V. Today’s post are my preaching notes for my sermon at Kishwaukee Community Church. If you are at Kishwaukee today, you may follow these notes as I preach. If you are not at Kishwaukee today, click here to go to our website on Monday and follow the links to hear the sermon. You can then follow these notes as you listen to the sermon.
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How We Hear God Speaking to Us, Part 3
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I. Listening and Looking for God in Daily Life
A. God speaking to us regularly
Scripture, Prayer, Worship, Dreams, Visions, Theophany’s
Circumstances
B. Parents hearing Children
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II. Hearing and Seeing God
A. Seeing God’s work to be done vs Seeking God’s will
We obsess if this is God’s will,
rather than if it is His work for me to do.
B. Determining if God has work for me to do
always comes before
the conviction that this is/was God’s will for me.
C. I often do not clearly see God’s will
Until after getting to work and
After seeing Him equip me.
D. This is not to minimize seeking God’s will
But if His will is unclear
Do the work God has placed before you
E. Have I misread God’s will before
Absolutely, but instead of fretting over misread
Do His work and trust God to work out His purposes
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III. The Work God Tells Us To Do
A. Rely on Holy Spirit to guide you
B. Remember the 4 boundaries
Consistent with scripture
Word from scripture
Confirmation through the body
Calls you to act
C. God does not send where I want or where I don’t want
just because that is my wish
Usually when I stake out these claims
God sends me to prove who is in charge
D. Let God initiate giving direction
You do not need to dream up work to do for God
At worse may need to discern which work to do
E. Jesus trusted God to reveal work to be done – John 5:19-20
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.
F. Look at Jesus ministry
Healing of sick – they came to Him
Feeding of 5000 – Jesus did not say assemble hungry people
Calming the Storm – Jesus did not pray for storm
Raising Jarius’ daughter from illness
Raising Lazarus from the Tomb
God brought the work to Jesus
Work for Jesus to do while fulfilling God’s Will for salvation
G. Seek short-term clarity of direction rather than long-term discernment
Ask God what do You want me to do today
Instead of asking God what do you want me to be doing in 10 years
If we tend to the little picture
God will tend to the big picture
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IV. Mistakes, Regrets, and Difficulties
A. You will make mistakes, mis-steps in discernment
Regardless of prayer, discernment
Because of that little problem called sin and living in the flesh
B. Mistake when pushed ahead
Worship experiment at PC
I knew we made the wrong decision
We pushed for a long-term goal
C. Regret leaving denomination at the time we did
Lawsuit pending, oral arguments April 17
A ministry at a standstill
What has happened to us since then
has not been kind or fair much less Christian behavior.
It broke me,but I did not think I needed to be broken
My biggest regret is the pain it caused my family.
However God still using me!
Never let past regrets or present difficulties to lead you to question God’s will. There are actions which seemed to be 100% God’s direction which I later regretted, because of the hurt and pain. BUT, I cannot say, that what I did was not God’s will.
God sends us into the frying pan
because He needs someone there
D. When following God’s will ==> regret, difficulty, hurt
You need God’s perspective
to understand your circumstances …
That perspective may not come
Until God shows how He is using you
Again, this is why I only seek short term clarity
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V. Story of Joseph
A. His life a roller coaster
Vision of greatness
Dad’s favorite
Brother’s sell into slavery
Special in Pharaoh’s house
Falsely accused for spurning advances
Years in prison
Finally opportunity to interpret dreams
High place in Pharaoh’s government
Brothers come hungry
Opportunity to save God’s people from starvation
B. Where on the roller coaster do we stop
to measure God’s will and blessing
C. Genesis 50:20-21
What you meant for evil against me, God used for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
D. Joseph did not return the evil
Joseph remembered God’s work, will
E. Blackaby quote
During his difficulties Joseph needed God’s perspective to understand his circumstances. … When Joseph’s life was placed in the context of God’s eternal purposes, every major experience in his life—both good and bad—could be seen to have a purpose and to result in good.
F. We can only see circumstances with clarity
We cannot see God’s will with clarity
This is why work faithfully in the present
If not you will have a misunderstanding of God’s will
and miss His grace in your circumstances
G. Blackaby, again
What should you do instead? First, ask God to show you His perspective on what’s happening. Look back at your situation from what you already know about God. When you face a troublesome time, the Holy Spirit will take the Word of God and help you understand the event from God’s perspective. He will reveal to you the truth of your circumstances.
H. Always remember
God’s love for you never changes, has not changed
Never try to understand what God is like in the middle of difficult circumstances
God is sovereign depend on His sustaining grace
I. Blackaby quote
There are some things that happen in our lives we may never understand until they are revealed in heaven.
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VI. Conversion of Saul to Paul
A. Most dramatic
To everyone’s amazement
==> Questions
Why Him?
Why not earlier?
Answers never forthcoming, except
This was clearly an act of God
B. Jewish prosecutor became builder of Christian Church
Good reminder
Whether God speaks clearly, dramatically
Or quietly in an everyday pedestrian way
He is speaking to us
Always for His will and purpose
Always for our good and blessing
C. You do not need long-term vision or understanding
Simply eyes and ears attentive to God
In scripture, prayer, and worship
Perhaps in dreams, visions, and theophanies
Always in circumstances in front of you right now
D. Remember the boundaries
Consistent with scripture – to serve Jesus
A word of scripture – Great Commission
Confirmed within body – bystanders and Ananias
Call to go – Saul to city, Ananias to lay on hands
Bread Crumbs - Devotions for Life 