Scripture referenced
The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.
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Psalm 119:105 quoted as 'truth shining light guides me in my choices and decisions, the revelation of your word makes my path clear' and used as the title text for the sermon
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.
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Keep this verse
1 Kings 19:11-13
read aloud as the story of Elijah hearing the still small voice after wind, earthquake, and fire
11 He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before Yahweh.” Behold, Yahweh passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before Yahweh; but Yahweh was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake; but Yahweh was not in the earthquake.
12 After the earthquake a fire passed; but Yahweh was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a still small voice.
13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle, went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave. Behold, a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
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John 16:13
quoted as 'when the spirit of truth comes he will guide you into all truth and he will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard' to support the role of the Holy Spirit
13 However when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming.
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Revelation 22:16-17
quoted to show the spirit and the bride saying come and the invitation to drink freely from the water of life
16 I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify these things to you for the assemblies. I am the root and the offspring of David; the Bright and Morning Star.”
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” He who hears, let him say, “Come!” He who is thirsty, let him come. He who desires, let him take the water of life freely.
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1 John 2:26-29
quoted as a warning about those who lead astray and the assurance that the Holy Spirit teaches everything you need to know
26 These things I have written to you concerning those who would lead you astray.
27 As for you, the anointing which you received from him remains in you, and you don’t need for anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, you will remain in him.
28 Now, little children, remain in him, that when he appears, we may have boldness, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
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Song of Solomon
referenced without specific verse to describe Jesus as a young man leaping over hills like a gazelle knocking on the door of the bride's heart
Keep this verseMatthew 18:3
referenced without specific verse when a congregation member said 'unless you become like a little child you cannot enter the kingdom of God' in response to the dream
3 and said, “Most certainly I tell you, unless you turn, and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
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Recap
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
This was week three of a series on hearing God's voice, preached by Brian at the Virginian Saloon during a trial run away from the TMC. He walked through why God speaks in a still small voice rather than in fire or earthquake, and why cultivating a relationship with the Holy Spirit is essential to understanding what that voice is saying and why it matters.
What was said
Brian opened by reminding the room that the series started with the competing noise around us and questions for discerning which voice is God's, then moved last week into the Bible as God's primary way of speaking. This week he added a piece that sits alongside that: the revelation of his word, meaning the Holy Spirit's work of illuminating scripture to an individual heart rather than just giving us a text on a page. He quoted a speaker he had heard who said the word of God reveals God but does not contain him, and used C.S. Lewis's line about Aslan, supplied by someone in the room, to make the same point: God is not safe, but he is good, and he will not be boxed in by our systems.
He read 1 Kings 19, where Elijah stands at the mouth of a cave and God is not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire, only in the still small voice that follows. Brian said he would love it if God always came in the dramatic register, no ambiguity, no need for faith. But the congregation pushed back in a way he clearly appreciated. One person said God is testing whether we are actually listening. Another said a good teacher goes quiet to get a class's attention rather than yelling over it. A third said the whisper implies proximity, that God does not need to shout from a distance because he is already close.
Brian then described how he has come to understand the mechanics of this. He told a story from a walk years ago when he was straining to hear or feel or see something, and heard nothing until, in what he called his "knower," God asked him what kind of being he is. Brian's answer was that God is spirit, and God's answer back was that he has placed the hardware for spirit-to-spirit communication inside every believer. Before someone comes to faith, Brian said, the only signal coming through that channel is the Holy Spirit's call to repent. After, the channel opens to everything the Spirit wants to say.
He read from John 16, where Jesus says the Spirit of truth will not speak on his own but will tell what he has heard, and framed the Holy Spirit not as the overlooked third member of the Trinity but as the one who makes the whole thing personal and ongoing. Then he shared a dream he had the night before, in which he was playing around with a laser pointer, not realising that military operations were underway all around him in the dark, and he was lighting up people who were supposed to be moving unseen. He read it as a God dream about the same thing: that hearing the Spirit is not just useful for personal decisions about jobs or relationships, but is a far more serious weapon than most believers treat it as, because things are being staged in the unseen realm that we cannot see.
He closed by reading from 1 John 2, which says the Spirit teaches believers directly and what he teaches is true, and from Revelation 22, where the Spirit and the bride say the same word: come. Brian's point was that at the end of the age the church and the Spirit will be speaking in unity, and the only way to be part of that unity is to have developed the habit of listening now. The idea of childlikeness, raised by someone in the room in response to the dream, was the note he wanted to land on: a simple, unsophisticated confidence that God speaks and that we can hear him.
Touch points
Things you could actually do this week.
- Set aside a few minutes each day to quiet the noise around you and practice listening for that still small voice in your knower rather than straining to hear something dramatic.
- When you feel the Lord may be saying something to you, run it through the question Brian drew from Kate: does this sound consistent with God's nature and character as shown in scripture?
- Open First Kings 19:11-13 and sit with it long enough to notice what Elijah had to do before he could hear God speak.
- If fear or something else has been dogging your heels, don't wait for the end of a service to deal with it, but reach out to a fellow believer this week and ask them to pray with you for that gentle breakthrough.
- Pray for the team serving in Riverton this week, specifically that the Lord's will would be done as they work at the kids' VBS and serve the homeless.
Doing a Bible study?
Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.
- Brian talked about the difference between God being revealed through his Word and being contained by it, and used the C.S. Lewis line that Aslan is not safe but he is good. Where have you experienced God doing something that surprised you or did not fit neatly inside what you expected from Scripture?
- Several people shared reasons why God might speak in a still small voice rather than in wind, earthquake or fire. One answer was that he wants our attention rather than just to get our attention. What do you think, and what has your own experience been with that?
and 3 more questions in the guide
Resumen en español
El mensaje resumido, en español.
Brian compartió que Dios no siempre habla de maneras dramáticas como vientos, terremotos o fuego, sino en una voz suave y apacible, como lo muestra la historia de Elías en 1 Reyes 19. Esa voz interior no compite con el ruido de la vida diaria, sino que nos invita a aquietarnos para poder escucharla. Brian explicó que el Espíritu Santo habita en el creyente y habla directamente a su espíritu, no al intelecto, y que cultivar esa relación con el Espíritu es esencial para cualquier seguidor de Jesús.
Brian también compartió un sueño que tuvo la noche anterior, en el que estaba jugando con un láser sin darse cuenta de que había operaciones militares en marcha a su alrededor. Lo interpretó como una imagen de que la comunicación con el Espíritu Santo es un instrumento mucho más poderoso de lo que solemos reconocer, y que hay cosas ocurriendo en el ámbito espiritual que hacen urgente desarrollar el hábito de escuchar la voz de Dios. Varios miembros de la congregación participaron en la conversación y aportaron perspectivas propias, incluyendo la importancia de la sencillez y la fe childlike para poder oír al Señor.
Al final, Brian señaló que al final de los tiempos la iglesia y el Espíritu estarán diciendo lo mismo, lo que hace aún más necesario aprender a sintonizar con lo que el Espíritu está diciendo hoy. También hubo un momento especial cuando una visitante, Meg, compartió que llevaba veintiocho años sin ir a la iglesia y que fue la fe sencilla de su propia hija la que la trajo ese domingo.
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Pasajes bíblicos mencionados:
- 1 Reyes 19:11-13
- Salmos 119:105
- Juan 16:13
- 1 Juan 2:26-29
- Apocalipsis 22:16-17
Read the full transcript 9,176 words
12:03
We overwhelmed by something in the world's context is a negative thing. But to be overcome by your presence, to be overcome and then overwhelmed is a good thing because you are all good. Then when we give up control and we give it to you, it's the best thing that we can do for ourselves. It's hard for us as humans to release control and just let them be overcome by your presence. But if you wanna come and speak to us today as a body, we just give you permission.
12:47
We give you permission to come and speak to us. We know that each and every day it says that your mercies are
12:57
And sometimes you long to
12:58
come and speak to your people corporately, and you speak to all of us, not just the person up here on the stage, but, Lord, you give us pictures and words and scriptures and encouragement to build the body, to edify you, and to make your name famous. And so we just give you permission right now to come and speak in Jesus' name. If you're new to tribe, one of the things that we like to do is we're gonna be praying gonna for praying this to be a conversation. We We're We're wanna hear be what the Lord's putting on your heart. So we have a live streaming so everyone else can hear.
13:41
We can have a couple microphones. Jay has one. Cat has one. If the Lord's putting something on your heart to share, it might be for someone else. It might be for you.
13:50
It might be just to give the Lord honor and glory today. Just slip your hand up. Cat or Jay, we'll see you, and bring you the microphone, and we gather microphones for our livestream family, and just so we can hear what the lord
14:02
is putting on your heart today. The nation got some. During worship, I just kept carrying the word breakthrough offering. And then I was given just a beautiful image. Whenever we hear breakthrough, we always think, like, big walls crashing down us, like, Hulk smashing them with the Holy Spirit.
14:34
And all I was hearing was that this breakthrough is gonna be gentle. So if there's anyone in here who's been scared of the big honk smash breakthroughs or nervous to walk in that with the Lord, like he hears you still. He knows your heart, and he wants you to still have a breakthrough even if it's gentle and close to your heart. So you just wanna pray that over us. It's good.
15:00
No. Be just like the Lord. Gentle breakthrough. Yes. Sorry.
15:05
Dear God, thank you so much for being gentle and humble. We thank you for listening to our hearts, Christ. God, if there's anyone in this room that is looking for a breakthrough, looking for one to be soft and gentle for them to lead through, I pray that you let them have favor over them, Lord God, to lead them through the situation they're going through, Lord God. I pray that you're able to raise up people to be around them. Let them be bold and ask other believers in their life to pray with them for a breakthrough.
15:44
Holy Spirit, I pray that you're with them with wisdom, with power, with comfort during these hard times. We love you and we thank you. In Jesus name, amen. Amen. Love that.
15:57
And then be expected. Be expected.
22:22
So, the first worship song that we sang was talking about fear. And entangled with fear
25:19
and if there's someone in here today that needs breakthrough, let's just deal with it now.
25:27
Let's
25:29
just deal with it right now. And we're gonna sing this song, me and Colleen, I'll smoothie. How about step back to that booth? Is that alright with you guys? Yep.
25:38
And while we sing this, I'm just telling you, I've gotten prayerfully fully and culminating lots of y'all in this room. They are prayer warriors that are gonna intercede with you. And so if there's something that's just dogging your heels, just don't wait. Because I was gonna say, hey, at the end, and that's when the Holy Spirit was like, let's just do let's just deal with it now. So it can be big.
26:00
It can be small. It whatever it is. Whatever it is. The the Lord is here. His presence is here, and and you we all know in his word, it says that when the when the the Lord is here, there is freedom.
26:14
Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So he's here, there's freedom available. So as we just sing this just a
26:20
few more times, don't wait.
26:21
Just go back there to lean, Colleen. There's already someone back there they can divide and conquer. We have the veterans. They can pray with you as well. They'll keep their eye out too.
26:29
But just go deal with whatever it is. You might not even know what it is you need to work through. You just know that there's some that you need to respond to today. That's enough. The Lord can use that today.
26:41
So they're right back there, and just take advantage of this moment.
33:08
Alright. Alright. How's everybody doing this morning? Great to see you guys. Church in a bar.
33:17
This is week three of a trial run that we're having here at the Virginian Saloon. The tribe normally meets at a place called the TMC, which is a cozy upper room just towards the south end of town. But our leadership team has said, hey, what if we try for a few weeks at a different location and and see what that feels like? We we purchased the TMC on right at the right in the middle of COVID. It worked great for us.
33:53
And now we're trying to hear the voice of the Lord in his leadership in where our next home could be. It could be here for a while. It might be right back at the TMC, but this is a journey. And so while we are on this journey of trying to hear the Lord's voice, I thought maybe we would take the opportunity to turn our experience of the leadership team into a a a laboratory and and get everybody in on this opportunity of growing and expanding and improving their skill of hearing the voice of the Lord. And so while we're hearing the voice of the Lord for a tribe, hopefully, you'll be able to hear the voice of the Lord for your life and what he has for you and what he could be saying to you.
34:47
And as we get into today's conversation, I want to quickly reiterate how thankful I am to all of those of you who have come to Tribe to you you be you're here at 8AM and you're pulling things out of the closet and you're helping set up the kid ministry. You're setting up this environment, especially Connor. Thank you so much for all the troubleshooting that you're doing.
35:14
The sound this morning was
35:16
great. Those of you who went through whether it was a big part or a small part of going around and petting our our moose and our bison, thank you so much for all that you're doing. And for those of you who your contribution is giving financially, the DMC, we got that we got that mortgage covered. That that's a part of our operational budget. This is in addition to our operational budget.
35:43
For the four weeks that we're meeting here, the cost is 6,006 thousand $800. For the month. For the month. Alright. So for four weeks.
35:55
At at the end of next week, it will be the end of our four week trial and we're gonna be looking like, Lord, do you want us back at the TMC? Would you have us stay here the next if we stay here by week five, it would make sense that the next reasonable off ramp would be the fall that Labor Day? Yes. Labor Day. That would be the next reasonable off ramp.
36:21
I don't know how many weeks that is. I don't know how many dollars that is, but it's that's going to be a significant expense for our tribe family. And so as you are improving the skill of hearing the voice of the Lord, maybe he would have you give. Would that be? People are like, wait, what chairs need to be staffed?
36:48
It's alright. It's all it's all valuable. So let's do a quick review as we get into today's conversation. And like Lissa said during worship, man, we really want this to be a conversation. One of the things that was very conducive about us meeting at the TMC is essentially everybody was on the front row.
37:10
And when you're on the front row, it's so much easier to stay engaged and participatory. And as we are here at the saloon for four weeks, I really don't want I have no desire to go back to the monologue model. That's just so unappealing to me. But what I love is the dialogue that we have. And so today, whether you've been here for fifteen years or this Sunday is your very first Sunday, I really wanna hear from you.
37:50
Questions, comments, connections. What do I mean by connections? So let's say that I I make a point and you're like, oh my gosh, that reminds me of a a a bible verse or oh, just last week this happened. I want to hear those and we all want to hear because when it's just me, you're only gonna get my perspective. But when there are things like a a connection that you might make, Stan, or that reminds you of a bible verse, oh oh oh, and you feel like it's like gonna add to the conversation that we're having, I wanna hear it.
38:30
Okay? Okay. Okay, Stan. And so just like Lisa said, for all of our families that watch the livestream, we got a mic at the front of the room, a mic at the back of the room, just wiggle your hand around, we'll get the mic to you and and you can be a part of the conversation. Does that sound alright?
38:50
Good. Good. So by way of review, this is week three of a conversation that we're having about hearing God's voice. And if you remember, the first week, we talked about this cacophony of noise that is constantly competing for our attention. And we talked about way questions that you can ask of of being able to discern, is this God's voice in this particular situation or for my life?
39:18
Last week, we talked about one of the predominant ways that God speaks, and that's through his Word. Word. God speaks predominantly through his word. It's something whenever we need to hear from him anytime, he's never too busy to talk to us. But when we need to connect with the Lord, one of the fundamental ways that we connect with the Lord and that we learn to hear his voice is through his word.
39:48
And I love this quote by brother Lawrence. We've been using it every week, but it's just so good. There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God. I love that verse. And if you are new on your journey of trying to figure out how do I hear the voice of the Lord, this verse is so good.
40:17
Psalms one nineteen one zero five. I don't know if I have that one. There it is. I do have that one. Man, this is so good.
40:23
Psalms one nineteen one zero five. Truth's shining light guides me in my choices and decisions. The revelation of your word makes my path clear. From this verse, we get the title of this morning's conversation. The title of this morning's conversation is the revelation of his word.
40:48
So this morning, we're gonna talk about the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer when it comes to learning to hear his voice. Psalms one nineteen one zero five, truth shining light guides me in my choices and decision, comma, semicolon, the revival, semicolon, the revelation of your word makes my path clear. Now I heard I heard a speaker say this one time that the word of God reveals God, but it does not contain him. There are those who would like to confine all of God's ways and all of God's actions and all of his doings simply within the confines of this letter of Boundary book. I understand the tendency for why a person or an entire denomination or a movement would want to do that.
42:00
Because if we can contain God and his ways and his nature and character, contain it as in confine it, then we can't control it. And if we can control it, then we can measure how much engagement we have with them. But I love how CS Lewis depicted the character of God in this series of the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. CS Lewis chose to characterize God as who? Aslan.
42:30
Aslan the Lion. And what does what what is it said about Aslan? I can't remember the quote. I'm gonna totally mess it up, but maybe somebody can help me here. Oh, Kate's got it.
42:44
Kate's got it. Just shout it out.
42:45
The kids say, is he safe? And mister Beaver says, oh, he's not safe, but he's good.
42:53
Nice kid. K.
42:54
Ed's so good. I don't know why that got me. So the children ask mister Beaver about this Aslan, and they the lion, is he safe? And mister Beaver says, oh, he is not safe. He is certainly not safe, but he is good.
43:16
And that's what that's what we're going to talk about today. The word of God does reveal aspects, nature, of God, but it does not contain the entirety of God. Now in case any of your theological nerves are being rant rant rant, I will I will say this, that he will never do anything or say anything or act in a way or manner that is inconsistent with the total counsel of scripture. But just when we think that we can put him in a box based upon our knowledge and understanding of him and his word, he will do something completely surprising that will challenge us, which is why it's so important as we're developing the skill of hearing the voice of the Lord that not only we learn to distinguish his voice among others, not only do we understand that the most predominant way that he speaks is through his word, but we also need the revelation of his word as illuminated by the person of the Holy Spirit speaking directly to our hearts. Mhmm.
44:48
I'd love to hear from you in this moment. And Kate's got more. We'll get the mic to you, Kate. Please, I love it. The mic's coming.
44:55
I love it, Kate. Thank you. I just
45:02
keep thinking that well, even when Jesus says, if you've seen me, you've seen the father. And there's something about the aspect of god's word, like revealing his nature. And so as God speaks to us, that's always, like, my question to myself, is to God's nature. Does it sound like God?
45:24
So That's fantastic. That is that was one of I don't know if it was verbatim, but very close. That was one of the questions from week one. I said that there were here are six questions that you can ask yourself as a diagnostic as you're learning to discern the voice of the Lord, and that was one of them. Is what I feel the way that he's leading me or what he's saying to me, is it consistent with his word and and what I know to be true about his character.
45:56
And so that is right on and so good. Okay. Learning to hear God's voice, not just through his word, but through his holy spirit is illustrated in a in a bible study that you were probably first exposed to when you were in kids' church or Sunday school. And so let's turn to that classic story of first Kings chapter 19. First Kings chapter 19 verse verses 11 through 13.
46:30
I'll give you a second for that page to load in your bible, and then I'm gonna read this story to you. Elijah had just had a confrontation with the 400 false prophets of Baal. The wicked queen Jezebel has breathed out murderous murderous death threats to Elijah. Elijah tucks tail and runs, and in this moment, he desperately needs to hear the voice of the Lord speaking to him. He goes to Mount Carmel.
47:03
He climbs up a mountain and retreats into a cave, alone, isolated, his back up against the wall, and he is desperate to hear the voice of the Lord. We pick up the story in verse 11. God speaks to Elijah and says, go out and stand before me on the mountain, the Lord told him. As Elijah stood there, the Lord that would make sense. Would somebody pick up that story?
47:43
I don't know where that went in my notes. We'll have the Mike, me your bible since I have a mic, would you?
47:50
Do you want me to just do it?
47:53
Yes. Wherever that disembodied voice was. Alright. Chat's coming.
47:57
Yeah. Yeah. Go out and stand before beyond the mountain, the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind.
48:11
After the after the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, there was a sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, what are you doing here, Elijah?
48:32
Good. Thank you. A story that probably most all of us are very familiar with. And if this story is new for you, how exciting. What an exciting story about hearing the voice of God.
48:53
God speaks to Elijah and says, I'm going to speak to you.
48:57
Isn't he already speaking to him?
48:58
So present yourself. Elijah goes and stands out at the mouth of the cave. It was a terrible wind that came through. I was you know how unstable the weather has been this summer here in Jackson. It feels like it's kinda April seventy second.
49:19
If you're just passing through, you're getting some nice mild temperatures. The hillsides are still green, and you're you're loving it. For for the rest of us, we're like, alright. When is that snow gonna melt up in the high country? When are we gonna get some nice warm temperatures?
49:34
The good news is, I think we're gonna be really safe for the July 4. Like, it is so green out there, which is wonderful. I was up in the high country earlier this week and I was going from the lower saddle on the grand to the upper saddle on the grand and then from there I was gonna go to the enclosure peak and there was a foot of snow. The route should be bone drive by now with a few snowfields to cross in the moraine, but there was a foot of snow, bare glass ice everywhere. We were front pointing in our crampons and we're like, it is June.
50:07
It is deep into June and it feels like the beginning of May. While we were up there, the winds were howling so bad, probably 30 miles an hour constant with 45 mile an hour gusts. But in this story here, Elijah stands at the mouth of the cave and it says that a wind was so strong that it was ripping rocks loose, but God was not in the wind. And then an earthquake that shook. We get some seismic activity here in Jackson from time to time, but it's just like a gentle little rocking as you're in your bed at night.
50:43
But it was not an earthquake, and then a fire came through. Wouldn't it be great? If I if I could just be honest with you for a second, wouldn't it be great? Okay. I'll just speak for me.
50:55
I think it would be great if every time God spoke to me, it was as dramatic and as pronounced and as unmistakable as a wind, an earthquake, or a fire. Would does anybody else agree with me? Wouldn't that wouldn't that just be great? There would be no confusion or ambiguity at all. Wouldn't that be great?
51:22
And if he is all powerful, the Bible says that he can hold the span of the entire universe in just the the the span of his hands. With one grain of sand, he can measure out all of the mountains of the earth. With one drop of water, he can measure out all of the oceans. He calls the stars by name. He knows how many hairs are left on our head.
51:49
He knows the thoughts before our thoughts before they even are double up. But yet, he speaks to Elijah and to us in a still small voice. Now let me check-in with you again. I'm not looking for a Sunday school answer, but I'd love to hear from you. Why do you think it is that he chooses if he's not gonna if he speaks to us in his word, but when he speaks to us in that still small voice, the mic will come to you, Lanisha.
52:31
Why do you think it is that when he speaks personably to us, it's in that still small voice?
52:38
What are your thoughts? Lanisha? For me, it's to see if we're listening because I would also love earthquake wind, fire, tornado, hurricane, whatever, because it's easy to see, and you can't mistake that. So when it's something quiet and gentle, are you listening to me, child? I do like that
53:06
because it holds more weight because it's like a kid. When you yell at the kid, they can get the point, but when you say in a way that gives a certainty
53:21
without being over aggressive, it holds them away.
53:26
I I love what you're onto. And then then Amanda.
53:36
As a former teacher, when
53:38
your class really loud and yelling, if you yell, they can't hear it. But if you get really quiet, then all of a sudden, class heads down and then you the funny thing. So you
53:48
have to say
53:49
yes. Basic classroom management.
53:55
I just love the proximity aspect. Why why could he hear a whisper? Because God is so close to you. He doesn't need to come in from the outside because he's there coming from the inside.
54:06
So good. Okay. This is making me like the saloon a little bit more because this is what I've missed is this conversation.
54:17
I think he wants rather than to get our attention, he wants our attention. Yeah.
54:24
Yeah. Mic drop. It's like I
54:30
heard recently that hearing the voice of god was like the three three twelve thoughts when we quiet our mind and ask Jesus the question and then listen for the still, quiet voice.
54:44
That still, small voice. Cole. Right? Cole? Okay.
54:58
Because it's ultimately a choice. Well, this is a result of a foregone conclusion. It was so obvious you had no other you had no other result to choose. It wouldn't be. That's that's that's great.
55:15
We have the we have the opportunity. We have the choice. I also like this about God's nature and character that he he refuses, not because his fragile ego can't stand any competition, but he refuses to compete. I'm not going to compete. What I have to say is so special, so valuable, so life giving, so nurturing.
55:45
I'm not going to compete with the clamor of other voices that you're allowing in. But if you choose to tune in, I've got some great and wonderful things to share.
56:37
And what we have to do is to pray all the time to be sure that he's not never familiar with us. So I think that the most important thing is what you have in your mind, in your heart,
57:12
I love it. In the book of Song of Solomon, it's an it's an allegory about a young man. Who is this that comes leaping over the hills, easily surmounting? Those things that seem like mountains to us, the Bible describes the young man, which is Jesus, as effortlessly surmounting and bounding over like a hill the hills and mountains like a gazelle or a young stag. And then he comes and he knocks on the door of the young woman's heart.
57:47
And he says, come away with me, my beautiful one, my bride. There's an invitation that requires faith on our part to step out, which comes back to would you put that one nineteen verse back up? Because it says, truth shining lights guides me in my choices and decisions, but can you see that there is a revelation of God's word that is required in order for his truth to shine its light and guide our choices and make our path clear. There's a revelation that is required. Because if you were to just take some words out of a page or a passage out of a page and just say that's God's specific will for my life, that's a great way to start a cult.
58:40
We need God's revelation to illuminate his word for our heart and our life. That's the revelation part, the revelation of God's word. How does God reveal it? By in illuminating the scriptures, what he has said in his word, to our hearts that requires faith, and that voice is often a still small voice that is trying to get us to quiet the other noise, like good teacher in a classroom management. That is a choice for us to make whether we're going to tune in and listen to it.
59:24
And because he is so close, he cherishes the relationship of us setting aside the clamor so that we still the chaos in our hearts so that we can hear that still small voice. Let's turn to John chapter 16. I'm gonna read some words of Jesus to you. John chapter 16. Well, I'm returning to John chapter 16.
59:57
You've heard me say this before, but this is our thinker and this is our knower. Our thinker is up here and our knower is down here. If God speaks to us in our knower, that would most usually fit under the category of the audible voice of the Lord? And just by a a quick survey here, has anybody ever heard the audible voice of the Lord? Question.
1:00:30
I have not myself. I haven't heard it yet. John's heard the audible voice of Lord? It's great. Okay.
1:00:39
When God speaks to me through his personal voice, It's usually in that still small voice right here in my middle earth. If you are trying to develop this skill of hearing God's voice and you're like like in the cartoon, stretch your ears out real big, real big, real big, real big so that you can take in a lot of environmental sounds, you might not ever hear them. But if you quiet the chaos that's going on in your life, then stretch out the ears of your heart. Oh, now he's got something to work with. John chapter sixteen one verse verse 13.
1:01:25
When the when the spirit of truth comes, this is Jesus speaking, he will guide you into all truth. And he will not speak on his own, but he will tell you what he has heard. Cultivating a relationship with the Holy Spirit is so vitally important because the Holy Spirit illuminates and reveals Jesus and the nature and character of God through his word. So many churches, so many denominations, and perhaps you've come from a a a denomination or a church background where it was like, father, son, always Spirit. And he just kind of, like, got mentioned because, you know, he rounded out the trinity.
1:02:17
But cultivating a relationship with the Holy Spirit is so vitally important, Not just that tribe and our particular flavor, but anyone who would invite Jesus into their heart and make him the leader of their life. The Bible says that the spirit takes up residence within our heart, and it's like a seal. It's a guarantee. It's a deposit guaranteeing our full inheritance. I've mentioned this story.
1:02:48
I'll share it with you really quickly years ago. I was going on a walk and I really wanted to hear the voice of the Lord, and I just wanted an encounter with him, and I was like, like, speak to me, and I was listening with my my my finger ears, and nothing was happening, and I was just praying really hard. I felt like, man, I haven't sinned in like five minutes. Like, I'm I'm a pure and holy vessel. Like, just speak to me and and and maybe like if I could hear you walking in the leaves next to me, that would just be so great and that didn't happen.
1:03:21
And then I was like, maybe can I just feel your hand in my hand like in the most innocent, heartfelt, faithful way that I knew, nothing? And then I really got really bumped and I was like, can't hear you, can't see you, can't feel you. Not not rustling, the the crunching the leaves walking next to me. You're not like not even like a I was ready to give God credit, like, had a random gust of wind. I would've been like, that's the Lord.
1:03:51
I was so ready to like help him out and give him credit. Nothing. Nothing. And then deep in my knower, God said, son, what am I? And I was like, It was like this is like a test or a quiz.
1:04:04
And I was like, oh, Lord, you're you're a spirit. And he said, exactly. What have I placed in you? Your spirit. And he goes, I'm a spirit.
1:04:14
I'm a spirit being. When I want to talk with you, I have placed hardware equipment on the inside of you, if you are a Christian and has been activated, so that my spirit can speak directly to your spirit. That's that still small voice that happens deep in your knower. Until you get saved, there's only one message that's coming through. There's only one message that's coming through deep in your heart, and it's repent.
1:04:44
Repent. Repent. Repent. That's the voice of the Holy Spirit not bringing condemnation, but saying, turn from your sin. Turn to me.
1:04:53
I'll give you a brand new heart and a brand new life, and we can you can enter into a relationship with me together and, oh, I've got so much to tell you. But first things first. John chapter 16 verse 13. When the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. When the voice of the holy spirit speaks to you in that still small voice, it's always for the purpose of leading you into a deeper revelation of God.
1:05:25
Who he is, what he has for you, things that could be unfolding. I wanna share a dream with you that I had last night. I haven't even got to tell you this dream, and then just a few more verses. Most of my dreams are pizza dreams. They're not about pizza, but they're, you know, just whatever I ate or maybe something that I put in my brain before I went to sleep that night.
1:05:56
It was random dreams. I feel like last night I had a dream that that very well could be a God dream. And so in my dream, it was at night and when I was a little kid, I had like a a Star Wars storm trooper kinda like blaster rifle and it would like make on in my dream, I had that same toy but it had a really powerful green laser on it. So whenever I pulled the trigger, it it would like shoot a steady laser beam out. And I was like, wow, that laser can reach really far.
1:06:36
My friend David, he has like like a super high powered laser and like from our house in Rafter Jay, he could like hit the top of the Miller Butte to different places like all around the valley. It's Legally too. Legally, but it's like you can't find that stuff in airplanes. That's very illegal and he knows that. He's a responsible nighttime laser user.
1:06:57
But in my dream, I was like, this laser is amazing because like, you know how you can only see a laser if it's kinda hazy? In my dream, I could see the laser as a straight line and it would like it would like, you know hit the hit a far distance, an object in a far distance or a tree or a bush or like a mountain way in the distance. I was like, wow, this is really cool. And so I remember trying to like in my dream last night, I was like playing army. I was like sneaking around and like like pew pew and like shooting the laser out and I'd like roll and I would sneak around I was like pew pew and I was like trying you know, I was just goofing around.
1:07:37
And then in my dream, this four wheeler pulls up with big bright lights and they're like, sir, come with me. And I was like, oh gosh. And I like and I I go with this, you know, with these people they were like dressed kind of like, you know, like security guys, like kinda undercover guys. And I go back to like some headquarters and they confiscate my Star Wars laser gun. And I know I'm super bummed about this.
1:08:04
And there was like a nearby headquarters, like in a camouflage tent that I didn't really see or know about. And I was in this camouflage like like this tent, you know, like a command post, you know, like the TV monitors and like a big battle board laid out. And I was sitting there and it was distinctly a woman, A woman like commander person was like, hey, do you have any idea what you were doing? And I was like, no. I thought I was just goofing around.
1:08:33
And they're like, here. And she was able to put up on the screens like everywhere I was shooting my laser and they're like we have military operations that are ongoing right now. And then like while she was saying this, other soldiers were coming in and handing her reports like like and what I glean from that is the the entire military was mobilizing for something. And it was just before the, you know, like major operation was gonna take place. Like, things were being staged and I was goofing around with my laser and I was being a distraction and I was like shining it in the eyes of like people that were moving around that I couldn't see that were sneaking around and I was getting in trouble and they're and they're like, hey, like, you need to know what you're doing.
1:09:33
And I felt kinda bad. And then I woke up from my dream. I think it's a God dream.
1:09:41
And
1:09:41
I think what the Holy Spirit would say to me and for us, having had that dream on Saturday night, is that communication with the person of the Holy Spirit, speaking to him and and us and him being able to speak to us is a very powerful tool that we must there is an invitation. Notice how I said must and then I switched it to invitation. A little sugar in there. Mhmm. There's an invitation to develop the skill of hearing the voice of the Lord as such a powerful weapon because right now, we don't know how effective and how necessary that skill and that tool is, And we play with hearing the voice of God.
1:10:37
Like, only if I'm trying to decide between, like, you know, which school to go to or which job to take or should I date this person or not date that person or and those are great finds. Great. Great. Great. That's wonderful that you would inquire of the Lord to hear those things.
1:10:52
But there's, like, there in the same way that that laser was so much more powerful than than I realized, hearing the voice of the Lord and communication with the person of the Holy Spirit is so much more powerful in light of what's going on around us in the unseen realm that we must grow in maturity of using that tool and exercising that skill of hearing the voice of the Lord. That's good. That is good, isn't it? Brian. While John is speaking, would you turn to Revelation chapter 22?
1:11:34
Uh-oh. He's going to Revelation. These are I only have two verses left.
1:11:41
I wanted to share that when you were started speaking that dream because, yes, God wants his his waist still, small waist to be heard. I said, okay. You love Brian Hunter. You love everybody to your lord. What is what do you have to say about this dream?
1:12:01
And so I imagine myself walking out of the edge of that cave and listening to his voicing. And and I felt like he clearly said to me that unless you become like a little child, you cannot enter the kingdom of God. So that that's really the main thing that I've expressed.
1:12:28
I think there's a second part
1:12:31
of that. There's the the overall armies have a factor in, you know, part of that dream, but but I at least felt like they got the first part of that.
1:12:41
Childlikeness. You were childlikeness. Childlikeness and innocence. Alright. I like it.
1:12:53
I want to put I wanna specifically put a pin in that. Here, I am pointing at you. Sorry. I wanna put a pin in that because I think that's going to be a key piece as we, like like, begin to land the plane and and wrap this up. So let's just keep that spun up in our brains, this idea of childlikeness.
1:13:13
Revelation chapter 22 verse sixteen and seventeen. I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message to the churches. I'm both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I am the bright and morning star. The spirit and the bride say, come.
1:13:37
Let anyone who hears this say, come. Let anyone who is thirsty, come. Let anyone who desires, drink freely from the water of life. I feel like the Lord put on my heart, and I wrote this in my notes. The church at the end of the age and the spirit will both be saying the same thing.
1:14:01
How will you know what to speak slash emphasize if you don't know what the spirit is saying? At the end of the age, both the spirit of the living God and his bride, the church, us, will be sharing the same message. We will be emphasizing the same things, not the spirit of the antichrist, which a lot of people tend to think is completely in juxtaposition, but antichrist just means anything that is not the spirit of Jesus, but it could sound like something that Jesus might say or do or what the church has traditionally done. Mhmm. But the bride, you, and the spirit will be in unity speaking the same thing.
1:15:02
Therefore, it's so vital right now. Maybe things are being staged in the unseen realm, and that's why there's an importance. But we see Jesus himself saying that our voices will come into unity. How will we be able to say what he's saying if we haven't taken the time to develop the skill of hearing those words. One last verse.
1:15:36
First John chapter two. I'll I'll put it on the screen here. It's right here. You can write it down. First John chapter two verse 26 through 29.
1:15:47
I'm writing these things to you to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. But you have received the Holy Spirit,
1:15:55
and he lives within you.
1:15:57
So you don't need anyone to teach you what is true, for the spirit teaches you everything you need to know. And what he teaches or reveals through his word is true, and it's not a lie. So just as he taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. And now, dear children, maybe that is that that childlike simple belief that he speaks and that you can hear him. Remain in fellowship.
1:16:32
Remain in close step with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame. So Lord, we have a part to play, this idea of quieting all of the other things that demand so much of our attention. And even that is a skill to develop so that we can have a kid on each hip and a phone at our ear, and we're working from home and ask that we would receive a revelation of your voice deep down in our own knowing. There are people here within the sound of my voice, are maybe listening to the podcast or watching the livestream. Even though they maybe they've lived here for twenty years.
1:18:00
Maybe they've only been here for twenty hours and are on their way to Cody or the next place. But for just a few moments, we wanna quiet the noise of everything else in our life. And with simple childlike faith, we invite you to speak to us in our number. We need your wisdom. We need your guidance.
1:18:31
We need your assurance. We need your comfort. We need your hope. We need, as Lanisha said, that gentle breakthrough. Speak to us.
1:18:42
Let's practice for just a moment.
1:20:45
Earlier when you were we were talking about the still small voice of the Lord, I thought this was probably just for me, but your dream kinda confirmed it was something that maybe I should share. But I've been getting trained in a lot of firearms and long range precision shooting. And one of the things you're supposed to do to have a really good and accurate shot is you need to control your breath. And you're slowly letting your breath out because you're squeezing the trigger. And I couldn't help but think of the sword of the spirit and how a rifle is a weapon.
1:21:17
And the target you're aiming at, thinking about your your laser gun or your blaster, like, you're just like, like, you know, wherever you want. And it's like, I was at a competition yesterday, and it'd be like birds that would land on the targets that we're aiming for. And they're like, well, they're like, don't miss and be real accurate.
1:21:39
Yeah. Yeah. You have to So don't aim for the birds. Yeah. Don't aim for me and my little laser.
1:21:44
I'm like, get the birds.
1:21:46
Get birds. Right. I was yeah. I was just thinking about Brett and, like, just like that still small voice out and, like and using the the the sword of the spirit and listen to the word and how that can be a weapon. So good.
1:22:02
So the, you know, the Greek word for spirit used in the New Testament, Do you know? No. And you're gonna be like, oh, yeah. I knew that. But is pneuma, breath, wind, it's where we get the word pneumonia from, like a sickness in the lungs.
1:22:22
Does does the wind of the spirit, the breath of God breathing in us, the spirit as a weapon. So good. Hold on. Let's go over here.
1:22:40
My name is Meg and I've never been here before. I've been holding back a little bit
1:22:46
today but this sermon
1:22:49
spoke to me so much because the small voice that brought me here today is my daughter. She's been asking about God or church. And I grew up Pentecostal three days a week as a child. I haven't been to church in probably twenty eight years. And so I just wanna thank my child and everybody's words and sharing today because the sermon spoke to me so much.
1:23:16
And when that childlike voice is your own child, I mean, that she had come learn from herself and from people who are been worshiping a lot more faithfully than I have. And he can help me answer all her questions about what she needs to know. And I just appreciate your welcome and happiness here.
1:23:41
As we just as we
1:23:43
close the service and we're just here for
1:23:44
a few more moments together, let's just stay in this attitude of worship. I really there's just one bridge we played during worship today, and
1:23:51
I just
1:23:51
really like the way that I hear and feel the presence of the Holy Spirit, I just really felt it coming on one of the bridges. And it wasn't because our music was great, it was because we invited him. It was the moment when you said, you're welcome here. And so and the word says whenever to a word or gather the Lord is so it's not like we all becomes, he always does. But let's just keep this sweet tender presence not just a Sunday morning thing.
1:24:18
It's something that you can have. You can have peace all the time if you ask the Lord for that. Even in the midst of chaos, even in the midst of external chaos and things happening, peace is not the same as, you know, serenity. It's an internal Holy Spirit peace that you can have. So we're gonna bring our tithe and our offering to the Lord, and I love the terminology that you use, Jay, as a weapon because we think here at Tribe as our tithe and our offering as a weapon.
1:24:47
We against the enemy. It doesn't make sense to give, especially if you feel like you can't but the lord just, like we say, puts his super on our natural act and it's just a beautiful, beautiful expression of worship. We worship him today through his word, through music. We're gonna worship him through the expression of bringing our tithe and offering to him, and it's a weapon against the enemy. What a cool perspective and way to see that.
1:25:12
So whether you're giving now or another time, just practically speaking, you can give online. You can give online on our website. We have a little box just as you leave the the saloon doors, I love saying that, as you leave the saloon doors on the right, we have a little try box. If you have cash or check, you can put it in there. It'll be secure.
1:25:31
We'll take that today. And the last part is real easy. If you have a smartphone, like you see on the screen, you can just text a number to 84321. You just put in the amount you wanna give. So let's just bow our head and close our eyes.
1:25:45
We'll pray together as a tribe family, but let's just think of it that way. Bringing our tithe is not just to check the Sunday box. It's a weapon against the enemy. It's a take that in your face. Mhmm.
1:25:56
It's good. I'm gonna worship the Lord. I'm gonna raise my hands. I'm gonna sing even when I especially when I don't feel like it. That's a weapon.
1:26:03
Weapon. Take that in your face, enemy. Right? We do things in in your face. This is the this is the Christian version.
1:26:11
You wanna hear the unfiltered. See me afterwards. Just kidding. And then with that,
1:26:16
let's pray. Okay, Holy Spirit. Okay. Alright.
1:26:20
We just love you so much. We give you praise and glory and honor for who you are. Thank you that you are unchanging, that your character and your nature never change. You do new things, the Bible says, but your character and your nature never change. Other little g gods are swayed by the wind, and they have mood swings.
1:26:38
That's what people think. But, God, you are consistent. You're the only one true God anyway, but you are consistent. You are faithful always. Yes.
1:26:47
And we thank you for that so much. And so as we bring our tithe and our offering to you to you today or anytime this week, whatever our rhythm is, we just say, Lord, this is an act of worship. This is a weapon that we're taking out of our tool belt and using against the enemy. Thank you for who you are and how you use that. Lord, I just pray for everybody here that you'll just soften and tenderize our hearts to giving to the local church, whether it's try or somewhere else.
1:27:15
It doesn't matter. I pray that if there's any been false teaching towards giving and money in the church and it's been yucky and weird, you just break break off and just whatever that yucky is. Holy Spirit, thank you for tenderizing our hearts to how you want us to be, and how you want us to feel and think about during our time. We love and thank you for all the people that will come into your kingdom. All the lives that are changed will be changed and saved because of our active obedience among other things.
1:27:42
We give you all the glory. It's in Jesus' name we pray and say, amen. Just very quickly before we leave, just two two announcements. Today is the day where a team is going to Riverton. We're gonna go serve our little hearts out, roll up our sleeves, put on our car hearts, and do some construction.
1:28:01
We're gonna serve the homeless on Monday night, work at the kids' VBS, and so whatever our hands and hearts are open. Whatever they want us to do, we're gonna do. So as that team leaves today, you got if you're on our tribe text last week, you got this message earlier. So just to reiterate that, it takes time, effort, and money to do ministry. Right?
1:28:21
That's just a fact. And so as tribe family, no matter who's going on, like a mission trip or doing any kind of evangelism or whatever it is, we can all be a part. And I think you said this today, Brent, but our time, our talent, and our treasure. So I want all of us to be a part and the the team's already said, but some people are going. They're gonna use their their hands and their feet and be that that piece.
1:28:44
Some of you have given financially. Some of you, if you'll just pray for the team that the Lord's will be done. But it does take money, so if you are feeling like a treasure is the piece that you're supposed to give for this, please feel free to do that. And you saw on that text how to do it when you go to the app. I think you can do it on the website as well.
1:29:05
For their food pantry. Thank you. Yes. Specifically for their food pantry, which is almost empty. They they serve people weekly with food, and so that's just a physical way you can give money, and then we'll purchase there in Riverton this afternoon.
1:29:20
We'll purchase the food if you guys wanna get to that. So pray about it however you wanna do that. It's all very valuable, and it all makes us a team. The second announcement and last thing is this. Tuesday service this week, the the whole team that puts on the Tuesday service will be in Riverton, but we're still having having church.
1:29:37
Come to the TNC at 06:00. It just is gonna be a little different. There's gonna be a meal at six like normal, and then it'll be hiking ministry of Josie's. That's optional. That part's optional.
1:29:48
Come and eat. So you can come and eat and leave if you'd like, but if you're up for it, wear your hiking clothes and come have a meal and then go hike up Jersey's. So thank you so much. Brad, will you please come and pray us out today? Hey,
1:30:04
let's stand. I'll pray this out. And when we dismiss let me let me go back to that, When we dismiss, I'm gonna invite Lee and Colleen to hang out over here in this part. If there's anything that you need prayer for, I'm gonna invite Lanisha to come over as well and pray. If there's anything that you need prayer for, our ministry team would love, love, love to pray for you.
1:30:40
Whether it is a big thing or a little thing or a clarity thing or a healing thing, like, let's get our prayer on. Alright? So as soon as we dismiss, as you're saying hi, making new friends, before we start cleaning up, there'll be prayer up here available. Would that be alright if I pray for you? Lord Jesus, thank you so much for bringing each and every person here today.
1:31:04
Thank you that you are a God who can be known and who desires to be known and who talks all the time. You have great and wonderful things to whisper to our heart as we cultivate that relationship with the Holy Spirit to hear your voice. I command a blessing over each and every member of our tribe family here today. Give us a great week. We pray these things in Jesus' name, the strong son of God.
1:31:35
And everybody said Amen. Amen. I want you to have a great week. And remember, you got this.
Topics
Childlike FaithDiscerning God'S WillHearing God'S VoiceHoly SpiritPrayer And ListeningStill Small Voice
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