Listening to God's Voice Amidst Life's Noise
Devotional
Sermon Summary
Sermon Clips
"You know, before cell phones and before caller ID, you simply picked up the phone and the voice just started talking. And depending on that voice that it was talking to you, sometimes they would identify themselves or sometimes they would just talk assuming you knew who it was because you had talked to them so many times before." [00:00:08] (23 seconds)
"Nowadays, with caller ID, we usually know who's calling, except in my office. Normally, Peggy or Linda, they answer the phone, but sometimes they're busy and doing other things and I'll hear the phone ring a number of times and so I'll pick it up from my desk, which doesn't have the caller ID on it, and the individual will start talking as if they know the pastor knows who this is that's talking to them." [00:00:31] (24 seconds)
"Voices they're all around us all of them usually wanting something from us we hear lots of voices each and every day some of the voices we want to hear like our family and friends our loved ones we love to hear their voice we love to to cherish their voice in fact if you've had a loved one who is who has passed away and you have voicemails left of them or their their voice recordings you might even still listen to them because those voices they mattered so much to you in your life but yet we also have a lot of other voices competing for our attention and for our ears voices that sometimes just deliver the news to us like a newscaster voices that want us to feel a certain way like the talking heads on television or politicians voices that come to us that are that are on movies or television programs or or songs that we listen to or things we see on social media voices that simply want us to listen to them because their job is to be influencers and if they don't have anybody to influence then they can't do their job there is a lot of voices in the world around us and so many of those voices want something from us but today on transfiguration sunday we get to focus on the voice the one voice that only wants something for us that wants nothing really in return except that which we do not want our brokenness our sin our burdens that we confessed even this morning here and that we'll once again breathe see forgiveness at his table later on the voice that the father comes from the cloud and says this is my son the chosen one listen to him what would it have been like to have been there that day along with peter james and john on that mount of transfiguration." [00:02:33] (120 seconds)
"And remember, Luke, he wasn't one of the original 12. He wasn't one of the disciples of Jesus, but tells us he carefully investigated this account and all the accounts of Jesus's life and put it together in the testimony that we have in his gospel. And he begins it in Luke 9, verse 28, by telling us this, about eight days after this conversation." [00:04:00] (25 seconds)
"And now here he is about ready to head up to a mountain, and Luke continues with his narrative. He says, Jesus took along Peter and John and James, and he went up onto the mountain to pray. I mean, this is normal Jesus behavior, going up on the mountain, sometimes by himself, sometimes with a few of the disciples. He picks three to go up with him, kind of the inner circle of Jesus' kind of closest disciples, and they're going to pray as we see him do over and over again in his ministry." [00:05:34] (31 seconds)
"many times out in the country who has had meals with his disciples who has done very human things now gets an image of the glory of Jesus as well fully God and and fully man but not just that this isn't here what Luke also tells us verse 30 suddenly two men were talking with him Moses and Elijah and they appeared in glory and they were speaking of his departure literally that word's exodus Jesus's exodus which he was about to accomplish in Jerusalem Moses and Elijah Moses representing the the law of God the the Torah of God and Elijah as a representative of all of the prophets and it's significant that it's two of them because two people are are needed in order for a testimony to be counted as trustworthy and who could be more trustworthy than these greats of old Moses and Elijah Moses and Elijah who had been on mountains during their ministry with God Moses most famously on Mount Sinai where he received the Ten Commandments from God himself Elijah who was on a mountain with God as well at first represent of the Aurora of the one of the думаю of the the sending him at Mount Carmel against the prophets of Baal whom he summarily defeated but whom coming down that mountain goes into a bit of depression and sadness and thinks he's the only one until God sends him on another journey up another mountain and not in the earthquake or fire or anything like that but in a still small voice God speaks to Elijah these are prophets of old who have heard the voice of God and now they are here because a greater prophet has arisen a prophet that Moses and Elijah foretold would be coming this is the Christ the Messiah God's anointed one in the person and work of Christ Jesus a coming coming to accomplish an even greater work than Moses or an Elijah could ever accomplish and Luke continues and he tells us and Peter in verse 32 and Peter and those who were with him were in a deep sleep and when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who were there standing with him apparently that that these disciples who were with Jesus were in such a state of shock they couldn't believe what they were seeing and you kind of you can kind of understand it I mean Peter James and John that the there's Moses there's Elijah Elijah and there's just Jesus, their rabbi, shining gloriously, this is an overwhelming scene." [00:06:25] (159 seconds)
"it's messy and it's yucky and it's hard let's stay in the glory of this mountaintop experience but the glory of Jesus is not seen here on the mountain the glory of Jesus is going to be seen in the suffering in his death in his crucifixion that's where the glory of God is going to be on full display where the lamb of God will take away the sins of the world the disciples don't yet know that Peter speaking for them says let's just stay here because it's so great here because I'm so filled with God's presence and his word and everything I just want to be here and maybe you've had those experiences sometimes in your life I know every time we go to the holy land I get that experience as well when you go to the places where Jesus walked and talked and you go to the sea of Galilee and you think about all the things that happened on that place and sometimes you just want to stay there but that's not the place that God has called us to be the work is in the valley the valley of the shadow of death yes but that valley of the shadow of death is not the final destination for Jesus nor is it for those who call on his name." [00:10:22] (80 seconds)
"the chosen one listen to him the voice the voice of the father declaring that this is who he says he is this is the very son of god this is the chosen one this is the plan since the foundations of the world this was the way that god would seek to save the world to redeem what was lost to buy it back with the incredible price of his own son's body and blood given for you for the forgiveness of sins therefore listen to him listen to him he's got the words of life and luke tells us that that's exactly what they did they didn't say anything to anyone at that time and it was good probably because they wouldn't have even fully understand what they have seen until they see what they're about to see these next few days in the gospel of luke with the arrest the with the betrayal the arrest and the crucifixion of jesus and three days later the resurrection of jesus that they become the eyewitnesses too you know these words that you that the Father speaks to Jesus. This is my chosen one, my son, listen to them. This response is great." [00:14:14] (89 seconds)
"And it's a reminder that even though Peter, James, and John, they don't have everything all figured out yet, they're going to spend and they're going to stay with Jesus because they have come to see and know who Jesus is. They don't understand it fully yet, not by any means, but they know they've got to stay with Jesus, even in the confusion, even in some of their doubts." [00:15:34] (23 seconds)
"And as we see this scene unfold on the Mount of Transfiguration, the same kind of attitude of Jesus' disciples that says, Lord, we're going to follow you. We don't have it all figured out. We don't have it all straight in our minds yet. But we know we got to be with you if we're going to understand you. Because your voice is a voice that is for us and has something for us." [00:17:42] (26 seconds)
"You know, these eyewitnesses there on the Mount of Transfiguration, it's not until Easter that they really get how it all plays together, and even then they still have some questions and some doubts, as Matthew admits at the end of his gospel. But I love what happens to the disciples in the locked upper room that Luke records for us. That when Jesus comes to them that Easter evening, and he appears to them, and he invites them to touch his body, to feel that he's a real person, he actually has a meal with him and begins to teach them again. But as he appears to them in that locked upper room, the first words out of his mouth are, peace, be still. Peace, be still." [00:22:42] (46 seconds)
"When we hear the voice of our Lord God in the midst of the voices that clamor at us for our attention and for our devotion, hear the voice who calls to you this season to peace and to be still. The Psalms talk about that in beautiful ways. You need a place to be in the Word, be in the book of the Psalms. Psalm 46 says it wonderfully. Psalm 46 verse 10 says it, be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth." [00:23:12] (36 seconds)
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"Nowadays, with caller ID, we usually know who's calling, except in my office. Normally, Peggy or Linda, they answer the phone, but sometimes they're busy and doing other things and I'll hear the phone ring a number of times and so I'll pick it up from my desk, which doesn't have the caller ID on it, and the individual will start talking as if they know the pastor knows who this is that's talking to them." [00:00:31] (24 seconds)
"Voices they're all around us all of them usually wanting something from us we hear lots of voices each and every day some of the voices we want to hear like our family and friends our loved ones we love to hear their voice we love to to cherish their voice in fact if you've had a loved one who is who has passed away and you have voicemails left of them or their their voice recordings you might even still listen to them because those voices they mattered so much to you in your life but yet we also have a lot of other voices competing for our attention and for our ears voices that sometimes just deliver the news to us like a newscaster voices that want us to feel a certain way like the talking heads on television or politicians voices that come to us that are that are on movies or television programs or or songs that we listen to or things we see on social media voices that simply want us to listen to them because their job is to be influencers and if they don't have anybody to influence then they can't do their job there is a lot of voices in the world around us and so many of those voices want something from us but today on transfiguration sunday we get to focus on the voice the one voice that only wants something for us that wants nothing really in return except that which we do not want our brokenness our sin our burdens that we confessed even this morning here and that we'll once again breathe see forgiveness at his table later on the voice that the father comes from the cloud and says this is my son the chosen one listen to him what would it have been like to have been there that day along with peter james and john on that mount of transfiguration." [00:02:33] (120 seconds)
"And remember, Luke, he wasn't one of the original 12. He wasn't one of the disciples of Jesus, but tells us he carefully investigated this account and all the accounts of Jesus's life and put it together in the testimony that we have in his gospel. And he begins it in Luke 9, verse 28, by telling us this, about eight days after this conversation." [00:04:00] (25 seconds)
"And now here he is about ready to head up to a mountain, and Luke continues with his narrative. He says, Jesus took along Peter and John and James, and he went up onto the mountain to pray. I mean, this is normal Jesus behavior, going up on the mountain, sometimes by himself, sometimes with a few of the disciples. He picks three to go up with him, kind of the inner circle of Jesus' kind of closest disciples, and they're going to pray as we see him do over and over again in his ministry." [00:05:34] (31 seconds)
"many times out in the country who has had meals with his disciples who has done very human things now gets an image of the glory of Jesus as well fully God and and fully man but not just that this isn't here what Luke also tells us verse 30 suddenly two men were talking with him Moses and Elijah and they appeared in glory and they were speaking of his departure literally that word's exodus Jesus's exodus which he was about to accomplish in Jerusalem Moses and Elijah Moses representing the the law of God the the Torah of God and Elijah as a representative of all of the prophets and it's significant that it's two of them because two people are are needed in order for a testimony to be counted as trustworthy and who could be more trustworthy than these greats of old Moses and Elijah Moses and Elijah who had been on mountains during their ministry with God Moses most famously on Mount Sinai where he received the Ten Commandments from God himself Elijah who was on a mountain with God as well at first represent of the Aurora of the one of the думаю of the the sending him at Mount Carmel against the prophets of Baal whom he summarily defeated but whom coming down that mountain goes into a bit of depression and sadness and thinks he's the only one until God sends him on another journey up another mountain and not in the earthquake or fire or anything like that but in a still small voice God speaks to Elijah these are prophets of old who have heard the voice of God and now they are here because a greater prophet has arisen a prophet that Moses and Elijah foretold would be coming this is the Christ the Messiah God's anointed one in the person and work of Christ Jesus a coming coming to accomplish an even greater work than Moses or an Elijah could ever accomplish and Luke continues and he tells us and Peter in verse 32 and Peter and those who were with him were in a deep sleep and when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who were there standing with him apparently that that these disciples who were with Jesus were in such a state of shock they couldn't believe what they were seeing and you kind of you can kind of understand it I mean Peter James and John that the there's Moses there's Elijah Elijah and there's just Jesus, their rabbi, shining gloriously, this is an overwhelming scene." [00:06:25] (159 seconds)
"it's messy and it's yucky and it's hard let's stay in the glory of this mountaintop experience but the glory of Jesus is not seen here on the mountain the glory of Jesus is going to be seen in the suffering in his death in his crucifixion that's where the glory of God is going to be on full display where the lamb of God will take away the sins of the world the disciples don't yet know that Peter speaking for them says let's just stay here because it's so great here because I'm so filled with God's presence and his word and everything I just want to be here and maybe you've had those experiences sometimes in your life I know every time we go to the holy land I get that experience as well when you go to the places where Jesus walked and talked and you go to the sea of Galilee and you think about all the things that happened on that place and sometimes you just want to stay there but that's not the place that God has called us to be the work is in the valley the valley of the shadow of death yes but that valley of the shadow of death is not the final destination for Jesus nor is it for those who call on his name." [00:10:22] (80 seconds)
"the chosen one listen to him the voice the voice of the father declaring that this is who he says he is this is the very son of god this is the chosen one this is the plan since the foundations of the world this was the way that god would seek to save the world to redeem what was lost to buy it back with the incredible price of his own son's body and blood given for you for the forgiveness of sins therefore listen to him listen to him he's got the words of life and luke tells us that that's exactly what they did they didn't say anything to anyone at that time and it was good probably because they wouldn't have even fully understand what they have seen until they see what they're about to see these next few days in the gospel of luke with the arrest the with the betrayal the arrest and the crucifixion of jesus and three days later the resurrection of jesus that they become the eyewitnesses too you know these words that you that the Father speaks to Jesus. This is my chosen one, my son, listen to them. This response is great." [00:14:14] (89 seconds)
"And it's a reminder that even though Peter, James, and John, they don't have everything all figured out yet, they're going to spend and they're going to stay with Jesus because they have come to see and know who Jesus is. They don't understand it fully yet, not by any means, but they know they've got to stay with Jesus, even in the confusion, even in some of their doubts." [00:15:34] (23 seconds)
"And as we see this scene unfold on the Mount of Transfiguration, the same kind of attitude of Jesus' disciples that says, Lord, we're going to follow you. We don't have it all figured out. We don't have it all straight in our minds yet. But we know we got to be with you if we're going to understand you. Because your voice is a voice that is for us and has something for us." [00:17:42] (26 seconds)
"You know, these eyewitnesses there on the Mount of Transfiguration, it's not until Easter that they really get how it all plays together, and even then they still have some questions and some doubts, as Matthew admits at the end of his gospel. But I love what happens to the disciples in the locked upper room that Luke records for us. That when Jesus comes to them that Easter evening, and he appears to them, and he invites them to touch his body, to feel that he's a real person, he actually has a meal with him and begins to teach them again. But as he appears to them in that locked upper room, the first words out of his mouth are, peace, be still. Peace, be still." [00:22:42] (46 seconds)
"When we hear the voice of our Lord God in the midst of the voices that clamor at us for our attention and for our devotion, hear the voice who calls to you this season to peace and to be still. The Psalms talk about that in beautiful ways. You need a place to be in the Word, be in the book of the Psalms. Psalm 46 says it wonderfully. Psalm 46 verse 10 says it, be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth." [00:23:12] (36 seconds)
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