Grace Church Metropolis

Experiencing God Lesson 8

Week 5 part 1

God Speaks
1. God spoke in the Old Testament
  - Hebrews 1:1 (NLT) — 1 Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets.
  - Angels, visions, dreams, *Urim and Thummim, symbolic actions (potters clay), gentle whisper, miraculous sign
  - The point is not how, but that God did speak.
2. Have you sensed God speaking?
  - That God spoke to people is far more important than how He spoke.
    - __________________
3. Four truths characterize God speaking in the OT
  - Exodus 3:2 (NLT) — 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up.
  - When God spoke, the experience was usually unique to that individual.
  - When God spoke, the person was sure God was speaking.
    1. I AM WHO I AM. (Exodus 3:14)
  - When God spoke, the person knew what God said.
    1. Where do you struggle the most?
    2. Understanding what God said.
    3. Believing what God said.
    4. Obeying what God said.
  - When God spoke, that was an encounter with God.
  - When God uses the Holy Spirit to speak using the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and believers you will know that it is God and you will understand what he saying.
4. Close the door Open the Door.
  - This approach isn’t found in Scripture.
  - Don’t let experience alone guide your life.
  - Why would someone take this approach?
    1. Easier than the work of cultivating an intimate walk with God.
  - If you want to know the will and voice of God, you must devote time and effort to cultivate a love relationship with Him.
God Spoke in the Gospels
1. Through the Son
  - Hebrews 1:1–2 (CSB) — 1 Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways. 2 In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him.
  - John 1:1 (NIV) — 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
  - We have the example of Phillip asking the wrong question.
  - Show us the Father
  - When the disciples heard Jesus, they heard God.
God Speaks Today
1. From OT > Gospel > Acts > Present.
  - We live as if God quit speaking personally to His people.
  - We fail to realize that an encounter with the Holy Spirit, who lives within us, is an encounter with God.
  - God speaks through the Holy Spirit
  - The Holy Spirit lives within us.
  - 1 Corinthians 3:16 (NLT) — 16 Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?
  - 1 Corinthians 6:19 (NLT) — 19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself
2. How does God speak today?
  - God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church.
  - God speaks to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways.
  - Knowing God’s voice comes from an intimate love relationship with God.
  - God speaks when He has a purpose in mind for your life.
  - The moment God speaks to you is the time He wants you to respond to Him.
3. Spiritual truths can be revealed only by God
  - 1 Corinthians 2:9–12 (NLT) — 9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11 No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. 12 And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.
4. An encounter with God.
  - When we have an encounter with God, we are expected to respond to that.
  - Truth is never discovered; truth is revealed.
  - God wants us to respond immediately.
  - Failure to respond (disobedience) can cause a famine in our spiritual walk.
  - Amos 8:11–12 (NLT) — 11 “The time is surely coming,” says the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the Lord. 12 People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from border to border searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it.
  - Decide that whatever God says to you will respond and do whatever God says.
God Reveals Himself
1. Why does God reveal Himself
  - This paragraph is so important.
  - God reveals Himself to increase faith that leads to action.
  - We need to listen closely
  - What He shows you will be critical when you come to a crisis of belief.
  - You will have to believe God is who He says He is.
  - You will have to believe God can do what He says He will do.
  - You will have to adjust your thinking in light of this belief.
  - Trusting that God will demonstrate Himself to be who He says He is, you then obey Him.
  - When you obey, God does His work through you and demonstrates that He is who He says He is.
  - Then you will know God by experience.
  - You will know God is who He says He is.
2. God Reveals His purposes
  - God always speaks with a purpose in mind.
  - God will reveal that purpose so you will know what He plans to do.
  - E.g. God didn’t say to Noah “what would you like to do for me?”
  - God showed Noah what His purpose was and that was Noah’s invitation to join God’s purpose.
  - Amos 3:7 (NIV) — 7 Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets
  - Psalm 33:10–11 (NLT) — 10 The Lord frustrates the plans of the nations and thwarts all their schemes. 11 But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken.
  - I was once asked what my 5 year plan for Grace was.
  - I am the one that sets the vision for the church.
  - Planning has its place. But never let it be a substitute for a relationship and listening to God.
3. God reveals his ways.
  - God’s ways and plans are radically different from people’s.
  - God uses kingdom methods to accomplish kingdom purposes.
  - We must do God’s work God’s way.
  - With God, what you do is not the only important thing.
  - God is also concerned with how you do something.
  - Jesus feeds the 5000. (Luke 9:10-17)
  - Kingdom work.