Over the last almost 2 months, we have been covering this sermon series on hearing from God. We have had a few events that needed to break this up, but today we finish our series about hearing from God. We have discussed that God wants to and does talk to us, we have spoken about how God uses the Bible, prayer, people, events, miracles, visions, dreams, thoughts, feelings, the Holy Spirit, and a few other ways how God guides us. Today we finish with all these ways God speaks to us, how do I know it is Him who is speaking and guiding me?

The more familiar we are with people, the more we know what they say, what sounds like them, and we can identify their voice.

If I said

I wish I could be pentecostal right now, but my knees won’t let me, who am I?- Bill

If I said Bob Sagget, who am I?

If I said Lord willing I will see you tomorrow - Fred

If you hear a loud obnoxious laugh, who is that in this church? Matt

For some, you know these answers, for others maybe not as much, but the more we know God, the more we will know His voice, and we will know what is not His voice.

We will know His voice

We are told that just like the sheep knows the shepherd’s voice, so we will know Jesus’s voice.

3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”
—John 10:3-5

We see Jesus is the gatekeeper here, and He is using this simple example that almost anyone can understand. We see that the more the sheep hear and know the shepherd, they will follow that voice, and if it is not that voice, then they don’t follow it.
We have talked about how God speaks to us, and He desires a relationship with us. The more we know Him, the more we hear His voice, even with all the noise that this world creates.
Incase there is any doubt about the scripture being interpreted this way, we read

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.”
—John 10:14

God is very clear about who the shepherd and the sheep are here, and we know that the more we know Jesus, the more we can hear His voice.

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.
—John 10:27-28

We read here multiple times that we will know His voice, part of that is because we are living with Him. The more we know someone the more we recognize their voice.

Besides knowing His voice, what are some other ways we know God is speaking to us

He speaks the truth

If it is true, then that is God because God is truth.

13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.
—John 16:13-16

The Holy Spirit guides us, and He won’t lead us falsely nor incorrectly. When we hear the truth, that is God. We have covered how God will speak to who He will speak, and we have covered the source can come from any place.

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
—John 17:17 ESV

The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.—Psalm 119:160 ESV

What was true is true, and will be true.

He will provide peace

We spoke of this 2 weeks ago too, because this is a big one. Peace in turmoil, peace in chaos, this peace is unnatural for us, and when we have it, there is really one reason, and this is because God is guiding us in that moment.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. —John 14:27 ESV

This is a peace the world can not give. This peace only comes from the author of life, the creator of everything, the utmost authority in the universe.

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. —Isaiah 26:3 ESV

We lose peace when we lose our focus on God. Just like how Peter began to drown after walking on water, when we lose focus, it is easy to be distracted and lost in the sea of chaos.

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all. —2 Thessalonians 3:16

Need I say more? God provides peace, and when we experience that, we know He is there.
Now, to truly cover this point about how do we know God is speaking to us, you would have to also look back at the other sermons in this series to answer the question. That is a lot of information, but here is the last point of how do we know we are hearing God?

If the voice you hear isn’t what we have discussed, then it isn’t Him

Today we have focused on what hearing God is, that is truth, peace, His word, the Holy Spirit, simply spending time with Him and learning about Him would be all things that have been shared either directly or indirectly. Like law enforcement, we aren’t really going to cover what a counterfeit is, because if it is not the real thing, and you know the real thing, then when you come across the counterfeit, then you know it isn’t real.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. —John 10:10

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. —John 8:44

Difference if conviction & condemned ‘

We are finally finished with this series, and I hope that it has helped you learn more about God talking to you, how do we know His voice, and that we will all listen to what He is telling us. I believe this is a great series for us as we go into this next season.