18 October 2020

SERMON SUMMARY

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been talking a lot about this idea of hearing the voice of God –but it’s not enough to just hear God’s voice, we have to obey it! In internet slang, people like to say that they’ve been left on ‘read’ when someone has read their message but then don’t text back. While this is often harmless, some of us often do this to God. We read our Bibles, go to church, listen to sermons, but then we walk away and don’t do anything about the things that we’ve heard. God might be speaking to us, but we leave him on ‘read’.

There are a number of reasons why a lot of us don’t put what we hear from God into action:

1. It takes too much effort: When we live a life marked by obedience to God, it most definitely will require effort and work. We will need to dig deep and build foundations, but it will be worth it because we will experience God’s power, favour and faithfulness.

2. We don’t know how God is leading: The way God leads is often not what we expect. It’s not always the easy or logical choice, but every time we take small steps of faith to obey, God’s power and favour comes along with the things that he has asked us to do.

3. We don’t know what to do: When we live a life led by God, we have to hold the tension between taking steps of obedience and building a relationship of dependency on Christ. Sometimes God will only give us a teaser and then woo us to seek and depend on Him.

If everyone lived a life led by His Spirit – hearing and obeying – God could do incredible things in us and through us. We would start to see more of heaven on earth and start to recognise God at work in our midst. So next time God is speaking to you, will you leave him on ‘read’, or will you actually respond to him and follow his lead?

Discuss one or more of the following questions:

Read Matthew 7:24-27 & Luke 6:46-49

1. Listening to this week’s sermon, what stood out to you and why?

2. Considering the different reasons why some of us might not put the things we hear from God into action, which one do you resonate with the most and why? Do you have another reason?

3. Read Exodus 40:34-38. What do you notice about the way the Israelites related to God? How might this be different or similar to the way that you or the people around you relate to God?

4. Read Exodus 3–4:17. As you read this story of Moses’ encounter with God, what can you learn about Moses, and what can you learn about God?

5. At the end of the sermon on Sunday, we spent some time answering a few questions:

a. How has God been teaching, speaking to or leading you?

b. What are some things that would stop you from obeying?

c. What are some next steps God is asking you to take?

If you are comfortable, take some time to share with the group about your answers to these questions and spend some time praying for one another.