The Ministry Problems of Hearing God’s Voice

The concept of hearing God’s voice for yourself bears enormous potential, but it is also fraught with pitfalls. Indeed, the entire scope of history tells of the problems associated with claims to divine revelation. Torrid tales of manipulation, deception, and even murder have all been justified by the claim: ‘God told me’. The proliferation of a wide range of unorthodox beliefs and abuses of power have been so heinous, it’s not surprising that many church leaders throw their hands up in the air and reject any idea of personal communication with God!The dynamic experience given at Pentecost not only has the power to bring God’s kingdom to earth but can also work astoundingly against it. How are we to harness the potential of hearing God experiences in our churches and deal with the problems that arise from them?This episode of the GC podcast is the second in a three-part series that features readings from my new book, The Church who Hears God’s voice: equipping everyone to recognise and respond to the Spirit. It’s a little entree before the main meal! In this episode, you’ll learn about:The potential for breaches in theological orthodoxy in hearing God. The book tells of two men and their spiritual experiences. One heard from God and changed his world. The other made claims that added to Scripture and we still live with the consequences today.The pastoral fallout that occurs when people try to hear God’s voice,You may have seen and heard about these kinds of problems in your own life.  When I was writing the book I felt the Holy Spirit say to tackle the “hard stuff” in church life. To that end, the book contains both the good stories and the bad!The good news is that there are some simple ways to address the ministry issues that arise when we seek to hear the voice of the Spirit. Admittedly, they won’t all disappear – the fallenness of our humanity guarantees that(!) – but there are certainly things we can do to mitigate the problems. I pray it helps you in your own walk and in the life of your church!Enjoyed the excerpt? Purchase the book here.Next StepsJoin the journey to hearing God’s voice. Start your free 7-day ⁠God Conversations devotional ⁠today!Pray, promote and give. God Conversations is donor-funded and made possible through the generosity of people like you! ⁠Become a partner today⁠.Equip your church to hear God’s voice. ⁠Join our community of ministry leaders⁠ for monthly insights and a free preview of 50 Days of God Conversations resource.