The Prerequisites For Knowing The Voice Of God. Series

THE PREREQUISITES FOR KNOWING THE VOICE OF GOD.

KEY VERSES:

I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1-2)

INTRODUCTION

In this teaching we will learn of requirements which prepare you to hear the voice of God and discover His will for your life.

• There are some necessary prerequisites or requirements if you are to come to know the voice of God.

• A prerequisite is something you must do before you can do something else.

• A prerequisite is something required before you are able to reach a certain goal.

• Our goal in this teaching is to come to know the voice of God.

• This lesson therefore explains the prerequisites (the things required) before you can achieve this objective.

Jesus said: If any man will do His will, He shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. (John 7:17)

The Key Verses of this teaching, Romans 12:1-2, list some things that are God's will for you to do. If you meet these prerequisites, then you will come to know God’s voice and His will for your life.

The last part of verse 2 reads… that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.

A. BORN-AGAIN EXPERIENCE

I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)

As we learned in the previous teaching, sin separates us from God's presence. Because of sin, most people have difficulty hearing and responding positively to the voice of God. (Read Isaiah 59:1,2. Psalms 66:18)

• In the natural world you do not recognize the voice of a stranger.

• You recognize voices of those you know and with whom you have developed a relationship.

• The same is true in the spiritual world.

• If you are to come to know God's voice, you must first come to know God

• you cannot develop an intimate relationship with Him with sin in your life.

Romans 12:1 requires that YOU make the move towards God by giving your life to Him. God has already spoken through His written Word and revealed it is His will for you to develop such a relationship: The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (II Peter 3:9)

God does not want you to spend your life in sin. He wants you to live it according to His plan: That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. (I Peter 4:2)

God is pictured standing at the door of your life desiring entrance so He can develop a relationship with you: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me”. (Revelation 3:20).

• The phrase “dine with” in the above passage points to fellowship.

• it is talking about spiritual fellowship or spending time with the Lord.

• Notice, the Lord stands at the door or at the entrance of our heart.

• Notice, He knocks, but He also SPEAKS.

• GOD SPEAKS and our fellowship depends on our ability to hear His voice.

• Jesus said: “If anyone hears my voice“.

Jesus speaks, but not everyone is hearing or listening to Him, therefore, not everybody is opening the door of their lives for Him to come in and fellowship with them. Nevertheless, to anyone who hears His voice and opens the door of his heart, Jesus gave the promise: ( I will come in to him, and will be … with him, and he with me ).

God's stated purpose from the beginning of the world was to bring all men into the knowledge of Christ Jesus: Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him. (Ephesians 1:9-10)

You are "gathered into Christ" by becoming part of the family of God. Just as you are born into a natural family, you must be "born again" spiritually into this spiritual family.