Are You Sure That’s What It Says?: God Speaks to You in Whispers
In everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Th 5:18)
Problem: God gives individual, unique, immediate revelation to people through prophecy, visions, dreams, circumstances, institutions, feelings, and extraordinary manifestations of the Spirit.
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Does God _______________ in _________ ear?
These kinds of statements can mean that God’s revealed, and written Word is not sufficient. We need more from God in order to know what he wants us to do.
The idea that God speaks uniquely and individually to each of us is the foundation upon which false teaching is built.
Daniel M. Duetschlander, “We cannot say it too often: God never promised to speak to us apart from his Word in the Bible. His Word is _____________________ for all that we need to know from the will of God. Anything in his will that is not _________________ in his Word is hidden. If God has hidden it, we should _______ try to pry it loose. (Grace Abounds, p.57)
___________ does the false idea that God _________________ in _________ ear come from?
But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him. (Ec 9:1)
Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. And I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me but the one on which I rode. (Ne 2:12)
And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.” (Ne 1:3)
As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. (Ne 1:4)
5 And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. 7 We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. 8 Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, 9 but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ 10 They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. 11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” (Ne 1:5–11a)
The Three Parts of Nehemiah’s Prayer:
1. A plea based on the LORD’s _________________________ to his ________________ and to his _________________;
2. _____________________ for Israel’s sin and his own sin;
3. A prayer for _______________ with the king.
Acts Prayer Model
___________________ – praise God
______________________ – tell God your sins and trust in your forgiveness
_________________________ – thank God for all your blessings
_________________________ – give God your requests
6b The king was pleased to send me … 7 I also said to the king, “If it seems good to the king, please give me letters for the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will grant me safe passage through that province until I come to Judah, 8 also a letter to Asaph, superintendent of the king’s forest, so that he will give me lumber to lay beams for the gates of the citadel of the temple, for the city wall, and for the house that I will occupy.” The king gave them to me … (Ne 2:6–8a)
The king gave them to me, because the good hand of my God was upon me. (Ne 2:8)
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God ___________ you to pray for the day-to-day ___________________ in your life.
[Jesus said] 7 “Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened for you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened. 9 Who among you, if his son asks him for bread, would give him a stone? 10 Or who, if his son asks for a fish, would give him a snake? 11 Then if you know how to give good gifts to your children, even though you are evil, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (Mt 7:7–11)
1 So then, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. (Ro 8:1–2)
Now if we are children, we are also heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, since we suffer with him, so that we may also be glorified with him. (Ro 8:17)
14 This is the confidence that we have before him: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we also know that we receive the things we have asked from him. (1 Jn 5:14–15)
Points to Ponder
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What is one thing that stood out to you from this week's message?
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Do you agree or disagree with the statement: The idea that God speaks uniquely and individually to each of us is the foundation upon which false teaching is built? Explain your answer.
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What is the problem with trusting your feelings?
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Respond to following two statements. Do you have feelings and go to Scripture to validate what you feelings? Or do you read Scripture and let God’s message determine how you feel. What is the consequence of each approach.
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What comfort do you find in these words of our Savior, “I have told you these things, so that you may have peace in me. In this world you are going to have trouble. But be courageous! I have overcome the world.” (Jn 16:33)
