Following Directions

MP3 File: 

20090503 Sermon.mp3

Are you listening?

This past week the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control issued warnings about the Swine Flu pandemic: wash your hands often, cover your cough, stay home if you're sick. But they should have been more specific—because I don't think this kid got the message.

Are you listening? Do you get the message? Last time we saw how God has clearly shown that he wants to talk to us because...

• he sent Jesus;
• he gave us the Bible, his Word;
• he sent the Holy Spirit;
• he reveals himself in creation;
• he invites us to listen.

The question is not: "Does God speak?" The question is: "Am I listening?" We know God speaks! We know he wants to talk to us!

Today I want to deal with more specific detail on hearing God's voice. How can we discover God's will? How can we receive spiritual direction and guidance for our lives?

There's a story told about Albert Einstein, who, while at Princeton University, was taken one day to the train station by fellow professor who put him on a train to go deliver a lecture somewhere. Soon the conductor came through the train car checking tickets. But the absent-minded professor couldn't find his ticket—he checked all his pockets, pants, jacket, overcoat. He even opened his suitcase—taking out socks, underwear, shirts, spreading them all over the corridor.

The conductor, seeing the commotion, recognized the famous scientist and came up to him. "It's OK, Dr. Einstein," he said. "I know who you are. You don't need to show me your ticket. Don't worry about it. I'm sure Princeton University will cover the cost of the ticket."

"You don't understand," Einstein replied. "I know you know who I am. I know who I am, and I know Princeton University will pay for the ticket. But I've still got find that ticket—because I don't know where I'm supposed to be going!"

Do you ever feel like that? You know a few things, even important things. But there's one crucial piece of information you don't know: Where are you going? What are you supposed to be doing? Finding God's will—who to marry, what to study, where to work and live, and even smaller decisions (should I buy the cheap car that's going to break down a lot or the newer car that's more reliable)—finding God's will can be confusing.

We know God wants to talk to us. We know he wants to have a deep, intimate relationship with us. We know God has a purpose and a plan for each of us. We know he wants to show us how to fit into his plan. The Bible says:

Eph 1:9,11

Phil 2:13

And yet, despite these promises, it can be quite difficult to understand the details of what God is saying to us. We're human. We easily become confused.

We misplace our ticket. We make mistakes. We come to a crossroads and misread the road signs. We take wrong turns in life. We follow the wrong advice. We miss opportunities. We see too late what we could have done. We make these mistakes because we are human, and we live in an imperfect world.

Maybe you've wondered—as I have—if God really wants to talk to us, why do we find ourselves so often struggling to hear what he has to say? Why does his will and purpose frequently seem obscure? Why don't we hear God's voice shouting to us out of heaven—shouting instructions to us like a coach on the sidelines shouting to his players?

hy doesn't God shout instead of whisper? Why is he so subtle? Why does he seem so secretive? It's easy to feel frustrated when we can't hear God's gentle whisper or feel confident about his will.

We want to know God's will, to see his plan clearly. We want to be visionaries—able to see the road ahead all the way to the horizon. Right? We want to know every twist and turn up ahead. We want to know about the potholes and the detours beforehand. We don't want to miss the shortcuts. On the road of life, we don't want to speed by our exit ramp. We don't want to miss the turn. We want to see the road ahead clearly.

But all too often, we can't see the road ahead more than just a few feet. It's frustrating to find ourselves groping our way through life, like we're driving through a thick fog. And yet this is part of the dilemma of being human, of living here in an imperfect world, ruined by sin. We are called by God, and yet our human limitations cloud our vision.

1 Cor 13:12

The human dilemma is that we are stuck in an imperfect world where we only know "in part" and where we can only see "but a poor reflection."

Mirrors in Paul's day in the first century did not give the sharp, distinct images like our glass mirrors today. Throughout the biblical period, "mirrors" were made of polished metal (usually bronze). So people could not see a crystal clear reflection. Glass mirrors became available only in the late Roman period. So Paul's readers knew what he was talking about—they knew what it was to look at an unclear image in a metal mirror. Sometimes the metal would become corroded and the image would be even more unclear until they polished the metal. [Holman Bible Dictionary: http://www.studylight.org/dic/hbd/view.cgi?number=T4339] [http://www.bible-history.com/sketches/ancient/bronze-mirrors.html]

As flawed human beings in an imperfect world, we are limited. Our vision is clouded. Our mirror doesn't reflect very well. We have to work hard at discovering God's will. Because of our human weaknesses, we don't even know what to pray for. We might easily pray for the wrong thing because we are afraid, discouraged, emotionally depressed, and spiritually drained.

Romans 8:26

So what can we do to hear the sound of God's gentle whisper? How can we discover God's will? How can we learn what to pray for? How can we learn to know God's plan and purpose?

1. Read God's Word. Study the Bible. Know the Word of God. Let the atmosphere you breathe—the air you depend on for life—be the written Word of God.

2 Tim 3:16

The Word of God is where we need to go when we are struggling or hopeless, when we're at the end of our resources. The Word of God is the solid, unmovable bedrock of our faith.

When we go to God's Word and live in it—breathing it, eating it, digesting it—the written Word will shape our thinking. It will renew our minds, lift our attitudes, and strengthen our values so more and more we will instinctively recognize God's will—what pleases him and what doesn't.

Romans 12:2 

2. Pray—ask God to guide you. Pray with faith and confidence, expecting him to reveal his plan to you.

James 1:5-6

In answer to prayer, God may give us miraculous signs (e.g. burning bush, pillar of cloud and fire, Gideon's fleece). Or he may guide us gently by his Spirit. When we are in the dark about God's will, the Spirit of God never is. He can even guide us as we pray, so our prayers will line up with God's will even when we're not yet sure what his will is.

Romans 8:26-27 

3. Ask others for advice. God has made us part of Christ's body, the church. God gives us one another to help and support each other. So we must learn to listen to godly counselors—those who have had more experience than us, those who have walked the road ahead of us, those who have learned lessons the hard way, those who are sensitive to the Spirit of God. Ask them for advice.

Prov 12:15

Prov 11:14

4. Check for open doors. Or shut doors. In other words, evaluate the circumstance you are in—is it an open door, an opportunity from God? Or is it a closed door, something God is using to keep you from making a mistake? Open doors or shut doors can be an indication of God's plan and purpose.

1 Cor 16:8-9

Acts 16:6-7 

5. Watch for God's other clues. Visions, dreams, words of knowledge or prophecy.

Just like a detective who investigates the evidence and assembles the clues can begin to piece together a solution to the mystery, we can investigate God's clues and begin to see things come together. It's like a CSI team gathering all the forensic evidence to solve the crime. Only CSI isn't "Crime Scene Investigators"; it's "Christian Spiritual Insight." When the pieces of the puzzle come together, and the individual parts begin to add up, then God's will is revealed. Or, if the matter you're investigating is not of God—the evidence will begin to dismantle the case.

Isaiah 45:19

Isaiah 30:21

God can use dreams (the magi were warned in a dream not to return to Herod; Joseph escaped to Egypt with Mary and the baby, Jesus, because of a dream). God can use visions (Peter saw a vision on the roof; Ananias was told in a vision to find Paul in a specific house on a certain street; Cornelius was told in a vision to send for Peter in the town of Joppa; Paul was told to preach in Macedonia because of a vision). God can use words of knowledge or prophecy.

But these clues are not foolproof. We can get bad advice. We can misinterpret circumstances. We can have wild and crazy dreams because we had too much caffeine and pizza before going to bed. That's why we have to be like an investigator who tests the evidence and checks the facts. We don't just take a "prophetic word" at face value. These things must be checked against God's written Word and other indicators.

1 Thess 5:19-22 

And that leads us to a final piece of advice on hearing God's voice...

6. Look for confirmation. When God speaks in more than one way, confirming and reinforcing his word to you, you know you're on to something. Example: Gideon's fleece.

God often confirms his will to us in a combination of ways. One "message" alone may not prove you've heard from God—but several of them together can each reinforce the others, until you become more sure that you're connecting with God.

Sometimes God's voice is very quiet and subdued. He may speak softly, perhaps through just a nudge or a subtle hunch—but for the person who commits himself to following God's will, who determines to obey, who sincerely prays, God will confirm his will—perhaps an inner confirmation.

An inner "witness" or affirmation by his Spirit—a strong "witness," a sense of something being right.

Romans 8:16

Remember the story of the prophet, Elijah? At his darkest hour, he heard God speak in a "still, small voice" (KJV). The confirmation came through God's soft whisper. After all the ruckus and the noise, then Elijah heard God speak through the sound of a gentle whisper.

Let me close this message by recalling the story from 1 Kings 18-19: Elijah had been in hiding for nearly three years as drought and famine gripped the land—judgment he had predicted; he challenged all the prophets of Baal and Asherah to a showdown on Mount Carmel; the false prophets tried all day long to get their gods to pay attention—they shouted, they danced, they cut themselves, "but there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention" (1 Kings 18:29).

When Elijah prayed to the Lord, however, God answered with fire from heaven and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones of the altar, and even licked up the water. In was a great victory for Elijah! The 850 false prophets were put to death. Then he prayed and rain came upon the parched land. He even outran Ahab's chariot to Jezreel.

But the intense spiritual battle left Elijah emotionally drained. He'd been victorious, but he was left completely exhausted. Totally spent. So when word came that Queen Jezebel was out to get him, he ran for his life and tried to hide.

Then, sitting under a small tree, Elijah tried to pray. Here was a spiritual giant, the prophet of God, a hero of the faith who had conquered despite odds of 850 to 1 against him—all he could pray was: "I've had enough, Lord. Please, just let me die. I'm as good as dead already—I'm just like all my ancestors" (1 Kings 19:4).

Elijah was discouraged—deeply depressed. Spiritually drained. Here was a prophet of God—one who heard from God on a regular basis—ready to give up. There was a price on his head. The queen wanted him dead. He was filled with fear instead of faith. He had no hope of getting out of this mess. No wonder he was discouraged!

Maybe you can relate. Maybe you've lost hope. Maybe you don't know which way to turn or where to go. Maybe your faith has been pushed out by fear. Maybe you're afraid because someone or something is out to get you. Maybe it's a monster called debt that wants to suffocate you. Maybe it's a friend who's abandoned you or a family member who's turned against you. Maybe your dwindling retirement fund has you running scared. Maybe it's your own past that wants to destroy your marriage or your reputation.

If you're discouraged, depressed, spiritually drained, you want to hear from God. You need to hear from God. God sent an angel to Elijah to minister to him and give him the strength to travel to the mountain of God. And there on the mountain, God spoke to his troubled prophet. But he didn't speak in a powerful way. He spoke in a "still, small voice."

1 Kings 19:11-13 

We tend to look for God in the big events. We are awed by the wind storm—and look for God in its spectacular display of power. We are shaken by the earthquake; we see the mountains move—and expect somehow to find God at work there. We are stirred by the fierce fire—and try to see God in its incredible energy. We want to hear God's voice speak to us in dramatic, spectacular ways. We want to hear him shout so there is no mistake.

But all too often the voice of the Lord doesn't come in the spectacular way. Often he doesn't speak in the wind, the earthquake, or even through the fire. All too often the voice of God comes after the drama—in the sound of a gentle whisper!

When you've done everything you can, checked every way you know how, prayed and asked for advice, the last thing to do is to act in faith and not in fear.

Chorus
Wherever you are, wherever you're going,
God is right there beside you seeing and knowing.
Wherever you go he already knows
What lies ahead and what's behind.
You'll always find he's never too far
From wherever you are.

You are waiting to hear thunder
And see lightning in the sky.
Oh, but God can work his wonders
Through a still, small voice inside.
So keep listening and learning
And continue on the journey,
Following the One who is the Way.
Oh, he's the only road you need today.