Hearing God's Voice - The Kind of People Who Hear God's Voice - Message 1
INTRODUCTION:
One of God’s greatest desires for His people is that we would hear His voice clearly – and in hearing His voice, we’d have clarity of what we are to do with our lives.
• When MOSES spoke to Pharaoh saying “Let my people go!” he did it with the confidence that was the result of HEARING GOD’S VOICE!
• When NOAH entered the Ark as the rains came down – He did it with the assurance that was the result of HEARING GOD’S VOICE!
• When the APOSTLE’S cast out demons, healed the sick and preached the gospel – they did it with power because they had HEARD GOD’S VOICE!
The people of the Bible heard God speak in a variety of ways:
• Audible voice
• Dreams
• Visions
• Circumstances
• Fleeces
• Impressions
• Prophets
• Angels
• And other ways
These things we so common in the New Testament church that Paul had to give detailed instructions in 1 Corinthians 12-14 concerning the use of tongues, prophecy, words of wisdom, words of knowledge and discerning of spirits.
The author of Hebrews even underscored the importance of showing hospitality because –
“...for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:2, NIV.
You do not have to be a theological scholar to read the Bible and figure out that God speaks in many different ways to His people.
One of the deepest heart cries of the people of this church – as we’ve opened ourselves to the Holy Spirit – is to hear the voice of God. This is the #1 question I hear from you – “How can I hear God’s voice?” – or - “How can I know for sure that I’m hearing God and not just me, or worse yet Satan’s?”
This is something we need to tackle. What could be more important for the Christian than to be confident that he is hearing God’s voice consistently and accurately! And so – tackle it we will – we are going to go on a journey of discovery together in order to hear God’s voice.
In the Gospels, Jesus said – numerous times: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
In the book of Revelation, Jesus says the same thing to seven different churches: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 2:7, NIV.
• Do you want to hear the voice of God?
• Is this your desire – do you hunger for this?
Then – let’s take the next couple of minutes – and let’s speak faith to our desire! In other words – let’s cry out together – aloud – in faith – seeking the Holy Spirit to give us ‘ears to hear’. Express your faith that God will respond to your prayers…. Let’s pray.
NOW – It seems good to me to begin with this question:
What Kind Of People Hear God’s Voice?
And as I study the Bible – there seems to be three key traits common to those who heard God’s voice:
• Availability
• Willingness
• Humility
Today I want us to focus on that first and most critical condition of AVAILABILITY.
Available defined: able to be used or obtained, or spoken to or consulted
God speaks to those who are available to Him. In other words – you’ll hear God’s voice if you make yourself available to Him. Pay attention, be open – listen. If you are busy in your own agenda, running your own life, hopping from one day to the next – hardly even aware that you are in a relationship with God – you are not likely to hear the voice of the Lord.
No one heard the voice of the Father better than Jesus.
Look at Mark 1:32ff
“That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was. Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Mark 1:32-35, NIV.
Jesus is up half the night ministering, casting out demons, healing the sick – if anyone deserved to sleep in the next day it was him. But look at the text: ‘VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING, WHILE IT WAS STILL DARK, JESUS GOT UP…’
Jesus didn’t FIND TIME for His Father – His time BELONGED to the Father.
Jesus wasn’t in a hurry, He was easily interrupted by the priorities of God. He said in John 5:19…
“I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” John 5:19, NIV.
So – when a large crowd gathers on a hill outside of Jerusalem – hungry to know God – we read in Matthew 5:1…
“Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them…” Matthew 5:1, 2, NIV.
Or – when traveling through Samaria on a hot summer’s day, and stopping to get a drink of water at the well, he asks a local woman to give him a drink and that begins an amazing conversation that leads her to faith!
• Can you imagine Jesus feverishly preparing the Sermon on the Mount the night before – studying the commentaries and lexicons – all the while sweating out a deadline?
• Can you imagine Jesus nervously trying to manipulate the conversation with the Samaritan woman so that He could share the “Four Spiritual Laws” & lead her in the Sinner’s Prayer?
Jesus was prepared to do the works of the Father as the result of the outflow of His relationship with the Father! His life is the sermon. His message came from His availability to the Father.
Many contemporary Christians feel like they’ve done well if they consistently have a 30 minute ‘quiet time’ before their day begins. But hearing the voice of God isn’t about dedicating 30 minutes for ‘God-time’ – it is the result of living through out the course of the day seeking and hungry for the Presence and Voice of God!
Do you know what the #1 thing God wants from you?
Some would say: “Obedience” – and that is important – but it’s not the #1 thing.
Others would say: “Service” – and service is vital – but it’s not the #1 thing.
Jesus said in John 15:15…
“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15
God created you to be His friend.
• And in friendship availability isn’t a burden or obligation, it is a joy and a privilege.
• And in friendship availability is a two-way street. It is reciprocal.
“But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 4:29, NIV.
Those who find Him are those who have sought Him. And God is most available to those who are most available to Him.
Do you want to hear the voice of God? Then you and I must come to realize in the day to day of life that all of ‘our time’ is actually ‘His time’! And that in the coming and going of life, we must maintain a ready availability to Him.
When my mother got sick and was rushed to hospital – my dad called – and I dropped everything, immediately. All of my plans and schedules and meetings and work were tossed out – without hesitation – because of the greater priority of family.
We need to live with the same level of availability – seeking, listening and available – to hear His voice and to respond to it!
Availability is the first task of Christians.
In Mark 3 we read of how Jesus selected those 12 men who would be His apostles:
“Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve--designating them apostles-- that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.” Mark 3:13-15, NIV.
Notice where Jesus was during the selection process. “on a mountainside” – Why? Because it was quiet and He could hear His Father’s voice better.
Now – notice what the three priorities that Jesus gave to His closest friends:
1. Be with him.
2. Go out to preach.
3. Drive out demons.
“Be with him” – this is key. Can you imagine Peter saying to Jesus: “Well, golly thanks Lord, I appreciate the invitation and I can give you two hours on Sunday and 90 minutes every other Wednesday night.”
That won’t get it done. Christ invites us to live with Him. And from that constant availability to Him everything else flows. From being with Him comes the message to preach. From being with Him comes the authority to tackle the enemy!
Two Kinds of Availability:
• WAITING
• SEEKING
There are times when you only task is to simply wait on the Lord. Look at Jeremiah 42 for an example of this:
“Then all the army officers, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest approached Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, “Please hear our petition and pray to the LORD your God for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left. Pray that the LORD your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.” “I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet. “I will certainly pray to the LORD your God as you have requested; I will tell you everything the LORD says and will keep nothing back from you.” Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the LORD your God sends you to tell us. Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the LORD our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the LORD our God.” Ten days later the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah.” Jeremiah 42:1-7, NIV.
They approach the prophet Jeremiah with a problem. They ask Jeremiah to seek the Lord for a word. Jeremiah commits to doing so, and does so. And TEN DAYS go by before the Lord answers.
Monday – Tuesday – Wednesday – Thursday – Friday – Saturday – Sunday – Monday – Tuesday – Wednesday!
Wait.
Be still.
Let the fruit of the Spirit be developed in you – ‘peace & patience’.
You cannot rush God. So ‘be still and know that I am God’
A second kind of availability is SEEKING.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:33…“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33, NIV.
If you are available to be used and to hear the voice of God – you’ll make doing so a huge priority in your life! You’ll actively SEEK Him and His purposes! You’ll not be standing around twiddling your thumbs, you’ll be earnestly, actively, energetically pursuing Him!
Who gets the most out of a worship service? The one who puts the most into it!
Who gets the most out of prayer? The one who prays!
James 4:8 says…
“Come near to God and he will come near to you.” James 4:8, NIV.
Okay – so how long do I need to seek Him? 15 minutes? 30 minutes? 1 hour? All day?
How long will it be until I hear His voice?
Hosea 10:12 gives us the answer:
“For it is time to seek the LORD until He comes…” Hosea 10:12 NASB
The person who is available to God – the person who is going to hear the voice of God – is the person who is going to seek the Lord UNTIL HE COMES!
CONCLUSION:
There are situations you are facing right now – or will face very soon – that you will desperately need to hear the voice of God…
• Seek Him.
• Wait on Him.
• Until He comes.
• He is worth waiting for.
For when the Lord comes – and when He speaks…
“The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars… the voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning. The voice of the LORD shakes the desert… The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”” Psalms 29:3-9, NIV.
Those who hear the voice of God – worship Him. We cry “Glory!” because we have seen and heard glory!
God still speaks.
God will speak to you.
Become the kind of person who hears the voice of the Lord.
One of God’s greatest desires for His people is that we would hear His voice clearly – and in hearing His voice, we’d have clarity of what we are to do with our lives.
• When MOSES spoke to Pharaoh saying “Let my people go!” he did it with the confidence that was the result of HEARING GOD’S VOICE!
• When NOAH entered the Ark as the rains came down – He did it with the assurance that was the result of HEARING GOD’S VOICE!
• When the APOSTLE’S cast out demons, healed the sick and preached the gospel – they did it with power because they had HEARD GOD’S VOICE!
The people of the Bible heard God speak in a variety of ways:
• Audible voice
• Dreams
• Visions
• Circumstances
• Fleeces
• Impressions
• Prophets
• Angels
• And other ways
These things we so common in the New Testament church that Paul had to give detailed instructions in 1 Corinthians 12-14 concerning the use of tongues, prophecy, words of wisdom, words of knowledge and discerning of spirits.
The author of Hebrews even underscored the importance of showing hospitality because –
“...for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:2, NIV.
You do not have to be a theological scholar to read the Bible and figure out that God speaks in many different ways to His people.
One of the deepest heart cries of the people of this church – as we’ve opened ourselves to the Holy Spirit – is to hear the voice of God. This is the #1 question I hear from you – “How can I hear God’s voice?” – or - “How can I know for sure that I’m hearing God and not just me, or worse yet Satan’s?”
This is something we need to tackle. What could be more important for the Christian than to be confident that he is hearing God’s voice consistently and accurately! And so – tackle it we will – we are going to go on a journey of discovery together in order to hear God’s voice.
In the Gospels, Jesus said – numerous times: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
In the book of Revelation, Jesus says the same thing to seven different churches: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 2:7, NIV.
• Do you want to hear the voice of God?
• Is this your desire – do you hunger for this?
Then – let’s take the next couple of minutes – and let’s speak faith to our desire! In other words – let’s cry out together – aloud – in faith – seeking the Holy Spirit to give us ‘ears to hear’. Express your faith that God will respond to your prayers…. Let’s pray.
NOW – It seems good to me to begin with this question:
What Kind Of People Hear God’s Voice?
And as I study the Bible – there seems to be three key traits common to those who heard God’s voice:
• Availability
• Willingness
• Humility
Today I want us to focus on that first and most critical condition of AVAILABILITY.
Available defined: able to be used or obtained, or spoken to or consulted
God speaks to those who are available to Him. In other words – you’ll hear God’s voice if you make yourself available to Him. Pay attention, be open – listen. If you are busy in your own agenda, running your own life, hopping from one day to the next – hardly even aware that you are in a relationship with God – you are not likely to hear the voice of the Lord.
No one heard the voice of the Father better than Jesus.
Look at Mark 1:32ff
“That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was. Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Mark 1:32-35, NIV.
Jesus is up half the night ministering, casting out demons, healing the sick – if anyone deserved to sleep in the next day it was him. But look at the text: ‘VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING, WHILE IT WAS STILL DARK, JESUS GOT UP…’
Jesus didn’t FIND TIME for His Father – His time BELONGED to the Father.
Jesus wasn’t in a hurry, He was easily interrupted by the priorities of God. He said in John 5:19…
“I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” John 5:19, NIV.
So – when a large crowd gathers on a hill outside of Jerusalem – hungry to know God – we read in Matthew 5:1…
“Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them…” Matthew 5:1, 2, NIV.
Or – when traveling through Samaria on a hot summer’s day, and stopping to get a drink of water at the well, he asks a local woman to give him a drink and that begins an amazing conversation that leads her to faith!
• Can you imagine Jesus feverishly preparing the Sermon on the Mount the night before – studying the commentaries and lexicons – all the while sweating out a deadline?
• Can you imagine Jesus nervously trying to manipulate the conversation with the Samaritan woman so that He could share the “Four Spiritual Laws” & lead her in the Sinner’s Prayer?
Jesus was prepared to do the works of the Father as the result of the outflow of His relationship with the Father! His life is the sermon. His message came from His availability to the Father.
Many contemporary Christians feel like they’ve done well if they consistently have a 30 minute ‘quiet time’ before their day begins. But hearing the voice of God isn’t about dedicating 30 minutes for ‘God-time’ – it is the result of living through out the course of the day seeking and hungry for the Presence and Voice of God!
Do you know what the #1 thing God wants from you?
Some would say: “Obedience” – and that is important – but it’s not the #1 thing.
Others would say: “Service” – and service is vital – but it’s not the #1 thing.
Jesus said in John 15:15…
“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15
God created you to be His friend.
• And in friendship availability isn’t a burden or obligation, it is a joy and a privilege.
• And in friendship availability is a two-way street. It is reciprocal.
“But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 4:29, NIV.
Those who find Him are those who have sought Him. And God is most available to those who are most available to Him.
Do you want to hear the voice of God? Then you and I must come to realize in the day to day of life that all of ‘our time’ is actually ‘His time’! And that in the coming and going of life, we must maintain a ready availability to Him.
When my mother got sick and was rushed to hospital – my dad called – and I dropped everything, immediately. All of my plans and schedules and meetings and work were tossed out – without hesitation – because of the greater priority of family.
We need to live with the same level of availability – seeking, listening and available – to hear His voice and to respond to it!
Availability is the first task of Christians.
In Mark 3 we read of how Jesus selected those 12 men who would be His apostles:
“Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve--designating them apostles-- that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.” Mark 3:13-15, NIV.
Notice where Jesus was during the selection process. “on a mountainside” – Why? Because it was quiet and He could hear His Father’s voice better.
Now – notice what the three priorities that Jesus gave to His closest friends:
1. Be with him.
2. Go out to preach.
3. Drive out demons.
“Be with him” – this is key. Can you imagine Peter saying to Jesus: “Well, golly thanks Lord, I appreciate the invitation and I can give you two hours on Sunday and 90 minutes every other Wednesday night.”
That won’t get it done. Christ invites us to live with Him. And from that constant availability to Him everything else flows. From being with Him comes the message to preach. From being with Him comes the authority to tackle the enemy!
Two Kinds of Availability:
• WAITING
• SEEKING
There are times when you only task is to simply wait on the Lord. Look at Jeremiah 42 for an example of this:
“Then all the army officers, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest approached Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, “Please hear our petition and pray to the LORD your God for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left. Pray that the LORD your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.” “I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet. “I will certainly pray to the LORD your God as you have requested; I will tell you everything the LORD says and will keep nothing back from you.” Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the LORD your God sends you to tell us. Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the LORD our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the LORD our God.” Ten days later the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah.” Jeremiah 42:1-7, NIV.
They approach the prophet Jeremiah with a problem. They ask Jeremiah to seek the Lord for a word. Jeremiah commits to doing so, and does so. And TEN DAYS go by before the Lord answers.
Monday – Tuesday – Wednesday – Thursday – Friday – Saturday – Sunday – Monday – Tuesday – Wednesday!
Wait.
Be still.
Let the fruit of the Spirit be developed in you – ‘peace & patience’.
You cannot rush God. So ‘be still and know that I am God’
A second kind of availability is SEEKING.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:33…“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33, NIV.
If you are available to be used and to hear the voice of God – you’ll make doing so a huge priority in your life! You’ll actively SEEK Him and His purposes! You’ll not be standing around twiddling your thumbs, you’ll be earnestly, actively, energetically pursuing Him!
Who gets the most out of a worship service? The one who puts the most into it!
Who gets the most out of prayer? The one who prays!
James 4:8 says…
“Come near to God and he will come near to you.” James 4:8, NIV.
Okay – so how long do I need to seek Him? 15 minutes? 30 minutes? 1 hour? All day?
How long will it be until I hear His voice?
Hosea 10:12 gives us the answer:
“For it is time to seek the LORD until He comes…” Hosea 10:12 NASB
The person who is available to God – the person who is going to hear the voice of God – is the person who is going to seek the Lord UNTIL HE COMES!
CONCLUSION:
There are situations you are facing right now – or will face very soon – that you will desperately need to hear the voice of God…
• Seek Him.
• Wait on Him.
• Until He comes.
• He is worth waiting for.
For when the Lord comes – and when He speaks…
“The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars… the voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning. The voice of the LORD shakes the desert… The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”” Psalms 29:3-9, NIV.
Those who hear the voice of God – worship Him. We cry “Glory!” because we have seen and heard glory!
God still speaks.
God will speak to you.
Become the kind of person who hears the voice of the Lord.
posted by Doug Love at 3:36 PM
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