The Voice of God

Sunday School /Sermon /Cindy Jacobs Call for intercession for the nation.

A few Sundays ago my Dad and I settled in to watch Yankee Baseball. It was then we heard that Bob Shepherd who had been the public address announcer at Yankee Stadium for years had passed away. The players remembered him with fondness. A commentator made a comment that bothered me at first until I listened to the explanation. He said something like , "Many players and fans have said Bob Shepherd's voice was like the voice of God"

The players reasoning.

He knew their name

The players recalled that if he was unsure of how to properly pronounce their name that he would seek them out to make sure he would say it right. He enjoyed getting to know the players of the game. He did this without partiality. It didn't matter if you were a Yankee or Visiting team member, a famous player or a rookie...your name mattered.


God knows our name too The Bible tells us that God knows our comings and our goings, He has even the hairs on our head numbered and holds us in the palm of His hand. There is no partiality with God. He cares about men and women, rich and poor, famous or average joes....our life matters to Him.

His Voice was Majestic

When players came to Yankee Stadium they looked forward to hearing him say their name. He didn't yell it, he didn't say it quickly or with slothfulness to get through the line up, He said each name with dignity.


God calls us to Himself

God calls us by name to Himself. The Word says He calls whosoever will. Jesus is described as the Good Shepherd whose sheep will not go to another because they recognize His voice. David describes God as the Shepherd who attends to His flock.

Bob Shepherd's voice announced who was up to bat and what position each player played. God's voice...His true voice leads us when we are up to bat on the field of life...and leads us to the right position or gifts and callings to employ.

We know as Christians that Mr. Shepherd really wasn't the voice of God...but if we will listen to why people said it of him we can surely see some wonderful characteristics of our Father God and how he speaks to us today.

To Listen to a tribute to Bob Shepherd click here

The Heart of God

Sunday School and Sermon (Cornerstone)

The Heart of God

A few weeks ago we talked about David being a man after God's own heart in Sunday School with Br. Larry and it got me thinking about God's heart and what pleases Him. What made David a man after God's own heart? Those of us that know his story know that it certainly wasn't that he did everything right without breaking any of the laws of God. His sin is recorded for all to see throughout the generations of man....thankfully his heart toward God is also recorded so we can follow his example in both good times and bad and in our successes and our failures.

David like Saul was brought from small beginnings but in the end their hearts were like night and day. They both sinned before the Lord yet God rejected one man and restored the other man. Both men spoke words of repentance at the time when their sin was exposed ,nevertheless, Saul was left in a position disgrace while David was restored to kingship and honor. We find that words spoken without heart toward God are meaningless while words of truth and intimancy move the heart of God.

What about looking the part?

Saul looked the part of a king and he was head and shoulders above everyone else. His small beginnings didn't keep God from calling him to the task. He didn't consider himself up for kingship at first and even tried to hide when Samuel was going to name him before the people. The Bible tells us that God did a work in his heart making him a new man and even gave him people who were determined to serve God by serving him. David was the youngest of his fathers sons. He was a shepherd who really didn't look the part of a king. When God told Samuel that someone in David's family was going to replace Saul, David wasn't even called in from the field to be considered until Samuel asked if there was another brother somewhere. Neither man was looking for the job of king but found themselves commissioned by God through the prophet Samuel. Certainly once they were walking in kingship both men looked the part....but David wasn't afraid even when he was king to take off kingly robes and worship.

Heart of Worship

David was a musician who played the harp and wrote hundreds of songs to worship the Lord. A look at the Psalms will reveal that he wasn't afraid to express his emotions and questions before God. Some will argue that musical types are emotional anyway and so it is easy for them to express themselves. The good thing is you don't have to have a certain personality type to simply share your heart with your creator....it can be through song, through pen, through words, or a variety of ways that God may put within you. Ultimately a person of worship comes into such intimacy with God that not only do they willing share their heart with Him, but He shares His heart with them. David had such a relationship with God and so can we.

A trust that wouldn't go away

David had a trust in God that wouldn't go away. When David came before King Saul to get permission to fight Goliath he remembered God's help in the face of the lion and the bear who tried to get to the sheep of his fold. His trust didn't diminish in the face of many enemies over his life time....and that trust led him to obey God when it seemed odds where against him.

Obedience

David's love and trust toward God led to his desire to obey God's voice. Saul had the same opportunity given to him, but his heart got so puffed up with the gift of kingship that God gave him that he lost intimacy with his creator. Obeying God is not about a bunch of rules....it is about understanding the love of God for his creation....understanding the Father heart of God towards us, his sons and daughters, really getting that what He sets before his children is for the best. This kind of obedience is far superior to rule keeping....it is about obeying Father God out of a heart of trust and love. It reminds me of one of my favorite New Testament stories.....that starts with Jesus saying, "I must needs go to Samaria"