TL_45_Hear_God’s_Voice_3
HINDRANCES TO HEARING – Part 2
3. An Unregenerate Condition
I have traveled in more than fifty nations preaching the gospel. One of the big problems I encounter as I travel is unregenerate church leaders, clergymen who have never been born again of the Spirit of God. Is it any wonder they do not hear God’s voice?
Over 200 years ago, John Wesley, the founder of one of the greatest revival movements in the world, was sailing back to England from missionary service in the Georgia colony. He had been there trying to relieve some of the inhumane treatment of prisoners.
On the sailing ship, Moravian missionaries from Bavaria engaged John Wesley in conversation. “John Wesley, are you born again?.
“I am an ordained Anglican clergy-man,” he responded.
“That is not what we asked you, John. Are you born again of the Spirit of God?”
John replied, ” I’ve been working with prisoners, helping the poor and doing all kinds of good deeds since I graduated from seminary.” (John was trying to avoid this ” Heaven or Hell” issue.)
The Moravians kept pressing him. “John Wesley! Jesus said, ‘ye must be born again.”‘
Confronted over and over on this question, John Wesley spent a great deal of the remainder of the voyage re-reading his New Testament. He encountered verses like “The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God” (Rom 8:16).
He pondered, “What is Paul taking about? ‘The spirit bears witness with our spirit…’ What does that mean?”
He read 1 John 5:10, “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.”
He mused, “I haven’t experienced any witness in my heart like John talks about. Am I born again?”
The more he talked to the Moravians and read his New Testament, the more he became convinced that he did not have “saving faith”.
a. Saving Faith Or Intellectual Agreement.
One day he read James 2:19, “The demons also believe and tremble.” John Wesley began to see there was a difference between “saving faith” and intellectual agreement with the historical facts recorded in the Bible about Jesus. The demons believe the facts but do not have saving faith.
Convinced that his church, his seminary professors and his missionary board had let him down by not making certain he had been born again of the Spirit of God – John began his search for spiritual reality.
A short time after landing back in England, John went into a little nondescript London mission one night to hear the preacher. Sitting there listening to the gospel presented with clarity and simplicity Wesley later testified, “My heart was strangely warmed.” He left the mission that night with a peace that passes understanding – joy unspeakable and full of glory!
Finally he knew the joy of being born again of the Spirit. He now knew what Paul, John and James were talking about. He finally knew the difference between spiritual reality and intellectual agreement with the gospel. He spent the remaining years of his ministry showing people and priests how essential it is to know you are born again.
b. You Can Know You Are Saved.
What about you? Do you know you’ve been born again? You can know! why don’t you ask the Lord Jesus to come into your heart?
Pray this simple prayer: Lord Jesus! I confess You are my Lord. I believe You bore my sins to Calvary’s cross to save me from sin. I believe You rose from the dead and are enthroned at the Father’s right hand in Heaven.
I trust You and Your blood alone to be the full payment for my sins. I renounce and turn from my sins. I receive your Holy Spirit to bear witness with my spirit that I am a child of God. All this I ask in the Name of my Lord Jesus Christ. AMEN!
If you prayed that prayer sincerely, Jesus has come into your heart. Now go and tell someone immediately – “I have received Jesus as my Lord and Savior and I know, I know, I know I am saved and on my way to Heaven.”
The Bible says, “For if you tell others with your mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. for it is by believing in his heart that a man becomes right with God; and with his mouth he tells others of his faith confirming his salvation” (Rom 10:9,10 tlb).
Now that you are born again – and you know that you are – you are a candidate for the Lord to start speaking to you. You can hear His voice. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me” (John 10:27).
When Jesus comes into your heart He cleanses it and sweeps it free from sin and darkness, and takes away the hard heart and gives you a soft and tender heart of flesh so you can hear His voice.
“Your filthiness will be washed away… And I will give you a new heart - I will give you new and right desires – and put a new spirit within you. I will take out your stony hearts of sin and give you new hearts of love. And I will put my Spirit within you so that you obey my laws and do whatever I command” (Eze 36:25-27 tlb).