Class 3

 HEARING GOD AND THE BIBLE

INTRODUCTION

-  We opened this series talking about the relationship that we have with God through Jesus.  He is our heavenly Father and He created us for a relationship that is close, personal and very real.  

-  Last week I gave you an overview of Scripture showing that God has always communicated with people which gives us a basic foundation AND nothing has changed – He still speaks to us today. 

-  This week, I want to talk about how the Bible and Hearing God’s voice personally work together.

-  As I have taught through this subject at various times in various ways, I have noticed that there can be a confusion about what is actually being said when I talk about Hearing God’s Voice.  

-  With that said, I think it is important to know what we are not saying;

1.  We are not saying that God is still adding to His Word – EXTRA-BIBLICAL REVELATION 

2.  We are not saying that God changes His mind – UN-BIBLICAL REVELATION

3.  We are not saying that God only speaks to a few – SPECIAL REVELATION

4.  We are not saying that God wants to confuse people – ODD REVELATION 

-  Depending on your background you may not realize how much you are affected by the thoughts, views and opinions of people who directly or indirectly condemned the idea that God speaks to people today.  

THE PURPOSE OF THE BIBLE 

-  In order to clear up the confusion that exists I think that we need to understand the purpose of the Bible and the purpose of the Holy Spirit speaking to us personally.  

-  These two things are not in competition but they do have a different purpose.   

ILLUSTRATION – In the game of baseball there actually is an official rulebook.  Every team in every league must adhere to these rules, which clearly means that you must know them in order to follow them.  These rules matter.  They are a clear communication for all people who play the game.  However, within the structure of the game and the rules, each team develops communication that helps their specific team play the game effectively.  The coach helps the team by talking with them, the pitcher and catcher have signs they understand, the first and third base coach know how and when to tell a runner to keep running or stay on the base.  This communication matters.  The rulebook tells them how to play the game generally, and the coach/player communication helps them play specifically and effectively.  The only people who don’t care to learn one or the other are the ones who sit on the bench or sidelines.

-  The Bible gives us an eternal standard to help us know and understand;

1.  Who God is (supremacy)

2.  What God is like (character, nature, virtue)

3.  Who we are as human beings (what we are, how we were created)

4.  Why God created us (our purpose from God’s perspective)

5.  Our history (fall), His plan of redemption for us (salvation through Christ)

6.  Our purpose in this world and our hope for the life to come.

THE BIBLE IS GOD’S VOICE FOR EVERYONE

-  The Bible truly is God’s unique voice for all people, of all generations, for all time.  

-  The Bible is a library of 66 books, written by over forty authors, involving three different languages, and spanning a time period of 1,500 years. 

-  The Bible contains multiple accounts of history, hundreds of fulfilled and yet-to-be-fulfilled prophecies, ancient proverbs, poetry, and important first-century letters.

-  The Bible contains a unity of subject, structure, and spirit with a consistency of doctrinal and moral teachings throughout its entirety.

-  We cannot understand what God is saying by his Spirit unless we understand what he has said through his Word.

-  Look at what the apostle Peter said in affirming these things;

2 Peter 1:19-21 - “So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” 

-  Peter was a direct disciple of Jesus and an eyewitness of His coming glory (Matt 17:13) as well as the truth of His resurrection (Luke 24:50-53).  He could affirm the OT prophecies because of what he saw!

-  Peter was wrote this letter to established churches to remind them of the authority Scripture has. 

-  Many false prophets had come into the church saying “God said this or that” and it didn’t line up.

-  Peter said that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s OWN INTERPRETATION – from God!

-  Peter said “men were moved by the HS” which is like wind in the sail of a boat.  100 percent clarity!

-  Paul told Timothy something similar about the Old Testament Scriptures during the same time;

2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

-  ALL SCRIPTURE is GOD BREATHED – what we have on our shelves and in our hands!

-  We know that the apostles affirmed the OT Scriptures as God’s unique voice, what about NT;

1 Thessalonians 4:2 - “For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.”

1 Thessalonians 4:8 - “So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.”

-  Paul knew that he was writing Scripture and we see that here and in 1st Cor 7 as well.  

-  Peter affirms that Paul’s writings are equal with other Scripture (2 Peter 3:15).

-  We also read in the book of Revelation where the apostle John comments on what he wrote;

Revelation 22:18-19 – “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and [a]from the holy city, which are written in this book.”

-  From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is the unique voice of God for all people in every generation.

- “When God spoke to the writers of scripture, he made sure that there was one hundred percent clarity in their receiving of revelation and one hundred percent accuracy in their writing of his revelation. For scripture to be written as the eternal word (voice) of God there could be no misunderstanding or wrong interpretations involved. This is not to suggest that God doesn’t care about the clarity in which we hear him today, but rather I want to emphasize the sovereignty of God over the process of forming scripture. God did not allow the Bible to be wrong and therefore it is in a category of hearing from God all on its own. It’s unique and my desire is that everyone would honor it as such.”

-  We are seeking to hear God personally, within the parameters of what is already revealed.

THE VOICE OF THE SPIRIT HARMONIZES WITH THE BIBLE

-  The Bible and the voice of the HS work together – they harmonize. 

-  Paul was a traveling missionary spreading the gospel in various regions, and as they go;

Acts 16:6-13 - “They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. So putting out to sea from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and on the day following to Neapolis; and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony; and we were staying in this city for some days. And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled.”

-  Paul was very familiar with the OT as well as the apostle’s doctrine - so he knew WHAT to do.  

-  However, in this passage, the HS spoke to Paul forbidding him to speak or go into Bithynia.  

-  He knew what to do, but the Holy Spirit guided him on where to do it, and how do it.  

ILLUSTRATION – Like and orchestra, every instrument harmonizes to play a beautiful song.   

-  The Holy Spirit (through men) wrote the Scripture and He helps us understand the Scripture and then speaks to us to help us apply it in our context.  You can’t do this apart from the author.

-  You can know the Bible without knowing the author, but you can’t know the author without knowing the bible – they work together in such a beautiful way

CONCLUSION 

-  We believe in the authority of Scripture for all people or every generation.  

-  We believe that the Holy Spirit speaks to us within the parameters of the written word.

-  We believe that we must be people who study the Bible and depend on the Spirit.

-  We believe that God’s voice from Scripture takes precedence over what I think I am hearing.

-  We believe that the Bible and the voice of the HS work together so that we would bear fruit and bring God glory.  

-  I encourage you to dig deep into the Scriptures and ask for the Holy Spirit to help you apply them.