What does God speak to people through? Other than the Word and His Spirit, He often speaks to people through other people. "He gave some (churches before the Bible was completed) Apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors and teachers." Eph 4:11. "And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another." Romans 15:14 Knowledgable Christians, well (Bible) read Christians that have been trained properly by the same, can easily be used by God (and are meant to be used by God) to speak to other people about God and the things of God.
Just as many people do not listen to God Himself, should it be any surprise if they will not listen to you? We, you, I, ... read of someone having a spiritual problem. We give them what the Word of God has for them on this issue. Problem solved, right. Not if you are talking to the natural man of 1 Corinthians 2:14; not if you are talking to the spiritually blind of 2 Corinthians 4:4; not if you are talking to people that are so full of themselves they don't have any room to take in anything else that is of God. Ever try to put something large into a box that is already completely full? (I don't mean eventually being successful in cramming it in there, for that would say that it wasn't really completely full.) If it is really full it is impossible to place anything else in it. (Let me digress. I love the illustration of filling a large glass jar with rocks and asking is the jar now full. People will say "Yes." Then you add in some smaller rocks that fall between the big ones, and ask the same question. Then you add some sand and ask the same question. Then you pour in some water, and people realize that things aren't always what they think...full.)
Before one (you and I and others) can receive something from God, they must not be full of themselves. If they are, they either will not receive anything from God, or from God through you, or they must empty something out of their box. They must get rid of a little pride, a little stubborness, a little self-centeredness, or something else. There are a number of things the Bible would mention, and just for an example see Ephesians 5:3-6.
Just as many people do not listen to God Himself, should it be any surprise if they will not listen to you? We, you, I, ... read of someone having a spiritual problem. We give them what the Word of God has for them on this issue. Problem solved, right. Not if you are talking to the natural man of 1 Corinthians 2:14; not if you are talking to the spiritually blind of 2 Corinthians 4:4; not if you are talking to people that are so full of themselves they don't have any room to take in anything else that is of God. Ever try to put something large into a box that is already completely full? (I don't mean eventually being successful in cramming it in there, for that would say that it wasn't really completely full.) If it is really full it is impossible to place anything else in it. (Let me digress. I love the illustration of filling a large glass jar with rocks and asking is the jar now full. People will say "Yes." Then you add in some smaller rocks that fall between the big ones, and ask the same question. Then you add some sand and ask the same question. Then you pour in some water, and people realize that things aren't always what they think...full.)
Before one (you and I and others) can receive something from God, they must not be full of themselves. If they are, they either will not receive anything from God, or from God through you, or they must empty something out of their box. They must get rid of a little pride, a little stubborness, a little self-centeredness, or something else. There are a number of things the Bible would mention, and just for an example see Ephesians 5:3-6.
