Hearing God

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Hearing God
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What is Real?

• The visible?
• The invisible?
• The spiritual?
• The material?
• NOVAs Material World

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Hearing God

• 10 What is Real?

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John 423-24

• Yet a time is coming and has now come when the
  true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit
  and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers
  the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his
  worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.
• niv

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Physical Beings in a Physical World

• How do we, as followers of Jesus, deal with the
  overwhelming presence of the physical world?

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Physical World vs. Spiritual World

• Few people arise in the morning as hungry for
  God as they are for cornflakes or toast and
  eggs. - D.W.
• But instead of shouting and shoving, the
  spiritual world whispers at us ever so gently.
  D.W.

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John 2029b

• blessed are those who have
• not seen and yet have believed.
• niv

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Hebrews 116

• And without faith it is impossible to please
  God, because anyone who comes to him must believe
  that he exists and that he rewards those who
  earnestly seek him.
• niv

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Mark 423-25

• 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.
• 24 Consider carefully what you hear, he
  continued. With the measure you use, it will be
  measured to youand even more. 25 Whoever has
  will be given more whoever does not have, even
  what he has will be taken from him.
• niv

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Choose to be a Spiritual Person

• Nearly all areas of life in which we could
  become spiritual competent confront us with the
  same type of challenge. They all require of us a
  choice to be a spiritual person, to live a
  spiritual life. We are required to bet our
  life that the visible world, while real, is not
  reality itself.

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The Physical World Intentions!

• Elaborate Old Testament symbolism and ritual
  established a story.
• God established his presence in the tent of
  meeting among his people.
• Jesus living communion in which all of life
  embodies a story pointing to God.
• God has an eternal purpose there is spiritual
  significance in physical reality.
• Where is Gods temple today?

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Luke 2431

• Then their eyes were opened and they recognized
  him, and he disappeared from their sight.
• niv

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Luke 2432

• They asked each other, Were not our hearts
  burning within us while he talked with us on the
  road and opened the Scriptures to us?
• niv

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A Relationship of Consequence

• The Lord said to Moses, Tell Aaron and his sons,
  This is how you are to bless the Israelites.
  Say to them
• - Numbers 622-23 niv

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A Relationship of Consequence

• The Lord bless you
• and keep you
• the Lord make his face shine upon you
• and be gracious to you
• the Lord turn his face toward you
• and give you peace.
• - Numbers 624-26 niv

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A Relationship of Consequence

• So they will put my name on the Israelites,
• and I will bless them.
• - Numbers 627 niv

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Choices

• What we do, who we are, where we go, why we do
  what we do. everything about us is to be an
  embodiment of a spiritual reality.
• And so it is!
• There is an artistry in relationships and even
  conversation.
• Make something beautiful and glorious with Gods
  name on it!

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For Memorization

• John 423-24
• John 2029b
• Hebrews 116
• Mark 423-25
• Luke 2432
• Numbers 627

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Foundation

• We have the new life through trust in Jesus.
• So far as it is within our understanding we plan
  to obey Gods word.
• We intend to grow in our knowledge of God and His
  kingdom.
• We desire the fullness of the new life in Christ
  bearing fruit beyond what is merely human.
• We proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ and his
  kingdom.

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Steps to Hearing

• Meditate on the scriptures seeking to understand
  and apply them more deeply.
• Be alert and attentive to what is happening in
  your life, mind, and heart.
• Pray constantly and specifically about what
  concerns you. Nothing is too small.
• Regularly listen, carefully and deliberately, for
  God. Pay attention and receive what God says
  with thanksgiving. Act on it.

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When God Does Not Speak

• Ask God to tell you in whatever way he chooses if
  there is something blocking his word to you.
  Trust that if something is wrong, God will reveal
  it. (3 days)
• Take advice from at least 2 people whose
  relationship with God you respect preferably
  not your close friends.
• If you find cause for why Gods word could not
  come, correct it mercilessly! Just do it.

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When God Does Not Speak

• If you cannot find any cause, then act on what
  seems best to you, seeking His glory, after
  considering the alternatives wisely and in
  detail. Your confidence is that God will go with
  you and that you will know his faithfulness.