And, not only are you a sheep, you are His friend!

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2 John 10:1-4 NLT I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. John 10:27-28 NLT My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me... WHY WE NEED TO HEAR GOD S VOICE: Guidance for our next steps Clarity for our decisions Healing from our past Learning who He says we are Relationship with Jesus Matthew 4:4 MSG Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God s mouth. This brings satisfaction in life, as we are living off of what He says to feed our spirits. Boldness to move FORWARD Philippians 3:13-14 ESV one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. TWO THINGS ABOUT THE ABILITY TO HEAR GOD: 1. It s Innate. 2. It s Matured. And, not only are you a sheep, you are His friend! John 15:15 NLT I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. THE MOST COMMON WAYS WE HEAR GOD: Auditory You hear words; some people hear and receive this way. You may actually hear with your ears, but most of the time it s words that come to your mind.

3 Visual You see pictures or images. You can picture what is happening when you hear something; you get a vision of it. Feelings You get a feeling; some would call it a leading to do or say something. Or maybe it s a conviction to change. There s an emotion attached to God speaking to you. WE EITHER HEAR IT, SEE IT, OR FEEL IT. THE MOST COMMON WAYS GOD SPEAKS: Scripture (Romans 10:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17) People (Matthew 10:20; James 3:17) Dreams and Visions (Job 33:14-18; Daniel 1:17) Circumstances (Matthew 10:20; Jonah 1) Many other ways (Numbers 22; Daniel 5:25) HINDRANCES TO HEARING GOD S VOICE: 1. Busyness We are so busy and going so fast in our lives that the noise around us and the voices around us take precedence; they grab our focus and attention and keep us from hearing what God says, what His Word says and growing closer to Him (Ex. work, life stresses, financial distress, family). Solution: We have to MAKE TIME for what s most important in our lives. We need to BE STILL and listen. Sometimes we have only one-way prayer us talking! That s not a relationship. Sometimes it s easy to get busy and continue talking and not wait on the Lord to hear from Him. We pray on the go and then never stop to listen. 2. Un-confessed Sin Psalm 46:10 NLT Be still, and know that I am God! Willful sin: areas where we know we have made bad choices and decisions, but continually operate in willful disobedience. The danger of this is that our hearts become hardened to sin and the Lord. Unacknowledged sin: areas where we might not be educated on what grieves God s heart. In this situation it is usually because we haven t been taught on the matter, but we feel a roadblock when trying to communicate with the Lord. Solution: Confession Proverbs 28:13 NLT People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.

4 3. Asking the Wrong Questions God is often more interested in establishing our relationship with Him and our identity in Him than He is in telling us what color shirt to wear that day. Solution: Rather than ask God why and when questions, ask Him to talk about who He is and who you are in Christ. Often we don t hear because we ask the wrong questions. James 4:3 NLT And even when you ask, you don t get it because your motives are all wrong you want only what will give you pleasure. 4. Un-forgiveness whether to a person, oneself, and even God. Sometimes we can t accurately hear God because we choose not to forgive someone. Solution: Matthew 18, forgive and then pray Matthew 5:23-24 NLT So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God. 5. Disobedience Sometimes God tells us to do something but then we never do it. Then we go back and ask God to speak again, but we don t want to do what He s already told us to do. Solution: If you re having a hard time hearing God, go back to the last thing He told you that you didn t do. Luke 6:46 NLT So why do you keep calling me Lord, Lord! when you don t do what I say? 6. Competing Voices Is it just me or have you noticed that God s voice isn t the only one we hear? Most of us hear numerous voices in our heads. We hear our own voice. We hear the voices of parents, teachers, coaches, preachers, bosses, and friends who have shaped us for better or for worse through the years. Then there s the enemy. He loves to speak to us to try to cause us to doubt God and our relationship with Him. Philippians 4:8 NLT And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

5 HOW DO WE DISCERN THROUGH THE VOICES OR THOUGHTS? 1. Does it agree with scripture? Conviction of the Holy Spirit will always point to something I have done and lead me to God so that I can be forgiven and healed. It s designed to bring me to God. Condemnation attacks my identity and who I am, and makes me want to run from God. A good question to ask to discern whose voice this is: Are these words drawing me closer to Jesus, or do they make me want to run from Him? 2. Do godly counselors confirm it? Proverbs 12:15 NKJ The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise. Proverbs 24:6 NKJ For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, and in a multitude of counselors there is safety. 3. Does it produce peace (or a fruit of the Spirit)? What do we do when God speaks? Believe Believe His Word Confess Confess it over us Obey Obey Luke 11:28 NLT Jesus replied, But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice. Ask Yourself These Questions What am I feeling or experiencing? What is God saying or what has He already said? Do I believe that? Is there a next step that lines up with scripture? What does God want me to do with that?