Sermon: 1/13/13

Psalm 29

The voice of the Lord is powerful and majestic. It's like a storm that crashes in from the sea upon the land. Whipping up the waves. Ripping the skies apart with thunder. Causing trees to fall.  From the Psalmist’s perspective, everyone knows when the Lord speaks -- just as everyone knows that a storm is thrashing around them. 

Psalm 29 is attributed to King David. When reading, it’s good to take that into consideration. We're not talking about a theological scholar, we're talking about the broken-and-redeemed shepherd boy who became king. David is a guy who wears his heart-on-his-sleeve. He’s a man whose writings drip with existential weight.  So the voice of God wasn't just a powerful symbol for David. Psalm 29 wasn't just a temple song praising God through nature. David heard God speaking! His Psalm was a song about reality. God's voice was as personal as it was powerful, and it was all around him like the weather.

But, not many of us are as deep and personal with God as David. Let’s be honest.   Isn't it safe to say that most of us today scratch our heads over the idea of God speaking to us? Sure David might have heard God's voice -- along with a lot of other extraordinary people in the Scriptures -- but God doesn't speak to normal people like us today .......Right?!

So we'll nod with the preacher about the powerful voice of God, but if we pause to be truly honest, we're left with a ton of questions about the voice of God, or even if God is still speaking today.

My friends, God is still speaking!  

Today's reflection cracks open these questions about God speaking.

As Christians, we must at least begin addressing these questions with our faith, without which we would not be here in church today. This faith, no matter how small, deep, or informed, assumes by its very nature that God is still speaking to us. So, then, the real question isn't so much if, but how. 

The primary means for God to speak to us is through the Scriptures. We call the Bible the "Word of God," and believe it to be God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). “God-breathed” is a beautiful way of saying inspiration. This isn't a pat theological answer; it's a perspective that should shape how we read the Bible. We should engage Scripture with a practical awareness that these words are the inspiration of God into human history. The Bible is not just conceptual, intellectual -- words that we read as information -- or a collection of wise sayings. The Scriptures are words written by men, but inspired by God.  Reading them is listening to God still inspiring today, the same way God inspired then.  Think of it like this: Bible reading is (1) inspirational first, (2) relational second and (3) informational third.  

Moving beyond the words of Scripture, God also speaks to us by the Holy Spirit.  Some of us may be led by God's Spirit in some specific ways. An internal voice. A sense of conviction. A seemingly inspired reflection. The sage words of someone. Experiences with an inner voice that defy our own selfish agendas, and lead us toward higher purposes, or actions. Some people often describe these experiences as "God speaking" or "hearing God's call, or being led by the Spirit."

But, how do we know the voice we're hearing is God?

The voice of the Lord is powerful and awe-inspiring in Psalm 29, but still and small before Elijah. It’s a voice from the clouds and a dove at Jesus’ baptism. So what would God's voice be like for us? And how would we differentiate God's voice from our own thoughts, messages of culture, or the voices from our legalistic or liberal upbringing? 

We might not be crazy, but we do have a lot of voices in our heads!

First, consider the four primary sources of inspiration: Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience. 

Scripture...self-explanatory

Tradition...All those ways in which we have come to know and understand the character of God through the gifts of the church's past.  The way we've always done it, or understood it.

Reason...The clear sense of right from wrong, necessity, rationality that exists between our ears.  

Experiences...Personal human interaction with the world around us.  

All four of these are sources of information that swirl around inside our heads with each decision we make.  Inspiration from God will often bring these four sources into peace or harmony.  

Next, take in the direction of the movement. God's voice carries substance and weight. It makes an impact -- bringing peace, and inspiring compliance toward the creation of something new. God’s voice will always be toward conformity to God’s nature. It will never tell you you’re worthless, encourage you to lie, or mislead you.  Essentially, when one of those inner voices consoles us—brings peace, calm, assurance, worship, truth, justice, compassion, forgiveness—it’s likely from God. When a voice leaves us confused, chaotic, anxious, angry, hostile, empty—it’s not likely from God. 

Finally, when God speaks, it will always take the form of Law & Gospel.   The law is the reminder of how things ought to be, and how our actions are coming up short.  It condemns, and judges.  This will sound legalistic, moralistic.  That's OK, because it's only half of the message.  God's Word doesn't leave us there.  Hearing the law, opens our heart to hear the gospel.  The gospel is the declaration of what God does to overcome our failings.  The gospel heals, and promises forgiveness.  

God is still speaking.

This leaves us with the last question...How do I listen for God's voice?

Silence, solitude, journaling, mentors and trial-and-error all create the space to listen for God. 

But it takes practice.  You don't sit down at a piano for the first time and bang out Beethoven. You don't wake up and decide to run a marathon. Making a practice of listening for the voice of God leads to better discernment of God’s voice from all of the others in our heads.

As Jesus left his disciples behind, he told them he had much more to say to them. But he left that speaking to the work of the Spirit (John 16). God is still speaking…

His Word is comfort when we are lost and confused.

It is forgiveness when we have fallen from grace.

It is a guiding light in a world of darkness.

It is what we need to hear about who we are, whose we are, and where we are going.

God has given us His Word in the gifts of Scripture, the church, friends and mentors, and He has given us faith to listen.

So, let us listen....and practice listening.

Amen