TLDR;
Tyler preaches on the importance of discerning God's voice amidst the noise of the world, focusing on personal discernment. He shares two stories illustrating the complexities of hearing God, introduces the concept of God's "whisper" as His primary mode of communication, and discusses the challenges posed by the deceiver's lies and various distractions. The sermon concludes with practical advice on cultivating discernment through daily practices like the examen prayer, emphasizing that hearing God's voice is a lifelong journey of faith, obedience, and resilience.
- God's native language is a whisper, often missed because it's too ordinary.
- Discerning God's voice requires differentiating between the listening ear of the ego and the soul.
- Distractions, both physiological and spiritual, can hinder our ability to recognize God.
- Discernment is a daily practice, not just for big decisions, cultivated through attentiveness and responsiveness to God's voice.
Introduction [0:04]
Tyler expresses his appreciation for the church, its pastor, and the city. He prays that the word shared will find good soil in the hearts of the listeners, taking root and bearing fruit in their lives.
Two Stories of Discerning God's Voice [4:10]
Tyler shares two personal stories to illustrate the complexities of discerning God's voice. The first story recounts his experience of being called to pastor a church in Portland, Oregon. He describes how specific prayers were answered, confirming this calling. The second story involves a friend, Zach, who moved to the Bay Area with his wife, Lindsay, based on a similar sense of divine guidance. However, they faced numerous challenges and hardships, leading Tyler to question how to trust a God who might lead someone off a cliff.
The Importance of Discerning God's Voice [11:18]
Tyler emphasizes the importance of learning to discern God's voice, acknowledging the potential for pain, abuse, delusion, and deception in this process. He references the fourth-century Christian monastic John Cassian, who likened prayer to becoming a skilled money changer, able to quickly identify counterfeit coins. Similarly, Christians must become familiar with God's voice to differentiate it from counterfeit voices. Discernment is defined as attentively listening to God amidst the complexities of a sin nature and a fallen world. The sermon will explore this theme in four parts: whispers, lies, distractions, and discernment.
God's Whisper [13:43]
Tyler examines the passage in Luke where Jesus walks with two disciples on the road to Emmaus, focusing on the phrase "Jesus continued on as if he were going farther." He suggests that this is not an isolated event but a major biblical theme, referencing Elijah's encounter with God on Mount Horeb and Moses' experience of God passing by. Tyler argues that God's native language is a whisper, which is often missed because it is too ordinary. He challenges the audience to consider that God may be speaking to them more than they realize, not in extraordinary events, but in the ordinary moments of everyday life. God whispers not because he's evasive, but because he's intimate.
The Deceiver's Lies [24:35]
Tyler addresses the difficulty of hearing God's voice due to the competition from the deceiver, who impersonates the shepherd. He quotes Martin Luther, stating that human nature is curved in on itself, tempted toward self-absorption and confusing the Good Shepherd's voice with an impostor. Tyler explains that the deceiver appeals to the shallow places of the ego, even turning the desire for God's presence into a spiritual maturity inhibitor. The key to discerning the Holy Spirit's voice is to pay attention to what the voice is doing to you as you listen, differentiating between the listening ear of the ego and the soul.
Distractions [30:20]
Tyler explores the distractions that hinder the ability to recognize God, referencing the disciples on the road to Emmaus who were "kept from recognizing him." He identifies physiological, psychological, and spiritual distractions, emphasizing that recognizing Jesus requires the help of the Spirit to open our eyes and ears. Tyler uses the story of Elijah to illustrate God's training in hearing His voice, highlighting the seemingly random and unproductive events that ultimately prepared Elijah for his prophetic ministry. God puts his heart in us before he pours his power through us.
Discernment as Daily Practice [40:45]
Tyler emphasizes that discernment is not just for life's big decisions but a daily practice of living attentively and responsively to God's voice. He introduces the prayer of examine, a practice derived from St. Ignatius, as a way to train daily in recognizing God's whisper. The examine involves reviewing the day with God, identifying where one felt closest to and furthest from God, and praying one simple request for the next 24 hours. By recognizing God in hindsight, we learn to discern His presence and invitations in the present moment.
Conclusion [44:17]
Tyler concludes by referencing John 10, emphasizing that Jesus' sheep listen to His voice and follow Him. He reassures the audience that no matter their past or present circumstances, they are not disqualified from hearing God's voice. Jesus is the good shepherd who will wander with them, guiding them back home. Tyler encourages everyone to stand and respond to God's calling.
