When We Hear God’s Voice – Psalm 95
When We Hear God’s Voice – Psalm 95
By Pastor Lee Hemen
September 9, 2007 AM
Praise easily falls off the lips of those who know God and this Psalm of David teaches us this beautiful truth: When we hear God’s voice we just have to praise Him! Sadly, some folks go through their entire lives never hearing God’s voice. But those of us who have understand that it comes when we spend time alone with God. We learn that when we do hear God’s voice it is a time to pay attention and respond to what He is saying to us. Today, some of you for the first time will hear God’s voice telling you to make a decision to follow Christ, to join the church, or to come for baptism. Whatever He tells you to do as you listen, make sure you respond when you hear God’s voice.
READ: Psalm 95
I will never forget after attending a pastor’s conference on listening to God speak, a pastor sarcastically asked me, “Did you hear God speak to you?” I quickly replied, “Yes, have you?” He stammered a reply that was kind of nondescript in its content. I have learned over the years that many Christians struggle with the notion that God wants to personally speak to them, and because of this, they have never heard God’s voice. Yet all throughout Scripture we discover God speaking to His people. In this Psalm we learn that when we hear God’s voice…
I. It is an invitation to praise the Lord (vv. 1-2)!
1. Praise comes form our intimate relationship with God! It is an outgrowth of our walk with the Lord. This is why the Psalmist could readily command, “Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD!” He wanted those who knew the joy of the Lord to “come” and “sing for joy!” When you spend time with someone you get to know them a whole lot better. The reason many believers do not know how to truly praise God is because they do not spend time with God! He goes on to say, “let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation!’ How many Baptists do you know who “shout aloud” to Jesus their Rock? Why not? Don’t Baptists have something to shout about? Too many spend more time shouting at one another instead of shouting in joy to their Lord! And notice we are to, “come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.” When we come before God with joy, we just have to thank Him for what He has done for us, then can “extol” (worship) God in Spirit and truth, just as Jesus said we would. When you hear God’s voice, it is an invitation to praise the Lord!
EXAMPLE: Albert Ketchum wrote in his hymn: “Deep in my heart there’s a gladness; Jesus has saved me from sin! Praise to His name what a Savior! Cleansing without and within! Why do I sing about Jesus? Why is He special to me? He is my Lord and my Savior, dying He set me free!” This is why the Christian praises God! Our salvation and our personal relationship with Jesus is an invitation to praise the Lord! When we hear God’s voice, it is an invitation to praise the Lord!
Praise comes from our intimate relationship with God. Why is that true? Well, just like I related earlier it comes from knowing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Far too often there are those who only think of God as their “buddy,” instead of who He truly is. This is because they are confused about their relationship with God the Father and how it has come about because of Jesus Christ His Son. When we come to Christ we understand who God is and what Jesus has done for our lives. But more than that, we truly understand for the first time who God truly is. We quickly discover that when we hear God’s voice…
II. It is a recognition of Who God is (vv. 3-5)!
1. Great and mighty is the Lord our God! The Psalmist would sing, “For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.” He sang this not because he believed there were other gods, but because he knew there were not! He knew that God alone “is the great God.” God was “King!” This is why Paul tells us that “God, the blessed and only Ruler, (is) the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see!” (1 Timothy 6:15-16) and John reminds us that Jesus “is Lord of lords and King of kings,” and that “On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS!” (Revelations 17:14 & 19:16) In fact, God rules the “depths of the earth,” “the mountain peaks,” “the sea,” and the “dry land.” He formed and made them! God is sovereign over every force, real and imagined. Everything in Creation—including things the ungodly adore as gods—the Lord made, and therefore He has power over it all! John tells us that through Jesus “all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made,” (John 1:3) and Paul related that “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. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:16-17) When we hear God’s voice it is a recognition of Who God is!
EXAMPLE: Marlene Bigley wrote in response to this Psalm the following chorus: “Great and mighty is the Lord our God; Great and mighty is He! Great and mighty is the Lord our God; Great and mighty is He! Lift up your banner, let the anthems ring, praises to our king. Great and mighty is the Lord our God; Great and mighty is He! Great and mighty is the Lord our God; Great and mighty is He!” When we hear God’s voice, it is a recognition of Who He is!
Great an mighty is the Lord our God! When you hear His voice you begin to adore Him. The prophets of old understood this quite well. As they entered into the presence of God they suddenly realized they were found personally lacking. Isaiah would cry out, ““Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” Or, like Peter who fell at Jesus’ feet and moaned, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” after seeing Jesus do something Peter knew only God could do! (Isaiah 6:5 & Luke 5:8) These men discovered what the Psalmist did, namely that when you hear God’s voice…
III. It reminds us of who we are (vv. 6-11)
1. Praising God and recognizing Him, helps us to understand exactly who we are! After the realization of Who God was, the Psalmist could only utter the command again to “Come.” But now we are to come and “bow down in worship!” We are to “kneel before the LORD our Maker.” Why? Because “He is our God.” He is God alone “and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care.” Jesus is our Good Shepherd. Only His sheep will recognize His voice and willingly come to Him. (John 10:25-28) So, the Psalmist holds out hope to those who have not heard their Master’s voice. He lovingly sings, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts!” Like the Israelites did which cost them their promised rest. The names given to the places reflect the problem. Meribah means “quarreling” and Massah means “testing,” for the people quarreled with the Lord and tested Him. God swore that they could not enter the land, but would perish in the wilderness. Another generation would enter the Promised Land. So, “today,” if you hear God’s voice, do not be like those who quarreled and tested God. “Come,” and hear God. “Bow down in worship,” and give God your heart. When we hear God’s voice, it reminds us of who we are!
EXAMPLE: Praising God and recognizing Him, helps us to understand exactly who we are! Mylon R. LeFervre poignantly wrote these lyrics: “Without Him, I could do nothing, Without Him, I’d surely fail; Without Him, I would be drifting Like a ship, without a sail. Jesus, O Jesus, Do you know Him today? Do not turn Him away! O Jesus, O Jesus, Without Him, how lost I would be. Without Him, I would be dying, Without Him I’d be enslaved; Without Him, life would be hopeless, But with Jesus, thank God I’m saved! Jesus, O Jesus, Do you know Him today? Do not turn Him away! O Jesus, O Jesus, Without Him, how lost I would be. When we hear God’s voice, it reminds us of who we are.
Conclusion:
When we hear God’s voice: 1) It is an invitation to praise the Lord, 2) It is a recognition of Who God is, and 3) It reminds us of who we are!
By Pastor Lee Hemen
September 9, 2007 AM
Praise easily falls off the lips of those who know God and this Psalm of David teaches us this beautiful truth: When we hear God’s voice we just have to praise Him! Sadly, some folks go through their entire lives never hearing God’s voice. But those of us who have understand that it comes when we spend time alone with God. We learn that when we do hear God’s voice it is a time to pay attention and respond to what He is saying to us. Today, some of you for the first time will hear God’s voice telling you to make a decision to follow Christ, to join the church, or to come for baptism. Whatever He tells you to do as you listen, make sure you respond when you hear God’s voice.
READ: Psalm 95
I will never forget after attending a pastor’s conference on listening to God speak, a pastor sarcastically asked me, “Did you hear God speak to you?” I quickly replied, “Yes, have you?” He stammered a reply that was kind of nondescript in its content. I have learned over the years that many Christians struggle with the notion that God wants to personally speak to them, and because of this, they have never heard God’s voice. Yet all throughout Scripture we discover God speaking to His people. In this Psalm we learn that when we hear God’s voice…
I. It is an invitation to praise the Lord (vv. 1-2)!
1. Praise comes form our intimate relationship with God! It is an outgrowth of our walk with the Lord. This is why the Psalmist could readily command, “Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD!” He wanted those who knew the joy of the Lord to “come” and “sing for joy!” When you spend time with someone you get to know them a whole lot better. The reason many believers do not know how to truly praise God is because they do not spend time with God! He goes on to say, “let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation!’ How many Baptists do you know who “shout aloud” to Jesus their Rock? Why not? Don’t Baptists have something to shout about? Too many spend more time shouting at one another instead of shouting in joy to their Lord! And notice we are to, “come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.” When we come before God with joy, we just have to thank Him for what He has done for us, then can “extol” (worship) God in Spirit and truth, just as Jesus said we would. When you hear God’s voice, it is an invitation to praise the Lord!
EXAMPLE: Albert Ketchum wrote in his hymn: “Deep in my heart there’s a gladness; Jesus has saved me from sin! Praise to His name what a Savior! Cleansing without and within! Why do I sing about Jesus? Why is He special to me? He is my Lord and my Savior, dying He set me free!” This is why the Christian praises God! Our salvation and our personal relationship with Jesus is an invitation to praise the Lord! When we hear God’s voice, it is an invitation to praise the Lord!
Praise comes from our intimate relationship with God. Why is that true? Well, just like I related earlier it comes from knowing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Far too often there are those who only think of God as their “buddy,” instead of who He truly is. This is because they are confused about their relationship with God the Father and how it has come about because of Jesus Christ His Son. When we come to Christ we understand who God is and what Jesus has done for our lives. But more than that, we truly understand for the first time who God truly is. We quickly discover that when we hear God’s voice…
II. It is a recognition of Who God is (vv. 3-5)!
1. Great and mighty is the Lord our God! The Psalmist would sing, “For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.” He sang this not because he believed there were other gods, but because he knew there were not! He knew that God alone “is the great God.” God was “King!” This is why Paul tells us that “God, the blessed and only Ruler, (is) the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see!” (1 Timothy 6:15-16) and John reminds us that Jesus “is Lord of lords and King of kings,” and that “On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS!” (Revelations 17:14 & 19:16) In fact, God rules the “depths of the earth,” “the mountain peaks,” “the sea,” and the “dry land.” He formed and made them! God is sovereign over every force, real and imagined. Everything in Creation—including things the ungodly adore as gods—the Lord made, and therefore He has power over it all! John tells us that through Jesus “all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made,” (John 1:3) and Paul related that “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. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:16-17) When we hear God’s voice it is a recognition of Who God is!
EXAMPLE: Marlene Bigley wrote in response to this Psalm the following chorus: “Great and mighty is the Lord our God; Great and mighty is He! Great and mighty is the Lord our God; Great and mighty is He! Lift up your banner, let the anthems ring, praises to our king. Great and mighty is the Lord our God; Great and mighty is He! Great and mighty is the Lord our God; Great and mighty is He!” When we hear God’s voice, it is a recognition of Who He is!
Great an mighty is the Lord our God! When you hear His voice you begin to adore Him. The prophets of old understood this quite well. As they entered into the presence of God they suddenly realized they were found personally lacking. Isaiah would cry out, ““Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” Or, like Peter who fell at Jesus’ feet and moaned, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” after seeing Jesus do something Peter knew only God could do! (Isaiah 6:5 & Luke 5:8) These men discovered what the Psalmist did, namely that when you hear God’s voice…
III. It reminds us of who we are (vv. 6-11)
1. Praising God and recognizing Him, helps us to understand exactly who we are! After the realization of Who God was, the Psalmist could only utter the command again to “Come.” But now we are to come and “bow down in worship!” We are to “kneel before the LORD our Maker.” Why? Because “He is our God.” He is God alone “and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care.” Jesus is our Good Shepherd. Only His sheep will recognize His voice and willingly come to Him. (John 10:25-28) So, the Psalmist holds out hope to those who have not heard their Master’s voice. He lovingly sings, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts!” Like the Israelites did which cost them their promised rest. The names given to the places reflect the problem. Meribah means “quarreling” and Massah means “testing,” for the people quarreled with the Lord and tested Him. God swore that they could not enter the land, but would perish in the wilderness. Another generation would enter the Promised Land. So, “today,” if you hear God’s voice, do not be like those who quarreled and tested God. “Come,” and hear God. “Bow down in worship,” and give God your heart. When we hear God’s voice, it reminds us of who we are!
EXAMPLE: Praising God and recognizing Him, helps us to understand exactly who we are! Mylon R. LeFervre poignantly wrote these lyrics: “Without Him, I could do nothing, Without Him, I’d surely fail; Without Him, I would be drifting Like a ship, without a sail. Jesus, O Jesus, Do you know Him today? Do not turn Him away! O Jesus, O Jesus, Without Him, how lost I would be. Without Him, I would be dying, Without Him I’d be enslaved; Without Him, life would be hopeless, But with Jesus, thank God I’m saved! Jesus, O Jesus, Do you know Him today? Do not turn Him away! O Jesus, O Jesus, Without Him, how lost I would be. When we hear God’s voice, it reminds us of who we are.
Conclusion:
When we hear God’s voice: 1) It is an invitation to praise the Lord, 2) It is a recognition of Who God is, and 3) It reminds us of who we are!
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