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Nov 05, 2017

Led by the Spirit

Led by the Spirit

Speaker: Dr. Clem Ferris

Category: Sunday Morning

Our culture bombards us with messages to just “follow our hearts,” and while this might sound good, it’s not biblical. The Bible teaches that believers are to be led not by our heart, emotions, or flesh, but by the Spirit. Being led by the Spirit can at times be difficult, but we will have the comfort of knowing that we are right where God wants us.

Opening Scripture:

Galatians 5:16-18  But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

 

John 16:13  When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

 

If we allow the Holy Spirit to be our guide, He will lead us down a clear pathway.

 

The Holy Spirit is a “professional” of the future. Jesus never taught us to follow our heart; our hearts are not designed as the leader.

 

Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

 

2 Thessalonians 3:5  May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.

 

In John 11, Mary and Martha sent an urgent request, an appeal to emotions, to Jesus.

John 11:3  So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.”

 

What goes out of the heart is selfishness. Jesus was not led by his heart (emotions) but from the Spirit.

 

John 11:9-10  Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”

 

John 11:15  “And for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

 

The Jews were waiting for Jesus to come so that they could stone him. Jesus did not move until the Holy Spirit released him. He was not moved by emotions.

 

Jesus waited to walk in the light being led by the Spirit.

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There is light in you.  Proverbs 20:27  The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.

 

Guidance from the Holy Spirit doesn’t come externally; it comes internally.

 

Romans 8:14  For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

 

The Greek text puts us following the Spirit.

 

We need to be aware of the “inner tug” from the Holy Spirit. It can be so gentle, we can miss it.

 

There are times when it can be agonizing to be led. When the Spirit is tugging on your heart, to lead you and tell you, but it doesn’t make any sense to your mind. There is a conflict between the mind and the spirit.

 

Your mind tries to talk you out of it.

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How do we begin to move in the gift of prophecy?

Start in church, training, and hearing God.

As you are learning to prophesy, learn to give beyond tithing.

Go and talk to someone in the church.

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We watch Jesus being led by the Spirit in the Garden of Gethsemane.

 

Luke 22:39 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Luke 22:41 And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed.

 

Jesus is being led by the Holy Spirit to the cross. He has agonized prayer with drops of blood for sweat. There was a conflict between the flesh and the Spirit. Jesus won the victory in the garden.

 

Luke 22:50-51  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him.

 

It was imperative that Jesus did this and fixed Peter’s mess. Peter was going to become a major apostle and he had just assaulted a public official. Here Peter was being led by emotion and not by the Spirit.

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Luke 22:54  Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest's house, and Peter was following at a distance.

 

No one “took” Jesus. All these miraculous demonstrations of power were from the same Spirit that led Him.

 

The soldiers literally wrapped a rope around Jesus’ neck and led Him like an animal.

 

Isaiah 53:7  He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers are silent, so he opened not his mouth.

 

He was not just being led by those soldiers. He had the power to resist. He was being led by the Spirit of Truth.

 

But, to be led that night, he had to deal with agony in His soul.

 

Have you ever had God tell you to do something and it was agony to obey? Your heart knew it, but your head agonized over it. Being led by the Spirit often comes with agony.