Stephanie Ike - Hearing Knowing Gods Voice Part 2

So today we're gonna kind of piggyback up where we left last week, and if you were not here, we're gonna just kind of do like a quick summary. So we're talking about hearing and knowing. God's voice, and so last week kind of highlighted more of hearing, and so today we're gonna talk about the knowing. And so last week in summary, it was all about different ways that the Holy Spirit speaks to us. And there are three things that we talked about about the three things that can limit us to hearing God's voice. And one was a disobedient heart and unforgiving heart and a fearful heart. But the beautiful thing in God is that these things are not like permanent, you know, blockages or anything like that. When we come together and open our hearts Tom and say, Lord, you know, I might have been unforgiving, I might have been you know, disobedient in the past, and I'm no longer sensitive to your voice. Or I might have been fearful enough shut out what you would trying to tell me. And he opens our hearts. You know, it's amazing when Jesus says, you know, if you don't forgive your heavenly Father will not forgive you. Now, that statement was not some kind of condemnation, and the statement was the solution, right, because he's telling us that your heavenly father forgives you for the dumbest things you do right the times, the things you do in ignorance, the things you do even when you know what's right. So if he can forgive that, you should be able to forgive your brother or your sister. Right. So everything in God there's a solution, is never about condemnation or anything like that. And so just to kind of, you know, conclude on that, I want us to look at a passage we looked at last week, and that's John ten fourteen to sixteen, and so gonna, okay, let's see this. So it says, I am the good Shepherd, and I know without any doubt those. Who are my own and my own know me and have. A deep relationship, deep personal relationship with me, right even as the Father knows me. I know the Father, and I know the Father, and I lay down my very own life, sacrificing it for the benefit of the sheep. So he's saying that they know me even as I know the Father. Right. So this is a very intimate form of relationship. I have other sheep, all right, And I have other sheep besides these that are not of this fold. So it's amazing because the initial fold Jesus is talking about are those that have a personal and deep relationship with him. We know that, you know, you can be a believer and not have an intimate relationship with Jesus. You can believe in him without knowing him. Right, So it says I have other sheep besides these are not of this fold. I must bring those also, and they will listen to my voice and pay attention to my call. Now, other translations will say this as they would hear my voice, but that word is to understand my voice, right, and they will become one flock with one shepherd and under one shepherd. And what I love about that is that even in that, he's kind of giving us the picture that when we are not in an intimate relationship with Jesus, when we're not in a place where we know his voice, we have multiple shepherds, right, We are guided by other voices. And so when we talk about knowing the voice of God, and we're gonna look at a few things, we're gonna break some things down, but ultimately it comes from knowing God. Right. For example, you know, some people will meet me for the first time and they will think maybe I'm Jamaican right now for them to think that they've never met a Jamaican, right, because you see, there's the idea maybe my haircut, I don't know really what it is, the color out of there, right, but the idea maybe that they've seen on television or something, and they're like, like, maybe she's an island girl, right. And even if I you know, dotty wine or something, it's not authentic. Right. So if but if you've met come on somebody. I'm just using my example, right, But if you've met a real Jamaican, you would know for sure having a conversation with me that I'm not Jamaican. Right. And this is the same way when you know God, when you are an intimate relationship with Jesus, you can identify what is not of him, right, Because if you've never met one, I'll be over here teaching you how to you know, do the dotty wine and you're thinking you're getting authentic knowledge of the dance, right, and I can deceive you, right, because if you don't, if you've not had a real relationship with the true Jamaican. I can deceive you in thinking that this is how we cook, this dishes, this is I've deceived. What said that you're from Jamaica. I said, yes, you know Kingston, Hey, you know what's going But it was only for a minute, it was a short life. But and they're like, oh really, how long did you live there and all this stuff. Said, no, I'm from Nigeria. Right, But even when we got into deeper conversation, I realized that they've never met a Jamaican. So there's this deception that could take place. Right, So now we're going to be looking at why we hear God's voice but we don't follow because everyone hears from God, right, everyone hears from God. Because even when you read you know, John Tan is an amazing passage. You should read it, because when you read this, there are places where Jesus talks about a stranger's voice. They do not follow. Right. It's not that they do not hear the stranger's voice, but they don't follow it because they know their father's voice. They know the voice of Jesus. They're in an intimate relationship with him where they can differentiate how who sounds right. And so there are two things in particular we're going to be talking about why we hear but do not follow. And number one is a lack of discernment. Now, there was a man named Samuel. Right, We're gonna look at two people. Samuell, so he's being raised, you know, he's being raised by this prophet Eli. He's living in Eli's home and he's being raised in Eli's house. And one day God calls out to Samuell. He's like, Samuel, Samuel. You know. Samuel runs to Eli who he's being you know, who's under and it's like, oh, you called me. Eli's like, nah, you know I didn't call you. Go back to bed, and so he hears it again. They know Samuel Samuel, and God is the one calling out to him. He runs to Eli again, He's like, look you called me right. Eli's like, nah, I didn't call you. Go back to bed. The third time he's like, look you called me right. And then Eli now perceived that maybe actually the Lord is probably the one speaking to you. And then he says, you know when you go back say that, you know, look Lord, you know here I am. I'm speaking listening and all that good stuff. Right. But the interesting thing is that why he runs to Eli is because God's voice was familiar. Right. It didn't sound. Like a raw a thunder or anything like that. It sounded like a voice that he was familiar with. And you see in our lives, the voice of God actually sounds like your voice. You see. Right now, you can have a conversation with yourself. Right now, I can be talking to myself in my head like, hey girl, what's up? What are you doing? I'm on the alter preacher what you're doing? But you can't do that. You can have a legit conversation with yourself because no matter the different ways that God speak to us, it always comes back to the mind. Right. It's like some things are like thoughts. You know, you have a there's an impression on your heart, but it always there's something that you're thinking about. You're like, okay, wow, you know I feel like sends. God is saying this, but you're thinking it, so you say it, right, And so it's a familiar voice. And we're gonna look at someone who kind of got some thoughts. But let's just look at the story. Okay. His name is Peter Now this is a very interesting guy because Peter has one mind. You know, thought are flowing through his mind. But he receives information from two different sources and didn't discern what the second source was. And let's look at this passage and I would explain what's going on here. So let's go to Matthew sixteenth fifteen to seventeen. First, So in this passage, before we look at it, you know, Jesus is talking to his disciples. Actually, let's just read it. So he says, he said to them, but who do you say that I am Simon. Peter answered and said, you are the Christ, the son of the Living God. Jesus answered and said to him, blessed are you, Simon Barjona. For flesh blood has not revealed, you know, revealed this to you. But my father, who is in heaven. Now Jesus is having a conversation with his disciples. The heavens did not open, and God spoke, this is my son, right to Peter. That happened in a different saying. Okay, So in this moment, Peter has a thought right, and he just says what he's thinking. It was not that anything extraordinary happened in the place. That's why it was only Peter that said that. No other disciples said it. So Peter is like, oh, you know, you're the son of the Living God. And then Jesus was moved. He's like, wow, my father revealed this to you. Now, you see a lot of times when we say things and it's like, oh my gosh. Actually, you know, you know, have you heard how many people here have said something randomly and that's what happened or that turned out to be true. Like you just say something hell a random and it's like wow, right, and people are like, man, you know you might be prophetic, right, And sometimes if we're not careful, pride can set in, right, and you start thinking that man, because for Jesus to tell Peter this, he's telling him that, you know, look your thoughts, man, is like that God is just all up in there, right. So another scene takes place, and let's look at that. It's in twenty verse twenty one to twenty three. Okay, Now it says from that time, not from the time that this happened, you know, the previous thing happened to So I'm thinking maybe some time I have passed or anything like that. So it says. From that time Jesus began to show to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised the third day. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. Let's stop there for a second. You see, Peter was hello confident he's hearing Jesus talk. He's like, nah, no, no, no, no no. He's like, yeo, Jesus, can I just can I speak to you for a minute, Can I, you know, step into my office real quick? And he began to rebuke him right to disapprove of what Jesus was saying, because he thought something that was not in alignment into it what he thinks Jesus was supposed to do. Now, look at what Jesus does or what he says. So he's rebuking him. He says, far be it from you. This shall not happen to you. And then but he and this is Jesus turned and said to Peter, get behind me, Satan, you are an offense to me. These were not words directly to Peter, but Jesus understood the source of Peter's words. He understood that the thought was not from God, it was not up and he knew that it was not from Peter, it was from the devil. So right there, he's speaking to the source and he says, get behind me, Satan, to the very words that Peter was speaking. Then he continues and says, you know where are we? Okay you are. You're an offense to me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men. In this portion, Jesus is speaking to Peter. We know the devil is not mindful of God, and he's really not mindful of He's trying to destroy everybody. But in this portion, Jesus is giving us insights about the ways that our minds can shift. That gives the enemy entrance because you see in this moment, you see and the funny thing is that Peter came to Jesus with good intentions. He's like, far be it from you, Lord, this shall not happen to you. So in another sense, when I was reading this, I'm like, Holy Spirit, reveal what is happening. In this scene, you see, Peter had gotten the revelation that Jesus is the son of the Living God. Now Jesus is telling them that he's going to be killed by men. You see, when the enemy wants to plant thoughts in your head, he does it in a way that it sounds like what should happen, But it was actually rooted in pride, which is the very definition of the enemy. Because he's in other words, Peter is like, how can you be the son of God and be killed by men? How can you be the son of the Living God and be killed by mayor mortals? So he's coming at it, and because the enemy will come and say, you know what, Look, Peter, this doesn't sound right. How can you know how can your master be killed by these men? Because he has his own agenda. But he presents things to us in a manner that it sounds like, wow, this could be God right. But in that moment, Peter did not understand that Jesus is the Way, the truth, and the life. He cannot speak something that is a lie. And so when we don't discern that, okay, wait, the person speaking his words. The Bible said that the words, and this is Jesus speaking. The words that I speak are spirit and they are life. He cannot speak against himself. But Peter did not understand that in that moment, and he's going ahead and he's speaking thinking that, you know, my thoughts are actually revelations from the Lord. But he didn't understand that some thoughts be from the enemy. And we have to know how to discern, to identify when God is speaking, when we are speaking, and if the devil is the one speaking. Right, So I want us to look at a passage. This is in second Corinthians ten three to five. And when we look at this one thing I really want us to take away. We have to understand that the mind is a meeting room for your actions. Everyone is trying to get a seat. Everyone is trying to see who can be the president in this meeting. God is here, you know, obviously he needs to be the president. But God is in the room. The enemy is in the room. You're in the room. Pride is in the room, Envy is in the room, jealousies in the room, strife is in the room. So many things are in these rooms in the room right trying to get the presidential seat in this meeting. And so we have to understand that it all everything, the enemy is after this right when Jesus came. The first message he's saying, is that renew your mind, the first message he started preaching. Because it's all about here. So let's look at this passage. It says, for though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. And these strongholds are mental. Now do we know that a lot of things that we struggle with, a lot of things that we define ourselves as that is not according to what God says. It's all a stronghold. It's all a stronghold. Because the enemy can lie you into something that you start to begin to believe that it's true. A lot of times. It will start even as a child, you know, people tell you, you know, I was watching them. I was watching this lady share her testimony, and she was saying how as a child, people kept telling her she was shy, but she's actually not. She's a very bold woman. So despite feeling that she was this confident lady because she had been so conditioned to be, you know, spoken by people that she was shy, she started acting as one who was shy, but that was not her truth. So the whole time she's like, you know, they will want her to speak, and she's just I'm shy, you know, I'm really shy and all these things. But that was not her truth. She had been told that for many years because this was so much. She's doing some radical things in the kingdom, and so he plants little lies in us so to prevent us from ultimately following our destiny, because how can you be shy and be a warrior for God at the same time. Okay, So it says that for the pulling down of strongholds, casting down arguments, wow, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. Let's say, knowledge against the knowledge of God, the knowing of God's will, his purpose, everything, because everything he's speaking to you is to take you away from that path. Okay. So it says against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought somebody say thoughts. I like when I say somebody say this, you know, it's like an echo. So it says, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, every thought, every thought into captivity, because it's all about here, It's all about what you're thinking right, and we have to know. We're gonna get into the ways that God speaks, but we have to know these things. But this is all under a lack of discernment right now. Number two is a misunderstanding of God's character. You see, it's all about knowledge, right. It says that every against the knowledge of God. In First Kings, I believe this is First King's thirty and y'all should read the story. I'm not gonna go to in detail about it, but you know, read that story. It's really powerful. It's in that passage there was a certain prophet. God instructs this prophet. He's like, I want you to go here. You know. He gives him things that he tells him to do, like a message. He tells him to deliver, and he says, when you're done with this, do not return the same way that you came, and do not eat or drink anything as you're in on your way back home. Specific instructions told by the Lord. He goes to this place, He does all these things. Now, anytime you read your Bible and you see, you know, like old prophet, it's a lot of times they're talking, well, not a lot of times. All the time they're talking about because back in those days, I mean, we have the Holy Spirit that lives within us. And the Romans where told we you know, we learned that. You know, when God gives you a gift or calling, it's without repentance. But that's not how it was back then. You know, David is someone who would always pray, Lord, do not take your Holy Spirit away from me, right, because it was like even with Samson, you know, the spirit will come upon him, he gets really strong and then you can leave him. And when he disobeyed God and had you know, his hair was cutting all that. You know, we see that the spirit left him. Right. And so when the Bible talks about an old prophet, is talking about someone who used to be a prophet and the spirit is no longer with him. So when this passage and I'm first king is thirteen, this prophet not the old prophet. Now there's a prophet of the Lord, right. He receives instructions from God, he goes to this place, he delivers this message, and now on his way back an old prophet. So this is someone who is no longer the spirit of God is no longer with this man. He hears about what this prophet did. And now he goes to him and he says, come home with me and eat and drink. Now the prophet says, the Lord said, you know, I cannot return back the way I came, and I cannot eat and drink. And then the old prophet lies to him, and even it's even stated that he lied, and he said, an angel told me to bring you to my house that you may eat and drink. And he followed him. And when he followed him, when he left, he was killed by a lion. Okay, Now what happens here is that a lot of times we have to understand that God does not go back on his word. That is the character of God. And in that moment, he didn't realize that, how would God tell me one thing? Then somebody else will say an angel told me another thing. God does not does not go back on his word. He will not tell you something and cause somebody else to prophside differently into your life. That is confusion. And a lot of times. We we have we we actually we see these things in our lives. I'm gonna give a very transparent story that I do not want to give, but I will give. Okay, because we can all learn from some stupidity. All Right. You see, there's a there was a time, right, there was this gentleman, you know, he lord why but but see there was this gentleman that I had known for some time. And I've known this guy for years of my life, right, And you know how sometimes you have hidden feelings you just want to address them. You're just like whatever. So I'm going to give you a little recap. So when I started coming to this church, when I first when I first came, I saw him here. I was like, wow, you go here. He's like no, I just started coming. I was like, oh, really, okay cool. You know, so one day I have this dream. Oh dreams, So I have this dream one day and then I see the man. So in the dream, he's in the dream and he gives me a note, right, and it was like this love note. So I woke up and I'm just like, oh, this guy actually, you know, I was like, oh, he likes me. Right. God never said anything about it. I didn't even I didn't even ask God about the dream. I used the dream to confirm my feelings. I said, Wow, this must be my husband. So all along I was like wow, God, you just revealed my husband. I said, look at the Lord. You know, And then you start trying to find ways to confirm. I was like, you know, and actually when I started coming here, all of a sudden, we came here at the same time. Wow, I said, we're just after all these years, you just brought him. We met at the church, at the House of the Lord at the same time. So you start using things to confirm things that God never said, and I was like, every little thing was a confirmation. I'm like, I would you know, I'll be serving as a gatekeeper. I'm like, Lord, if he goes through the second door, that. Is a sign. And it's like two minutes later he passed the second I said, wow, look at the Lord. So after some time, you know, then I see him with another girl and I was like, oh, surely he's not. But I'm sharing this story why because in one moment, I believe that God told me this is your husband. In the next moment, God said he's not your husband. Something is wrong. God does not go back on his word. And you see, when you're speaking, when God speaks to you, you're speaking to someone who is the beginning and the end. He does not say something that does not manifest right, And a lot of times we ignore a lot of times we ignore things and we just keep moving. Well, I'm gonna just go to the next thing. I had to address why I thought that was my husband, why I thought God said that, And so because I was I was feeling so heaven. I'm like, woy am I feeling so heavy because I wanted to so quickly just move on from it and go to you know whatever, right, But God was like, you need to really check this in yourself. And I'm like, God, you know, I thought you said he was the husband, And He's like, I never said that. I gave you a dream. The dream was actually for you to not feed something that was coming to you. I never gave you a word. You took the dream. And gave your own interpretation that I never gave you. Right, And so we have to address these things. And one thing God showed me is that some of us have words that on one end God said it, and then God said something else. We have to check those areas. You can't just keep moving because who said that to you? And if you believe there was God, then then what else might you be believing? Is God. Now that is not of God, and so we have to be honest with ourselves. And that was the biggest thing that he showed me. He said, you had to be honest with yourself to realize that it was your desire, not mine. It wasn't something I gave you. That was a desire you had for the longest time that you just left unchecked. Right. You had maybe a crush on this person and you just left it unchecked. So any little thing was a sign. Somebody said his name in the store, Wow, I said, I just had to be in the store on this day, right, And it's all deception, all deceptions. So we have to understand that God does not go back on his word. So if there are things that you have heard and the opposite you're hearing again from the same source, something is wrong. If that source is God, we have to check ourselves. We have to actually commit that thing to God so we are not manipulated with our thoughts. Right. And then you know on Sunday, you Know talked about King, right, and King was also someone that didn't understand God's character. He missed, he had a misinterpretation of how God works. And pet talked about that and if you haven't watched that message, watch it's incredible, you know, go to the website one Church of Lake Dot Watch now it's it's amazing, right because the whole time God is correcting Kin, but King took it as rejection instead of correction, you know, not understanding that God was correcting him to protect him, and so he goes another path and he kills his brother and all this craziness because one thing is that if you if you, you know, misinterpret the information, it would lead you out of alignment. Because when God gives you a word, for that word to keep you in alignment, you have to understand what the world is saying, you know. So let's look at a passage here real quick. I want us to open to Romans eight twenty nine. And even before we go into this one thing, we really have to understand Fami. There's a passage. I can't really remember where it is right now, but if you google it you'll find it. But there's a passage and it talks about that you know that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. He disguises himself. He's not coming to you in a way that you would recognize him. But the thing about Satan is that he can never be He can never function as lights. He can look like it, but he can never function as it. And so when we have knowledge of the function of light, have y'all ever been in a blackout and there's like a little like a something blinking like a light, you know, just like actually you know the all those things called the sensors, the smoke detectors. Have you ever seen the light that blinks from it? And I imagine the whole room is dark, and this little light is blinking. It's light, but it's not doing anything. It cannot lead you to the bathroom. It can't lead you to nothing. You can't cook with it, nothing. So it looks like light, but it's not gonna function as light. And so with the enemy, you can't be moved by what you see what you feel. You have to be moved by what you know. Right, And as we go into this passage, you're gonna go into the ways that God speaks and the reason for his words to us. He said this passage says, I'm gonna read it here. So it says for whom he formed you, he also predestined to be conformed and that would conform, you know, I mean the same form to become the same form of the image of his son, the likeness of his son, that he might be the first born among many brethren, you see. Family though, everyone's destiny is to be like Christ. There's a passage in Genesis, and I believe it's in like Genesis five thirteen or something like that, and it talks about because after the fall of Man. So in the beginning it tells us that, you know, we were created in the image and the likeness of God. But then after the fall of Man, when Adam had his children, it says that and they were you know, and he gave birth to them in his likeness and in his image. So now it was the image and the likeness of the fallen Man. So this is the destiny of every believer. Every word God gives you is to take you to Jesus. It's to bring you in the image of Jesus. And when we talk about Jesus, we're talking about someone who one has intimacy, right We're talking because I mean the trinity, Him, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit is one. So this is a very deep level of intimacy. And we're talking about love. No word from God will ever take you away from intimacy or away from love. Anything of God can never draw you away from those two things. Okay, So let's look at this passage really quick. James thre fourteen to seventeen. And this passage I love it so much because it breaks down how the enemy speaks and how God speaks. We're gonna look at this. So it says, but if you have bitter envy. I said, barer, bitterer, if you have sounds reo African bearer, if you have a bitter envy and self seeking in your hearts, wow, do not boast and lie against the truth. Look at this, it says, if you have bitter envy and self seeking in your heart. You see, a lot of times we are speaking against what God has declared because of what we desire. And so even though someone is telling you the truth right. In your face, you're speaking against it as a Remember this and this is referred into believers, y'all. I'm not This is not like you know, unbelievers or anything. This is referring to us. And a lot of times we are hearing, we're hearing the truth of God's words. But because of the things that we desire and the things that we're envious of. You know, envy has a voice. You know, you can be envious of someone's business that it you know, it inclines you to start a business, not because you are supposed to, but you want a hashtag entrepreneur, hashtag boss, right, and so envy can lead you to do things that it sounds good. It's like, you know, you should start this, you know, but what actually triggered that was an Instagram post. And so it says, do not boast against you know, do not lie against the truth because of your envy or the things that you are seeking for yourself. Okay, now let's go on. It says, this wisdom does not descend from above, but it is earthly central feelings, right, how you feel? I just don't feel like you know this is right? And then you say, God said, you see family. One of the biggest strongholds in the church is thus says the Lord. If the Lord is not the one speaking, okay, because it becomes a problem because you say, well, you know, God said, but who's really speaking? Is it your feelings? Right? And because it sounds right to you, you're like you know, I just feel the Lord saying na, na, no. Maybe you you feel yourself saying right. Now it says central, you know, but this is earthly central, demonic evil, right, it's not it's coming from an evil source, right, far from that? For what envy and self seeking exist. Wow, confusion and every evil thing are there. And you see the word confusion, and really, I mean, we all know what confusion means, right, but was like, I really want to see what the root word when they were trying, when they were translating this, and it's you know, instability, right when you become unpredictable with your ways. Because one minute you. Want to start a business, the next minute you want to do something else, the next minute you want to do another thing. Because you're moved by envy. You're moved by your feelings, you're moved by what feels good in this time. And in such places there's confusion. You become unstable, right, You become you know, just rolling around the whole place while praying to God for clarity. And that's the funnier spurt. And you see, and the most important thing, family, is that we have to be honest with ourselves. God is not telling you to you know, broad broadcast your business. He's telling you to just be honest with yourself. If you see something and it makes you envious, recognize that that thing is coming from envy and understand that it and that in itself, is a lie. Right. We talk pet talked about jealousy. Because that is a lie that you are inadequate to produce something you have the ability to. And so when you present these things to God, God is not afraid of you telling him that, Lord, I'm feeling a little jealous right now, because when we close ourselves offs, we give these things louder voices in our head and we become led by them. But if you can be real with yourself and with God and say Lord, when I saw that Instagram post, I felt a little less than right. No, it's real. Right? How many people just feel some kind of way when you see some things be real? It's real, and you're like, you know, isn't this person maybe younger than me, isn't it? But what we have to be honest. But when you bring it to God, his word will bring you peace, right, and His world will give you clarity of your purpose and not you pursuing someone else's right, because these things it's just confusion. Where when you see that, you're feeling a little confused. Check where your heart is. Right. Now, let's see what it says about God. Now it says, but the wisdom, wow, that is from above. I said, wow, a lie. But let's go on. The wisdom that is from above is first pure, it's authentic, it's true. Right, then it's peaceable. You see, one thing I love about God is that God can be in separation but never division. When it says his word is peaceable, it said a lot of times we want to where you know, God might tell you to leave somewhere, but then you do it in a harsh way. And God is not in that because division comes with it's like a you know, you're you're breaking a relationship. And even in his word, Jesus says that I have given you a ministry of reconciliation. God is not in you dividing yourself. He's not in the chaos. He can ask you to separate yourself, but separation, you can be separated in peace. Right. When Abraham was with Lot, he and you know, obviously he understood that the two of them cannot live together. And he said lot, separate yourself from me. And even in that, he gave him preference of choice. He said, you know what, you pick first, pick any place, pick wherever you want to live, right, because that is peace. We're not gonna do this with problems. We're not gonna do this with issues. He didn't come up to a lot, and he's like, look, man, you know, I'm just tired of you. I'm tired of your man. I'm tired of blah blah blah. And a lot of times we do those things and we're feeling god led. But God is not in that. If he's pulling you out from somewhere, he wants it to happen in a peaceful manner. It's it's never about you confronting people. You know, I just don't whatever, whatever, I just don't agree, you know, But it's not. God is in peace. If he wants you to separate yourself, it's gonna happen peacefully. He's not in the division, right. So his word is peaceable, it is gentle, willing to yield. I just love that word, you see. The word is in humility. The word is open to reasoning. And why you see, the Bible tells us that we prophesy in part, we know things. In part. If God is giving. You a word, it might not be the full revelation, the full knowledge of what he's actually telling you. So when you're telling people, you can't be you can't try to how do I put this? You know, force your opinion on people because the Lord said, and if you don't do this, you know, blah blah blah blah blah. Right, because the word is is open to reasoning. Even God says, even the way he even speaks to us, and this is in the Bible, he says, come let us reason together. Right, this is what I'm thinking. What do you think? So when he even gives us a word, especially when this word is for other people, it's open to reasoning. It's not just this is it? That is this? And it's shut down. And if people are not, you know, open to what you're saying, you cut them out of your life because the Lord said, no, it's in humility, right, it is. You know where we are open to is willing to yield. It's full of mercy people. The word has compassion, It carries you see, you know, I think this was what in John Ire I can't remember where it was. But somewhere in the Bible it says in the beginning was the Word, and the word was a God. And you know the word was God. So when God gives you a word, he's giving you himself. So when the world is full of mercy, you serve a merciful God. So God is not gonna give you a word that is gonna come off harsh to you or to somebody else through you. The word has compassion, It is kind. God does not speak to you in a way that you feel condemned. Right, He speaks to you in love. He speaks to you in mercy. God is not gonna you know. That's why it's it's really it's a bad image, you know, on the Church and on Christians when people are hanging. You know, these. People are going to hell, you know the hell, you know, because that is not God. Where is the mercy in telling somebody you're going to hell? Where is the mercy? Where is the compassion in that? Right? And so we see this and then it says, and good fruits. I just love that because the word would inspire you to produce something. The word it would move you to say, you know what you feel encouraged, you feel empowered that wow, I can do this, so it produces good fruit. Right, And then it says without partiality, I say that differently, but y'all know see it. So the word is not partial. You see a lot of times, you know, for example, if maybe two people are in an argument, God's world is not gonna favor who you love. Right, a lot of times when we speak things in favor of in our relationships or someone's status or anything like that, God's world is fair and just right, It's not partial. So the way God speaks to you say, a lot of times, even in our lives, right, we sometimes think that maybe based on our circumstance, you know, God will speak to us less than than someone in a higher place. No, the God's world is not partial. It's not conditioned to your circumstance. It's not conditioned to your way of it's not conditioned to anything. Right, His word is true, and wherever whatever it is that He's gonna speak to you, He's gonna let you know. And that's why a lot of times in the Bible, you know, God's world will come to people like Gideon when the angel will say, mighty Man of valor, and he's like, who am I that should be called this because he's looking at himself as less than And a lot of times, because of the way we view ourselves, we think that that is how God views us. But that is not the way. It's not conditioned to your circumstance. Right, And it says, and without hypocrisy, it is sincere. It is true. And when I'm teaching this, I'm also speaking when God speaks to you, and when God gives you a word for other people, it is sincere. You see, God will not tell you, for example, to speak. Let's put it like this. Anything God tells you to speak to someone that is an issue. Let's say it's a problem. He's highlighting a problem in someone else's life. It's not just about them. See, God is not a gossip and we're going to go into that. You see, when you see there's you know a lot of times we say, how many have you ever said this? Like, you know, I just recognize this issue with this person, right, I just you know, I can see it. I just recognize it. I've seen it before. I can just recognize pride when I see pride, you know. But the thing is that to to recognize something means that you have seen it before, and a lot of times you've seen it in yourself. And so God's word is sincere. He's not gonna give you a word for someone and then you become a hypocrite because everything He's given you you it's either you have experienced that thing so you know how to relate to the person, or it's something that you actually have a role to play. And so you're not coming as a hypocrite like you know, I just feel the Lord telling you to you know, if you don't do this, this is gonna happen. But you you've actually dealt with that same thing, and you're not saying it. You're not even coming from Look, I actually suffer this, you know, I actually went through this, and this is how God helped me. Right, It's without hypocrisy, it's sincere. Right. So now we're gonna look into there's some practical examples that were gonna pop up. And when I was getting ready for this message, and these are a few things that God just highlighted to me that some of us are in different places, that we're going through different issues and circumstances, and these things are ways that we're gonna just understand that. Okay, perhaps I was wrong and God didn't say this, or God is saying that and stuff like that. So first of all, let's go into I gave a slide. Maybe you guys can say that. Yeah. Practical examples Number one. His word gives purpose to your experiences. Nothing God would ever tell you to do will make a part of your life you're a part of your life look like a waste. You know a lot of times we feel like, okay, God said this, and then you start feeling resentment or shame or guilt about a chapter of your life. Everything that God leads you to do, it brings purpose to the things. That you've actually experienced. You see, for example, when Jesus started his ministry, he called, you know, the first disciples that he called, the first two disciples that he called were fishermen, right, and he's calling them to become you know, disciples, right to follow him and win souls for Christ. But when God called them out from being fishermen, he never took away their experience because you see, as a fisherman, you learn endurance because there are days that they would not catch fish, but they didn't cause them to quit. They kept going. They're like, because I didn't catch fish today doesn't mean that I will not catch fish tomorrow. So being a fisherman taught them endurance. And that was the same endurance that they us being a disciple, because there were places that they will go to that they will get beaten up, they will get rejected, but that did not stop them from their mission. So everything God tells us, it brings purpose to your experience, right number two? Number two? Okay, his word, his word doesn't move you based on failure. You see a lot of times, actually God would take you back to where you thought you failed. Moses, right, Moses thought he failed in trying to deliver the people of Israel, and God sent him right back. And even when we look at the story of the fishermen, you see, it's so interesting because when God went to meet this two fishermen, you know, they had been fishing for a long day and they did not catch one fish. And before he calls them to be his disciples, he actually helps them to fish. He gives them direction. He's like, you know what, throw your you know, your net into this area. And they were actually arguing with him, They're like you know, we've been toiling all day, we haven't caught any fish, and he tells them throw the net, and they throw it and it was so much fish that they could it was hard to even carry. So God gave them success in an area and then call them out of it. You see a lot of times success is not actually a confirmation of where you're supposed to be, but success gives you a balance that you can na truly choose from a willing heart and not from a place that you feel like you don't have a choice. And so God can call you out. Of something and then you start having success in an area he's calling you out of and you feel confused, or not to feel confused. He's showing you that I'm not calling you out of this thing because you failed. Because if you feel like you fail and that's why I called you, then I am not God enough for you because you cannot You cannot fail in an area, and that becomes the decision making. You know, there is the fact that God says, okay, you know, I don't want you here because you failed here. Because God can do all things, and. So sometimes he will actually allow you to be successful and call you out of it because he wants you to have a clear mind. He wants you to know that I'm not because you said a lot of times these things actually weigh on us, and then we start personally feeling like failures. And so God caused them. Jesus caused them to be successful as fishermen, and then he called them out. Right. Now, you know his word is peace. We have that there. Right, there's a Bible, the Bible Passes that talks about you know, let the peace of God rule your hearts. Every word God gives you will keep you at peace. If you start feeling trouble, then you need to check that. Right. Everything he tells us, even the hard things. Imagine him telling Abraham to sacrifice his son, and Abraham is actually taken the son to be sacrificed, and the whole time he's at peace because people meet him, they stop him, you know, on the way, and he's like, oh no, the Lord will you know, the Lord will provide the ram because they you know, he's with his son and obviously they know that he's going up the hill for a sacrifice and you have to have some kind of sheep, gold or something, and he had nothing, but he was so at peace. And we see this because of the words that he expressed to people, right, and now his word is in gossip, and we talked about this. God does not gossip with us, right. And it's possible that God can give you insight to people I see. For example, God can show you that this person does not like you. But he's not showing you. Somebody caught it, but you know, hold up now, But he's not showing you for division. He's not showing you that this person does not like you, so you know you can't be friends with them. He's not showing you to divide you. There are things that he could show you to separate you. Right. But when he's saying because and I'm using this example because there's gonna be something we're gonna show. But if God says that, okay, someone doesn't like you, Let's look at Jesus and Judas. Jesus knew the whole time that Judas was gonna betray him the whole time, but Judas could not even tell. None of the disciples could even realize that Judas was the one, because Jesus. Treated all of them alike. None of his Judas was never unfairly treated despite the knowledge that Jesus had he and funny enough, he even gave him more responsibilities. Judas was in charge of the money, even though Jesus knew that Judas was stealing from the money. Because sometimes when even when the Bible says love your enemies, God is calling you to love people to the point that you can cause a change in their mind. You see the way that Jesus loved Judas. Thank God that even though Jesus, I mean, Judas committed suicide, he committed it with a repented mind because he wasn't committed as someone who had been stealing all this time, and even you know, gave betrayed Jesus for money. He was like, what have I done? Because all along Jesus. Never treated him differently. And I want us to look at a quick passage and we're gonna come back to this. Hopefully everything is still good. It's in Proverbs twenty five twenty one to twenty two, because there's a lot of us that we're going through issues with people, you know, and some people are just like, you know, God showed me you know your you know your your whatever that you don't like me or whatever, whatever, whatever. But look at this. It says, if your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat. And if you know he is thirsty, give him water to drink. For so you will heap coals. Let me read this here, for so you will heep holds a fire on his head, and the Lord will reward you. Now, if you're from Africa like me, when we read this passage, we look at it as an evil thing, like you know, you're just gonna burn your head with your love. But you see, but calls a fire. In the Book of Isaiah, there's a passage where you know, does the what's it called? Isaiah has a vision and he's with God. Right, God picks up a burning coal and puts it on Isaiah's mouth to purify his mouth. The coals represented purification, right, And so when we read this, God is saying that you can love people to appoint that their mind starts being renewed, that their mind starts being purified. So God is not gonna show you things about people without solutions. He's only going to show you something where you have a part to play in or you've experienced that same thing, so you can relate to them and have compassion towards that issue. It's never gossip. It's never just like, oh, you know this person is this right? What does that do for anybody? That takes us away from love, that takes us away from the image of Christ? Right? So next his word aligns with order. You see in the Bible we even see Jesus paying his taxes. Just don't say, huh, yeah, they had taxes back then. You know, it's sex season anyway. But you know, so that the I think it was like the Pharisees they come up to Jesus and his disciples and they were like, oh, so you don't pay your taxes, and Jesus is like, give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. And he causes a fish. He causes a fish to you know, open its mouth and there's money in the fish is mouth. And he paid his you know, he paid his tax, and he paid the tax of his disciple. Why, you see, the Bible says that all authority has been given to Jesus. So anyone who has authority on earth is actually given by Jesus, and so if he gives it, he respects it. You see a lot of times you see when you know, I submit to God. Right. When I'm in this house, I'm still submitted to God. But if I'm on the altar, I'm submitted to pt and Sarah, I'm still submitted to God, but they have authority in this house. When I'm a gatekeeper, I'm submitted to Kevin because he is the director of ministries. So if Kevin tells me to do something when I'm gaatekeeping, I'm like, sure there, right, Because you have to understand order. God respects order. And even if there is something you disagree with, there's a way that you presented that is peaceful. You don't present it in a rude mann Because he's a God of order. He's not gonna tell you to do something against the order. And sometimes in my you see there's a passage where there's a Sadden king and he's telling you know, these three men Shad Dragged, Mishak and the Bandigo. Right, he's telling them to bow down to him. Now they serve God, so they couldn't do it right. But even in their disagreements, they honor the king. As they're disagreeing, they're like, you know what, may you live forever, but this thing we cannot do. They didn't disso they didn't you know, I mean, obviously they're not in agreement with what he's saying, but there was honor in the way they approached it. And so you cannot say that maybe God is impressing something in your heart that is against order, and then you cause a chaos that is not of God, that is not of God. Right, His word builds up, right, His word does not tear us down. It builds us up. You know, I met up with a girl. I'm not gonna say her name, I'm gonna put your in blast or anything, but but this what she shared with me, it was it's something that could really help us. Right. So we were talking about hearing the voice of God, and one thing she mentioned was that, you know, she felt like she couldn't hear from God because she smoked, right, And I was like, if I have and I'm not saying be wild, what says stay wild? But let me say a point. If I have a cigarette in my hand, that does not hinder you from talking to me. Can we agree? Right? What would hinder our conversation from flowing is if I am too focused on this cigarette, then I can't pay attention to you. You see a lot of times, the idea that maybe because of smoking you cannot hear from God. That is something that puts you in condemnation, right, because what are you supposed to do about that. The word was not that come to me, open this part of your life life for me, and let me help you break this thing. It was just a statement, you know, you smoke too much and that's why you can't hear from me. But it came in a way of condemnation. And then she opened up to me. She's like, I really want to stop. And it feels like a struggling all these things. But in that conversation I understood that because when God speaks, he's helping you and he will help you break that habit. Right even today, one thing he impressed on me is that there's a lot of bad habits that he wants, you know, some of us to break. And some of it is smoking, some of it is excessive drinking, some of it is excessive eating, all kinds of things. Not because that is a hindrance. He will still be speaking to you, but your heart is focused on that thing more and that is the hindrance. He's not condemning you for doing that thing. But when your heart is so focused on it, then you cannot even receive from him. It's just like, you know, you can be on a lunch date and you're on your phone the whole time someone is speaking to you and like, huh, they're speaking the whole time, but you didn't grasp it because something else has your attention. So his word builds up. When God speaks to you, he's speaking to you from a place that I can help you break that thing. I'm not looking at you like, oh, you're gonna help because you're doing that. Oh I'm not with you because you're doing that. Truth be told. And this is you know, we're not going back in those days, but this was in college, and every time I share college story is really hilarious, and so we will be. You know, you're just partying or whatever, and I've had, you know, a couple drinks in you know, I'm a little wobbly, and I would go to the I'll be in the bathroom, for example, and I see a girl, like maybe a girl crying. I'm in Jesus mood right away. I'm like, the Lord loves you. Stop prophesying to her. But I'm sharing this because for me personally. There was nothing hindered God's voice to me, nothing hindered it. But there were things that I had to stop because of the image. You see, it's not about building an image, but when Jesus becomes your focus, it's all about what would help people reach him. And if there are things that you do, if there are things that you do and the people around you it's actually suffering them from getting to God, then those are things that He would ask you to break from. It's not that it's a hindrance to you, but you're hindering other people. And so there are things that we need to break because where God is taking us in order to bring people to him, there are things that we cannot take with us. Right. So his word builds up, it builds us up. It's not for your downfall. He's trying to help us. Right. And lastly, like we said, his word doesn't contradict itself. Right, Everything and his world can even be confirmed by his word the Bible. Right. And I'm going to share a quick story, very quick actually, So there was a time where you know, I moved like I was with my brother. My brother and I were having a little bit of issues at that time, we're great. Now we're you know, you know who. Right by the time, we're having some issues. And I was in my pride, and so I'm like, no, no, no, no, no, you know, I'm just gonna get away for a bit and come back, get my own place and all these things. So I go to the bay. I was with my friends for like a little bit. So when I was coming back, you know, the place, the apartment that I was getting, things were not like it was gonna take me like a couple, like a few weeks or something for everything to get situated. And so I told my friend. I call my friend. She's like, Stephanie, you're planning to go back to LA I was like yep. She's like, what are you trying to do. I was like, you know what, I'm just gonna go to the airport and I'm just gonna believe God is going to make a way. I have faith that he would do something. And she says, Stephanie, that's foolishness, that's not faith. I said, right, And she called it out. She's like, you're being prideful. You have a brother. Why are you gonna God has already made a way for you. You just need to go back to your brother and sort things out while you're getting your place. And I'm like, no, I'm not doing that right. But she made it so clear that you're coming from a place of pride. So I'm thinking I'm coming from a place of faith. But that does not even align with the biblical definition of faith, because I'm creating things in my mind that I'm asking God to comply with when there's pride in my heart, so his word would always it cannot contradict the Bible, right, that is your guideline to even see that what I'm believing is this of God? Or is it? You know, am I trying to mask away something else? Right? Because in that moment, I was trying to use faith to cover up my pride, the fact that I did not want to go back to my brother because it was just a very funny story, but the fact that I did not want to go back. I started saying, I have faith that God would make another way, right, but the way was already there, right, So let's all rise up. You see, God is so good, family, so good, and we have to hear I mean, we already hear his voice, but we need to know it we need to know it. And it's about knowing God. It's about having a firm knowledge of who God is right. And so if you're here, you know a lot of you have actually received lies that you call truth. And even as this message was going on, those things being revealed to you and they were breaking off. But if you're here and you know that there are things that you thought was God, and now you realize that I could have been wrong all this time, come down because God is gonna seal that in his blood. You would know for sure, because his word is love. And you've believed so many lies, strongholds of lies. Come on down, there's more of you. Come on down. Don't be shy about it. There are things that you believed, and in this message you're realizing that those things were actually never true. They were never true. Come on down, Come on down, Come on down, Come on down. There's some there's some more. Come on down, because he's gonna seal this. Here's gonna seal this. There are things that you might hear, Yes, you might be hearing things that are you know, condemning you. But you can call it out, you can call it. He says that a stranger's voice. They will not follow They can hear it, but they do not follow it. They're not defined by it. They're defined by the word of God. So come on down, Come on down. There's more of you. Come on down, family, because even right now there are some of you, and you're battling. Even right now, you're battling in your mind. You're battling what is God and what is not God. Come on down, because we are all gonna know his voice. Come on down, Thank you Lord, Thank you Lord. Wow. It's gonna be different. It's gonna be very different. It's gonna be very different. Come on. And even as we talked about habits, right, there are things that you've kind of shot off and you just kept doing it, just numb to any sensitivity, right because you're like, well, I'm doing this, and you know God is cool with it. God is not condemning you. He's just trying to take you higher. He's trying to put you in certain rooms that certain things cannot go with you, right, And so if you know that there are things that you need to break off from, come on down, Amen, Amen, come on down, there's some more. Come on down. You see, for the longest time you just. Felt like, you know, nah na na, everybody's telling me to stop this, So you're not stopping it because it's motivated by what you knew was wrong. Right, But I'm telling you someone really needs to receive this. In your spirit. God is trying to put you in rooms that certain things cannot come with you because of what He wants. To do through you. You see, when the focus is Jesus, it's all about him. It's all about God will tell you to do things that does not make sense. Other people are doing it and you're like, why why can't they do it? And I can't. Well, the room is different, right. So if that's you, you know that the spirit touched you, there is a knowing in your spirit that I actually need to let this go. And now you understand why come down? Amen? Amen? Amen? So beautiful, so beautiful. And if you've been feeling like you've been struggling with just knowing because it feels like there's some people, I'm just it's like there's so many voices in your head. It's just like a tornado going up in there. And God wants to calm all that. Just a calm come on that. If that's you. And you would know for sure even with this word. Yeah, even with this word, you will like identify what is of God and what is not right. You're gonna be like, nah, that's the enemy. Now that's my ego, Now that's my pride. I'm good. Right, You're not gonna be in this whirlwind you know of thinking right, praise God. And you know there's someone in particular, and you know, it's like at one point you you heard okay, or you thought that this is what God said, and another point what you thought God said was the opposite, and then you're and now you're struggling even now, like as we're speaking, you're struggling with that. You're like, well, God, what was you and what was in you? Right? And He's gonna give you peace about it. It's never confusion. When we open our hearts to God, he gives us peace about these things and he explains. Things to us. So if that's you in particular, come down, Come on down, amen. Amen. Amen. And if you're here, and you know, all along you've your relationship with God has been based on you know, like okay, God, you know, but you want to know. Him, right. Jesus said that as I know the Father write that form of intimacy. You want to know God for yourself. God is fun He's hilarious. If you think people are funny, you haven't had a conversation with God. Right. God is hilarious, and you want to know God for yourself. You're like God, I want to go into this intimacy with you. Come down, Come down. There's someone in particular. I don't know where you are, but come on down. You want to know God for yourself. You're like God, I want to go deeper and intos See you don't. You've been struggling with it. You're like, now, I'm cool with this. Right, there are things, it's even like you have a fear of the certain things that God. Would tell you. But it's all love, right. His word is love. He is love. So if that's you, come down. Don't be afraid in this moment. Don't be afraid in this moment. Don't be afraid in this moment. And we're gonna wait for you. We're gonna wait for you. Amen. Amen, Amen. Let us pray family, every eye closed, every eye closed, because it's right now. Just focus on God, focus on Jesus, focused on what he's doing. Right, now in you. Wow God, Wow, Wow, Lord God, we just thank you. We thank you for this word. God. We thank you that every word that is not every thought, Lord God, that is not rooted in you, you, that was not sourced by you. Lord God, we thank you that those things are being silenced in the name of Jesus. Lord God, we thank you that we have the ability to discern, Lord God, what is indeed from you. Lor God, we thank you that we will indeed know your voice, that we would be one sheep with those that know you intimately. Lord. We thank you, Lord for what you're doing right now. Wow. We thank you Lord that the enemy has no place in the lives of your children, Father God, even those on livestream watching right now. We thank you Lord for each and every one of us. Lord, we thank you for the things that you're breaking off from us. Lord God, there are places that you're seeking to take us. There are things that we cannot take with us. It doesn't hinder how much you love us. It doesn't hinder your conversations with us, but it will hinder other people. And Lord God, it's all about you. It's all about the people. So, Lord God, we thank you that as we open up these areas to you, Lord God, that indeed you would help us, indeed you will strengthen us, Lord God, to break off from these things. Lord God, have your way in our lives. Have your way in our lives. Lord Jesus, intimacy, intimacy with you, intimacy, Lord God. We will not just speak of you, but we would know you. We will not just say that I'm a believer, but we would know in who we believe in. Lord God. Thank you for these ones. Lord, Thank you Lord, for their lives. Thank you wrap them up in your love, wrap them up in your love. Lord. You're a God of compassion, your God of mercy. So we just give you all the glory. Lord. Thank you for everyone, even the courage to step out, even those Lord God that just kind of I'm not sure, you know, Lord God. We just speak boldness over their lives, and we cancel every spirit of fear. It has no place in this room. In the name of Jesus, Thank you, Lord for all that you do. And may your name always be glorified through our lives. In Jesus' name, Amen.