Sunday Morning Worship Service

I'd like to call your attention this morning to the book of Acts the 9th chapter the book of Acts the 9th chapter and we're going to begin reading at verse number one acts the 9th chapter beginning with verse number one and Saul yet breathing out threatenings and Slaughters against the Disciples of the Lord went into the high priest and desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogue and if he found any of this way whether they were men or women he might bring them bound into unto Jerusalem and as he journeyed he came near Damascus and suddenly there shined around about him a light from heaven and he fell to the Earth and he heard a voice saying unto him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me and he said who art thou Lord and the Lord said I am Jesus whom thou persecutest it is hard for thee to kick against the Pricks and he trembling astonished and said Lord what Willl thou have me to do the Lord said un him arise go into the City and it shall be told thee what thou must do and the men which journeyed with him stood speechless hearing a voice but seeing no man Saul arose from the earth and when his eyes were opened he saw no man but they led him by the hand brought him unto Damascus and he was three days without sight neither did eat nor drink last week I preached a message that I entitled have you heard what the Lord has done today I want to speak to you for a few moments on this subject can you hear God's voice can you hear God's voice let's pray savior I love you grateful for the power of your word for your Mighty presence that we feel so near in this house today Lord for the opportunity to praise you and honor you and Lord for your holy presence that we have been experiencing and God I pray that you would anoint my lips to speak your anointed word let us receive all that you have for us the name of Jesus we pray amen and amen can you hear God's voice in the church world we of hear men and women of Faith make the statement God spoke to me or God told me doubters and agnostics write this off as emotional mumbo jumbo or ignorant instability the sincere and hones hearted desire such a relationship with God but sometimes they have unreal expectations they of expect a Hollywood style Mighty voice of resonance and ReSound to rumble and reverberate a definitive message so loud and so audible that it is unmistakably the voice of the almighty God I mean some even expected to sound like who was it James Earl Jones used to sound that said this is CNN you know they want somebody a voice to say this is God I'm speaking to you that's as deep as I can get sorry and I would suggest to you that sure God has and does and can audibly speak to Mankind and has done so many times however he also speaks to his people most often through Impressions through fruits of obedience and most of all through his word the real problem most have with hearing God's voice is not that God is not speaking but too many are just not listening I dare go down that path that so many husbands experience you know where I'm going already because you've traveled that road many times honey you're not listening to me I wish I could say I've never been guilty but I've been distracted and that beautiful lovely sweet kind voice that so many times bails me out and gives me directions that I needed to hear I will find myself listening to other things when I should have heard what she had to say and sadly that parallels too much what all of us sometimes do with the voice of God speaking to us and giving us Direction there are also many other voices that we hear quite often that frankly affect what we're doing voices that are not of God in fact voices that are directly opposed to what God would have us to do and sometimes the reason we can't hear God speak is because we've just got too much noise going on in our lives there's too much happening around us there's too many distractions in our spiritual ears and in our spiritual hearing that we can't hear the simple things that God is trying to speak to us in our text Saul thought sincerely he was doing the work of God Saul sincerely thought that the God he was familiar with wanted him to go and bind men and women Christians hand and foot followers of Jesus and bring them to be tried for heresy but you see the voice of God would speak to him on the road to Damascus he would be stricken down and that voice would speak to him through a bright light shined on him you talking about the light bulb coming on he heard that voice I promise you but sometimes even when we hear the voice of God if it's a voice that we're not familiar with we'll say who's that talking to me who's that I'm experiencing can I hear the voice of God and do I recognize it in my personal life when he speaks for you see this voice he would question he said Lord who art thou and the voice out of Heaven said I am Jesus whom thou persecutest by the way if you didn't have any idea at this point point when God speaks to you Jesus is speaking to you for they are indeed one and the same Jesus was God manifest in flesh he is the Lord God Almighty and when he spoke to Saul he said I am Jesus whom thou persecute us you see it's vital to us all to realize how to listen to God's voice in a time of Despair a time of desperate need we need to know how to listen for God's voice job even in his despair had learned to listen the word the Bible uses to remind us to listen the Bible uses the word hearken that means listen coaches used to say listen up everybody heads up listen up the Bible says hearken in job 37 I want you to notice after all that job had been through it says at this job 371 at this also my heart trembled and is moved out of his place hear attentively the noise of his voice the sound that goeth out of his mouth he directeth it under the whole heaven and his lightning unto the ends of the Earth after it is a voice Roth he elleny and he will not stay them when his voice is heard God and New Orleans don't tell me God can't say what he wants to say and make it happen where he needs it to happen he saith to the snow be thou on the earth likewise to the small rain into the great reign of his strength heard what happened in Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee just a few months back he Sealth up the hand of every man that all men may know his works this the Beast go into the dens remain in their places out of the South cometh the Whirlwind the cold out of the North by the Breath of God Frost is given and breth of the waters is straightened also he watering he wearth the thick clouds he scattereth his bright clouds and it is turned around about his counsel that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth he causeth it to come whether for correction or for his land or for Mercy we don't comprehend all God's saying verse 14 he said harth unto this listen oh job stand still consider the wondrous works of God did you know sometimes God will tell you to stand still I believe he tells us to go sometimes he puts us in gear and says go but sometimes God says you you need to stand still right where you are and see the Wonders that I'm doing around you if you want to hear God's work and his word sometimes you need to just stand still where you are and just see what God's really doing for you he said hearken that means listen give respectful attention too many can't hear the voice of God because the multiple other voices that are speaking in their ears voices of tradition voices of secular humanism voices of Doubt voices of Deceit you see there are some who feel like that the only way God can speak is through the voice of man and yes God does speak through anointed men and women but let me tell you when the voice of God God speaks through man and Mankind it will mark it down never violate his word there will be no New Revelations that violate the word and rules the word null and void his word will always be true and man's word must confirm his word to be truth or it's a lie I was in a conference several years ago it was north or south of I40 east or west of the Mississippi River so it was somewhere around here and it was a wonderful move of God and there was a lot of preaching and teaching going on it was an altar service and it was a it was a conference that was for leadership ministers and a young man wellbeing came up to me in the altar we were having an altar service of prayer and a young man well meaning came up to me and he said brother M I want you to speak a word of knowledge into my life right now and I told himall right here's your word of knowledge I said I want you to go home and I feel like God gave me this I said I want you to go home and read the ENT the entire Book of Malachi in one city and let it speak to you and he looked about half disappointed to when I I said that so he went away but some months later this young man's Pastor got in touch with me he said brother M he said if you don't care he said there was a young man from my church who approached you and wanted you to speak a word of knowledge to him he said would you please tell me what you told him he said because he came home and after about a week he has completely changed his Outlook he has become one of the most faithful hardworking participants and workers in our church he said frankly he was kind of a a little bit of a loose cannon but he said would you tell me what you told him now I want you to get the picture it wasn't my words but sometimes when we can get in God's word and let God's word speak to us suddenly all of those things that that were unclear suddenly all of that direction that we're looking for from man's voice goes right back to the word his word does not change his word is the same yesterday today and forever if you'll let the word speak to you if you'll let God's word get in your heart you want to hear hear God's voice get in his book start your reading read hear him every day listen to him every day now the Bible is full of examples when the voice of God spoke to man in the book of Deuteronomy the fth chapter we read verse one and Moses called all Israel and said unto him here o Israel the statutes and the judgments which I speak in your ears this day that you may learn them and keep them and do them get in his word learn them keep them do them the Lord Our God made a covenant with us in orb and the Lord made not this Covenant with our fathers but with us even us we've got a covenant we've got an agreement with God who are all of us here alive this day the Lord talked with you face to face in the mount and out of the midst of the fire I stood between the Lord and you at that time to show you the word of the Lord for you are afraid by reason of the fire that went not up into the mount saying I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage from that he gave the Ten Commandments in Exodus he spoke to Moses from a burning bush and Isaiah said it this way for with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people let me tell you when there are those that would try to doubt the the the validity and the spirituality of Christ still speaking through his people speaking with tongues and interpretation speaking in an unknown tongue speaking in other tongues it's still scriptural it's still real it's still what we do why because I want to hear the voice of God I want him to speak to me and I want to be able to recognize it when he's calling me many expect every time God speaks for there to be some overpowering knee buckling all field display and yes that can happen but I came to tell you God sometimes whispers are you listening sometime God Whispers don't be frustrated if you're not hearing God yell that doesn't mean he's not speaking Elijah had such an experience First Kings 19:9 it said and he came thither un a cave and lodged there and behold the word of the Lord came to him and said to him what doest thou here Elijah this is prophet of God but he's not where he ought to be he hadn't backslid but he sure was discouraged have you ever had a voice inside you asked the same question what are you doing here sometimes we'll find our ourselves in places we ought not to be lot of folks like to say well my conscience was bothering that's God talking to you there's some places children of God have no business being I may as well go there I'm already here anyway there's some things that are so-called entertainment some things you can dwell your mind on places you can go and things you can be oh I'm strong enough man I I'm going to go in this place and I'm going to go in that place and I'm going to be around all this who shot John stuff and I I I'm going to let my light shine there's some places you ought not to be there's some Temptations you and your mate shouldn't be going to there's some place Young Folks should never darken the doors of there are some lovers lanes that young people ought to never be on oh preaching brother I felt that Elijah what are you doing here that's the first voice that that's the first voice that Elijah heard what does thou hear Elijah verse 10 and he said I have been very jealous for the Lord of host oh isn't he Noble for the children of Israel have forsaken thy Covenant thrown down thine altars and slain thy prophets with the sword and I even I only am left and they seek my life to take it away he might have needed healing for his elbow being out of joint trying to Pat himself on the back with his pity party and he the voice of God said go forth and stand upon the mountain before the Lord and behold the Lord passed by and a great strong wind rent the mountains and break in pieces the Rocks before the Lord and the Lord was not in the wind didn't hear a thing and after the wind an earthquake and the Lord was not not in the earthquake and after the earthquake a fire sound like California but the Lord was not in the fire and after the fire a still small voice and it was so when Elijah heard it that he wrapped his face in his mantle and he went out and stood in the entering end of the cave and behold there came came a voice unto him and said why what Dost thou hear again God might have got his attention with the wind and the earthquake and the fire but to speak God spoke to him with a still Small Voice that inkling down inside it's more than a conscience that speaks to us sometimes and reminds us and asks us why are you doing what you're doing why are you where you are are are you doing what I called you to do and he said I've been jealous for the Lord of host because the children of Israel have forsaken thy Covenant thrown down thine Altar and slain thy prophets with the sword and I even I only am left to seek my life to take it away they seek my life Elijah in the middle of his full-blown pity party feeling abandoned forgotten and doomed had to hear the voice of God in a small still whisper Young's literal translation of this passage said it was a voice still and small Lex Mark's English Bible said after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper why did God whisper to Elijah maybe he had a personal message that was intended for him alone that's why we whisper right we don't anybody want anybody else to hear it sometimes God's going to have a personal message for you we don't need fire and smoke quaking Earth we don't need wind sometimes God is going to give you encouragement in your own heart there's going to be a reminder that he's still your God and you're still his God can speak through a whisper but let me also say sometimes the reason we don't hear God is because we actually heard him we just don't like what he's saying in 2 Corinthians 12 this former Saul that's now Paul said this verse seven lest I should be exalted of a measure through the abundance of the revelations there was given to me a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan to Buffet me lest I should be exalted above measure for this thing I besought the Lord Thrice that it might depart from me and he said unto me my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness there's going to be times that you're going to ask God for something and he's going to answer my grace is enough can you take that answer can you hear that answer and receive it when God says no When God says wait when God says stand still I won't even give you the scriptural references to expedite time but I would simply summarize the story there was a king of Moab named baleo in numbers and baleo heard the reputation of God's people the children of Israel how they were a mighty force and they had destroyed those that had come against him baleo and all of his underlings in his kingdom were sore afraid the Bible used the term numbers of the people of Israel so BAC wanted to find someone who could deter the attack of God's people because they were standing between God's people and their path to the promised land so Bic the king of Moab went to or rather he sent his Messengers to a prophet named balum and he said here's what I need you to do he said I need you to curse the people of God in other words I need you to prophesy to them that they shouldn't come against Moab the Bible said he offered offered him the rewards of divination now that's a way of saying that he was bribing him to give a supernatural prophecy that favored him it wasn't going to come from God but uh you know if if you were uh in that day if you could foretell the future or give you you were you were delving into divination and and so he he wanted him to divinely give them a prophecy that favored his kingdom and balum refused the first time and he kept upping the anti he sent the Bible again just summarizing the Bible said he sent more Honorable Men to balum he upped the price we're going to give you more and finally and I didn't give you folks upstairs this so don't worry about putting it up there but in numbers 22:18 scripture says this and balum answered and said unto the Servants of baleo if baleo would give me his house full of silver and gold I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord to do less or more I'm amazed that those there are those who want to do less than God called them to do there's also some folk want to do more than God called them to do just do what he called you to do you know if you wanted to use today's common vernacular stay in your lane there's some things we're not called to do let's just do what God called us to do and find satisfaction and do it B said I can't do less or more than what God called me to do and I really wish that story ended there but you know what balum did he said but y'all spend the night I'm going to ask God one more time and sure enough he asked so much God said go with him and so the next morning he said I believe I'm going to go with you and the Bible immediately says that God's anger was kindled against about God told him to go but he he had asked so much there's sometimes when God gives you an answer you need to quit asking and go on and do what he called you to do there's some stuff we need to quit asking God for he's already given us an answer let's proceed and do what he called us to do not more and not less just do what he called you to do well most of you who are Bible scholars and studiers know what happened he tried to go on the journey and the Lord sent an angel with a sword to block his path but balum couldn't see it but the dumb Beast that he was riding good and the progression was the first time he tried to go through a passageway the Beast avoiding this Angel of Death ran him into the wall crushed his foot he tried to get him to go he strayed to the other side injuring balum again balam said I would to God I had a sword I'd cut your honory head off now that's M's interpretation but you know what happened amazingly the Beast looked up to him and I'm paraphrasing and said hadn't I always been a good Beast huh being a preacher I can say this God has to speak through a lot of crazy things sometimes he said have I ever been disobedient you know what balam said he said nay I don't know who was speaking whose language at that point and ultimately the angel blocked the way to the point that the Beast just bowed down and God had to open balam's eyes to see that this dumb Beast was saving his life sometimes God's trying to speak to us and we're fighting the very things that's trying to keep us from utter destruction let me tell you you may not like his answer but accept what God has told you and go on and do his will do what he called you to do not more not less oh let me hurry what does his voice sound like anyway what what does God sound like if it's not that big booming voice all the time that we talked about John 10:14 he said I am the Good Shepherd and know my sheep and have known of mine John 10:5 said a stranger will they not follow but will flee from him for they know not the voice of strangers why do the Sheep know the voice of the shepherd because they daily commune with him it's a familiar voice man everybody can address Me by whatever title Pastor Minister sir father oh but when Jamie says honey sweetheart that's a voice I recognize I I have to tell you this this this is locked in my memory so yeah I if if you've heard this before you're going to hear it again uh several years ago several years ago we went on a a youth hike well you know if I was on a youth hike that was several years ago wasn't it but uh brother Jeremy and sister Lori mop and they were just Newly Weds and they were leading the young folks in this on this trip we were we were hiking somewhere up in the mountains and if anybody's everever seen brother mop and I embarrass him a little bit but I mean he's the quintessential GI Joe I mean he's just that great big guy and sister Lor's always been the quintessential Barbie you know you they just that but on that hike there was a a a creek that we had to cross and it had a a a log that had been the top had been carved off of it and uh you were supposed to kind of cross it one at a time and sister Lori started across that log and she got about three4 away across and brother jery behind her got that log and went and I heard Jeremy but it's like I had never heard his name called before that sweet little voice of sister Lori in calling his name spoke volumes about there was going to be problem if you kept jumping on that log you know sometimes God can say one thing and if you're in tune and in touch with him he knows how to get your attention he knows how to speak your name he knows how to call but there was a fam familiarity there you see if you have conversation with him daily my sheep know my voice and I know them and they follow me you see what does his voice sound like sometimes the voice of the Lord sounds like the Good Shepherd and we recognize it but the stranger's voice will know because it's not the voice of God that we've been communion with if you don't talk to him all the time you may not recognize the voices that try to speak into your life his voice sounds like the Good Shepherd praise team musicians have gone way too long so y'all get ready to bail me out but I would again paraphrase some and read a bit of scripture 1 Samuel three the Bible says the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before the day before Eli and the word of the Lord was precious in those days there was no open Vision understand Eli was the Elder prophet in the house of God and God had miraculously given Samuel to Hannah and elanah and they had recommitted him to God and they had sent Young Samuel as a child to live in the house House of God with the prophet Samuel and H excuse me the prophet Eli Young Samuel was living with the prophet Eli Eli was aged and his vision had waxed dim the Bible said that he could not see and the lamp of God was going out in the house of God and Samuel had the responsibility of learning the things of God but Samuel as a child he laid down to sleep in the House of God the Bible says and the Lord called Samuel and he said here am I and he ran unto Eli this was the prophet and said here am I for thou CST me and he said I called you not lie down again and he went lay down and the Lord called yet again Samuel and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said here am I for thou did call me and he answered I call not my son lie down now Samuel did not yet know the Lord neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him Samuel didn't know the Lord yet but he did know the voice of the man of God now let that sink in just a minute you see we've got little ones that are coming up we've got babies toddlers small children right now many of them are in the east see they don't know all the scriptures and they haven't read all the stories and heard all the preaching but folks are teaching them and telling them about God let me tell you every teacher in this room every worker in the kingdom of God the things that you do some of these little ones haven't heard the voice of God but they've heard your voice what's your voice speaking to to them moms and dads they haven't heard the voice of God yet but what voice are they hearing they're hearing your voice what is your voice is saying to them what does your voice represent to your family to your children it said now and the Lord called Samuel again the third time and he rose and went to Eli and said here am I and thou this call me and Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child therefore Eli said unto Samuel go lie down and it shall be if he call thee Thou shalt say Speak Lord for thy servant heareth you see this is why we get so excited you may think it's just a Christmas program and a a a cute little thing for the kids but I've seen too many of our little ones that started out singing in the kids choir and you could see as they matured suddenly that service took place that it was no longer just a memorized song but there was an anointing started happening to them I I I watched that at at at our kids program and I'm sorry I I lose uh names sometime and I can't remember all the kids name I struggle with my own some time uh uh but the little [name redacted] I watched her leading out on a song at our kids presentation the Holy Ghost started moving on her I saw her hands go up I couldn't help but think there's an influence of family there's an influence of church our kids may not know the voice of God yet but they know our voice what are we speaking into him let me tell you let the voice of God speak to you and speak through you to another generation God's called them God's God anointed him brother o'b when your son gets up there on the piano that's a voice of God that's come through your family come through multiple Generations I could name so many God's doing a work in another generation stand with me Hallelujah a child of obedience mistook the voice of God for the voice of the man of God let me tell you the voice of spiritual leaders ought to sound like like the voice of God so I ask you today has God been speaking to you have you been mistakenly waiting for some momentous moment when all the time he's been whispering his call in your ear that gentle call that gentle tug at your heart that maybe you're feeling right now you see in the Book of Romans it says so then Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God Jesus repeated at least six times in the book of the Revelation he that hath an ear let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches talked about being Overcomers eating from the Tree of Life overcoming not suffering the hurt of the second death he said he that hath an ear let him hear what the spirit sayth unto the churches to him that overcometh I will give to eat of the Hidden mana and will give him a white stone and in that stone a new name written no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it has he been telling you to take on his name has he been has he been whispering that in your what are you wait waiting on that's God speaking to you do you need smoke do you need the wind do you need fire do you need an earthquake God's told you to take on his name you need to take his name on today the psalmist said the voice of the Lord is powerful the voice of the Lord is full of majesty finally John said this verily verily I say unto you he that heareth my words and Believe on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from Death un life verily verily I say unto you the hour is come the hour is now when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live there's a second coming the voice of God will awaken the dead in Christ then we which are alive and Rain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the and so shall we ever be with the Lord that's words of comfort today if you want to hear from the Lord in whatever state you're in is there somebody would step out and start gathering around this altar say I want to hear your voice Lord I want you to speak to me again Lord thank you for your encouragement Lord thank you for your direction thank you for your guidance thank you for your Authority thank you for your power Lord I hear I trust in you I trust in you Lord you're never failing you're the never failing God could we love him today [Music] Hallelujah who will never [Music] he will never fa I trust [Music] God never never never never fail Lord you never fail you never fail hey I and he heard yes he answer I the Lord I Saw the Lord he that's why that's why that's why yeah yeah yeah I saw the Lord he yeah yeah yeah yeah he heard and he answer I sought the Lord and he heard and he answered Hallelujah yes Lord Speak Lord Speak Lord Into My Heart Lord give me that Assurance today Lord your servant hears Lord your servant hears speak into our lives Lord speak into our hearts again wo wo wo wo My [Applause] Savior the [Music] one he'll never fail never fail never fail never fail [Music] never lift your hands and loving and let's listen just a moment could we listen just a moment yes Lord [Music] hallelujah savior I hear your voice savior I hear your voice thank you Jesus thank you Jesus Hallelujah now would you thank him for what he's called you to do would you answer his voice Lord I hear I trust I obey today thank you Lord I trust in you today hallelujah hallelujah well Glory first apost Church let's keep listening to the call of the Lord keep trusting in Him please remember tonight we expect a great time in the Lord be here for service prayer time at 6 our service at 6:30 all the announcements let's see your wife's got her birthday right where's she [Music] at I'm going to embarrass hey happy birthday Lord Lord bless you I'm not going to ask how old she is that's not I'm not supposed to happy birthday to you give her a great big hand Lord bless you to all of you be here expecting a great time in the Lord tonight you're dismissed in Jesus name