SHOWDOWN: His Voice

In This Series We Will Focus On: common showdowns that show up in the lives of believers that are worth fighting. 

Series Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:12 (ESV) Fight the good fight of the faith. 

Illus: I grew up at drive-ins watching John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. 

  • Bad Guys harassing people in a little town out in the middle of nowhere 

  • The Good Guy shows up in town and sees what’s going on. 

  • The town’s people are too afraid to do anything and can’t afford to hire someone who isnt

  • The Good Guy fight the Bad Guys and saves the people and their town. 

It’s also a story line that appears thousands of times in scripture. Biblical showdowns! 

Today’s Message Will Focus On: a critical showdown you must face, and this first showdown you need to lose. 

TITLE: His Voice 
The reason why you need to lose this showdown is because when God speaks you need to surrender. If you don’t you go on being the bad guy. We all start off being the Bad Guy and we will remain the bad guy as long as we are in opposition to what God says. PRAYER 

Have you ever been around someone who is bossy?x 
Illus: Leslie/Ben 

Does It Seem Like God Is Incredibly Bossy 

  • Adam/Eve: don’t eat from that tree

  • Abraham: leave your city and go to a place I will show you 

  • Lot: get out of Sodom, run and don’t look back 

  • Moses/Ten Commandments: do this stuff or die 

  • Tabernacle: No one touches the Ark of the Covenant. 

  • Joshua/Jericho: “Don’t take any of their stuff for yourself” 

1 Timothy 6:12 (ESV) Fight the good fight of the faith. 

The Good Fight of Faith is a Fight involving FAITH: His Voice 

  • Will you listen to God’s Voice 

The WHY of God’s Voice 

1. He Desires His Best For You 

  • Genesis 1:28 (ESV) And God blessed them. And God said 

to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and 

subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and 

over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing 

that moves on the earth.”

  • He’s so committed to your best, He sent His son to 

purchase access to best 

2. He’s Revealing The Way To His Best 

○ Psalm 143:8 (ESV)...Make me know the way I should go, 

for to you I lift up my soul. 

○ Psalm 119:105–106 (ESV) Your word is a lamp to my feet 

and a light to my path. I have sworn an oath and 

confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules. 

3. He Sees The Adversary Contesting His Best 

○ John 10:10 - steal kill and destroy 

○ Circumstances in your life contrary to what God says 

■ Anything that doesn’t line up with Genesis 

○ Contrary Voices - Voices in you life contrary to what God says - voices in your head, people in your world, voices of pop culture, in government, 

■ Voice of pleasure 

● Stay home, collect unemployment 

● Everyone should get basic needs covered without doing a thing 

● No discomfort 

■ Voice of substitute 

● God promises BEST, but here’s decent 

■ Voice of acceptance - optics 

● A struggle for everyone 

● Especially a struggle for people of faith 

● Nicodemus came to Jesus at night - what will people think

● What will people think if we gather 

■ Voice of fear 

● Do what I say or… 

● Nebuchadnezzar 

● What if your bosses say you 

4. He Knows His Best In Your Life Awakens Others To Theirs 

Closing 

1 Samuel 3:9 (ESV) Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 

Will you submit to the Voice of God?

SHOWDOWNSteve ParrishComment