KNOWING THE VOICE OF GOD
The
10th chapter of John talks about Jesus being the Good Shepherd. We
read at least three times, in that chapter alone - that we are HIS SHEEP, we
know Him, and we follow Him.
John 10: 4 “… MY SHEEP KNOW MY VOICE, AND NO
OTHER VOICE WILL THEY FOLLOW.”
We
first need to come into agreement with what God says. Either His Word is TRUTH.. or it’s not! If GOD says it – it’s
settled! AMEN? Amen! God said that we hear His voice, we know His voice, and we
follow His voice! So.. let’s start by
agreeing with GOD, okay?
NIV explains this
verse by saying that the Shepherd comes into the barnyard looking for his sheep.
(It implies that there are more than one heard of sheep in this corral).
When the gate is open – the sheep do nothing… until they hear their Shepherds
voice. Then they follow Him. No matter how many other shepherds come by to pick
up their sheep…. ONLY the sheep that belong to Him will follow. In fact, it says they RUN from
strangers.
If
the enemy can sell us the LIE that says: “I can’t hear from God’ or… “He just
doesn’t talk to me…” we’ll give up, and not even try to Hear Him for our self.
Thank Him daily, every time you even THINK about needing His direction…
say: “THANK YOU FATHER, THAT I AM SIMPLY A SHEEP. I KNOW YOU, MY SHEPHERD, AND
YOU KNOW ME. I KNOW YOUR VOICE, AND I WILL FOLLOW YOU ALONE!”
Amen? J AMEN!
We
must realize how very important words are, in every area of our life!
Mt:12:37: For by thy words thou shalt be justified,
and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Jn:3:34: For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words
of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.
Proverbs has a LOT to say about the importance of what we speak
(another topic all together). We often set our self up for failure… by the
words coming out of our mouth! Have you ever said: “God just isn’t talking to
me!” :o( Let’s stop sabotaging our selves with words!
10:20…
“the tongue of the just is as choice silver…”
10:31…
“brings forth wisdom…”
12:18…
“the tongue of the wise is health!”
15:2
…”a tree of life…”
18:21…
“Death and LIFE is in the power of the tongue!”
21:23…
“keeps himself from troubles” ….. or NOT!
12:13
+ 21:23 “… brings out of trouble.”
31:26
… “the law of kindness.”
10:13… “is found wisdom…”
10:32…
“feed many..”
12:22 + 16:13
“… are His delight.”
13:3 … “keeps his life…”
16:23…
“increases learning…”
20:15…
“a precious jewel.”
8:7 …”shall speak truth..”
10:11…
“a well of life..”
10:21
… “feed many…”
11:9
,12:6 … “deliverence.”
11:11…
“cities are exalted…”
12:14
+ 18:20 “…shall be satisfied..”
13:2…”eat
the good fruit of his mouth..”
15:1…”stops
anger…”
15:23…”joy!
…”
GET
IT? We need to SAY what it is we want in our life!
Just like planting seed in the garden we desire. Life and DEATH are in the power of our words!
…Okay, moving right along…
I.
MADE IN GOD’S IMAGE:
A. We
know that we were created in God’s Image.
B. We
know that God is made up of THREE PARTS:
Ø
Father
Ø
Son
Ø
Holy Spirit
1John:5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the
Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
C.
We are also made up of THREE PARTS.
1.
BODY (bones, blood and tissue)
Rom:12:1:
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service.
2. SOUL (mind, will, emotions): The OLD man.
“Die
daily” - referring to the soul part of
us, or to the FLESH, our own will, our own desires.
“RENEW THE MIND DAILY” – “mind” is
the soul.
3. SPIRIT (God-awareness; our conscience; our
knower, or that still small voice; the GOD-PART of man).
When
Paul said that he wrestled daily… doing the things he didn’t WANT to do… and
not the things he knew he should do!
THUS… he was wrestling with his flesh… his SOUL!
2Cor:3:3: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to
be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the
Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the
heart.
2Cor:6:16: And what agreement hath the temple of God
with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will
dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my
people.
In
Genesis, when God told Adam and Eve that if they ate of the tree… they would
DIE… obviously He was not talking about their BODY!
Before
they disobeyed God, they WALKED with HIM daily. How SAD that after that, they were not even allowed in the
garden.
Obeying
God is so very important to us all!
When
God said they would “surley Die” …He was speaking of the GOD-PART of them,
their spirit. The part of them that
clearly knew their Creator… and spoke with Him daily, face to face.
THIS
is still the plan of God for mankind, and when Jesus returns, we will once
again have this face-2-face relationship with Him. PTL!
THEIR
SPIRIT-MAN DIED. They were then led by their flesh, their soul: THUS ENTERS all
manners of EVIL upon the earth.
WHEN
WE ARE BORN AGAIN:
WHEN
WE ARE BORN AGAIN
IT
IS OUR SPIRIT THAT IS MADE NEW.
A) The
BODY will die!
B) The
SOUL must be renewed daily.
C) The
SPIRIT returns to God and lives eternally.
When
we are BORN AGAIN the HOLY SPIRIT moves into our spirit.
Eph:1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard
the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye
believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.
HEARING
and KNOWING GOD’S VOICE:
It
is INSIDE of our spirit, in our KNOWER, that we hear the direction of the Good
Shepherd.
Often
people think they do NOT hear from God, because they don’t hear an audible
VOICE… this is usually caused by a miscommunication, or a poor choice of words,
on the teacher’s part. Been guilty of
that myself!
■
THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD:
I
would guess that more than 95% of the people that I know, including several
pastors, and the miniters I hear on TBN, say that God speaks to them, ONLY in
His written
Word.
If
that’s the case, and we do not READ HIS WORD… we really can’t complain that we
have had no direction… Amen? LOL!
If
we SAY that we really, desperately want to know what God’s will is for our
life.. and we never read His Word, or spend time hanging out with Him… does
that make us a living oxyMORON? hehehe! SOUNDS RIGHT TO ME!
Mt:24:35: Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my
words shall not pass away.
Mk:4:14: The sower soweth the word.
Prov:4:5: Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it
not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
Jn:6:63: It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh
profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they
are life.
■ SPEAKING THROUGH HIS WORD:
` a.
The Word is “LIVING” The Word is “JESUS.” (John 1:1)
Jn:1:1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God.
Jn:6:51:
I am the living bread which
came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever:
and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of
the world.
Jn:1:14: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among
us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,)
full of grace and truth.
1Jn:1:1: That which was from the beginning, which we
have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and
our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
2Tm:3:16: All scripture is given by inspiration of
God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness:
>The
WORD gives LIFE! Lk:24:5: And as they
were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why
seek ye the living among the dead?
> It comes to TEACH,
CORRECT, REPROOVE and to REBUKE.
Jn:6:57: As the living Father hath sent me,
and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
Jn:8:31: Then said Jesus… If ye continue in my word,
then are ye my disciples indeed;
43: Why do ye not understand my speech? even because
ye cannot hear my word.
Jn:14:10: Believest thou not that I am in the Father,
and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself:
but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
Jn:15:7: If ye abide in me, and my words abide in
you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Jn:17:17: Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word
is truth.
HEARING
FROM GOD – THROUGH OTHERS:
CAUTION:
THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF VOICES OUT HERE: Probably sencere, but anyone can miss
it – or mess it up!
Ps. 2:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the
counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the
seat of the scornful.
2: But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in
his law doth he meditate day and night.
3: And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers
of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not
wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4: The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff
which the wind driveth away.
5: Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the
judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6: For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but
the way of the ungodly shall perish.here are ALL KINDS of VOICES out here…
A. FIRST:
any word given MUST
agree with God’s Word.
B. It
SHOULD be confirmation about what is already in your heart
C. The
Bible says we should know the person’s life, and see FRUIT in it.
D. Be
careful! Seeking “a word” can set you up for confusion!
A
confirmation from other people is
wonderful – but if you are a believer, and seeking the things of God – you
should know in your spirit first! God is a BIG GOD, and He knows just how to
speak to each of us.
V.
WAITING FOR A VOICE:
WAITING
TO HEAR A VOICE SPEAK TO YOU IS NOT ALWAYS A GOOD WAY TO GO!
God
does talk to His kids. Some hear Him clearly, in a still quiet voice; others
hear an audible voice. When we HEAR God
speak, it will NOT be a voice talking to our ears, because He doesn’t live out
there! He lives inside our spirit, right? So – when He speaks, it is on the
inside. The voice comes from our
spirit, and then to our mind.
When
we hear a voice speak to our ears, it
could be an angel, the Bible speaks of
‘messengers’ sent from God. However,
there are many voices out there to speak to our ears, and not all are from
God.
VI.
PRAYING FOR A SIGN:
ASKING
GOD TO SEND A SIGN (putting out a fleece) IS A REALLY GOOD WAY TO GET
FLEECED!
If
we “put out a fleece” hoping to hear God’s direction… if we have spoken that,
then we’ve opened the door for the enemy to mis-guide us with that fleece.
Paul
said: Even
if an ANGEL comes, and tells you something that I haven’t already told you… don’t believe it!
So
far, we’ve looked at a lot of things to be caucious of… but really, God does
talk to His kids!
When we devour God’s Word… if HIS WORD is the first
thing that comes to mind – when someone seeks your wisdom… then you can COUNT
ON His Word to direct you, as well!
“sEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND HIS
RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE ADDED TO YOU.”
THINGS
HE ALREADY TOLD US:
I
have found that God rarely repeats Himself.
When He’s answered our questions in the Word we’ve read… we can rest
assured, He will NOT change His mind!
If He gave us a ‘vision’ years ago, and hasn’t talked about it since… He
has not changed His mind.
YOU ARE LIGHT: your job is to dispell darkness, not to
become darkness!
Don’t
fellowship with darkness; don’t be linked to darkness. (IN
BUSINESS, IN MARRIAGE, even in FELLOWSHIP
4. Don’t
be unequally yoked together!
5. He’ll
GIVE YOU THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEART.
6. HE
CREATED Man and woman to be ONE. This is GOOD He said.
7. He
said that HE WILL DIRECT YOUR STEPS.
8. MAN
MAKES A LOT OF PLANS, BUT IT IS GOD’S PURPOSE that
9. REVAILS!
10. YOUR
TIMES ARE IN HIS HANDS.
11. HE
BROUGHT YOU FORTH, HE CARRIES YOU ALONG EVERY DAY!
12. HIS
PLANS AND PURPOSE NEVER CHANGES!
13. HE
KNOWS WHERE HE IS TAKING YOU, AND HOW TO GET YOU THERE ON TIME!!
14. It
is GOD who promotes!
15. YOU
Can do ANYTHING you need to do!
16. The
Holy Spirit is your help, and your counselor – in all things.
17. ALL
THINGS are possible to those who believe.
IV. HEARING FROM GOD - IN YOUR SPIRIT…
FIRST
KNOW HOW TO SEPARATE THE SPIRIT FROM THE SOUL.
Heb:4:12: For the word of God is quick, and powerful,
and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of
soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart.
1Tm:6:17: Charge them that are rich in this world,
that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living
God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
A.
RECOGNIZE YOUR EMOTIONS (your soul), and get
them UNDER CONTROL. Emotions are in your
soul, but will rule if you allow it! Know the difference.
1. Fear
2. Jealousy
3. Envy
4. Loneliness
/ feeling needy
IF
YOU CHOOSE A MATE BECAUSE YOU ARE FEELING LONELY – YOU MAY NOT GET THE RIGHT
ONE! JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE HANDY, WHEN YOU WANT SOMEONE… DOESN’T MEAN THAT’S
THE RIGHT ONE!
If you allow your emotions, your soul, to direct your
life… you may miss it!
God
did give man a mind to reason with, and He expects us to use it! There are many
things we can look at ourself… before we even bother God with it, although I do
believe that He will talk to us about every issue that we get Him involved in.
B.
THINGS TO CONSIDER:
1. Does
everything line up to the WORD?
2. Are
you equal spiritually?
3. Do
you both have a LOVE for the Lord?
4. Is
Jesus first in YOUR life? And in THEIR LIFE?
5. Do
you agree on the essentials?
(raising
children; tithing; worship; church attendance; ministry?)
a) Will
you attend a church that will feed you both?
b) How
do we live to please God?
c) Is
their hope, their DREAM for the future, their God-given VISION – going in the
same direction as yours?
d) Are
you called to be a missionary in Africa? Are they?
C.
COMMON SENSE:
1. Are
you called to live in Australia? Is she deathly afraid of snakes?
2. Is
your heart’s desire to live in the desert? Is she or he have an alergy to dust?
3. Are
you a gentle soul who cherishes a quiet and peace-ruled life? Are they? Or are they a real “go-get-em”
never stop a moment kinda person?
4. Do
you want children? Does he?
5. How
do your personalities work together?
6. DO
YOU BOTH WANT THE SAME THING OUT OF LIFE?
7. DO
YOU BOTH ENJOY THE SAME KIND OF WEEKEND ACTIVITIES?
8. DO
YOU LAUGH AT THE SAME THINGS?
IV.
WE MAKE IT TOO HARD!
I
TRULY BELIEVE THAT WE MAKE IT TOO HARD! IF WE SIMPLY SEEK GOD, AND L.IVE
ACCORDING TO HIS WORD DAILY… FOLLOW HIS DAILY DIRECTIONS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT
– WE WILL SIMPLY MEET THAT ONE SPECIAL PERSON THAT GOD HAS SET ASIDE FOR US!
If
we believe that we are born with purpose (another subject, but diffecult to
separate it from this one!!) … and that God’s plan is already completed…
then we also have to believe that He has ALL THE DETAILS worked out!!
He
knows exactly WHERE He’s taking you, and just when to get you there – and on
time!
Hab
2:2-3 says IT IS GONNA HAPPEN! YOU CAN COUNT ON IT!
RELAX!
REST! TRUST God! Simply get to know
HIM, and be about HIS STUFF~! He’ll
handle the rest. AMEN? Amen!
Rom:8:35: Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Phil:2:16: Holding forth the word of life; that I may
rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in
vain.
Col:3:16-17-18 Let the word of Christ dwell in you
richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Bow down
thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my
knowledge. For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall
withal be fitted in thy lips.
Prov:1:23: Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will
pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
Prov:4:4: He taught me also, and said unto me, Let
thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
Prov:4:5: Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it
not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
Prov:7:1: My son, keep my words, and lay up my
commandments with thee.
Prov:23:12: Apply thine heart unto instruction, and
thine ears to the words of knowledge.
Prov:19:27: Cease, my son, to hear the instruction
that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.
Prov:10:24: The fear of the wicked, it shall come
upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.
Prov:12:5: The thoughts of the
righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.
PS… 1:1-3 don’t sit in the seat of ungodly counsel!
PS 1:1-3 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the
counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the
seat of the scornful.
2: But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in
his law doth he meditate day and night.
3: And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers
of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not
wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
This
is one of my favorite topics to teach. However… This is the first time I’ve
tried to put it into the written word.
Even as long as this is, I feel like I haven’t covered it efficiently.
I
know that God speaks to His kids, and that He delights in doing GOOD for
them! I believe that when we seek Him,
with all our heart – we will find Him. If He is a part of our daily life… we
can’t miss His plan. He created us to
be His family, and He looks after us, better than the most loving father we
know.
God
bless you, and fine-tune our spiritual ears to hear Him clearly.
JJ
Daniel
