Author: David Petts

Talk 3. God speaks to us through Jesus (Part 2)

Last time:

God speaks to us in the person of Jesus

God speaks to us in the words of Jesus

Today:

God speaks to us in the actions of Jesus

In his letter to the Galatians Paul lists nine wonderful qualities which he calls the fruit of the Spirit[1]. These qualities should be evident in the life of every Christian as they reflect the character of Jesus which the indwelling Spirit of Christ seeks to reproduce in us. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

As we read the Gospels it is not difficult to see these qualities in the life of the Lord Jesus. And, as we see what Jesus did, God speaks to us challenging us to do the same. Our attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5). And, of course, our attitude will determine our actions. Let’s look at this wonderful ‘fruit’ in more detail asking God to speak to us through the attitude and actions of Jesus.   We’ll take them in reverse order from the list in Galatians so that we will conclude with love which is undeniably the greatest of all the fruit of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Self-control

Right at the start of his ministry, straight after he was baptised in the River Jordan, Jesus was led into the desert by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil.  Then, Matthew tells us:

After fasting for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry (Matthew 4:2).

He was hungry. What an understatement! He had eaten nothing for six weeks! I feel hungry if I haven’t eaten for six hours! Then, suddenly, an opportunity comes to break his fast. Some of the stones in the desert may have looked like loaves of bread. You’re the Son of God, aren’t you? says Satan, Why not turn these stones into bread? Now Jesus knew that he was the Son of God. God has said so (just three verses earlier) at his baptism:

This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased (Matthew 3:17).

Jesus knew that he had the power to do what Satan suggested, but just because you can doesn’t mean that you should. I can’t imagine how strong the temptation to eat must have been, but Jesus chose to listen to his Father rather than to Satan. He answered:

It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’ (Matthew 4:4).

What amazing self-control! Where did it come from? His relationship with God, his desire to please him and his knowledge of God’s word. Could there be any greater demonstration of self-control? Yes, and we find it in Matthew’s account of the crucifixion:

Those who passed by hurled insults at him… saying… ‘Save yourself. Come down from the cross if you are the Son of God!’ (Matthew 27:39-40).

And Jesus was the Son of God, and he could have come down from the cross. But he didn’t. Despite the agony, he stayed there. Why? Because he knew that if we were to be saved he must die for our sins. He must pay the price. He must take the punishment. So he stayed there. He stayed there because he loved us. Let God speak to you through the example of Jesus’ self-control.

Humility

The Greek word translated as gentleness in Galatians 5:23 carries with it the thought of humility. Paul uses it a few verses later when he says:

Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted (Galatians 6:1).

This warning, to watch yourself because you might be tempted too, clearly implies that Paul is using the word gently to mean in a spirit of humility. This is confirmed by the paraphrase in the Amplified Bible which interprets gently as not with a sense of superiority or self-righteousness. So it seems reasonable to assume that this is how he is using it when talking about the fruit of the Spirit just a few verses earlier.

The humility of Jesus is most clearly expressed in two main New Testament passages. The first is Philippians 2:5-11.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!

This passage speaks for itself. It took humility for someone who was equal with God to become a man, to become a servant, to become nothing. And yet he humbled himself even further. He became obedient to death, even death on a cross. And as Christians we’re encouraged to have the same attitude.

The second passage is John 13:1-17 where Jesus washes his disciples’ feet. In verse 1 we’re told that Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. He knew that he was shortly to be crucified. But he also knew that the Father had put all things under his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God (v.3). And so he did something that would be an active demonstration of the truth later to be expressed by Paul in Philippians 2. It would demonstrate his humility and give his disciples an object lesson in how they too should behave. He got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist (v.4). Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel (v.5). This was a symbol of what he would accomplish on the cross enabling his disciples to be washed clean by the shedding of his blood. That’s why it was important that Peter, who had protested, should allow Jesus to wash his feet too (vv.6-10). And Jesus’ humility, his willingness to wash feet, to cleanse us from sin, was another expression of his love.

Finally, when Jesus had finished washing their feet he put on his clothes and returned to his place (v.12).[2] Then he said:

Do you understand what I have done for you? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them (vv.12-17).

Let God speak to you through the example of Jesus’ humility.

Faithfulness

From the very beginning of his life here on earth Jesus came to do the will of God. Hebrews 10:5-7 tells us that when Christ came into the world, he said…I have come to do your will, O God. Even at the age of 12 Jesus knew that God, not Joseph, was his true Father (Luke 2:49). And throughout his life he was faithful to his Father’s will.  In John 4:34, when the disciples were trying to persuade Jesus to eat something, he said:

My food…is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.

And in John 6:38 he says

I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.

But his faithfulness to God and determination to do his will are no more clearly seen than in the Garden of Gethsamane on the night before Jesus was crucified. In Matthew 26 we’re told that he took with him Peter, James and John, and told them, My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow… Stay here and keep watch with me (v.38). Jesus then went a little farther and fell with his face to the ground and prayed:

My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will (v.39).

He then returns to his disciples and finds them sleeping! And this happens twice more. Jesus prays the same prayer, comes back, and finds them sleeping.

This sad story reveals in stark contrast the unfaithfulness of the disciples and faithfulness of Jesus. The disciples can’t even stay awake even at the time of Jesus’ greatest need. Jesus knows what’s going to happen. The thought of crucifixion horrifies him, and he asks his Father three times if there is any other way. But ultimately, when he knows that there is not, his faithfulness shines through. Yet not as I will, but as you will.

But this story not only reveals Jesus’ faithfulness to God. It shows his faithfulness to his disciples. If Jesus had refused the way of the cross – and he could have – what hope would there have been for them or for us? Perhaps the sight of the disciples sleeping reminded him of the weakness of human nature and our need for him to save us. His faithfulness, motivated by love for his Father and his love for us, gave him the strength to carry on.

Let God speak to you through the example of Jesus’ faithfulness.

Goodness and kindness

The English word goodness, like the word good, can be used in many different ways. It’s very flexible. For example, we can talk of a good meal and we can refer to someone as a good person, but the meaning of good in each case is rather different. The same is true of the Greek words for good and goodness (agathos and agathōsunē). So we can’t be entirely sure of how Paul is using the word in Galatians 5:22. However, in the New Testament the word is frequently connected with doing good works and in Colossians 1:10 we read:

And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

The reference to bearing fruit in this verse seems to suggest that the fruit of the Spirit which Paul calls goodness relates to:

• Living a life worthy of the Lord
• Pleasing him in every way
• Doing good works
• Growing in the Knowledge of God.

And, of course, that’s exactly what Jesus did. He lived a sinless life. He pleased God in every way. As a human being he grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man (Luke 2:52). And Peter, when summarising Jesus’ ministry, said of him that he went about doing good and healing… (Acts 10:38). He not only was good. He did good. He was anointed with the Holy Spirit to

preach good news to the poor… to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour (Luke 4:18-19).

Similarly his kindness overflowed again and again as he met the needs of the poor and needy. Consider, for example, his kindness in turning water into wine at the wedding-feast at Cana in Galilee. We are so often preoccupied with the amazing miracle that we neglect the kindness of Jesus in performing it.

And his goodness and kindness were surely motivated by his love. Let God speak to you through the goodness and kindness of Jesus.

Patience

The English word patience comes from the Latin verb patior meaning I suffer. That’s why people in hospital are called patients – people who are suffering. But the Greek word makrothumia, translated as patience in Galatians 5:22, has a wider meaning. It comes from two other Greek words, makros meaning far and thumos meaning wrath or anger. So to exercise makrothumia is to keep your anger far from you. It’s used elsewhere in the New Testament to mean patient enduring of evil, slowness of avenging injuries, or patient expectation.

It’s not difficult to see all these qualities in the life of the Lord Jesus. He was consistently enduring opposition from sinners (Hebrews 12:3), he prayed for the forgiveness of those who crucified him (Luke 23:34) and he endured the cross, scorning its shame because he patiently expected the joy that was set before him (Hebrews 12:2).

But he was patient with his disciples too.  They were so slow to learn and to believe. On the eve of his crucifixion they still had not fully understood who he was. In John 14:2-9 Jesus tells them that he is going to prepare a place for them in his Father’s house (v.2) and that they know the way (v.4). Thomas says to him:

Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?

Jesus answers:

I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him (vv.6-7)

Then Philip says:

Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.

Imagine how Jesus must have felt. In a few hours he’s going to be crucified. And still they don’t understand who he is. I know personally the frustration of a teacher whose students still haven’t got what I’ve painstakingly tried to teach them! Yet I hear infinite patience in Jesus’ reply:

Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? (v.9).

How amazing! Let God speak to you through the example of Jesus’ patience.

Peace and Joy

Peace of heart, as every Christian knows, springs from that peace with God which results from our being in right relationship with him. Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). But Jesus had no need to be justified. He was the sinless one. He always lived in right relationship with Father!

Yet there’s one occasion when it appears that Jesus is not at peace. As he bears our sins in his body on the cross he cries in anguish:

My God, my God. Why have you forsaken me?    (Matthew 27:46).

It’s as if God has turned his back on his Son. Jesus has forfeited his peace. He’s bearing your sin and mine. And God is too holy to look at sin[3]. Jesus sacrifices his peace that we might have peace with God. And he does it because he loves us.

And Jesus’ relationship with God was the source of his joy too. He lived life in God’s presence, and in his presence there is fulness of joy[4]. Luke records that Jesus was full of joy through the Holy Spirit[5] (Luke 10:21). What a pity that so many stained-glass windows and paintings portray him with a long and gloomy face! Jesus was a man of joy! Admittedly, he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief[6]. But that was primarily at the time of his passion, both in the Garden of Gethsemane and the events that led to his crucifixion. As with his peace, so with his joy. He sacrificed both so that we could have them.

Let God speak to you through the example of Jesus’ peace and joy.

Love

Finally, Jesus was a man of love. Love is the greatest of the fruit and it is possible to understand Paul’s teaching in Galatians as meaning that love is the fruit and that the eight other qualities are manifestations of it. That’s what I’ve been trying to demonstrate as we’ve looked at each of the fruit of the Spirit. They are all, in one way or another, a manifestation of love[7].

Jesus’ love is evident throughout the New Testament, not just in the Gospels. Paul could refer to him as the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20) and this reference to the cross reminds us that Calvary is the greatest demonstration of love the world has ever seen. And, what’s more, Paul says he did it for me.

In the last two talks we have seen how God speaks to us through the person, the words, and the actions of Jesus. In all these three ways God continues to speak through Jesus, revealing what God is like, teaching us what to believe, and showing us how we should live. But, most important of all, he is telling us that he loves us.

Talk 2 God speaks to us in Jesus (Part 1)

In the last talk we gave an outline of what the Bible teaches on how God speaks to us. We saw that:

1. God speaks to all humanity through creation
2. He spoke to Israel by the prophets
3. He has finally spoken by his Son
4. He speaks today through the Bible
5. He speaks by his Spirit
6. He speaks through other people

Now because this series is primarily about how God speaks to us as Christians today, I won’t be developing points 1 and 2 any further. This is because:

1. Although Christians may see more clearly than other people that God speaks through his creation, as we saw in the last talk, God speaks to all people in this way, not just to Christians.
2. The fact that God spoke to Israel in Old Testament times by the prophets has no direct bearing on how he speaks to Christians today. He now speaks by his Son.

It’s points 3-6, however, that do have a direct bearing on how God speaks to us as Christians today, and those are the things we’ll be dealing with in more detail in the remaining talks. We’ll begin in this talk by considering how God continues to speak to us in Jesus. As we have already seen, although in the past God spoke to Israel through the Old Testament prophets, he has now spoken by his Son:

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son (Hebrews 1:1-2).

But he has not just spoken. He continues to speak to us through Jesus. Jesus is God’s Word to us (John 1:1-2, 14). In Jesus God continues to speak to us in the following ways:

• God speaks to us in the person of Jesus
• God speaks to us in the words of Jesus
• God speaks to us in the actions of Jesus (next time)

In these three ways God speaks  to us through Jesus revealing what he (God) is like, teaching us what to believe, and showing us how we should live.

God speaks to us in the person of Jesus

We have already seen from Hebrews 1 that in these last days God has spoken to us by his Son. But the passage goes on to make a staggering claim about who Jesus actually is:

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven (Hebrews 1:1-3).

These verses make it clear that Jesus is none other than God himself. He is the exact representation of his being. Colossians 1 says the same thing:

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him (vv.13-16).

Jesus is here described as the image of the invisible God. Putting it simply, both writers are saying, If you want to know what God is like, take a look at Jesus! Jesus himself said the same thing in John 14:6-9:

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father…

All these verses confirm the truth that in the person of Jesus we see exactly what God is like. As we have seen, God has revealed his existence through creation and from it we have some understanding of what God is like. But that is nothing compared with the way God has revealed himself in Jesus. In Jesus we have a clear picture of who God is. John 1:18 tells us that No one has ever seen God, but the One and Only who is at the Father’s side has made him known.

Jesus is the full and final revelation of who God is. To see Jesus is to see God. God speaks to us in Jesus and reveals his goodness, his kindness, his compassion, his humility, his patience, and his love. In Jesus we see him healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, feeding the hungry, raising the dead and forgiving sinners. As we look at Jesus in the pages of the New Testament we hear God saying, I LOVE YOU!

God speaks to us in the words of Jesus

So God speaks to us in the person of Jesus revealing what God is like. But he also speaks to us in the words of Jesus teaching us what to believe. What we believe is important for three main reasons:

• It what affects we say
• It influences how we behave
• It determines our ultimate destiny.

Jesus made it clear that what we believe in our heart will affect what we say:

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks (Luke 6:45. Cf. Matthew 12:34).

The apostle Paul expresses the same truth when he says:

It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak (2 Corinthians 4:13, quoting Psalm 116:10).

And again In Romans 10:9-10 he says:

That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

These verses are not merely an illustration of how what we believe will affect what we say. They show that, when it comes to the matter of salvation, there’s a clear connection between believing in Jesus with our heart and acknowledging him with our mouth. If our faith is real, we’ll be talking about him. In the following verses Paul goes on to say that salvation is available to anyone who will trust in Jesus (v.11) and that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (v.13). He then goes on to ask:

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? (v.14).

So what we believe is important because it affects what we say, and what we say is important because it affects other people. If we believe what Jesus says about himself and tell others about him, we will be sharing with them the truth that can lead to their salvation. As we read the New Testament, then, we should pay attention to what Jesus says. His words are the expression of his heart and he himself is the Word of God and is the expression of his Father’s heart. God speaks to us in the words of Jesus teaching us what to believe and tell others. On the other hand, if we believe and say things that are not true we may lead others into error.

Secondly, what we believe is important because it influences how we behave. We only have to look around us to see plenty of evidence of this. From a negative perspective, believing something that isn’t true can have disastrous consequences. It’s evident in the thousands of girls whose lives have been ruined through female genital mutilation (FGM) in countries where there is a tradition of female circumcision. Why do they do this? Because they believe that it’s the right thing to do! Belief influences behaviour. That’s why what we believe is so important.

And as Christians it’s the teaching of Jesus that determines what we believe and how we behave. Or at least it should be! We need to believe what he says and put it into practice. In James 2 we’re told that believing is not enough. If our faith is genuine it will be expressed in action:

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead (vv.14-17).

So when our faith, our belief in Jesus, is real it will be accompanied by action. If we love him we will do what he says – even when it seems crazy! Let me give you one small example. As a teenager I was personally challenged by what Jesus says in Matthew chapter 5:

You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also… You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy. ‘But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven (vv.38-39, 43-45).

Did Jesus mean that literally, or was there another explanation? Now explain it away as much as you like, I couldn’t escape the clear meaning of what Jesus said. If someone hit me I was not to hit back. Shortly after coming to this decision, I had an unexpected opportunity to put into practice what I believed.

It was a Sunday evening and I was walking home after church. Two boys about my age were coming in the opposite direction towards me. Suddenly, as they got level with me, one of them, without warning, took a swing at me and hit me on the side of my face! I think I was surprised rather than hurt. I didn’t know him. As far as I know, he didn’t know me. I hadn’t done anything that could have offended him. So why did he hit me? I didn’t ask, but, remembering Jesus’ teaching, I said, ‘I don’t know why you did that, but, if it gave you any pleasure, perhaps you’d like to hit the other side now’. How did he react? A look of sheer amazement, an embarrassed laugh, followed by a speedy retreat!

Now let me make it clear. I’m not suggesting that Jesus gave us these instructions as a piece of advice on self-defence! I think that in such circumstances we should expect to be hit a second time, but I believe that on this occasion God was honouring my obedience to the words of the Lord Jesus. And I’m not trying to tell anyone else how they should behave. I’m just asking the question, How seriously do we take what Jesus says? John tells us that we love him because he first loved us (1 John 4:19) and Jesus said that if we love him we will do what he says (John 14:15).

Finally, what we believe is important because it determines our ultimate destiny. The most important thing Jesus teaches us to believe is to believe in him. Trusting in Jesus is the only way of salvation. The things we have done wrong separate us from a holy God. Our only means of access to God, either in this life or the next, is through Jesus. That’s because only Jesus was good enough to take the punishment our sins deserve. In the words of an old hymn:

There was no other good enough to pay the price of sin.

He only could unlock the gate of heaven and let us in.

Nowhere is this clearer than in John’s Gospel where Jesus clearly states:

I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6).

Peter proclaims the same truth when, talking about Jesus, he says:

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

And Paul tells us that

there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus who gave himself as a ransom for all (1 Timothy 2:5-6).

We can’t put things right with God by trying to do better or ‘turning over a new leaf’. Our only hope is for God to have mercy on us – and he will, if we put our trust in Jesus. These verses in John 3 could not be clearer:

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.

What we believe is vitally important because it affects our ultimate destiny.

Next time:

God speaks to us in the actions of Jesus

How God speaks to us

Introduction

As I look back over 70 years of Christian experience, the most exciting thing I have discovered is that God has a plan for my life. Notice, I did not say God had a plan but that God has a plan, because although I am now 83 years old, God still has a plan.

And he has a plan for you too, and the most important thing you can possibly do is to find out what it is. God loves you. He wants what’s best for you. He knows you better than you know yourself. So it only makes sense to ask him for guidance. Besides, if you’re already a Christian and love Jesus, you’ll surely want to do what God wants you to.

This series is about how God speaks and how he guides us. It will help you to recognize his voice, to know when he is speaking to you and when he is not. I’ll be telling you what I have learnt from personal experience. I’ll be telling you how he spoke to me through a book that I found on top of my parents’ piano on the very day that I been told it was out of print. I’ll be telling you how God spoke to me in the middle of the night in January 1972 and radically changed the direction of my life. And much much more.

But more importantly I’ll be sharing with you from what the Bible teaches.  The Bible is God’s inspired word and it’s the Bible itself that is the main way God speaks to Christians today. Everything we experience must be judged by what the Bible has to say on the matter. God won’t contradict himself by saying something through our experience that is not in line with what he’s already said in the Bible. So when I share my experience of how God has guided and spoken to me, I’m just using it as an illustration of what the Bible teaches.

Today we’ll begin with a summary of what the Bible teaches about the many different ways God speaks to us. Then in the talks that follow we’ll expand on the things we’ve outlined today.

Talk 1   God speaks in so many different ways

There are so many different ways God speaks to us. In this talk we’ll give a brief outline of what the Bible has to say on this important subject. We will see that:

• God speaks to all humanity through his creation
• He spoke to Israel by the prophets
• He has finally spoken through his Son, Jesus
• He speaks through the Bible
• He speaks by his Spirit
• He speaks through other people.

God speaks to all humanity through his creation

The Bible is very clear that God speaks to all of us through his wonderful creation. Nowhere in the Bible do we find an argument for the existence of God. Bible writers simply assumed it. The world we live in and the heavens above are clear evidence that a wonderful designer has been at work.

Psalm 19:1-4

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

Notice the words declare, proclaim, speech, voice, words. As he looks into the night sky the psalmist sees the stars and planets as speaking to all humanity, to people of every language. They declare the glory of God. They pour forth speech. They are shouting at us that they are the work of his hands. No doubt the apostle Paul had this passage in mind when he wrote in Romans 1:20

…since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

There is no excuse for not believing in God. The creation itself provides abundant evidence that there must be a creator. And today we see more and more television programmes showing how wonderfully designed the creation is. As a Christian I find myself praising God for his skill, his genius, his creativity. I hear phrases like ‘this is designed to…’, and I rejoice because I know the Designer.

But I groan inwardly when and the credit is given to ‘Mother Nature’ or ‘evolution’ or even the animal or plant itself rather than to God. In today’s society the creation is being applauded rather than the Creator (Romans 1:25). ‘Mother Nature’ has become a substitute for Father God! Evolution, a blind force, is said to have a purpose! And a plant is described as having a strategy[1], implying that it has made a conscious decision to equip itself with an ability to grow in a certain way! No wonder the Psalmist said, The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’ (Psalm 14:1).

For us who believe, on the other hand, the creation speaks eloquently not only of God’s existence but of his great and glorious power, his wisdom, his faithfulness, his beauty and his love. God not only speaks to us through creation, he shouts at us!

God spoke to Israel by the prophets

The Bible is very clear, then, that God continually speaks to all people, everywhere, by his wonderful creation. But that is not all. The Bible also reveals that God spoke in Old Testament times to his chosen people, Israel, by the prophets he sent to them. We often think of prophets as people who foretell the future, and it’s true that the Old Testament prophets did foretell in great detail the coming of Christ. But that wasn’t their primary role. Their main purpose was to tell the people of Israel how they should live and to give them direction as to what they should do[2]. They did this as they were led and guided by the Holy Spirit. The people needed the guidance of prophets because in Old Testament times (and in the New Testament before Pentecost) very few of them had a personal experience of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit was given only to specific people for specific purposes[3], but the day was coming when the gift of the Spirit would be made available to all. Through the prophet Joel God declared:

And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days (Joel 2:28-29).

This prophecy was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost when Jesus’ disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4). The disciples spoke languages they had never learned and, when the crowd asked, What does this mean? Peter replied:

…this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel, “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy (Acts 2:16-18).

The ability to receive God’s Spirit, to hear what God is saying and to speak to others on his behalf was to be no longer restricted to a few. As from Pentecost all God’s people have the Spirit. We’re all called to speak for God. We have no need of prophets to tell us what to do! But does this mean that there are no prophets in the New Testament church? Are there no prophets today? There most certainly are. As we’ll see in a later talk, prophets are one of the ways God speaks to us today. It’s just that their role is not exactly the same as that of the Old Testament prophets.The need for that kind of prophet ceased with the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. In fact the New Testament is clear that the role of the Old Testament prophets was over[4]. Once Jesus had come, God has finally spoken to us by his Son.

God has finally spoken by his Son, Jesus

The letter to the Hebrews begins with this statement:

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son

(Hebrews 1:1-2).

What does this mean? As we’ve just seen, one way God speaks to us is through the Holy Spirit. But this verse says that God has spoken by his Son. At first sight this might look like a contradiction but in fact it is not. Firstly, it’s because Jesus came and died for us that we have the Holy Spirit. He died for us, rose again, and 40 days later ascended into heaven. Notice what Peter says when preaching to the crowd on the day of Pentecost:

God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear (Acts 2:32-33).

It was Jesus who poured out the Spirit and it is through his Spirit that he speaks to us today.

Secondly, Hebrews 1:2 says that God has spoken by his Son. The Aorist tense the writer uses here indicates that he is referring to a specific period in history – the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The writer is saying that God’s final word to the human race has been spoken in Jesus. There’s a sense in which God has nothing more to say! There’s nothing more to add. The message of Jesus is enough! And God is still speaking to us by it.

He speaks through Jesus’ teaching, his example, his character, his death and resurrection. Perhaps that’s why John’s Gospel describes Jesus as the Word:

John 1:1- 2,14:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

We use words when we speak. They’re our primary means of communication. And God speaks through his Word, Jesus who became flesh and lived among us. But he also speaks through his written word, the Bible.

God speaks through the Bible

If God speaks to us through Jesus, it’s obvious that he will speak to us through the Bible which tells us about him. The Old Testament law and prophets pointed forward to him (Luke 24:27). The New Testament Gospels record what he said and did while he was here on earth. The book of Acts records how he continued to work through his disciples by the power of his Spirit. And the letters written to the churches that were formed through the preaching of his disciples give us wonderful teaching about Jesus himself and the kind of lives we should live as his followers. The Bible is God’s word first and foremost because it tells us about Jesus.

Later on in the series we’ll talk in more detail about how God speaks to us through the Bible. We’ll see how the word of God reveals to us the way of salvation. It’s evangelistic. It also teaches us what we should believe and how we should behave. It’s didactic. What’s more, it reveals amazing things about the future and the second coming of Christ. It’s prophetic.

But the Bible can be prophetic in another way too. There are times when a verse of scripture seems to leap out of the page. The Holy Spirit is drawing our attention to it, and through it God speaks very directly and specifically into our immediate situation. There have been several occasions when God has spoken to me in this way, and I’ll be sharing some of them with you later.

God speaks by his Spirit

There are several verses in the New Testament that tell us that the Holy Spirit speaks[5]. As we’ve just seen, one way he speaks is through the Bible. But at times he speaks independently of scripture. A good example is found in Acts 13:1-3:

In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers… While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

You’ll notice that what the Holy Spirit said was giving a specific instruction. He wasn’t on this occasion speaking through a verse of scripture. No Bible verse would be that specific. He was telling the church leaders at Antioch to set apart Barnabas and Saul (or Paul) for a particular ministry they already knew he had called them to. After more fasting and praying, they did this by laying hands on them and sending them off on what was to be Paul’s first missionary journey.

But how exactly did the Holy Spirit speak to them? The answer is, we don’t know. Did he speak with an audible voice? That’s certainly a possibility. It seems to have happened that way in Acts 10 when Peter was on the roof top in Joppa. Peter falls into a trance and sees a vision of something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners with all kinds of animals in it. (This included ‘unclean’ creatures that Peter as a Jew was forbidden to eat under Old Testament law). Then in verses 13-16 we’re told that Peter hears a voice:

Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”  “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”  This happened three times…

Peter immediately identifies it as the voice of the Lord (v.14) and verse 19 tells us that while Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you…

So the Holy Spirit does speak sometimes with an audible voice and it’s possible that that is how he spoke to the church leaders in Acts 13:1-3. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that in Acts 10 Peter heard the voice while he was having a vision and we know that dreams and visions are one of the ways the Spirit may speak to us. It was through a vision God gave to Paul that the gospel first came to Europe (Acts 16:6-10) and Acts 2:16-17 makes it clear that dreams and visions are to be expected as a result of the coming of the Holy Spirit:

In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

But this passage, as well as mentioning dreams and visions, also mentions prophecy. So in Acts 13 the Spirit could have spoken through a spiritual gift like prophecy. The passage mentions that there were prophets in the church at Antioch and perhaps that is the most obvious way to understand it.

So the Spirit may speak with an audible voice, through a dream or vision, or through a spiritual gift like prophecy. But these are not the only ways that God may speak to us. For example, he may speak through what is sometimes called an inner witness or prompting and we’ll be saying more about this in a later talk. And finally, we need to remember that very often God speaks to us through other people.

God speaks through other people

From what we have seen so far it’s clear that sometimes God speaks to us directly, without anyone else being involved. This is the case when he speaks to us through creation or when he speaks as we read the Bible. The same is true when he speaks through an inner prompting or through a dream or vision. However, very often he uses other people to speak to us. When we first believed the gospel it was because someone else told us about it. This could have happened by a variety of ways – by witnessing or preaching or writing or singing for example. In fact, this is the main way that God intends the gospel to be spread[6].

And the same is true throughout our Christian lives. He often speaks through other people. If we had Christian parents, God probably first spoke to us through them, although we may well have not realised it at the time! In church we should certainly expect God to speak to us through preaching or teaching or through someone exercising a spiritual gift like prophecy. And it’s not just in church! A casual conversation while travelling in a car or on a country walk can turn out to contain a very real word from the Lord.

In all these examples God is using someone else to speak to us. He speaks through them to us, and they may not even realise that he’s using them that way! And, of course, he can use us to speak to them. But that’s something we’ll talk about in another time. In fact, throughout the series we’ll be developing in greater detail many of things we’ve said in this talk. And there will be some new areas too. Today I have concentrated mainly on how God speaks to us. But God also guides us sometimes without speaking. As the children of God is our privilege to be led by the Spirit[7]. But that too is a subject for another day.