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 The Always God Week 1 - Always SpeakingBig Idea - God is still speaking to His people today. It might not be face to face, but it is certainly just as powerful. Prayer - “Help us to hear you, to obey you, and to fervently seek you every day of our lives.”Scripture - Exodus 3:1-15IntroductionThis week, we are beginning a new 5 week series called The Always God. And the goal of this series is to show that just as God moved in the past, he is moving in the present as well. For example, we see him:Pursuing people in the Bible and he is still pursuing people today.Restoring people in the Bible and (what we will see in this series) is how he is still in the restoring business today.He provided for people in the past and he is still providing for his people today.God has not changed over time. And the one who revealed himself as the Great “I AM”…the eternal, self-existent, infinite, all-powerful, all-knowing God…what this series is going to attempt to put forth is that the “I AM” still is “I AM.”And today, I want us to learn about how God is: Still SpeakingNow, we know from scripture how God spoke the very world we have into existence. In a simple reading of Genesis chapter one, we discover 10x the phrase “And God said” and whatever he spoke either came into being or was obeyed and fulfilled.We read the old testament and see God speaking to his people, Israel, by continually speaking to and through the different prophets, priests and kings he raised up. We’ll look at one of these prophets, Moses, today and learn how God spoke to him.In the new testament, God spoke through his son, The first couple of verses in the book of Hebrews put it like this:Heb. 1:1-2 – “Long ago, at many times and?in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,?but?in these last days?he has spoken to us by?his Son, whom he appointed?the heir of all things,?through whom also he created?the world.”We read about God speaking throughout the pages of scripture and the purpose of today’s message is to acknowledge He is still speaking today. And so, I want to begin our time by asking the question: Do you believe this? Do you believe God can…will…does speak? And if God is still speaking, how can we know it’s really him? What does his voice sound like? Is his speaking audible? Intelligible?Incredibly important questions for all of us. And let me bring it in and ask this in a more personal way: Is God speaking to you? When was the last time he did and how confident were you it was him?When a situation arises…When a decision is before you…When a choice must be made…When wisdom is needed…How do you know how to discern His voice? Do you believe God is still speaking today? Turn with me to Exodus 3 and let's get started. Main TeachingEx. 3:1-6 – “Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the?mountain of God. 2?And?the angel of the?Lord?appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.?3?And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the?Lord?saw that he turned aside to see,?God called to him?out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”5?Then he said, “Do not come near;?take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”?6?And he said,?“I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for?he was afraid to look at God.”Henry Blackaby and Claude King wrote a best-selling book called, Experiencing God. Taking this passage right here in Exodus 3, they write of four distinguishing marks of God speaking. I want to share them with you. When God spoke, it was usually unique to the individual. (Burning bush – different from Abraham, Elijah or Samuel).When God spoke, the person was sure God was speaking. (He introduced himself and Moses hid himself).When God spoke, the person knew what God said. (They may have doubted they were up for the job, but they didn’t doubt what the job was (v. 13).When God spoke, this was the encounter with God. (there was no looking behind another door. This was the experience – God speaking).Now, the immediate kickback is going to be, “But pastor, Moses was different…that was to specific people in the Bible. He doesn’t speak like that to me. And he doesn’t speak like that to people I know living in the here and now!” And listen, I get it! I wish it could be said of me and I bet you wish it could be said of you as it was said of Moses in Ex. 33:11a – “Thus?the?Lord?used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend…”That would be awesome and terrifying at the same time for God to show up in my study tomorrow and speak to me face to face. But he’s not going to do that! You are right to say, “that was unique to Moses and a few others in scripture.”I wish God spoke face to face…that would be some kind of an experience! But just because He doesn’t speak face to face doesn’t mean he does not speak. God is still speaking today and:You can be sure He is speaking…You can be certain of what He is saying…You can have an encounter…an experience with the living God.Let’s talk about how…and this is crucial. As Blackaby and King state in their book, “If you have trouble hearing God speak, you are in trouble at the very heart of your Christian experience.”Jesus put it like this in John 10:27 – “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”The “I AM” is still speaking…how can we be certain? Well, let’s go from how God generally speaks to everyone and compare it with how He specifically speaks to those who follow him.Creation – God speaks to us through His creation.Sometimes people think, I sure wish God would write it in the skies that He exists. He does…every single day.Listen to Psalm 19:1-2 – “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 2?Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.”We know this to be true…no one has stood before the vastness of a mountain range and looked upon a starry sky or on the shore of the ocean watching the sun rise and thought about how great they are! In that moment, we know there is something greater…something more…we are put in our place and who is it that is speaking to us…it’s God.This is why Paul wrote in Rom. 1:18-20 – “For?the wrath of God?is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.?19?For what can be?known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.?20?For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,?have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,?in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”?God speaks to us through His creation. In creation, He shows us what He values in diversity and order and consistency and beauty. As Rebecca Barlow Jordan writes: “By observing an ant’s strength to store up food all summer long, we learn God’s wisdom and work. By planting and growing a garden, we see the cycle of death and rebirth.”By placing our finger on our beating pulse and our lungs taking in oxygen – neither of which we control or commanded , we know that we are not the ruler of our domain…there is a Creator and He is speaking to us…trying to get our attention through His creation.Conscience - All of us have a conscience. Paul wrote in Rom 2:14-15 – “For when Gentiles, who do not have the law,?by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.15?They show that the work of the law is?written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them…”Now, the conscience can’t be trusted fully…because of sin and other things we’ll discuss in a moment, our consciences can be deceived and are limited to a degree. I mention this to say be careful about the old adage of just “following your gut” or doing what “feels right.” That can get you in trouble. The Bible tells us our own hearts can deceive us (Jer. 17:9) so we need to be extremely careful in following our conscience.In fact, the Bible says we can go so far as to searing our consciences by giving ourselves over to sin and the demonic. So, we have to be wise and exercise discernment when it comes to listening to and obeying our conscience. There is no doubt though that written on every one of our souls is eternity and the weight that is carried with it.Eccl. 3:11b – “…Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart…”Sit still long enough…be quiet long enough and your conscience will bear witness that in fact you know:The difference between right and wrong…Desire for justice to take place and wrongs to be made right…Have desires this world can’t fill…And you KNOW these things NOT just because you were taught them as a child, but because someone wrote them on your heart. It’s God speaking. Circumstances - God speaks to us through our own circumstances as well as the circumstances of others. Now, again it takes some spiritual discernment to know what He is saying through our circumstances and the circumstances of others. Like with our consciences, we have to be careful in how we interpret it, but there is no question God speaks to us through our circumstances and the circumstances of others.How do I know? One of the ways God works is through opportunities.It’s one of the ways God speaks. For instance, take the earthquakes that regularly occur in CA. Is God speaking? Well, yes. In a number of ways:He shows us the brevity of life…That we are not in control…When people come to help He’s showing that those who have lost valuables and loved ones are not forgotten…In his word we learn how creation is groaning due to the consequences of sin…He told us earthquakes would happen before He comes again – in a way, this is him speaking, “Get ready! I’m preparing my return!”Many times God uses circumstances and crisis to get our attention to listen to Him.C.S Lewis – “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”Now, in creation, conscience and in circumstances – these are what we call general revelation. God speaks in this way to every person that walks the earth. We now take a turn and see how God speaks specifically to us. ChristJohn 1:1, 14 – “In the beginning was?the Word (Jesus), and?the Word (Jesus) was with God, and?the Word (Jesus) was God… And?the Word?became flesh and?dwelt among us,?and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of?grace and?truth.”Jesus is the final and full revelation of God. I want you to see in this that God is not playing some cosmic Marco Polo game with us.NO! He’s speaking and he’s saying, I’m right here! How can we recognize the voice of God? Get to know the voice of Jesus! He told his disciples in John 14, if you have seen me, you have seen the Father…if you hear from Jesus, you are hearing from God!Bottom line is this: If you want to hear God speak, read the red! The words in red (red-letter edition Bibles). When Jesus speaks, God speaks. Canon of ScriptureA simple way I could say this is that God speaks through the Bible, but it didn’t begin with a “C”! Canon means “standard” or “measuring stick.”And the “measuring stick” of divine revelation or God speaking to us is set and established in this Bible we hold in our hands. It is closed, meaning nothing will be added to it and it is authoritative in nature. Where the Bible speaks, God speaks.A few passages I love to quote from concerning the word of God:Is. 40:8 – “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”Matt. 24:35 – “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”Heb. 4:12 – “For?the word of God is living and?active,?sharper than any?two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and?discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”2 Tim. 3:16-17 – “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,?17?that?the man of God may be complete,?equipped?for every good work.”1 Pet. 1:21 – “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”God is still speaking today and he speaks through his word. This is why when we gather, we teach the word. We need to hear from God. This is why your time alone is so important. Because when you open up your Bible and spend time alone with the Lord, he WILL speak to you THROUGH his word by his Holy Spirit. And this brings me to the next way God communicates and speaks to us. Counsel of Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit’s role is to glorify Jesus by taking what he has said and enable us to understand and obey it. This is why He is called the “Spirit of truth” in the Bible. He is called our “Counselor.”John 16:13-14 – “When?the Spirit of truth comes,?he will?guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but?whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.?14?He will?glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”God speaks to us by the Holy Spirit and THIS is important, what He is speaking by His Holy Spirit will NEVER contradict His word. So, if you ever sense God prompting you toward an action – to do something or to say something to someone, and we’ll give some examples in just a moment, just know The Holy Spirit and the holy word will act in accord…they will line up.A final way God is still speaking to us today is through his: ChurchCertainly this means through the teaching and preaching of God’s word…what we are doing right now. God has established preaching as a means of how he communicates his truth today.Rom. 10:14-15, 17 – “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him?of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear?without someone preaching??15?And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written,?“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news…So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”And so in the wisdom of God, it is the Church that proclaims the word of God and in the proclamation of his word we can declare that He is speaking.God is speaking when His word is being declared honestly and with clarity. The Church also means gathered saints…so he speaks through fellow believers.This is why there is wisdom in an abundance of counselors. And this is why there is wisdom in not skipping out on church. And I’m not just saying this because this is where I work. God speaks through His church and why someone would not make a habit of showing up where God speaks, I’ll never know! Together – IN the word of God – FILLED with the Spirit of God, we can discern rightly the voice of God.And this really helps in the grey matters of life. There are some things God clearly speaks to…it’s laid out for us in his word in black and white:Sexual immorality – avoid it.Giving – live open handed. Be generous.Love justice.The 10 Commandments…they are commandments.We don’t have to wonder whether or not we should share the gospel…whether or not we should be living on mission.There are some things God speaks VERY clearly to…and these are just some. BUT, what about the grey areas?Should I make this move to this new location?Is it the right time for a career transition?Do we move forward with this adoption?Do I take the next step in this relationship?After church today, do I go to Mi Cocina or Whataburger (Let me help you out…God’s for both of those!)This is where God will use his Holy Spirit and His church to really help clarify if/how he is speaking. He’ll use his people and in the process will usually grant his peace as a decision is being made - (although it may take a step of faith first – “when Moses turned aside, God spoke”).I’m telling you…no doubt about it, God is STILL in the speaking business! And we can know what God is speaking, that it truly is God speaking and in this have a true, legitimate encounter with him.There is NOTHING like hearing the voice of God (NOT audible, but much louder than that!) There’s NOTHING like it. It may not be face to face, but it’s just as strong!Here’s the problem though…here is why many of us are not hearing God speak.Sin – sin prevents us from hearing the voice of God.1 Cor. 2:14 – “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are?folly to him, and?he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”There are some here today listening to my voice, but you don’t hear the voice of God through his word and it’s not making sense to you because you are what the Bible calls a “natural” person.In other words, you have not trusted in Christ. Spiritually, the enemy has?you blind-folded. Have you ever wondered about a person you love that doesn’t know Jesus, “Why don’t they get it?”This is it! They haven’t been saved…God hasn’t removed the scales from their eyes. In the words of 2 Cor. 4:4 – “In their case?the god of this world?has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing?the light of?the gospel of the glory of Christ,?who is the image of God.”And so, what do we do? We keep praying for them. We keep loving them. We keep sharing with them. But ultimately, this is God’s doing and He is the one that has to reach out and save them.Mark it down though…sin will keep us from hearing the voice of God every single time and Christian this is why we must keep short accounts with the Lord and live a life of confession of sin.Amos 8:11-12 – “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord?God, “when?I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the?Lord. 12?They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the?Lord, but they shall not find it.”Stubbornness – This is a reason we don’t hear God speaking.Heb. 3:7-8, 13 – “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness…But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”Imagine calloused skin – this is what our heart looks like when we say no to God. Our hearts get hard. And it’s NOT that God isn’t speaking, it’s that we haven’t obeyed what He has spoken and when we don’t surrender, but instead get stubborn and prideful, we can’t hear him speak.Think about this with Moses…for 40 years he was in the desert on the backside of nowhere! One of the reasons God could speak to him is because he was finally ready to listen! Read his story…he had been through the ringer and was finally at a point in his life where his heart was soft enough to hear God! Some of us are not hearing God speak because of our stubbornness and pride! And we’re wondering why isn’t God speaking?My challenge to you is to go back to the last time you heard him…did you do what he said to do?Did you go to that person and seek their forgiveness or actively forgive them?Did you share Jesus with that person that God promoted you to?Did you give to that ministry or that person in need or to the Church like God said to?Don’t let stubbornness and pride keep you from hearing from the Great “I AM.” Allow your heart to be soft by your willingness to live in obedience and surrender to Jesus. A third reason we don’t hear God speak:Self – We are too busy listening to ourselves…we’re too busy wrapped up in ourselves…we’re too busy living for ourselves. And as a result we don’t hear God speaking.Our wants are drowning his voice out. Our dreams for ourselves seem to be louder than his dreams for our life are. Sometimes, we want to hear from God because of how it will make us look…And when “self” is the driving force behind anything we do, you can bet God is not the voice behind it.When God speaks, “self” and all aspects of “self” are crucified. God speaks the language of getting out of our comfort zone and more often than not that is a danger to “self”…to self’s reputation. Living for and protecting ourselves will hinder and hamper God speaking to us in an effective way. God had to rid Moses of his “self,” before he revealed HIMSELF and spoke to Moses. And the same goes for us. Silence – What do we do when God seems silent?We’re living for Christ…we’re seeking him…we’re reading his word…to the best of our knowledge we are living a repentant lifestyle and in obedience to Him.But, regarding our situation today, He seems silent. What do we do when He is silent?Well, I can tell you from scripture, that good things come to those who wait…and it’s our nature as humans to not want to enjoy waiting.I need something, Amazon Prime it.I want an app, download it.I want that song, push of a button.Don’t want to wait on dinner, order the appetizer.We hate waiting. But in God's economy, waiting on Him produces something in us that nothing else can produce.ConclusionBack to Moses…let’s learn from him. He was waiting in a desert-wilderness for 40 years before God spoke.“Thanks, pastor!” That’s encouraging isn’t it? 40 years. And what was he doing in those 40 years? Ex. 3:1 – “Now Moses was keeping the flock of this father-in-law…”He was going about his daily routine…and one day God showed up and spoke. It changed the whole trajectory of his life. He had one encounter with God and it changed everything.If you are in a period of time where God seems silent…keep doing what you are doing.Keep waking up and reading the Bible.Keep coming to church and getting wise counsel.Keep walking in truth.Keep surrendering to what God spoke to your heart the last time you heard from Him.Keep doing what you are doing and God will come through…He will speak.If we listen closely enough, we can hear him saying, “I’m still speaking…I STILL AM.Let’s pray together. ................
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