How to have a personal relationship with Jesus June 17, 2007
Hearing God’s voice in Worship
Gen 24:62 Isaac & Rebekah
62 Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. 63 He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching. 64 Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel 65 and asked the servant, "Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?"
"He is my master," the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself.
66 Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. 67 Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
Isaiah 6 – Isaiah’s call
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory."
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"
And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"
Luke 1:5-15 – Zechariah & John the Baptist’s birth
In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly. 7But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.
8Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
11Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. 14He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
Acts 10:9 – Peter’s vision
9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.
Revelation 1:10 John receives the Book of Revelation
9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."
What do these stories have in common?
All of these people are in some form of Worship when they hear the voice of God. Worship will not guarantee that you will hear God, and you will hear God at times other than in worship, but being in worship puts you in a place where you are more likely to hear his voice.
Jesus promises us that wherever two or three people are gathered in his name, he will be present.
Matthew 18:20
For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.
Psalm 22:3 (King James Version)
But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
How worship attunes us to God
We “Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;” – Psalm 100
We come into God’s presence through our praise and thanksgiving. When we are in his presence, it would not be surprising if he has something to say to us!
Our praise and thanksgiving opens us up to receive all that God has for us.
Henery Ward Beecher says "If one should give me a dish of sand and tell me there were particles of iron in it, I might look for them with my eyes and search for them with my clumsy fingers and be unable to detect them; but let me take a magnet and sweep through it and now would it draw to itself the almost invisible particles by the mere power of attraction. The unthankful heart, like my finger in the sand, discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings, only the iron in God’s sand is gold!"
Proverbs 9:10 (Today’s New International Version)
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
In worship, we position ourselves in front of God in such a way that understands that he is God and we are not – that he is the ruler of the universe and we are not. This is the type of fear that we are to have – not terror, but awe and respect. This puts us on the path to hearing his wisdom and understanding.
Along with these Biblical accounts and teaching, it has been our experience that we hear God’s voice when we worship – we call out to him, and he calls back to us.
This is how DRN functions, as well as many groups that have come out of the renewal, from prayer groups to the national gathering.
Last week I said that Bible reading is the most sure way to hear the objective word of God, I would add to that, that it is in the midst of worship that we are most sure to hear God’s subjective word
Practical – How to hear God in worship
Remember the purpose of Worship
The Westminster Shorter Catechism
Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and enjoy him forever.
Often, if we have thought about worship, we connect with the first part of the answer – we know it is about glorifying God, but it is also about the second part – worship is about enjoying him and living in his presence.
When you come to worship, consciously come into God’s presence and be open to hearing him.
Come to meet God
Turn off the inner Simon Cowell (American Idol Judge)
– we can judge worship as if it were a performance for us. In the worship service, it is not our Job to critique the leadership, it is our job to find God and praise him. If we do not relate to the songs, or style, or we might think that the ability of the leader is great, or wanting, but all those things do not change our job – our job is to worship.
Take a stance of receptivity – ask God for what he wants to give us – use your posture, your hands to express this to God
How God might speak to you in worship
Physical sensations – no content, just here, like a loved one holding your hand
Scripture
Song – the song that is to be a theme, a soundtrack to life for a time
Picture – still or video
Thought that is not your own
Voice – inner, or audible
What to do when you hear God in worship
Enjoy it!
Stay in the moment
Write it down in a journal
Discern whether it is for you alone or for the whole group
If for the group – approach a pastor or Leadership Team Member and share with them first.
Come to meet God.
End with worship
