Hearing the Voice of God
The sermon emphasizes the importance of being willing to hear and obey God's voice, and the consequences of ignoring His call.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the importance of being willing to hear the voice of God, reflecting on the historical rejection of prophets and wise men sent by God. He highlights Jesus' lament over Jerusalem's unwillingness to accept divine guidance, illustrating the consequences of ignoring God's call. Tozer also references the wisdom of Proverbs, which warns against the folly of rejecting God's rebuke and the resulting calamity. The sermon challenges listeners to examine their openness to God's voice and the implications of their response. Ultimately, it calls for a heart willing to listen and respond to God's wisdom.
Text
. . . There are two questions before us. The first question is: How many of us are willing to hear the voice of God? Jesus said, Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate (Matthew 23:34, 37-38).
Were these people willing to hear the voice of God?
Thousands of years before Christ was born in Bethlehem, the Holy Spirit said, Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech: "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you. But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand, since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you" (Proverbs 1:20-26).
Sermon Outline
- The Willingness to Hear God's Voice
- The Call of God's Voice
- The Response to God's Voice
- The Importance of Heeding God's Call
- The Consequences of Ignoring God's Call
Key Quotes
“How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.” — A.W. Tozer
“If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We must be willing to hear and obey God's voice in order to experience spiritual growth and guidance.
- Ignoring God's call can lead to spiritual stagnation and disaster.
- We can respond to God's voice by being still, listening, and obeying His commands.