We are going to talk tonight about the voice of God, but first let me tell you about Manasseh.
2 Chronicles 33:1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel.
2 Chronicles 33:10 The Lord spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention.
God speaks; even to evil men. Here we see God speaking and Manasseh pays no mind to what God is saying. How often has God spoken to us and we paid no mind? How often has he spoken, and we had no idea that he did? We probably have no idea how many times. But when God speaks, he is always acting in grace by providing an opportunity for us to have faith and respond to his word. How important and wonderful is it then to hear the voice of God?
Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
The word “word” in this verse translates rhema in the Greek. This means words which are uttered in speech or writing. When Christ is preached in speech or writing we can then have faith in him. When God speaks through his speech or writing we can have faith in what he says. We cannot have it until he has spoken. We cannot have faith without the voice of God; whether that be the voice of God through man, through Scripture, or directly to us.
Romans 4:18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.”
Abraham heard God speak and that was the beginning of his faith. He could now respond to, and fully serve God in faith. God’s voice allowed Abraham to look past his own circumstances to what God could do. If you want strong faith begin to listen for his voice and believe in it. Habakkuk had the right attitude:
Habakkuk 2:1 I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.
Habakkuk waited on the Lord to speak. He positioned himself to hear what God would say. He prayed for God to speak for him. He did not just simply assumer God would speak if he got quiet. He implored of God to answer.
Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
If we will but ask of God for him to speak, he will not hold back. God wants to speak to us.
1 Kings 19:11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
God speaks to us individually, most especially when we are expecting it and asking for it. Sometimes this word is confirmation for us of what we are to do, and sometimes it is for others. It is important to recognize that God will confirm his word to you. That may happen through the voice of others, circumstances, or it may simply mean what he says will happen happens.
Acts 21:4 And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.
Acts 21:10 While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 And coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” 12 When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.”
Paul had his heart set to go to Jerusalem. He was determined it was God’s will. The Spirit spoke to others to remind Paul that he would be severely persecuted there. The Spirit confirmed this truth through multiple people. Note that they acknowledged it was the Lord’s will for Paul to go regardless of God’s warning. God was speaking, but not necessarily to be obeyed, but rather to be heard.
The Holy Spirit has made receiving knowledge from the Lord a gift.
1 Corinthians 12:7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
The context here is that God gives to each person manifestations of the Spirit. But we must understand he can use any Spirit-filled person in any of these at any time. These gifts are meant to edify the church, especially prophecy. When you receive a word that does not necessarily pertain to you there are two things you can do with it—aside from first believing it—pray and speak it. God gave you that word for another or for the church, but you must first prayerfully consider the word and what God is leading you to do with it.
2 Samuel 7:25 And now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. 26 And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. 27 For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you.
God has spoken to David, so it will happen, but David still prays, and so should our response be to God speaking. Especially when what God spoke is not to be fulfilled for some time.
Habakkuk 2:2 And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. 3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.
Sometimes what God speaks is not for now, and therefore we must be patient and wait, as well as pray that God confirms his Word.
What do you do when you don’t hear God speaking? Don’t forget Habakkuk stood and waited, but always return to the Scripture as that is one-way God is always speaking. God wants to speak to you tonight about who he is, who you are, what he wants you to do, what he wants you to pray, and what he wants you to speak.
Quotes on the Voice of God
“When the might one speaks, he doesn’t have to be loud, because he doesn’t have to prove he’s the most important person in the room.”-Heath Adamson
“Most Christians don’t hear God’s voice because we’ve already decided we aren’t going to do what he says.”-A.W. Tozer
“When God has specially promised the thing, we are bound to believe we shall receive it when we pray for it. You have no right to put an ‘if’ in and say ‘Lord if it be they will’… This is to insult God. To put an ‘if’ in God’s promise when God has put. None there is tantamount to charging God with being insincere.”-Charles Finney
“How true is it that without the guidance of the Holy Spirit intellect not only is undependable, but also extremely dangerous, because it often confuses the issues of right and wrong.”-Watchman Nee
“We must not pay attention just to reading and studying; rather we should ask. If we are open before the Lord. If we do not have an unveiled face, the glory of the Lord will not shine on us. If our hearts are not open to God, God cannot give us any light.”-Watchman Nee
