Scriptures:
- Exodus 3:1-6
- Judges 6:36-38
- Mark 12:29-31
Stories: How God has spoken to you
Outline
- Introduction
- Moses Meets God (Exodus 3:1-6)
- Unusual Circumstances
- How God Speaks to Us
- Conclusion
Introduction
Some people view hearing from God as the clouds parting and the sun shining through on you and a deep booming voice telling you something
- That’s not normally how it looks
Today we’re going to explore what it actually looks like when God “talks” to you
How many people have ever heard from God?
Two extremes of people hearing from God
- Some people God talks to all the time
- Woke me up
- Eat oatmeal
- Wear your old shoes today
- He only speaks through His word
My stance:
- God still speaks.
- He does not give new revelation on par with the words of Jesus or the apostles, but he still speaks.
Why is it important to hear from God?
- Relationship with God
- He will seem distant and unrelatable
- It makes your faith “real”
- You can direction
- Helps ensure you are in His will
Moses Meets God
Scriptural Context
The Pharaoh made a declaration that all Jewish male children would be killed
Moses sent down river
Found by Pharaoh's daughter
At 40 decided to go to his people
Moses killed a man
Got married at 40
- Living in his father-in-law’s house
He’s now 80
- Ministry started at 80
Key Scripture
Exodus 3:1-6
Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. 3 So Moses said, “I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.” 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then He said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 He said also, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
Mose’s Identity
“I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham”
God solidified Moses’ identity by acknowledging Him as one of His chosen people
Knowing God’s Name
Later on God told Moses His true name
When you know someone’s name you know them at a deeper level
Example: Mc Hammer
- “I call him Stanley”
Angel of the Lord
Who was Moses speaking to at the bush?
- God
- Angel of the Lord
- An angel
Why was Mose afraid to look at God?
- They believed you would die if you saw God
Not “an” angel of the Lord but “the” angel of the Lord
- The angel of the Lord shows that when God wants to draw near someone without destroying them
- The angel of the Lord is the form of God‘s presence when he can be among sinners and not destroy them
Characteristics of the Angel of the Lord
- Speaks in first person
- Speaks the word of God in the first person
- Gabriel only spoke in the 3rd person
- Preincarnate Jesus Christ
Theophaphony
Christophany
God Spoke Through Unusual Circumstances
God spoke to Moses through unusual circumstances
He Spoke when Moses turned aside
Story: Starting my company
Stories
Stories
- Start a company after layoff
- Preachers on the radio
- Worship
- Dream sister died
- Answer someone else's prayer
How God Speaks to Us
What are some ways God speaks to us today?
- Bible
- Unusual circumstances / coincidences
- Fleece
- Prayer
- Pastors / teachers
- Prophetic words
- Tongues / Interpretations
- Dreams / Visions
- Peace
- Closing doors
- Bringing things to your memory
- Voice
- Inspired thoughts
- Prompting of the Holy Spirit
- Draw your Attention to something
- Nature
- Worship / music
- Emotions
- Angels
We also need to listen to God. We need to believe that he answers us.
Bible
The Scriptures are the ultimate authority
Reading the Bible is what trains you to hear
- Will you feel something inside when it first is specifically for you
Connecting your heart to what God has said enables you to hear what God is saying
Example: flip a page open
Stories:
Stories:
- Anger, layoff peace
- Verse of the day
- Bible opened to a verse
- Head and not the tail
- Russel Wilson
Unusual circumstances/unusual coincidences
Stories:
- Job ex-team lead
Fleece
Judges 6:36-38
36Then Gideon said to God, “If You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken, 37behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken.” 38And it was so. When he arose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece, he drained the dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water.
Stories:
- Communion
- Job away from San Diego
- Girlfriend at comedy show
Prayer
- Don’t just talk
- Sitting and listening is part of prayer
Preachers / Teachers
Stories:
[to be continued … ]
- Trip to Africa
- Distinct by Design
- Take the job at HP
- Migraine cured
[to be continued … ]
Conclusion
After Adam fell, He heard the sound of God walking in the garden. The Bible never said that He saw God again.
What was the first thing God said to Adam after the fall? …”where are you?”
There was a separation.
- Sin separates us from God’s presence
But Adam could still hear God
The first step to reestablishing our relationship with God is being able to hear Him.
Jesus said:
- He who has an ear let him hear
Paul said:
- Faith cometh by hearing
- Hearing by the word of God
Faith cometh by hearing
- Salvation cometh by faith
- Therefore salvation cometh by hearing
John the Baptist was the forerunner of Christ
- He was the “voice crying in the wilderness”
- The voice that prepared the way of Jesus
- Hearing the voice precedes the encounter
What’s the most important commandment?
Mark 12:29-31
29Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; 30AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ 31“The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Jesus answered, “The foremost is, Hear, O Israel!”
We need to prioritize hearing from God
The enemy fears those who hear from God directly
- It’s harder to deceive someone if they’re connected directly to the source
Hearing from God changes your religion to an encounter
Hearing from God changes your religion to a relationship
Hearing from God let’s you know you’re on the right path
- Allows God to fine tune your GPS to navigate through life
Your biggest desire and most constant prayer should be to hear from God
Instructor: Michael Leadon
References
The change in your life podcast
Bill Johnson language of the spirit seminar
Hearing the voice of God – Cleflo Dollar
Moses And The Burning Bush - Shawn Stone
Extra Scriptures
Acts 7:20-33
20 "It was at this time that Moses was born; and he was lovely in the sight of God, and he was nurtured three months in his father's home.
21 "And after he had been set outside, Pharaoh's daughter took him away and nurtured him as her own son.
22 "Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds.
23 "But when he was approaching the age of forty, it entered his mind to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel.
24 "And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended him and took vengeance for the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian.
25 "And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance through him, but they did not understand.
26 "On the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting together, and he tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, 'Men, you are brethren, why do you injure one another?'
27 "But the one who was injuring his neighbor pushed him away, saying, 'WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND JUDGE OVER US?
28 'YOU DO NOT MEAN TO KILL ME AS YOU KILLED THE EGYPTIAN YESTERDAY, DO YOU?'
29 "At this remark, MOSES FLED AND BECAME AN ALIEN IN THE LAND OF MIDIAN, where he became the father of two sons.
30 "After forty years had passed, AN ANGEL APPEARED TO HIM IN THE WILDERNESS OF MOUNT Sinai, IN THE FLAME OF A BURNING THORN BUSH.
31 "When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he approached to look more closely, there came the voice of the Lord:
32 'I AM THE GOD OF YOUR FATHERS, THE GOD OF ABRAHAM AND ISAAC AND JACOB.' Moses shook with fear and would not venture to look.
33 "BUT THE LORD SAID TO HIM, 'TAKE OFF THE SANDALS FROM YOUR FEET, FOR THE PLACE ON WHICH YOU ARE STANDING IS HOLY GROUND.
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