Hearing God's Voice: Embracing Transformative Faith

 

Summary

The essence of today's message revolves around the transformative power of God's word and the importance of being attuned to His voice. We explored the profound impact that the word of the Lord had on biblical figures like Abraham and Gideon, emphasizing that when God speaks, it can change lives forever. The sermon highlighted the dynamic nature of a Christian's life, which should be vibrant and ever-evolving, rather than static. This dynamism is fueled by the Holy Spirit, who continues to speak to us, guiding us into all truth and aligning us with God's will.

We delved into the process of how God communicates with us: the Father speaks, the Son repeats, and the Holy Spirit delivers the message to the church. The challenge for us is to hear and respond to what God is saying. This requires a sensitivity to the Spirit and a willingness to act on what we hear. The analogy of the game of telephone was used to illustrate how messages can be distorted if not carefully listened to and repeated accurately. Similarly, we must ensure that we are accurately hearing and conveying God's word.

The sermon also addressed the tension between being open to hearing God's voice and avoiding the pitfalls of becoming overly mystical or misguided. It is crucial to test what we believe God is saying against Scripture and to allow it to resonate within us before acting. The importance of proximity to God was emphasized, as being close to Him enables us to discern His voice more clearly.

In conclusion, the message encouraged us to be open to the Holy Spirit's guidance, to abide in God's word, and to be familiar with His voice. By doing so, we can become effective instruments of His will, speaking His truth to the world and living out our faith dynamically.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Transformative Power of God's Word: The word of the Lord has the power to change lives, as seen in the stories of Abraham and Gideon. When God speaks, it creates reality and aligns us with His divine purpose. We must be open to receiving His word and allowing it to transform us from within. [05:55]

2. Hearing and Responding to God's Voice: The process of hearing God's voice involves the Father speaking, the Son repeating, and the Holy Spirit delivering the message. Our role is to be attentive and responsive, ensuring that we accurately hear and convey God's word to the world. [07:41]

3. Testing and Resonating with God's Message: It is essential to test what we believe God is saying against Scripture and allow it to resonate within us. This ensures that we are not led astray by our own desires or misconceptions but are truly aligned with God's will. [17:09]

4. Proximity to God Enhances Clarity: Being close to God enables us to discern His voice more clearly. By abiding in His word and maintaining a close relationship with Him, we can better understand His guidance and direction for our lives. [34:53]

5. Dynamic Faith Through the Holy Spirit: A Christian's life should be dynamic, fueled by the Holy Spirit's ongoing communication and guidance. By being open to the Spirit's leading, we can live out our faith in a vibrant and impactful way, speaking God's truth to the world. [24:46]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:48] - Upcoming Events and Announcements
- [05:55] - The Power of God's Word
- [07:41] - Hearing God's Voice
- [10:08] - The Game of Telephone
- [11:22] - The Tension of Hearing God
- [12:12] - Opening Our Hearts to God's Word
- [13:44] - Dynamic Christian Life
- [15:14] - Personal Story: Hearing God's Voice
- [17:09] - Testing God's Message
- [19:10] - The Role of the Holy Spirit
- [22:28] - Spiritual Hearing Problems
- [24:46] - Living by God's Word
- [31:09] - Jonah's Story and Obedience
- [34:53] - Proximity to God
- [36:25] - Familiarity with God's Voice
- [38:56] - Personal Testimonies
- [49:12] - Closing Prayer and Invitation

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. John 12:49 - "For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken."
2. John 16:12-13 - "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come."
3. Revelation 2:29 - "Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

#### Observation Questions
1. How does Jesus describe His relationship with the Father in terms of communication in John 12:49? What does this imply about His authority? [05:55]
2. According to John 16:12-13, what role does the Holy Spirit play in guiding believers? How does this relate to the concept of truth? [07:41]
3. In Revelation 2:29, what is the significance of the phrase "Whoever has ears, let them hear"? How does this relate to the church's responsibility? [07:41]
4. What analogy was used in the sermon to describe the process of hearing and conveying God's message, and what was its purpose? [10:08]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. What does the process of the Father speaking, the Son repeating, and the Holy Spirit delivering the message suggest about the nature of divine communication? [07:41]
2. How can the analogy of the game of telephone help us understand the potential challenges in accurately hearing and conveying God's word? [10:08]
3. What are the potential dangers of becoming overly mystical or misguided when trying to hear God's voice, as mentioned in the sermon? [11:22]
4. How does the sermon suggest we test and resonate with what we believe God is saying to us? [17:09]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt God was speaking to you. How did you discern whether it was truly His voice, and what steps did you take to confirm it? [17:09]
2. The sermon emphasized the importance of proximity to God for clarity. What practical steps can you take this week to draw closer to God and better discern His voice? [34:53]
3. Consider the analogy of the game of telephone. How can you ensure that you are accurately hearing and conveying God's message in your daily interactions? [10:08]
4. The sermon mentioned the dynamic nature of a Christian's life. In what ways can you invite the Holy Spirit to make your faith more vibrant and impactful this week? [24:46]
5. How do you balance being open to hearing God's voice with the need to test it against Scripture? Share a specific example of how you have done this in the past. [17:09]
6. Think about a recent decision you made. How did you involve God in that decision-making process, and what role did prayer and Scripture play? [31:09]
7. Identify one area of your life where you feel God is calling you to act. What steps can you take this week to respond to that call? [34:53]

Devotional

Day 1: The Word That Shapes Reality
The transformative power of God's word is evident in the lives of biblical figures like Abraham and Gideon. When God speaks, His word creates reality and aligns us with His divine purpose. This transformative power is not just historical but is available to us today. By being open to receiving His word, we allow it to transform us from within, shaping our lives according to His will. The challenge is to remain receptive and allow God's word to penetrate our hearts, leading to profound change. [05:55]

Genesis 12:1-3 (ESV): "Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.'"

Reflection: What specific area of your life do you need to open up to God's transformative word today? How can you invite Him to shape this area according to His purpose?


Day 2: Attentive to the Divine Whisper
Hearing and responding to God's voice is a process that involves the Father speaking, the Son repeating, and the Holy Spirit delivering the message. Our role is to be attentive and responsive, ensuring that we accurately hear and convey God's word to the world. This requires a sensitivity to the Spirit and a willingness to act on what we hear. Just as in the game of telephone, we must listen carefully to avoid distortion and ensure that God's message is faithfully transmitted. [07:41]

1 Samuel 3:9-10 (ESV): "Therefore Eli said to Samuel, 'Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, "Speak, Lord, for your servant hears."' So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, 'Samuel! Samuel!' And Samuel said, 'Speak, for your servant hears.'"

Reflection: How can you create space in your daily routine to listen attentively to God's voice? What practical steps can you take to ensure you are accurately hearing and conveying His message?


Day 3: Testing the Echoes of Heaven
It is essential to test what we believe God is saying against Scripture and allow it to resonate within us. This ensures that we are not led astray by our own desires or misconceptions but are truly aligned with God's will. By grounding our understanding in Scripture, we safeguard against being misled and ensure that our actions are in harmony with God's truth. This process of testing and resonating is crucial for spiritual discernment and growth. [17:09]

1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 (ESV): "Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good."

Reflection: What recent message or impression do you feel God has given you? How can you test this against Scripture to ensure it aligns with His truth?


Day 4: Nearness That Clarifies
Being close to God enables us to discern His voice more clearly. By abiding in His word and maintaining a close relationship with Him, we can better understand His guidance and direction for our lives. Proximity to God enhances our spiritual clarity, allowing us to navigate life's challenges with confidence and assurance. This closeness is cultivated through prayer, meditation on Scripture, and a heart that seeks after God. [34:53]

James 4:8 (ESV): "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

Reflection: What steps can you take today to draw nearer to God and enhance your ability to discern His voice? How can you cultivate a deeper relationship with Him?


Day 5: A Faith That Breathes
A Christian's life should be dynamic, fueled by the Holy Spirit's ongoing communication and guidance. By being open to the Spirit's leading, we can live out our faith in a vibrant and impactful way, speaking God's truth to the world. This dynamic faith is characterized by a willingness to be led by the Spirit, allowing Him to guide our actions and decisions. It is a faith that breathes, constantly evolving and growing as we walk in step with the Spirit. [24:46]

Galatians 5:25 (ESV): "If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit."

Reflection: In what ways can you allow the Holy Spirit to lead you more fully in your daily life? How can you ensure that your faith remains dynamic and responsive to His guidance?

Quotes

"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. And just thinking about like Hebrews, where it says the world's refrained by the word of God. Everything that we see came from the word of God. Everything that is, that is that we can see, and is that is reality in our lives, came through the word of God." [00:05:02]

"The Father speaks, and the Son repeats, and the Holy Spirit delivers that message. And he asks the question, is the church going to hear what heaven is saying, what the Father is saying to the Son by the Holy Spirit? Are we going to hear what God wants us to hear?" [00:08:24]

"The Spirit and the church are saying the same thing. The Spirit is speaking. The church is hearing. And now the Spirit and the Bride, the church, are speaking the same thing from the Father to the Son, to the Spirit, to the church. And now the church, through the Spirit, is speaking to the world." [00:08:57]

"I believe the life of a Christian is not static. It should be dynamic. I believe the life of a believer should be dynamic. There is a group of Christians, and this is not nice, but I call them the nosebleed Christians whose nose in theology is so high that they believe that God does not speak to anybody anymore, that there is no more speaking." [00:12:48]

"Never will God speak to you something that changes the word of God. Ever, ever, ever, ever. Well, God speak, you know, I really feel like God wants me to just be happy. And so the whole like sex ethic thing, like, I just think like there's wiggle room because I really feel like God's smiling on these like relationships I'm in with all of these different people and sleeping around that, that, that, that, that, you know, again, you, you can fool yourself and all that, but you cannot fool God." [00:17:26]

"If we lose our ability to hear what God is saying, we lose our ability to speak God's word, to speak with conviction, because it's all out of repeat. It's all out of yesterday's experience. There's no life on it. But when it's living, when you read the word of God and the Spirit's on it and you're reading and all of a sudden the Holy Spirit is high, all of a sudden now it's living in you." [00:22:35]

"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Let me just rifle through a bunch of scriptures. We're gonna put these up on the wall, on the screen here. And Acts chapter eight and 29, says this, and the Spirit said to Philip, God, I'm not gonna let you go." [00:24:51]

"Why were they so dynamic and not static? Why was there such an outpouring and a breakthrough? How could they move through cities and places and spaces, and men like Cornelius be changed and transformed? Because the working of the Spirit and the sensitivity of the church to hear the Holy Spirit. Here, what the Father was saying, doing through the son animated and spoken to the holy spirit to the church this is what we want for you." [00:26:56]

"Because when God speaks, there's a gravitational pull that's moving you toward your destiny. And then what's interesting about this whole thing, Jonah chapter one, Jonah chapter two, God never spoke again until he repented. He gets barfed out of the fish. Gross. And then God speaks again. You know what God says? Go to Nineveh." [00:34:55]

"We haven't obeyed the last thing that God has put in our heart. And I'm telling you, you want to open up the ear? You want to open up your spiritual ears? Start doing what God's putting on your heart. Start following him and you will see things begin to open. You'll start to sense the presence, the conviction, the drawing, the calling, the voice of the Spirit. We'll start speaking and there'll be a clarity." [00:35:23]

"And let me tell you, if you get, you got to get close and stay close to the things. If you want to be a hearer of what the Spirit is speaking into your life and through your life, you got to get in the word. You got to abide in him. The Bible says if you abide, you're going to bear fruit. You're going to bear fruit. You're going to bear fruit. You're going to bear fruit. You're going to bear fruit. Abide in him. Abide in him." [00:35:42]

"And I want to tell you, if you want to get familiar with the voice of the Lord, you got to get familiar with his word. If you're not familiar with the word of God, you're there. Man, there's a lot of voices. There's a lot of things being said. Amen. I love what Leonard Ravenhill said. He said, to be much for God, one must be much with God. We got to be much with God." [00:36:39]

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Transcript
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