Don Williams spoke today about hearing from God. His teaching was sound and correlated to what most churches teach and believe. I have heard similar sermons, but for some reason my spirit was more sensitive tonight. I began to believe strongly that God wants to speak to His creation. He has given us practical tools to do this with. Don went through the tools and I became a little more determined to use them. This sermon sparked a question in me as well. I am going to write the question and ask if anyone has insight to please share.
Don mentioned that one way to hear from God is through other people. The chances of you hearing from God are greatly increased with wise council. Now this seems obvious and insightful. But, as I was sitting and pondering his comments I began to run through a list of people who didn't go along with what others had to say. Jeremiah was blatantly a person in the Bible that didn't listen to the people around him. John the Baptist went to a desert to find God. He didn't share the favored opinion of the Pharisees even though they were the religious establishment of the time. Paul makes it clear that he did not consort with anyone before he started to preach. He got direct revelation and that was proof that he was God's messenger. Then there is Martin Luther. Though not a biblical character he most assuredly has changed church history. His revelations were shunned by the organized church. Now I know Godly council is wise. But aren't there also times when your position is hated. That doesn't necessarily mean it is incorrect. I think most of the prophets and mighty men where men of reform and hated for their beliefs. So my question is how can you discern if God is speaking to you if your beliefs are contrary to the larger church? I ask this because there are some teachings widely accepted that I do not share. Do I submit to these teachings to maintain unity and adhere to "godly council?" Or do I stand as Luther with a hammer and nail bold in the face of adversity?
2 comments:
I definitely believe that it is important to stay in fellowship with other believers because we do indeed hear from God through other people. I do not think that one needs to surround himself with a gazillion people all the time and take everything that everyone says as from God. One must be discerning and measure the words of other people with the Bible. Also, one needs to measure their own revelation with the Bible. Is the revelation that one receives Biblical? I often wonder if the founders of certain other "religions", such as Mormonism and Islam, were Christians before they went their own way and claimed to receive special revelation from God. This is not to say that all "revelation" is bad, but is the revelation one receives measured up to the Bible? It is good to stay in fellowship with other believers so that one has a check on one's life and doesn't stray into something else.
The pastor also mentioned taking personal revelation and correlating it to Biblical truth. I agree wholeheartedly to that. I guess with the biblical examples that I gave I still arrive at the opinion that Godly men and women didn't follow the masses. But again I am still concerned about maintaining unity as well. Searching for the balance.
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