Communicating With God:
How To Test The Voices You Hear
Today we are continuing our series “Communicating With God.” Last week we are looked at “How To Recognize God’s Voice” and we found that God speaks through The Bible, through Fellow Believers and through Our Thoughts. Two weeks ago we looked at “How To Listen To God’s Voice.” We learned that listening is vital if we are to be doers of the Word. We must be receptive to God’s Word. We must be like good soil if we are to be productive for God. This week we are going to look at “How To Test The Voices You Hear”. We touched on this last week but today we are going to study this more in depth. The Bible says:
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1 (NKJV)
Circle the words “test the spirits”. That’s our responsibility. We are to test the voices that we hear. We are to test the advice that we get to see if it is accurate. Now some advice that we get is not all that important such as where we should eat lunch. On the other hand some advice is vital such as what should I do for a career. So what I want to do today is give you seven filters so you can test the voices you hear.
SEVEN TESTS FOR VOICES YOU HEAR
The first test is:
1. Does it agree with the BIBLE?
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” Luke 21:33 (NKJV)
God never contradicts His written word. Never! He would never tell you to do something that is against His Word. God would never tell you to ignore or disobey anything is the Bible. God doesn’t tell you one thing one day and change it the next. God is consistent. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Here are some examples.
God is never going to tell you to lie. God is never going to tell you to steal. God is never going to tell you to murder someone. He is never going to tell you to commit adultery. God is just not going to do it. We always get in trouble when we disobey God’s Word.
Most of God’s will for your life is found right here in the Bible. He tells us not to lie, cheat or steal. He tells us to treat others as we would want to be treated. He tells us to pray for those we don’t like. He tells us to be honest and to obey His Word. Anything the advise we receive goes against God’s Word is not from Him. That is the first and most important test of all. Are the voices I hear consistent with God’s word?
2. Does it make me more like CHRIST?
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,” Philippians 2:5 (NKJV)
Jesus is the standard by which we measure everything we do. In fact God wants us to become more like him everyday. Not that we become God but that we become Godly. The Bible tells us that we need to develop the character that Jesus had. What characteristics did Jesus have? He had love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faith. These are fruit of the spirit. But these are also the characteristics that God wants to see displayed in our lives. If we hear anything that doesn’t make us more like Christ – that voice is not from God.
Here is a practical application of becoming like Christ.
“Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself.” Philippians 2:3-5 (MSG)
God’s wisdom is not self ambition. God doesn’t give you ideas for self promotion. He gives you ideas so He can be glorified.
Here is a secret: If you have impure thoughts they are not from God because Jesus is pure and God’s goal is make you like Christ.
Over a hundred years ago there was a book written. It was written by a pastor from Topeka, Kansas. His name was Charles Sheldon. The name of the book was, “In His Steps”. The sub-title of the book was, “What Would Jesus Do?” I have in my hand an 1899 edition of the that book. The premise of the book is as true today as it was a hundred years ago. Do you what to know what the premise of this book is? It is: Before I do anything I need to ask the question – What would Jesus do? That is the same question we should ask ourselves today – What would Jesus do if He were right here in my situation? If we asked that question it would change the way we think and the way we act.
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,” Philippians 2:5 (NKJV)
3. Do Fellow Believers CONFIRM IT?
When you become a believer several relationships change. Jesus becomes your Savior, God becomes your Father and other believers become your family. You not only have a new relationship with God you have a new relationship with other people.
God never intended for you to make major decisions on your own. Did you know that the first thing that God said was bad – was that man was alone? God expects people to live in community. God expects people to care for one another. Did you know that there are over 30 scriptures that tell Christians to care for one another? There are verses that say, “Love one another, encourage one another, teach one another, pray for one another.” Is it any wonder that when we hear a voice we should seek other believer’s advice? Look at what Proverbs 19:20 says:
“Listen to counsel and receive instruction so that you may be wise in later life.” Proverbs 19:20 (HCSB)
Check out what you hear with other believers. If you don’t seek advise it’s like visiting a city you have never to before and not taking a map with you. Sometimes you may get where you intend to go just by chance – but most of the time if you don’t look at a map or ask for directions before you start out - you make a lot of wrong turns before you get where you want to go. Seek advice before you make the journey. Ask other believers - they are there to help you.
4. Is it consistent with my SHAPE?
God has designed you with certain gifts, personality, and abilities. You are uniquely made. There is only one of you. That means that you have a unique purpose. You are not an accident. You’re here for a reason. Look at Ephesians 2:10 with me:
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV)
Did you know that a lawn mower was designed for one thing? Do you know what that one thing is? Your right – to mow the lawn. That is what a lawn mower was designed for.
If I heard a voice telling me, “Tom, you go and become an opera singer.” I would question that voice big time. For one thing I can’t carry a tune, I’m not very musically inclined and I don’t really like opera. I would have to do a lot of soul searching to seek a career as an opera singer. It just doesn’t fit my shape.
God has made me with a unique shape – for a unique task. I just have a hard time believing that opera singing is it. So that is the fourth test – does it go along with your shape?
5. Does it concern me DIRECTLY?
In other words – ask the question, “What has this got to do with me?” If it’s not my responsibility – why would God talk to me about it? You need to be very careful when you think God told you something that somebody else should do. It’s very dangerous.
I heard the story of a young man who thought he heard God tell him that he was to marry a certain young lady. When he spoke to the young woman about it she said, “You need to get your hearing fixed because God hasn’t said a word to me about it.” Be very careful when you think you have a word from God for someone else.
Look at Romans 14:4 with me.
“Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.” Romans 14:4 (NKJV)
Now I know what some of you are thinking, you’re thinking – doesn’t God send people our way from time to time to give us a message? Yes He does. But listen carefully – this is rare. Most of the time God speaks to you directly. But when you won’t listen to Him, He may send a messenger your way.
Do you remember the story of David and Bathsheba? Do you remember that God sent the prophet Nathan to David with a message? The message was that David needed to be told that he had sinned. Do you remember how Nathan confronted David? He told David a story. He told David about a poor man that had loved a lamb. He had loved the lamb so much it had become part of his family. But a rich neighbor had come and stolen the lamb. The neighbor had taken what didn’t belong to him.
After David heard this story he became furious. The Bible says that David became very angry with the rich man, so angry that David said that the rich man should die. Nathan said, “David you’re the man.” God had sent Nathan not to condemn David but to confront him. God had sent Nathan not to judge David but to win him back. Nathan’s words were convicting rather then condemning. God sent Nathan so that David would return to God, repent of his sin, turn his life around – and it worked. That brings us to point six:
6. Is it convicting rather than CONDEMNING?
Conviction is from God, condemnation is from Satan. Conviction points the way to change. Condemnation just makes you feel bad. When God convicts you of sin in your life it is always specific. He says, “You’re blowing it in this area.” Fix it.
Condemnation on the other hand says, “You’re bad. You’re no good. You’re worthless. You stink.” Those thoughts aren’t God’s thoughts. Conviction always leads to possibility for change. Condemnation just makes you feel hopeless. Look at what 1 John 1:9 says;
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (NKJV)
Should a Christian ever feel guilty? Yes! When we sin, when we realize we have blown it, we should feel guilty. If you don’t feel guilty after you sin there is something wrong. As a Christian the Holy Spirit is living inside you to lead and to guide you. He does not what you to sin and He is going to make sure that you know it. He is going to make you feel guilty.
But He makes you feel guilty not so you can live in misery the rest of your life. But that you will return to the Father. When you realize that you have sinned and fallen short AGAIN, confess your sin to the Father and then move on. Because your sin has been paid for on the cross. Jesus said when He died on the cross, “It is finished. It’s done. It’s complete. It’s over.” Your sin was paid for. Paid for once and for all. Paid in full. Paid for down to the last penny. God doesn’t hold a grudge – He forgives. That’s why 1 John 1:9 says what it says.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
So is the voice you hear convicting or condemning. If it’s condemning it’s not from God. If it’s convicting – fix it.
7. Do I sense God’s PEACE?
“For God is not the author of confusion but of peace.”
1 Corinthians 14:33 (NKJV)
If you are feeling confusion about the voices you hear you can be certain that the voices you are hearing are not from God because God is not the author of confusion. What you hear may be coming from yourself, other people or even Satan. But God is not the God of confusion. If God is genuinely speaking to you and you think that the idea is from God – there is going to be a peace in your heart about it.
There is nothing more vital in your life than you hearing from God. Nothing! God has made you so that you can have a relationship with Him. He wants you to talk to Him and He wants to talk to you.
God is not here to play games with you. God is not trying to confuse you. God is not playing a game of hide and seek with you. God wants to speak to you and He wants you to listen.
The secret of hearing God clearly is get to know Him better and better each day. When you talk to someone on a regular basis you get to recognize their voice. You know it’s interesting – but most people who call me on the phone I know who they are before they tell me their names. How do I do that? Because they are friends of mine or they are part of my family. I have a relationship with them and I recognize their voice when they start talking to me.
If you have a relationship with God, if you listen to Him daily, you get to know His voice. We read this scripture last week and I want to read it again today.
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” John 10:27 (NKJV)
Listen to God daily. He wants to speak to you. He wants to talk with you but we must pay attention. We must listen and we must recognize His voice. We must test the voices we hear to make sure it is the voice of our Heavenly Father.
Prayer:
Father this day I pray that I would build a relationship with You. I pray that that relationship would be so close that when You speak to me that I will instantly recognize your voice. For this I pray in Jesus name. Amen.
(This is a re-working of a sermon by Rick Warren)
