Choosing the Right Voice: Trusting God's Guidance
Summary
In today's gathering, we focused on the importance of discerning and choosing the right voice to follow in our lives. We began by acknowledging God's faithfulness and His unchanging nature, emphasizing that despite the chaos and noise around us, God remains constant and His promises are true. We are reminded that our worship and trust in God should be unwavering, as He is the author of our lives and the one who holds everything together.
We explored the analogy of a "Survivor" challenge, where participants must navigate obstacles while blindfolded, relying solely on the voice of their teammate amidst a cacophony of other voices. This scenario mirrors our spiritual journey, where we are bombarded by various voices and must discern which one to follow. The voice we choose to heed will ultimately determine our path and outcome.
We delved into the biblical account of the Israelites in Numbers 13, where twelve spies were sent to scout the Promised Land. Despite witnessing the land's abundance, ten spies focused on the obstacles and spread fear, while only two, Caleb and Joshua, trusted in God's promise. This story illustrates that the majority's voice is not always aligned with God's truth, and following the wrong voices can lead us away from His promises.
We also examined the story of King Saul in 1 Samuel 15, who lost his kingdom because he chose to listen to the people's voice over God's command. This serves as a cautionary tale for leaders and individuals alike, highlighting the importance of obedience to God's voice, even when it contradicts popular opinion or seems illogical.
Ultimately, we are encouraged to cultivate a deep relationship with God, learning to recognize His voice through daily encounters and scripture. By doing so, we can confidently follow His guidance, even when it challenges us or goes against the grain. Our obedience to God's voice leads us into His promises and blessings, just as Caleb and Joshua experienced.
Key Takeaways:
1. God's Unchanging Nature: Despite the ever-changing world, God's nature and promises remain constant. Our faith should be anchored in His steadfastness, knowing that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. This assurance allows us to trust Him fully, regardless of our circumstances. [31:57]
2. The Power of Choice: The voices we choose to listen to shape our destiny. Like the Israelites, we must decide whether to focus on God's promises or the obstacles before us. Our choices determine whether we enter into God's promises or miss out on them. [46:48]
3. Majority vs. Truth: The majority's voice is not always aligned with God's truth. Just because many people say something doesn't make it true. We must discern God's voice amidst the noise and choose to follow His truth, even if it means standing against the crowd. [52:11]
4. Obedience Over Sacrifice: In the story of King Saul, we learn that God values obedience over sacrifice. Listening to God's voice and following His commands is more important than any outward display of devotion. Our obedience reflects our trust in Him. [01:02:03]
5. Recognizing God's Voice: Developing a relationship with God helps us recognize His voice. Through daily encounters and scripture, we learn to discern His guidance. This familiarity enables us to follow His lead confidently, even when it challenges us or seems unpopular. [01:13:23]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [31:57] - God's Faithfulness and Promises
- [40:26] - Standing on God's Word
- [43:33] - Introduction to "Which Voice?"
- [46:48] - The Power of Choice
- [49:02] - The Story of the Israelites
- [52:11] - Majority vs. Truth
- [59:18] - Missing Out on God's Promises
- [01:02:03] - Obedience Over Sacrifice
- [01:04:39] - Saul's Downfall
- [01:08:02] - Personal Testimony: Hearing God's Voice
- [01:10:59] - Overcoming Doubt and Opposition
- [01:13:23] - Recognizing God's Voice
- [01:15:57] - Choosing to Obey God
- [01:18:55] - Closing Prayer and Worship
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Numbers 13:23-33
2. 1 Samuel 15:1-23
3. John 10:27
---
Observation Questions:
1. In Numbers 13, what did the spies report about the land they explored, and how did their perspectives differ? [52:11]
2. What command did God give to King Saul in 1 Samuel 15, and how did Saul respond to it? [01:02:03]
3. According to John 10:27, what is the relationship between the sheep and the shepherd, and how does this relate to recognizing God's voice?
4. How does the analogy of the "Survivor" challenge illustrate the importance of discerning the right voice to follow? [43:33]
---
Interpretation Questions:
1. Why do you think the majority of the spies focused on the obstacles rather than the promises of God, and what does this reveal about human nature? [52:11]
2. In what ways did Saul's decision to listen to the people's voice over God's command impact his leadership and relationship with God? [01:02:03]
3. How does the concept of recognizing God's voice in John 10:27 apply to the choices we make in our daily lives?
4. What does the story of Caleb and Joshua teach us about the consequences of choosing to trust in God's promises over popular opinion? [59:18]
---
Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you faced multiple voices or opinions. How did you discern which one to follow, and what was the outcome? [46:48]
2. Are there areas in your life where you feel you might be listening to the wrong voices? How can you begin to align your choices with God's voice? [01:13:23]
3. How can you cultivate a deeper relationship with God to better recognize His voice amidst the noise of daily life? [01:15:57]
4. Think of a decision you are currently facing. What steps can you take to ensure that you are listening to God's guidance rather than the majority opinion? [52:11]
5. In what ways can you practice obedience to God's voice, even when it contradicts popular opinion or seems illogical? [01:02:03]
6. Identify a specific promise of God that you need to hold onto in your current circumstances. How can you remind yourself of this promise daily? [31:57]
7. How can you support others in your community to discern and follow God's voice, especially when they are faced with challenging decisions? [01:08:02]
Devotional
Day 1: God's Steadfastness Amidst Chaos
In a world filled with uncertainty and change, God's nature remains constant and His promises are unwavering. This assurance allows believers to anchor their faith in His steadfastness, trusting that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. By focusing on God's unchanging nature, individuals can find peace and stability, regardless of their circumstances. [31:57]
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." (James 1:17, ESV)
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to trust in God's unchanging nature today, and how can this trust bring you peace amidst uncertainty?
Day 2: The Impact of Our Choices
The voices we choose to listen to have a profound impact on our destiny. Like the Israelites, we face the decision of focusing on God's promises or the obstacles before us. Our choices determine whether we enter into God's promises or miss out on them. By choosing to heed God's voice, we align ourselves with His will and purpose for our lives. [46:48]
"See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it." (Deuteronomy 30:15-16, ESV)
Reflection: What is one decision you are facing today where you need to choose between listening to God's promises or focusing on obstacles? How can you choose life and good in this situation?
Day 3: Standing for Truth Against the Majority
The majority's voice is not always aligned with God's truth. Just because many people say something doesn't make it true. Believers must discern God's voice amidst the noise and choose to follow His truth, even if it means standing against the crowd. This requires courage and conviction, trusting that God's truth will ultimately prevail. [52:11]
"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." (Matthew 7:13-14, ESV)
Reflection: Is there a situation in your life where you feel pressured to conform to the majority? How can you stand firm in God's truth, even if it means going against the crowd?
Day 4: The Value of Obedience Over Sacrifice
In the story of King Saul, we learn that God values obedience over sacrifice. Listening to God's voice and following His commands is more important than any outward display of devotion. Our obedience reflects our trust in Him and leads us into His promises and blessings. [01:02:03]
"And Samuel said, 'Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.'" (1 Samuel 15:22, ESV)
Reflection: Is there an area in your life where you are prioritizing outward displays of devotion over true obedience to God? How can you realign your actions to reflect genuine obedience?
Day 5: Cultivating a Relationship to Recognize God's Voice
Developing a relationship with God helps believers recognize His voice. Through daily encounters and scripture, individuals learn to discern His guidance. This familiarity enables them to follow His lead confidently, even when it challenges them or seems unpopular. [01:13:23]
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:27, ESV)
Reflection: What steps can you take today to deepen your relationship with God and better recognize His voice in your life? How can this help you confidently follow His guidance?
Quotes
Father, as we worship you, we thank you for your faithfulness. God, we thank you for your promises are true. God, we thank you this morning for we will see your goodness in our lives. God, we thank you this morning for we know that no matter what's taking place, we will see your goodness. We will see your hand. Lord, as the psalmist declares, we're going to see it in the land of the living. [00:31:32] (34 seconds)
And in spite of what we are seeing in the natural, we must remember that God does not change. People change. Places change. Governments change. God does not change. And so this morning, I encourage you, hold on to that truth that God does not change. That his promises are yes and amen. And we choose to obey and follow him. [00:41:18] (41 seconds)
We need to encounter God every day. And as we encounter him daily, he will speak to us. He will show us what we should do. And I just encourage you, acknowledge him every single day. Give him his due. Give him time. And something I heard years ago from Pastor Larry Stocksdale, and I don't know if he said it first or what, but I heard it from him, and it was this, time spent with God is never wasted time. [00:42:21] (31 seconds)
And so you might hear somebody saying, go left, go left. And you think it's the person telling you when you go left, but your person was actually telling you to go right. And there's all of these voices and having to try identify which is the voice that is speaking to me. And here's the truth. There's a lot of voices in our ears. [00:45:40] (24 seconds)
There's a lot of voices that sound like what they're saying is right. I mean, if I'm blindfolded, I'm trying to go through a course and I hear somebody saying, go right, go right. To me, to me, it can get confusing. And church, not only are these voices pushing and pulling us in different directions, but the voice that we choose to follow is going to determine our outcome. [00:46:09] (24 seconds)
we can miss out on god's promise by following the wrong voices we can miss out on god's promise by following the wrong voices well pastor you just said a minute ago that god's promises are true that his promises are yes and amen now let's talk about the promised land for a minute okay we're gonna do some little bible knowledge we we know these stories god promised this land to abraham he told abraham when he called him this is genesis like chapter 13 or so he told abraham leave your father's house to the place i'm going to show you abraham goes out and god begins to speak to him abraham walks the length the length and the breadth of the land and god says all of this land i will give to your descendants god even told abraham that they were going to be slaves there foreigners there sojourners there is the verse the word that the bible uses for the 400 years so god tells this promise to abraham he repeats it to isaac he tells it even to jacob three generations forth are hearing the promise now they're slaves for 400 years and they come out into this wilderness to enter that promise and they say no because 10 out of 12 gave a bad report they rejected god's promise and those people if you continue reading their chapters 13 and 14 god looks at them and this is what he says he didn't take away the promised land he just said those of you that have chosen to listen to the other voice you don't get to go in and the reason they circled and did circles for 40 [00:56:18] (121 seconds)
And sometimes we go by the voice that's the loudest or we go by the voice that's the last one to tell us as opposed to going by the voice of what God said. See, what God has spoken is truth. What he's promised you is true, but we can miss out on it. Caleb didn't miss out on it. As a matter of fact, if you continue reading and then you get into Deuteronomy chapter one, like I talked to you a minute ago, only two people that left the land of Egypt as slaves went into the promised land. Two people that left as adults went into the promised land, Caleb and Joshua. The two voices that spoke the truth of what God had said. Many times what God asked you to do is not going to be a popular decision. [01:02:56] (65 seconds)
But which voice would we and I, you and I choose to listen to? The voices are all shouting. We've got to learn to identify when it's God and we must choose to obey it. And let me tell you something, because I don't know if you've been there. I've been in the place where I said, yeah, there's all these voices, but if I was in charge, if I had a say, then it would be different. Anybody ever think something like that before? [01:03:53] (36 seconds)
And you need to understand where has God placed you and what has he called you to do? And if it doesn't align with what God is telling you to do, don't listen to that voice, even if it's a good idea. As a matter of fact, even if it's a good idea there. it's a great idea. Because you think in human nature, I just multiplied all our cattle. I just multiplied all of these resources that we have. And the prophet looks at him and says, does God delight more in burnt offerings and sacrifice than in obedience to his voice? [01:05:50] (48 seconds)
Chatbot
-
I'm an AI bot trained specifically on the sermon from Mar 23, 2025. Do you have any questions about it?