "God let me see You," and the stars shined brightly, but the man did not notice. The Man shouted, "God, show me a miracle," and a life was born, but the man did not know.

So the man cried out in despair, "Touch me, God, and let me know you are here. God reached down and touched Him, but the man brushed off the butterfly and walked on.

Noticing God in our lives requires us to listen and watch.

Folks, prayer is a two-way fellowship with God.

Listen to what Romans 8:27 tells us:

"In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness."

Do you think that prayer is a weakness for us? I do, and so does God. "In the same way the Spirit joins us to help in our weakness" because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings. The rest of Verse 27 says, "He who searches the hearts knows the Spirit's mindset, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."

Prayer is the will of God. It is of such importance that one of the Holy Spirits' jobs is to pray for us in our weakness. When we don't have the right words to pray to God the Holy Spirit also uses prayer to adjust us to God by interceding for us and making our hearts known to God, speaking on our behalf in prayer according to the will of God.

God speaks to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways- FIRST through the Word.

Second- through prayer.

The third way God speaks to us to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His way is through life circumstances.

We all have circumstances in our lives that can shape and mold us to become better people. But God can reveal Himself to us. He often reveals His purpose and ways through the circumstances of life.

You know Jesus had a very close friend named Lazarus. The story is in John chapter 11.

Mary, Lazarus' sister, sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was sick, Jesus decided to stay an additional two days where He was, and Lazarus died. By the time Jesus got there, Lazarus had been buried for four days, and Martha confronted Jesus and said "If you had been here my brother wouldn't have died."

Jesus replied, "I am the resection and Life- do you believe this?"

Martha was convinced that Jesus could heal the sick but not bring her brother back to life.

Jesus went to the tomb told them to remove the stone – but Martha told Jesus that Lazarus was already decaying. She thought He was too far gone.

Jesus called out His name, and He came out from the tomb.

The circumstance of her brother dying made her understand who Jesus was the Resurrection and the Life. It made her believe.

God used circumstances for Him to receive the honor and glory, a blind man, the healing of leapers, the healing of women with a blood disorder. God uses circumstances in our lives for His will to be done, for Him to receive the Glory and for us to receive instruction from Him.

In the first church I pastor-ed, we became very comfortable. I took over that leadership there with seven people left, and that last Easter we were there, we had over 160 people attend worship services; we were baptizing almost every week. Lives were being changed. Yes, there were struggles, but our network of people, resources, and churches was amazing. God was at work right there in the inner-city church. We loved the church. We had always talked about moving back to Michigan, someday to be closer to the grandchildren that lived here.

After five years, God used the circumstance of our 11-month-old grandson developing brain cancer. Immediately we knew that God was calling us to move. I had just started a new job with the VA and was in training when I requested a transfer. Within two weeks, the transfer was approved. While Gayle was there, she looked around all over Detroit, and we finally found a town home. The company had a veteran's program. Because I am a veteran, We did not need to pay a deposit or any other fees, and we just had to sign a lease and begin paying our rent monthly. I searched for a pastoral job everywhere, and I became the interim Pastor at a little church in Jackson, MI. Our grandson was declared cancer-free after being in Detroit for about a year. After his CT scan revealed no tumor, the pastor of a church retired. I intended to serve where God wanted me to serve, and I am positive that through the circumstance of our grandson having cancer God instructed us to and guided us to be right where He wanted us. It is no doubt in my mind that as I look at the events that took place, we were where God wants us to be because of the circumstance that happened in our lives.

God speaks to us through circumstances in our lives. Maybe you are going through a circumstance in your life right now; are you listening for God?

If God is speaking to you through your circumstance, you must understand that He will not cause confusion. He will speak clearly, and you will receive confirmation through the circumstance. When you receive confirmation, you must act on what God calls you to do. Adjust your life to God and get in the middle of where He wants you to do His work. Do what He tells you to do, and you will experience God working in and through you to accomplish His purposes and ways.

Here is the most important thing about experiencing God through a circumstance – when God is ready for you to take a step, it is in agreement with what He has already been doing in your life.

God speaks to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways through the His Word, through prayer, and even through the circumstances of life.

The Fourth way that God speaks to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His way is through the Church.

The most common ways God speaks into the life of the people is through His Holy Word, through Prayer, circumstances, and through the church. I love the Church. The Church has a great mission. It is a God-sized mission. The church is called the Bride of Christ.

The Church was ordained by God the Father- instituted by Jesus Himself and birthed by God the Holy Spirit.

The church doesn't have to be stuffy, it doesn't have to be inclusive, but it is for everyone to experience God and His unmeasurable love.

Colossians 1:18 tells us that Jesus is the head of the Church.

Ephesians chapter 4:15-16 tells us about the church: it says:

"But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head—Christ. 16 From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part."

This is the description of the church- we are one body but many members. We experience God as we participate in the Church.

Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church. God made us mutually interdependent. We need one another.

Apart from the body, I cannot fully know God's will for my relationship to the body. Every member needs to listen to what the other members say. As I function in relationship to the church, I depend on others in the church to help me understand God's will.

The truth is if I don't make time for the church in my life, I'm likely to miss the things God says to me through the church. Maybe that's one reason God advises Christ-followers to continue meeting together.

The Bible tells us that we are to encourage one another and to spur one another on; "to promote love and good works, 25 not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25).

Here is the problem: many believers today feel that their walk with God is private and independent, so they believe there is no need to join a church or make themselves accountable to other believers. Some view the church in terms of how it can help them accomplish the ministry God has given them personally, rather than seeking how their lives fit into the larger work of what the Lord is doing in the congregation. However, The Bible teaches that our walk with God is personal. It is not private. It is sin that makes people independent of themselves.

But watch this; Sin makes us independent, but Salvation makes us interdependent on one another.

Did you get that?

God’s forgiveness helps us rely on one another, and to enjoy the service we can give to one another.

Sins purpose is to pull us from God and to make us depend on ourselves. But Salvation makes us interdependent on each other.

Scripture teaches that the church is a body where each member is vitally important to the others. I don't want you to miss this - The body of Christ is the church we are fitted and knitted together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.

God speaks through the church, and God calls us to be part of His Local Church. Because of this, we all have a supporting role that promotes the church's growth—building the church in love because of the proper working of each member of the body.

This is where we see God speaking in the church as each of us does the will of God for His Glory.

God speaks in the church through its members. You cannot know God's will for your involvement in the Body of Christ apart from the counsel that God provides to you through other members. This is why it is important to develop relationships with one another. God speaks through preaching and teaching. This is why we should prepare ourselves before service to hear God's voice. God speaks through Sunday School, Bible studies, and the church's life.

I BELIEVE THAT GOD SPEAKS TO OUR COMMUNITIES AS WE, THE CHURCH ARE DOING THE WORK OF GOD.

Therefore, what God is doing in and through the church is essential to us to respond to Him. God speaks to us when we see God working in the church, and each of us must adjust our lives there. All of us belong to each other, and we need one another.

God speaks through the Church not only to the individual members but also to our communities.

God speaks to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways- FIRST through the Word, through prayer, through circumstances of life, and the Church.