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Scripture Reading: John 6:41-48

 

"God Spoke to My Heart"

 

Intro.

1.  We must hear and learn from the Father to be saved by Christ, Jno. 6:44-45 (Heb. 4:12).
2.  Widespread notion that God speaks directly to one’s heart, apart from the Scriptures.
3.  Used as an evangelistic appeal and religious justification.
  a.  Modern “faith-healers”: “God is speaking to my heart tonight…about a sick child…about someone weighed down by sin…..”
  b.  “God spoke to my heart – I know I’m saved!” This false view is explained: “God sends clear messages into our conscience sometimes accompanied by physical & emotional evidences which clarify the meaning and application of His revealed Word.” 

  c.  Some brethren who advance personal indwelling of the HS doctrine and a more “spiritual” Christian life (experience and emotion-based).
4.  No doubt that God speaks to us. The issues are:
  a.  How does He speak to us?
Heb. 12:25
  b.  How do we listen to His voice? cf.
Lk. 8:8, 18
  c.  What does the Scripture say?
Rom. 4:3; 1 Pet. 4:11

 

I.  WE HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD BY LISTENING TO THE SCRIPTURES OF GOD, Matt. 22:31-32.
  A.  God Spoke in Days of Jesus by the Scriptures,
Exo. 3:4-6.
    1.  God spoke to Moses on the mount,
Exo. 3:15.
    2.  God was speaking to the readers When Moses was read.
*  3.  So, if a person wanted to listen to the voice of God he was to read (hear) the OT law (Moses).

 

II. MOSES AND THE OT PROPHETS ARE HEARD BY MEANS OF THE SCRIPTURES, Lk. 16:29.
  A.  Moses Wrote of Christ; Was to be Heard (Believed),
Jno. 5:45-47.
    1.  Living oracles (words),
Acts 7:38.
    2.  Voices of the prophets heard by hearing Scriptures,
Acts 13:27.
        -Samuel and the prophets “spoke” (by the Scriptures),
Acts 3:24.
*  3.  So, if a person wanted to listen to the voice of OT prophets he had to read (hear) the OT Scriptures.

 

III. THE HOLY SPIRIT SPEAKS THROUGH THE SCRIPTURES.
  A.  The Holy Spirit Spoke (testified) of Christ’s Redemptive Work by the Scriptures,
Heb. 10:15-17 (Jer. 31:33-34).
    1.  He spoke by the mouth of David by the Scripture,
Acts 1:16.
*  2.  So, to listen to the Holy Spirit about Christ, one has to read (hear) the Scriptures He spoke.
2 Pet. 1:20-21; 1 Cor. 2:13

 

IV. GOD SPEAKS TO US TODAY BY HIS SON, Heb. 1:1-2. 
  A.  We Hear God’s Voice by Hearing Jesus,
Matt. 17:5; Jno. 14:7-11.
    1.  Hear Christ by hearing God’s word, that produces faith,
Rom. 10:17.
*  2.  To have faith unto eternal life we must listen to (hear, receive), believe and keep Christ’s word,
Jno. 8:43, 45-47; 51.

      a.  How do we listen to Christ?

      b.  How does God speak to our hearts by His Son?

 

V. BY HEARING HIS APOSTLES WE HEAR CHRIST, Jno. 13:20 (Lk. 10:16).
  A.  Christ Sent the Holy Spirit to His Apostles:
    1.  To remember/teach them all He said to them,
Jno. 14:25-26.
    2.  To testify of Christ,
Jno. 15:26-27.
    3.  To guide them into all truth,
Jno. 16:12-15 (By that truth, to convict the world, 16:8-11.)
    4.  We have “the mind of Christ” in the word of the apostles,
1 Cor. 2:16 (10); 7:40.
      a.  They spoke the “word of God”,
Acts 13:44-49.

      b.  They wrote the “commandments of the Lord”, 1 Cor. 14:37.
    5.  So, when we hear (receive) the writings of the apostles we are hearing (receiving) Christ, the Holy Spirit and the Father.
*  6.  God speaks to our hearts by means of the inspired Scriptures!

 

Conclusion 
1.  Must hear and learn from God to be saved by Christ, Jno. 6:44-45:
  a.  We hear God by listening to His Scriptures (
Matt. 22:31-32).
  b.  Holy Spirit speaks by the Scriptures (
Heb. 10:15-17; Acts 1:16).
  c.  God speaks to us by His Son, who sent the Holy Spirit to His apostles to guide them into all truth (
Heb. 1:1-2; Jno. 16:13).

2.  “He who has ears to hear, let him hear! …therefore, take heed how you hear” (Lk. 8:8, 18).

3.  “See that you do not refuse Him who speaks” (Heb. 12:25).

 

 

By: Joe R. Price

Posted: January 8, 2014