God Has Spoken. Are You Listening? Series

I. God wants you to know.

A. “One of the most commonsense principles in the physical realm of everyday life is a clear knowledge of one’s earthly position and earthly possessions.” (Hannah Whitall Smith, Everyday Religion)

1. Illustration: Balancing the Monthly Checkbook

a. I’m two weeks late

b. We love to know where we are in our goals and what resources we have in relation to our needs and aspirations

(1) Mirrors to check our hair before going out in public

(2) Monitors to check our email and our blood pressure

(3) Clocks and calendars to mark our progress

2. Just as we love to check our position in relation to other people, even more we need to evaluate and align ourselves with what God has spoken, with what he has openly shown regarding himself and our relationship with him!

B. “Nothing is plainer in the Bible than that we were meant to have this knowledge (of our position and possessions) in our spiritual life as well.” (HWS)

1. Uncertainties hinder progress and destroy comfort or peace.

2. “The whole Bible was written for the purpose of making us know.”

a. General revelation in creation

b. Specific revelation in the Bible

c. Complete Revelation in the Son

3. What we know because God has spoken (just from one NT book, Romans):

a. Romans 2:2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things.

b. Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.

c. Romans 6:6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

d. Romans 6:9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.

e. Romans 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.

f. Romans 8:22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

g. Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

C. One of the most amazing truths any human being can grasp and comprehend is this: God has spoken!

II. God is not silent! Hebrews 1:1-2

A. 3 Great Facets of the World’s Greatest Truth

1. He can be known: God spoke v.1

a. You can know God!

b. You can know his mind, his heart, and his will.

2. He wants to be known: God spoke to us v.2

a. Not merely by the ancients

b. Not only by the scholars and the saints

c. God has spoken to us, to each of us and to all of us

(1) You don’t have to wonder what God thinks about you, your life, or your world. God has spoken to us!

(2) You don’t have to remain in the dark whether God’s heart toward is love or anger or indifference. God has spoken to us!

(a) God communicates to us everything we need to know of his moral, spiritual, emotional, and intellectual character.

(b) God also communicates everything we need to know to relate to him.

3. He provides the perfect vehicle for us to know him: Jesus v.2

a. God said everything you need to know about God and you in Jesus Christ.

(1) About God

(a) Holy

(b) Loving

(c) Pure

(d) Just

(e) Righteous

(2) About you

(a) You have need of a Savior

(b) You have need of faith and obedience

(c) You have need of God’s direct intervention

b. God has fully supplied your need!

(1) God spoke and every reality you experience came into being

(2) God spoke and every hope you ever had got a reason

(3) God spoke and every hurt you ever suffered found its purpose

(4) God spoke and every moment you ever lived derived its meaning

(5) God spoke and every need you ever face found its supply

(6) God spoke and every joy you’ve ever known or ever will know discovers the music that makes your heart sing

B. Am I listening?

1. That God speaks to us means we have three treasures we would not have had otherwise

a. Reality

b. Accessibility

c. Responsibility

2. Two choices

a. Deluded Religionists

(1) Religion vs Relationship

(a) Many practice “religion”

(b) Subject to human definition and control rather than relationship, which can only be entered and sustained on God’s terms

i) Revealed in his word

ii) Jesus