Listening in the Wilderness

Two extracts from the sermon with the bible references exploring how God speaks and what he is saying.

How God speaks:

Throughout Scripture, God has spoken in many ways:

• Through creation (Psalm 19:1-2)

• Through direct speech (Genesis 12:1, Exodus 3:4)

• Through dreams and visions (Daniel 7:1, Acts 10:9-16)

• Through prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Elijah himself)

• Through angels (Luke 1:26-38)

• Through Jesus Christ (John 1:14, Hebrews 1:1-2)

• Through the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:2)

• And of course through Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16)

What God says:

To hear God we must engage with Scripture. God’s voice will never contradict His Word. Read the Bible prayerfully, asking God to speak through it.

If you want to hear God speak, read the bible outloud!

Because we have Scripture, we can be certain of what God is saying to us. While we may long for personal signs or dramatic revelations, the truth is that God has already spoken clearly through His word.

He tells us of His deep and unchanging love (Romans 5:8),

His call to repentance and renewal (Acts 3:19),

and His promise of salvation through Jesus Christ (John 3:16).

We do not need to wonder if God loves us or if He desires a relationship with us He has already declared it. In Scripture, God has given us clear instruction for how we are to live. Jesus summarised it in the Great Commandment:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and “Love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).

We are called to love God wholeheartedly and to love others with the same grace and compassion He has shown us. He also commissions us to share His message. In the Great Commission, Jesus commands:

“Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Every believer is called to be a witness to live in such a way that others see Christ in us and are drawn to Him.

• He assures us of His presence in every season of life (Matthew 28:20),

• His faithfulness to guide us (Isaiah 30:21),

• and His call for us to walk in holiness (1 Peter 1:15-16).

• Scripture teaches us to love one another (John 13:34-35),

• to forgive as we have been forgiven (Ephesians 4:32),

• and to trust in His plans even when we do not understand them (Proverbs 3:5-6).

These are not vague impressions or subjective feelings; they are the unshakable truths of God’s voice, written for us.

The real challenge is not whether God is speaking, but whether we are listening, trusting, and obeying His word.