Discerning God's Voice Amidst Life's Competing Influences
Summary
In today's sermon, I explored the profound relationship between our identity in Christ and the various voices that influence our daily lives. I began by emphasizing the importance of recognizing and distinguishing between these voices to lead a life aligned with God's will.
I discussed how the voice of God is distinct and filled with peace, even when it brings correction. Unlike the accusatory tone of the enemy, God's voice is nurturing, guiding us towards repentance and growth without condemnation. This divine communication is crucial for our spiritual health and discernment, helping us to identify and reject the lies of the enemy.
I also highlighted the deceptive nature of the enemy, who often uses moments of vulnerability to sow seeds of despair and self-doubt. The enemy's voice is cunning, pushing us to prove our worth and diverting us from our true identity as children of God. In contrast, God reassures us of our inherent value and His unending love, which does not depend on our achievements or failures.
Furthermore, I addressed the internal voices that focus on self-centered desires, such as the "taco voice" or the craving for immediate gratification through material things. These voices can lead to a life driven by selfishness and instant satisfaction, which stands in stark contrast to the life of service and sacrifice exemplified by Jesus Christ.
The sermon also covered the influence of the world's voice, which often glorifies success, fame, and wealth. I urged the congregation to resist this voice by fostering a strong sense of identity rooted in Christ's teachings, which prioritize spiritual growth and community over worldly gains.
In conclusion, I called on the congregation to cultivate a deep, personal relationship with God through regular prayer, scripture reading, and community involvement. By doing so, we can strengthen our ability to discern God's voice from others and live a life that truly reflects His love and purpose.
### Key Takeaways:
1. Understanding God's Voice: God's voice is characterized by peace and love, even when it corrects us. It's essential to spend time in God's presence and His Word to recognize His voice amidst the noise of the world. This familiarity with God's voice helps us to navigate life's challenges with divine wisdom and peace. [16:23]
2. Resisting the Enemy's Deceptions: The enemy uses our moments of weakness to implant lies and doubts about our identity and God's love. Recognizing these attacks is crucial for maintaining our spiritual health and assurance in God's truths. We must actively reject these lies and lean into the truth of our righteousness in Christ. [57:00]
3. The Danger of Self-Centered Voices: Our internal desires can often lead us astray if they become the focal point of our decisions. It's important to align our desires with God's will, ensuring that our actions reflect His love and purpose rather than our selfish ambitions. [22:51]
4. The World's Misleading Standards: The societal measures of success and fulfillment can distract us from our spiritual journey. By understanding and rejecting the world's standards, we can pursue a life that fulfills God's intentions for us, focusing on eternal rather than temporal rewards. [26:24]
5. Community and Discernment: Engaging with a community of believers provides a support system for discerning and following God's voice. Through communal worship, prayer, and learning, we can strengthen our collective ability to resist misleading voices and encourage one another in our spiritual walks. [50:09]
### Chapters:
0:00 - Welcome
00:59 - Introduction to Hearing God's Voice
04:14 - The Importance of Fellowship with God
07:59 - Practical Examples of Hearing God
11:03 - The Effects of Spiritual Nourishment
14:10 - Distinguishing Between Different Voices
18:06 - The Uniqueness of God's Voice
22:51 - Addressing Self-Centered Desires
26:24 - Confronting Worldly Values
30:32 - Recognizing the Enemy's Tactics
36:33 - Processing Discernment and Judgment
41:42 - Embracing Our Identity in Christ
48:57 - Testing the Spirits
54:30 - Overcoming the Enemy's Lies
59:33 - Conclusion and Prayer for Discernment
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. John 10:2-5: "But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him because they do not know the voice of strangers."
2. 2 Timothy 4:3-4: "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths."
3. 1 John 4:1: "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world."
#### Observation Questions
1. According to John 10:2-5, what distinguishes the shepherd's voice from that of a stranger? How do the sheep respond to each?
2. In 2 Timothy 4:3-4, what behaviors are people predicted to exhibit regarding their choice of teachers and teachings?
3. What does 1 John 4:1 instruct believers to do with the spirits they encounter? Why is this important?
4. In the sermon, what are the four different voices that we need to discern between? ([14:43])
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the peace and love in God's voice, even when correcting us, help us distinguish it from other voices? ([15:42])
2. Why is it important to recognize the enemy's tactics, especially during moments of vulnerability? ([28:21])
3. How can internal desires, like the "taco voice," lead us away from God's will? What does this reveal about our need for discernment? ([22:51])
4. How does the world's voice, which glorifies success, fame, and wealth, contrast with the teachings of Christ? ([24:28])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt peace and love in God's correction. How did this experience help you grow spiritually? ([15:42])
2. Identify a recent moment of vulnerability. How did you respond to the voices you heard during that time? What can you do differently next time to resist the enemy's deceptions? ([28:21])
3. Think about your internal desires. Are there any that frequently lead you away from God's will? How can you align these desires with God's purpose for your life? ([22:51])
4. In what ways have you been influenced by the world's standards of success and fulfillment? How can you refocus on Christ's teachings to prioritize spiritual growth and community? ([24:28])
5. How can you cultivate a deeper personal relationship with God through regular prayer, scripture reading, and community involvement? What specific steps will you take this week to strengthen your ability to discern God's voice? ([04:14])
6. Have you ever experienced a situation where you had to test the spirits as instructed in 1 John 4:1? What was the outcome, and what did you learn from it?
7. How can you support others in your community to discern and follow God's voice? Share a practical way you can encourage someone this week. ([50:09])
Devotional
Day 1: Discerning the Voice of Peace and Love
God's voice, characterized by peace and nurturing correction, stands in stark contrast to the chaotic and accusatory tones we often encounter. It is essential to immerse oneself in prayer and Scripture to cultivate familiarity with this divine voice. This practice not only enhances our spiritual discernment but also equips us to handle life's challenges with grace and wisdom. By prioritizing time with God, we can ensure that His voice guides our decisions and actions, leading us towards a life of fulfillment and purpose in alignment with His will. [16:23]
Psalm 85:8: "Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly."
Reflection: How can you adjust your daily routine to include more quiet time for listening to God's voice?
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Day 2: Standing Firm Against Deception
The enemy often exploits our vulnerabilities, implanting doubts and lies that can lead us astray from our identity in Christ. Recognizing these deceptive tactics is crucial for maintaining spiritual health and assurance in the truths of God's Word. By actively rejecting these falsehoods and reaffirming our righteousness through Christ, we fortify ourselves against the enemy's attacks and grow in confidence of God's unwavering love for us. [57:00]
2 Corinthians 2:11: "So that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs."
Reflection: What specific lie about your identity have you struggled with, and how can you counter it with truth from Scripture today?
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Day 3: Rejecting Self-Centered Desires
Our internal voices often push us towards self-centered desires and immediate gratification, which can lead us away from God's purpose. It is vital to align our desires with God's will, ensuring that our actions reflect His love and serve His kingdom rather than our selfish ambitions. This alignment requires conscious effort and prayerful introspection to discern the motives behind our desires and to seek God's guidance in reshaping them. [22:51]
James 4:3: "You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions."
Reflection: Identify a desire you recently acted on. Was it aligned with God's will, and how can you make a more God-centered decision in a similar situation next time?
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Day 4: Challenging the World's Standards
The societal measures of success—wealth, fame, and power—often distract us from our spiritual journey. By understanding and rejecting these worldly standards, we can pursue a life that truly fulfills God's intentions for us, focusing on eternal rewards rather than temporal achievements. This pursuit involves redefining success in terms of spiritual growth and the impact we have on our community and the world through Christ-like service. [26:24]
1 John 2:15-17: "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world."
Reflection: What worldly standard have you found most challenging to reject, and how can you realign your perspective to prioritize God's values?
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Day 5: Fostering Community for Spiritual Discernment
Engaging with a community of believers is not just about fellowship; it's a vital aspect of spiritual growth and discernment. Through communal worship, prayer, and learning, we strengthen our collective ability to discern God's voice and encourage one another in our spiritual walks. This support system is crucial in resisting misleading voices and upholding the truth of the Gospel in our daily lives. [50:09]
Hebrews 10:24-25: "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."
Reflection: How can you contribute to your spiritual community this week to help others strengthen their discernment and faith?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "When you encourage people, you're destroying the works of the enemy. It could be as simple as that. An encouraging word, an encouraging text to someone. You don't know what they're going through. That was the perfect word, right? What does that do? Changes the mindset that they were in just like that. Boom." [01:00:24]
2. "The world system is also a very loud influence, especially if you're in a big city or... Or you watch a lot of media, right? The message from the world system is success, romance, fame, status, those types of things. These are the things that make you valuable, that make you desirable, that will fulfill you." [24:28]
3. "God always leads me of what to get my wife. And He helps me find amazing deals, too. So, He's... He's a great Papa. Just a great friend." [08:30]
4. "The number one reason why He created you was to have fellowship with you. If that could just make your shoulders and your tents just go down and go, oh, I can do that, right? But in order to do that, we want to have this two-way conversation with the Lord." [04:14]
### Quotes for Members
1. "When the enemy says you're terrible, you're bad, you might as well just give up. Don't be a part of that community. They won't accept you. They won't like you. You're not worthy of love. When he says all those things, you're not the problem." [57:00]
2. "God's voice, when you hear it, has a certain flavor to it. And getting to know this flavor is really key to understanding Him and hearing Him correctly. There's a peace about God. Even when God can confront you with something, it's still filled with peace and with love." [14:43]
3. "We must examine the source and familiarize ourselves with the spirit of God. When, when a counterfeit, um, detectives, when they train them of how to recognize counterfeit money, they don't show them all the counterfeit. They just have them count real bills all day long." [43:55]
4. "The enemy's voice causes you to have to prove yourself, right? If you are the son of God, why did Jesus have to prove himself? You know, you have to kind of, when, when the enemy talks to you like that, or even someone talks to you and it's almost like a trick question, you're almost like already halfway in, in the temptation to prove yourself." [38:02]
5. "It's important to know and to know the different flavors and the different thoughts of these different voices. Right? And the last one is, is the enemy, the enemy of our souls. The enemy is tricky. You know, that we see that from the very first interaction with Adam and Eve, that he deceived them." [27:25]
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