When you fly on the plane, while it’s on the ground put in my earplugs – Don’t want to hear the captions voice
  • But while you’re at 30K feet, feel turbulence take out the earplugs!
  • You wanna hear the voice of the pilot then!
But in life, most of us go day in and day out with an “On the ground” mentality
  • Even when we hit hard times, we still keep our headphones on
  • We don’t really believe God is going to speak into our situation
Keeping our headphones on wouldn’t be a problem
  • It would be easy if it were choosing an ice cream flavor
  • It doesn’t affect anything after that – not life-changing like it or not

 

  • Some times the answer is Biblically clear
  • More often than not, it’s an opinion at best
  • Want me to be the voice of God for them – no
  • Every believer must discern the voice of God on their own
► Hearing God’s voice in our daily life is so important, Prov says…
Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
  • Headphones on, you can only hear yourself – Too much info
Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.  | Proverbs 3:5-7 MSG
  • Best advice I could give…
  • Pray, Read, Listen &  Write
  • Some of us are like Moses, he heard of God being on the mountain and Him speaking from a burning bush, this is what Moses discovered…
If you want to hear from the burning bush…
You have to be on the mountain with God!
 The book of 1 Peter, written to believers who were suffering
  • They were in a “Tough spot”
…with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. | 1 Peter 1.13
  • Can’t leave on earbud in, fully sober
  • Not talking about sober like from alcohol but from other voices
  • Sober – To be free from anything that would distract
  • If you’re intoxicated, you can’t control yourself
15► Again Peter says…
——————————————————————————————
The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.  | 1 Peter 4.7
  • Other voices can confuse your prayer life, Peter says again…
Be alert and of sober mind… | 1 Peter 5.8-9
  • Be alert, in other words, always be ready
  •  Peter says…
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. | 1 Peter 5.8
  • ►Easy to beat down a person who’s drunk
  • More drunk the easier it is to defeat them
So, what are somethings that can intoxicate your mind?…
Lack – Focused on meeting your needs
  • Every opportunity seems to the answer
  • If all you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail
Money/  Buying power
  • Buy all your solutions
  • Can bring influence and power
Envy /  Complaining
  • Nothing is ever good enough because it’s not more than someone else
Bitterness
  • Holding unforgiveness
  • Infects every relationship you have
Need for approval
  • Make decisions that make others happy
We can become so addicted to a drunken mind that we make a series of bad choices
  • Drunken in mind for such a long period of time we may need to detox
  • Isn’t that so easy to do in our current context where we have to go out of our way in order to stay spiritually in tune
Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. | 1 Thessalonians 5.1-6
  • We can’t hear the voice of God without a sober mind
  • What do you have in your ears right now?
  • What kind of earphones are muting God’s voice in your life
  • If they are distracting you, then they are intoxicating you
  • Pray – Read – Listen & Write

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