voices week 2

[NewCreation435]

So, the sermon series I am listening to the pastor talked again this week about voices that influence us. He said ultimately there are two voices, either one that leads to the devil or one to God. First he quoted Proverbs 2:2-12 and 1 Thess 5;21 that tells us to tune our hearts to wisdom and concentrate on understanding. Then also Paul says that we should test everything and hold on to what is good.
One of the ways that the pastor said we test what is good is by asking "Is this voice life giving or life taking?' Two of the characteristics of a life giving voice is that it is loving and truthful.
What are some other characteristics of a life giving voice?

 

[tango]

I tend to think in terms of whether the voice guides towards God and whether it brings glory to Jesus.

Interestingly a few "prophets" I've read have written about how "The Holy Spirit taught me about himself", which is odd given how Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would testify of him. On the face of it such words might seem encouraging but they don't do what Jesus said they would do and are therefore suspect.

So in that regard "life giving" would mean whether it encourages and builds our Christian faith.

I must admit the balance between "life giving" and "life taking" seems like it could itself be applied in various ways, not all of which are helpful. Some years ago I was talking to a guy in the church I attended at the time who insisted that prophecy should only ever build up and encourage. While in the long term it should build up, he refused to accept that sometimes it needed to tear things down before building, such as when Nathan challenged King David over the matter of Uriah the Hittite. I don't imagine Ananias and Sapphira found Peter's prophetic insights particularly encouraging either - from the perspective of A&S the words were definitely "life taking" but came directly from God.

Who is the speaker behind the series?

 

[NewCreation435]

I tend to think in terms of whether the voice guides towards God and whether it brings glory to Jesus.

Interestingly a few "prophets" I've read have written about how "The Holy Spirit taught me about himself", which is odd given how Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would testify of him. On the face of it such words might seem encouraging but they don't do what Jesus said they would do and are therefore suspect.

So in that regard "life giving" would mean whether it encourages and builds our Christian faith.

I must admit the balance between "life giving" and "life taking" seems like it could itself be applied in various ways, not all of which are helpful. Some years ago I was talking to a guy in the church I attended at the time who insisted that prophecy should only ever build up and encourage. While in the long term it should build up, he refused to accept that sometimes it needed to tear things down before building, such as when Nathan challenged King David over the matter of Uriah the Hittite. I don't imagine Ananias and Sapphira found Peter's prophetic insights particularly encouraging either - from the perspective of A&S the words were definitely "life taking" but came directly from God.

Who is the speaker behind the series?

some of the messages are here http://www.thesummitchurch.net/message/ His name is Jonathan Robbins. Though the pastoral staff usually take turns sharing a message.
Part of what he said also is that a life giving message might not sound kind or life giving at first. Just like with the example you gave. Nathan had to be hard on David, in order to get him to repent. His words ultimately were meant to heal, but David had to be broken for his sins first. Sometimes also friends have to say tough things to other friends in order to help them to see what they are doing wrong or as a way to rebuke sin. In the sermon, Jonathan mentions a mother who is yelling at her son for playing in the street. She is yelling, not particularly sounding very kind at the moment, but the reason for the yelling is to get the kid away from harm

 

[tango]

some of the messages are here http://www.thesummitchurch.net/message/ His name is Jonathan Robbins. Though the pastoral staff usually take turns sharing a message.
Part of what he said also is that a life giving message might not sound kind or life giving at first. Just like with the example you gave. Nathan had to be hard on David, in order to get him to repent. His words ultimately were meant to heal, but David had to be broken for his sins first. Sometimes also friends have to say tough things to other friends in order to help them to see what they are doing wrong or as a way to rebuke sin. In the sermon, Jonathan mentions a mother who is yelling at her son for playing in the street. She is yelling, not particularly sounding very kind at the moment, but the reason for the yelling is to get the kid away from harm

I'm glad he mentioned that "life giving" doesn't necessarily seem very positive at the time although the long term effect is to encourage correction, repentance etc. The example of having to say the uncomfortable things to a friend is a really good one too.

 

[TurtleHare]

So, the sermon series I am listening to the pastor talked again this week about voices that influence us. He said ultimately there are two voices, either one that leads to the devil or one to God. First he quoted Proverbs 2:2-12 and 1 Thess 5;21 that tells us to tune our hearts to wisdom and concentrate on understanding. Then also Paul says that we should test everything and hold on to what is good.
One of the ways that the pastor said we test what is good is by asking "Is this voice life giving or life taking?' Two of the characteristics of a life giving voice is that it is loving and truthful.
What are some other characteristics of a life giving voice?

A life giving voice will give us the Savior because he is our life as believers and even though we know we're saved we still get forgiveness from him that brings us joy and peace and the life taking voice is going to be pointing at me saying I gotta do something for my salvation. That will never be truthful or loving so Jesus is our life voice and if we ignore him then we're on the other road that doesn't lead to salvation.

 

[NewCreation435]

I'm glad he mentioned that "life giving" doesn't necessarily seem very positive at the time although the long term effect is to encourage correction, repentance etc. The example of having to say the uncomfortable things to a friend is a really good one too.

It made me think of a friend when I was in school who said some things to me that were really hard to hear. At the time it didn't feel good, but after I thought about it I realized he was right. It led to me making some corrections in my life

 

[NewCreation435]

A life giving voice will give us the Savior because he is our life as believers and even though we know we're saved we still get forgiveness from him that brings us joy and peace and the life taking voice is going to be pointing at me saying I gotta do something for my salvation. That will never be truthful or loving so Jesus is our life voice and if we ignore him then we're on the other road that doesn't lead to salvation.

I don't have my Bible in front of me right now, but one passage says that we can grieve the Holy Spirit. I think that as believers we can do that when we ignore what we know is God's voice because we want to do what we want to do.