10 Steps Toward Christ
10 Steps Toward Christ Part Four : The Proof of Life April 7-8, 2012
I.
Hearing God a. It is the pr oof of life (on several levels) i. Level one: Because Jesus is alive, He speaks 1. “But Mar y stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, a nd I do not know wher e they have laid Him.” 14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing ther e, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why ar e you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to b e the gardener, s aid to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me wher e You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mar y!” She turned and said to Him,“Rabboni!” ( which is to s ay, Teac her). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, „I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your G od.‟ ” 18 Mary Magdalene c ame and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her. 19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut wher e the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, J esus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 W hen He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 So J esus said to them again, “ Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Recei ve the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgi ven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” 24 Now Thomas, called the T win, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 T he other disciples therefor e said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “ Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” 26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 2 7 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand her e, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 And Thomas ans wered and said to Him, “ My Lor d and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, becaus e you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not
seen and yet have believed.” 30 And tr uly Jesus did many other signs in the pr esence of His disciples, which are not written in this book….”—John 20:11- 30 2. The encounters the disciples had w ith Jesus w ere w ith a transformed Savior w ho w as in a glorified body, but w ith the same voice. We are blessed if w e believe He lives and speaks and w e w ill have life! ii. Level tw o: God’s voice in our lives proves w e have a liv ing, active relationship w ith Him. 1. “My s heep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone s natch them out of My hand.”—John 10:27-28 iii. Level three: Waiting to hear God before w e act or make decis ions proves His Lor dship and that w e are making right dec isions He w ill bless. 1. “Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementar y principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God…”— Hebrews 6:1 a. A “dead w ork” is anything w e do that God didn’t lead us into. b. Faith tow ard God means w e put faith in His love, presence, pow er, and guidance in our lives and daily seek Him for direction. 2. The great new s: a. We can make every decision right and be blessed in everything w e do. i. Which also includes God leading us out of the consequences of w rong decisions b. We can live according to God’s perfect plan for our lives , w hich is a perfect fit for all of our giftings, desires, and talents. i. Advice: Choose a career that fills your heart first and your poc ketbook s econd. 1. That is w hat God w ill do. c. We can receive God’s perfect w isdom and eternal perspectiv e that causes us to rise above the emotion, confusion, and dec eption that surrounds us every day. i. Hearing God w ill make us w iser than our enemies and give us a plan that w ill out-w it the dev il. II. Understanding How God Speaks to Us a. The Bible i. Logos —the w ritten Word of God w hich is eternal tr uth. God alw ays speaks consistently w ith His Word. ii. Rhema—Romans 10:17 1. “w ord”=Rhema=”the living voice of God” 2. The now Word of God iii. It is so important to read God’s w ord daily. 1. Hebrew s 4: It is alive and active, and as w e read, it releas es God’s pow er into our inner man as it also gives us “rhema” to lead us and ignite our faith. b. His still, s mall voice ins ide of our hearts
i. “Then He said, „Go out, and stand on the mountain befor e the Lord.‟ And behold, the Lor d passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the r ocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wi nd; and after the wi nd an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lor d was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.”—1 Kings 19:11-12 1. Why God speaks this w ay: a. That is w here He lives. b. Volume is unnecessary w hen you ar e so close. In fact, it hinders communication. c. God is tender as a Father and is highly relational. He doesn’t w ant to intimidate us. ii. So how do I know it is God and not mys elf or the devil? 1. Scriptural 2. Loving a. No condemnation, fear, intimidation 3. Consistent 4. Fruitful a. It w orks. i. We learn to hear God as w e pray and obey. 5. Consistent w ith God’s char acter a. Humble, submissive, generous, servant- hearted, faith iii. Ask God to speak to you and practice hearing Him. Write it dow n, and if you believe it is His, obey. c. Peace i. “And let the peace of God r ule in your hearts, to which al so you were called in one body; and be thankful.”—Colossians 3:15 1. Rule=brabeuo=umpire/decide ii. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the F ather will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”—John 14:26-27 1. God speaks to us through peace—the devil speaks through fear and confusion. 2. Many decisions in life aren’t a matter of right and w rong, they ar e a matter of right and right. a. Which car to buy? b. Which major/career to choose? c. Who to date/marry? d. Where to invest? 3. God’s peace is endur ing and counter intuitive. a. Looks right in the natural—no peace. b. Looks w rong in the natural—total peace. 4. God’s peace is 100% accurate. iii. Listen carefully to God’s voice and peace level in your life. 1. Becaus e of the volume of dec isions w e make every day and the unexpected ones, w e need peace to help us “umpire” as the game of life is played. d. Circumstances—Open and closed doors
i. “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, „T hese things says He who is holy, He who is true, „He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens.‟ ”—Revelations 3:7 1. Circumstances don’t alw ays mean God is say ing y es or no. a. Sometimes He is just saying “not now ” or “not in this w ay” b. Sometimes a door may be open, but God doesn’t give us peace or speaks to our hearts not to go through it. i. Pr ayer: “ Lord, open doors for me that no one can close and close doors for me that no one can open until I am standing in your perfect w ill for my life.” 2. As circumstances in our lives change, w e should pr ay for discernment and peace. e. People i. Sometimes God w ill not s peak to us except through people. Why? 1. To keep us humble. a. “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2Therefore whoever resists the ordinance of God, and those who r esist will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4For he is God‟s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afr aid; for he does not bear the s word in vain; for he is God‟s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on hi m who practices evil.”—Romans 13:1-4 i. Parents, bosses, spiritual authority ( Ephesians 6, 2 Peter 2, Hebrew s 13) 2. To remind us that w e need other people in our lives (and people not like us). a. The oppos ite sex/spouse b. Different giftings/experiences/perspectives c. “Where there is no couns el, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”—Proverbs 11:14 i. Don’t listen to counsel that dis agrees w ith Scripture. Seek godly counsel. III. Hindrances to Hearing God a. Unbelief i. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”—Hebrews 11:6 b. Disobedience i. God alw ays loves us, but if w e refuse to obey Him and don’t make it r ight, He w ill stop speaking until w e change our attitude. 1. God loves us but He speaks to us most often w hen w e are w alking w ith a heart that is right w ith Him. c. Busyness and distraction i. “If the devil can’t get in front of you and stop you, he’ll get behind you and push you too fast.” 1. We must stop and hear God. It breaks the tyranny of the urgent, gives us peace and direction, and br ings His blessing.
2. God isn’t obligated to chase us dow n and speak to us. We ar e obligated to s low dow n and hear Him. IV. Summary: a. Good i. ii. iii.
new s today! Jesus is alive. He is alive in our hearts. He is there to lead us into total victory and s uccess. 1. He does this thr ough speaking to us ! 2. “My sheep hear My voice”
I.
Hearing God a. It is the pr oof of life (on several levels) i. Level one: Because Jesus is alive, He speaks 1. “But Mar y stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, a nd I do not know wher e they have laid Him.” 14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing ther e, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why ar e you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to b e the gardener, s aid to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me wher e You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mar y!” She turned and said to Him,“Rabboni!” ( which is to s ay, Teac her). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, „I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your G od.‟ ” 18 Mary Magdalene c ame and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her. 19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut wher e the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, J esus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 W hen He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 So J esus said to them again, “ Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Recei ve the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgi ven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” 24 Now Thomas, called the T win, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 T he other disciples therefor e said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “ Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” 26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 2 7 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand her e, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 And Thomas ans wered and said to Him, “ My Lor d and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, becaus e you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not
seen and yet have believed.” 30 And tr uly Jesus did many other signs in the pr esence of His disciples, which are not written in this book….”—John 20:11- 30 2. The encounters the disciples had w ith Jesus w ere w ith a transformed Savior w ho w as in a glorified body, but w ith the same voice. We are blessed if w e believe He lives and speaks and w e w ill have life! ii. Level tw o: God’s voice in our lives proves w e have a liv ing, active relationship w ith Him. 1. “My s heep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone s natch them out of My hand.”—John 10:27-28 iii. Level three: Waiting to hear God before w e act or make decis ions proves His Lor dship and that w e are making right dec isions He w ill bless. 1. “Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementar y principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God…”— Hebrews 6:1 a. A “dead w ork” is anything w e do that God didn’t lead us into. b. Faith tow ard God means w e put faith in His love, presence, pow er, and guidance in our lives and daily seek Him for direction. 2. The great new s: a. We can make every decision right and be blessed in everything w e do. i. Which also includes God leading us out of the consequences of w rong decisions b. We can live according to God’s perfect plan for our lives , w hich is a perfect fit for all of our giftings, desires, and talents. i. Advice: Choose a career that fills your heart first and your poc ketbook s econd. 1. That is w hat God w ill do. c. We can receive God’s perfect w isdom and eternal perspectiv e that causes us to rise above the emotion, confusion, and dec eption that surrounds us every day. i. Hearing God w ill make us w iser than our enemies and give us a plan that w ill out-w it the dev il. II. Understanding How God Speaks to Us a. The Bible i. Logos —the w ritten Word of God w hich is eternal tr uth. God alw ays speaks consistently w ith His Word. ii. Rhema—Romans 10:17 1. “w ord”=Rhema=”the living voice of God” 2. The now Word of God iii. It is so important to read God’s w ord daily. 1. Hebrew s 4: It is alive and active, and as w e read, it releas es God’s pow er into our inner man as it also gives us “rhema” to lead us and ignite our faith. b. His still, s mall voice ins ide of our hearts
i. “Then He said, „Go out, and stand on the mountain befor e the Lord.‟ And behold, the Lor d passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the r ocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wi nd; and after the wi nd an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lor d was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.”—1 Kings 19:11-12 1. Why God speaks this w ay: a. That is w here He lives. b. Volume is unnecessary w hen you ar e so close. In fact, it hinders communication. c. God is tender as a Father and is highly relational. He doesn’t w ant to intimidate us. ii. So how do I know it is God and not mys elf or the devil? 1. Scriptural 2. Loving a. No condemnation, fear, intimidation 3. Consistent 4. Fruitful a. It w orks. i. We learn to hear God as w e pray and obey. 5. Consistent w ith God’s char acter a. Humble, submissive, generous, servant- hearted, faith iii. Ask God to speak to you and practice hearing Him. Write it dow n, and if you believe it is His, obey. c. Peace i. “And let the peace of God r ule in your hearts, to which al so you were called in one body; and be thankful.”—Colossians 3:15 1. Rule=brabeuo=umpire/decide ii. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the F ather will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”—John 14:26-27 1. God speaks to us through peace—the devil speaks through fear and confusion. 2. Many decisions in life aren’t a matter of right and w rong, they ar e a matter of right and right. a. Which car to buy? b. Which major/career to choose? c. Who to date/marry? d. Where to invest? 3. God’s peace is endur ing and counter intuitive. a. Looks right in the natural—no peace. b. Looks w rong in the natural—total peace. 4. God’s peace is 100% accurate. iii. Listen carefully to God’s voice and peace level in your life. 1. Becaus e of the volume of dec isions w e make every day and the unexpected ones, w e need peace to help us “umpire” as the game of life is played. d. Circumstances—Open and closed doors
i. “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, „T hese things says He who is holy, He who is true, „He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens.‟ ”—Revelations 3:7 1. Circumstances don’t alw ays mean God is say ing y es or no. a. Sometimes He is just saying “not now ” or “not in this w ay” b. Sometimes a door may be open, but God doesn’t give us peace or speaks to our hearts not to go through it. i. Pr ayer: “ Lord, open doors for me that no one can close and close doors for me that no one can open until I am standing in your perfect w ill for my life.” 2. As circumstances in our lives change, w e should pr ay for discernment and peace. e. People i. Sometimes God w ill not s peak to us except through people. Why? 1. To keep us humble. a. “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2Therefore whoever resists the ordinance of God, and those who r esist will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4For he is God‟s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afr aid; for he does not bear the s word in vain; for he is God‟s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on hi m who practices evil.”—Romans 13:1-4 i. Parents, bosses, spiritual authority ( Ephesians 6, 2 Peter 2, Hebrew s 13) 2. To remind us that w e need other people in our lives (and people not like us). a. The oppos ite sex/spouse b. Different giftings/experiences/perspectives c. “Where there is no couns el, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”—Proverbs 11:14 i. Don’t listen to counsel that dis agrees w ith Scripture. Seek godly counsel. III. Hindrances to Hearing God a. Unbelief i. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”—Hebrews 11:6 b. Disobedience i. God alw ays loves us, but if w e refuse to obey Him and don’t make it r ight, He w ill stop speaking until w e change our attitude. 1. God loves us but He speaks to us most often w hen w e are w alking w ith a heart that is right w ith Him. c. Busyness and distraction i. “If the devil can’t get in front of you and stop you, he’ll get behind you and push you too fast.” 1. We must stop and hear God. It breaks the tyranny of the urgent, gives us peace and direction, and br ings His blessing.
2. God isn’t obligated to chase us dow n and speak to us. We ar e obligated to s low dow n and hear Him. IV. Summary: a. Good i. ii. iii.
new s today! Jesus is alive. He is alive in our hearts. He is there to lead us into total victory and s uccess. 1. He does this thr ough speaking to us ! 2. “My sheep hear My voice”
