Sermon Notes
We learned previously that God’s will is His determination, His choice, His purpose, and His desire.
On a corporate level, God desires that
- Everyone accept salvation.
- We walk in the grace of sanctification.
- We are thankful in everything.
- We live a life that silences the foolish.
Just as God has a will on a corporate level, He has a will for us on a personal level.
How do we discern His voice?
- Recognize the other voices that speak to us.
- Regard the ways God speaks to us.
- Realize the purposes for which God speaks to us.
The Voice of Emotion
Lazarus, Mary, and Martha were really good friends of Jesus. In fact, in verse 3, the message Jesus received was, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” Appealing to Jesus’ emotion. Yet, Jesus wasn’t moved, but stayed two more days saying, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
One of the ways we can tell which voice we are listening to is by our words. If we say, “I feel like”, this is a good indicator that we are listening to our emotions and not the voice of God.
The Voice of Guilt
The first thing Martha said to Jesus when she finally saw Him was, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” In essence, it’s Your fault that this event has happened. This voice of guilt is two-fold: It is the voice of the one making the accusation, but also our own internal voice of guilt.
“With His will comes His grace.” – Dr. D’Ann Johnson
The Voice of Expectation
In verse 22, Martha says, “But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” In other words, You didn’t come when I wanted you to, but now that You are here, You can now do what I want you to.
How Does God Speak To Us?
Through His Word
2 Timothy 3:16 – All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
“God’s word is what teaches us how to live.” – Dr. D’Ann Johnson