Study Scripture:  Philippians 4:1-9

Key Verse:  Be anxious for nothing. —Philippians 4:6

It’s impossible to wring our hands when they are folded before God in prayer.

I’ve learned quite a bit from using the Our Daily Bread devotional to aid me in my own personal devotional time, and I am grateful that I am still able to use it today.  Just as I do for the other messages I write.  Since I have to be sure I’m not taking credit for stuff I don’t write I want to be sure that I give credit where it’s due.  So, from now on I’m going to do the same thing with these articles as I do when I use anyone else’s work.

A few years ago, our Bible-study leader challenged us to memorize a chapter of the Bible and recite it to the group. Internally, I began to protest and groan. An entire chapter, in front of everyone? Memorization had never been my thing; I cringed as I imagined long silences while everyone watched me, waiting for the next words.

A few days later, I reluctantly leafed through my Bible, looking for a set of verses to learn by heart. Nothing seemed right until I landed in Philippians 4.

I read this verse in silence, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (v.6). That’s when I knew which chapter to memorize, and how to walk away from my anxiety about the assignment. – Jennifer Benson Schuldt – Walk Away From Worry

I have to admit that the first thing I did when I learned that I was called to serve God was to find myself with anxiety about how in the world God could use someone like me to do anything that was good or worth while.  Since then I’ve learned with His help that I really had nothing to worry about, and that I too need to remember that when I’m tempted to get into being anxious then I need to seek the Lord.

God does not want us to agonize over future events, because worry paralyzes our prayer life. The apostle Paul reminds us that instead of fretting, we should ask God for help. When we continually take this approach to anxiety, God’s peace will guard our hearts and minds (v.7). – Jennifer Benson Schuldt – Walk Away From Worry

That’s a great word for what worry does to us, but that’s exactly what it does.  When we are in worry or anxiety what that really means is that we doubt that God is able to take care of whatever it is we’re in agony over.  That’s why Jesus gives us the great invitation in Matthew 11:28 – 30.  He wants us to rest.  He spent an entire part of His Sermon on the Mount teaching us about worry, and that we seek first the kingdom of God all those concerns will be taken care of.

Someone once said tongue-in-cheek, “Why pray when you can worry?” The point is clear: Worry gets us nowhere, but prayer gets us in touch with the One who can handle all of our concerns. – Jennifer Benson Schuldt – Walk Away From Worry

I have had my fair share of worry, doubts, fears, anxiety, and the like.  I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough of all that.  Life is much more restful, and peaceful when you take Jesus upon His offer.

Study Scripture:  John 16:7-15

Key Verse:  “The Holy Spirit…will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” – John 14:26

Make the right decision:  Obey the Spirit’s voice.

I can remember my first couple of weeks of Marine Corps Basic Training in San Diego, California.  We were unfortunately just on the other side of a chain link fence that separated the base from the airport.  The first couple of days are hectic enough without having to fight being able to sleep with 747’s taking off and landing at the airport.  However, after a while it began easier, and easier to allow the noise of the airport to fade into the background to be able to get to sleep.

I also noticed that after a while I would be able to tell you what plan was landing and taking off based upon the sound of their engines.  I could tell you if it was a United Airlines jet, a Continental Airlines jet, and if I heard the sound of one that I didn’t recognize I would get up…and go to the window to find out what it was.  That way the next time I heard that engine I would know what company that jet was from.

There are a couple of things worth pointing out here.  First of all, just as I did when it came to having the ability to tune out the noise of the airport…there are times that I am tempted to tune out the voice of the Holy Spirit as well.  Secondly, I know the voice of the Holy Spirit, and when I hear a voice speaking to me that I don’t recognize then I have to check it against the Word of God.  So that the next time I hear that voice I know that it’s not from the Holy Spirit.

These “divine interruptions” of the Holy Spirit can be something He’s prompting us to do, He may be nudging us to seek forgiveness for something we did or said, He might be putting someone on our hearts that we need to pray for, or maybe He’s trying to convict you to share Jesus with a co-worker or even a family member.  Sometimes, we may be tempted to tune out the prompts or nudges from the Holy Spirit.  However, we must be careful because in doing so we can tune out the voice so much that just like I got used to barely hearing the jets take off from the airport at night…we can also get so used to tuning out the Holy Spirit that we cannot hear Him.

In addition, sometimes the reason we don’t really hear the voice of the Holy Spirit is that we’re not tuned into the right frequency.  I’m going to age myself here, but there was a time when the old radios had a frequency dial, and sometimes you had to kind of mess with it a bit to get a station to come in a bit clearer.  Other times no matter what you did you would get a radio signal that would fade in and out.  Why?  Because the radio was never really able to find the correct frequency for the station to come in more clearly.

The voice of the Holy Spirit works the same way.  When we’re really in tune with God we can hear His voice as clearly as we used to be able to hear the old FM stations on the radio, but like I was just saying a minute ago…if we start tuning out these “divine interruptions” then we mess with the strength of the frequency in which we’re able to hear the God’s voice.  If we mess with it too much, we get static, and we can’t hardly hear Him at all.

This brings me to my last point about today’s message.  Jesus spoke that we as His sheep ought to know His voice, and if we hear a voice that’s strange to us that we ought to test it against the Word of God.  Any voice within or without that speaks to us things contrary to the Word of God…is not God.  He is never going to say anything to you that doesn’t line up with His Will or His Word.

¹ Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but _a test the spirits, whether they are of God; because _b many false prophets have gone out into the world. ²By this you know the Spirit of God: _c Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, ³ and every spirit that does not confess ₁ that Jesus ₂ Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. ⁴ You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than _d he who is in the world. ⁵ _e They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and _f the world hears them. ⁶ We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. _g By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. – Test the Spirits (1 John 4: 1-6)

We read here in I John 4 that any voice that we don’t recognize we have the ability, and means to test it.  However, we don’t test it between reality and emotion, fact or fiction, but we try the spirits according to whether they confess Jesus Christ…and the main way to do that is by bringing what’s being spoken to you to the Word of God.  If anything at all is contrary to the Word of God…then what’s being said to you is NOT of God.  Period.  God never gives us half truth…He gives us all truth, and all truth is measured by His Word.  That’s why anything that is spoken…if it’s not completely supported in and by the Word of God…it’s not of God.

Well, I hope I’ve helped you answer a few questions that many of us have.  How do I know when the voice I’m hearing is of God? Why can’t I hear God speak to me?

The question I have for you in return is…Whose voice are you tuned into?

Study Scripture:  Romans 12:1-2; Romans 12:9-18

Key Verse:  “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,” – Romans 12:1

We become who God meant us to be by giving ourselves completely to Him.

I never actually had the opportunity to watch the “Royal Wedding” between Prince William and Kate, but I’m encouraged to read what was spoken to them during their wedding by the Bishop of London.  He quoted these words from St. Catherine of Siena:  “Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire.”  Those words can preach a sermon all by themselves, but he goes on to exhort them to “pursue a love that finds its center beyond themselves.”

There are two great truths that if we keep these in mind they will help us to become the person God meant us to be.  They are…

(1) God’s great love for us was expressed in the sacrifice of Jesus.

(2) God’s desire is that we find life’s greatest joy and transformation in our relationship with Him.

Let’s talk about this in personal terms okay.  Everyone always wants to write about how God loved the world, but I want you to see that God’s much more personal than that.  God loved YOU so much that He gave Himself to be sacrificed in the person of Jesus Christ.  So, the next time you read the most famous passage of scripture in the Bible.  Try reading it this way…”For God so loved (insert your name here), that he gave his only begotten Son, so that (insert your name here) would believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

You and I are the apple of God’s eye.  You and I above all things (except Jesus) were His greatest creation, His greatest joy, and the sole reason for going to the Cross was so that you and I would know just how valuable we are to Him.  His desire is that we experience things like joy, peace, rest, and love.  His desires are to bless us beyond what we can comprehend.  His desire is to have the same kind of relationship with you and I as He had with Adam and Eve, and even Enoch.  God had such a wonderful relationship with Enoch that the Bible says God just took Enoch to heaven.  That’s the kind of relationship that He desires to have with each of us.

The title of this message is “Who You’re Meant To Be”.  I used to think that I couldn’t possibly be used in ministry because I couldn’t ever really live the kind of live that Billy Graham has lived.  I am not as good a teacher as Charles Stanley, and I don’t put together sermons like Dr. David Jeremiah.  I could never preach with as much conviction and fire as Jimmy Swaggart.  I am not a great prayer person like Paula White is.  I don’t have the illustrations and power and authority that I see in TD Jakes.  Heck, I look at my own pastors, and see that they have a relationship with God far superior to mine.  But the truth is God didn’t call me to be Billy Graham, Jimmy Swaggart, David Jeremiah, Charles Stanley, TD Jakes, Paula White, or even Cass Hill…God called me to be Bryan J. Kizer.

You know, it’s easy some times to look at others that are where your trying to get to, and feel discouraged.  I do all the time, but that’s when a message like this is necessary to remind us that God didn’t call us or design us to be anyone else…He designed, destined, and called us to be who we’re meant to be.

Who are you meant to be?  Remember that the key to finding out is to first start by giving ourselves completely to God, and allow Him to conform us to the image that He wants us to have.