June 22, 2008
Identifying the Voice of God
Introduction: I am amazed at how people say, “God told me!” Of course, when you tell someone “God told me” you destroy all argument. Who wants to tell you that what God said was wrong? Some very sincere Christians believe that everything they think is something God is saying. God told them what to wear this morning – God told them what to do this morning – God told them what to eat – God told them what to tell me! I apologize for not hearing from God as well as they do. Sometimes, most of the time, I have a problem knowing if it is something God is telling me or something I just think He is saying! “Pastor, you should not have that kind of a problem!” I know, but sometimes I think perhaps you do as well.
Matthew 16:13 - 23 (NKJV) 13When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 14So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ. 21From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. 22Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” 23But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
ILL: Here is Peter, in verse 17 Jesus is telling him, “God revealed this to you.” However, by verse 23 Jesus is telling him, “You are not mindful of the things of God – how confused Peter must have been! One minute he is hearing from God and just a little while later he is listening to the devil.
I. God voice will never contradict God’s Word
ILL: What Peter was saying was contradicting what the Word said:
What did the scripture say?
Isaiah 53:7 - 10 (NKJV) 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. 9 And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
Zechariah 12:10 (NKJV) 10“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.
Zechariah 13:6 - 7 (NKJV) 6And one will say to him, ‘What are these wounds between your arms?’ Then he will answer, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.’ 7 “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, Against the Man who is My Companion,” Says the Lord of hosts. “Strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered; Then I will turn My hand against the little ones.
ILL: Jesus had to go to the cross – God said so!
They say: “But we are in love and we want you to marry us – God has told me to marry him!”
2 Corinthians 6:14 - 16 (NKJV) 14Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.”
ILL: She was very mad with me when I said, “I cannot perform this marriage. He is not a believer and I cannot join you to him!” Her father told her, “if the pastor will not perform the ceremony I will not give you away or pay for the wedding.” Over a year later she came back with another man asking me to perform a wedding. “Thank you for not marrying me the first time – I didn’t marry him and he’s in prison.”
They say: “God wants me to be happy!”
Matthew 16:24 - 27 (NKJV) 24Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
ILL: God will never tell you to do anything that gratifies the flesh! Does what you think would make you happy glorify your flesh?
II. God’s voice will conflict with human wisdom
Isaiah 55:8 - 9 (NKJV) 8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
ILL: I’ll admit that I have a problem with this!
ILL: Christ’s instruction given in the “sermon on the mount” do not make logical sense.
Matthew 5:38 - 45 (NKJV) 38“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. 43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
ILL: God’s program for finical gain is not logical
Luke 6:38 (NKJV) 38Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
God’s voice will always call for courage
Joshua 1:1 - 9 (NKJV) 1After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: 2“Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. 3Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. 4From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. 5No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 6Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
ILL: Ask yourself the question, do I have to have courage to do this?
Matthew 4:18 - 20 (NKJV) 18And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
ILL: God’s call and God will always requires sacrifice.
God’s voice will always call to faith
Romans 1:17 (NKJV) 17For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
ILL: A word from God to the church must always call to faith not judgment.
1 Corinthians 14:3 (NKJV) 3But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.
Conclusion:
Look at Peter again:
22Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” 2
Against Scripture
Appeals to the flesh
Human wisdom
No courage
No faith
Not God!
