Message: “Hearing God’s Voice” from Joe Summers
Joe Summers - April 10, 2022
Hearing God's Voice
Hearing God’s Voice Part 1 Decisions Decisions Decisions General Lesson Objective: This series of lessons explains how God speaks to men today and how to find His general and specific plans for our lives. A Christian model for decision making is presented, along with guidelines for overcoming wrong decisions, steps to take if you have missed the will of God, and methods for dealing with questionable practices Specific Objectives: Understand how God can reveal His will for each of us Understand one of the Christian models for making a decision Determine the will of God in matters not specifically dealt with in the Scriptures. Identify a personal decision that you are struggling with and a possible solution. I want to hear God's voice and know His will about__________ Scripture: John 10: 14-16 I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. John 10: 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. ( life is made of decisions) Scientific Study of making decisions The average adult makes 35000 decisions daily 2000 decisions per hour 1 decision every 2 seconds The more decisions that we make daily lead to bad decisions Real-life examples Steve Jobs wore the same outfit daily ( black turtleneck and blue jeans) Bad decisions are oftentimes made late in the evening Ways to reduce decision making clutter Automate certain decisions such as what to eat for breakfast What time to pray What time to read the bible and use the study guide Hearing and Knowing God’s Voice We must agree on four basic principles when discussing hearing and Knowing God’s voice First: That there is a God. 1 Corinthians 8:6 - But to us [there is but] one God, the Father, of whom [are] all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom [are] all things, and we by him ii. Second: That he communicates with man. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. iii. Third: That man can recognize His voice when He speaks John 10:27. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. iv. Fourth: That God has something to say Psalms 119: 105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path Which voice do you hear? Voice of Man (most obvious) Sometimes what is being said is correct and wise (Acts 5:29)Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. Matthew 16: 23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” Voice of Satan (Sometimes audible or in our minds) Genesis 3: 1, 4,5 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” 4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Acts 8: 5-7 Then Philip went down to [a]the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. 6 And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. Voice of Self Seeking the answer within ourself Luke 16:3 Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. (Jeremiah 10:23 Voice of God (John 10: 3-5) God wants to communicate with us To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep byname and leads them out.4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” Man separates himself from God because of sin. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day; and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? (Genesis 3:8-9) Which type of listener are you? Matthew 7: 24-26 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock… And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand. SUMMARY This is the end of part 1. We must understand that it is not just wanting to hear God’s word but also yearning to do God’s will. Next week we will discuss how to prepare ourselves to hear the Word of God.
