How to Hear the Voice of God Exodus 3:
- There are some people who say that God no longer speaks to his people.
- They claim, erroneously, that God no longer speaks to people. They say that he spoke to people in the Bible, but those were special circumstances, and now that the Bible is finished, he doesn’t do that anymore. I don’t agree and I don’t think that’s hermeneutically honest.
- Interesting claim. No where in the Bible can you clearly articulate this position. Nothing says specifically and clearly that God only speaks through the Bible and no other way. It’s the wrong position. No where does the Bible say that.
- Deuteronomy 31:8 And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”
- John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—
- John 14:18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
- 2 Tim 3:16 says the word of God is alive and active! It’s not dead!
- Most pastors in America (not all) are prophetic- They have to hear from God what to preach, how to understand, how to lead, what to do? Do you want to have a pastor who doesn’t hear from God? Who is leading him? Himself?
- There are Ways God Speaks to us-
Through Circumstances Joseph being sold into slavery, Jonah went in the whale, Israel in the Desert, Gideons fleece, Star of Bethlehem, Philip and the Eunuch, Pauls Shipwreck etc.
Through Wise Counsel- Proverbs 15:22 Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors they are established. Also- Pr 11:14, 12:15, 19:20
Through Peace- Col 3:15 if you don’t have the peace of God- he’s speaking to you to turn a different direction
Through Dreams and Visions– Acts 2:17, Joel 2:28
Through our thoughts Amos 4:13 He who forms mountains, And creates the [a]wind, Who declares to man what [b]his thought is,, Matt 1:18-21 Joseph
Through Nature- Romans 1:18-20
Through the Bible 2 tim 3:16
Through Us- 2 cor 5:20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: (how many times has God spoken to you in your heart/mind in church)
Through Angels- He 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
Through Supernatural Manifestations- Burning Bush, Fleece, Saul on Road to Damascus, Balaam Donkey
How to hear the Voice of the Lord
1. Do what’s in front of you- Tending the Flock
-
- Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
- We don’t know a whole back story of how Moses ended up in the desert with this flock. We know that his father law was the priest of Midian. That he married his daughter.
- Ex 2:21 Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses.
- We do know this- He was content. He was tending the Flock. Just out here.
- Many times, before God uses someone in a powerful way, he takes them either through a desert, a boredom, a work, a season of normalness. Noah, Abraham, David, Jesus.
- Jesus was the savior and we don’t know much about the early years of his life.
- Here’s what we see- He didn’t know what he was doing, what God was doing. Where he was going, what he was going to lead. He just did what was in front of him.
- De 28:1 “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.
- People want to be set high above all nations, they just don’t want to be diligent and obey
- High School- ‘put me in coach’ we just followed him around to get in- Do your job in practice, and when its time to win- the coach will grab the hardest workers.
- What does it mean to you-
- Are you looking too far into your blessing? Ex 2:23 “it happened in the process of time”
- Sometimes it just takes time for things to happen. Some of ya’ll might be in that season right now. The waiting season- and I’m here to tell you- That’s OK. There’s no rush!
- Moses more than likely was shepherding for about 40 years after the 40 years he spent in Egypt. God didn’t even make him the deliverer of Egypt until he was 80! 80!
- Quit worrying and focusing so much on the next step- be faithful in THIS step
- I’m not saying you can’t plan. Have plan. But don’t rush the plan. Just be faithful.
- John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
- He’s gonna come! He’ll show up right on time- There’s a blessing in waiting!
- Luke 2:8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
- My life- Rarely enjoying where I’m at because I’m always focused on the next.
- While you’re waiting- Meditate on the word- Josh 1:8 READ You will have success!
- Proverbs 14:23 says- In all labor there is profit,
- Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
2. Pay attention- took 40 years
-
- Moses is just plugging along and out of no where, the Angel of the Lord appears
- 2 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.
- Now lets pause here for a bit- God reveals himself many ways in the Bible to man
- The Burning Bush (Exodus 3:2-4):The Pillar of Cloud and Fire (Exodus 13:21-22): The Voice from Heaven (Matthew 3:17): The Transfiguration and voice of God (Matthew 17:1-8): Dreams and Visions (Genesis 20:3, Genesis 28:12, Acts 9:10-12): God communicated with individuals through dreams and visions, such as Jacob’s ladder dream and Saul’s conversion experience on the road to Damascus. Theophanies (Genesis 18:1-33, Genesis 32:24-30): God appeared to Abraham as three visitors and wrestled with Jacob, leaving him with a blessing and a new name (Israel). The Handwriting on the Wall (Daniel 5:5-31): A mysterious hand appeared and wrote on the wall during a feast, delivering a message to King Belshazzar. The Still, Small Voice (1 Kings 19:11-13): God spoke to the prophet Elijah in a gentle whisper after a powerful wind, earthquake, and fire. The Angelic Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38): The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce that she would conceive and give birth to Jesus. The Whirlwind (Job 38:1): God answered Job out of a whirlwind The Shekinah Glory (Exodus 40:34-38): The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle The Angelic Host (Luke 2:8-14): Angels appeared to shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus,
- But who is this Angel of the Lord? Simply- It’s the preincarnate Jesus
- Walt Kaiser notes the following in his book on Hard Sayings of the Bible:
-
- “This “Angel of the LORD” qualities that only God possesses. He has the power to give life (Gen 16:10) and to see and know all (Gen 16:13; Ex3:7). Only God can forgive sin, yet this angel did the same in Exodus 23:21. The angel performed miracles such as keeping a burning bush from being consumed (Ex 3:2), smiting Egypt with plagues (Ex 3:20), calling forth fire on the rock to consume the meal set for him (Judg 6:21) and ascending the flame of the altar (Judg 13:20).Finally, this angel commanded and received worship from Moses (Ex 3:5) and Joshua (Josh 5:14). Angels were not to receive worship. When John attempted to worship an angel in Revelation 19:10; 22:8-9, he was corrected quickly and told not to do it.
- It was Jesus! Already in the mix- Jesus shows up to Moses to tell him what to do
- The visitation of God manifests in different ways
- Now- Don’t be weird. Someone once told me that God was speaking to them through the beeps on the heart monitor on the side of their loved ones bed.
- I’m not going to say what he will and wont do, but don’t be weird and self- serving.
- If you see a burning bush come get me- but don’t tell me you saw Jesus in your toast.
- Pressed but not crushed- You feel his presence in the pressure- Burning but not consumed
- Just wait. God will speak to you. Somehow. Someway.
- Romans 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
- Now some people would argue- These dudes were doing big bible stuff-
- But He is the one who was, is and is to come. He is the one who doesn’t change.
- Here’s what you do- Ask your pastor- Do you think this is God? And trust me. Ask 5 people who aren’t as weird as you. And most of the time this is for YOU not for someone else. Quit thinking you’ve got words for everyone else and you can’t hear from God for yourself.
- Bible says we test the spirits. Says submit to authority. Says word first.
- But we need to hear from God! Specific words from our Savior! We need revelation for NOW
- And yes- he does that through his word, but I need supernatural wisdom for some decisions. I need to know God is in it and that he’s leading me to it! I don’t want to mess up!
- Example- Don’t need to pray about quitting a sin. Do need to pray if I should take a new job. Buy a new house. Have more kids. Spend some money. Go somewhere. Guidance!
- Sometimes God will have you do things that don’t make sense-
- Joshua and the Battle of Jericho (Joshua 6): Marching around walls. Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:8-16): provided for Elijah. Naaman’s Healing (2 Kings 5:1-14): Elisha told him to dip 7 times to be cleaned from Leprosy Peter’s Fishing Miracle (Luke 5:1-11): Throw nets on other side. Feeding the Five Thousand (Matthew 14:13-21):
- Dorcas Raised from the Dead (Acts 9:36-43): peter prayed and she rose from the dead.
- Paul and Silas in Prison (Acts 16:25-34): Earthquake broke them out of prison.
3. Stick with what is clear “God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”
-
- 6 Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”
- Moses learned obedience in the shepherding, not in the burning bush
- Moses great great grandfather was Jacob. He knew who he was talking to
- God had already made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and this is the first instance in scripture where he speaks and describes himself a such.
- This is what you can know about God- He never changes. When he came to Moses and says- I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, he’s saying “you should know this is me, because you’ve heard of me and know how I do stuff. I’ve already revealed myself”
- Here’s where I’ve seen people go the most sideways-
-
- Investing money- Thinking they heard from God- when it was greed
- Getting into romantic relationship- Sexual attraction justification
- Quitting something hard because they are weak- “God said to quit”
- Telling someone else what to do- “God said you should do this”- I NEVER respond. God rarely tells someone else to tell someone else they haven’t told first. CONFIRMATION
- Here’s where I never see sideways
-
- Being more sacrificial. Forgiving. Serving. Loving. Witnessing. Losing weight. Working harder. Having more discipline. Studying more. Worshipping. Fasting. Trusting.
- Here’s what is abundantly clear- The Bible. Always stick with the bible . God’s voice will match.
- Hebrews 4:12:”For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
- 2 Timothy 3:16-17:”All Scrip ture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
- Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”
- Shove EVERYTHING through the filter of the Word of God- You will NEVER be led astray
- Isaiah 55:11 “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
- Proverbs 30:5“Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.”
4. Respect The word that you received
- I think that most people want to hear from God- but many people want to hear from God so they can be more spiritual than others. Manipulate them with the “God told me” stuff
- 6 And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.
- Moses saw God and it humbled him. It didn’t give him spiritual bravado and pride.
- 1 Samuel 2:30 But now the Lord says: ‘Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.'”
- If you want God to speak to you, be careful, because you may not want to hear it. Furthermore, there’s nothing that says you have to tell everyone what God said to you to justify your actions.
- Typically- The “God told me” crowd specifically share that because they don’t want push back.
- Be the person that Just holds them close to your heart
- Remember Jesus? The shepherds came and told Mary her future- You know what she did?
- Luke 2:19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
- It was enough for her to know. It was enough to sustain her and keep her- She didn’t Lord it over other people.
- Have some honor before God! Respect what he says and what he does and realize what its for and who its for.
- Malachi 1:6: “A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence?
- This last week we were at a conference- This Guy Dr Mattera was preaching on generations.
- Its this idea that throughout scripture, God is a God of generations, not just individuals.
- Everything God did he did through family lines and offspring.
- He didn’t even Fully reveal himself until he was the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob
- Everything God has spoken to you may not come to pass in your lifetime, but to your offspring
- Be ok with that. Reverence God and stick with what you know.
For more sermons please visit our SERMON PAGE
Please subscribe to our YOUTUBE PAGE
