Supernatural Lifestyle | Week 3 - 3/29/20

[Music] good morning good morning good morning it is an amazing day to be here in the house the Lord and I hope you're at home just loving Jesus with your family this morning we want to invite you last week Pastor Mark invited everyone to get up off your couch and worship and we're gonna extend that same thing it was so cool to see the different pictures and make sure you do that take a picture take a memory of worshiping the Lord in your home and Tagus had Life Church 7:00 this morning we want to worship the Lord this week we talked in red and Joshua this week in our DeVos and in Joshua 24:15 he's talking to this really it's like you don't choose today who you're gonna serve are you gonna serve the gods of yesterday no choose because I know for me and my house we're gonna serve the Lord so I want you to make that declaration I know we've been in the house we've been stuck with each other looking at the same faces all week long begin to look at your spouse look at your children and begin to proclaim the thing that God has destined for them speak blessing over each other this morning Holy Spirit we just welcome you to come father we're gonna worship you you are our God you are the father you are the one that keeps his promises and so we just speak blessing over each home that is watching this morning and we just say Lord come and be who you said you would be the God of miracles and we would just receive you this morning and we bless each person in Jesus name let's worship the Lord like never before in our homes that saturate our homes in our neighborhood with worship open your windows and just worship as loud as you can let it be in the streets yeah amen [Music] [Music] suffice for me [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] and [Music] and you came [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] to put the [Music] Oh you call [Music] oh Jesus you're the oh Jesus you're late [Music] oh jesus yo [Music] you [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh geez [Music] survive oh jesus you like me [Music] let this [Music] [Applause] break I just see you guys worshiping homes right now [Music] come down [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] we are the name [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh Jesus you're the Hey [Music] you're a survivor [Music] Jesus thank you Jesus you are the healer you are the healer we love you Lord we praise your name I just want to encourage you right now if you're at home and you're watching this to stand up if you're sitting get a different place and we're gonna declare that song over the nation's over the world every person Lord Jesus right now is going to encounter the love of Jesus we're gonna pray for healing this virus is gonna stop in Jesus name and we're gonna see restoration we declare that so it I would love for you to do wherever you're at as a declaration of faith we're gonna lift our hands we're gonna extend them out of the walls of our houses and we're declare right now in Jesus name the healing power of Jesus we thank you that you are king you are Lord nothing is too small nothing is too great for you and we know that all you are working and that the healing power of Jesus is gonna flow right now father I lift up homes right now in Jesus name I pray that the enemy is coming to lie still kill and destroy but the Bible says in John 10:10 10 that you have come that they would have life and life more abundantly so we declare that right now in Jesus name father I pray for anybody who's at home right now who's feeling sick I pray healing power flow through their bodies right now in Jesus name I pray for family members that are struggling healing power flow through them in Jesus name I just sense right now that there are marriages and homes that they're struggling right now relationally the enemy is using fear to attack your homes I rebuke that in Jesus name I declare unity I declare wholeness I declare freedom in Jesus name I pray for those families right now that are struggling to balance kids being home all the time I pray that families would come together there to not be torn apart I pray this would be a time this would be an opportunity for a love to abound in every single home in Jesus name father right now I just lift up every person that's listening to this feed in Jesus name that we would all reposition our eyes and our hearts to you we do not ignore the fear we actually confront it with faith there are times in our lives that's we're not gonna pretend like we're not afraid we're actually gonna say I feel fear but I know who's in charge I know who the king is and I respond with faith I'm gonna do what King David did I love what King David our Bible reading I want to encourage you it's said in Psalms 42 as the deer pants for the streams of water so my soul pants for you my God my soul thirsts for God for the Living God when can I go and meet with God so he's asking this question when can I go with meet with God some people are thinking physically I can't go to church right now I'm online but I would love to be there and so it says my tears have been my food day and night where people say to me all day long where is your God it's interesting was I was on Facebook live and someone asked that question where are all the prophets that where's God I'm not want to sit and tell everyone right now got us here he's with you he's for you he's not against you he is the miracle-working God he turns graves into Gardens in Jesus name we sing about that today he's our healer these things is so important I remember as I pour out my soul how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the mighty one with shouts of joy and praises among the festivals I just want to encourage you wherever you're at you may be thinking man I don't know what's gonna happen next I'm time struggling I just want to encourage you go to God's Word rely on the Holy Spirit refocus your eyes on him and watch what he's gonna do miracles start with perspective they start with perspective our God is a miracle working God and he's gonna do it seemingly abundantly above all we can ever ask or imagine that's our God so father right now I pray for every person who's watching this I pray every person who will watch this later in the future I just declare healing and wholeness and freedom in Jesus name I pray amen if you got home will you shout Amen with me awesome love you so much thank you for joining us today you can find a nice cushion to sit on or a a chair or the floor wherever you're at and we're gonna continue this service in just a moment I just want to say thank you to all those who are faithful in giving we're still giving we're still generous tithing doesn't stop whatever the firstfruits of your income are we gives generously I want to thank everyone who's been giving it I want to encourage you don't stop sowing into the kingdom don't stop giving don't stop being people who believe in faith with what God's gonna do our methods may have changed but our message has not Jesus is the king and he is over every single thing even my finances and uncertainty so I want to encourage you if you're giving give even more and watch what God will do there are ways to give one of the best ways right now especially to give is to give online you can go to Life Church 7 com and you can give that way you can also go to our app and you can use push pay and you can give that way and there's different ways that you can designate your offerings there's a little drop-down icon that you can give to benevolence we've been seeing a lot of people that need help with resources so if you want to give that way that'd be incredible also you can market tithes and offerings and you just do it that way but I want to pray for you that as you give today that you would pray over this offering that there would be Souls saved through this difficult season that this would be not just a season of difficulty but we'd see it as an opportunity for hearts to come back to our Father amen so let's pray together father I pray for every person that's giving today it's online or their mailing a check in however they're giving Lord Jesus I pray that you would bless both the gift and the giver Lord Jesus and that there would be abundance father I thank you for all that you're doing Lord Jesus and we give you the praise in Jesus name Amen amen we love you so much and I want to welcome pastor drew and Kaylee they're gonna come and they're gonna give you announcements right now so come on up here they go awesome thank you good morning good to see everyone in the spirit this morning hope you're doing good and I just say though that truly I had a picture while I was leading worship of families just gathering together and being together and men God God was just showing me how beautiful the scenes are in each of your homes of you guys gathered together there you're spending time together worshiping the Lord and hearing his his word together and it's just is so beautiful super good hey just have a couple announcements for you coming up here first of all if you go to Life Church 7 com you look on our website there's a place for you if you have little ones if you have life kids at home and how many know we need things to do at times for our children all of the curriculum and the worship is available on Life Church 7 calm for your kids you can print out different things different coloring and and I don't know all kinds of fun stuff that are our children's pastor and pastor Nate has put together and so go on our website check it out and it's available for you all so you guys have a great opportunity we have a great opportunity for - for more education learning about a supernatural in our supernatural series right now pastor mark Middleton is is hosting the coming closer class and that's like six o'clock tonight it's not too late to sign up and you can get in we've done some some zoom meetings and it's actually really fun to see everyone's faces hear everyone's voices and a time to just gather together you will have to download the zoom application on your phone or your computer so you'll want to sign up today mark will email you and then you'll have all the information about the meeting tonight you don't want to miss it it's gonna be really really awesome it's only week two so jump in and you can catch week one on the next go-around but be a part something to do every every Sunday night at 6 o'clock have your whole family be a part of it lots of fun third announcement and final announcement before Pastor Josh comes on up you can come up and join us we're friends just come on up we have just a reminder if you if you don't know this every morning Monday through Friday at 9:30 different pastors on staff are doing morning devotions we want to invite you to make that part of your daily routine and get online it's on Facebook live I believe I don't know if it's on YouTube or not but definitely on Facebook live come and be a part interact post things that you need prayer for maybe encourage the pastors while you're while you're taking part in the devotions one thing that's really neat is to share it on your Facebook wall we've had friends from the Westside that have popped on and and really are following along now and it's it's really exciting a lot of fun fans oh yeah with all that to say we just want to welcome our youth pastor our first year director of Supernatural school administrator password Josh Biddle Combe it's not microphone there come on up Josh good morning everybody yeah it's so good to be up here weird not having everybody you know in the auditorium but I'm so thankful for the technology that we have where we were able to broadcast this out and get the message of hope to you know people all across the seven cities and really all across the nation and just a real quick shout out I saw my aunt Michelle she tuned in all the way from North Carolina haven't seen her in many years so awesome to see you tuning in so this morning we're gonna continue our series of the supernatural lifestyle and I'm so glad that we're in this this series the supernatural is something that we're called to be as believers it's just who we are because we have God living in us and he's supernatural and hopefully throughout this series we can demystify that word supernatural the world is hijacked it and made it into something that's not but God God is supernatural and so real quick before I get going I really want to just define the word supernatural because definitions are super helpful when somebody is talking to you and you don't know a particular word that they use it really muddies the waters and so definitions really help clarify what somebody is talking about and so the definition of Supernatural in Webster's dictionary this is the first first definition that comes up and it says this of or relating to an order of existence beyond the visible observable universe especially of or relating to God so that's what the supernatural is it's something beyond the visible universe and it's especially relating to God so anytime we participate with the Lord we're participating in the supernatural amen hopefully everybody at home is saying amen it's a good word so God is supernatural and because he lives in us we are supernatural it's who were called to be and so for those of you that are taking notes hopefully many of you are the title of my message this morning is are you listening are you listening and this morning what what I want to talk about is hearing the voice of God it's a supernatural thing to hear the voice of God and learning how to hear his voice is vital for us as followers we need to learn how to hear his voice you know we're called to bring heaven to earth that's what jesus prayed said your kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven that's a supernatural thing and if we want to live out the supernatural life that Jesus modeled for us we have to hear him you know especially in the season that we're in right now with all the chaos going on around the world really the nations are in chaos right now all around the world it's chaos and so we have different talking heads on the TV we've got information coming in so many different ways we need to learn how to tune into the voice of Lord what is the Lord saying about this whole situation what is the Lord saying to me about my future about my kids future it's vital that we become good listeners and so today it's it's really gonna be more teaching than preaching I'm definitely more of a teacher than a preacher so get ready this is gonna be some good teaching take some notes we have an amazing pastoral staff I really encourage you if you haven't watched the previous messages on the supernatural lifestyle go back and watch those you can you can check those out on Facebook you can you can take a look at them on our app or a website but many of our pastors on staff they're preachers now and they are up here they're firey they're preaching the word I'm much more of a teacher so get ready for some good teaching Jesus said you know in John 5 he said I only do what I see the father doing later on in that book in Chapter 12 he says I I only say what I've heard the father tell me to say right so he did what he saw the father doing he said what he saw or what he heard the father saying he's our model we're to do the same thing right so this is gonna be a good teaching this morning on how to hear the voice of the Lord and as I as I start today I just want to encourage each one of you it starts with anticipation hearing the voice of the Lord you have to have anticipation that God's gonna speak to you if you aren't anticipating it it's so easy to miss because if you honestly if you're waiting for like the sky to part and a choir of angels to show up and light shine down and this thundering voice the voice of the Lord it's probably not gonna happen now that has happened throughout history and we see it in Scripture but that's not the most common way God speaks and he speaks subtly we have to learn how to to turn our ear to his heart and the reason I believe he speaks subtly is because he wants us to be in a relationship with him he wants us to press in he wants us to be hungry for his presence and hungry for his word amen it were a call to press in to his heart but each one of us have the capacity did he hear him I'm gonna show you that in Scripture each one of us are equipped to hear the Lord so turn with me to John chapter 10 and this is where I'm going to start in Scripture and this this passage I love this passage because it clearly shows that the Lord is speaking to his people on a regular basis it didn't die out with the Apostles it didn't die out with the writers of Scripture he is continuing to speak to us and speak to his people actually he speaks to unbelievers as well which I'll show you but he speaks to us continually so turn with me to John chapter ten we're gonna look at verses 1 through 11 and I'll be in the new King James Version and it says this most assuredly I say to you he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs up some other way the same as a thief and a robber but he who enters by the door is the 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 and when he brings out his own sheep he goes before them and the Sheep follow him for they know his voice yet they will by no means fall a stranger but will flee from him for they do not know the voice of strangers Jesus used this illustration but they did not understand the things which he spoke to them then jesus said to them again most assuredly I say to you I am the door of the Sheep all who ever came before me are thieves and robbers but the Sheep did not hear them I am the door if anyone enters by me he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture the thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy I have come that they may have a life and that they may have it more abundantly that's a good Scripture right there to stand on right now the coronavirus is from the enemy and Jesus came to give us life and more abundantly verse 11 to wrap up says I'm the Good Shepherd the Good Shepherd gives his life for the Sheep now that's a pretty common passage I think most of us that have been at church while have heard that and the thing I love about it is it shows two different aspects of Jesus he's the door we cannot come to the Father except through Jesus period right that is good solid theology right it's not just do whatever you want and if you're a good person then hopefully you get in that's not it it's through Jesus he is the door but it also demonstrates him being the Good Shepherd and in this he says my sheep hear my voice right I especially want to look at verse 4 and this is where my big idea comes in my big idea this morning is following well begins by listening well following well begins by listening while that comes right out of verse four and when he brings out his own sheep he goes before them and the Sheep follow him for they know his voice see with following there's action there's action required you hear and you follow right it's not a one-time thing the one-time thing is I come through the door I'm saved right but it does not stop there it's a continual being led and guided by Jesus the Good Shepherd so with the rest of the time that I have this morning I want to equip each one of us to become better here's so that we can become better followers and I want to I want to do that by answering these two questions number one how does God speak and the second one is how do I know if it's God how do I know if what I'm hearing is God so those are the two questions I'll be answering this morning and any time I teach about hearing the voice of the Lord I always use this phrase I think I stole it from Chris peloton I think that's where I got it from but it's this God isn't human and his first language is in English so in other words he's not gonna speak to you the way another person would speak to you he's not human he speaks in different ways he's supernatural he speaks in ways that are outside of our box we can't put God in a box and expect to hear the voice of the Lord amen you know if you would go if you were to go to another country there's a different language there's even a different culture like even the way people their facial expressions or different hand motions they mean different things and so you have to learn how to speak in a different culture or how to speak in a different language the same is true with the kingdom of heaven because God there's a there's a culture in the kingdom of heaven that's different from the culture of this world and so we're gonna learn together how to hear the voice of the Lord so here's a list of some of the ways that God speaks to us and this will be up on your screen so you can write them down and this is not all-inclusive by any means there are many many more ways that God speaks but here's here's some of them I want to talk about this morning in the Bible it's his written word that is the most common way that God speaks to us dreams visions an uh gene or a prompting in our spirit impressions the still small voice which is our thoughts through creation he speaks people he speaks through people prophetic words is one way that he does that the audible voice of the Lord which I'll talk about and in our census it's not just through hearing it's through all of our senses that he speaks to us and so those are on the screen you can write those down awesome thing about it being streaming online as you can watch it again you can pause it and you can write them down if you miss something so I know what I went through those pretty fast so I just want to talk briefly about each one of those and show you in scripture where those where those happen and even give you some some of my own experiences with those so first off the Bible that's that should be a no-brainer for all of us right that's the written word of God and that should be the primary way that we're hearing the voice of the Lord because the Bible is our guardrails we can hear all different ways we can hear prophetically dreams visions I'll talk about but the Bible we have to have the Bible in this I'll say this many times today but we have to have a foundation of Scripture in our hearts so that when we hear something we can we can discern if it's the Lord or not the Bible is super super important we need to memorize it we need to study it we need to meditate on it we need to read it regularly it's super important that we do that and and the Bible is the primary way that we'll test other words that's how we test if what we're hearing prophetically or what we're hearing about our lives whatever we'll be able to test is this the Lord or is this not and it's it's through the foundation of the word because everything we hear from the Lord needs to line up with Scripture and it needs to line up with the heart of God and what I mean by that here's a quick story not everything that you hear or every way that you hear you're gonna find in the Bible right that's just putting God in a Bible sized box let me explain that a little bit I heard this story of a pastor who's driving along all of a sudden out of nowhere his phone Ceri on his phone for no reason says this in my realm all things are possible that's clearly the Lord speaking to this pastor encouraging him that hey nothing is impossible for me but here's what you're not gonna find in the Bible you're not gonna find Siri and you're not gonna find a cellphone in the Bible right and so it needs to line up with the heart of God clearly the word that came lines up with the heart of God that nothing is impossible in my realm amen hopefully that makes sense the next one is dreams and not all dreams come from God but some do I'm so thankful that not all them come from drop from God because I have some weird ones sometimes but we see God speaking to people through dreams all throughout scripture it's one of the primary ways that he speaks actually and Joseph Wright the dreamer we see that early on in Genesis where Joseph has these dreams and it's God speaking to him but God speaks to unbelievers as well in dreams Joseph ended up in jail we know the story most of us ends up in jail and the baker and the cupbearer both have dreams they're not believers they're Egyptians they're not believers at that time but God is speaking to them through dreams later on we see King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream and Daniel interprets that so God is speaking to us through dreams both believers and unbelievers in the New Testament there's examples as well the wise men when they were they met Jesus and they're on their way back and the Lord warns them in a dream not to go back and see Herod right the father of Jesus Joseph the father of Jesus he has a dream when it's time to go back to his hometown so God speaks to us and dreams many many times another one has visions and and there's internal visions and external visions in the book of Acts Peters up on the house and he's praying right we know the story and this is how the gospel really got sent to the Gentiles I'm so thankful that God included us in that but it's how this how it started is through a vision Peter saw the sheet come down from heaven he saw with his own eyes like it was out in front of him he physically saw it but it was a vision from the Lord that's an external vision there's internal visions which is what's like in our minds I write and God often speaks to me this way where I see a picture in my mind's eye and he's speaking to me not too long ago actually just a couple weeks before this whole coronavirus thing broke out we had a student visit our youth group and he was there with a friend and I found out that he was Mormon and just as soon as I met him I just I asked what church she went to and he kind of laughed he said he's Mormon and during during worship I was just praying for him like God just encounter him and as I was doing that I saw just quickly just this picture of him doodling he was doing like comics and cartoons and he's writing these out and so when we're ship was over I was praying I was closing out worship I just I asked him and I came and this is what I saw I felt like the Lord's telling me that you're an artist and you do cartoons and comics and stuff and his friend sit next to him his eyes just got big like how did he know that cuz I just met him but it was the Lord speaking to me through a vision and sure enough he does that all the time in class when he's not supposed to do but the Lord was showing me something but I was able to prophesy to him and encourage him that the Lord sees him the true Jesus right the true father sees him and knows him and actually has a destiny and a purpose for his life so that's God speaking through an internal vision the next one is an edgy nor a prompting in your spirit and again all of these are super subtle and we can just dismiss him if we chose to you like I actually had to partner with the Lord and step out in faith and say okay God I believe this is from you I'm gonna do something with it I could have dismissed it as my own imagination right and the same is true with an edging or prompting in our spirit and that could be like a gut feeling or oftentimes in Christian circles you'll hear a check in my spirit I've got a check in my spirit right that's this nudging or this prompting from the Holy Spirit it's a it's a feeling about something and you know in acts 18 v Paul it says that he was compelled by the spirit and testified that Jesus was the Christ to the Jews and the synagogues I believe it doesn't say in Scripture some of this stuff but I believe there was just this prompting in his spirit he was compelled by the spirit that he had to speak these words to these people it was time it was the right time and he had to do it so he was compelled by the spirit that says nudging or this prompting of the Lord the next ones impressions again this is this is something that can be dismissed and most of us and I just want to encourage you most of you listening you've experienced this and possibly have dismissed it but just be encouraged it's the Lord speaking to you all of us can hear the voice of the Lord what an impression it's discernment we meet somebody or we walk into a room and all of a sudden we just have this impression about them or about a situation and it's the Lord it's the Lord communicating to us he's getting our attention I believe Jesus did this in John the first chapter of John at the end of John 1 this is where he called Philip to be a disciple and now he's meeting Nathanael verse 47 john 147 says this Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no deceit now it doesn't tell the scripture doesn't tell us how Jesus came to that revelation but I believe it was an impression he saw him it had this impression that this man is righteous this man has integrity and so he declared it he spoke it it was a word of knowledge amen the next one is a still small voice then this I believe manifests as our thoughts and we get that term still small voice from Elijah he was praying praying to the Lord waiting for an answer an earthquake came a fire came a whirlwind came and he said the voice the Lord wasn't in any of those the voice of the Lord was in the still small voice and it's it's our thoughts now sometimes you know we have a we have three three primary places that thoughts come from we have our own thoughts we have our own mind our own will our own intellects we can have thoughts and it's okay but there's the fiery darts of the enemy right the fiery darts come in and cause temptation or fear or doubt or whatever the enemy can plant thoughts but the other way is the Lord the Lord can give us thoughts typically when I have a thought that's like really really good that's way beyond what I can think I usually attributed that to the Lord right I mean that's that's pretty simple like man that was really good or he'll use a word that I don't typically use like okay that was the Lord with a still small voice speaking to me real quick story and this this is a really loud still small voice when I was young mostly you know my story I battled with addiction alcohol and drugs from a pretty young age about 14 is when I started so I 16 my friend had just gotten his license we're cruising up in this this Canyon we're at a party and we borrowed as mom's car and you know we're doing things we shouldn't we're drinking underage partying with all these people all of a sudden we realize I all man it's it's after midnight we're supposed to be home by midnight it's like 1:00 in the morning so we race home after you know hours of drinking my buddy's driving I'm in the passenger seat going down this dirt road down this windy road in a canyon and you know my buddy's been drinking so not using the best judgment and he's trying to show off sliding around these corners going really fast plus we were late and all of a sudden we slide around this corner and I hear it wasn't audible voice of God I've never heard the audible voice but it was the loudest thought I've ever had it was a still small voice even though it's super loud right I was drinking God had to yell at me to get my attention but it was this this thought put your seatbelt on now I know it was the Lord I know it was put your seatbelt on now if it was my own thought I would have been like maybe I should put my seatbelt on no it was a command put your seatbelt on now I put my seatbelt on literally within 30 seconds we crashed the moment I put my seatbelt on we crashed and even with my SIBO I broke the side window with my head I broke the front window with my head the rear bumper was about 40 feet in front of us like I would have gone through the window and died guaranteed but the Lord even before I knew him that's how good he is even before I knew him he spoke to me through a still small voice the next one is through creation itself God speaks to us through creation I love Psalm 19:1 it says this the heavens are telling of the glory of God and their expanse is declaring the works of his hands I love the outdoors I love the nature as my wife would call her but when I go out hunting when I go out fishing like literally you can just see the beauty of God in creation it speaks of his majesty it speaks of his holiness it speaks of his creativity if we actually take the time and we quiet what's going on inside we could see the beauty of God in creation the next one is people and and we can miss this one a lot especially if we don't like the messenger right it could be a good message but if we have a fence in our heart towards the messenger it's hard to hear the Lord but the prophetic voice comes through people and the prophetic voice did not die out once the scripture was written it did not die out with the prophets New Testament prophets are just as important as Old Testament prophets it's important that we hear the prophetic voice of what God is doing in this day and age for our own lives for our families for our communities for the nations I can't I can't tell you how many times I've gotten a word from somebody that didn't know me didn't know what I was going through and I spoke right to my heart I spoke right to this situation I was going through God speaks through people just like the story the Mormon boy that I just I just shared that was God speaking to him through a person through me the next one is the audible voice now I haven't heard this I know people that have but it's not very common but we see it in scripture where Jesus was baptized right God said from heaven this is my son in whom I'm well pleased right we heard they heard this it was it was an account same with Saul when he met Jesus and became Paul he had the conversion there was a there was the audible voice of the Lord and that does still happen today and then the the last one is our senses the Bible says taste and see that the Lord is good right he wants us to experience him with all of our senses you know on the day of Pentecost they felt the wind the Spirit came in with a wind they could feel it they saw the tongues of fire my guess is they probably felt the tongues of fire right because anytime I've been filled with a spirit man there's a fire there's a fiery presence that comes from God it doesn't hurt but the only way to describe it is man I am on fire with God's presence right so he speaks to us through our senses there's people in here I haven't experienced this myself but there's people in this church body and that during worship at different times has actually smelled the fragrance of heaven incense going up to the Lord it's incredible God speaks to us through all of our senses so those are a few ways that God speaks obviously those aren't all the ways that's not all-inclusive there are many other ways that God speaks to us that's a good start that's like twelve of them so we're good to go the next question I want to answer is how do you know what's God I have this thought I had this dream I saw this vision how do I know it's God that's a pretty common question with Christians is how do I know that what I'm hearing and so many people are afraid of being deceived because we've seen we've seen people get off before but man the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth we can trust him more than we should be afraid of the enemy right he's gonna lead us into truth but here's some good ways on how to know if it's God I want to start out with this first Thessalonians 5:19 through 21 and that should be on the screen for you do not quench the spirit do not decide despise prophecies test all things hold fast to what is good now he's talking about prophecies if you want to quench the spirit just start despising the words that you hear from from the Lord and it's not necessarily from a person we should be our own best prophets like we should hear the Lord for our own lives more than any other source but when we hear something from the Lord let's test it let's make sure it's good because we don't want to get off and we can if you know we don't follow some of this stuff so the number one way I already said this before is the Bible read your Bible get the Bible inside of you make sure that word is written on your heart meditate on it pray the Bible study it memorize it it's so good to get the Bible inside of you all of us probably have have known of or heard somebody that really got off theologically because they they heard the voice of the Lord right more often than not it's because they they left their foundation of Scripture more often than not you've got to have a good foundation of Scripture but it's not just about what's written in the Bible aligning up with what's written it's also about lining up with God's heart it's got to line up with God's heart how many of you know that Satan actually used scripture to tempt Jesus it was actually a written word from the Lord but Satan twisted it outside of the heart of God and he used it against him I think some of the most painful things people experience is when the Bible is used out of context out of context of God's heart to bring shame and guilt and condemnation that's never the heart of the Lord so it needs to line up with what it says but it also needs to line up with his heart just as importantly what we're hearing has to line up with the heart of God and how do we know his heart the foundation is that he's good we serve a good god period when Jesus died on the cross and said it is finished he met it is finished all the the judgment and punishment that we were gonna receive Jesus took on himself he is a good god so the words need to be coming from a good gun and even if there's correction even when there's discipline because that will happen if you're a son if you're a daughter there's gonna be correction and there's gonna be discipline but it comes through conviction not condemnation there's a big difference it's the conviction of the Holy Spirit not condemnation because condemnation and shame come from the enemy the second way to process what you're hearing is processing with a leader super super important that we have covering especially for those of us that are learning this we're very new at it it's very important to get feedback from leaders because it's it's a process of learning how to hear the word and the language of the Spirit we need to run things by our leaders say hey this is what I'm this is what I'm feeling this is what I'm seeing this is what I'm sensing is it the Lord help me help me with this very important and even as you gain experience like not everything has to be run by a leader right like if you're once this whole all these restrictions get lifted right you're in a grocery store and you feel like man this person has has this problem I'm gonna pray for him and you're picking us up through your spirit like you don't have to run that by a leader to say hey should I help this person jesus loves them right that's pretty basic go for it do it but bigger things we need to run by by leaders even people our experience if you've got like a life-changing decision that you feel the Lord speaking to you whether it's you know a big investment or a career change or moving across the country with your family you want to run stuff by your leaders proverbs 24:6 says for my wise counsel you will wage your own war and in a multitude of counselors there is safety getting counsel from people that you trust that have more experience than you that are in authority over you is super helpful about a year ago my family I we visited reading and just just to visit and we were coming home and I just had this impression from the Lord that I supposed to go back to school that's a big big decision I'm almost 40 and I've got kids I've got a full-time job I'm like okay okay I'll go back to school the first thing I did when I got back to work was i sat down with pastor Wes and I said hey this is what I'm hearing from the Lord what do you think because that's a big decision I don't want to want to do something I was pretty confident it was the Lord but I still want to want to be undercovering you know and the the last thing without with with being with processing things with your leaders don't ever partner with rebellion don't ever partner with rebellion because you could be hearing from the Lord right hearing from the Lord you run up by a leader and I say no that's not the right time for that I give Pastor Westwood had told me no I don't think you're supposed to go to school it's not the right time for that I would have submitted and said okay well that either wasn't the Lord or I'll just put it on the shelf and the timings not right he will open up a door if it's the Lord he's gonna open up a door he'll give me an assignment where that fits Ryan don't ever ever ever partner with aurelion if Pastor Wes would have said no and I started going to school against his advice against his direction that would be partnered with rebellion don't ever ever ever partner with rebellion it sets you up for all kinds of bad things just don't do it another way to test if it's the Lord is by doing we learn by experience right again don't practice with like a hundred thousand dollar investment bad time to practice right oh yeah I hear from the Lord about this I'm gonna you know invest $100,000 in this oops that wasn't the Lord I lost it all bad call don't do that but simple things right practice words of knowledge when you're out and about I try and try and ask the Lord for you know the person in line in front of you what their name is or whatever but begin to practice hearing from the Lord we learn by doing we learn by experience and then the more experience you get when those big words come you have confidence knowing that yeah this this probably is the Lord still run it by your leaders though and review come up wrap this thing up here pretty soon get some keyboard going the next one is waiting for confirmation waiting for confirmation God oftentimes gives us confirmation especially with big things again if it's something small you don't need a confirmation and some of us do that out of fear like oh I think I'm supposed to tell this person that Jesus loves them God give me confirmation no just tell them that's clearly the Lord it's a risk but it's it's not gonna cost you a hundred thousand dollars because you've made a bad investment right just do it just do it but if it's something big God won't begin to speak to you over and over and over I often you'll see different themes in Scripture that every time you read there's this theme or you'll have weird coincidences happen to you that's God getting your attention or you have the same prophetic word from multiple different people that don't know each other it's confirmation that the Lord is trying to speak to you and finally let the Holy Spirit guide you that should be a no-brainer but let the Holy Spirit guide you be intentional about partnering with him be intentional about getting counsel from him Holy Spirit lead me into all truth is this you is this is this you speaking to me God and guess what he will he will so my big idea again as I wrap this up it's following well begins by listening well Jesus of this Shepherd he's leading us and guiding us but we have to be able to hear his voice in order to follow it's supernatural but it's not super hard right it's supernatural but it's not super hard we just need to be intentional about listening to his voice each one of us that has made Jesus our Savior we've heard his voice every single person that has made Jesus their Lord you've heard you've heard him speak to you at least once I promise you you've heard him speak at least once because because he says my sheep I've called by name and he's called your name and you said yes you may not realize that it was the voice of the Lord but it was the voice of Lord speaking to you so be encouraged today he is speaking to you if he did it once he wants to do it again and he's always talking it's a relationship it's not a one-sided thing where we just pray and hope that he that he listens no it's this conversation that we get to have have with the Lord and if you're out there and you feel like man I just I miss it more often than not I can't really hear him well maybe I've never heard him man I just I just want to declare over you there's no shame or condemnation in feeling that way God knows exactly where you are he knows how to speak to you he knows how to get your attention and he's gonna take you from glory to glory to glory just like what Paul says in Corinthians he wants us to go from glory to glory to glory he's always cheering us on let's read John 10 for one more time it's so encouraging and it's this and when he brings out his own sheep he goes before them and the Sheep follow him for they know his voice that is a promise that each one of us have the ability to hear the Lord speak to us it's a promise it's a promise of Scripture that you can hear him we just have to tune our ears to the right frequency and just as I ant I want to leave every single person that's watching with an activation most of us have more time in these these next couple weeks and then we usually do take this time whether it's five minutes whether it's half an hour whatever it is find a quiet place grab a journal grab a pen and begin to intentionally listen to what the Lord seen over your life and here's that here's the question I want you to ask Holy Spirit you say Holy Spirit show me a picture or two give me a word or show me a scripture that describes what you think about me and then just listen remain just listen he'll show you a picture he'll give you a word about who you are or maybe it's even a scripture that describes what do you thinks of you and then just write it down just write it now and just as you as your beginning in this like I said he's a good God it needs to line up with his heart so if it's not good it's not God if you here are hearing something about how horrible you are or whatever that's the enemy the enemy is the accuser of the Brethren so just flush that and let the Lord speak an encouraging word so I'm gonna pray as we wrap up and the password Wes will be too close so father I thank you that you're always speaking I thank you that you want us to hear you more than we want to hear you your desires for us to be in such close proximity and close relationship with you so god I just pray for an impartation for every single person that is watching every person that will watch that there will be an impartation for them to hear your voice clearly God open up our spirits open up our hearts to hear you in a new way dreams and visions just supernaturally come in and begin to speak and minister to our hearts God I bless every single person in Jesus name Amen amen thank you thank you Pastor Josh such a good word Thank You Arden my sheep know my voice and they follow me what an amazing statement by Jesus and an invitation to all who want to follow him I believe that God is speaking all over the world right now he's speaking to hearts and people everywhere I don't believe that God had anything to do with the coronavirus but we I believe that the enemy had everything to do with that enemy comes to rob and he kills and he destroys but Jesus that I've come that you might have life and life more abundantly he's come to give us life and he's gonna take what the enemy is meant for evil he's gonna turn it for glorious good and so this morning as we just turned to the Lord I want to begin with people who are listening to me and maybe you're filled with fear right now all that's going on there's so much question about tomorrow or next week when will our lives get back to normal when will I be able to get back to work when will I be able to provide for my family when will I be able to be with my friends how long is this gonna continue well I'm not sure with any of those questions I don't have the answer to those questions but here's what I do know that Jesus said I'll never leave you I'll never forsake you I will be with you always even to the end of the earth I know that at one point this will all pass but what I would hope with that we'd never get back to normal in the sense that I'm moving out and I'm doing my nice life and doing stuff and doing things and I would have missed this moment where God is speaking God is speaking all around the world that all who are hearing his voice this morning if we would respond to him and maybe here today and you're just listening and you're watching and you're going you know what today is my day today I'm hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit nudging and speaking to me and this morning I'm going to put my faith and my trust in Jesus alone for salvation no better time than today to come to Jesus to ask him to be your Savior Lord and for all who would like to ask and invite Jesus to come and to be your Savior and Lord today all I would like you to do is just repeat this prayer with me and what you just say just repeat with me Lord Jesus come into my heart forgive me of my sins today I put my trust in you alone for my salvation if you've done that today Jesus has come in where fear and anxiety has been now his presence in his peace has come to fill your heart in your life he's the Good Shepherd my sheep know my voice and they follow me today you're following Jesus this will all come to an end these things will come to an end but today you can have peace you can have joy and you can have the life in the presence of Christ with you and I pray that for your home today pastor marks gonna come in a minute and just close out really give some in further instructions but I would like to pray over all of the Life Church seven family I'd like to pray for everyone who's listening to me and I'm gonna pray the prayer that Moses would pray over the children of Israel every day he would get up in the morning and he would speak this he see me the Lord bless you may he keep you may his face shine upon you may he be gracious to you may lift up your countenance and give you peace my prayer my joy and my confidence is that today that God is lifting up your countenance he's giving you peace through God we will do valiantly it is he who treads down all of our enemies may the Lord bless you and keep you today fill you with His grace and confidence hey man Pastor Mark amen what an amazing word amazing worship and I just wanted to honor you know the last two weeks we've had to adjust so much in our tech and our worship teams have just made such adjustments to make this an amazing feat I was watching as you were on my phone and I was like this sounds so amazing and so you know when I'm watching a game I have no problem cheering at a screen when I'm watching a game so where you're at at your home would you just give a shout right now or clap for the team that just made this happen way to go team we're so glad that you were able to do this we are you man we encourage you we're so proud of you team that put this on it's been an amazing feed and we're gonna be doing this again next week but for this week there's a couple ways you can continue to engage and stay connected here at Life Church 7 tonight I'm gonna be teaching a class I called coming closer what if you were intentional with this time right now to come closer to Jesus that's what this class is all about is an invitation for you to come closer to Jesus closer than ever before so go on the app go online right now sign up for that and we look forward to seeing you at 6 o'clock and then tomorrow at 9:30 we continue our weekday divos with pastors drew and pastor pastor drew and Kaley will be leading that and it's gonna be an amazing time as we go through our life journal reading plan so if you don't have the Bible app download that through you version life journal Bible reading plan and you can jump on with us as we're reading through God's Word every day and we're so glad that you joined us this morning and we encourage you we hope you're filled with with hope and filled with faith the Lord wants to speak to you he's speaking to you today so listen to his voice be encouraged and we can't wait to see again on YouTube on Facebook next week 10:00 a.m. have a great day [Music] [Music]

Channel: LIFECHURCH7

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Id: d802RRki7rk

Length: 82min 25sec (4945 seconds)

Published: Sun Mar 29 2020