4th Reality: 

God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, Prayer, Circumstances, and the Church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways

•  Notice that there is an order in this statement

First: Gods Spirit has given us Gods Word:

• Jesus affirmed this about the Old Testament
• Notice the order of how these realities lay out

John 10:1–5 (NIV) – Matthew 24:35 (NIV) – Matthew 28:18–20 (NIV)

2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NIV) — 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

• • 1 John is written by John (a disciple of Jesus who affirms Jesus and the Disciples message)

1 John 1:1–4 (NIV) — 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete.

• • The Spirit of God never contradicts the Word of God

1 John 4:1–3 (NIV) — 1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

1 John 4:5–6 (NIV) — 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

1 John 5:14 (NIV) — 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

Matthew 6:9–13 (NIV) — 9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

Third: God speaks through the Bible, prayer, and circumstances

•  Past and present – lining up the markers

Psalm 119:133 (NIV) – Joshua 4:5–8 (NIV)

Fourth: God speaks through the Bible, prayer, circumstances and the Church

Proverbs 18:15 (NIV) — 15 The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out.

Proverbs 20:18 (NIV) — 18 Plans are established by seeking advice; so if you wage war, obtain guidance. Putting it all together – the visual illustration

• God’s commands are an invitation into what God is doing
• Begin to seek God in your daily walk and in your planning
• He will make your paths straight

Proverbs 3:5–6 (NIV) — 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Small Group Discussion

Scripture to Consider

•  Hebrews 1:1-2, John 14:22-26, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 1 Kings 19:11-13, Ephesians 1:15-20

Questions

1. In general, what are some ways that God speaks to people? Write them down as a group.
2. What ways does God speak to you personally? Are there environments where you tend to hear God more clearly?
3. Are there times in your life when God seems silent? How do you interpret that silence? What assumptions are you making?
4. Considering 1 Kings 19:11-13, how can we position ourselves to hear from God, even in ways we might not expect?
5. What have you been praying for recently? What answers to prayer have you experienced?
6. How do you plan to hear from God this week?

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