Sermon Tone Analysis

*His Master’s Voice.*

*Intro* If you are old like me you will remember when we heard music not on MP3 players, CD or DVD – there were these large discs made of acetate (some of you may remember wax 78s).

One of the early recording companies, which I think still exists today, was HMV – or “His Master’s Voice” – they had this iconic trade mark *[P]*.

It captured what their product was meant to be – so great was the fidelity of their recording that the dog mistook it for the real thing – he recognized his master’s voice.

That is what I want to talk about today: hearing our Master’s voice.

*The vital necessity of hearing God’s voice [P]* Duncan Campbell was a man greatly used of God in the Hebrides revival back in 1949 – his favourite message was on the difference between the sheep and the goats.

Certainly a different fate awaits the sheep and goats *[P]*: [*Matthew 25:31-34* /When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.

“All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.

“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world./

*Matthew 25:41* /Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels/;] So what marks the difference between the sheep and the goats?

In that parable it was the way that they treated Jesus – which is seen by the way we treat our fellow human being in need.

But in John we read of the hallmark of the sheep, the ones that follow Jesus: *[P]* [*John 10:2-3* /He who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep.

To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear His voice, and He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out./

*John 10:24-30* /The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense?

If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. “But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

“My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

“I and the Father are one.”/]

There is security for Jesus’ sheep – He watches over them.

The thing that marks them as His sheep is that they hear His voice.

They know their Master’s voice.

If you don’t hear His voice, how can you follow Him?

It is vital that we hear God’s voice.

We need to be sensitive to the LORD’s voice, to hear Him.

Repeatedly Jesus says to the church in the book of revelation – “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says”.

We need to hear His voice, to be sensitive to respond to His call.

That’s what makes us His sheep.

A preacher who had a great influence on my life was a man called Art Katz – he was preaching at a university once on this theme of hearing God’s voice, and it was a hostile and godless audience.

A student yelled out in cynical fashion, mocking him: “How can you hear God’s voice?

How do you know you have heard God speak?”

Art was speaking outside in an open amphitheatre on the campus, and at just that moment a dog walked purposefully through the students who were sitting around.

Art Katz said, “Do you see that dog, it’s just a mutt, but it knows when its master calls.”

So not only do you need to hear God’s voice you need to know it.

*The vital necessity of Knowing God’s voice [P] *You can take almost any character from the Bible and use them to demonstrate this necessity of hearing God’s voice.

I’ll use one of my favourites: Elijah *[P]*.

Elijah suddenly bursts on to the scene, there is no word of him until he suddenly appears before wicked king Ahab and announces that there won’t be any rain until he says so! What audacity!

Funny thing though, no rain fell – how could he do that?

He heard God’s voice.

Let’s read [*1 Kings 17:1-4* /Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As יְהוָה, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”

The word of יְהוָה came to him, saying, “Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan.

“It shall be that you will drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there.”/]

See, the word of יְהוָה came to him; he was directed by יְהוָה’s voice.

He heard that voice and acted upon it.

So Elijah went to this brook and was provided for by יְהוָה; then, with the continuing drought, the brook dried up.

[*1 Kings 17:8-9* /Then the word of יְהוָה came to him, saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”/]

Again, the word of יְהוָה came to him, telling him what to do.

Elijah stayed with a widow in Sidon until: [*1 Kings 18:1-2** */Now it happened after many days that the word of יְהוָה came to Elijah in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.”

So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab.

Now the famine was severe in Samaria.].

Do you get the pattern?

Elijah heard the word of יְהוָה and this directed all that he did.

Elijah heard יְהוָה’s voice and obeyed.

He went to Ahab and called for a show-down with the prophets of the idol Baal – that famous encounter on Mount Carmel, where the 450 prophets of Baal prayed all day and nothing happened, then Elijah made a sacrifice, prayed to יְהוָה and the fire fell: /[*1 Kings 18:36*/ At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O יְהוָה, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word/.]

You get it over and over again!

Elijah heard the word of יְהוָה and acted as יְהוָה said – he did all these things according יְהוָה’s word.

Elijah was a man of God who heard His voice and acted upon it.

Here was a man who was in the habit of hearing יְהוָה’s voice – he knew the voice of his God.

Nowhere is this seen better than the time when יְהוָה led him to Mount Horeb – to Sinai where the covenant was originally made, the covenant that Israel had violated – all that יְהוָה had done through Elijah had made no difference to the people of Israel, their hearts were far from Him.

So Elijah, supernaturally fed, came to the mountain.

Let’s pick up the account in: *[P]* [*1 Kings 19:9-18* /Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of יְהוָה came to him,/(again he heard that voice – some portray Elijah as backslidden but he was still in communication with יְהוָה, not only heard Him, he had a conversation with Him and did what He said)/ and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

He said, “I have been very zealous for יְהוָה, the God of armies; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant /(here he was at the place where that covenant was instigated)/, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword.

And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”

So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before יְהוָה.”

And behold, יְהוָה was passing by!

And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before יְהוָה/ (now that is impressive and dramatic)/; but יְהוָה was not in the wind/ (Elijah knew, he was not taken in by impressive show)/.

And after the wind an earthquake, but יְהוָה was not in the earthquake/ (now that is awesome power!

I think I would be trembling before God, but not Elijah, he knew the voice and this was not it)./

After the earthquake a fire, but יְהוָה was not in the fire/ (not only natural power but supernatural, fire from heaven, that is how יְהוָה had demonstrated Himself to Israel on Mount Carmel – Elijah knew His God, this was not Him)/; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing.

*When Elijah heard it*, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave/ (that was the voice Elijah knew!

That was the genuine article – he not only heard the voice – he knew it!)/.

And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Then he said, “I have been very zealous for יְהוָה, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword.

And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”/

(you notice that יְהוָה and Elijah both said exactly the same words as they had before – Elijah had correctly heard and discerned the voice – none of the dramatics had changed anything in Elijah’s assessment of the situation, despite all that awesome power, the heart of Israel was unchanged, they had not changed when fire fell from heaven – the situation was irredeemable and יְהוָה agrees with his assessment and decrees judgement but reserving a remnant for Himself)/ יְהוָה said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram; and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.

“It shall come about, the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall put to death.

“Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.”/]

Elijah not only heard the voice of יְהוָה but knew the voice of His God.

There was an awesome supernatural demonstration of power, but Elijah responded not to it but to the voice he knew.

These days so many voices clamour for our attention – we are surrounded by many voices, we are bombarded by advertising, by politics, by philosophy and world views – save the whales, the  planet, global warming, social injustice, even religious views.

There are so many voices; we must not be distracted by them.

There are so many voices; but which one is God?

How do you know that it is God that is speaking?

I have attended fellowships where I have encountered the supernatural, powerful spiritual things were taking place.

But I began to realize that the spirit was not in character with the Holy Spirit.

Are we going to taken in by the impressive?

We need to know His voice in order to discern what is of Him and what is not.

[*2 Thessalonians 2:9*/ one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders/, *Matthew 24:24* /For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect./

] Even in churches you will hear voices that are not of Christ – not in keeping with His character.

He is meek and laid down His life, completely selfless – but a vast amount of teaching in the church is exactly the opposite!

It encourages selfishness, assertiveness.

“Bless me!” “Heal me!” “Prosper me!” “Self esteem!” “you are King’s kids” “claim your blessings” etc – it is all selfishness!

That is not the voice of Jesus!

There is a vital necessity to discern the true voice of our God.

It is not enough to hear, we must know Him.* *There are so many voices, how do we know that it is God that we are hearing?

– It is through relationship, not theology.

Our analytical, intellectual approach has reduced faith to an accepting of a set of key concepts!

If you say “Ahah” at the right place, you are saved.

Doctrine is important but it is not just concepts, ideas to be understood and agreed with – it is vital, it is LIFE – not theory [*John 6:63* /It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life/.].

It is a knowing of the heart that is needed – you know the voice of the one you love.