Acknowledgement - Rick Warren, Saddleback Church
Today we’re beginning a new series "How to Hear God’s Voice".
o One of the most basic claims of Christianity is that God speaks to people. All through the Bible you see the phrase, "And God said or The word of the Lord came to ……………….."
o There are four primary ways God speaks: through his word, through circumstances, through other Christians, through the church
o Now lets think about the word of God, the Bible
o If God was to send a personal letter to me, and sign it Jehovah God, would I put it aside until after the 10:00 PM news?
o Of course not, I would read it right away
o When one woman shared with me this week there is so much to pray about I noted she has moved from passive listening to obedience
o God is speaking to her through the Bible
o God wants to speak to you personally
o Jesus said ‘My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they listen to me.”
o Jesus wants to have a personal relationship with you. There is no relationship without communication. Jesus is the shepherd who speaks to his sheep
o Jesus said ‘my sheep know my voice and they follow me”
o The problem is communication is often misunderstood. When my wife speaks to me I often, a) don’t hear it, and b) misunderstand it. I’m sure I’m not the only man that ever felt that way! Men, there are two things you need to understand about women.... and I am not quite sure what they are!
o If we have difficulty communicating with people we know and love are we not going to have some communication problems with God?
o It amazes me when someone says ‘you have a direct line to God. Say a prayer for me.’
o God does not send me e- mail. I don’t have a fax of God that says this is what you need to do
o Jesus did not have the email to God; but he waited and listened to his voice and then moved in his ministry
o Sometimes I’m just as much in the dark about hearing God as you are.
o That is why I believe the number one need in our church is prayer
o But there are times when God speaks when I have no doubt at all that God is speaking to me.
o When my wife calls me on the phone, I don’t have to ask who it is -- I know her voice. There are times when God speaks to me when I know it is his voice, who’s putting that impression in my mind.
o What makes the difference? The difference is whether I am listening and my attitude is right
o Calvary, God wants to speak to us and is calling us to tune in. Jesus once said in Luke 8:8, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" We must be tuned in to hear God speak.
o We were in Quebec City and found this little Chinese restaurant
o The waiter handed me a lunch menu which was in French which I cannot read
o There was no English menu
o So I thought I can just ask the waiter what the special is
o The problem is the menu was in French, with no English copy and the waiter was Chinese, who spoke little English
o Similarly, have you even felt like there were communication difficulties when you desired to hear God’s voice
o Now you get the picture. God is speaking to you but your feeling like the language is fuzzy.
o In this parable, Jesus says hearing is all about mental attitude. There are four kinds of attitudes; only one will give us a clear frequency. This is so important.
o God will save you a lot of time from making wrong mistakes, He can comfort you when you need comfort, He can guide you and provide for you.
o So Jesus says ‘there was a farmer who goes out to sow seed and as he went out to sow seed, his seed scattered all over in different types of soil. In that day they didn’t have seed tape. They did what was called broadcasting.
o A farmer would have a pouch on his side filled with seed and, as he’d walk through the tilled field, he would toss it out, scattering it liberally.
o Obviously some of the seed falls on good soil and some of it doesn’t. He says these four soils represent four mental attitudes. They’re not four kinds of people, but they are different places were at in life.
o I once went to a church and decided there was nothing there for me
o Upon reflection God was at work all around me; the seed at the time was falling on hard soil in my life
o Then one Sunday I was sitting up on the side and the preacher gave an alter call to the front
o Many people came forward but I noticed there were few there to pray with them
o Then the Spirit of God moved me to go and pray with a woman who was at the front crying her eyes out
o That began an important ministry for me; was an important turning point in my life
o Sometimes our hearts are very open to God to what He wants to say to us. Sometimes they are closed.
How do I hear God speak to me?
1. I MUST CULTIVATE AN OPEN MIND.
o I must desire to hear from God, be eager, receptive. I’ve got to believe that God desires to speak to me.
o If I were to ask you, ‘have you ever heard God speak to you? There are many who would say, "I can’t think of a time in my life where I ever actually heard God speak to me."
o Now that is where I was, until the Holy Spirit through Henry Blackaby’s book Experiencing God revealed how to hear God’s voice
o I’m not talking about an audible voice, but an impression in your mind that lines up with scripture that you knew is from God.
o My problem before was I was not open to hearing God’s voice
o If you have a closed mind, obviously, God is not going to get through.
o So there are four types of soil and the first is:
a. A closed mind
o This is the first type of soil. v. 5 "Some seed fell on the path and it was trampled on and the birds of the air came and ate it up....[v. 12] Those along the path are like people who hear and then the devil comes along and takes away the word from their hearts so they cannot believe and be saved.”
o When I was ten we used to go tomato picking. The farmer would hire us and pay us 35 cents a peck. On the tomato farm was a path for the flatbed tractor that picked up the baskets. Let me tell you about the paths for the flatbed trailer.
o One, they’re hardened because of the constant traffic of the tractor wheels and people and the baking sun.
o The farmer knew exactly where to drive that tractor with the flatbed. He could have done it in his sleep
o For him it was habit forming – that is where the tractor always goes – that is what were like – we have formed bad habits and no longer hear God’s voice
o Do you know anybody like that path for the tomato baskets? Well I was like that, closed minded, narrow minded, hard hearted, not even open to the possibility that God might speak in a new way.
o As a result, Jesus says the farmer sows seed but it does not sprout because the soil is hard and compacted. It lies on the top of the ground and the birds eat it. It never even gets a chance.
o A closed mind is a hard heart. I have seen it at every level, in marriages, relationships, in management, even on church boards.
o We want to spend 1 minute in prayer and an hour discussing something so we can tell God what we should do. We’re unwilling to listen; we’ve already decided what we’re going to do so we don’t want to hear from God.
o A hard hearted person may have sat through hundreds of sermons but has no intention of applying what was said or changing their behavior
o What causes us to have a closed mind?
1. Pride.
o Pride causes us to have a closed mind. When I think, "I don’t need to hear from God. I can make this business decision on my own. I can do what I want; I don’t need God or the church.
o I know what to say to my children.... I don’t need God. We can figure out what the church needs and are unwilling to pray. Were basically saying, "I don’t need God in this. I can handle it on my own. I can handle this mess. I can resolve this conflict. I don’t need God."
o That’s called pride. When I’m full of pride, I close my mind to God and He can’t get in and say anything to me because I think I’ve got it all figured out. So I don’t pray. When were not praying, that is pride.
2. Unbelief.
o Many Christians do not believe that God speaks today. Charles Stanley, in his book ‘How to Listen to God’ wrote ‘if we think God only speaks through scripture, we will miss His voice. God speaks through his Spirit, circumstances and other people. And God does not speak to an elite few.’
3. Fear.
o Sometimes we’re just afraid of what God might say to us. What if I pray and God tells me to do something I don’t want to do? He might tell me something hard like move to Picangicum. He might tell me to do something I think I can’t. So I’m afraid.
o Maybe God will make me some kind of kooky religious nut. So I’m afraid. I’m afraid I’ll loose my fun and fulfillment in life. No thanks, God. So I close my mind. Some people close their mind to God simply out of fear.
4. Bitterness.
o Whenever we’ve been hurt and we hold on to those hurtful memories, it causes us to close our minds to God. We start saying things like "God, why did You allow this? Why is this happening to me? If you’re such a great loving and powerful God, why did this happen?"
o Bitterness is a form of pride. It is really saying if I were God this would not have happened. So it is pride and idolatry.
o Were going to have hurts in life. We will have pain in life. But don’t run from God run to God.
o God grieves at this sick world. People get hurt. What you do with that hurt will determine whether you become a better person or a bitter person. A bitter life is a wasted life (Hebrews 12:15).
o I am hurt so I’m going to close myself off, build up walls, hide in my shell, and I’m not going to let anybody get close to me.
o People who have been deeply hurt often have a hard time opening up their minds and their hearts to God. They’ve held in so much and they hurt.
o Now I know that some of you have been deeply hurt in the past. Some of you have lost a loved one, others your parent’s divorced when you were young, others have major family illnesses, some are struggling with youth and children, or a hard marriage.
o Some of you were abused as children or you were molested. Some of you were verbally abused, physically abused, emotionally abused.
o Some of you were in a church situation and supposedly Christian people didn’t act very Christian, very Christlike. The tendency is to say, if that’s what Christianity is all about, no thanks, God! We blame God for what other people have done to us.
o If you have been deeply hurt, let me say two things to you: One, I’m sorry you hurt. God weeps with you. He understands the pain you’ve gone through. The common question I get is "Where is God in all this?"
o God love for you is the same, his eye is upon you, just like it was when His son died on the cross for your sins
o Like I said run to God.
o He is the one who can bring healing to your emotions and you’re past. Nobody else can do that. When you run from God out of pain, you’re running from the only person who can heal it. Turn to Him in your moment of crisis. Turn to Him with your hurt instead of holding it in. Give it to Him; get better, not bitter
o Never allow any other human being or experience to block your relationship to God – not your husband, wife, mother, father, children, nobody.
o One woman found that her extended family was very draining in her life. They should have been the most supportive but they drained her. She spent a lot of time with them and had no time for Bible study and prayer, no time for God. That’s unwise. She needed to refocus.
o A bitter life is a barren and wasted life. It only prolongs the pain. Jesus says the birds come along and eat the seed. That kind of life is for the birds!
o Instead, look at James 1:21 "Get rid of all the moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept [circle "accept"] the word planted in you which can save you." Let God love you, drop your defenses and open up your mind.
o The first step in hearing God speak is I must cultivate an open mind.
2. I MUST ALLOCATE TIME TO LISTEN
o I’ve got to make time to hear Him. I’ve got to slow down, be quiet, and plan God time in my schedule. We schedule everything else in life -- vacations, dentist appointments, dates, and homework, everything else. Do you schedule time for God? Or does God just get the leftovers. The second reason a lot of people never hear God speak is we’re in too much in a hurry.
o Juice in jars is now outsells frozen concentrated juice because it takes too long to thaw and people don’t want to put up with thawing anything. Even overnight Federal Express mail isn’t fast enough any more. We can send things by computer in a nano second to wherever we want it to go.
o When we live in a hurried lifestyle, God gets shortchanged, shuffled to the back of the deck. We want to hear God speak, yes, but what we say is, "God, I’m in a hurry, so do it quick! I only have a minute!" As a result, we miss what God wants to say to us.
o V. 6 "Other seed fell on shallow soil with rock beneath. This seed began to grow but soon withered and died for lack of moisture." v. 13 "Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe it for a while, but in the time of testing, they fall away."
o Just as the hardened path represents the closed mind, the shallow soil represents the second type of mind, a superficial mind. It’s shallow. When He talks about rocky soil here He’s not talking about soil with a bunch of rocks in it like Red Lake.
o In much of the Middle East the soil is shallow – about 3-4 inches with a bedrock of limestone just below. That means plants can grow down 2-3 inches but that’s about it. So when summer comes and the heat is on, the plants wither, they have no roots
o He’s saying were like that; we listen superficially. It sprouts up and were excited about it but it doesn’t last. When the heat is on and when the problems come we wither and fall away.
o We have all done this. Last week the message was on ‘how to overcome a complaining attitude
o So people say to me ‘Randy that message was for me; it struck a chord’
o But how many of us are willing to have a friend or partner and say to them ‘the next time I am ungrateful, complaining, please let me know
o And then not bark at them when they do
o I can’t tell you how many people have told me, "I was so moved by that message! I was really touched. I was moved to tears!" But a month later there is still no perceivable life change or behavioral difference in their life. They got excited about the message but they didn’t do anything about it. As a result when the heat is on, they’re not going to last.
o Why is it that we don’t have change? The psychologist Jerome Bruner of New York University has described studies that show that people only remember 10% of what they hear and 20% of what they read, but about 80 percent of what they see and do.
o We all need to practice what were hearing
o I went to a marriage conference and heard a message. God spoke to me, "You need to work on this area of your marriage." I was motivated and charged up. But somehow those notes I had taken got placed on my desk. Then I realized I have done little and needed to go back over my notes. I had already forgotten what I was so excited and motivated about at the marriage conference.
o . How is it that people can come to church year after year and never really be changed? Because it goes in one ear and out the other.
o The verse says the second kind of person -- v. 13 -- "They received the word with joy [circle that] but when they hear it they don’t have any root." In other words, they don’t retain it. He’s saying you can be thrilled without being transformed.
o You need to schedule time daily where you set down with your Bible and read, think about your life, and keep growing by reviewing.
o Having pastored in a church for seven years and been in Board for seventeen years I’ve seen many people who have started off great.
o When they first became believers they were excited and enthusiastic and full of joy. Today you can’t find them anywhere.
o Enthusiasm is not enough to make it in the Christian life. It takes commitment. It takes the commitment to say, "I’m going to set down and regularly review what I’m being taught." Why should God teach me new things if I haven’t put into practice what He taught me last week? Or yesterday? Or last night? Why do people have no roots?
o Because they don’t take the time. How do you get roots? Allocate time to listen. Say, God, I’m going to spend 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes every day. Just get started so that everyday you get alone with God and say, "OK God, what’s next? What’s the next step in my career? What’s the next step in my marriage? What’s the next step in my family? What is the next step for our church? What is the next step for my son?
o “God can’t talk to you unless you slow down.
Cultivate an open mind and allocate time to listen.
3. I MUST ELIMINATE THE DISTRACTIONS
o A lot of times we miss hearing God because our minds are filled with concerns of daily living, worries, plans, goals, ambitions, bills, all these different kinds of things. When our mind is full and always thinking and never give God a chance in silence to talk to us, He can’t get through.
o For me sometimes I just need to get away for several days and hear from God about our church
o How many times God has wanted to talk to us and He’s got a busy signal. We have to make time. When were too busy -- and there are many things that are good but they can distract us -- were too busy to listen to God.
o v. 7 He says, "Other seed fell among the thorns [weeds] which grew up with it and choked the plants. v. 14 This seed that fell among the thorns stands or represents those who hear the word but as they go on their way they’re choked by life’s worries, riches, and pleasures."
o The soil with weeds, this third kind of soil that the farmer is throwing seed on, it represents a preoccupied mind. We’re distracted. The seed sprouts and grows but it’s choked by the weeds before it can bear fruit.
o Young people think carefully about your lives. I talk to people in their 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and even 60’s who say, "I don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing with my life." That tells me one thing: You’re not spending much time with God. God has no intention for you blowing and wasting your life.
o If I can teach you this, that would be great. Out of your relationship with God He will show you what to do, if you’re listening. Don’t worry, pray and listen.
o You will not find God’s purpose for your life and this church by watching soap operas, Dr. Phil, sports or movies, or Facebook, or the bars. You’ve got to get time with God and the Bible. We get distracted and we allow everything and anything to push God out of our lives.
o If I can do one thing with you young families it would be for you to change the focus and purpose for your life
o For you to become serious prayer warriors, students of the Bible
o But we need to eliminate the distractions and pray
o Jesus says that distractions are kind of like weeds. He gives us three examples. First, worries can distract you from hearing God speak. You can’t pray and worry at the same time. Worries are the problems and the pressures of daily life.
o Jesus says were pulled in different directions. Have you ever felt that? When I’m worrying I can’t hear what God wants to say to me. I am preoccupied, distracted.
o Riches can be a weed in my life. We can be so busy making money to buy things that break down that we don’t have time for God. So busy making a living, we don’t really live. We don’t really enjoy life. We just get up in the morning and go to work. We work hard to pay the bills and catch up and get even and then the vehicle breaks down again. We want the better and improved home. We flop into bed at night, get up the next morning and do the same thing. God gets crowded out. God gets the leftovers in our lives. In the desire to make money we can forget God.
o Another weed can be pleasures. There’s nothing wrong with pleasures. Who do you think gave you the ability to enjoy pleasure? God did. God gave you ability to have fun. God wants you to enjoy life. But He’s saying you can be so busy having fun that you forget God. When recreation replaces worship -- "its summertime! I don’t think I’ll go to church this summer; don’t count on me from May to Sept.”
o But remember Satan does not go on holidays
o A weed is anything that distracts me from making time to be with God. Your children are watching you. Don’t be fooled, they are not. If I give God the leftovers they know it.
o Lets take two practical examples
o The Father who says to his son we cannot tithe this week, we have too many bills to pay is giving his son a false message
o He is communicating that God cannot be trusted
o He is communicating that God is not faithful, that God cannot keep his promise concerning the tithe
o Here is the second example
o The child who never sees the Father praying learns that it is not necessary to ask God about the important matters in life
o The message is that trials and tribulations can be handled without any direction from God
o On the other hand the Father who says ‘it has been a tough year financially’ but God wants us to give, God will take care of us is teaching his son the God is Jehovah Jireh, God is our provider
o The Father who prays with his family through the trials in life teaches the child that God is our shepherd, a very present help in time of need
o What are you sowings, weeds or good plants?
o I noticed something. Neglect will grow weeds. The difference between a plant and a weed -- a flower is something you cultivate, you fertilize, you trim, you water it and if not it doesn’t grow. A weed you do nothing to and it explodes.
o When we have weeds in our lives that is a sign of neglect.
o When I start neglecting time with God on a daily basis, when I start neglecting a small group, when I start neglecting getting together with other Christians in worship, going to a Bible study -- any of those things -- the weeds are going to grow up in my life and the Bible said they’re going to choke the spiritual joy right out of me.
o The weeds come by neglecting time with God.
4. I MUST COOPERATE WITH WHAT HE SAYS
o God reveals Himself to people who decide in advance that they are going to do whatever He tells them to do. Most of us want God to talk to us and then we’ll decide if we’re going to do it or not and God says, "No, no. We don’t play that game."
o One church who had a choir special "Yes, Lord, Yes!" That was basically the whole song. When they finished it, the choir director turned around and said, "OK, God, You’ve already heard our attitude. Now tell us what to do."
o That’s what God wants us to do.
o "It’s a matter of trust.
o The fourth soil represents a willing heart or mind. Willing to do whatever God tells you to do, before He even tells you. v. 15 "The seed on the good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart who hear the word of God and retain it and by persevering produce a good crop."
o Circle "retain". They not only hear God’s word but they retain it. They write it down, they listen to it, and they think about it and go over it. The result is a productive life.
o Would you like to make your life count? Would like to have a productive, fulfilling, satisfying life? Then do what James 1:22 tells us, "Don’t merely listen to the Word and so deceive yourself.
o You kidding yourself if you think you’re growing just by going to a church service. Do what it says."
o If I was able to show your thoughts and actions for the last month up on the screen what type of soil would show up?
o Some of us would be embarrassed?
o What kind of spiritual brain scan would show up? Would you have a closed mind? Would you have a superficial mind that gets excited about the service and then walk out and forget it all? Would you have a distracted mind that wants to do the right thing but you’re just too busy right now? Or would you have a willing mind?
o Here’s the question I want to close with: What are you going to do as a result of today’s message? The Bible says "be doers of the word, not hearers only." Do something.
o The moment you walk out the door, Satan will work to distract you. He is a liar and a thief. He wants to steal the seed.
o I want to give you a homework project. Do one thing as a result of today’s message. It may be join a Bible study, start memorizing a Bible verse a week, start having a quiet time every day -- 5, 10, 15 minutes, get some counseling, come to our Operation Prayer at 8:30 AM
o Do something! Don’t waste it.
Prayer:
o Lord Jesus forgive us for not doing what you have told us to do. Holy Spirit you want to speak to us. Help us to have open minds, not closed minds. Help us to not be shallow minded but to really study the Bible this week.
o Forgive us for hearing the Bible and being disobedient to what it says. Forgive us for not reading the Bible and praying to you
o Help us to have an open and willing heart to do what You want us to do. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
