Habits of Faith # 2 - Encouragement

Be Encouragers in a World of Discouragement

There are not many in this world who are at risk of drowning in an ocean of encouragement, of being swept away by a tsunami of cheer, of being pulled under by great waves of comfort. There are not many who receive so much encouragement that they never have reason to feel doubts, never have reason to grow weary, never have reason to be tempted toward despondency. There are certainly none at all who are at the least risk of too much truly biblical encouragement.

Yet there are many who suffer daily under the weight of discouragement. There are many whose circumstances are burdensome and who crave acts of kindness, many whose lives are difficult and who feel desperate for some balm for their weary souls, many who are burdened with grief and who long for a kind word to lift their drooping hands and strengthen their weakened knees. There are many who crave what is within the power of any of us to give.

--Tim Challies, “Drowning in an Ocean of Encouragement”, www.challies.com, May 15, 2021

 Many things in this life have the potential to drain us or discourage our lives; everything from the news to minor discouragements like car accidents or major discouragements like financial issues or family problems

 

A world destroyed by sin will always lean toward discouragement and every Christian needs continual encouragement as we live this christian life, but encouragement requires action; It’s not just having hope, encouragement is when you begin to share the hope with someone else – Garett King

 

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NKJV)

^10:24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, ²⁵ not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

The word encouragement means to come alongside, to strengthen or to add strength and courage. The idea is to add strength or courage to someone in areas where it is missing. The word consider is not a light word either; it means to concern ourselves or contemplate, to look intently.

 Ask yourself, “what can I do to add strength to my brother and sister? How can I encourage them to stay the course and continue to follow the Lord?”

 This idea of encouragement is found all throughout the scripture. We are urged in the scripture to encourage one another and to build each other up in the faith. This is why church and fellowship is so important; one of the main purposes of gathering together is to encourage one another.

 We Need Encouragement in All areas of Life

Encouragement In seasons of Failure

 In Matthew 26, Peter had denied Jesus three times and immediately felt the weight of his failures. Ready to quit and go back to his former life of fishing, Jesus appears to him and the other disciples and He encourages him to move beyond his failures and to carry out what God has purposed him to do. Jesus reminds Peter that He has a purpose for Peter and that Peter will do many great things (John 21, Paraphrase)

 Ephesians 2:8-10 (NKJV)

^2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Encouragement in Ministry and Leadership

We need encouragement when the task we’re doing is bigger than our natural ability.

 Joshua needed strength and courage to lead the people of Israel into the promised land because the task was greater than the strength that was within him

 Deuteronomy 3:28 (NKJV)

^3:28 But command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see.'

God sees all that Joshua must do and recognizes his need for strength and encouragement.  He tells Moses to encourage him by reminding him of God’s promises.

 

There are times that we simply don’t have the strength top do what God has called us to and need encouragement. Paul and his companions were in such a situation. They had suffered through many troubles and were under great pressure, even to the point of fearing for their lives, but Paul learned to rely on God and place their confidence in Him and he was encouraged by the prayers of the saints

 1 Corinthians 1:8-11 (NKJV)

^1:8 who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. ¹⁰ Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. ¹¹ For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you.

 Being able to draw strength from God, even when there is no one else to strengthen you is especially important for leaders. One of the first lessons that leaders learn is that they have to learn how to strengthen themselves before they can strengthen others; you cannot give what you do not have.  ? Fortunately, God promises that he would give power to the faint and to those who have no might, he would give them strength

Isaiah 40:29 (NKJV)
^40:29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.

Encouragement is a Gift You Can Always Afford to Give

Encouragement is a blessing that any of us can give at any time. For some people encouragement is natural, for others, it is a habit that must be cultivated. Life on this side of eternity is filled with many sorrows and losses, many sins and failures, trials and temptations. There is no end to reasons to grow weary, despondent and discouraged. Encouragement is a ministry that costs us little but benefits others much. It is a privilege to bring encouragement that gives strength to the weak.

We must always remember the disproportionate nature of encouragement and discouragement. There will always be more discouragement in life than encouragement and we need to make an effort to increase the encouragement to the people around us. It has been said that it takes 4 to 5 encouraging statements to overcome one negative statement. That means that if you make one discouraging statement, it will take at least 4 or 5 encouraging statements to get to zero or break even.

Remember, in our marriages and with our children it is important to encourage them and edify (build them up) them.  Don’t just remind your spouse when he/she does something wrong.  Don’t just discipline your kids when they’re bad; encourage them when they’re good.  It’s easy to be negative with your family. Contend for encouraging them as well.

One author said “our children especially need encouragement; their self-image is based in large measure by their perceptions of what we think of them.”

In a world full of discouragement, our duty as Christians is to encourage one another, not knock them down.  Remember, the gift of encouragement is a gift that every Christian can have, but you have to be intentional. It has to become a habit. You have to make the decision that you are going to stop discouraging and start encouraging.

 

 

Habits of Faith #1 - Witnessing

Editor's Note: The Following Bible Study is about the fundamentals of the Christian faith; habits that we as Christians should put into practice in order to develop and grow in our relationship with Jesus 

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Think about this for a moment!  If you were CEO of a company and were interviewing people to fill a vital role in the company and you (in your sinner life) came in for an interview, would you hire you?  Would you trust you to be faithful to fulfill your duties?

I think it’s amazing that Jesus would make us His plan to grow His church.  We are Plan A – There is no Plan B. “He has chosen us to tell of the good news of restored relationship with our creator!”

Text:  John 1:35-51

John 1:35-51 (NKJV)
^1:35 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. ³⁶ And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" ³⁷ The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. ³⁸ Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?" ³⁹ He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He was staying and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). ⁴⁰ One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. ⁴¹ He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ). ⁴² And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone). ⁴³ The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me." ⁴⁴ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. ⁴⁵ Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." ⁴⁶ And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." ⁴⁷ Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!" ⁴⁸ Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." ⁴⁹ Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" ⁵⁰ Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these." ⁵¹ And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

1.        The Basics of Witnessing

When you’re a pastor and you talk to people about witnessing you get two responses consistently:  1) I don’t know enough about the Bible and 2) I’m not outgoing (I don’t know how to approach people).

But really, it’s not about Biblical knowledge.  Witnessing isn’t just about reciting a bunch of scriptures.  It’s not about leading people down the “Roman Road.” Don’t get me wrong memorizing scripture will help you, but it’s not about what you know about the Bible.

And it’s not about your personality, either.  Some people are naturally extroverted.  They can talk to anyone about anything.  Personally, I’m not like that.  I had to teach myself to reach out to people.  You can’t pioneer a church without talking to people, right?

Our text has a method of witnessing that it shows us:

Verse 38, “Behold the Lamb of God” – Show them Jesus

Verse 39, “Come and see” – Look at what God is doing!

Verse 45, “We have found Him…Jesus” – I made Him a part of my life

And Verse 46, “Come and see” – Find out what he has done in other lives (an invitation)

The Woman at the Well: 

John 4:28-30 (NKJV)
^4:28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, ²⁹ "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" ³⁰ Then they went out of the city and came to Him.

Simply sharing your testimony is probably the most effective way:

I preached on my testimony in a church service once and a woman turned to the person next to her and asked, “can this be true?” Our testimony can have a powerful effect on people.  The woman at the well simply shared her testimony”

John 4:39 (NKJV)
^4:39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did."

Our job is to sow the seed of God’s word and share the good news with others, believing God to bring the Harvest!

Ecclesiastes 11:4-6 (NKJV)
^11:4 He who observes the wind will not sow, And he who regards the clouds will not reap. ⁵ As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything. ⁶ In the morning sow your seed, And in the evening do not withhold your hand; For you do not know which will prosper, Either this or that, Or whether both alike will be good.

Mark 16:15, 20 (NKJV)
^16:15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature....^16:20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

1 Peter 3:15 (NKJV)
^3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

1 Corinthians 3:5-9 (NKJV)
^3:5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? ⁶ I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. ⁷ So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. ⁸ Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. ⁹ For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building.

Isaiah 55:10-11 (NKJV)
^55:10 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, ¹¹ So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

2.       The Urgency of Witnessing

 David Jeremiah “If we understand what lies ahead for those who do not know Christ, there will be a sense of urgency in our witness.”

Luke 14:23 (NKJV)
^14:23 Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Compel is a pretty strong word.  “Compel” (Grk) “to necessitate, compel, drive to, constrain, by force, threats, entreaties or by other means.”

We are to be the watchman for our generation:

Ezekiel 33:2-6 (NKJV)
^33:2 "Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: 'When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, ³ when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, ⁴ then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. ⁵ He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. ⁶ But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand.'

2 Corinthians 5:11, 18-20 (NKJV)
^5:11 Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences...^5:18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. ²⁰ Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.

Did you know that ion the Greek the word for witness is the same as the word for martyr?  There is a price to pay for being a witness.  What is the Price?

Rev 1:5 “Jesus Christ the faithful witness”…”martyr”.

Breaking Intimidation

There is a spiritual resistance to witnessing.  The Devil hates it when he loses his grasp on people’s eternity, doesn’t he?

Acts 3:6-7 (NKJV)
^3:6 Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." ⁷ And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

Acts 3:18-21 (NKJV)
^3:18 But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. ¹⁹ Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, ²⁰ and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, ²¹ whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.

This is a pretty powerful witness of Jesus, isn’t it?  First he demonstrates God’s power before everyone, then he tells them that God can forgive their sins and they could be restored into a right relationship with God.  But what happens next? 

Acts 4:1-4 (NKJV)
^4:1 Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, ² being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. ³ And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. ⁴ However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

They were seized and held overnight.  Then the Pharisees and Saducees threatened them not to preach Jesus anymore in the city.  Probably they were threatened with prison and beatings. The people got together and prayed for boldness…look at what happened.

Acts 4:29-31 (NKJV)
^4:29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, ³⁰ by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus." ³¹ And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

The intimidation was broken through prayer.

     Evangelism must remain “The Tip of The Spear” of a thriving church. “Tip of The Spear” definition-“a person or group of people that is the first to do something considered difficult or dangerous, especially a group of soldiers, etc. who are the first to enter a battle area: Also-the leading position that someone or a group of people is in when there is a possibility of something difficult or dangerous happening.”

3.        Rewards of Witnessing

There are rewards to being obedient and witnessing.  One of the greatest rewards of witnessing is the Joy of seeing someone saved because YOU spoke up!  When you are hesitant to reach out, you’re struggling and then you make up your mind and do it…then that person gets saved.  How does that feel?  Pretty awesome!

Look at this:

2 Kings 5:1-4 (NKJV)
^5:1 Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper. ² And the Syrians had gone out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman's wife. ³ Then she said to her mistress, "If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy." ⁴ And Naaman went in and told his master, saying, "Thus and thus said the girl who is from the land of Israel."

Naaman was cleansed of leprosy because this slave girl spoke up.  How do you think she felt?  How would you have felt?

Acts 13:47-49, 52 (NKJV)
^13:47 For so the Lord has commanded us: 'I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.' " ⁴⁸ Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. ⁴⁹ And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region. ^13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Finally, there is this:  We will receive a reward for being a witness:

Daniel 12:1-3 (NKJV)
^12:1 "At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book. ² And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt. ³ Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever.

An Eternal Reward!

Eight Ways to Hear from God #8 - Life Itself

 This is the last week of our Bible study “Eight Ways to Hear from God.”      We have already looked at:  Preaching, the Bible, Prayer, Visions and Dreams, Godly Counsel, Relationships, and Fellowship.  This post will look at the eighth way to hear from God – Life itself.

 Let’s start with our text for the overall study:

 Hebrews 1:1-2 (NKJV)

^1:1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, ² has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

 So, in the Bible there are a number of times where God spoke to people through a booming voice that came from Heaven.  He spoke at Jesus’ baptism, “This is my Son in whom I’m well-pleased.”  He spoke to the disciples at the Mount of Transfiguration.  He spoke to Paul on the Damascus Road.  But our text here tells us that God spoke at various times in various ways.  In other words, God speaks to us in different ways.  I made a list of eight ways God speaks to us.  So tonight, let’s look at the seventh method – Fellowship.  Here’s the text for tonight’s study:

 

Job 36:15 (NKJV)

^36:15 He delivers the poor in their affliction, And opens their ears in oppression.

 We all understand that life is NOT fair, right?  There are things that happen that cause pain and suffering.  No one is immune to suffering.  We all suffer and struggle through certain things.  Oftentimes when we are experiencing AFFLICTION, we ask the question, “Where is God in all this?  Why am I left to suffer and God is allowing that?” 

 Our text takes place after Job has been attacked by Satan.  You know the story:

 

Job 1:8-12 (NKJV)

^1:8 Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?" ⁹ So Satan answered the Lord and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing? ¹⁰ Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. ¹¹ But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!" ¹² And the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person." So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

 After this Job’s servants died, his donkeys were stolen were stolen, his sheep were burned, his camels stolen, and his children were killed.  This all happened in one day and the Bible says that “in all this Job did not sin with his lips.”  He never cursed God.  He didn’t complain about it all. 

 

Job 1:20-21 (NKJV)

^1:20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. ²¹ And he said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord."

 So the devil came to God once more:

 

Job 2:4-6 (NKJV)

^2:4 So Satan answered the Lord and said, "Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. ⁵ But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!" ⁶ And the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life."

 Satan afflicted Job with boils from his head to his feet.  So, job covered himself in ashes and scraped his skin with a pot shard.  He’d lost everything his wealth, his family and now his health.  He was in such a pitiable state that his friends didn’t recognize him.  He was beaten down by life.  He was afflicted and oppressed.  His friends came to speak with him and Elihu speaks our text to him:

 Job 36:15 (NKJV)

^36:15 He delivers the poor in their affliction, And opens their ears in oppression.

 According to Elihu in this verse it may be that God is trying to SPEAK to you through affliction and oppression.  That’s what it means when it says, “opens their ears in oppression.”

 Let’s first look at that word oppression:  It comes from the Hebrew word that means “to press.”  It is also translated as afflict, crush, force, and hold fast.  According to the Mirriam-Webster English Dictionaries it means to crush or burden by abuse or power. 

Have you ever suffered from some affliction where you felt crushed by the “weight” of the problem?  Depression often feels like that.  You are too depressed to do anything but sleep.  It’s like a great exertion to do anything else:  Like a great weight is crushing you. 

 The Bible tells us that it is in these times that God “opens our ears.”  He makes it possible for us to hear from Him.  You could even say that affliction and oppression is how God taps us on the shoulder.

 I remember when the World Trade Center was attacked.  3,000 people were killed on that day.  The entire population of the United States was affected and the newspapers printed stories about how people returned to churches trying to find out, “where God was in all of that.”  God spoke during that.  People heard God remind them of His presence and went to churches looking for comfort from God.

 Psalms 119:50 (NKJV)

^119:50 This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life.

 In the Book of 1^st Kings chapter 18 the Bible reports that Elijah stood against the Prophets of Baal.  Elijah challenged them to call on their gods.  So, they did and their gods did not answer.  Then Elijah set up an altar to God and placed an offering on it.  Then he poured water over the offering.  Finally, he called on God to ignite a fire and consume the burnt offering…and God did that.  But in doing that he made the queen Jezebel, angry:

 

1 Kings 19:2-4 (NKJV)

^19:2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time." ³ And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. ⁴ But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, "It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!"

 He has followed God and now the queen is after him to kill him.  He’s beaten down, he’s depressed and he feels alone.  Have you ever felt like that?  He’s in hiding in the wilderness:

 1 Kings 19:9-10 (NKJV)

^19:9 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" ¹⁰ So he said, "I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life."

 God says to Elijah, “why are you HIDING here?”  Elijah complains to God.  I’ve served you zealously.  The people have, turned their backs on your commands, torn your altars down, and killed all the prophets.  I’m all alone, now!

 Then God says look at this.  He passes before him, shows him God’s power:  the mighty wind, the earthquake, and the fire.  Then He speaks with a small still voice and commands him:

 1 Kings 19:15-17 (NKJV)

^19:15 Then the Lord said to him: "Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. ¹⁶ Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. ¹⁷ It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill.

 He tells him to get back to it.  Go do these things, stop feeling sorry for yourself.  Then He gives him a word of comfort:

 

1 Kings 19:18 (NKJV)

^19:18 Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him."

 In the midst of turmoil and affliction God speaks to him.  In the midst of the struggles of life God meets him and comforts him.  God will speak to us in the things of life itself.  In times of blessing God speaks of His provision and care for us and in the struggles and turmoil of affliction God speaks comfort and of His power to deliver.  God speaks to us through life itself.

 

Hebrews 1:1-2 (NKJV)

^1:1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, ² has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

 God speaks to us in various times in different ways.  The real question in all of this is “Are you listening for God’s voice.”  God can shout from the rooftops but if you’[re not listening you’ll never know that.  In this study we have seen eight ways that God speak to us.  For Bible Scholars tonight, see if you can find in your Bible other way that God speaks.

Eight Ways to Hear from God #7 - Fellowship

 We have only 2 weeks left in this bible Study.  We have been studying Eight Ways to Hear from God.  Tonight we will continue that.    We have already looked at:  Preaching, the Bible, Prayer, Visions and Dreams, Godly Counsel, and Relationships.  Tonight we’ll look at the seventh way to hear from God – Fellowship.

 Let’s start with our text for the overall study:

 

Hebrews 1:1-2 (NKJV)

^1:1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, ² has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

 So, in the Bible there are a number of times where God spoke to people through a booming voice that came from Heaven.  He spoke at Jesus’ baptism, “This is my Son in whom I’m well-pleased.”  He spoke to the disciples at the Mount of Transfiguration.  He spoke to Paul on the Damascus Road.  But our text here tells us that God spoke at various times in various ways.  In other words, God speaks to us in different ways.  I made a list of eight ways God speaks to us.  So tonight, let’s look at the seventh method – Fellowship.  Here’s the text for tonight’s study:

 Tonight’s Text:

 

Acts 2:1-3 (NKJV)

^2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.

 I think that the easiest way to understand this is to first look at what that word FELLOWSHIP means.  Fellowship means: a community of interest, activity, feeling, or experience.  The idea of fellowship really comes from that phrase “one accord.”  The Greek words that are translated as one accord mean “same passion.”  We are passionate about the same thing.  We are in agreement.  We are like-minded – We BELIEVE the same things and have the same GOALS:  That’s the way the church is supposed to be.  God moved in this moment on Pentecost as they were of “one accord.”  They were together in thought, and in action.  They were praying together for the same goals.

 I think that’s what we lack sometimes.  I think that we aren’t all of one accord.  We don’t ALL have the same passion for people to get saved.  There is power in fellowship. 

 

John 20:19 (NKJV)

^20:19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you."

 After Jesus rose from the dead when He came to the disciples, He came to them when they were together.  On the road to Emmaus He came to them when two were together:

 Luke 24:13-15 (NKJV)

^24:13 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And they talked together of all these things which had happened. ¹⁵ So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them.

 While He was there with them, He spoke of many things.

 Luke 24:25-27 (NKJV)

^24:25 Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" ²⁷ And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

 He talked to them about the Prophets.  He told them about the prophecies concerning Himself.  He talked about why He had to die.  Starting with the prophecies He explained to them whom He was.  He clearly REVEALED His purpose and all that would have to happen to Him.  He bought them revelation.

 Luke 24:30-32 (NKJV)

^24:30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. ³¹ Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. ³² And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?"

Jesus brings revelation into a church where people are together and of the same mind.  This is one of the reasons we do Bible Study, to give us understanding and to put us into fellowship.  (like Passion)  there are people that have come from different sects of Christianity.  We have people that were Baptist before:  People who were Pentecostal before.  We had a young woman visit our church that was Anglican (The Church of England).  People come here from a lot of different beliefs.  The Bible Study tries to bring us all to the same thought and passion about Jesus.  If we’re of one accord we can hear from Jesus.

 He came to them on the sea of Tiberius:

 

John 21:1-4 (NKJV)

^21:1 After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: ² Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. ³ Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We are going with you also." They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. ⁴ But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.

 Peter has become discouraged; he’s given up.  So he goes back to his old life.  This comes after his betrayal of Jesus at the trial, when he denied Jesus three times before the rooster crowed.  He’s in need of Jesus’ mercy.  The others have joined him, they are also discouraged.  Jesus appears to them as they’re fishing and He says to them:

 

John 21:5-6 (NKJV)

^21:5 Then Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any food?" They answered Him, "No." ⁶ And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.

 They didn’t at first recognize Him, so he brought them back to that first moment when he called them at the Sea of Galilee. 

 Luke 5:4-8 (NKJV)

^5:4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." ⁵ But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net." ⁶ And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. ⁷ So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. ⁸ When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"

 This was the moment when Jesus said to him, “I will make you fishers of men.”  This is a moment of calling.  The same thing is happening in John 21:5-6.  It’ a moment of calling because look what happens next:

 John 21:15-17 (NKJV)

^21:15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My lambs." ¹⁶ He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My sheep." ¹⁷ He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep.

 Peter is being called to lead and build the local church.  It is more than that, though it is a moment of restoration.  Peter is being restored.  It isn’t in Jesus’ eyes that Peter needed restoration but in the eyes of Peter and the others. 

 There’s one other interesting little item here.  Who knows what it is?  Why did Jesus ask Peter 3 times if he loved him?  Because He denied Jesus three times. 

 He met with them to command them when they were together:

 

Acts 1:1-5 (NKJV)

^1:1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, ² until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, ³ to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. ⁴ And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; ⁵ for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

 Being assembled together with them, He commanded… we receive direction as a church when we’re in one accord.  Well, receive the same direction from God when they’re all together.  It seems like we’re hearing different things sometimes, because we’re not of one accord.  We’re hearing things separately. 

 So, when we are together Jesus meets with us and speaks to us.

 1.        He brings revelation!

2.        He brings Restoration!

3.        He brings Calling!  And –

4.        He brings commandment!

 This is what makes fellowship so important.  Once Jesus rose from the dead He never met with the disciples except when they were together.

Eight Ways to Hear from God #6 - Relationships

NOTE:  I have fallen behind on all of my writing projects.  After I had my stroke, it took me a while to feel like engaging in writing again.  Hopefully, my Bible studies and blog posts will be a little timelier.  The Bible study class will be on hiatus until after Lunar New Year and will pick up again after that. 

Let's continue our Bible Study on Eight Ways to Hear from God.  We’ve already looked at Preaching, the Bible, Prayer, Visions and Dreams, and Godly Counsel so today we’re going to look at the sixth way that we hear from God – Relationships.

 Let’s start with our text for the overall study:

 

Hebrews 1:1-2 (NKJV)
^1:1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, ² has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

 So, in the Bible there are a number of times where God spoke to people through a booming voice that came from Heaven.  He spoke at Jesus’ baptism, “This is my Son in whom I’m well-pleased.”  He spoke to the disciples at the Mount of Transfiguration.  He spoke to Paul on the Damascus Road.  But our text here tells us that God spoke at various times in various ways.  In other words, God speaks to us in different ways.  I made a list of eight ways God speaks to us.  So tonight, let’s look at the sixth method – Relationships.  Here’s the text for tonight’s study:

 

Proverbs 27:17 (NKJV)
^27:17 As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

 Relationships are the thing that makes the world go around.  But relationships are interesting, because relationships aren’t always fun and happiness.  Sometimes there’s friction.

 Have you ever watched a chef sharpen a knife before he cuts into something?  What does he do to sharpen the knife?  He rubs it against a metal sharpener and the metal sharpens the metal.  This is the same thing that this proverb is talking about.  The friction that happens between friends can sharpen our walk with God. 

 I’m not talking about the kind of friction that comes from gossip, and bitterness.  I’m talking about the friction that comes from people warning you about the way you’re behaving:  The sin that you’re flirting with or playing with.   Often, we don’t want to hear our friends call us to accountability, but very often that’s the thing that’s needed.

 In 1 Samuel fifteen, Saul and Samuel are friends.  Saul has been called by God to do something:

 

1 Samuel 15:2-3 (NKJV)
^15:2 Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. ³ Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.' "

 Here’s what God is talking about – as Israel crossed the desert to the Promised Land, the nation of Amalek came up behind them, and started to attack the rear of Israel’s people.  They caused great problems.  Eventually, Israel had to turn back and fight Amalek.

 

Exodus 17:8-13 (NKJV)
^17:8 Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. ⁹ And Moses said to Joshua, "Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand." ¹⁰ So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. ¹¹ And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. ¹² But Moses' hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. ¹³ So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

 So, there was a great fight, Israel under Joshua’s leadership defeated Amalek. But God wasn’t through with Amalek and sent Saul to utterly destroy them. 

 

1 Samuel 15:3 (NKJV)

Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.' "

 God is pretty clear about this, isn’t he?  He basically says “Kill Everything, moms, dads, babies, cows, sheep, camels and donkeys.  Nobody or nothing gets out alive!” 

 Obedience is what it means to be in the will of God.  You’re doing what God has called you to do.  God told Saul, “You’re going to finish with Amalek.  And what I want is for you to destroy EVERYTHING.”  The problem is that Saul has his own idea.

 

1 Samuel 15:7-9 (NKJV)
^15:7 And Saul attacked the Amalekites, from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is east of Egypt. ⁸ He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. ⁹ But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.

 So, Saul attacked Amalek.  He destroyed the people BUT…BUT he brought home the best of the sheep and Agag the King.  Look at what it says:

 He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. ⁹ But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them.

 They were UNWILLING to utterly destroy them.  That’s not what God said to do.  They are disobeying God.  They wanted the good fat sheep.  They wanted all that was good.  Saul wanted to bring the king back to Israel.  It is a way that kings showed their power.  Agag would be a trophy.  Saul has gone completely off in his OWN direction.  He’s not hearing from God, he’s taking what God said and filtering it through his own wants and needs.

 That’s the story.  Saul was outside the will of God.  Saul was now involved in the sin of presumption and disobedience.  The real problem for Saul is that he doesn’t even realize that he’s outside of God’s will.  Look at what he says when he sees Samuel:

 

1 Samuel 15:13 (NKJV)
^15:13 Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed are you of the Lord! I have performed the commandment of the Lord."

 Can you imagine what Samuel is thinking?  Samuel’s a prophet of God.  Samuel has heard from God.  He knows what God commanded Saul.

1 Samuel 15:10-11 (NKJV)
^15:10 Now the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, ¹¹ "I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments." And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the Lord all night.

 So, Samuel knows that God is not happy with Saul.  God’s speaking to Saul but Saul’s not hearing what God’s saying.  People do that.  We like to add our interpretation to what God’s saying.  It’s just like this God tells Saul kill everything, but what does Saul do.  He doesn’t kill the good sheep.  He doesn’t kill Agag.  God wouldn’t want me to kill all of these good sheep!

 Someone with whom Saul has a relationship may be able to speak into Saul’s life.  So, God sends Samuel.  Look at what happens, when Saul tells Samuel I’ve obeyed God:

 

1 Samuel 15:14-15 (NKJV)
^15:14 But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?" ¹⁵ And Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed."

 Samuel says, “Oh you did what God said?  How come I hear sheep?  They were supposed all be killed.”  Saul says, “We brought them to sacrifice.”  But that’s not what God wanted.  God wants obedience.  Samuel has to remind him that he’s being disobedient.

 

1 Samuel 15:22-23 (NKJV)
^15:22 So Samuel said: "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. ²³ For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king."

 

BOOM!  To obey is better than sacrifice.  He’s being pretty straight out:  Pretty direct.  You’re a rebel.  Rebellion is like witchcraft.  Do you know what witchcraft is?  It’s trying to CONTROL someone else.  He’s trying to control God.  He’s trying to put his will on God. 

 Samuel is speaking for God, right here.  He’s using the RELATIONSHIP that Saul and Samuel have to speak into Saul’s life.  God speaks to us through the relationships we have in life.  God can speak to us through people we listen to and trust.  I praise God for some of the brothers.  People have spoken REIGHT into my life.  They care about me.  They want to see me be successful in the things of God. 

They care enough about me to rebuke me when it will get me on track.

 We have to be careful, though.  Sometimes we get all offended when someone tries to help us.  Sometimes they have to be blunt.  We often let our pride get in the way when people are trying to help us.  God chooses to use our friends to help us to hear from him.

Eight Ways to Hear from God #5 - Godly Counsel

 Today we will continue our Bible Study on Eight Ways to Hear from God.  We’ve already looked at Preaching, the Bible, Prayer, and Visions and Dreams, so today we’re going to look at the fifth way that we hear from God – Godly Counsel.

 Let’s start with our text for the overall study:

 

Hebrews 1:1-2 (NKJV)
^1:1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, ² has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

 So, in the Bible there are a number of times where God spoke to people through a booming voice that came from Heaven.  He spoke at Jesus’ baptism, “This is my Son in whom I’m well-pleased.”  He spoke to the disciples at the Mount of Transfiguration.  He spoke to Paul on the Damascus Road.  But our text here tells us that God spoke at various times in various ways.  In other words, God speaks to us in different ways.  I made a list of eight ways God speaks to us.  So tonight, let’s look at the fifth method – Godly Counsel.  Here’s the text for tonight’s study:

 

Proverbs 11:14 (NKJV)
^11:14 Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

 God uses men of God to speak truths to others.  Pastors can often bring correction and guidance to members of their congregation:  Through the use of scriptures; through the use of prayerful wisdom.  A pastor also often has spiritual discernment and can “rightly divide” the word of God. 

 We like to think that we have it all together.  We like people to think that we can understand any set of circumstances.  We have great confidence in our own abilities, sometimes too much confidence.  But the truth is that we sometimes we allow ourselves to be too emotionally involved with a situation to clearly discern God’s will in something.  That’s where Godly counsel comes in. When we NEED to hear from God He sometimes uses someone else to speak for Him.  We need counsel:

 

Proverbs 12:1 (NKJV)
^12:1 Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, But he who hates correction is stupid.

 

Proverbs 12:15 (NKJV)
^12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise.

 

Proverbs 17:10 (NKJV)
^17:10 Rebuke is more effective for a wise man Than a hundred blows on a fool.

 Solomon is the wisest man who has ever lived.  God has given this wisdom:

 

2 Chronicles 1:7-12 (NKJV)
^1:10 Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?" ¹¹ And God said to Solomon: "Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life--but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king-- ¹² wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like."

 God gave wisdom to Solomon who passes it to us.  The entire Book of Proverbs is Godly counsel.  If we consider that to be true then we can see a need for Godly counsel.  What I’m really talking about here today though, is counsel from godly men and women.  People that we can go to and hear good biblical and godly advice. 

 

Ephesians 4:11-13 (NKJV)
^4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³ till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

 So, God uses men to equip us for the work of the ministry.  That word translated as “equip” means to thoroughly furnish what is needed for ministry.  What is needed for ministry? 

 For one thing we need to recognize God’s calling and will for our lives.  Is this thing I WANT to do really what God has called me to?  We may need someone else to tell us if we’re on the right track.  Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers are usually men of God.  These are people whose lives are built around God’s will.  They pray, they hear from God.  They RECOGNIZE the sound of God’s voice.  God can use them to speak for Him.  God places godly wisdom in godly men! He does that for us.

 

Proverbs 22:17-21 (NKJV)
^22:17 Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your heart to my knowledge; ¹⁸ For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you; Let them all be fixed upon your lips, ¹⁹ So that your trust may be in the Lord; I have instructed you today, even you. ²⁰ Have I not written to you excellent things Of counsels and knowledge, ²¹ That I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth, That you may answer words of truth To those who send to you?

 God says, “Listen to the words of the wise and apply your heart to MY knowledge.” (paraphrased)  If we listen to wise words we’re hearing the words of God.  Men can speak wisdom and counsel and it’s God’s words that are the ones who come through. 

 Does one person have all the answers?  Not likely.  I know that I’m a person who prays.  I look for God to speak to me about a lot of issues in my life and others’ lives.  I can recognize the voice of God, because I’ve heard it.  Do I always have great and abounding understanding of every issue that people face?  Not by a long shot, I don’t.  But I do know that God will speak to me if I ask.  The Bible tells us to seek counsel from more than one person:

 

Proverbs 24:6 (NKJV)
^24:6 For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, And in a multitude of counselors there is safety.

 

People have talents and understandings.  Some people know and understand things that someone else may not grasp.  The Bible tells us that there is safety in a multitude of counselors.

 Should we just go to anyone for advice, though?  Or should we carefully choose those who advise us?  Look at this:

 

Psalms 1:1 (NKJV)
^1:1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

 Blessed is the man who walks NOT in the counsel of the ungodly.  That word blessed literally means HAPPY.  Happy is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly.  You don’t want to go to sinners for advice.  If you look at someone’s life you can see whether or not they’re living God’s Will for their lives.  How can we expect them to speak the things of God into our lives, when those things aren’t in their own.  As a sinner I went to my friends for advice sometimes and I heard a lot of strange things.  A lot of the advice I accepted and followed led to even worse situations.  But as I watched my pastor and saw that He was living God’s will for his own life, I knew that he knew and understood God’s will and could speak it into my life as well.

 See the question that should be foremost on your mind when you ask for and receive advice is how does their life line up with what you know about the nature and character of God. 

 God speaks to people through the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is the liaison between man and God.  He is the one who brings conviction.  He’s the one who acts as a conscience for us, and He is the one who guides us into the truth:

 

John 16:13 (NKJV)
^16:13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

 He will guide you into truth.  Truth leads to discernment, because discernment is knowing the right thing from the wrong thing.  

Eight Ways to Hear from God #4 - Visions and Dreams

 Today we will continue our Bible Study on Eight Ways to Hear from God.  We’ve already looked at Preaching, the Bible, and Prayer, so today we’re going to look at the fourth way that we hear from God – Visions and Dreams.

 Let’s start with our text for the overall study:

 

Hebrews 1:1-2 (NKJV)
^1:1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, ² has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

 So, in the Bible there are a number of times where God spoke to people through a booming voice that came from Heaven.  He spoke at Jesus’ baptism, “This is my Son in whom I’m well-pleased.”  He spoke to the disciples at the Mount of Transfiguration.  He spoke to Paul on the Damascus Road.  But our text here tells us that God spoke at various times in various ways.  In other words, God speaks to us in different ways.  I made a list of eight ways God speaks to us.  So today let’s look at the fourth method – Visions and Dreams.  Here’s the text for today’s study:

 

Acts 2:17 (NKJV)
^2:17 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.

 This is Peter on the day of Pentecost and he’s quoting the words spoken by Joel the Prophet.  This scripture speaks of how the Holy Spirit will work in us.  You sons and daughters will prophesy – That is to speak under divine inspiration.  Speak words that God has put in us.  They may tell the future or they may speak a warning of what MAY happen if people don’t repent and change direction.  Jonah prophesied when he called the Ninevites to repentance:

 

Jonah 3:4 (NKJV)
^3:4 And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day's walk. Then he cried out and said, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!"

 But today, I’m more concerned with the next part of the text, “Your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream, dreams.”

 First, what is a vision?  What does it mean to see a vision?  That word translated as vision means an inspired appearance.  In other words, God shows you something that speaks to His plan, for humanity, or for your life.

 Here’s an example:

 

Isaiah 6:1-5 (NKJV)
^6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. ² Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. ³ And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!" ⁴ And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. ⁵ So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts."

 This is Isaiah’s vision.  He’s seeing the throne room of God.  Above the throne of God stood the Seraphim.  This is interesting.  The word seraph means to burn.  Seraphim means “burning ones.”  These are the ones who are zealous in their worship of God.  Let me ask you, have you ever heard the phrase, “He’s on fire for God.”?  That’s similar to what these ones are – They are on fire in their worship of God.  It can be seen in the way they use their wings.  One set covers their eyes.     Hiding their eyes represents reverence.  They aren’t worthy to look at God’s face.  It’s like when God passed before Moses in Exodus 33:

 God has called Moses up to the mountain.  While he’s up there, Moses asks to see God’s glory.  Look at God’s response:

 

Exodus 33:19-23 (NKJV)
^33:19 Then He said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." ²⁰ But He said, "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live." ²¹ And the Lord said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. ²² So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. ²³ Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen."

 In this vision, God tells Moses you cannot see my face.  The seraphim are the same they CANNOT look on the face of God.  So, the wings covering their eyes speak of reverence for God.

 Two wings cover their feet. This indicates humility.  They are humble before God.  The feet are considered to be inferior parts.  They speak of our limitations and unworthiness.  The reason we don’t walk around naked all the time is that we feel some parts are not to be seen by everyone.  So, we keep them hidden.  This is what is signified by the seraphim hiding their feet.  Humility before God.

 With two wings they fly.  These are the wings of service.  They use these wings to freely move about in their worship of God.  They are using their energy to serve God in worship.  Worship is what they are to do for God.  It’s their calling.  We are supposed to be in motion for God.  We are also to be ACTIVE in God’s service.  It’s also a form of worship. 

 They cry out so loudly, that they shake the doorposts of heaven.  This is the zeal with which they worship.  Isaiah sees all of this and so “Whoa, I’m not measuring up to this.  I’m full of sin.  I’m unworthy.”  He sees his OWN SINFUL condition.

 

Isaiah 6:6-8 (NKJV)
 ⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. ⁷ And he touched my mouth with it, and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged." ⁸ Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."

 Isaiah is a prophet he’s supposed to be the spokesman for God, but he can’t do that with unclean lips.  So, the seraphim take the coal and cleanse his lips.  The fire removes the sin and he is able to speak for God.

 God has SPOKEN to Isaiah.  He’s given him revelation of whom he is.  In the presence of God, he recognizes that he isn’t worthy to be God’s spokesman.  He sees the depth of his own sin.   But then he sees the mercy of God in that the angel cleanses his lips and makes him useful for God’s purposes.  Even though we are imperfect God can use us.  Isaiah willingly, even eagerly answers God’s question – Who will go for us? 

So, revelation can come through visions.  God speaks to us through visions. What’s He saying to us?  That we can hear from God if we approach Him in reverence, humility and service.  We must prepare ourselves to hear from God.

 Now let’s look at a dream.  Jacob is in the desert.  He’s on the way to his uncle’s home to find a wife.  He’s just ripped off his brother’s blessing.  He’s stolen his birthright.  Jacob is NOT a nice guy.  He’s a con man and a thief.  While he’s in the desert he has a dream:

 

Genesis 28:12-17 (NKJV)
^28:12 Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. ¹³ And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: "I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. ¹⁴ Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. ¹⁵ Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you." ¹⁶ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it." ¹⁷ And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!"

 Jacob has a dream of a ladder descending to Heaven.  This is a connection a bridge between earth and heaven, between men and God.  Jesus makes a reference to this later:

 

John 1:51 (NKJV)
^1:51 And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

 Jesus says that HE is the ladder.  He is the bridge between God and man. 

 So, Jacob has seen the future here.  God has spoken to him of the future.  This is a prophecy of Christ.  Jacob is blown away by this.  He suddenly recognizes the presence of God and it changes him:

 

Genesis 28:18-22 (NKJV)
^28:18 Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. ¹⁹ And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously. ²⁰ Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, ²¹ so that I come back to my father's house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God. ²² And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God's house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You."

 He vows to honor God.  And he is a changed man.  We don’t ever hear of him being a thief or con man again.  He leaves this place different and becomes the namesake of the people of God.

 God has spoken to him through this dream.  When God speaks to us it changes us.  It moves us.  Sometimes as we can see from these illustrations there is a symbolism that’s there.  We need to pray and meditate for the revelation.  Look at Daniel 10.   God has given him a vision that he doesn’t really understand:

 

Daniel 10:2-3 (NKJV)
^10:2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. ³ I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

 He prayed and fasted for clarification.  God does use visions and dreams to speak to us.