Interpreting The Silence Of God by Apostle Emmanuel Iren: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

God Is Always Speaking

The aim of this teaching is to show that God is always speaking. There is no single person in the world who has never heard God before. Every single human at one point or the other has heard God. You may not have seen a vision before, and you may not have had a prophetic dream before, but you have heard God. It is just that a lot of people don't know it.

This is not some radical theological idea. It is well established in the scriptures. Every single human being on the face of the earth has heard God before.

How Does God Lead? Interpreting the Silence of God

1. God Leads Through Nature Psalm 19:1 to Psalm 19:3 Romans 1:20

   Psalm 19:1 to Psalm 19:3. Every day is saying something and teaching you something, and every night reveals the knowledge of God. The revelation of God, at least on the foundational level, through nature is a universal language. Nobody can objectively, at least from a theological standpoint, say that they have not had any divine interaction.

   Eternity is planted in your heart. Ecclesiastes 3:11. Everybody knows that life is short and that they will die one day, yet when people die we are sad. The reason we are sad is that we know by spiritual intuition that death is not normal. Even when we should expect it from a logical standpoint, it still hits us, because somewhere in our spirit we know it is not normal. That is the reason we are trying to find scientific inventions to make us live as long as possible.

   Nature leaves no one without excuse. Romans 1:20. You have not seen God, you have not found yourself in the throne room, you have not touched God, yet His attributes are clearly seen. You might never have read the Bible or seen a vision, but you are still without excuse.

   The fool's conclusion: Psalm 14:1. For you to conclude that there is no God, you must have dulled the internal promptings of God, the eternity planted in your heart.

   Creation shows you who He is. With the consistent rising and setting of the sun, God is showing you, "I am here, I am real, I am faithful." The design in your DNA is telling you He is intelligent.

   Even when God has not categorically spoken to you with words you can hear with your natural ears, do not say you have not heard God. Not all communication is verbal. It has been determined, even scientifically, that verbal communication makes up only about 7% of communication, tone makes up about 38%, and body language and facial expression make up about 55%. The problem is that when we talk about hearing from God, we have a stereotypical way in which we think God ought to communicate. We want to hear words, but God, who is Spirit, can communicate with more than just words. Just sight is communication. You must be open to whatever communication tactics the Lord employs to speak to you. Do not be naive. God may have been giving you different signals in your devotion, but because you cannot discern, you miss them. That is why discernment will always be important.

2. God Leads Through an Internal Moral Compass Romans 2:14

   Romans 2:14 to Romans 2:15. The Gentiles were never given the oracles of God, yet by inner intuition, supernatural intuition, they know the things that are in the law.

   It was not when God wrote on the tablet of stone "thou shalt not kill" that human beings discovered it is wrong to kill. Even Cain, the first person to murder, knew he had done something wrong. There was no precedent, but he knew, because there is an internal moral compass. God does not need to tell you it is wrong to kill or wrong to take what belongs to someone else for you to know that it is wrong.

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   That has always been God's plan for where the law should operate from: an internal compass. It was because of the hardness of the hearts of the Jews that He gave the law written on tablets of stone, which was a prophetic metaphor of the state of their hearts. That is why He said He would take away the stony heart. 2 Corinthians 3:3. The New Testament is written not on tablets of stone but on the fleshy tables of the heart.

   In every nature and every culture, whether they have a Bible or not, people know intuitively that there is a moral law. When you say "it's not fair", by what standard? If there is a moral law, there is a moral lawgiver.

   One of the ways God communicates with us is just by simple things like a conscience. You may be so angry with someone that you have decided never to deal with the person again, and as you turn your back to leave, guilt wraps you like a blanket. It is not from your mind, because your mind is still angry. That is God.

   The leading of God is not always practical. We think it must always be "turn left, turn right", Google Maps type of leading. But Romans 8:14 is talking about moral leadings. Galatians 5:16 to Galatians 5:23 also speaks of moral leadings, and goes on to the fruit of the Spirit, the evidence of the Spirit's influence: love, joy, peace. If you have this inner prompting to forgive when you are angry, that is the leading of the Lord. These are traces of the divine in your life. God has been there; you just did not know it.

3. God Leads Through Gifts and Opportunities Esther 4:14

   Esther had a divine assignment, yet there is no biblical record that she heard from God once. It took Mordecai, who understood the operation of God, to say that God brought her to the kingdom for such a time as this. Esther 4:14.

   Opportunity carries responsibility. Luke 12:48. If God brought me to an opportunity with which I can be a blessing to others, that is the leading of God. I need not have a vision or a supernatural encounter to know that God brought me here so that I can be a blessing. This is a divine assignment.

   Do not think God brought you to a great position just for you to enjoy yourself at the expense of others. It is an opportunity for service, and you must carry the consciousness that you are here on assignment. Many people, because they have not had any spectacular encounter, do not know that they are the envoy of God in that office.

   Your gifts are pointers to divine assignments. Why can I sing when many people cannot? Why do I have this gift when many do not? Even without spectacular encounters, by following the breadcrumbs of the gifts and talents God has given you, you can arrive at your assignment in life. There is a reason He gave you these gifts.

   What is in your hand? Exodus 4:2. Even if you experience the burning bush, God will ask you, "What is in your hand?" The opportunities you have, the country you were born into, the exposure you have: there is no accident in God.

   Your background can be a pointer. The kind of parents who raised you matters. The first dream in Joseph's life was interpreted by his father. Genesis 37:10. His father interpreted that dream. So this was a lineage of interpretation of dreams. It takes two generations for God to raise a man of God. Sometimes the very things you despised your parents for growing up, when you did not know better, you now begin to appreciate.

   Even if you were not there when a chair was created, by observing what the chair can do you can have an inkling of what the chair's assignment is. At least it can lead you to begin to probe further and investigate in a way that will lead you to the truth.

4. God Leads by Putting Zeal in You Philippians 2:13

   Philippians 2:13. This text is a text of discernment. How come you wake up and all of a sudden the same thing others are seeing and are okay with breaks your heart? You see children suffering and you cannot take it. Sometimes your passion is a pointer to your ministry.

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   Apostle Emmanuel Iren

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   Nehemiah: He was not the only one to hear about the state of the wall of Jerusalem, but somehow it hurt him the way it did not hurt others. He could not take it. Nehemiah 1:4.

   David: Everyone else heard the bragging of Goliath and was okay with it. David heard it and could not stand it that the armies of the living God were being defied. 1 Samuel 17:26. There is a reason you cannot take what others are taking: it is the anointing.

   Others will think you are doing too much. When the Lord puts zeal in you, the people around you will think you are doing too much. This is how they tried to shut David up: "Have you left a few sheep?" 1 Samuel 17:28. Never allow anybody to quench the fire of raw divine passion.

   Mentorship is either a blessing or a curse. It will never be in between. You must follow wisely. Very few people know how to mentor people who will be greater than them. Our idea of mentorship is often that I must always be in front, but even great athletes have coaches. Almost every major decision in ministry will have some senior man of God who tries to discourage it. Someone being instrumental at some point in your Christian journey does not make them your spiritual father. Otherwise John the Baptist would have been Jesus's spiritual father. Matthew 3:15. There can be prophetic clarity to say "permit it to be so for now", so that God can use someone to contribute to your journey. It does not make that person your spiritual father. John the Baptist did not go about saying he ordained Jesus into ministry because heaven opened when he baptized Him. Matthew 3:16. Ananias did not go about telling people that Paul is his spiritual son because he is the one who got him born again and filled with the Spirit. Acts 9:17. We are the ones inventing these things. What was designed by God to bless you can limit you if you are not careful.

   Counsel is subject to the promptings of God in your own heart. Everyone who is mature in the things of God knows that when he gives you counsel, it is still subject to the promptings of God in your own heart. Where you see repeatedly the Lord pushing you otherwise, please obey God. Anybody who is leading you in the will of God will not have a problem with you obeying God.

   Even trusted mature men of God can be wrong. They are not infallible. Even the most spiritual people sometimes just cannot see it. If not for the mercy of God, Samuel would have anointed Eliab. 1 Samuel 16:6.

   Zeal can be done in the flesh. Moses saw an Egyptian oppressing an Israelite, could not take it, and killed him. Exodus 2:11 and Exodus 2:12. He did it in the flesh. When you act before the burning bush, you make mistakes. Even if the zeal is a pointer to your destiny, sometimes you must still wait for God for clarity. But where you have prayed and you feel no restraint, move. Stop waiting for God to tell you categorically "go forward, turn right". Philippians 2:13. It is God at work in you.

5. God Leads by Anointing You and Arranging Outcomes 1 Samuel 16:13

   If God wants to make David king, do you think He would forcefully remove Saul from the throne and say, "Sit, you are now the new king"? God does not do that. He sends a prophet to David in secret. The prophet anoints him and goes home. How do you make someone king? By just anointing him. What the anointing does for David is to put in him a type of bravery that is rare, so that there are opportunities that are tailored for only him, opportunities that only that kind of anointing can respond to. When Goliath is bragging, God does not need to tell David it is time. God did not tell David to fight Goliath. God did not say, "Remember I told you that you will be the next king. This is the way you will be king." God did not say that after you kill this guy, they will write a hit song about it. 1 Samuel 18:7.

   The reason many are stuck thinking they lack divine leading is that they think God should explain everything. Sometimes all God needs to do is anoint you and go home.

   When a believer is praying "Lord lead me, which way do I go?", what some expect to hear is "turn right, move forward, move left". You want God to be Google Maps. But sometimes what the Lord does is different.

   God arranges outcomes without giving directions. Was it God who told the brothers of Joseph to throw him into the pit? Genesis 37:24. Was it God who told them to sell him into slavery? Genesis 37:28. Was it God who told Potiphar's wife to lie against Joseph? Genesis 39:17. But in spite of all the things they did freely, Joseph was still moving closer to the fulfillment of God's will for his life. You are dealing with a sovereign God who can arrange the outcomes of your life in such a way that without saying "turn left" or "turn right", you will still end up where He wants you to be.

   Sometimes all God does is take the obstacle out of the way. When you pray for clarity and divine direction, He removes the obstacle, and you do not even see that there was an obstacle there before. By the time you get there, there is nothing. Nothing supernatural happened, at least from your own standpoint. You just worked hard, got promoted and met people who were instrumental to new deals. If you are not careful, you will say you got there by your own strength, meanwhile it is God at work in you. Philippians 2:13.

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   God can put the nudge to go. You woke up, started having an interest in a product, started researching it and said, "I will need to go into fashion." God did not tell you anything. Because He is Spirit, He does not have to say "go". He can put the nudge to go. That is leading.

   The God of Abraham does not have to give you a map. He told Abraham to go to a place that He would show him. Genesis 12:1. As you take responsible steps, you will see that all things are working together for your good. Romans 8:28.

6. God Leads by His Word and Responsible Steps 2 Corinthians 2:12

   If you want to take a step, you have prayed about it, you have fasted about it, and no clear instruction has come, go ahead and take the most responsible and legal step. If it does not violate your conscience and is not an affront to the word of God, go ahead. God is not afraid for you to take a bold step.

   You do not need divine leading to pick a job. It is not every time that God will tell you. Proverbs 14:23. Ecclesiastes 9:10. Do you not know the meaning of "whatever"? Stand up and do something.

   Some people are asking God for what He has already told them to do. The Great Commission, Mark 16:15. Because of that, Paul did not always ask God before he went to places to preach. There was already a great commission.

   There are specific seasons where the Lord says "not this one, this one". There were places where it was the will of God but it was not the time, so the Spirit restrained Paul from going into Asia yet. Acts 16:6. He was taking responsible steps, and the Lord was the one restraining him in some instances.

   Take the responsible step and find God there. 2 Corinthians 2:12. Paul took a responsible step. God did not tell him to go, but when he went, he found God waiting. Some want the door to be open first. In taking responsible steps, in many instances you will find God.

   If you follow the traditional way in which we have learned hearing from God like that, you will end up in trouble, because you think God must always say "sit down, stand up". Some people say, "God told me not to brush my teeth for three days." What was the purpose of that? Why did God say that? Did you ask? You are allowed to ask.

You Can Ask God Questions

When we say God is unquestionable, we are referring to His authority. His authority is unquestionable. But the God of the Bible, you can ask Him questions.

Mary asked. The angel told her she would carry a baby, and she asked how shall these things be. Luke 1:34. When she would meet Joseph, she would need an explanation.

Moses asked. "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?" "Who should I say sent me?" "How will the people believe?" Exodus 3:11, Exodus 3:13, Exodus 4:1.

This is important because many people have brought the name of Christ into disrepute by lying on God. You claim God called you to ministry, and you have a wife and four children. If you say God asked you to resign your secular job and go into full-time ministry, did you ask Him, "How will You feed my children?" Many people have dragged the name of Christ in the mud, and because of that, their children do not like God, because they think the God their father followed is the reason they could not afford good fees and could not have food on the table.

I know the Lord brings us into wilderness seasons sometimes, but some people did not hear God. The same God who said anyone who cannot cater for his family is worse than an infidel cannot tell you to leave your secular job without giving you a plan. 1 Timothy 5:8. Ask, "What is the plan? How will I feed my children?"

A lot of people use the calling to hide laziness. Paul was a tent maker. Acts 18:3. What is your excuse? 2 Thessalonians 3:10. Acts 20:34. Paul knew there were seasons when he could not depend on seed.

When Leading Affects Those You Care About

Mary had to tell Joseph, "Believe me, it is true, I have not been with any man." Joseph asked, "Then how are you pregnant?" She said the Holy Spirit came upon her. There was no example of this in the Old Testament. But look at the faithfulness of God: the same angel appeared to Joseph in the night and told him not to put her away. Matthew 1:20.

Whenever you find yourself in a tough situation where the implications of the leading of God will affect people you care about, ask God to talk to them.

If Mary could count on God to reveal it to Joseph, you can count on God to reveal it to your spouse, your children or your parents. Hebrews 13:8.

Do not carry on in wickedness in the name of the leading of the Lord. Put yourself in their shoes. A parent who has been paying your fees for years has kept their end of the bargain, and you cannot just come back and say you want to do something else. Carry them along.

Do not just go home to your wife and say, "I am resigning from my job. I don't know the plan, we are following the leading of God." I am for audacious obedience, but I am also for responsibility. You can ask the Lord to show her.

Closing Declaration

God is so faithful. You will see His faithfulness in your life.