How Will God Speak to You?
We will start a long series today. We will be learning about hearing from God. Each sermon will cover different aspects of hearing from God, but before we get too deep, we first must begin with can we hear from God?
Why is this first? Well, we need to clarify two points. First, if we are able to hear something first, that something must exist. Second, that the thing that exists makes a sound that can be heard. Today, we will run with the premise that there is a God who communicates to us. I believe it is safe to say there is a God who created everything, and who desires a relationship with us, His creation. So, with that in mind, let us look at the fact that we have a God who communicates with us, but the question is how will you hear Him?
We all hear God, but is it as a friend or an enemy?
God speaks to us, but is it like Pharaoh, Pontious Pilates wife, Saul
Does God speak to you like Samuel, Peter, Paul
Pharaoh-
Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’” 2 But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.” —Exodus 5:1-2
Ten plagues/miracles
Ends in his death
We see that God uses people to speak to us, and He uses situations and miracles to speak to us as well. We will discuss this more later in this series, but today, in this situation, God did not speak directly audibly to Pharoah, but God spoke through Moses and miracles to him.
Let’s look at another example.
Pontious Pilate’s Wife-
Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” —Matthew 27:19
God speaks through a vision, not pleasant
No indication that she ever accepts Christ, but most likely if she did, it would be after this point
So in this case, it doesn’t seem like God audibly spoke to her, but yet, she had dreams and visions, and they were not pleasant. Now, is she a believer? There is no indication she was, so I will assume this is another example of God speaking to someone who is not a Christian or a follower of Jesus, and we see that God still speaks to people even if they aren’t Chrstian.
Finally, let’s look at one last example of God speaking to someone who is opposed to God.
Saul-
3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. —Acts 9:3-9
God appears, speaks to Saul, and curses him
We finally have an audible interaction here, but was this with a follower of Jesus? No, Saul was one of the greatest enemies of Jesus, and yet God spoke to him directly and audibly!
We see that here are just three examples of God speaking to those who are not His followers. So does that mean God will speak to you if you are an enemy of His, or only if you follow Jesus? I think it is very clear, that God will speak to whom He will speak, and that means He will speak to those who oppose Him. Now, looking at all three cases, were His words well received or gentle? Not really. They can start that way, but they are more warnings aren’t they?
Now, if God is willing to talk to those who don’t believe in Him, is He willing to talk to those who do believe in Him? If so, is there a difference between the two? Let’s look at another 3 stories.
Does God speak to you like Samuel?
Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.
2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.
4 Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” 5 and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. —1 Samuel 3:1-5
Audibly speaking to Samuel
We took a while to get there in the other stories, but we see here that God spoke audibly to Samuel 3 times before Samual correctly responded, and then God guided him in what to do next. Samuel is a child, and God is guiding him, and will use Samuel mightily all his days. This is the first interaction we get in the Bible directly with Samuel and God. Does that mean God can and will speak to you? I think this is a possibility, or is this an isolated instance?
How did God talk to Peter?
9 The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour[b] to pray. 10 And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance 11 and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” 16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven. —Acts 10:9-16
Ok, so we see God speak to Peter in a vision, and maybe audibly. God is helping rewrite the jewish laws about food, but He is using that as an even bigger change in that the Gentiles are now also to be see as being clean creatures. Jesus came for both Jew and Gentile, and when you keep reading the story of Peter speaking at Cornelius’s house, you get the rest of the story, which I want to talk about but I will stay focused, and stay to the point. God spoke to another one of His people. This time it might have been audibly or only in the vision like a dream, but in either case, God clearly communicated to Peter. So, 2 instances where God spoke to His people? Let’s go again.
How did God speak to Paul?
Paul
17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened.
God sent Annanias to speak and pray to Saul who becomes Paul —Acts 9:17-19
So this time God sent someone to speak to Saul and God’s behalf, and we will see the life Paul has after accepting Christ and later dying for Him too. God spoke to His people in a variety of ways like those who are not His followers, but there were different consequences and different tones right?
If you have been a parent you have 2 voices right? One of love and tenderness, and one of authority.
How will God speak to you, as friend or as foe?
I want to be very clear, you will have God speak to you in your life. He makes it clear that He is here, and will do things to get our attention. This is why it is important to be able to learn how does He speak to us, how do we know what He is telling us, and also how do we know it is His voice we are hearing? All these questions, we will cover in the weeks to come, but today, I want to be clear, there is a God who loves you, and will talk to you. One cannot say God hasn’t spoken to me. In everyone’s life, God will speak to them, the question is in which voice is He speaking to you?
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. —Romans 1:20
We need to be actively listening and also actively engaged in our life with Him. Does this mean God will speak to you the way you are expecting? Not always, and that is why we need to learn His voice, and His way of talking to you and me.
This is the first question that we have to begin with, is there a God who can talk to me? I believe that point is covered, and those were just a few of the may verses and examples of how God speaks to His people. So my last point today is that there is a God who loves you and is reaching out to you. He wants to talk to you. God loved pharaoh and God loved Paul, but based on their decisions, they had different lives, but that fact was God loved both. God loves you, and wants a relationship with you, and in every relationship there is communication. I hope that as we go through this series our ability to communicate with God improves, because we all need to work on it don’t we?
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 16:13-15
Our God loves us so much that He died for us, He lives with us, and He created you with a purpose. God tells us He will guide us, God says He will speak to us, and God says that He is with us. Today, are you listening to Him? Are you running away? Are you covering your ears and screaming so as to not hear what He is telling you?