Ep. 4 Lysa Terkeurst's "Is God Speaking to Me?" Critique, part 2

Scripture as the Standard for Women’s Ministry Teaching

Welcome to Thoroughly Equipped, a podcast for women where we compare the popular women's ministry teachings, books, conferences, Bible studies, etc. to scripture. Our focus is 2 Timothy 3, 16 -17, that all scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness so the man or woman of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

This is episode 2, and today we're continuing our discussion on Lysa Turker's book, Is God Speaking to Me? How to Discern His Voice and Direction. Only 60 pages long, this is a handy little booklet containing 3 crucial chapters from her book, What Happens When Women Say Yes to God.

In chapter 1, we clearly saw her purpose for writing the book, that those who have a longing for more in their relationship with God should say yes to him by learning to listen for his voice and obeying what he commands.

This she says is the key to experiencing God. We looked over her claims and questioned her assumptions, comparing them to scripture. So now we'll continue to chapter 2. Chapter 2's title is Hearing God's Voice, God Wants Us to Live in Expectation of Hearing from Him.

In chapter 2, Lysa's goal is to give us instruction on how to discern whether that nudging, whisper, leading thought, hard impression, etc. is from God. Her claim is that, quote, every day God speaks to us, end quote, page 27, through these nudges, whispers, etc.

She has mastered the ability to discern if it is God by asking 5 questions that we will look at in detail. This chapter was quite interesting, because it gives us insight into how she views scripture and what she believes scripture is for.

After telling us of a letter from a man named Neil who's been encouraged by her Bible giveaway story to witness more, he relates how he shared his faith to a delivery man deciding then to listen to the prophetings of God.

It is here where she starts to discuss the nature of God's speaking, quote, every day God speaks to us. Sometimes he invites us to draw close and listen as he reveals himself, his character and his direction.

Other times he calls us to participate in his purposes. Still other times he simply whispers to remind us of his amazing love for us, end quote, page 27. She claims that many believers miss out on this because they don't realize that God talks to them in this way.

Because God speaks to us through intermeans, we must learn how to discern them. She says, quote, how do I know God is speaking to me? How do I discern whether it's his voice speaking or just my own idea?

What if I feel God is telling me to do something that doesn't seem to make sense? Though I hear from God all the time, I've never heard his voice oddly. When God speaks to me, it's a certain impression on my heart that I've come to recognize as him, end quote, page 27 to 28.

We should address this idea of God speaking through impressions, nudges, and whispers that we have to learn how to discern them. God is sovereign and all-powerful, but is God sovereign and powerful enough to make sure that we know when he's speaking?

How in control can God be if his will depends on us learning how to discern what he wants us to do? Well, not a very sovereign God at all, and not the God that's given to us in Scripture. The God in Scripture does all that pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and in all their depths, Psalm 135, 6.

Scripture as the Test for God’s Voice

After clarifying that God speaks through heart impressions, she will now teach us how to discern God's voice. Quote, I've learned to ask five key questions to help me determine if what I'm hearing is from God or not.

Question one, does what I hear line up with Scripture? Two, is it consistent with God's character? Three, is it being confirmed through messages I'm hearing at church or studying in my quiet time? Four, is it beyond me?

Five, would it please God? End quote, page 28. If we cherish Scripture over our experiences, we need not ask these questions. We read and we know who God is, what he has done, and what we need to do for righteousness and good works, 2 Timothy 3, 16 -17.

Since to her God speaks in inaudible ways, we have to discern if it's him by asking these.

Questions.

So let's look at these specific questions and see what she says as to why we should.

Ask them.

Question number one is, does what I hear line up with Scripture? So why ask this? Because she says, quote, God's word is the language the Holy Spirit uses to help us understand what God is speaking to in our hearts.

We must get into God's word and let God's word get into us. This will transform our mind and prepare it for whatever God wants to tell us. End quote, page 29. Now, this is very telling. Here is where we get a look at what she believes Scripture is.

This implies that God's word is used to interpret what God says in our heart. The nudges, the impressions, those are what is important, and we use Scripture to figure out if it's from God. God's word is not used to interpret what God is supposedly, personally revealing to you.

Scripture itself is what he personally revealed to her and us, namely Christ. When we read it, by the Spirit, our minds are conformed to Christ and our hearts agree with God's word. This idea that the Scriptures should be used to transform our mind, to prepare us for what God wants to tell us, makes Scripture a mere tool for what God really wants to say, some personal revelation to you.

No.

Scripture judges the thoughts and the attitudes of the heart. So that nudge you feel? Scripture stands in judgment over it. Scripture itself is what God desires to tell us, and our hearts must conform to it.

It is his personal revelation to you, in that it tells you your condition before God and how he sent his son, Jesus Christ, to die for you. God gave us his word, and it transforms our minds. We keep God's word, and it keeps us pure, Psalm 119.

We keep the word in our hearts so that we may not sin, Psalm 119 .11. So here's the thing. The Scriptures are God's very breath, 2 Timothy 3, 16 -17. They are his words that we would do well to pay attention as to a light shining in a dark place, 1 Peter 1 .19.

They are so effectful that they do not return to God void, Isaiah 55 .11. They separate the spirit from the soul, Hebrews 4 .12. And they thoroughly, perfectly equip us for, not some, not most, but every good work.

So slight a switch is there in her wording. The main focus is what God is speaking to our hearts, while the Scripture is merely a type of litmus test of God's voice in our hearts. Alright, question number two.

God’s Character, Romans 8, and the Mind Set on the Spirit

Is what I'm hearing consistent with God's character? Here is where she will nudge us to look at God's word. Not because it is his revealed word, to which we can learn all we need for righteousness and godly living, but so we can take note of what it says about God's character, to which then we could judge our inner impressions to answer this question.

So we're to ask this question because she says, God, oh quote, God will not say things that are inconsistent with his character. Paul writes, those who live according to their sinful nature have their minds set on what the nature desires.

But those who live according to the spirit have their minds set on what the spirit desires. Romans 8 .5. What is it that God's spirit desires? Answering this question helps us understand God's character.

End quote, page 30. If she had kept reading on in Romans, she would see how Paul tells us that because of Christ giving us his righteousness, there's now no condemnation for us. And that the law is now fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the spirit.

That's verses one to four. He could trust those who set the mind on the flesh as being hostile to God and do not submit to God's law. We, however, are not in the flesh, but are in the spirit. If in fact the spirit of God dwells in us and anyone who does not have the spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

That's verses six to nine. So the verse put back in context is about having Christ's righteousness and thereby being led by the spirit to submit to God's law. We have his spirit and we will desire to submit to what God has revealed to us in scripture, his law, if we are truly Christ.

So we can answer this question, what does God's spirit desire? To trust in Christ for righteousness and submit to God's law. Can we understand God's character by this? Well, sure. We can see when we put this verse back in its context, walking in the spirit means obeying what God has revealed to us in scripture.

So then we will walk in what is consistent with God's character because we are in Christ. And again here, if we are in scripture, letting it speak to us, we learn about God's character and we'll have no need to ask this question.

It gives us all we need to see if what we're doing is consistent with his character. It will teach us about him. It'll rebuke us when we are wrong. It corrects us and trains us to be like him. Second Timothy 3, 16 to 17.

The Shepherd and the Door in John 10

Question number three, is what I'm hearing being confirmed through other messages? Why ask this question? She explains that if God is trying to communicate with us, there will be other signs such as sermons, podcasts, conversations with friends, et cetera, and then she goes into quiet time.

So and in quiet time, we should be communicating with God and it shouldn't be a one way street. We shouldn't be doing all the talking. God wants us to pour out our hearts to him and then he wants to respond to us.

Jesus shared this parable. Just a side note, this is her interpretation of the parable. Okay, the watchman, Jesus, opens the gate, a way for us to have direct communication with God for him. And the sheep, you and I, listen to his voice.

He, Jesus, calls all his own sheep by name. He speaks to us personally and leads them out, providing us with direction. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.

They know his voice because they have spent time with him. John 10, three to four. Jesus is the one who provides a way for us to talk with God and hear from him, from God. Page 32 to 33. Now I think we should read his word and see if she has handled this text correctly.

We're going to get a little talk, a context here. So Jesus had healed a blind man, which the Pharisees were questioning, trying to get the healed man to say something about Jesus, to which they can go after him.

He would not speak against Jesus, so they cast him out. Hearing this, Jesus approached him and tells him that he is the son of man. The man immediately believes and begins to worship him. And this is where we'll enter the text at verse 39.

Jesus said, for judgment, I came into this world that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind. Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things and said to him, are we also blind?

Jesus said to them, if you were blind, you would have no guilt. But now that you say, we see your guilt remains truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.

But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him, the gatekeeper opens the sheep, hear his voice. And he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them and the sheep follow him for they know his voice.

A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him for they do not know the voice of strangers. This picture of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

So Jesus again said to them, truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.

He flees because he's a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the father knows me and I know the father and I lay down my life for the sheep.

This parable is not about God speaking or responding to us. It's about how one enters into the kingdom of heaven. They enter through the door and the door is Christ. That was John 10 7. The door is not the way to have direct communication with God.

We are the sheep. God calls and we enter through the door Jesus. The purpose of the parable is to contrast the sheep being called and entering the fold through the door versus the thieves and robbers who try to enter through another way.

He was contrasting the Pharisees who he poses as entering the sheepfold by another way than through him, the door. Beside that, if she had kept reading, she would see that Jesus explains the parable to the disciples in verse 7 to 10.

She believes that quote, this verse is telling us that the way God wants to connect with us is to provide direction for us in life. In quote, page 33. This is not what the parable was about and it's not what Jesus says in John 10 3 to 4.

The parable is not about direction, but salvation. John 10 9 to 11 says, I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Jesus is how we are connected to God. In fact, let's think about connection.

If we have been baptized, the Holy Spirit through Paul tells us that we have been clothed with Christ, Galatians 3 27, and that we were buried with Christ and raised with Christ. I don't know how much more of a connection we can get than that.

Do you? She goes on to use an example of a parent providing her children or their children with love for their best to describe a quiet time as a time for God to give us direction. Her purpose is to encourage us to spend a long time with God and to listen to him when he speaks to us in that time so he can give us direction and guidance just like a parent will do for their child.

But again, God already has given us direction in his word. If we read them, we will come to know him and his will. We do not need quiet times or times of listening to our inner impressions to do that.

Beyond Me, Pleasing God, and the Sufficiency of Scripture

Question number four is what I'm hearing beyond me. We are to ask this because quote, sometimes God calls us to do something big that we feel we can't do in our own strength. Either it's beyond our ability or beyond our natural human desire.

It's not something we can strategize and manipulate into being and in and of ourselves. It can only happen by God's divine intervention. End quote. Page 34. I just want to take a second here to point out that in all Christians, God has already done a work that was beyond anybody's ability or anybody's natural desire.

We were all born with the nature to sin and knowing and being with God was beyond our ability. So by his grace, he sent his son to become sin and give us righteousness, a new nature, and the ability to be in his presence.

And now by his spirit and through the scripture, we can know and obey what he commands us to.

Do.

But she goes on and tells us about the time she had doubts when writing her first book. She wants to encourage us to ignore our own doubts of accomplishing big things. She quotes Rick Warren, who stated how God used people in the Bible who were insecure, unattractive, abused, etc. to say God can use us too.

She then says, quote, if you answer yes to the question, is it beyond me? Chances are God is speaking. End quote. Page 36. Yes, God does use sinful, troubled people. But does he intend all of us troubled people to accomplish big things?

First Thessalonians 4, 9 to 12 instructs Christians to receive from the apostles how to walk and please God. These instructions found in the epistles given to us through the Lord Jesus are the will of God.

They are our sanctification that we love one another and aspire quietly to mind our own affairs, working with our hands so we may walk properly for outsiders and dependent.

On no one.

Specifically, for women, God instructs us to train our children. That's Proverbs 22, 6. Love our husbands and children, be self-controlled, pure, working from home, kind, submissive to our own husbands, Ephesians 5, 22 to 24.

To adorn our hearts with gentleness and a quiet spirit, 1 Peter 3, 4. And to teach the younger women the same, Titus 2, 4. God in his providence might use us to do something we may wonder if we're equipped for, but we shouldn't assume that because something is beyond us that that means God is speaking.

Question 5. Would what I'm hearing please God? At this point, I feel like a broken record. If we're reading scripture, we don't have to ask if what is written is pleasing him. It tells us what does please him, and all we need to do is submit ourselves to it.

So, asking these questions are supposed to help us discern God's voice apart from scripture. If you are someone who's already regularly in the scriptures, I hope I've shown you, you don't need to ask these.

Isn't Peter right in saying how the scriptures are a more sure word, 2 Peter 1, 19? We read and we know who God is, what he has done, and what we need to do for righteousness and good works, 2 Timothy 3, 16 to 17.

And if you're not in the scriptures, can you begin to see the constant insecurity and constant burden it would be to be answering these questions daily to see if God has really spoken? Asking questions to discern if God is prompting us one way or another comes from a lack of understanding of God's sovereignty, the Holy Spirit's work in our lives and actions, and the sufficiency of scripture to equip us for every good work.

Alright, quote, here's the best news of all, God wants you to hear him. He wants your faith to grow. He has told us over and over in scripture, end quote, page 36. She then lists five verses that reveal Jesus' and the apostles' desire that the church grow in faith, and those are John 15, 8, Philippians 1, 9, 1 Thessalonians 4, 1, 2 Thessalonians 1, 3, and 2 Peter 1, 5.

But in none of these verses do they describe faith growing from hearing God through nudges and hard impressions. First, we know he's sovereign and all-powerful. God is powerful enough that if he wants you to hear him, he will make you hear him.

It will never be that he speaks and we will not be sure. Now let's think of our faith growing if that is dependent on us being able to discern when he speaks. How does scripture say our faith grows? We know that it is faith in Jesus Christ that saves us.

Our faith is placed on him. So the more we look at Christ, the more our faith grows in him. The Holy Spirit says that Christ is the author and perfecter of our faith, Hebrews 12, 2. He is the one that makes it grow.

He perfects it, and it is Jesus that the whole of scripture is about. So why do we even need to discern nudges and impressions to see if they are from God? Let us look to Christ, for he will cause our faith to grow whether we know of these inklings are from God or not.

A Low View of Scripture and a Better Way Forward

She goes on to an example of her life when she used the five questions to filter a call she believed God was nudging her to do. Of course, she says yes to God and claims she hears a strong and gentle voice from God, which is apparently a direct quote from A .J. Russell's book, God Calling.

I would not recommend this book to anyone. It teaches one to look outside of scripture to inner voices, nudges, and heart impressions supposedly from Jesus and spoken in first person. I will not relay this story here as my goal is not to analyze her experiences nor her decisions but to go through the claims and compare them to scripture.

Well, I think it's quite clear that she has a very low view of scripture. She may say she believes it is infallible, without error, and is very breath, but to her the inner nudges, thoughts, and heart impressions are his real word that we should pay careful attention to.

God to her doesn't seem powerful enough to say what he wants to say in a clear, distinct way, since his voice needs to be discerned. He is also not sovereign enough to do his will, but needs you and I to discern his leading so we may accomplish it.

Scripture to her is merely a language to learn so we may understand the real message, our feelings and experiences. And it's a wonder how she misses the beautiful message Jesus gives in the parable of the Good Shepherd.

But perhaps it will get better. Next time, we will look at chapter 3, where she goes into the whole reason why we need to discern God's voice, so that we can radically obey. Till next time, let's stay in God's word.