The Voice – part 9

How often do we comment: “I always enjoy listening to this speaker.” But what about the content of what they are saying?

John the Baptist may have presented himself to people in an unprepossessing manner with his locusts, animal skins and all, but his voice was another matter altogether. People flocked to hear it. They were not so much captivated by the quality of his delivery, but rather the content of his message. It had the power to change them.

It was like that with Peterand the apostles. The quality of their delivery was one thing, but those who heard them were compelled by their doctrine – the substance of the message. In Acts 2:42 Luke says the newly converted Jews “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

The word translated “teaching” in that verse refers not so much to the activity of teaching, but rather to the content of it. There is a tendency among Christians to elevate the activity of preaching and teaching above content. Many will have favourite preachers and travel many miles to hear them. They so admire the way they speak and could listen to them for hours … and sometimes do!

However, the response to Peter’s preaching and that of his brothers was not to their wit, command of language, style of expression and oratorical skill but to the content of the message: A very different thing. The word translated “teaching” in Acts 2:42 is better translated “doctrine”. It is the word DIDACHE. The verses following show that the consequence of the preaching was changed lives, and when genuine that is not the result of clever preaching but of the convicting power of the Holy Spirit! So the converts to the preaching of the apostles were devoted to the truth of the Word: their focus was clear: they were intent to obey God rather than men, however impressive the preachers.

“Have you changed?’

It seems to me that this touches on a particular problem we face. Are we tuned in to the voice of God or to the voice of the preacher/writer/broadcaster? The difference is life and death.

When I visit a congregation I have previously addressed, I sometimes ask them a cheeky question. “How have you changed since I was here last time?” It usually evokes smiles and chuckles as if to say, “Chris, you cannot be serious! Change?”

But if there is no obvious change has there been a proper hearing of the Word of the Lord? The result of the devotion of those Acts 2 believers to the doctrine of the apostles was changed lives. The verses following confirm it. It might be an inconvenient truth, but it is the simple truth.

Whose voice are we listening for when we hear the proclamation of the Word? Have we come prepared to devote ourselves to the truth within the message or is entertainment higher on our agenda? Are we poised to respond to the Voice behindthe voice?

When the folks around the Sea of Galilee heard Jesuspreach, they were immediately struck by a feature in His speaking, which was absent from the preaching of their Jewish leaders. For instance, at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, that spans three whole chapters of Matthew, the writer makes a telling remark: “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at His teaching (DIDACHE), because He taught as one who had authority and not as their teachers of the Law.”

The teachers of the Law certainly held authority in the Jewish community, but it was religiousauthority arising from their acknowledged position. But it was instantly recognised as inferior to the authority with which our Lord spoke. He spoke only the pure Word of His Father and it was patently obvious to those listening. Indeed His own testimony spoke volumes: “… whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say” (John 12:50).Then again, “The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather it is the Father living in me, who is doing His work” (John 14:10).We might add, “He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me” (John 14:24).

Jesus knew and His hearers knew that His words were carriers of the authority of Heaven.Their response was not due to the brilliance of His style, but to the revelation that had come out of His mouth and straight from Heaven.

Attuned to Heaven’s frequency

There is an awesome seriousness about all this that leaves me breathless. I have always considered myself an Evangelical: to me the Bible is God’s Word and it does not merely contain God’s Word. So when the Bible is opened and a preacher begins to expound it, my spiritual antennae have to be attuned to “Heaven’s frequency”. Are my channels of communication wide open to respond when the Lord speaks? Or have I filters in place to allow through only what I wish to hear?

When the Lord speaks, my great enemy does all he can to throw me off the scent. He diverts me so that even though I have heard the Lord other factors immediately apply. Have I really heard the Lord? Are others also being addressed so that I am not alone?

When by the side of the Sea of Galilee recently, I was reminding the folks on our Tour Group about Peter’s encounter with the Lord on the beach. Our Saviour recommissioned His dear disciple following his three-fold denial in the courtyard of the High Priest’s palace in Jerusalem. It was extremely direct. It was a moment of confrontation from which there was no escape. Jesus had Peter well and truly “fixed” in His sights and Peter knew it. Squirm as he might, it was not possible to run. John 21:15ff tells all.

The issue was love for Jesus and the evidence of it would be Peter’s worship: that is to say, complete obedience to the voice of the Lord. Peter had denied the Lord three times (John 18:15-27), and here was His Lord commissioning him with a whole new threefold call: “Feed my lambs … feed my sheep … feed my sheep.”

The call was very simple and extremely direct. Peter was left in no doubt that the direction of his life was changing. Goodbye fish, Hello sheep!

Peter was treated to the Voice of the Fatherspoken by the Son and impressed on his heart by the Holy Spirit. God had spoken. That was clear. Yet Peter’s immediate response is fascinating. John gives us the detail in 21:20-21: “Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them … When Peter saw him, he asked, ‘Lord, what about him?’

I find that amazing! Just at the moment when the Saviour is smothering Peter with forgiveness and grace and providing him with his world impacting ministry, Peter says, “Lord, what about him?”

Our Lord’s response shows great patience, but I reckon it is tinged with genuine frustration: “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? YOU MUST FOLLOW ME!” (John 21:22).

It’s a subtle trick of the devil to put us off the convicting moment when the Holy Spirit has us where He wants us. Have you noticed how one of the first things that happens after we have heard a particularly direct and convicting word from the Lord is that we turn to our neighbour to ask what he thought of the message? It’s as if we have to get the reaction of others before we give God’s word our whole attention and when we do that, the moment goes, the message is compromised and we back off. Obeying God has given way to following the opinions of men: the power of our peers. 

Deep and effective fellowship

One of the serious things the Lord is highlighting for many of us is the call to deep and effective fellowship. In order to pursue this, there is a need to be established within a small circle of believers, – all of whom are intent to be true worshippers, completely sold out to Jesus – either within established congregations or separate from them, in their homes. We recognise that unless we take strong action, it will never happen. We may long for the true Church to find expression, but unless we take action, nothing will materialise and we shall be left with frustrated hopes.

Checking to see what the Lord is saying to others before we respond to Him ourselves (“Lord, what shall this man do?”) can have a nullifying effect on the call of Jesus and keep us confined.

If the Lord is calling us to go further in our faith and fellowship, we must hear His voice and act upon it. Many will find fault with us, branding us unloving and even divisive, but if conviction is impacting us we have to make a clear choice.

In his final exchanges with the Israelites, Joshuafaced them with a massive challenge. Hear Joshua’s voice ringing clear. It’s recorded in Joshua 24:14-15: “Now fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

These end times call for a serious assessment of our true state. Change is in the air. The nations are in uproar and we sense the onward advance of Satan’s forces to challenge the Lord of Hosts. But the Lord is with us: He is our refuge. His way is the only way.

Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.

Seriously.