TID #153 Hear and Obey

Good day TRC and Friends! Today on episode #153, we talk about Jesus’ command at the end of the Sermon on the Mount to “hear and obey” as the banner over the whole of the Sermon.

Here is a summary of this episode for you after you listen or watch.

Thank you for listening!

In Matthew 6:33, Jesus instructs us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” But what does this mean in practice? How do we actively seek God’s kingdom and righteousness?

Let’s ask: “What is the Kingdom of God?”

The kingdom of God is His reign and rule over all things. The Kingdom is not just a future in the sky thing, but a present reality we can experience now. The Kingdom of God encompasses God’s authority and sovereignty, His original design for human flourishing, our relationship with Him as the King of the universe, and how we live under His rule as His ambassadors.

How Do We Hear God’s Voice?

There are three ways that we can hear, and there could be more, but we’ll keep it to three.

1. Through Scripture – His written Word.
2.  Through the Holy Spirit’s inner witness.
3. Through circumstances and creation.
   1. Dallas Willard calls these the “three lights”.

These three elements work together to help us discern God’s voice. We must be careful to let Scripture be the judge of the others while not ignoring what is happening around us and inside of us.

Keys to Better Hearing God’s Voice.

1. Be still and quiet before Him.
2. Spend time in prayer and meditation on His Word.
3. Stay in fellowship with other believers.
4. Keep your circle of influences small and trusted.
5. Practice discernment in testing what you hear.
6. Maintain a supernatural rather than purely naturalistic worldview.

What Does Obedience Look Like?

Obedience flows from:

1. Joy in relationship with God.
2. Love for His kingdom.
3. A transformed heart that wants to please God.
4. Understanding His authority and goodness.

Common Challenges in Hearing and Obeying.

1. Distinguishing God’s voice from other voices.
2. Dealing with unclear or secondary issues.
3. Balancing different aspects of obedience like obedience being an internal issue of thinking first or a physical change of action first.
4. Maintaining relationships while obeying convictions.
5. Avoiding legalism while pursuing holiness.

This week, challenge yourself to set aside dedicated quiet time to listen for God’s voice, journal what you believe He’s saying through Scripture, circumstances, and the Spirit’s witness, and act on what you hear with joyful obedience.

Questions to consider.

Am I seeking God’s kingdom first in my daily living?

What is interfering with my ability to hear God’s voice?

Is my obedience coming from joy in Christ or from duty?

The goal isn’t perfect performance but growing in relationship with God and learning to better hear and obey.