Pathways to Intimacy with God - How God Speaks to Ordinary People, Part 1

Can you imagine getting up in the morning, having a slew of problems walking over the phone, picking up the phone and dialing HDA VE and have you push the button and got answers on the other hand, and you say to him God I got a big problem for my kids. I got a financial problem and I got a big meeting today will you please tell me what to do and God tells you exactly what to do with that be cool or what but today I want to tell you God literally speaks to ordinary people like you and me. Don't go welcome to this Wednesday is Living on the Edge with your finger Living on the Edge features the Bible on the steely discipleship program.

Nature continues a series of pathways to intimacy with God by reminding us that there is a way to hear God's voice. After the teaching trips with us in studio to talk about how to apply what that you have a Bible open to first Corinthians chapter 2 story chip for his message how God speaks to ordinary people. Some of my very best memories as a child happened around the table about like this. It was a little bit bigger but at 615 or 630 every morning at my house regardless of when you were leaving you had breakfast, and we would eat a meal that my mom her sister someone would fix and then at the end we took all the plates we pushed into the middle and even as early as like I can remember, this probably is not good advice for parents but about three or four years old. I didn't like milk, and so I would drink part of my milk. My parents put little coffee in there and I would douse it with lots of sugar and I would sit around with a cup of coffee and with my mom and dad and my sisters and we would talk and there is a sense of belonging and affirmation and you talked about your day and he talked about school when you talk about what you are afraid of and you talk about the dreams that you had in it was just a time where you really talked as a family and there's something powerful and encouraging. I have no idea what it does in the life of a child, let alone a parent or something very, very powerful when you have a heart-to-heart talk with your mom or with your dad or better with both, and there's a sense of counsel and direction in affirmation and now and then some rebuke, but I asked myself why why are those the best memories, and even today. I mean people give me a hard time. I'm not sure I even like coffee.

Some would say I'm lying but II think it's so paired with the best experiences and relationships in my life that's always been around a cup of coffee that I felt a sense of belonging connection in love with other people and you know as a kid you know you know it's not true.

When you completely grow up.

But when you're a kid it's your parents care.

I mean they're strong. They've been there they've done that and so when you sit around a table like that and you talk there's a place where really your processing life and you being guided and directed and affirmed in you know, get little redirection and what I would suggest is that you never outgrow that need. And I think God knows we never outgrow that need.

Because even though you may end up of 4050 6070 or 80.

As parents, what you know is you're always parents and you have kids, whether they're 40 or 50 or not and you're a kid and you need a father you need someone to sit down and talk to that you can process life with that that affirms you and loves you and really listens who's been there who's done that. Who's strong, who's committed at what always know about my parents is whatever we talked about around the table.

It was unspoken but they were committed to help me make it through it now. Sometimes they put it back in my lap and sometimes I own my decision but what I knew as they were for me and it's interesting when Jesus went to a church by way of the apostle John in Revelation chapter 3 and he wanted to explain to grown kids to have a heavenly father about how important it was to have a relationship with him. He said, behold, I stand at the door and knock you saying this to a church he saying this to believers. He saying it to a church just like ours, I stand at the door knock. If any man if any woman.

If any student hears my voice and if though open the door. He says I will come in to them and then uses an interesting phrase.

I like the old English on this one and I will sup with him, and he will sup with me or the idea is to dine or to eat. See what God knows is I don't care how old you are, you know what you need and I need you never outgrow the need to sit down with someone who loves you and cares and whether it's over a meal or a couple coffee but it's where heart-to-heart connection time occurs in the God of the universe in Revelation chapter 3, you know what he does he invite you and he invites me to have personal uninterrupted, intimate time where he can let us know how accepted and loved and affirmed we are. He can say that I've been there I've done that I've been tempted I understand I know your heart.

I know your motives.

I know your challenges under your family.

I know your struggles. I know the inner recesses.

I know where you've been. I know what you've done and by the way, I even know tomorrow when you be great if any physical resurrected body. Jesus would sit down and I could be sitting here and I could offer him a couple coffee and he could get a cup and I could get a cup I could say Lord you know something treats.

I been married, you know well over 25 years. We have four grown kids, but there's a couple things that I'm really struggling with, and I like to run by you. You mind if I just got a lamb out here for you and have him in his physical body make eye contact with me and just nod and say church if I understand what's going on and then lay out what I'm struggling with and what I think and where my fears are and then maybe even he wouldn't talk but look at that look in his eyes like I got this one covered. Did I already promised him to be with you on this. Well thank you what you know, since you're so available. There's a couple other things I like to run by you because there's but how does it work today because I'm not Peter and I'm not Paul, not John. And so how does God speak to ordinary people, you know, he said on the very last night on the planet something very powerful in John 16. He said it's really better for me and is better for you that I go because I'm gonna depart and go with the father and I am with you now that the day is going to come when I will be in you and he says in the spirit time to send the Paraclete the one is caught alongside. He will be in you and with you and he will manifest my presence and my power. And he will reveal all truth to you. So instead of having to wait in line like of Peter's talking to me right now. John you had white liner James red white liner.

Bartholomew had white like you have to do that anymore. I want you to know I'm to be available 24 seven and you can talk to me any time and I'll talk to you and the question I have is how does that really work. How does the God of the universe is this really real.

Is this true. How does he speak to ordinary regular normal men and women like you like me, as Jesus spoke to the early disciples. So now the spirit speaks to us through the Scriptures and remember it's the spirit is going to make the truth known the apostle Paul is talking to a Corinthian church that is very carnal and they fit at all kinda great experiences and what he wants to teach them is just as Jesus would sit down.

His physical body and out of his lips would come words and he would talk with the man or talk with the woman.

The woman at the well.

The woman who lost her daughter.

The people there confuse the people overwhelm the condemn with guilt and just as he would speak to them out of his mouth. So now he will speak to you and he'll speak to me but it won't be in his resurrected physical body is going to speak to you and speak to me through his spirit and his spirit is supernaturally going to take the word of God and make it come alive in your actual experience so they will speak to your personal needs in your life through his word, the Bible and is a chip that's pretty far out where to get that notice what the apostle Paul writes to this Corinthian church. First Corinthians 2 verses 9 to 16 he says to them know I is seeing or ear heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him just just let that soak in before you read further.

I hasn't seen here hasn't heard or entered into the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love him. God has a wonderful plan for you.

God loves you what he wants to do in you and through you and your relationships and your family and your future is so be on so better than anything you could ever imagine what and how you find out about it. Verse 10 but God has revealed to us how, by his spirit will how does it work. Paul will see the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God for who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man spirit within them will in the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Men knows what's true of you and what's true of me. He says we speaking of us believers have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, why that we may understand what God has freely given us and then goes on to explain this is what we speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words, you see the man without the spirit the unbeliever.

He doesn't accept the things that come from the spirit of God because their foolishness to him and he can't understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

However, the spiritual man. The believer, the person has received Jesus in the spirit of God dwells in them. He makes judgments about all things that he himself is not subject to any man's judgment for who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him, but we have the mind of Christ. It's the spirit within us as believers taking the revealed word of God so that you actually have the mind of Christ. You can know what Jesus thinks you can know what Jesus feels you can know what is true and what is false, you can know what is wise you can know his plans. You can know his direction. You can have as intimate relationship with Jesus. In fact, more intimate than if he would come in the flesh, and you could sit and talk with him in these chairs, he's available 24 seven and he loves you and he wants to reveal himself to you and his Spirit dwelling and you will illuminate your mind in your heart in such a way that as you get into his word. He will reveal himself specifically and his plan for your life and direction of your life in wisdom for your relationships and what I want you see here is God's word is living and it reveals Jesus to us.

Notice what the writer of Hebrews says for the word of God is living and active.

Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to the dividing of the of this joint of the soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Anybody haven't had that experience. When you read God's word.

I memorized that little different versions of the word of God is living and active and is able to divide the judgments of the heart right down to the very depths of your motives in your heart if you ever been reading the Bible and as you read the Bible. It literally act like there's a spiritual highlighter and a verse would pop up off the page almost and what it would show an almost like a little video recorder goes off on your head and that truth out of that verse in your personal experience somehow connects and God speaks to you about that relationship for that thought or that motive in a way that is unmistakable and you realize God has taken the written word.

That is the living word, and he spoke to me.

Now you to tell you I did not grow up as a Christian I never open the Bible to I was 18, but I'll never forget as long as I live, the very first time that happened to me was in a camp the Fellowship of Christian athletes camp. The football coach paid for me to go. I didn't want to go that you could play all the basketball you want for free.

So I went and I remember they give this little Bible you know I never read the Bible and I looked out over this grassy lawn on this college campus, six or 700 athletes from all over West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and I just thought I'd been dropped into the land of Jesus freaks.

This is 1972 and I'm thinking may I just I just gotta get outta here as fast as I can I get a Bible in my hand and some T-shirt that is Jesus name on it. I never said Jesus name out loud except in a cuss word.

I thought there can indoctrinate me.

This is probably one of those weird places on the can read this Bible so for 15 minutes every morning I would just close it, but the third morning I thought oh well you not supposed to do it like this.

I just open the New Testament.

Romans 12 one. I urge you, therefore, my brothers, in view of God's great mercy that you present yourself to him as a holy and living sacrifice for this is what God really wants from you is a new translation. Don't be conformed or molded after the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that the way you actually live could demonstrate what God's will is that which is good and acceptable and perfect. And then he went on to say and don't think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but to think of yourself as a having sound judgment is got a lot of each a measure of faith. And I read those three verses, and it was like as I read them a video recorder went on, don't be conformed to this world and I just was like a picture of a dictionary came up to million in my picture next to that little lizard and I was like this with this group and like this with this group like this with this group and then it said don't think more highly of yourself and like pictures in my mind came acting arrogant and big and cussing in the locker room and pushing people around and just out of out of all my insecurities trying to impress people, and it was it was it was it was almost like Wu later about three or four years and I begin to just read the Bible and I do know what I was doing.

I do know where to read a word starts. I started in Matthew and I read it through once minarets are again read through Gannon read the New Testament through four times in someone told me there was a bigger part that I should check out. So I started Genesis, Exodus got to Leviticus and what active New Testament read it again and someone said you you really need to check out that older portions.

I went at, you know, Genesis, Exodus, it Leviticus again made about halfway through went back to New Testament and I remember when I found the Psalms had no idea that other people got depressed and angry and had no idea that people had really apply times with God and then just don't like like just stunk and you can actually say those kind of things to God and it didn't even offend him and I never forget what I found Proverbs. It was like this is a gold mine about how to treat people how to live and what to do with your money and while I mean the Bible talks this much about sex, are you kidding me, and God begin to speak to me through his word.

Why notice what it says in John one John one says in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God. You see the log us the word of the second person of the Trinity. John is telling us about before all time before mankind in the beginning was the word Jesus and the word logons was with God and then he goes on. Look at verse 14 skipping down and the Word became flesh. It's Jesus, and he made his dwelling among us. Literally he tabernacle among us, and we seen his glory, the glory of the one and only, who came from the father full of grace and truth and in the next verse says, and he has explained him. That's why Jesus came to explain God you want to know what God thinks you want to know how God feels you and how God thinks about you just look at Jesus's life and how you get to know Jesus.

Jesus is the word, and so better than having a physical body sitting in a chair to drink coffee with you and someone you can ask questions, but the New Testament teaches is in the new covenant, the spirit of Jesus's actual presence lives in you.

You been sealed with the spirit.

God wants to speak to you.

You actually possess the mind of Christ. You have been sealed your part of the body, and now this book can be illuminated in such a way that you can know his heart and his mind your direction, your counsel, how to live, how to spend your money, what decisions to make, what decisions not to make in the spirit of God will take the word of God, and manifest the actual person presence and power of the living Christ in you and through you in a way that gives you greater intimacy than even the early apostles.

You have a better deal than if you could smell the dust of his sandals, yet you have the potential for more intimate relationship with Jesus than any of the 12. That's how God speaks to ordinary people and you might be saying to yourself. Sounds pretty good but I got a problem. I've been a Christian.

Three years in the I would trade whatever he just said for like 10 minutes with Jesus and robotic and you know I had that happen to me a couple times I me.

I mean, you know, that sort of those verses come off the page a minute that have a couple times in the last eight years. Best not happen me on a regular basis. God's not speaking to me from his word. The way that guy just said thought of this really works or not.

See there's a condition as a condition.

This doesn't happen for everyone all the time in the same way. What I just described is God's plan is available for 100% of all Christians, all time and that includes you. But in point number two. Here's what I want to make is that we must come in earnest. If are going to hear his voice, we must come in earnest. There needs to be a desire, there needs to be a level of focus needs to be a discipline. There needs to be a passion there needs to be a sense of God. I want to hear your voice. God what you say means more than anything else, and whatever it takes for me to hear your voice.

That's what I'm gonna do that to God speaks to that the average Christian that I make in this just breaks my heart. The average Christian I meet not only doesn't know this book is not even in this book, I finally you know in the last 20+ years of teaching, and usually after I teach often for half hour 45 minutes.

I do talk with people and all the stuff you know, that happens in their life and and I mean you name it. Boy, I've seen it, heard it, and so finally I got where I asked one question isotonic tell me little bit about your your time in the Scriptures of God. And when they talk about their on their seventh marriage and you know their drug habit that they can't live I can get all this people approval addiction that they have and on and on and on and on and on and almost without exception. The diet of God's word.

They had was not even sustainable for life. They were in the Bible little David said how can a young man keep his way pure.

How do you live this life by keeping according to your word. Your word I've hidden my heart that I might not sin against the. The problem is not that the spirit doesn't live in a believer and the problem is not that this is not powerful end of the spirit of God will not take this and make it the living word personalized for your life. The problem is there isn't earnest in most Christian believers life. The problem is they know a lot more about friends about TV shows about ESPN about the Wall Street Journal and a number of soap operas than they know about the Scriptures and so because of that, when they long to hear God's voice and they need to hear word from God. They don't hear and we say will what's it look like to have earnest Proverbs chapter 2, 1 to 5, lays out very specifically, the condition notice he says my son noticed the word if if you have a pen circle the word if men go all the way down to verse five and circle the word van. He says if here's the condition then here's the results. He says my son, if you notice underlying this, except my words and store up my commands within you underline acceptance Torah. There's an attitude and action. First of all I'm to come to God and I accept it unlock and argue with you, I accept your word, and I'm gonna store them up in a matter to me that's the reception of God's word. Then notice first to turning your ear to wisdom, and applying your heart to understanding so now to be on an attitude now. It's okay. I really want to know I'm turning my ear I'm gonna listen to you rather than all this noise out there and apply my heart. I'm gonna think I'm gonna ponder to meditate. I made and memorize notice first three and then if you call out the verb that notice there for insight and cry aloud for understanding is that how you approach Scriptures show me what this means. I read it I thought about I memorize portions of it done Bible study. I just don't know what it means, cry out for insight, Lord, show me. I got a big decision. I read all of you.

Proverbs I still don't know what to do please show me what to do.

I'm reading your word. Speak to me today and he says if you call out for insight cry aloud for understanding, and then notice the intensity in verse four. If you look for it. As for silver, and search for it as for hidden treasure what he saying is if you bring the same kind of intensity and focus to wanting to know when hear God's voice that you do to your job for many of us men at making money, making the business grow, or for many of us in our sports. You want to be good at something.

When we do we watch videos we read books about it.

We watch the pros. We go to interviews we go to pro games. We spend money we do all things to do. What get better at a sport, and he says if you want to hear my voice except my words store them up, turn your ear. Apply your heart call out cry aloud, and then you look for a word from me in my word like a man that is searching for silver or someone who knows. I'm not sure where it's at. But somewhere in this quarter mile radius. There's a sunken treasure ship with one billion dollars worth of gold for you and I'm gonna find it, trying to stay out here every day and I can keep dropping lines thing the pay for divers until I find it it's that level of focus and intensity, and earnest. It says I've got to get it when you come to God's word with those attitudes and that level of focus. Notice the promise then you understand the fear of the Lord, and find or discover the knowledge of God. God spirit living in a believer will take God's written word make it God's living word, and he will begin to speak to you, an ordinary person about every single area of your life and a lot of it will surprise you.

It won't be all about challenging get with the program know what his voice will say most often.

I love you. I'm for you. I understand I've been there.

I'm mindful that your but dust.

We believe so many lies about ourselves. We believe so many lies about God. That's why were on these unbelievable you know rampage toward trying to impress people accomplish this and do this test were busy, busy, fast, fast, busy, busy, fast, fast, move, move, go, go, go, you know what is down deep with it will get a miss everything we think, would have below and so were just running faster and faster and faster to accumulate and to gain and to capture because, down deep, were scared scared that we really don't know what life's about were scared that were not in a measure up in what you hear. Most of all, over and over and over is I like you just the way you are. I want to bring about the very best.

I got a great plan.

I'm not in a hurry. I have unlimited power. I know what's happening next week next month next 10 years, all of eternity.

You're my son you're my daughter. I want you to slow your pace slow your heart and come and get away with me and when you with intensity and focus in crying and searching and applying of your heart say God I want you not just what you can give me.

Not just the nice family, not just the kids. It will come out right missed not just the husband or wife that I really hope it is good to bring someday. You know, not just a good job, not just the blessings I want you I want to meet you member what Jesus said you search the Scriptures because you think, and then you'll find eternal life, but are they the Scriptures that testify of me. Jesus spoke to his disciples on the earth through his earthly lives in a number of the body.

Jesus now speaks to ordinary men and ordinary women by the spirit of God by eliminating the Holy Spirit Scriptures do you will be back with but if you chose to do your listening to Living on the Edge dripping from chip stock today is from a series pathways to intimacy with God of you found it helpful. Let me encourage you to take advantage of the serious discounts and order a copy today. There's no way we can catch all the key points just once through, so if you were listening about yourself.

You know what I really want to take this more seriously.

Don't let your good intentions slip by. Give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 or check it out online at http://livingontheedge.org pathways to intimacy with God. Do it today will chip do you want to jump in here. I just want to say thanks to every single one of you who partner with us Living on the Edge you know some of you pray some of you give and some you do both. You may not know about we meet as a staff Monday through Friday, and we pray to me, we have staff all across the country and we time it where we come together we pray over you.

We pray over the teaching that goes out, we pray over the projects we have so many people to call in and say this is a specific need, and we pray for specific needs. We pray over relationships. We pray that God will use the ministry here and around the world. I have just one question. If the teaching on this program is making a difference in your life would you get on board.

Would you commit to pray for us. Would you commit to give.

In fact, regardless of the amount, if you could give monthly would make a world of difference. We have so much ahead of us. The needs are so great and life is short, would you go online or give us a call and become a partner with the ministry I'm not discouraged because I know God's in control, but I believe he's calling us to step up and really make a difference and we need your help to do that to send a gift to Living on the Edge to us. Visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org or if you prefer to do it over the phone.

Just give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 on behalf of Chip and everyone here. Thank you in advance for your partnership with us together were making a difference. Now with some final thoughts about his talk today here once again is chip. Did you ever imagine that the God of the universe wants to talk to you think about that some of you've grown up in religious circles and you've heard Ott's insureds and you're supposed to read the Bible would let let's just suspend all that. How does God speak to ordinary people. He speaks to ordinary people through his word. His word isn't just those little dots of ink on a piece of paper that we call the Bible or the word of God.

It's living in it reveals Jesus to us. His word is a sharper than a two edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, and yet we need to come to earnestly heed it's not just out there on the top. You know you just don't just get open the Bible and grab a little something here.

There we learn today that when you seek it. As for silver, and search for it for hidden treasure.

Then you will discern the fear of the Lord just what I want to tell you I grew up thinking the Bible was a close book that was really hard to understand. I never opened it. Never read it. I long for God to speak to me.

In fact I meet people all the time you say you know I need direction about the next job or what school my kids should go to war a big decision of whether I should marry this person and so I asked him. So what is God said to you, and they look at me like I'm on drugs or something what you mean. I don't get dreams or visions, what you mean, what is he said to me and so I asked him well when you read the Bible on a regular basis and you're going through life.

God knows where you're at his word supernatural the spirit of God will take the written word and he'll make it real to you and speak to you. What's he saying I can't tell you how many times I get that staring into a distance that says you know I don't actually read the Bible and I'm coming to church and I don't read the Bible on my own and then I look at them and say so you mean to tell me that God wants to speak to you in the way he speaks to ordinary people is through his word and you got big decisions and you need direction and strength and help and you don't even read it and I don't mean it's a shame I just mean you know that's like, hey, I've got a disease and the antidotes over there but I just have a hard time taken the pill I'm in. Give me a break so I want to say to you, let's get out of the sense of religiosity of ritual in Ott's insureds. I want to tell you today God will speak to you and if you say what you now where do I begin book of John. Okay you know New Testament book of John and just say what's Jesus like in God speak to me or some of you that been reading for a while when it's hit and miss. Do it systematically, just get in the Bible 510 minutes. Start somewhere. In our next program I'm can give you many specific ways about where to read and how to read it and how to approach it, but let's just get operational and jump into the Bible but jump into the Bible with a heart that says God, I expect you to speak to me. I'm going to read your word and I'm gonna ask you to give direction in my life to comfort my soul to show me who you are and who I am and what to do in the relationships I'm in. He speaks to ordinary people through the word of God. Your assignment get into his word today and every day this week and wait and see what God will do will just before we close. We want you to know that as a staff we asked the Lord to help this teaching, strengthen your faith and we ask him to help you confidently take whatever your next faith step is. We love to hear how it's going to take a minute to send us a note or give us a call either one is easy. Just send a quick note to chip@livingontheedge.org or give us a call at 188-833-3600 plus Alexei Mrs. Dave Gurley say thanks for listing this addition of living on the