02 - Removing The Clutter 2012

With today’s cell phone technology, we can call whoever we like anywhere in the world while driving in our car. But we’ve all had the experience of our reception becoming filled with static.

We call it being in a “bad area.” Something gets in the way between us and the person we’re listening to. The transmitting tower is still fully functional, but we're in no position to receive. This is exactly what happens with the interference of sin and iniquity in our lives; The Father’s voice is blocked.

The difference between sin and iniquity is that sin can easily be forgiven. But the word "iniquity" in the Hebrew means, literally, "to be bent out of shape" - hence the expression that one has a "bent for sin." This is why Isaiah wrote, “We have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

We all have a bent for sin that we inherited from Adam. And there is usually that one area in most everyone’s life where he or she is particularly vulnerable and weak. We need God’s help there more than anywhere else. And it is likely that area of iniquity that brings more interference with the Father’s voice than any other. We must pray, "Dear Lord, straighten all the iniquity out of me, that I will be obedient to hear Your voice!"

The second source of “interference” with the Father’s voice is:

Preoccupation with the things of the world

Jesus showed in the parable of the sower in Luke 8:7 that some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked the seed. Jesus explains in verse 14, "And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of [this] life, and bring no fruit to perfection."

What did He mean? Galatians speaks of the Fruit of the Spirit, each of which are attributes of the Lord's character. When you receive Christ into your life, the Word begins a process of creating in our character that which is lacking in order for us to be Christ-like.

The "cares and riches and pleasures" of the world can crowd out the influence of God through distractions and stresses. So let's examine our lives. Let's look at the things we allow to distract us from keeping our eyes solely on God.

When Jesus visited Lazarus’s household, his sisters, Mary and Martha, greeted him. Martha immediately set about busy work in the kitchen. But Mary sat at Jesus’s feet to listen to His word. When Martha complained that Mary wasn’t helping her, Jesus said,

“Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42)

One thing is needful! The NLT puts it, “There is only one thing worth being concerned about.” Even though Martha was busy waiting on Jesus, her busy-ness was actually keeping her from the one thing that is truly needful—listening to the words of Jesus. For us today that simply means setting our attention completely on the Lord and listening to what He has to say to us.

It doesn’t mean we should become irresponsible with our duties. It means that first and foremost our ear is turned to the Lord on a daily basis. Otherwise, the cares of this life can “choke” the Word in us, and we become unfruitful.

A third cause of interference is:

Incorrect theology

One terrible idea nursed in certain theological circles is that God no longer speaks today. In fact, in some theological seminaries you may raise many eyebrows if you say you hear the voice of God with any clarity at all!

So how can we know that it is God Who is speaking to us, and not our own imagination, or even the enemy?

The Bible sheds great light as to what the voice of God is like.

GOD’S VOICE IS FAITHFUL. That is, God speaks in accordance with His promises. Remember that when we are sincerely seeking after the Lord, the Lord honors that. God promises in Isaiah 30:

18 “Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him. 19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem; You shall weep no more.

He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; When He hears it, He will answer you…21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,”

Whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.”

Another characteristic of God’s voice is:

GOD'S VOICE MAKES OUR HEART TREMBLE: There is an inner impact when God speaks to us. It kinda blows you away! Sometimes He just gets your attention. At other times, when He speaks, it can be so powerful that you feel physically drained and have no strength left to speak!

Job 37:1-2 says, "My heart pounds as I think of this. It trembles within me. Listen carefully to the thunder of God’s voice as it rolls from his mouth.”

Also, we find is Scripture that:

GOD'S VOICE BRINGS PEACE: I've never heard God speak things to strike fear in His people, nor to condemn them. Rather, it has been encouraging, full of life, comfort, promise, faith, and sweetness.

Songs of Solomon 2:14 says, "O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, In the secret places of the cliff, Let me see your face, Let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet, And your face is lovely.” The dove in the Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit. God's voice brings peace. Psalm 85:8 says,

"I will hear what God the Lord will speak, For He will speak peace to His people and to His saints…” Whenever you hear a "voice" and it bring fear, anxiety, trepidation, it's generally safe to say that it's not from God. However, that's not to say that God cannot warn you if you are purposely walking in a dangerous direction away from Him.

Next, we find that:

GOD WILL NEVER SPEAK TO YOU ANYTHING THAT DIRECTLY CONTRADICTS WITH SCRIPTURE:

God is a Person of His word. What God says in His integrity, royalty, divinity and power, He cannot contradict. If He contradicts Himself, He is not God.

God promised in the Bible, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So if He turned and walked away from you, He would not be God. Likewise, God says, "You shall not commit murder.” So if you were to hear someone saying, "God told me I could kill another person to glorify Him!" you would know this person was not truly hearing from God.

The Word of God is like a lie-detector against the devil. If you experience an inner prompting, or hear a voice, or are counseled by others to do something that Scripture disagrees with, you can know that it is not of God, no matter how real it seems!

Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

DOES GOD REALLY WANT TO SPEAK TO ALL CHRISTIANS?

The opening scripture in Acts 22:14 reveals Paul’s calling. It says: "The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth."

Religious people may argue, "That scripture was meant only for the Apostle Paul!" But we must ask ourselves: Did Paul ever exalt himself above other Christians? No! He called himself “the least of the Apostles.”

We've all been chosen and washed in the Blood of the Lamb! We've all been drawn unto God. We're all called to hear His voice, not just a select few.

In Revelation 2:15, Jesus tells the Church of Pergamos that He's displeased that some ascribe to the Doctrine of the Nicolatians, which He hates. Nicolas was a man in this era who taught that there needed to be a spiritual elite who did all your penance, sacraments, and who hear God for you.

In John 10, Jesus said that we are His sheep, and His sheep know His Voice. Jesus is not seeking for a spiritual elite but that we all come to Him like little children. If our hearts are like that of a little child, we can enter into the Kingdom of heaven with all its promises.

Psalms 95:7 warns us that if we do hear His voice, we must not harden our hearts like the people of Israel did in the Wilderness, where they tried and tempted God, and so that entire generation perished. It was the next generation—a generation after the heart of God—that entered into the Promised Land.

SO HOW CAN WE BETTER HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD?

Repent of all unconfessed sin, and ask God to heal you of all iniquity, all bents for sin. Ask the Lord to show you what attitudes and what behavioral patterns are out of Divine order in your life. Be open to where you need to change, especially if these are bringing interference between you and His voice.

Be instantly obedient to the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit. This is how we “tune our spiritual ears” to being sensitive to His voice. A good rule of thumb to remember is, "Pray, then obey!"

When in prayer, be in an attitude of waiting on God, not just calling out each item of your To-Do list! Half of prayer is listening once we’ve finished with our petitions. The Prime Time to hear God is after unloading all your cares and needs.

Rest in Him. Trust in His grace. You may not hear immediately, but God promises to guide and speak to you. Sometimes you may wait on the Lord in your prayer time, read the Word, and then leave the house for the day without a word. But it will come. His guidance is sure. Rest in His faithfulness.