Sermon Notes for JULY 7, 2024
Preached July 7, 2024 at Guelph Christian Life Church By Rev. Randy Hounsell
The Holy Spirit’s Leading
Recap
The #1 factor for living a rewarding Christian Life! Is your openness to the work, the leading, and the power of the Holy Spirit in you.
Jesus Appears to His Disciples
John 20:19-22
That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
Living by the Spirit’s Power
Ephesians 5:15-18
15So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,
Galatians 5:16-17
So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.
The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.
A Compass, A Map, or A Guide
A Compass - helpful if you have received good instructions
- Conscience if you have received good instructions
- You may go in the direction you perceive is Right or Wrong
A Map - Is more helpful because it is more precise
- gives you landmarks
- It’s tested and True
- We have a map for life. The Bible
A Guide - You can have the guy you made the map be your guide.
- He can help you read the map
- He can help you with every part of the Journey
- HIS NAME IS HOLY SPIRIT
Romans 8:14
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
Child of God are led by the Spirit of God
God the Holy Spirit alone wants to be your guide!
You can’t have two masters - You can have two guides
James 1:6
But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone.
Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.
You can’t follow ___________ and Holy Spirit.
Culture or the Crowd / the world — What is popular
Why do we battle with this
We want Success / We want to fit in / we want to be comfortable
God wants his own people
People to be different then the rest of the world
He wants them to be led by Him
God gave his Law to his people, Feast and remembers
God gave His Spirit to his people
You can’t follow Friends and Holy Spirit.
Don’t mean you can’t have close friends who are not yet following Jesus but should not be following them.
Love people and not their values
Be a thermostat in your environment - affect your environment
Don’t be a thermometer - affected by your environment
You can’t follow tricks and Holy Spirit.
Tricks are not for God’s Kids
Divination - Way to find answers - Cards / Stars / People
People turn to these things because they are looking for answers but they are not looking for God.
Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD
Deuteronomy 18:10-12
You can’t follow Circumstances and Holy Spirit.
just because something happens doesn’t mean it is God’s Will
If God opens the door it must be his will! - could be a trapdoor
Don’t use your circumstances to discern God’s Direction for your life.
STOP You can’t follow feelings
Your feelings can betray you.
Your peaceful feeling can be wrong - False Peace
There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. - Proverbs 14:12
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all. - Isaiah 53:6
HOW DO FOLLOW THE LEADING OF GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT?
START DESIRING GOD
Have a desperate desire for God’s Leading
Have you ever been desperate for something Food/Sleep/Air/
I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.” - Psalm 40:8
START SAYING YES TO GOD FIRST
In advance decide your answer to God will always be YES
John 8:31
START FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS YOU HAVE
Stop looking for writing in the sky when God wrote it in a book.
God the Holy Spirit has given you instructions
Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. - Psalm 119:105
Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by evil. - Psalm 119:133
START ASKING
James 4:2 You do not have because you do not ask God.
Psalm 27:11 - Teach me how to live, O LORD. Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me.
START LISTENING
Take time to wait
Sit Quietly
For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it. Job 33:14
God The Holy Spirit wants to lead you.
Psalm 77:19 - Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters— a pathway no one knew was there!
God has pathways no one knows are there.