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Experiencing God: Week 4

Experiencing God: Week 4

There is a big difference between hearing about God, talking about God, thinking about God and actually “Experiencing God”

This week is Reality 4 – “God Speaks”
What expectations do you have when it comes to God speaking to you?

Matt 3:1-3 (ESV) Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”

We can be confident of this Truth today: “God speaks to his people” …He always has and He always will. But, it is up to God HOW he speaks to His people, and it is up to you and I whether or not we will listen for God’s voice even when he doesn’t communicate the way that we want him to.

Hebrews 1:1-2 (ESV) Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 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.

Point #1 – God has already spoken!

Do you ever find yourself asking God a question that you just can’t seem to get him to answer? Is it possible that God has already answered your question?

Sometimes it seems that we want God to write us an essay on exactly what decisions we should make with our lives everyday…But the truth is that God has already answered many of our questions through his Word.

1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV) So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

The problem is not always that we can’t hear the voice of God…Sometimes the problem is that we don’t like the answer that God is giving us. We think that if we keep asking, then maybe we will get a different answer.

Micah 6:8 (ESV) He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Point #2 – God speaks through His Holy Spirit: When you gave your life to Christ you received the Holy Spirit!

Acts 2:1-4 (ESV)When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

But the Holy Spirit is not just our “Cosmic Counselor”. His guidance comes as we Abide in Christ.

Romans 8:14-15 (Speaks of Relationship!)14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

#3 – God Speaks through His people (The Church)

As followers of Jesus we are called to be in relationship with one another. To encourage, exhort and even challenge one another to lead Christ Centered lives.

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV) And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Who do you have in your life that is being used by God to speak truth into your circumstances?

#4 – God speaks through our circumstances

Remember a couple weeks ago we talked about Moses and the burning bush…There is something for us to learn from this story!

Exodus 3:1-3 (ESV) Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

God stepped into Moses’ circumstances but Moses also did His part and stepped towards what God was doing.

In the same way…It is not an accident that you are here today! Whether you have been a Christian for 100 years or 10 minutes…God is drawing you into a deepening relationship with Himself and with others around you.

God is speaking to you today! What is He saying to you?

 

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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