The Voice Of God

THE VOICE OF GOD

Acts 15:28

January 8, 2006

I BEGAN THE MESSAGE BY HAVING 2 LADIES WHO SPEAK A DIALECT OF INDIA HAVE A CONVERSATION IN FRONT OF THE CONGREGATION. NO ONE KNEW WHAT THEY WERE SAYING. I REFERENCED THIS ILLUSTRATION THROUGHOUT THE MESSAGE TO SHOW WHAT GOD’S VOICE IS NOT LIKE.

LET ME GIVE YOU THE MAIN POINT OF THIS MESSAGE RIGHT UP FRONT.

GOD WANTS TO COMMUNICATE WITH HIS PEOPLE IN AN UNDERSTANDABLE WAY.

VERIZON ASKS, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW. GOD SAYS, YOU CAN HEAR AND UNDERSTAND ME NOW.

HE DOES NOT WANT TO COMMUNICATE WITH HIS PEOPLE IN A WAY THAT IS CONFUSING AND UNINTELLIGIBLE.

SOME OF GOD’S PEOPLE ARE CONVINCED KNOWING THE VOICE OF GOD IS LIKE TRYING TO LEARN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE.

THEY FEEL LIKE IT’S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW FOR CERTAIN IF WHAT THEY HEAR IS GOD.

THERE ARE THOSE WHO HEAR ME SAY FROM THE PULPIT, “GOD SPOKE OR THE LORD SAID, OR THE LORD TOLD ME” AND YOU SAY TO YOURSELF, “HOW DID HE KNOW THE LORD SPOKE?”

PERHAPS WHEN A PROPHETIC WORD COMES DURING A SERVICE YOU SAY TO YOURSELF, “WHAT ARE THEY HEARING, HOW DO THEY KNOW WHAT TO SAY?”

WELL, TODAY I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE PROCESS OF LEARNING GOD’S VOICE.

PLEASE LOOK AT 3 SHORT PASSAGES – ACTS 13:2; 15:28; 16:6

WHILE THEY WERE MINISTERING TO THE LORD AND FASTING, THE HOLY SPIRIT SAID, “SET APART FOR ME BARNABAS AND SAUL FOR THE WORK TO WHICH I HAVE CALLED THEM.” ACTS 13:2

“FOR IT SEEMED GOOD TO THE HOLY SPIRIT AND TO US TO LAY UPON YOU NO GREATER BURDEN THAN THESE ESSENTIALS;” ACTS 15:28

“THEY PASSED THROUGH THE PHRYGIAN AND GALATIAN REGION, HAVING BEEN FORBIDDEN BY THE HOLY SPIRIT TO SPEAK THE WORD IN ASIA;” ACTS 16:6

IN THESE PASSAGES WE HAVE THREE OCCASIONS WHERE IT IS DECLARED, “THE HOLY SPIRIT SPOKE.”

WE SEE THERE WAS CLEAR DIRECTION FROM HEAVEN AND THOSE WHO HEARD THAT DIRECTION KNEW IT WAS FROM HEAVEN.

Q: HOW DID THEY DO THAT? LET’S TAKE A LOOK . . .

I REPEAT WHAT I SAID A MINUTE AGO . . .

GOD WANTS TO SPEAK TO YOU AND GOD WANTS YOU TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND HE IS SPEAKING TO YOU.

POINT #1

EVERY CHILD OF GOD CAN AND MUST LEARN TO RECOGNIZE HIS VOICE.

IN BOTH THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT WE HAVE THE PROMISE OF BEING SPOKEN TO AND KNOWING WE WERE SPOKEN TO.

“CALL TO ME AND I WILL ANSWER YOU, AND I WILL TELL YOU GREAT AND MIGHTY THINGS, WHICH YOU DO NOT KNOW.” JER. 33:3

“SO I SAY TO YOU, ASK, AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU; SEEK, AND YOU WILL FIND; KNOCK AND IT WILL BE OPENED TO YOU.” LUKE 11:9

CALL TO ME AND I WILL ANSWER.

ASK, SEEK, KNOCK AND YOU WILL RECEIVE.

FOLLOWER OF JESUS, WE TEACH AND BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS EMMANUEL - GOD WITH US.

NOT ONLY IS HE WITH US, BUT IN US. HE MAKES HIS DWELLING IN OUR VERY HEART.

THEREFORE, SINCE HE DESIRES TO LIVE SO VERY CLOSE TO US DOESN’T IT MAKE SENSE HE WOULD WANT TO CLEARLY COMMUNICATE WITH US?

SOME OF GOD’S PEOPLE ARE CONVINCED THAT THIS “GOD SPOKE TO ME” STUFF IS FOR THE PASTORS AND THE REALLY SPIRITUAL PEOPLE.

TOO MANY OF GOD’S PEOPLE DON’T BEGIN THE PROCESS OF HEARING GOD’S VOICE BECAUSE THEY’RE CONVINCED HE DOESN’T WANT TO SPEAK TO THEM, OR IF HE DOES SPEAK THEY WON’T KNOW IT’S HIM.

EVERYONE WHO OWNS A BIBLE PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND - KEEP IT UP.

ALL THOSE WHO DON’T HAVE JEREMIAH 33:3 IN THEIR BIBLE PLEASE PUT YOUR HAND DOWN.

ALL THOSE WHO DON’T HAVE LUKE 11:9 IN THEIR BIBLE PLEASE PUT YOUR HAND DOWN.

WELL, SINCE WE ALL HAVE THESE VERSES IN ALL OF OUR BIBLES I GUESS THAT MEANS THEY APPLY TO ALL OF US - WOULD YOU AGREE?

OKAY THEN, WHEN WE HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT LIFE, WHEN DECISIONS HAVE TO BE MADE AND DIRECTION NEEDS TO BE DETERMINED, I CAN ASK GOD AND HE WILL TELL ME WHAT TO DO.

HOW COOL IS THAT? GOD WILL TALK TO ME AND TELL ME WHAT I NEED TO DO.

JAMES 1:5 SAYS, “BUT IF ANY OF YOU LACKS WISDOM, LET HIM ASK OF GOD, WHO GIVES TO ALL GENEROUSLY AND WITHOUT REPROACH, AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO HIM.”

POINT #2

AS MUCH AS GOD WANTS TO ANSWER HE FIRST REQUIRES THAT WE ASK.

WHAT DOES JEREMIAH AND LUKE SAY?

CALL TO ME, ASK ME, SEEK ME, INVESTIGATE BY KNOCKING ON THE DOOR.

THE POINT SIMPLY IS THIS, GOD ANSWERS THOSE WHO TAKE THE TIME TO ASK HIM THE QUESTION.

PEOPLE OF GOD, THIS IS NOT A MINOR POINT.

THE PROMISED ANSWER IS BASED UPON OUR WILLINGNESS TO SET ASIDE TIME TO ASK AND LISTEN.