Recognizing God's Voice

          Throughout life, I have heard certain voices that are unique and highly distinguishable from others. Some are deep in tone, others have a peculiar accent, etc. Let me share a couple with you that immediately come to my mind.
          James Earl Jones has a very recognizable voice that is deep and robust (Field of Dreams, Star Wars, and Hunt for Red October).  J. Vernon McGee, a well-known radio Bible teacher from back in the day, has a very distinguishable voice. Julia Childs, the pioneer of television cooking programs, is yet another.
          According to Hebrews 1:1-2, God has spoken in times past and in unique ways, yet His voice if very distinguishable. 1) God spoke to Moses through a Burning Bush. 2) God spoke to Pharaoh through 10 signs or plagues. 3) God spoke to David through a prophet named Nathan. 4) God spoke to Hezekiah through an illness. 5) God spoke to Babylonian astrologers through a star. 6) God spoke to Balthazar through handwriting on a wall written by a mysterious hand. 7) God spoke to Balaam through a donkey. 8) God spoke to Peter through a vision or dream. 9) God spoke to Paul through a bright light. 10) God has spoken to all of us through the person of Jesus Christ.
          Today, God speaks to the heart of modern believers in four specific ways - the Bible, the Holy Spirit, godly people, and circumstances.

I. God Speaks Primarily Through His Word.

          The Bible is the divinely inspired (2 Tim. 3:16) record of God’s revelation of Himself throughout history and through the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus was the ultimate revelation of God and the Bible is our link to that revelation. God speaks to His people through the Bible.

          The Scriptures are alive and active through the person of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 4:12). Therefore, we must immerse ourselves in the Scriptures and learn to properly interpret them using sound hermeneutic principles. In addition, petition the Holy Spirit to energize the Scriptures to your heart that you might hear God’s voice.

          Remember, the Scriptures are the baseline for all things pertaining to God. They supersede experience, reason, and emotion.

II. God Also Speaks Through the Holy Spirit.

          The Holy Spirit indwells every believer at the moment of salvation (1 John 2:27). Part of His role is to guide us in all truth (Jn. 16:31).
          The Holy Spirit often prompts the hearts of Christ-followers. Simeon was “moved by the Spirit” to go into the temple where Joseph and Mary were dedicating Jesus to God (Luke 2:27). Jesus was “led by the Spirit” into the desert to be tempted by the devil (Luke 4:1). Paul was “compelled by the Spirit” to go to Jerusalem (Acts 20:22).
          The Holy Spirit often supplies a supernatural sense of peace in the heart of Christ-followers as the obey and walk in God’s path (Colossians 3:15).

III. God Can Speak Through Godly People.

          God used Nathan to speak into the life of David. God used Mordecai to speak into the life of Esther. He used Paul to speak into the life of Timothy. Similarly, God can use godly people to speak into a Christ-follower’s life.

IV. God May Speak Through Circumstance.

               God may speak His will to His followers through open doors or closed doors of opportunity (1 Corinthians 16:8-9)(Revelation 3:7-8). He may speak through failure or success (Joshua 7). He may speak through pain or pleasure (James 1:2-3).

Conclusion.

          Because people are fallible, promptings, circumstance and human words must always be filter through the Word of God. It is infallible!
          If you would like to view the entire message go to https://youtu.be/IBpylCNSW-o