BIBLE STUDY: How God Speaks

Introduction:
If we are going to be successful in our lives, on our jobs, in our families, our ministries and church, we have to be able to listen to God and to understand the ways in which He communicates to us.

Discussion Questions:
Does God speak today?
How?
How does God speak to you?

Foundational Scriptures:

1 Hebrews 1:1-5-1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

2 Peter 1:20-21-20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Luke 1:70-As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, who have been since the world began,

Summary:
In past times, God used diverse manners to speak to the Children of Israel. God used dreams, visions, angels, and prophets to communicate to us. God uses some of these messages today as well. But there is no better way than Jesus Christ because it is a revelation that God has made through His Son.

God speaks through:

Inspiration-Through the prophets-They communicate to us from what God does in their hearts and minds. (Both Old and New Testament) -2 Tim 3:16

Revelation-Truth that God gives that can not be received any other way. The Bible is the revelation of God. Psalm 119:105

Illumination-What happens to us when we read or hear God’s Word and something, “Clicks” in our spirit and we clearly, “Get it.” John 14:16-17

Today God primarily uses, His Word, Prophets, and the Holy Spirit to communicate to us. God can and does still use dreams and visions.

Ephesians 4:11-14-And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ: 13 till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a full-grown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: 14

Acts 16:9- And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: There was a man of Macedonia standing, beseeching him, and saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us

1 Corinthians 12:8-11-But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

Why does God speak to us?

1. God speaks to us because he loves us
2. God speaks to us to guide us
3. God speaks to us to comfort and encourage us
4. God speaks to us because He wants us to know Him

Who can hear God speak?

John 10:26-28-26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.

1 Tim. 2:5- For there is one God, one mediator also between God and men, himself man, Christ Jesus,

John 14:6-6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me



Who can not hear God speak?

2 Corinthians 4:4-4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them.

What is God’s desire for the unbeliever?

Acts 26:18-to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me



Summary;

God desires more than anything else that we are able to hear from Him, to know Him, and to truly understand His will for our lives. The ability to hear God was made available to us through Christ coming into the world and sacrificing himself for us. It is only through Christ and the Holy Spirit that God communicates to us. For those that believe, God speaks to us everyday, through various means. I submit that there is no believer that can truly say that God does not speak to them. There are times of silence when God will not, repeat Himself, change His mind, or uses silence to perfect patience in us, but in these things, God still speaks to those that are willing to listen.

The asset you have is the ability to hear God speak to you.

To the unbeliever God still cries out to them by way of Isaiah 1:18- 18 "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.

God continues to cry reconciliation, but until them, He will not speak to the unbeliever.

How does God speak to you is an important question, but the better one is, how well do you listen?

Next Week: Listening to God.

Assignment-Write down 4 ways, God communicated to you.