God spoke to my heart How do we

“God spoke to my heart” How do we hear God today? John 6: 44 -45

Commonly held view: God speaks directly (apart from the Scriptures) • • Modern “faith-healers” As evidence of salvation To support present truth Part of a more “spiritual life” (knowing Jesus) 2

GOD HAS SPOKEN Hebrews 1: 2 • How does He speak? Heb. 12: 25 • How do we listen to His voice? Luke 8: 8, 18 • What does the Scripture say? Rom. 4: 3; 1 Pet. 4: 11 3

WE HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD BY LISTENING TO THE SCRIPTURES Matthew 22: 31 -32 • God spoke in the days of Jesus by the Scriptures, Exo. 3: 4 -6 • Spoke to Moses on mountain, Exo. 3: 15 • God was speaking to the readers when Moses was read If a person wanted to listen to the voice of God he was to read (hear) Moses 4

HEAR MOSES AND THE PROPHETS BY MEANS OF THE SCRIPTURES Luke 16: 29 • Moses wrote of Christ and was to be heard (believed), Jno. 5: 45 -47 • Voices of the prophets were heard by hearing Scriptures, Acts 13: 27 (3: 24) If a person wanted to listen to the voices of OT prophets he had to read (hear) the OT Scriptures 5

THE HOLY SPIRIT SPEAKS THROUGH THE SCRIPTURES • Holy Spirit spoke of Christ’s redemptive work by the Scriptures, Heb. 10: 15 -17 (Jer. 31: 33 -34) • He spoke by David’s mouth, Acts 1: 16, 20 If a person wants to listen to the Holy Spirit about Christ he has to read (hear) the Scriptures spoken by the Holy Spirit - 2 Pet. 1: 20 -21; 1 Cor. 2: 13 6

GOD HAS SPOKEN BY HIS SON (Heb. 1: 1 -2) T O US • Hear God’s voice by hearing Jesus, Matt. 17: 5; Jno. 14: 7 -11 • Hear Christ by hearing God’s word (that produces faith), Rom. 10: 17 To have faith unto eternal life we must listen to, believe and keep Christ’s word - John 8: 43, 45 -47, 51 7

GOD HAS SPOKEN BY HIS SON (Heb. 1: 1 -2) T O US • Hear God’s voice by hearing Jesus, Matt. 17: 5 (Jno. 14: 7 -11) • How do we listen to Christ? • How does God speak to our hearts by His Son? 8

BY HEARING HIS APOSTLES WE HEAR CHRIST (Jno. 13: 20; 20: 21) • Christ sent the Holy Spirit to His apostles… • To teach them all He said to them, John 14: 25 -26 (“remembrance”) • To testify of Christ, John 15: 26 -27 • To guide them into all truth, John 16: 12 -15 (Convict the world, 16: 8) 9

BY HEARING HIS APOSTLES WE HEAR CHRIST (Jno. 13: 20; 20: 21) • We have “the mind of Christ” in the words of the apostles, 1 Cor. 2: 16 (10) • Spoke the word of God, Acts 13: 44 -49 • Wrote commandments, 1 Cor. 14: 37 When we hear (receive) the writings of the apostles we are hearing (receiving) Christ, the Holy Spirit and the Father 10

BY HEARING HIS APOSTLES WE HEAR CHRIST (Jno. 13: 20) God speaks to our hearts by means of the inspired Scriptures 11

GOD SPEAKS TO US Hebrews 1: 2 • Must hear and learn from God to be saved, Jno. 6: 44 -45 • Listen to the Scriptures of God • Holy Spirit speaks by the Scriptures • God speaks by Jesus, who sent the Holy Spirit to his apostles to guide them into all truth, which they spoke to the world 12

GOD SPEAKS TO US Hebrews 1: 2 He who has ears to hear, let him hear! …therefore, take heed how you hear (Luke 8: 8, 18) See that you do not Him who speaks. refuse (Hebrews 12: 25) 13