Does God Really Talk to People?

[Part 3 of Can You Hear Him Now? Sermon Series; see Part 1 and Part 2]

Yes... But...

• The Elijah Story: >1 Kings 17:1 - 19:13
• The Elijah Principles: Matthew 2:12 and 2:22 and Acts 9:10-11 / 1 Corinthians 12:7-12
• We want thunder and lightning. God likes to whisper.
• Don't expect the rare to be common.
• God primarily speaks through Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and 2 Peter 1:3-11

When Someone Claims to Have a Word from God for You...

Don't despise it - Don't blindly follow it: 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22

Remember...

• If it contradicts Scripture - it's not from God: Acts 17:11 /  Deuteronomy 13:1-5
• God sometimes draws straight lines with crooked sticks.
• The one and done principle: Deuteronomy 18:19-22

When You Think You Have a Word from God for Someone Else...

• Unless ABSOLUTELY certain, say, "I think God told me," rather than "God told me...."
• It's our job to deliver the message.
• It's their job to weigh it and respond: Acts 11:27-29 and Acts 13:1-3 / Acts 21:10-15

Food for Thought

(Questions and Scriptures for further study)

1. In 1 Samuel 3:1-14, God speaks to Samuel when he is a boy. Samuel almost missed God's voice because he thought someone else besides God was talking to him. What was Samuel's initial response to the voice he heard?

Why do you think Samuel initially mistook God's voice?

How can Samuel's response -- once he realized who was really talking to him -- serve as a model for us in our response to God's voice in our lives?

What does Samuel's confusion about who was speaking suggest about our need for discernment in hearing God's voice?

2. We heard during this series about the important role God's Word plays in helping us know God's will. Too often voices in our culture communicate messages contrary to God's Word. Contrast what we often hear in our culture with what God's Word teaches us.

3. In each of the three sermons in this series, Larry has talked about how God uses other people to communicate His will to us. One of the best ways (although certainly not the only way) to see God use a group of people to communicate is through our involvement in a Growth Group. If you've been in a Growth Group, how has God used your group to be His voice in your life?

In what ways have you seen God use individuals to communicate to you His will?

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