I’m going to stick my neck out this morning. I’m going to say a statement that might be somewhat controversial, but I’m going to say it anyway… I believe that God speaks to me.
While I have never actually heard the audible voice of God, I believe that God still speaks. I believe that He guides my steps and He shows me what I am to do.
A verse that I have stuck to my office wall is Psalm 32:8: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” (NIV) I believe that God guards and He guides.
I think that you believe this as well. Why else would you be here? You wouldn’t waste your time if you didn’t think that God couldn’t speak to you…
So, what we have in this room right now, are people who believe that God speaks.
It seems that we are not the only ones who believe that God speaks. ILLUSTRATION- According to a recent publication, “God told me to…” elicited 2.9 million responses from an online search engine.
Some of the responders claimed, and I quote, “God ordered me to kill
her”; “God told me to beat the kids”; “God told me to skin you alive”; God told me to leave my spouse for my secretary” (Vista, May 1, 2011)
Many people claim that God has told them to do a lot of things, and most of the time it’s a way to excuse their behaviour.
I want to try and set the record straight this morning.
I want to give you a few indicators that you can use to see if what you are hearing is actually God speaking; or that bean burrito that you ate for supper the previous night.
I must say right up front that there is a major condition/qualifier to hearing from God… if you have a pen; you’re going to want to write this down, because this simple truth will solve a lot of problems…
God Speaks through the Son, by the Power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said: “I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.
2 The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. 3 The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.
5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." (John 10:1-5, NIV)
In verse 7 we read: “Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.
8 All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 7-10, NIV)
Jesus reminds us that those who belong to Him, will hear—and know—His voice.
Jesus leads His sheep; He provides for His sheep. He protects His sheep; and they know His voice. They do not recognize, and will run away from, a voice they do not know.
Sheep recognise their master’s voice and to hear our Master’s voice, you must enter in the right way.
"I am the door.” Jesus said, “If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” (John 10:9 NKJV)
"I am the Way," replied Jesus, "and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6, Weymouth’s NT)
To know and hear the voice of God; you must know Jesus Christ.
The Bible says: “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,
2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.” (Hebrews 1:1-2 NIV)
While God used a variety of ways to speak to the people of old; if you want to hear God speak to you today, you must know Jesus Christ.
Knowing Jesus personally is the only way to hear God speak; so, if you know Jesus, how can you recognize His voice?
#1- To hear God speak, you must know what He has written!
I firmly believe that God will not give you—or me—some new revelation. God will not ask you to leave your spouse for someone else, God will not tell you that it’s ok to lust, cheat, still, or kill, because these are all things that He has spoken out against.
Satan will twist God’s Word; God will never twist God’s Word. God will never ask you to do something that is contrary to His Written Word.
And if you want to hear God speaking, you must know the Word.
The Bible says: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105, NIV) God’s Word illuminates our way; it shows us the way to God.
David said: “Lead me in the right path, O Lord, or my enemies will conquer me. Make your way plain for me to follow.” (Psalm 5:8 NLT2)
A little bit later, he asked: “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word…. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:9, 11, NIV)
Verse 133 says: “Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.” (Psalm 119:133, NIV)
ILLUTSRATION- There is an unwritten, but often spoken, rule at my house. Beth does all the homework with the kids.
So, the other day, I was working in the basement and I overheard some reciting going on.
I assumed that Beth was helping Emma with her homework, but, as I listened closer, I heard that they were memorizing scripture.
I immediately stopped what I was doing and came upstairs to assist with the effort. All four of us began to memorize scripture as we were waiting for
supper to finish cooking…
Dear friends, if we want to hear God speak to us, we must know His Word, for the Word is the primary way that God does His talking.
So be intentional about your Scripture reading. Don’t jump around, read one book of the Bible at a timeà don’t worry about how long it takes you to read that book, just read it.
God will speak to you IF you are reading His Word.
#2, The second way to recognize God’s voice is BE QUIET!
Jesus said in Matthew 6: “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:5-6, NIV)
John Ortberg reminds us that: “In Jesus’ day almost no homes had private bedrooms. The ‘room’ He refers to… might be a supply room where they kept feed and tools or a few small animals.
That would be the only place where there might be a door. It would be
the most humble room in a humble home. What is your room?” (the Me I want to be. 172)
ILLUSTRATION- My “room” is my office. I spend time with Jesus each morning when I come to work.
Before I turn on the computer, before I turn on the radio, before I talk on the phone, I spend quiet time in the Word with Jesus.
The Bible says: “Be still, and know that I am God…” (Ps. 46:10a, NIV)
When God revealed Himself to Elijah, He did so in a “… gentle whisper.” (1 Kings 19:12, NIV)
If you want to plug into God; you’ll have to unplug from the world around you.
You will have to get away and spend some one-on-one time with Jesus. You’ll actually have to turn off to tune in… It can be difficult, but believe me, it’s worth it!!
I believe that God speaks, and He does so as we withdraw from the busy-ness of everyday life.
So do you take the necessary time—and that’s different for every one of us--- but do you take the time to spend time with Jesus?
If you want to hear God speaking to you, you must be quiet.
#3 To recognize God’s voice we must slow down.
ILLUSTRATION- How many of us have ever seen an infomercial? Those are the annoying commercials that make you believe that you need the very thing that they are selling.
To entice you to buy what they are selling, they will often add, as a special gift, another one of those things that you really don’t need, or they will offer the first thing at a discounted price, but only if you call within the next twenty minutes.
Contrary to popular belief, God is not an infomercial. He will never ask you to do something in a hurry-it-up kind of way. God is not pushy.
Now, this is not to say that we can hold on to what God might be asking us to give up, for the Bible reminds us that: “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened…” (Ps 66:18a, NIV)
God calls us to move forward in faith; and if He wants us to give something up it’s because it is harmful to our spiritual health, but God will rarely ask you to make a decision in a hurry-it-up kind of way.
Some of us need to slow down and allow God to guide our steps. If we slow down, we might find that we are able to hear God somewhat better than before.
#4 The fourth way to recognize the voice of God is: Seek Godly Counsel.
ILLUSTRATION- There are a few people whom I have allowed to speak into my
life. Some of these people are in the ministry, some are not.
These people help me figure things out. I run my thoughts by them, I share my deepest secrets with them; I share my concerns with them. These individuals help me become a better follower of Jesus Christ.
I have saved myself a world of hurt because I have asked these Godly people their advice before proceeding.
The Bible reminds us that: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: 10 If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecc. 4:9-12, NIV)
We are not called to be secret followers of Jesus; we need each other and having a few key spiritual leaders to speak into our lives will help us understand what God might be trying to say.
The Bible says: “Timely advice is lovely, like golden apples in a silver basket.” (Proverbs 25:11, NLT2)
Do you have someone who can speak into your life? Do you have someone
who can help you understand what you think God might be telling you?
While He will not tell that person His plans for your life, He will certainly confirm—or deny—those plans with the help of a Godly mentor.
If you don’t have someone like this in your life, seek someone out… you might find that God will speak to you that way.
I believe that God still speaks. He speaks to those who:
~ Belong to Him
~ He speaks to those who know His Word;
~ He speaks to those who pray;
~ He speaks to those who go slow;
~ He speaks through Godly counsel.
If you are unable to hear God clearly, chances are pretty good that one, two, or all of these indicators are absent in your life.
Can I encourage you to do what needs to be done to be in the place where you can, once again, hear the voice of God?
It might mean confessing the sin in your life; it might mean turning off the television for 20 minutes.
Whatever it might be in your life, the truth is that God wants to speak to His children; God wants to guide His children, it’s up to tune in to what He has to
say.
ILLUSTRATION- I have a picture above the door in my office. It’s actually a picture and a Scripture verse. Each time I walk in or out of my office, I am waking under this verse:
“Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.” (Psalm 31:3, NIV)
God’s name is on the line. It’s up to us—His representatives—to be sure that we are hearing Him properly.
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