Month: February 2024

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HEARING AND FOLLOWING GOD’S VOICE GUARANTEE DIVINE SATISFACTION

ACTS 16:6-10; JOB 33:14-16; 1 SAM. 3

Hearing and following God’s voice guarantees divine satisfaction.

Preamble

  • What is hearing? Hearing is the ability to hear well or faculty to perceive sound.
  • What is following? Following is coming after or as a result of ……

Lesson aim: to understand God’s voice per time for our lives and how he leads us to the divine future

  1. UNDERSTANDING GOD’S VOICE
    • For God does speak—now one way, now another—though no one perceives it -Job 33:14;
    • God always speaks and His words are powerful- Psalm 19; Amos 3:7; Numbers 12:6-8; Heb.1:1-2
    • God has his own ways of speaking to man, which are not those ways man expect all times. –
    • He may speak audibly, silently and secretly, in thunders and lightnings, (Exodus 19:16-20),
    • Regardless of ways He chose to speak, His words are nevertheless quite as effectually.
  2. UNDERSTANDING HOW GOD SPEAKS
  3. PRIMARY WAY GOD SPEAKS IS THROUGH HIS WRITTEN WORDS
  • Bible is the most important and only infallible way God speaks- 2 Tim 3:16a
  • It is God communicating His thoughts to you through the printed page- 2 Tim 3:16b
  • No other books contain total truth from God
  • It is the final authority over all issues- Matt.5:17-18; John 10:35

SECONDARY WAYS THAT GOD SPEAKS

  • God never speaks against what He has written. – Rom.4:17; Luke 4:1-3;4,8,10
  • God can never speak through evil spirit- Lev.19:31; Isaiah 8:19; 1 Cor.12:3; 1 John 4:2
  • REVELATIONARY VOICES; Dreams; Vision; Trance- Job.33:15-16; Acts 10:9-20
  • HOLY-SPIRIT GUIDANCE- Gal.5:16; John 1:14; Romans 8:14
    • INNER WITNESS AND/OR PEACE OF GOD- Romans 8:16; James 3:17; Prov.20:27/1 Cor.2:10- Holy Spirit communicating spiritual feelings/instructions to your own HUMAN SPIRIT- Phil.4:7; Col.3:15
    • THE FLOW OF SPONTANEOUS & PERSITENT THOUGHTS
    • PROPHECY- Acts 11:27-30; 13:1-3; 1 Cor.14:29,32-33
    • CIRCUMSTANTIAL EXPERINCES- Numb.22:25-28
  • WHAT COULD LEAD TO IMPERCEPTION OF GOD’S VOICE

For God does speak—now one way, now another—though no one perceives it -Job 33:14;

  1. SPIRITUAL INSENSITIVITY- Man, often does not recognize God’s action in this silent teaching of his.-1 Kings 19:11-12; 1 Sam.3:1,7-10
  2. WALKING AGAINST THE WILL OF GOD
  3. CRAVING FOR BIG SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES –  Man wants something more startling, more sensational.  In our Lord’s time, the Jews demanded “a sign” – “a sign from heaven;” but no sign of the kind was given them.

Job now did not understand that God, whom he called upon to answer him (Job 10:2; Job 13:22; Job 23:5, etc.), was already speaking to him in various ways

  1. WRONG MOTIVES & MINDSET- James 4:3

TIPS ON HOW TO HEAR FROM GOD

  • Hearing the voice of God is something that everyone, Christian or not, wants to experience. Although we all want to hear God, actually doing it, for most of us, is sort of a mysterious process. We often don’t know how to hear God consistently, if at all.
  • God ‘s voice is critical for our spiritual development.
  • As we look at people in the Bible who heard from God, Samuel was one of the best. The story of Samuel is found in 1 Samuel 3:1-10.

1. Position yourself close to God

Samuel set his bed up in the temple, “where the ark of God was” (v.3 ESV). Samuel had never heard God speak before, he did not know what to expect, but what he did know was that if he hung around the temple

2. Find a place of regular service to God

In v.1 it says, “Samuel was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli” (ESV). If you want to hear the voice of God, you have to be doing the things of God. If you’re not serving, don’t wonder why you’re not hearing the voice of God.

3. Listen for God’s voice

Eli was “lying down in his usual place” (v.2 NIV), too preoccupied with his own interests to hear God. When God began speaking, he was not listening. Many times to hear what God is saying we have to slow down and take time to get close to God. We have to put aside our interests and lean in to hear what God is saying.

4. When God calls, respond eagerly

When Samuel heard the voice of the Lord he was immediately up and moving (v.4). If you want to hear the voice of God, you need to be ready to put into action what He tells you!

He wants to give you wisdom to lead your family, at your job, in your church, and in every area of life.

5. When God speaks, obey Him

Starting in this passage and throughout the rest of his life, Samuel consistently obeyed the Lord. No matter what God told him, Samuel did it. From that point on, “the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground” (1 Samuel 3:19 ESV). For us, the quickest way to turn off God’s voice is to disobey him.

6. Read and study the Word of God

After God spoke to him in this passage, the Bible tells us, “The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there He revealed Himself to Samuel through His Word” (1 Samuel 3:21 NIV). If you want to hear from God, you have to know what the Bible says.

  • WHAT WE STAND TO GAIN IN HEARING AND FOLLOWING HIS VOICE

God is speaking. He wants to give you wisdom to lead your family, at your job, in your church, and in every area of life.

  1. Divine direction- Gen.26:2,12
  2. Trans generational favour- Gen.26:3
  3. Divine Rest- Gen. 26:6
  4. Supernatural progress- vs 12-14
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UNDERSTANDING GOD’S COVENANT AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR GOD’S PEOPLE TODAY

2 TIMOTHY 2:15; JEREMIAH 31:31-34

INTRODUCTION

A very important key to understanding God’s Word is knowing that God’s Word is divided into covenants.

 To rightly divide the Word, or to correctly interpret the Word, we need to study the Word in the context of covenants.

God is a covenant-making and a covenant- keeping God who governs His Kingdom according to covenants with His people.

To believe in the right way, we have to believe according to our covenant with God. Believing wrongly can lead to unnecessary bondage and defeat, and can block a person from living the blessed life of divine satisfaction.

DEFINITION OF COVENANT

The word “Covenant” is seldom used in today’s vocabulary and is mostly absent from normal conversations outside legal documents, Marriage ceremonies, and religious matters.

The “covenant” is of latin origin (Con venire), meaning “a coming together.”

It presupposes two or more parties who come together to make or establish a relationship by agreeing on promises, stipulations, privileges and responsibilities. There are blessings that come if the terms of the relationship are kept, and there are penalties that come if the term is broken.

The parties are bonded together with common interests (Amos 3:3), and the agreement places obligations and regulations between them, to do or not to do certain things. Look up Jer. 31:31-34. Compare Heb. 3.8-12.

Biblically, a covenant means “a secred agreement or mutual promise between God and a person or a group of people.”

In making a covenant, God promises a blessing for obedience to particular commandments. Check Gen. 17:1-2, 7; Jos. 1:8-9.

He sets the terms of His covenants, the authority of the covenants resides in Him and Him alone.

Keeping covenants qualifies us to receive the blessings God has promised.

Reflection: Read Gen. 17:1-2 and identify the authority, stipulation, responsibilities, privileges and promises in that covenant.

COVENANT AND PROMISE

Although some people consider a covenant and a promise as synonymous, it is a wrong assumption.

A covenant can be viewed as a formal agreement between two as more parties, where they agree to do or not to do something.

A promise on the other hand, is an assurance that one will do something or that something will happen.

Differences Between a Covenant And a Promise

1. Roles

In a covenant, the roles of both parties have to be active. In a promise however, the role of only one party is active and attention is mainly on a single party.

2. Responsibilities and Obligations

 In a covenant, both parties have clear responsibilities and obligations. In a promise, responsibilities and obligations are for only the active party.

3. Context

The word “Covenant” is mostly used in legal and religious contexts, while the word “promise”which can be used in any context

4. Legal validity.

A covenant, being a formal agreement, has legal binding and Validity. Promise do not hold any legal binding or validity.

Reflection: Give examples of covenant and Promise

Covenant can be established in the following regionships:

1. Between individuals -(David and Jonathan 1Sam. 18:3-4; Mal. 2.14.

2. Between families (Jacob and Laban)- Gen.31:43-48

3. Between nations (Israel and Canaanites)- Exd. 23:32; 34:12, 15; 1Kings 20.34.

4.  Between God and man (Divine covenant)

Because of God’s great superiority to man, His covenants are not negotiable. He alone sets forth the conditions, and His faithfulness ensures that the stipulations of His covenants will be carried out. God’s covenants and their attendant promises lay out the Lord’s Kingdom plan that He began when He created man to be His Regent on planet Earth. Look up Gen. 1:28; Ps. 115:16.

Types of Covenants

The covenants in the Bible can be grouped into two principal categories or types: conditional and unconditional.

A conditional Covenant is an agreement between two or more parties that requires Certain terms to be met. If the terms are met, there will be one kind of result (fovourable). If the terms are not met, there will be a different result (unfavourable) Conditional covenants are also called “Covenants of works”. Check Gen. 17:1-2; Deut. 28:1-2, 13.

An unconditional covenant is an agreement between two or more parties that involves no stipulations of any kind for fulfilment of the agreement. It is also Known as “Covenant of Grace”. check Gen. 15:18-21.

Conclusion

Understanding God’s covenants is the key to making sense of the entire Bible.

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SEASON OF SUSTAINED SATISFACTION

GENESIS 8:20-22

  • This new month, the Lord is leading us as expressed in His words Genesis 8:22 “While the earth remaineth, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”

Aim:

  1. To understand that God is capable of satisfying our needs consistently.
  2. To appreciate the different season are creation of the God Almighty and He control them (Gen. 1:14; Col.1:16-17).

EXPLORING THE GOD OF SUSTAINED SATISFACTION

  • God is very much interested in our survival, (Jeremiah 29:11) and He has put in place for us (His children) survival strategies (Isaiah 43:1-2) to weather through all the global storms, yet we shall come out strong and better- SATISFACTION.
  • God that gives us existence and sustains us- Everything will do as children of God should point to God, because through Him will exist and in Him we do all things- Acts 17:24-28
  • God gets time and season in His hands and are meant for our thriving and satisfaction- Daniel 2: 20-21a; Psalm 74:16-17; 145:16-17; Amos 5:8
  • God who does unfathomable wonders- Job 5:8-10
  • God who cares for the earth and His own round the year- Psalm 65:8-11; Matt.10:29-30
  • God of unbroken covenant- Gen 8:22; Jer. 33:20; Psalm 89:34

EXPLORING THE TESTIMONY OF DIVINE SATISFACTION

  • Testimony of God’s provision round the clock- Acts 14:16-18; Deut. 11;12,14-15
  • Testimony of God’s provision in due season – Lev. 26:4-5; Jer. 5:24
  • Testimony of sustenance in the wilderness- Neh. 9:20-21; Exodus 16:16-17
  • Testimony of sustained supply- 1 Kings 7:8-16 (widow of Zarephath); 1 Kings 17:4-6; 7-9 (Elijah in the season of drought); Psalm 37:18-19

EXPLORING THE ATTRIBUTE OF CONNECTING TO GOD’S PROVISION OF SATISFACTION

Only correct attitude can receive from God.

  • Maintain the life of obedience to God and His instructions- Gen.8:15-18; 1 Kings 17:2,5;15; Gen 22:14
  • Maintain the life of communion and communication with God- Gen.8:20
  • Maintain the life of offering and sacrifice- Gen. 8:20b-21; Luke 6:38; Prov.11:25-26; Gen.22:15-18

Conclusion

God who controls all seasons is able to satisfy everyone of us when we get to know Him more and more and we display right attribute towards receiving from Him.