Recognizing The Voice Of The Lord Is VITAL For Every Believer | Bobby Schuller | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

Recognizing The Voice Of The Lord Is VITAL For Every Believer

Shepherd's Grove • Mar 8, 2025 • 34 min

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Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.

Summary

In this message at Shepherd's Grove, Pastor Bobby Schuller teaches that learning to recognize and obey the voice of the Holy Spirit is vital for spiritual health and victory. While human feelings and intellect can mislead, the Holy Spirit speaks to a believer's conscience with power, love, and clarity, guiding them away from the enemy's pushy and fearful voice. By anchoring in Scripture, rejecting tormenting thoughts, and allowing the Spirit to lead daily choices and spiritual gifts, believers walk in complete freedom and peace.

Themes

Hearing God's VoiceLeading of the Holy SpiritConscience vs. Feelings and ReasonSpiritual DiscernmentSpiritual GiftsOvercoming Fear

Pastor's Points

1.

Service: Meeting practical needs led by the Holy Spirit.

2.

Teaching: Explaining and applying the truth of God's Word through the Spirit.

3.

Encouragement: Affirming and lifting the spirits of believers as prompted by the Spirit.

4.

Generosity: Sacrificially giving time, talents, or treasure as the Spirit leads.

5.

Leadership: Influencing people toward a vision under the guidance of the Spirit.

6.

Mercy: Extending supernatural compassion and forgiveness to the hurting and excluded.

Key Points

1.
True believers must be actively led by the Holy Spirit in every area of life to walk in spiritual victory, mercy, and forgiveness.
2.
God guides believers primarily through their conscience rather than through emotional feelings or human intellectual reasoning.
3.
Jesus' followers are like sheep who intimately recognize their Shepherd's voice and flee from the voice of a stranger.
4.
The Holy Spirit's voice produces power, love, and a sound mind, whereas the enemy leads through fear, dread, and anxiety.
5.
The enemy operates through pushy, interrupting, manipulative, dominating, and tormenting thoughts designed to rob believers of rest.
6.
Believers can actively resist tormenting spirits and fear of death by declaring biblical truth like Psalm 118:17 over their lives.
7.

Sermon Moments

“Middle Eastern shepherd girls whose four mingled flocks easily untangled because each group of sheep responded only to its own shepherd's call.”

“Defining conscience ("con science") as knowledge gently pressed upon the heart by the Holy Spirit.”

“A parent at a busy playground instantly distinguishing their own child's scream among dozens of playing children.”

“Laughing and declaring Psalm 118:17 ("I shall not die, but I shall live and declare the works of the Lord") when confronted by a tormenting spirit of fear.”

“The illustration of a mother caught up in a legalistic "Pharisee spirit" who smashed her daughter's music records after mishearing the lyrics.”

“Pastor Bobby giving $500 for web design training to a couple who had prayed that exact morning for rent money.”

This Week

Set aside quiet time daily without digital distractions to listen for the Holy Spirit's direction.

Evaluate major decisions by conscience guided by Scripture, rather than reacting out of temporary feelings or human reasoning.

Identify thoughts driven by dread, worry, or fear as originating from the enemy rather than God's Spirit of power, love, and a sound mind.

Speak Psalm 118:17 aloud when facing anxious thoughts or tormenting fears regarding illness, harm, or death.

Seek the Holy Spirit's guidance before exercising your spiritual gifts, ensuring your service is motivated by love rather than pride.

Respond promptly with generosity when prompted by the Holy Spirit to meet the practical needs of others.

Choose to forgive others immediately, recognizing that holding onto unforgiveness damages spiritual and emotional health.

Remember This

Believers experience spiritual victory and peace when they tune out the anxious voice of the enemy and allow the Holy Spirit to lead their conscience in every area of life.

A Challenge for You

Choose today to leave space for the Holy Spirit's voice, refuse to worry or hold unforgiveness, and declare: "I am a friend of the Holy Spirit... when I listen, He will speak because He loves me."

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.