4. God’s Voice through Judges, Kings and Prophets

5. “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.” (Hebrews 1:1-2)

6. “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me ... 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 will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

7. “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-15)

8. The apostolic voice in the church extends the gospel.
The prophetic voice explains God’s truth for today.
The evangelistic voice recruits.
The shepherding voice nurtures and protects.
The teaching voice understands and explains.
All of these voices work together to help us know the will and words of God, revealed through His Spirit, for the benefit of the entire creation.

9. WHEN A DONKEY TALKS
God is not limited in who He might use to communicate His words and will to us. Yes, He might even use a donkey – a completely unexpected means – to speak to us.

10. Take some time this week to ask God how He desires to use your voice in the church. Find some time this week to ask God to reveal to you how He desires to speak through you – will it be prophetically, evangelistically, or otherwise?
Try to engage in 3 more conversations than usual this week, listening “between the lines” of the conversation for God’s voice to you.