 Listening to the Voice of God6 distinguishing marks of divine discourse.
"Over the years," writes pastor Roger Barrier, "I have developed a checklist to help me distinguish when God is speaking to me. It is not complete or foolproof. No one point, of course, is sufficient in itself to prove or disprove the voice of God. But these principles have helped me discern more accurately the voice of God." God tends to speak gently. Remember how God spoke to Elijah? God was not in the whirlwind, earthquake, or the fire. "And after the fire came a gentle whisper," and God spoke in the whisper. Whenever the voice within me drives and demands like a pushy, used-car salesman, God is not speaking. God is never pushy; he seldom urges sudden action without giving us time to reason through the issues. God's voice produces freedom. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light." Satan loves to put people into bondage; God loves to set us free. God tends to speak while we are consciously seeking him. I remember shaving one morning when I heard this voice tell me that the way to expand our church was to buy neighboring houses, bulldoze them, and use the land for parking. I followed that "voice," but what a disaster! Later, while listening for God's Spirit, I sensed his leading in another building matter. This time I followed the promptings, and God opened several doors for us to purchase and pay off many acres of land. God speaks with truth. I often say in moments of despair, "I'm no good" or "Nobody loves me" or "I can't do anything right." These are half-truths that come from either self or Satan, but not God. God will never (and cannot) contradict his Word. God convicts of specific sins. John 16:8 teaches that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. When God convicts us of sin, the sin is usually specific: "Yesterday at 4:00 p.m. you did such and such." Self or Satan, on the other hand, brings a haunting guilt not tied to specific sins. I've often felt accused or had a nagging feeling of guilt. These feelings are not from God's Spirit. Often they are from the Accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10). God does not confuse. When the trumpet of God sounds, it does not play confusing melodies. Satan, not God, is the author of confusion. Discuss 1. When have you felt an external prompt to act? How did you know if it came from God (or from self or Satan)? 2. As leaders, how can we better tune our ears to hear the quiet whisperings of the Spirit of God? How can we help others in the church to do the same? From Building Church Leaders, published by Leadership Resources © 2000 Christianity Today Intl. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
