The Shepherd & The Sheep 4 Series

The Shepherd & The Sheep 4

Value His Voice

Mark 6:30-56

Moms how many times have you had to teach your kids a lesson, that they listened to for just a little while, only to have to teach it to them again?

Time and time again, my mother would teach me a valuable lesson, that I would learn from for only awhile, then have to be tought it again,.

The problem is we often don’t value the lessons of our Moms until we are grown and out of the house,,,,

You know, the same can be said of the disciples with Jesus, He would teach them a valuable lesson only to have them forget it moments later...

Stand… In Mark 6:30-44 – Jesus did one miracle and his disciples saw it, He fed 5000 people with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish.

Then right after that, in Mark 6:45-56 Jesus miraculously calms a storm and their response is, “wow- you can do that too?”

The scripture says that after Jesus climbed back into the boat they were completely amazed :

“…for they had not understood about the loaves; and their hearts were hardened.” Mark 6:51-52

The same can often be true of us when we’re seeking a word from the Lord. We learn to value His voice only over time…

We must hear Him again and again and again… So how can we hear a general word from God? 4 practical steps:

1. Set an Appointment With God.

If I want to spend time with my mom, I need to set an appointment to make it happen

10 And the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes 11 and be ready by the third day, because on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. Exodus 19:10-11

Notice what God is doing… He is setting an appointment to meet with the Israelites. God wants the people to be ready for His appointment.

God comes to a prepared people in a prepared atmosphere. What’s important about this story is that God didn’t simply say to Moses,

“hey gather everybody around any old time.” He basically said, “Get them ready. In 3 days, let them hear the word of the Lord.”

Exodus 19:19 “and when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered Him by voice.”

When you look through the bible at the times when people had encounters with God, there was often some preparation beforehand.

Just think of all the preperations that happens at church before Sunday. What would happen if came one weekend and no one was greeting?

No Sunday school teachers showed up to teach your children? The worship team didn’t make it.. the lights weren’t even turned on?

No one qualified to run the sound board, no one handed you a bulletin, the pastor didn’t even prepare any sermon notes…

Now certainly the Holy Spirit can work at any time and any place, but the Holy Spirit is never disorganized. In fact the Holy Spirit often works best through prepared soil.

The spirit often speaks well to a pastor on a Tuesday about what He wants to do on that fallowing Sunday so that a well prepared sermon is also Spirit led.

26 Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you, 33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.1 Cor 14:26, 33

That is a picture of organization, even informal organization. Everyone is prepared and orderly.

If we don’t set an appointment to meet with God, then we’ll miss our time with Him. Without an appointment, the day tends to dribble away.

Pick the best time to meet with Him. A time when you are at your best. Most Christians believe that early am is the best and most biblical time.

However some people are not at their best at this time, so pick a time that is best for you but when you are AT YOUR BEST…

Morning – Noon – Night…

I also recommend finding consistent places of sanctuary where you can meet with the Lord, a room in your house, a coffee shop, a park…

You might have more than one place, and that is fine and recommended.

A place of sanctuary, in this sense, is wherever you can meet with the Lord and be focused and uninterrupted.

So set an appointment with God… and what happens in this meeting?