Listening to God requires making time for Him. In the second part of his sermon series, Steps to God’s Guidance, Dr. Stanley assures us that, as believers, all we need to do is seek Him and He will answer. When we stop striving and dive into His Word, we open the door to experience His many blessings.
it is a very comforting thought to think
about the fact that God loves you and me
enough to make a plan for our life and
he planned it before when you and I ever
existed because he’s known everything
for all time so that you weren’t just an
accident
God had a plan for your life now whether
you understood that or not is a
different issue but he does have a plan
for every single one of us and the very
fact that he has a plan is an expression
of his love for us that he thinks enough
of us that he wants the best for us he
has a plan that he has laid out in his
word that if we will just follow his
word follow his plan
we’ll have life at its very best because
his plans always the best his plan is
not always the easiest but it is the
best some of his plans may lead us to
places like we have to climb mountains a
walk through valleys or whatever it
might be but he has a plan and I would
simply ask you in the beginning of this
message have you ever asked God to show
you his plan for your life have you ever
asked him if you were following his will
and his purpose for your life or did you
just sort of grow up thinking I’ll do
what comes next or I’ll do what’s the
most convenient to do if you have never
asked God to show me you will for my
life what is your plan for my life if
you’ve never thought about you need to
think about it now and this is a good
time in this message for you to think
about it because God has certainly done
that he’s made a plan and the question
is if he has a plan is he willing to
guide you in that plan and the answer is
yes because here’s what he says he says
in psalm 32 I will teach you and
instruct you in the way which you should
go I will guide you with my eye upon you
then he says in proverbs 3:5 and 6 trust
in the Lord with all your heart lean not
to your own understanding in all your
ways acknowledge him and he will make
your paths straight
listen to that if you will acknowledge
him consider him open the door for him
acknowledge that he’s there recognize
him his power he says he’ll make you
paths straight if you will simply trust
him and follow his guidance and
direction for your life so that’s what I
want to talk about the very idea that
God would guide our life but in order
for him to do that that’s something that
people oftentimes don’t think about and
that is if he’s going to be my guide
I’ve got to be willing to listen to what
he says God has a plan for your life and
he’s continuously giving you a sense of
direction but if you’re not listening
you’re gonna miss it because you see
it’s one thing to be guided it’s
something else to be a listener and
that’s the part that I want to talk
about today and that is the fact that
our responsibility is to listen to him
now if you’ll turn to mark the fourth
chapter look there for a moment there
are three passages here in mark that I
want you to notice because Jesus was
very conscious of the fact of that
whenever he spoke he wanted people to
listen to him and so look if you will in
this 4th chapter of Mark and beginning
in verse 1 he began to teach again by
the sea in such a very large crowd
gathered to him that he got into a boat
in the sea and sat down the whole crowd
was by the sea on the land and he was
teaching them many things in parables
and was saying to them in his teaching
now watch this and this is the way he
begins listen to this behold the soul
went out the soul so he begins his
parable by saying listen to this and if
you look at the 23rd verse of the same
chapter he said if anyone has ears to
hear let
in here and he was saying to them take
care what you listen to it’s not only
necessary to listen but you have to be
careful what you listen to
and then look if you will in the seventh
chapter we stayed right in mark look in
the seventh chapter and look if you will
in the fourteenth verse of the seventh
chapter and he begins here after he
called the crowd to him again he began
saying to them listen to me all of you
and understand because he knew that
regardless of what he said if they
weren’t listening when you do him any
good and you know what’s interesting in
John for example different other parts
of the Gospels – but in John Jesus says
truly truly I say to you 25 times he
puts two trailers together truly truly I
say to you which was Jesus way of saying
this is how important this is this is a
word of authority this is the truth you
need this listen carefully don’t miss
anything I’m about to say so he would
say truly truly and one of the examples
of that is when Nicodemus came to Jesus
by night and said to him Jesus we know
that you’re a teacher a man from God
because we say all these miracles you
are doing jesus said to him immediately
truly truly I say to you except a man be
born again he cannot see the kingdom of
God there was no him hauling around
about it truly truly I said to you and I
believe that Jesus is still saying that
to us truly truly I say to you and he
speaks to us he wants to give us a sense
of direction for our life he wants us to
understand how absolutely important what
he’s saying is think about this Jesus
never said anything that was not
important he didn’t just casually come
across with things he spoke clearly and
his goal was to give direction his goal
was to lead them to make right decisions
godly decisions in their life so when I
think about how Jesus said it
truly I say to you that is without any
question this is a word of absolute
authority and so 25 times just in the
Gospel of John alone we see Jesus
beginning a conversation like that truly
truly I say to you that is what I’m
about to tell you is very important you
remember when you were growing up and
your mother or your dad’s said sit down
I want to talk to you
usually that meant oh maybe I’ve done
something wrong or this is but anyway
you realized immediately this is
important so you ask you something
question I wonder if God’s been speaking
to me and I haven’t been listening God’s
guidance is of no value if I’m not
listening and no one else can listen to
for you there may be someone who can
give you a suggestion here and there and
so forth but God doesn’t speak watch
this carefully
he doesn’t speak most of the time for
somebody else to come tell you but there
are lots of times we hear through other
people God’s saying something that
really applies to our hearts but God can
speak to you personally he spoke to the
Apostle Paul but he spoke to those
people whose names are not in the Bible
God speaks to those who willing to
listen and all of us need divine
guidance in our life in every area and
he is ready and willing and committed to
showing us and telling us so when we
talk about listening to God you say oh
how does he speak his primary way of
speaking does is through his word the
Bible and sometimes people say well what
do you how do you hold up a big ol Bible
I’ll tell you why because I’m not the
authority this is the authority and if
you go into church somewhere that you
don’t see one of these don’t have to be
just like this one but nobody opens a
Bible you should have questions why is
it that the ultimate final authority is
not opened because this is the authority
and what I want to share with you came
from the authority so the Word of God
this is the way he speaks
this is his primary way of speaking and
of course he speaks to us through
where he gives us guidance often times
and when somebody says to me well I’ve
never heard God speak I would say to you
because you’re not listening because I
know that he speaks to a lost person
through His Holy Spirit to convict them
of sin they can brush it off very easily
and move on he speaks to one any one of
his children very clearly if we are
willing to listen to him so I would ask
you this in your prayer time how much
time do you give to listening to God or
you do all the talking if you sit down
to pray you sit down so Heavenly Father
I just want to thank you for today and
and you go on and on and on and then you
say in Jesus name Amen and you get up
and do whatever you’re gonna do that’s
not the way to listen to God so simply
want to say this you need to give God
time speak because if he has a plan he
wants to show you what the plan is
he wants to guide you to in the plan
when God speaks he speaks to you about
your life and it’s always good it may be
a warning sometimes but even that’s good
so he speaks through his word for
example he speaks through prayer he
speaks through circumstances the things
that happen to us that God will speak
through those things
and you know I mentioned to you about
falling and my first thought when my
head hit my arm thank God not the floor
I thought God holding you up too because
I don’t believe there are accidents with
God’s children you’re walking in his
will and something happens he’s up to
something and I instantly wanted to hear
what he had to say
well did I hear no not then it took me
of 2 3 weeks to really begin to
understand what he was doing in my life
but he had to get my attention now you
say well you mean to tell you that God
did that to get your attention I can
tell you absolutely yes he did
and I listened to him and thank God and
secondly I would go through it again if
necessary forgot to show me what he
showed me so sometimes his circumstances
are painful but you have to ask yourself
the question what’s more important my
ease comfort and pleasure or hearing
from God if you’re willing to listen he
will use circumstances they’re difficult
sometimes in order to get the message to
us and then sometimes God speaks through
other people he may choose someone that
you don’t even like or someone that you
have a difficult time having a
relationship with but sometimes God
speaks through others so the important
thing is this and that is that he’s
speaking because he wants to give us
clear direction for how he wants us to
live and it’s unwise for me to think
that he’s got a plan and that I’m I
gonna listen listening is listen
listening is the key and so I would
simply say to you before when you decide
to pray with you kneel down I was
sitting in the chair whatever it might
be just think about this before you
start talking and telling God everywhere
about all these things that he already
knows about or complaining about or
whatever it might be why don’t you take
time just to be quiet and just sit quiet
in just say this to him
Heavenly Father I need to listen to you
I’m gonna be quiet
and I just want you to speak to my heart
and help me to listen carefully so that
I can do exactly what you want me to do
how do you think I’ll respond to that
I’ll tell you how he will say to you
exactly what you need to hear and when
he does don’t say oh well I died that’s
just my imagination no God promises to
lead you that’s not what he says trust
in the Lord with all your heart lean not
to your own understanding in all your
ways acknowledge him he will direct your
path but I must acknowledge him
respect him love him adore him and obey
and whatever he says and so oftentimes
people have a difficult time admitting
and being willing to do that now how can
i how can I identify the voice of God
people oftentimes say well I’m not sure
God is speaking well first of all it’s
always gonna be consistent with the Word
of God it’s always gonna be consistent
with the Word of God
he’s not gonna say anything to you that
is inconsistent with the Word of God
and usually he speaks quietly softly so
it’s like a whisper you just know that
he came from God it doesn’t make him
difference what anybody else thinks you
know that he’s spoken to your heart and
so when he speaks to you he will speak
to you listen he’ll speak to you in a
way the exact proper way that he knows
you can hear him so you see he doesn’t
make it complicated if he says to Marla
I want you to go in and resign your job
what but you know that God said it to
you crystal clear what would happen if
you did that I can tell you this if God
tells you to leave one place that’s
because he’s already planned the other
place God is never behind in any issue
and so somebody says well God would
never do that I can think of three staff
members and two or three other people
that come to my mind quickly that’s
exactly what God did so don’t
underestimate how intense God is only
directing and guiding your life whatever
it might be so sometimes we have to ask
ourselves the question okay God how you
gonna do this it’s always gonna be
consistent with Scripture sometimes it’s
very quietly he speaks to us it’ll
always be clear he’ll never give you any
mumbo jumbo about anything he’ll tell
you exactly what to do and listen he
doesn’t use a lot of extra words he goes
straight to the issue and says here’s
what I’m happy to do I want you to do
the sand so I want you to stop that
start the
I want you to start reading the Word of
God every day if God says that to you
you know why because he wants to guide
you in some issue that’s it that’s to be
found in the Word of God and so
sometimes you’re gonna have a clash with
what God says to you versus what other
people may think that’s why you don’t
have to go telling everybody what God
said to you
secondly a lot of things he says those
will clash with our flesh that doesn’t
fit who you are I don’t want you hitting
that direction I don’t want you
developing that relationship
very very specifically clear and always
speaking to our spirit so he’s gonna
speak our responsibility is to listen
now I think you’ve been have few people
for example a tune into God they’re
tuned into certain kind of music they’re
tuned into certain stations they listen
to or news or whatever it might be but
if you tune your heart to God you say
well how do I turn my heart to God
I’ll tell you how you takeyou you set
aside a definite time to sit and be
quiet and just say God I want you to
speak to my heart you’ll be surprised
what you begin to sense about the
presence of God in your life you say
well I’ve never felt that well did you
give him an opportunity he’s promised
listen he’s promised in his word to
guide us and if he’s going to guide me I
must be willing to listen and the
question is am I willing to listen you’d
be surprised how clearly God will speak
to your heart if you’re willing to
listen to it so somebody says well how
does he get our attention well one way
he gets their attention is restlessness
and I think about one of the first times
in my life that I realized that my wife
and I were planning to go to California
with the whole mission board so they
call it in those days
and they’re working the church out there
for the summer and we had everything all
set because where this summer off in
June July and August sound like a good
thing too
I felt like that was the right thing one
Saturday morning I woke up and I felt
very restless I thought what’s this and
I knew enough to know that that feeling
was from God this Restless thing I had
no idea for what the subject was so I
just said to her I just need to spend
some time praying and just asking God to
give me direction and so I just got on
my knees and I remember that Saturday
morning sometime around 9 o’clock a bear
bounced I don’t know what time but I
know that I was there till 6 o’clock I
was so Restless one day God holding or
what are you saying to me and what he
said to me was so unlike what I expected
he said I want you to go to the
mountains and spend these three months
and just relax and trust me well that
sounded selfish as a kiss and go to the
mountains and so happened that our
Father had given our house up there and
so we’re gonna pack up and go to the
mountains for three months and just take
it easy and we could be serving God
that’s all I got we went to the
mountains we were going to California we
went to the North Carolina mountains
we’ve been up there but maybe a month or
so and we were out fishing right off the
dock there and somebody came a fella
came down the steps and he said are you
Charles Stanley I said yes sir are you a
seminary student I said yes sir so make
a long story short he said are you would
you be willing to preach for us next
Sunday he’s our pastors going on
vacation well I didn’t know him from
Adam I didn’t know anything about the
church in fact I didn’t know anything
about anything up there but I said yes
so I went and preached for them and they
said would you preach next Sunday I said
yes then they said we’re having a party
tonight at church would you come to the
party I said yes next thing I know they
were calling me to be their pastor I
don’t know
because I had I had another year of
seminary and so to make a very long
story short I ended up being their
pastor after I finished seminary if I
had ignored my restless spirit I would
have gone to California and probably
would have done a mediocre job out of
the will of God and so watch this his
plan was totally unlike anything I would
think but in order to get me to the
mountains in that church in the teaching
that Bible Institute and finally with a
few other things going on finally get me
to Atlanta and finally all over the
world suppose I had said no to God
that’s why it’s so important that we
listen carefully and so when he says
when he says truly truly that’s what he
means sometimes he gives us a restless
feeling sometimes he just wished us
something quietly here’s what I want you
to do and this I don’t somebody says
well does God speak audibly I don’t
think he does
99.9% of the time somebody says has he
ever spoken quite has he ever spoken to
you in an audible voice I would only say
for me personally maybe once or twice I
heard it but no but that’s not normal to
critical times did I hear him say
Charles no I didn’t I didn’t yeah that
probably would have fainted about of
hurt so I didn’t hear that
let’s put it this way it was so loud and
so clear it was as if it were audible he
knows exactly what it takes to get your
attention he knows how to stop you long
enough so that you start listening but
if you determine you’re gonna have you
away anyway you’re gonna do it your way
anyway will he stop you sometimes he
will and sometimes he want and nobody
knows when that is for me he stopped me
dead
for you he
I do that I’d certainly hope that you’d
be wise enough to listen more carefully
than I did until I got the message but
all of that is an expression of love he
says here’s my plan now you two have the
plan you must be willing to listen and I
think there are primary reasons that
people don’t listen and sometimes people
say well I don’t believe God speaks
today well let me just say this
you are absolutely wrong God speaks the
day and what he says to each individual
he says according to what the need is
and what he wants to say what what’s his
plan for your life
that’s why developing a listening heart
is so very important what that does that
keeps us always in tune with him but
what are you saying if somebody comes to
me and says I have a question for you my
first response is God I want to be sure
I’m hearing what I need to hear in order
to give the answer I need to give and if
you just think about all during a day
you and I should be in tune with him we
were in tune to so many other things we
need to be in tune with him because
listen I don’t think God just speaks at
7 o’clock at night 11 o’clock on Sunday
morning God is in the process of
speaking to you and to me all during the
day and evening don’t you wake up
sometime I wake up sometime and I thank
God what are you saying to me and
sometimes out of a dead sleep he awakens
us because he has their undivided
attention no sound or noise no light
nothing wants to give us direction for
our life and say it’s foolish to try to
live your life in this day and time
without his direction and it’s the
safest thing you can do is that listen
is to invite him and his opinion and his
direction for every decision you’re not
me
so people say well I’m not too sure he
speaks yes he does you know what the
problem is we’re too busy but the truth
is we don’t believe in we don’t value
his voice enough to take the time to
listen to him that’s the reason people
don’t hear
because they got their minds full of
other things and I think about one of
the reasons people are afraid of what
God would say if you opened your heart
to God and said Lord I’ll do anything
you want me to do are you willing to say
that to him and I’ve met a lot of folks
down through the years you’ve said I’m
not about to say that to God because I
don’t know what he’ll say or what you’re
saying is you don’t trust him so here’s
a God who has a perfect plan for your
life and you don’t trust him and this
plan is always the best plan listen not
any of us can come up with a better plan
for life and God has because he’s a God
of love unconditional love he doesn’t
love us whether we obey Him or not he
loves us for the wheel whether we obey
Noah we don’t obey Him because he’s God
and because he wants the best for your
life and so when I think about the
reasons that people don’t listen
sometimes they’re angry with God
something happened back there in their
life either with a marriage with their
children with their finances with a job
something happened and they blame it on
God they got angry with God and so
therefore you know then I understand
what God has to say about it sometimes
they just have a rebellious spirit and
sometimes the reason they don’t listen
is because there’s sin going on in their
life and they won’t give it up listen if
you have sin in your life and you won’t
deal with it don’t expect God to fight
you over that he will convict you in
love and conviction conviction convict
you and when you decide you’re just not
gonna listen he turns you over to
yourself and lets you make a mess of
your life because he is not going to
give you the most valuable thing you
could possibly have and that’s clear
direction for your life and power and
energy and strength to fulfill it if
you’re gonna live in disobedience to him
the people of people who live in
confused lives of living because they’re
not listening to God’s clear guidance
for their life and have an excuse it’s
probably any one of these excuses so
what’s the consequences of all that
it’s very clear if you decide that
you’re gonna live your life and not
listen to God’s guidance in your life
you can expect number one you’re not
gonna have his guidance listen not any
of us is smart enough to figure out a
plan for our life that matches God’s
plan we just nuts God doesn’t give me
that kind of smartness he wants us to
trust him obey Him worship Him adore him
and serve Him so we’re not going to get
the plan unless we decide to trust him
and so one of the things are we gonna
like we gonna like his divine guidance
and the second thing that’s very bad you
don’t listen to God you listen to the
wrong voices and there are many people
in deep trouble today because they’ve
been listening to the wrong voices not
God’s voice somebody else comes along
and says oh here’s what I think if you
do this is the most profitable thing to
do this is the way you look the best
this is where you’ll be attractive on
and on they go not listening to God they
listen to the wrong voices so I’d ask
you this what do you watch and listen on
TV what do you listen to on the radio
who do you listen to among your friends
do you listen to that you work with who
has priority in your listening is it God
or is it somebody else the reason people
miss his best is because they listened
to the wrong voices and they’re deceived
and they make costly decisions for
example they miss God’s best and here’s
something else they don’t think about
think about this you’re in business and
you work with somebody else for example
if you don’t do your part you don’t
listen to God somebody else suffers
because of what you do and I think about
dad’s father everybody in your family is
gonna suffer if you don’t listen to God
and follow his guidance in your life
because you’re the dad Edwards God has
made you the authority in the home and
regardless of what some people think
that’s what God said now whether the
father lives up to that or not everybody
it’s penalized if he doesn’t but you
can’t change the will of God father you
and I have the responsibility by example
and by our speech and by the way we live
our lives we have responsibility for our
families you don’t listen to God how do
you expect your children to grow up
wanting to listen to God you don’t
listen to God you don’t get to God’s
plan how do you expect your children to
look for God’s plan for their life and
just to tell you some of your daughter
will do your best didn’t do the best you
can that’s not listen that’s not good
enough that’s a cop-out
father you need by your actions and your
conversation to listen to God they share
what God says to you with your children
so when they grow up they can’t ever
remember the time they first saw you
praying or heard you praying or saw you
kneeling that you can’t they can’t first
remember the time when you started
talking about something that God said to
you otherwise they’re gonna listen to
the world you want them to grow up
listening to God and learning to listen
very early in life I can remember still
hearing my mother pray I can still hear
the way she said it and some of the
things that she said she prayed over and
over and over again and I watched God
answer prayers that’s all I needed
if you don’t give your children your
wife your husband a praying listening
husband or wife or father a mother you
have deprived your children out of the
greatest thing you could possibly give
and my encouragement to you this morning
is make a practice every day to get
alone with God and before you start
doing all the talking be quiet and let
him speak if you’ve never trusted Jesus
as your Savior I can tell you what he’s
saying he’s saying repent of your sins
turn your life over to Christ he died
for you he shed his blood for you it’s
possible for me to forgive you of all of
your sin and give you a new beginning I
know he’ll say that and I trust that if
you’ve never trusted him
you’ll do just that and if you have I
ask you the question how much time in 24
hours of a day that you spend listening
to him in order to make wise decisions
in every aspect of your life that’s my
prayer for you and father how grateful
we are that you love us enough to speak
to us and you make it clear you help us
to avoid those pitfalls that are always
out there I pray that you’ll make each
one of us a listening servant so we can
fulfill your purpose in your plan for
our lives and that the impact of our
lives would be such that our children
will be greatly impacted the people we
work with the people we love the people
we surround ourselves with
I pray the Holy Spirit will make each
one of us like a listening post the
people who are seeking godly advice in
Jesus name Amen
you