PURSUING GOD’S VOICE
INTRODUCTION
STORY – When I was 19, right before I came to Christ, I was contemplating what I should do with my future. Like most young people, I wanted a career where I could do the least amount of work and make the most amount of money. I talked to a friend of guy that I knew and he was a successful web developer and he encouraged me to join a program at the local community college so I did. During my second semester I had given my life to Jesus and everything changed. I would show up to class and everyone was super into it but I started to get confused as to why I was even there. I realized that since my life had changed, my purpose had changed and I didn’t invite the Lord into my career choice. So, I quit that pursuit within a week of that realization which put me on the path that I am walking in today.
- This story illustrates that many things we pursue in life start with the influence of someone’s voice.
- We tend to pursue things in our life based on what others say, what society suggests, or even what our conventional wisdom tells us, but as Christ-followers we should be marked by a pursuit of God’s voice!
- Pursuing God’s voice means we consistently ask God for counsel, direction, and wisdom for our lives.
- When you read the books of Kings and Chronicles in the Old Testament, you find several short accounts of the various Kings in both the nation of Israel and the tribe of Judah. All of the kings over Israel were wicked and their life is summed up in those books by saying “they did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Most kings over Judah were wicked but there were a handful that the Bible says “did right in the eyes of the Lord.
- But one king is honored above all others – King David. In 1st Samuel 13, David is referenced as a man after God’s own heart. I believe this reference means he was in pursuit AFTER God’s heart.
- David did many wrong things, but one thing he did right, (referenced 8 times) “inquired of the Lord”.
- God has never found a perfect person, but works with people who pursue and prioritize His voice.
WE MUST BE DEPENDENT UPON GOD
- To pursue the voice of God in our life we must be convinced that we need His voice – dependent!
- Dependence is the state/condition of needing or relying on someone to aid, support, sustain us.
- Our dependence upon God fuels our pursuit of His voice because we only care what God has to say if we know that we need to hear what he has to say – dependence.
ILLUSTRATION – It’s kind of like kids growing up. When kids are young, they don’t really listen intently to their parents – it’s more of an obligation. When they get older and move out of the house, start paying some bills, they start calling, asking and listening – they pursue your voice because they need it.
- Jesus clearly modeled a life of dependence upon the Father, this is a pattern for our life as well.
- Right before Jesus stepped into His ministry, he was led into a wilderness by the Holy Spirit where he had an interesting confrontation with the Devil. During this time, Jesus says something very important;
Matthew 4:1-4 - Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'"
- Jesus couldn’t be clearer in saying that the way we live must be dependent on what God says.
- This quote comes from Moses’ exhortation to Israel in Deut 8 which we will look at in a moment.
- All men before Jesus bowed to the voice of the enemy, but Jesus rebuked the enemies voice and revealed the key not only for him but “man” – dependence on God’s voice alone.
WE MUST TRUST GOD IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE
- In Deuteronomy 8, Moses was giving his final messages to the nation of Israel before they entered the long-awaited promise land. He was reminding the people of their experience in the wilderness and in a way wanted to help them see that every problem they had faced over the last forty years was actually an invitation to pursue the voice of God. This, by the way, is the same passage we just referred to….
Deuteronomy 8:1-3 "All the commandments that I am commanding you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to give to your forefathers. "You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. "He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.”
- Israel was on their way to a promise land of blessing and they ran into many problems.
- Instead of pursuing the voice of God, who they were following, they complained about the problem.
- There problems were;
1. The enemy was in pursuit of them (EX 14) – they cried to Moses – do you want us to die?
- What we see from that story was that comfort and convenience was more important than freedom. It reveals that slavery to man was more appealing or easier than service to or relationship with God.
- Give me a system that I can live by and trust rather than a loving relationship with the Lord.
2. 3 days in the wilderness with no water – they grumbled to Moses – what shall we drink?
3. They had no food – Exodus 16 – God sent Manna from heaven – collect it everyday – depend!
- Moses said to them that God let them be hungry so they would learn to live by His every word….
- God wasn’t punishing them, He was inviting them to pursue Him, ask Him, seek Him, not complain.
- God is not the source of our problems, He is the source of our solutions.
- The problems or difficulties that we face in life are invitations to pursue the voice of God in our life!
- The problems of life, which are inevitable, become invitations for us to inquire of the one who knows every solution to every problem.
STORY – In the middle of this pandemic, we need to be asking God what He is saying, what He is doing, and how we can join His mission. Problems are not inconveniences that slow down the life we want to live, they are opportunities for us to REACH UP and REACH OUT.
STORY – Miscarriage with Brigit – my problem so I asked God and He spoke to me and settled my heart.
WE MUST BE INTENTIONAL AS WE PURSUE GOD’S VOICE
- I am sure you are convinced that we need to pursue God’s voice, so how do we do that?
1. Pursue God’s Voice through the Bible
- If we really want to know what God thinks about something, our time in the Bible will prove it.
- Make a plan, daily time, specific time for answers you need, study diligently!
2. Pursue God’s Voice through Prayer and Fasting
- Through prayer we need to listen, and ask God about what’s in front of us.
- Fasting brings clarity, focus, removes noise and clutter in order to hear better.
3. Pursue God’s Voice through Worship
- As we worship, God truly speaks to our hearts, He just does. Focusing on Him brings focus.
4. Pursue God’s Voice through Daily Asking
- I ask God to speak to me; I ask for His help, I ask for His guidance before almost everything.
- Develop a habit of asking Him to speak to you about everything in your life.
CONCLUSION
- Our life must be marked by a pursuit of Hearing God’s voice above all others….
- How is your life in the word? In prayer? In fasting? In daily asking? Be encouraged.