The Voice

THE VOICE – Larry Hale March 19, 2023

About a month ago the Lord gave me a message to present to you, but every week, He STOPPED me and GAVE me a DIFFERENT message. Frankly, I’ve been scratching my head wondering WHY!!!

Now, I know. It was because I was missing a VALUABLE COMPONENT that He revealed to me on Monday.

The title of our message this morning is “The Voice”.

Do any of you FOLLOW “The Voice”?

Not the TV show……. I mean THE VOICE!!...... “THE VOICE of GOD”

On Monday I heard THE VOICE because I STOPPED to LISTEN.

I was sitting quietly and intently, asking for and waiting upon a Word from the Lord.

SCRIPTURE READING Job 33:14-18 NLT

STAND/PRAY

“For God does speak—now one way, now another— though no one perceives it.

God speaks to us in a dream, in a vision of the night,

He speaks when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber in their beds,

He may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings, (warnings)* to turn them from wrongdoing and keep them from pride,

(So that He may)* preserve them from the pit,

(To keep)* them from perishing by the sword.” (Job 33:14-18 NIV) * italics my emphasis.

Our God goes to great lengths to SAVE us!

He speaks to us in MANY ways…

Our scripture tells us that God speaks to us in many ways..

• Dreams & Visions in the NIGHT

• His WORD

• His HOLY SPIRIT (whispering in our ears)

• Circumstances

• BELIEVERS

TO KEEP US:

• From Doing Wrong

• From Self Destructing

• From Pride

• To Save us

“"'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy, (happening now across the world in revivals)

your young men will see visions, - MUSLIMS coming to Christ through Visions of Jesus

your old men will dream dreams.” (Acts 2:17 NIV)

KEY VERSE: “For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it. Job 33:14 NLT

WE BOMBARD GOD with our SHOPPING LIST.

We Pray WITHOUT CEASING…. Telling Him what WE want….

But how often do we STOP and LISTEN for His RESPONSE?

When we speak with someone… we want them to hear what we say, right?

There are times we NEED to SHARE our JOYS or our SORROWS, our hurts or pains.

We HOPE those we speak to will be INTERESTED enough to HEAR & RESPOND.

Especially if we need a word of encouragement, or we need some prayer.

So, we SPEAK hoping those we speak to HEAR us…. REALLY hear us.

KNOW THIS…….. God HEARS YOU… HE REALLY HEARS YOU…

HE CARES ENOUGH to LISTEN INTENTLY

and He responds with EXACTLY what you NEED!

–but He also wants us to HEAR Him.

I’m sure there have been times in my life when God spoke and I IGNORED Him.

And there have been a times in my life when God has spoken to me…

AND I LISTENED.

When I was doing community service at Holy Spirit Hospital D & A ward, I was asked to take patient to his home, after his time detoxing at the “Holy Hilton” was up. I knew this young man. We had gone to high school together and hung out together. He had tried to take his life!

What I didn’t expect that was on the middle of the Harvey Taylor Bridge, God would tell me to give my friend my Bible. The Bible my son Rob gave me when he was a boy. In my mind, I started to ARGUE with God. I didn’t want to give up that precious Bible. It meant TOO MUCH to me. But, I relented because I knew I had to be to be OBEDIENT. I gave him my precious Bible.

MANY YEARS later, I received an email from him thanking me for because of that Bible he gave his life to Christ.

Another time, He had to soften my heart regarding decision I had made, apparently, God was not pleased with my decision.

Because one day when I was sitting in SILENCE, He spoke to me and told me exactly what to do. I went to Luella because she had agreed with my earlier decision, but when she heard what God said, she too came in line with God’s will.

He SPOKE to me WHEN HE told me that LUELLA and I were to COME HERE so I could be your pastor. You already know that I did NOT want to be a pastor. I admit, I prayed a lot, then stood back and watched as He put His plan in to place. Eighteen years later, I can still say I am glad I listened and obeyed.