God Speaks Part I

Have you seen the e-mail that goes around titled “Church Bulletin Bloopers”? It makes its way to me about every four months and it always has new additions to it. They are actually pretty entertaining. Here are a few of my favorites.

The Sermon this morning: “Jesus walks on water.”
The Sermon tonight: “Searching for Jesus.”

Don’t let worry kill you …let the church help.

This evening’s sermon: “What is hell like?”
Come early and hear the choir practice.

Obviously these statements say one thing and mean another. The problem is in communication and communication problems always lead to confusion. Many Christians today are confused spiritually because they are struggling to hear from God. God does speak to people today! The questions we are going to look at are how and to whom?

Hebrews 1:1
1In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways.

In the Old Testament there were several ways God spoke to people. He used prophets, angels, visions, and dreams. The list could go on but when looking at the Old Testament the key is not how God spoke, but understanding that He did speak.

When God spoke, the person was sure God was speaking to them. In Exodus 3:14, when Moses looked for assurance as to who God was, He responded by telling Moses, “I Am who I Am.” In other words he was telling Moses that He was God and there was no other word to describe Him. There would be no chance for a case of mistaken identity. Moses knew exactly who was speaking to him.

When God spoke, the person knew what God said. God speaks in detail. He leaves no doubt as to what He is asking you to do. When you look at the story of Noah you see that God told him in exact detail how to build the ark and what he was to do with it.

In the Gospels, God spoke through Jesus.
John 14:9-10
9Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.

When the disciples were with Jesus they were face to face with God the same way Moses was. When you and I allow Jesus into our lives we are inviting that same God to live through us.
In the book of Acts and to the present time God speaks again through various ways.
He speaks through the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:19
19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

The Holy Spirit dwells within us and speaks to us and allows us to hear the voice and feel the nudging of God.

God speaks through the Bible.

Hebrews 4:12
12For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

The Bible is God’s gift to you. It is His message to you, everything that is in there is there because He desired it to be. When we read it and apply it’s principles to our lives, it comes to life and we hear Him speaking to us through it.

God speaks through prayer. Prayer is about a relationship, not a religious activity. To speak to God and hear from Him requires that you actually know Him, not know who he is, but know Him in an intimate way.

We’ll talk more next week about how God speaks, but I want to close by discussing who hears Him.

John 8:47
47He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."

Children hear their father’s voice. A father speaks to his child in different ways, he may speak tenderly out of love or he may speak firmly out of correction, but a caring father always speaks out of love. When we look at our relationship with God as a father/child relationship, we understand that God speaks directly to us out of love.

Have you accepted God as your heavenly father? If not, why are you waiting? He loves you with an everlasting love and He wants to give you all the benefits of being His child. Can you hear is voice?