The Voice of God
Notes
Transcript
TENSION NEEDING REDEMPTION:
TENSION NEEDING REDEMPTION:
How do we know if we are listening to God’s voice or our own?
CENTRAL TRUTH EXPRESSED (MAIN POINT):
CENTRAL TRUTH EXPRESSED (MAIN POINT):
The Voice of God always leads us into love and truth
GOD'S HEART REVEALED:
GOD'S HEART REVEALED:
That we would hear his voice and follow His leading in every aspect of life
OUR RIGHT RESPONSE:
OUR RIGHT RESPONSE:
Listen and obey
Prayer of Examen
Prayer of Examen
I don’t know about you but so easily there can be a flurry of thoughts, concerns, and anxieties running through my heart and mind as we come to gather together.
So I wanted to take you briefly into a few minutes of guided prayer..
Specifically an ancient prayer practice called the prayer of examine.
My hope is that we would start by acknowledging and surrendering those things in our hearts and minds to him…
Center - Take a moment, just become aware of where your brain and heart have been wandering, bring those things to God
Gratitude - What am I especially grateful for today?
Review - Over the last 24 hours what moments did you experience God’s presence? Were there ways you believed you listened and obeyed his voice? Celebrate that for a moment.
Repent - Over the last 24 hours what was a moment where you did not experience God’s presence? Were there way you believed God was calling you to listen and obey his voice and you didn’t? Sin you chose, doubts or anxieties you dwelled on? Confess those things to him for a moment knowing that he is faithful to forgive and draw us near to Himself.
Look forward - Would you pray for this time? For yourself, for the people sitting around you? That we would draw near to Jesus collectively and unite at his feet?
1 | How have I experienced the tension?
1 | How have I experienced the tension?
Last week, we sat in this concept of Shema… to listen and obey the voice of God.
As we seek to be revived by God, to experience his own life flowing through us there is a reality that this life flowing through us, this attachment with him is meant to lead us to listen and obey his voice.
Last week after the Gathering I got a super thought provoking question that maybe you been asking this week…
Okay, I am supposed to listen and obey God’s voice… how do I recognize God’s voice?
How do I know if it’s God’s voice or my own?
Is he talking and I just am not listening?
Maybe when you think of hearing God’s voice you think of some damaging or frustrating experience.
Or maybe you have always experienced such intimacy and clarity on hearing his voice.
Or you just think that sounds weird.
When it comes to hearing God voice in prayer, I will confess that I am a lot more like Dug than I wish I was.
My prayer life is a constant bouncing around from sincere prayer to a rabbit trail, focusing on squirrels.
Early on in my life with Jesus that was really discouraging, because I thought that I had to fit this mold for my prayer life to genuinely listen to God and connect with Him.
2 | How have you experienced this tension?
2 | How have you experienced this tension?
What I discovered is he desires me to hear Him. He desires you to hear Him as well! He can and does desire for each of us to hear from Him and he speaks in a diversity of ways… Just look throughout the Scriptures and you will discover a great diversity of ways that God speaks to His people differing by circumstances and who the person is…
With that in mind, This is a huge topic with countless books written on it, so forgive me if I don’t answer all of the questions you might have about it.
Instead the hope for tonight is that we would both honor God’s beautiful diversity of ways in which he reveals himself to each of us… while at the same time discovering the various ways we can hear God’s voice and hopefully in the midst of this it would be helpful for you as you are discerning your voice versus God’s.
BTW If you are a note taker, this is the kind of message that you will likely appreciate.
3 | What do the Scriptures say about this tension?
3 | What do the Scriptures say about this tension?
In the Scriptures, we discover a God who consistently wants to talk to His people.
From Genesis through Revelation, God bursts through the barriers between Himself and humanity!
In the Garden, we get the image after the man and woman rebel against God, of his pursuit of a conversation with them…
Read Genesis 3:8-9
And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
A few weeks ago we talked about this story where during the Exodus and Wilderness Wanderings we see God wanting to talk directly to the nation of Israel, and the nation tells Moses YOU GO and just let us know what He says.
This is not isolated. This is consistent, God wants a relationship with us. He pursues us.
The ultimate expression of this is Jesus. Jesus is God in the flesh, leaving the comforts of the Kingdom to bring the Kingdom to us.
In John 10, Jesus talks about himself as the Good Shepherd.
The one who knows, leads, feeds, and protects His sheep.
A shepherd has a real relationship with His sheep. He is not far off. He is near.
But when he comes to Jerusalem to celebrate Hannakuah he gets ambushed by a bunch of individuals who are not his disciples… what they want to know is ARE YOU THE ONE. Are you the Messiah? Don’t keep us in suspense, tell us plainly.
Read John 10:25-28
Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
You want it plain, here it is…
In this though we discover much about his shepherd heart for his sheep, especially around hearing from Him.
It is important that we cover this because if you do not trust and believe God desires for you to hear from Him then everything else will be probably just frustrating.
God delights in revealing Himself to His people.
Clarity #1: God spoke to us through Jesus
Clarity #1: God spoke to us through Jesus
In John 1:1 , 14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
God desired humanity to hear His Voice, so He took His Voice and put flesh on it, Jesus.
In Jesus we discover God’s desires for humanity…
Rabbis were often asked which is the great commandment within the law…
Read Matthew 22:36-40
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Jesus summarizes God’s desire for humanity into demonstrating love for God and love for humans who bear his image (even the hard ones)
Practically the implications are huge, because if we believe God is telling us something we can look at Jesus, His teachings, and especially his greatest commandment and we can ask…
Is what I am hearing ultimately leading to love God and love people… There might be hard truths that you are called to share, but is it ultimately loving in desire?
For example, God would not lead you to steal from someone, commit adultery, or gossip. Each of those things would be unloving to image bearers and ultimately unloving to God.
So we can know God’s truest desires for us in Jesus.. the question is when we hear will we listen and obey?
Clarity #2: God speaks through His Spirit
Clarity #2: God speaks through His Spirit
The Spirit of God is not naturally inside of any of us.
The Spirit is not a part of God, he is God.
He was there at creation hovering over the waters, and throughout the Scriptures we see moments when he takes up residence within God’s people to fulfill God’s purposes… the artisans of the tabernacle, Kings, and Prophets… but it is always just for the length of time needed. To give voice, guidance and empower beyond human ability.
Which is why Jesus would say this…
Read John 16:7
Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.
Wouldn’t you assume that Jesus walking with you would be always the best option?
But Jesus says it is to your benefit… because the very voice of God would be dwelling inside of you. The help of God inside you. The power of God inside you. Jesus taught but no one truly listened and obeyed. The Spirit provides the strength to truly Shema.
So Jesus returns to the Kingdom of Heaven and the Spirit of God descends on the Church.
Still he is here to lead us, guide us, empower us, and give us God’s voice so that we could bring the Kingdom of God into our world as we make disciples of all nations.
The Spirit is still only dwelling within God’s people for the length of the task at hand, it just so happens the task has taken the last 2,000 years and will continue until Jesus returns.
If you have surrendered your life to Jesus, He dwells within you. He wants to guide you. He can do that in ways personal to you… according to the Scriptures, he convicts us of sin to Remind us of our need of God, guide us in promptings on our conscience, dialogue with us in prayer, and including what we would consider supernatural spaces like visions, dreams, still small voice, words of prophecy or knowledge.
I realize that last sentence is a sermon series in itself, and if you’d like to know a few great resources on this please come and chat with me.
The question is if the Spirit is truly leading you to hear will you listen and obey?
Clarity #3: God speaks through the Scriptures
Clarity #3: God speaks through the Scriptures
Have people done terrible things in the last 2,000 years saying they were following God’s voice… yes. But God would never lead us counter to the Scriptures.
Because all of the Scriptures and God’s desires and commands for his people within it (according to Jesus) are just a further elaboration of what it looks like to love God and love people.
Are there parts in the Scriptures that SEEM contradictory, yes. Where it is seems like God says turn left, and then later it says always turn right. Yup.
But this is why it is so important that we learn how to constantly remove our biases and cultural blinders and learn to interpret the Scriptures well, wisely, and in context.
For example
Read Exodus 21:23-25
But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
And
Read Matthew 5:38-39
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Is Jesus contradicting the Father?
Well it is important to note that in Exodus God was not focused on giving them permission for vengeance, he was actually limiting their ability for revenge. Other cultures, would say go for it! If someone takes your eye take their life. What God says is only take the equivalent of what you were taken, he is saying only go for what is true justice.
So Jesus is furthering that thought saying not only justice, but grace and mercy.
He wasn’t saying that the law of justice is bad, just that the Gospel calls us beyond even that toward grace and justice.
All this to say… if we want to discern well and wisely where God is leading us we need to learn to interpret the Scriptures well and wisely.
There is a reason why we commonly call the Bible God’s Word, because within it we hear the clearest expression of his voice. When we hear a voice, a thought, opinion or belief and we want to ensure it is good, wise, and true we take it to the Scriptures, because the Spirit of God that is inside you is the same one who inspired and formed the Scriptures through human authors.
The question is if you hear what God’s says in the Scriptures, will you listen and obey?
Clarity #4: God speaks through Biblical Community
Clarity #4: God speaks through Biblical Community
It is important that we learn to interpret the Scriptures well and wisely, but unfortunately in our individualistic culture that has looked like I have my own interpretation and there is skepticism of taking in the wisdom of biblical Community, whether that is historically or even today. We can easily read the Scriptures for ourselves, come up with our own interpretations, and call it good.
But the reality is that is missing out on the incredible benefit God has given us in both the global and historic church which spans the ages and the planet as well as within the local Church.
We miss the beauty that we have within our biblical community. We have one another. God has provided elders, deacons, discipleship leaders, mentors, and friends who are journeying with Jesus and who have demonstrated a life of faithfulness as well as a desire to listen and obey God’s desires. The kind of people who are going to tell us if they believe we are mishearing, people who are going to be honest with us and we can trust that. So don’t just go to people who you know will agree with you!
So when you don’t know which voice you are hearing, you can take those words to others within community who you can trust to help you discern God’s Voice with wisdom and prayer.
Throughout the story of Acts we get the consistent image of the church coming together to discern with one another where the Spirit was leading.
We have the same access today to community.
Let’s say you do all of this… are you going to get it right every time, no.
You aren’t perfect, we don’t do anything perfectly 100%.
But this brings me to the last and final clarity…
Clarity #5: God speaks to imperfect humans (you and me)
Clarity #5: God speaks to imperfect humans (you and me)
This should lead us to.... Humility.
In the Old Testament, people who claimed to be speaking directly for God and were proven wrong were supposed to be taken out of the city and killed.
We will never do that in this community.
But what it does express is the importance of approaching hearing God’s voice with humility and acknowledging you aren’t always going to listen perfectly.
You have a bias.
Me too.
So it’s not that God isn’t necessarily clear, it is that we struggle to listen.
But by God’s grace we learn to be better ones.
So we have to start with a posture of humility.
This is why it is so important that we even speak to one another from a place of humility…
I think God may have wanted me to share this with you…
I think God may have placed this on my heart…
If you have a dream or vision not just automatically offering up your interpretation, but saying here is what I think God revealed to me, and here is what I think it might mean…
This does not mean that you are questioning God’s ability to speak, but it is demonstrating a posture of humility before God that is good, right, and holy.
Being around this community for 8 years I have seen this does wonderfully well and also not so well.
I have had people speak words of knowledge over me that were so meaningful and helpful.
I have also seen people share that God told them realities that never comes to pass, whether it is to get the job or a particular way a relationship will turn out.
You only know exactly what God said or meant when you see how it comes to pass, because God’s plans aren’t folied.
So speak in humility when representing God’s voice because God is both personal and near, and holy and worthy of our joyful fear.
4 | How can the Gospel bring resolution to this tension in your life?
4 | How can the Gospel bring resolution to this tension in your life?
We just covered a ton of content….
But ultimately hopefully you are left more than anything else with the truth that the God of the universe, the King of the Cosmos desires to be in intimate relationship with you, and has sent the Holy Spirit to lead you and guide you…
Perhaps you are feeling truly alone in this season of life, know that your Creator cares deeply for you, knows you, and desires to draw you near to Himself.
These aren’t my thoughts they are His, and they are reflected from Genesis - Revelation in the Scriptures.
5 | What would the world see if the church embraced this resolution?
5 | What would the world see if the church embraced this resolution?
What if each of us desired to hear God’s Voice… in prayer, through the Scriptures, and in Biblical Community?
But more than that, what if each of us truly desired to not just hear his voice, but to truly listen and obey his desires. Trusting his wisdom over ours. Trusting his thoughts over ours. Trusting that he wants to communicate with us.
Read John 10:27
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
If you are his sheep Shema his voice.
If you don’t know where you stand with Jesus, you have a lot of questions about all this faith stuff, come chat with some of our elders and deacons after the gathering up here and they would love to journey with you.
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