“The Clarity of God’s Voice” (09/04/19 NOTES)
Pastor Stan Roberts
John 10:3-5 NIV
3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.
5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”
Dallas Willard –
“If God doesn’t speak today, then the greatest disservice we could ever do to people is to tell them that they could have a personal relationship with God”
Matthew 1:23 NIVUK (angel speaking)
“‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ which means ‘God with us’.”
REASONS HE SPEAKS:
1. God speaks to facilitate FRIENDSHIP.
Exodus 33:11 NIVUK
“The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend….”
God is looking for a friend conversation!
2. God speaks to give GUIDANCE.
Proverbs 3:6 MSG
6 Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.
3. God speaks to provide PERSPECTIVE.
Not everything you see in the natural is what’s going on!
“The deeper you go with God, the shallower everything else is.” – Keith Craft
NKJV 5:7 II Corinthians
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
We need to put LISTENING in front of SEEING!
We need to DEVELOP our SPIRITUAL LISTENING more than our NATURAL VISION.
ESTER was called into the kingdom for such a time as this!
YOU AND I are called into this KINGDOM TIME for just such a time as this.
1 Kings 19:11-12 NIVUK
11 The LORD said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. (A still small voice)
AREAS TO RECOGNISE:
1. He whispers ENCOURAGEMENT.
Romans 168: NIVUK
16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
Romans 8:16 AMPC
“The Spirit Himself [thus] testifies together with our own spirit, assuring us that we are children of God.”
God sees us as FAMILY.
Isaiah 55:3 MSG
Pay attention, come close now, listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words.
king a lasting covenant commitment with you, the same that I made with David: sure, I’m ma solid, enduring love.
God knows what you did but He still loves you just the same.
God always looks at what and who you can be.
2. He whispers WARNINGS.
Acts 16:6-7 NKJV
6 Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.
7 After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.
Isaiah 30:21 NIV
21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
3. He whispers DIRECTION.
Luke 2:27 NIV
“Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts.
When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,”
Acts 20:22 NIV
““And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.”
4. He whispers dreams.
God puts dreams inside of us we never knew we could dream.
Acts 2:17 NIV
““ ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”
God is going to put something on the INSIDE of us so we can be a SOLUTION not a problem.
Your ROLE…
Be a SOLUTION not a problem or statistic!
Be a LIGHT in all the darkness!
1Samuel 3:9 NIV
“So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.”
THE BEST DECISION YOU WILL EVER MAKE IS TO COMPLETELY SURRENDER TO