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?
2. BE Still and Worship.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10
The wording reflects a posture of quietness before the Lord – of listening, of faithful expecting,
...of casting care and anxiety at Gods feet because He cares for you
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.1 Peter 5:7
Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken Psalm 55:22
When the Hebrews had left Egypt and they find themselves facing the Red Sea and the Egyptian army chasing them, they began to complain.
“it would be better off for them to stay in Egypt at slaves… but they would find out that they didn’t need to fight this battle:
13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:13-14
Did you catch the commands?: Stand Firm… you only need to Be Still!
In 2 chronicles 20 three armies have surrounded Judah and Jerusalem. The people were terrified, and there with the enemy all around…
They stood before the Lord wondering what to do. Then the spirit of the Lord came on a man named JAHAZIEL, a levite, and he stood and said,
And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 2 Chronicles 20:15
21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:
“Praise the LORD,
For His mercy endures forever.”
22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. 23 For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
24 So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped. 2Chr. 20:21-24
Note the actions that Israel takes: he appoints the Worshipers to “praise the Lord for His mercy endures forever” …
If you ask me that is a great way to face any battle, to win a war… tell the musicians to go out first,
…they will lead everyone to singing and worshipping God, then God will take care of the rest.
The pattern is repeated in Acts 13:2… While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
Notice the sequence of the actions in that verse. Worshipping came first, the Holy Spirits speaking came second.
Maybe your fighting a battle in your health, or in your family, or in your job, or in your marriage, or for your future… the pattern is this:
Stand still before God and worship Him, then the Holy Spirit will show you what to do.
So what does standing before the Lord look like? For me, it means going away to a quiet place here I can put aside the thoughts of the day…
I turn on some worship music and start singing, sometimes I don’t need music, I just start singing-the point is my heart is in line with Gods heart.
So I set an appointment to meet with God, then purposely quiet my heart, then I worship the Lord. After that comes the dialogue we call
3. To Hear a General Word From God: Pray and Read, Listen and Write
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Mark 1:35
I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word Psalm 119:147
Pray for whatever is on your heart, don’t force yourself to pray for what isn’t on your heart… pray for whatever is there. Just talk to God and
Then open your Bible… on the inside lol, 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 timothy 3:16-17
So set an appointment and then become still and worship the Lord, then pray and read and then..
3a. Listen and Write
I say listen and write because one of the best ways ive learned to hear Gods voice is to write down your thoughts and prayers when I meet with Him.
The act of writing helps keep my mind focused on God and it helps me to discern which verses I need to apply to my situation.
My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Psalm 45:1
2 Then the LORD answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. Habakkuk 2:2
God comes to a prepared atmosphere, as we make and keep appointments to meet with God, we’ll learn to hear His voice.
4. And finally its ok to ask God for confirmation on what you are hearing from Him… ask him to confirm what he is saying to you.
14 The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”
15 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”
16 The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”
17 Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. 18 Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.” And the LORD said, “I will wait until you return. Judges 6:14-18
Gideon hears a word from God that God is going to use him to lead Israel out of oppression from the Midians, but Gideon is insecure…
Notice God is not angry with Gideon for asking for confirmation that it is God he is hearing from… in fact God is willing to wait (18)
Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. Mark 16:20
The point is that God understands and endorses the power of confirmation… The Holy Spirit values confirmation.
3 questions to confirm
1. does it line up with the Bible?
“have you not read” Matt. 12:3, 5 / Matt. 19:4 / Matt. 22:31 / Mark 12:10
Does the bible agree with what you have heard God telling you to do? God’s voice will never disagree with God’s word.
If something that feels like guidance contradicts the revealed Word of God in Scripture, then its not of Lord.
2. Does Godly Council Agree?
The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice. Proverbs 12:15
Surely you need guidance to wage war, and victory is won through many advisers Proverbs 24:6
3. Does Peace Reign In Your Heart.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15
7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
