Hearing God Part 2.
Bruce Chant
generation-j - Pulse
29/08/03
Hearing God.
By
nature God is a God of relationship. He exists in relationship and as his image
bearers we carry that same mark of desiring, flourishing under, and needing
relationship. The highest level of relationship we can have is with our Father
in heaven.
Last
week we looked at the hindrances to hearing God - which are related to the condition of our heart (hard, shallow,
overrun with thorns). This week we look at the ways we Hear God and know His
Will.
Hearing God and Knowing
God’s Will.
This
is often an issue that we consider is very difficult to get a grasp on. The
really holy people can work that out and hear God because they know the magic
formula.
This
is a really damaging mindset to have about God and His desire to speak to us,
lead us and have relationship with us. God desires this and wants only that we
have the same desire – once we do the mystique of it is removed.
There
are no magic formulas. No “open sesames”. No special codes or phrases to
“unlock” the mysteries God is hiding – it is simply relationship.
1 Sam 3 – Samuel did not even know God.
The word of God was rare in that day. But he desired to know God and that is
why he was quick to respond even if he didn’t know who he was responding to.
God honoured that desire and communication with God was simple and straight
forward for Samuel.
God is
speaking, He has initiated relationship with us – the question is how we
respond to that.
Elements to Hearing God /
Knowing His Will.
1. Relationship with
God.
As I
have said – it is no magic formulas, but walking and talking with your Father
in heaven. You know some one through relationship. So how do relationships in
the natural work?
Developing relationship
takes time. I know my
wife much better know than when we first met. Why? Because I have spent time
getting to know her over 8 years. I have talked to her, observed how she lives,
I know her character, I learn about her nature.
Developing relationship
comes out of a desire to do so. Why have I spent 8 years of my life getting to know Ruth?
Why did I three years ago commit myself and my future to loving and providing
for her? Because it was the right thing to do? NO. I did it because I wanted to. Simply, I have a desire in my heart to spend time
together with Ruth, I love her.
In the
same way – a relationship with God needs to come out of a desire to know him
and walk with Him. Anything else is legalistic and religious. If we want to have relationship with God then we will and we won’t
waste our time timing ourselves to pray for 5 minutes and read half a psalm a
day – that comes out of desire.
You recognise someone’s
voice. When my phone
rings and Ruth speaks down the phone from the other end – it doesn’t take me
very long to know it is Ruth speaking. She doesn’t need to say “Bruce, it is I,
Ruth” – I know it is her because I know her voice. It is the same with God –
over a period of time we can recognise God’s voice as opposed to ours.
Through
this God will speak to us, lead us and protect us in ordinary ways everyday.
2. The Word of God.
Jesus is the Word of God – therefore we get to know Jesus,
his character, His faithfulness, His holiness etc through spending time getting
to know him through the bible.
Rhema vs Logos Word. The Word of God is particularly
useful for speaking to us directly when we might be considering major decisions
in our life. The written bible (or logos) is the word that is given for all –
it is as it says it is. However there are times when God speaks through the
bible directly to our situation. This is called the Rhema (or spoken) Word. The
Rhema word is one way God speaks to us directly for major decisions.
When I
was wanting to by a house about 3 years ago we hit a snag in the process when
it looked like we would struggle to get the finance we initially thought we
would. We obviously prayed and God answered with a Rhema word that showed us
God would bring about what we believed He would.
The
verse was Isaiah 46:11b ”What I
have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do.”
That
gave us great comfort and told us to push ahead to secure our house.
3. The Conviction of
the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is God in
us. He will lead us
in the ways of God / ways of the Spirit.
Our
natural tendency is to walk according to the lusts of the eyes, lusts of the
flesh and the boastful pride of life. However, if we head the conviction of the
Holy Spirit we will walk in God’s perfect way and not our own sinful way.
Flesh v Spirit. If we go our own way (in
opposition to the way of the Spirit) – the Holy Spirit will let us know. We
will feel that conviction, something is not right, when a bad decision has been
made – that is God speaking to us and if we want to hear God then we need to
heed that conviction.
We all know the
conviction of the Holy Spirit because it was through this conviction that we were shown our
sinfulness and lead to us seeking God for salvation. We don’t want to lose this
however if we chose death over life that conviction will deaden. As the
conviction deadens so does our relationship with God and our ability to clearly
discern his voice.
4. Initiative.
Initiative
is doing the right thing without being told.
How do
we know God’s will – apart from the Word – we don’t. That is where faith comes
into the equation.
So how
do you know what the “right thing is”. If you your heart is turned towards God
it will be filled with His desires.
In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
God
speaks to us and we can know his will when we take initiative.
Eg
Luke 1:3 – Luke wrote Luke because it seemed like a good thing to do.
Apostles
in Acts is another example. They just took the gospel around the region because
they knew God had already told them to do so. Where God did not want that to
happen he stopped it.
God
lead them once they took initiative. And God will do the same for us too.
It is
easier to steer a moving vehicle than one that is standing still. God often
leads and guides us through red lights rather than green. Pray, try something
and if you get a red light acknowledge the leading of God and turn around.
Often though if you are heeding the other pointers above the idea you have or
the plan you get will be from God – so having a go is the best thing to do.
Summary: Hearing God’s voice is the end.
God’s word spoken to us in relationship is our purpose in life – it will result
in fruitfulness. Therefore seek God 1st and the stuff will be taken
care of.
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