Sermon Highlights:  God's Whisper

We live in a problem-filled world.  The root of the problems? Ears that have been deafened to the voice of God and tuned in to voices of culture, of criticism, of condemnation.  God speaks.  Do we listen?

God speaks in infinitely many languages and knows how to speak directly to each of us in ways only we can understand.

 He spoke to Noah through a rainbow, Joseph, Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar in dreams, Moses through a burning bush, Egypt’s Pharaoh through plagues, Balaam through a donkey, the nation of Israel through a sacrifice being consumed by fire on Mt. Carmel,  King Belshazzar through a disembodied hand writing on a wall, the Wise Men through a star and Peter through visions.

 In Hebrews 1:1, 2: “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times in various ways,2but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, . . .”  The full and final revelation of God is in the person of Jesus Christ, but God speaks to us through the following, too.

a)   Scripture –2 Tim. 3:16, 17 “ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work”.  Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”  We don’t just read the word; the word reads us.  Unless the Word of God becomes a part of our lives, we cannot live it out or speak it out in love.  The Word becomes alive when we actively practice it

b)  People – Who are some people that God has used to speak into your life?  God used the prophet Nathan to speak to David, Paul to speak to Timothy, Elijah to speak to the children of Israel, Daniel to speak to Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar, and Joseph to speak to Pharaoh.

c)     Desires – Take care that these desires are sanctified through the blood of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Psalms 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give (conceive, give birth) you the desires of your heart.”

d)    Pain – C. S. Lewis said that God whispers through pleasure, shouts through pain!  One can’t ignore pain.

e)     Doors – Revelation 3:7 “. . . What he opens no one can shut and what he shuts no one can open.”

f)      Dreams – Joel 2:28 “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.”

g)    Promptings – The Holy Spirit will prompt us.  If we ignore the promptings of the Holy Spirit, we will miss the miracles or good works He wants to do through us.

Learning to hear God’s voice takes discernment.  Discerning of spirits is a gift of the Holy Spirit that God wants to manifest in and through you.  God can shout, but God chooses to whisper.  Why?   To hear a whisper, one must be close to the person speaking.  God wants you to hear his heartbeat.   He loves you no matter what.  It is his nature.  He whispers so you get close enough to be wrapped in His embrace.