Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
How does God Speak?
1) Through his Word
God’s voice won’t contradict God’s Word.
Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
How does God Speak?
2) Through his Living Word Jesus
Jesus is God’s definitive Answer
to all our needs and problems.
He is the Great I AM.
Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
How does God Speak?
3) Through godly communicators
This includes godly believers among us
Be proactive to hang with wise counselors
Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
How does God Speak?
4) Through circumstances
This includes difficulties & discipline
Our greatest impact comes from
lessons we learn in our weakness
Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
How does God Speak?
5) Through nudges of the Spirit
Often it is God’s still small voice.
The Spirit doesn’t yell, he whispers.
Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
How does God Speak?
6) In other ways as he chooses
creation, dreams, visions, angels,
prophecies, ideas
Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
How does God Speak?
6) In other ways as he chooses
creation, dreams, visions, angels,
prophecies, ideas
Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
Hearing God is not...
1) just for Bible-people or spiritual giants
they are like us
Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
Hearing God is not...
2) a reason to be proud
people might say “God told me”
to prove they’re right
Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
Hearing God is not...
3) mechanical
God is not interested in micro-managing
and cruise-controlling your life
Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
Hearing God is not...
4) a “message-a-minute”
Don’t expect a “do this” and “now do this”
all the time
Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
Hearing God is not...
5) only hearing quoted Scriptures
God can talk to us in many ways,
none of them contradicting Scripture
Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
Hearing God is not...
6) accepting whatever comes as God’s will
The evil one can also plant ideas in us
Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
Hearing God is not...
6) accepting whatever comes as God’s will
The evil one can also plant ideas in us
Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
Hearing God is often by ideas
we live at the mercy of our ideas
Satan didn’t hit Eve with a stick,
but with an idea
you shall be like God
Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
Hearing God is often by ideas
Train yourself to listen for ideas from God,
the still, small voice
Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
Hearing God is often by ideas
Four powerful ideas (fr Dallas Willard)
What is reality?
God and his kingdom
Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
Hearing God is often by ideas
Four powerful ideas (fr Dallas Willard)
Who is well-off/blessed?
anyone who is alive in
the kingdom of God
Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
Hearing God is often by ideas
Four powerful ideas (fr Dallas Willard)
Who is a truly good person?
anyone who is
pervaded with love
Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
Hearing God is often by ideas
Four powerful ideas (fr Dallas Willard)
How do you become a
truly good person?
place your confidence in Jesus
Christ and become his student
in kingdom living
Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
Hearing God: Habbakuk
Withdraw
I will climb up to my watchtower
and stand at my guardpost. (2.1)
Jesus often went to a lonely place to pray
Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
Hearing God: Habbakuk
Wait
There I will wait to see what the Lord says
and how he will answer my complaint.
(2.2)
Calm down. Slow down. Listen.
Be still and know that I am God.
Psalm 46.10
Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
Hearing God: Habbakuk
Read the Word
...see what he will speak to me.
(2.2b)
Read the Word receptively.
Jesus, is there anything you want to say
to me?
Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
Hearing God: Habbakuk
Write it down
Then the Lord said to me, “Write my
answer plainly on tablets..." (2.3)
find a way to record and remember it
Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
Hearing God: Habbakuk
Review it so you can do it
That the one who reads it may run.
(2.3b NASB)
find a way to record and remember it
Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
The invitation from God
Do life interactive with him,
walking and talking together
[God] is faithful to do what he says, and he has
invited you into partnership [doing life together] with
his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.(1 Corinthians 1.8)
Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
And you?
Are you waiting and watching,
ready to obey God’s voice?
Are you rejecting the culture’s ideas
and responding to God’s ideas?
Are you ready to do life together
with Jesus?
Hearing God Speak
[Jesus] Anyone with ears to hear should listen
and understand! (Matthew 11.15)
Imagine ROOTS...
Full of Believers listening to God
Full of Disciples finding God’s dream
Full of DiscipleMakers expanding
God’s kingdom together