The New Frontier - Listening and Following - Truth

Truth: Listening and Following

All of our favorite heroes have characteristics that make them distinct.

Superman values things like justice, family, and a simple life. He uses his unique superpowers to protect those values and the people that need him. When he appears on screen, you know he's Superman because of how he lives.

The same is true for every other superhero: Spider-Man, Iron Man, Batman, Green Lantern, Invincible- all live a certain way that tells you who they are.

If those characters suddenly acted different, we would notice, "He's an imposter!"

The way our heroes choose to live (their code) truly sets them apart- makes them distinct- helps us know their true identity.

The same is true for us. People know who we are by how we live; people know we are sons of God by how we image Him.

Ever heard the phrase, He's just like his father? Some people use that in a derogatory way, but when it comes to Beloved Sonship, that's our hope- that we emulate our Father so well that people know who we are.

When we look at Jesus, our Mentor and ultimate example, we don't always recognize that he lived this way:

So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son (Jesus) can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will."

-John 5:19-21

Jesus did nothing apart from his Father: he went where the Father sent him, said only what the Father told him to say, and did what the Father told him to do. He imaged his Father's heart and purposes to the point where people KNEW who he was:

"You are the Messiah, The Son of the living God."

-Matthew 16:16

How did Jesus do this? How did He image his Father's heart and purposes so well? They spent time together:

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed, and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

- Mark 1:35

In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.

-Luke 6:12

But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

-Luke 5:16

And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.

-Matthew 14:23

Jesus had a regular rhythm of spending time with heavenly Dad: listening for his voice and following his heart. This rhythm made him distinct as God's son. It's how people knew the Source of his power and authority. And it's the same for us.

Jesus is our ultimate example of what life as a son looks like, and this rhythm is integral to that life. Sons of God spend time with their Father. They go to him about the joys and difficulties of life. They ask him questions and listen to his voice. They set aside their wants and allow Him to instill his desire and spirit in them. This happens as we SPEND TIME in His presence.

Intimacy first, then impact.

As sons, we must understand and embrace that our Heavenly Dad's Voice is the singular most influential voice for us to Listen to and Follow just like it was for Jesus! He must be our True Source!

Something is in the Way

Why do we struggle to spend time with our heavenly Dad? Why don't we listen and follow like Jesus did?

Well, the reality is this: our lives are full of competing voices and interfering noise that hamper our ability to be with our heavenly Dad and hear his voice.

They get between us and Him.

Let me share a quick example of how this plays out. Think about a compass needle. It is designed to point North, drawn by the Earth's magnetic poles.

But when you introduce a magnet to that needle, it deflects to the magnet. Is a simple, small magnet more powerful than the magnetic pull of the ENTIRE Earth's core and poles?

NO, but it is CLOSER in proximity. That magnet gets between the needle and the North Pole and draws it away from the direction it was intended to point.

We do the same in our lives. We allow sources apart from God to be too close to our hearts. They become magnets that draw us away from God's heart and the life he has for us. Something has to change.

Back to our compass. What happens to a compass needle when you remove the magnet?

It recalibrates toward True North. Why? Because the magnet is no longer in the way. For a compass to work correctly, you must remove ANY and ALL magnets that are too close to the needle. This is what Jesus did during his time on earth.

Re-read the verses from before. Yes, Jesus goes to pray, but what else does he do?

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed, and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

- Mark 1:35

In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.

-Luke 6:12

But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

-Luke 5:16

And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.

-Matthew 14:23

Jesus removes the potential magnets so he can hone in and focus on the one voice that truly matters for his life as a Son and Man.

We must do the same in our lives.

If we don't remove our magnets, we will struggle to hear God's voice and image His heart. Ultimately, we won't live as His sons.

Voices Clip Intructions

To reinforce the importance of removing "magnets," take a moment to listen to the sound clip below. We recommend using a speaker or headphones for optimal audio.

Close your eyes and hone in on the words of the first voice. That is the voice of your heavenly Dad.
As the other sources crowd his voice, coming between you and it, fight to focus on, listen to, and receive his words.
At the end of the clip, give yourself about ten seconds of complete silence.

What are your initial thoughts or feelings after listening to the clip?
What happened as more and more voices entered the clip? (Physically? Mentally? Emotionally?)
What voices were present? (i.e., the accuser, the woman, the Father, who else?) What were their messages to you?
As the clip went on, did any frustration set in? What did that cause you to do?
Were you able to discern the voice of your heavenly Dad through the entirety of the clip? Or was it drowned out?
Could you effectively hear and receive the message of your Father or follow His direction with the other noise competing with it? Why or Why not? (The voice of the Father was 4x louder than the others!)
Do you think there is any way to hear His voice clearly with all that noise?
Did you ever hear parts of your heavenly Dad's message? Maybe a few words here or there? Maybe you listened to his tone?
What did you do with the incomplete message?
Do you think we can live as a son WITHOUT removing the magnets from our hearts and lives? Why or why not?

Magnets will always be present in our lives. They will always threaten to get between us and our heavenly Dad, and they won't just leave. We must, with grave intention, remove them from our hearts, so we can be in God's presence, listen, and follow (image His heart).

Listening Well

So, what does it mean to LISTEN to God's voice?

Listening is the elimination of distraction and expectation.

Jesus, our heavenly Dad, and the Holy Spirit want us to image their heart and purposes, but we never will if we don't remove our magnets and spend time listening to their voice as Jesus did.

"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He [your heavenly Dad] has more for us to hear."

-John 16

This is what our Rhythm of Sonship looks like this month. We're stepping into Listening and Following by establishing a daily rhythm of removing the magnets of noise and distraction, so we can spend time being with our heavenly Dad: listening for and following his voice.