Tim Windsor - Hearing God's Voice

Growth Group Notes

Message Title: HEARING GOD'S VOICE

Group Note: Please feel free to read any of the scriptures noted below in your Group. Please note you will not have time to read them all.

Overview:

The Bible clearly teaches that God delights to communicate with His people. We should expect Him to speak to us in a variety of ways and learn to hear His voice.

Scripture is full of admonitions to listen to God. For example, at the Transfiguration (see Matthew 17:1-5), God commanded the disciples to listen to Jesus. The Old Testament prophets frequently told the people to listen (see Jeremiah 7:2; 30:2; Ezekiel 37:4) and the book of Revelation calls the churches to "hear what the Spirit says" (see Revelation 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6). As Frank Buchman writes, "When man listens, God speaks. When man obeys, God acts ...We are not out to tell God. We are out to let God tell us. The lesson the world most needs is the art of listening to God."

Jesus asserted that hearing His voice was prerequisite to being an obedient disciple. He said, "My 'sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me" John 10:27). But how do we hear His voice? The primary place to hear God is in His Word, the Bible. The Bible itself teaches that God speaks to His people in other ways; not only through the preaching, teaching and study of the Word, but also through dreams and visions, circumstances, angels, inner impressions and so on. GOD DELIGHTS IN SPEAKING TO US, BUT WE MUST LEARN TO RECOGNIZE HIS VOICE!

On Sunday we looked at 1 Samuel 3:1--4:1 and Acts 8:26-40. Below is some back ground to the passages:

First Samuel 3 is the story of Samuel as a boy about 12 years old, who was ,living in the Temple under the oversight of Eli, the high priest. Samuel was living in the Temple because his godly mother, Hannah, had promised him to the Lord from before birth (see 1 Samuel 1,2). Eli was soon to lose his position and his life because he failed to discipline and control his evil sons. Chapter 3 describes Samuel's first experience of hearing God's voice and the inauguration of an intimate, growing relationship with God, so that it was said, "God let none of Samuels words fail" (see 1 Samuel 3: 19)

Acts 8:26-40 records Philip's experience with the Ethiopian eunuch, who held the high position of minister of finance for the Queen of Ethiopia. It is truly remarkable, for it includes an angelic visitation, the Holy Spirit speaking directly to Philip, God speaking to the eunuch through Isaiah 53 and Philip's instruction and the Spirit bodily transporting Philip to Azotus. It is one of many examples in Acts of the dramatic and supernatural spread of the Church throughout the world.

Growth Group Questions:

1. What did you learn from the example of Samuel or Philip about hearing God?

2. "I believe God still speaks to Christians today through means other than the Bible." Why do you
agree or disagree with this statement?

3. Have you ever had an experience in which you sensed God was speaking to you? Describe the experience. Did you act on what you heard?

Prayer Response:

Ask your group to pray that this week God would speak to you the way He spoke to His children in Scripture. Have the group pray specifically for ways that God may want to speak to you and ways you desire Him to speak to you. Come prepared next session to share your experience with the group.