The Responsibility in Communing with God

Proverbs 28:9

INTRODUCTION: Whether knowingly or not, we have reduced God to a servant. We expect Him to make Himself scarce in our lives until such time as we have need of Him. When we need Him, we expect Him to come running to our aid and meet our every demand. This behaviour is idolatrous and establishes man as the ultimate authority. In addition to that, it disgusts the Lord.

I. GOD’S COMMUNICATION WITH MAN

A. God Talks to Man

1. Historically
a. Creation
b. Conscience
c. Circumstances
d. Visions and dreams
e. Audibly, face-to-face
f. Through prophets and priests
g. Through the scripture
h. Through signs and wonders
i. Through the Son
2. At present—through the scripture

B. Man Talks to God—through prayer

II. GOD’S COMMUNICATION TO MAN

A. God Desires to Speak to Man

1. He has proven this throughout history.
2. He has provided a completed canon of revelation.

B. Man Has to Receive the Word of God

1. Not turning “away his ear from hearing the law,”
2. Not pulling “away the shoulder,” and stopping of the ears (Zechariah 7:11)
3. Not making your “hearts as an adamant stone,” (Zechariah 7:12)

III. GOD’S COMMUNICATION FROM MAN

A. God Desires to Hear from Man

1. He has proven this throughout history.
2. He has granted us complete access through the shed blood of His Son.

B. God Has a Problem

1. God made prayer available to man for a resource to receive help and strength.
2. Men who have no desire to hear God’s word and do His bidding still call upon Him in their time of need.
3. That man’s prayer “shall be abomination.”
4. Consider the following
a. God questioned Israel’s religious acts and suggested that He wanted nothing to do with their prayers (Isaiah 1:10-15).
b. God returned to Israel their refusal to hear (Zechariah 7:8-14).
c. The psalmist stated that his regard of iniquity would cause the Lord to refuse to hear him (Psalm 66:18).
d. For all our desire to relegate this to the past, John seemed to make an association to this principle in the church age (1 John 3:22). In fact, Peter stated that a poor relationship between a husband and wife would hinder a believer’s prayers (1 Peter 3:7).

CONCLUSION: How are you receiving and obeying the word of God? Have you turned away your ear from hearing God’s law? How would you handle it if the next time you were in desperate need of God’s help He turned His ear away from hearing your prayer?