From the sermon, "Hearing the Voice" -
How does God speak to His people?
God speaks to His people primarily through His Word… Romans 10:17 says, “faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”
Sometimes through supernatural means, as when He did when He spoke to the prophets through a still, small voice, as in 1 Kings 19:12 – “…And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still, small voice,” and in the story of young Samuel in 1 Samuel…
God also speaks to us through experiences we have gone through…and through our memories of the experiences we’ve gone through; sometimes through bad examples that we have been exposed to so we can learn not to emulate bad behavior…
It could also be said that God speaks to us through the experience of Prayer, and through partaking of the Sacraments, and through what are called the Means of Grace – of which the Sacraments is one…Baptism is another…
On the day in which John the Baptist baptized Jesus, God’s voice was plainly heard. The Gospel accounts differ on the details, but – regardless – they agree that God’s voice was made known that day:
Matthew 3:13-17
Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" 15Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented. 16As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
Mark 1:9-11
9At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."
John 1:29-34
John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' 31I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel." 32Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 I would not have known him, except that [unless] the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' 34I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God." Jesus, in the Scriptures, revealed himself most often – particularly after the resurrection – through fellowship that involved the breaking of bread…fellowship with other believers...
On the beach, when he made things right between himself and Peter, and on the road to Emmaus shoirtly after his resurrection…
May He make Himself known to us this morning through the breaking of bread…
“Let he who has ears to hear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches…”- Revelation chapter 1...
God speaks to His people primarily through His Word… Romans 10:17 says, “faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”
Sometimes through supernatural means, as when He did when He spoke to the prophets through a still, small voice, as in 1 Kings 19:12 – “…And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still, small voice,” and in the story of young Samuel in 1 Samuel…
God also speaks to us through experiences we have gone through…and through our memories of the experiences we’ve gone through; sometimes through bad examples that we have been exposed to so we can learn not to emulate bad behavior…
It could also be said that God speaks to us through the experience of Prayer, and through partaking of the Sacraments, and through what are called the Means of Grace – of which the Sacraments is one…Baptism is another…
On the day in which John the Baptist baptized Jesus, God’s voice was plainly heard. The Gospel accounts differ on the details, but – regardless – they agree that God’s voice was made known that day:
Matthew 3:13-17
Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" 15Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented. 16As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
Mark 1:9-11
9At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."
John 1:29-34
John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' 31I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel." 32Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 I would not have known him, except that [unless] the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' 34I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God." Jesus, in the Scriptures, revealed himself most often – particularly after the resurrection – through fellowship that involved the breaking of bread…fellowship with other believers...
On the beach, when he made things right between himself and Peter, and on the road to Emmaus shoirtly after his resurrection…
May He make Himself known to us this morning through the breaking of bread…
“Let he who has ears to hear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches…”- Revelation chapter 1...
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