Being Led by the Spirit (Part 2)

Transcription

1 Being Led by the Spirit (Part 2) This is Part 2, yu need t hear last week 1 st service particulars Use ne f the same texts we used last week t bring ut a few mre practicalities Being led by the Spirit A lve thing and a glry thing The thing abut being led by the Spirit is that t a large degree it requires that we learn t hear frm the Spirit which is nt always as easy as ne might hpe But it is essential t a life in the will f Gd The task f every generatin is t discver in which directin the Svereign Redeemer is mving, then mve in that directin. Jnathan Edwards That is what we want t d a the church missin lives children But it is an art and nt a science a lifelng prcess that invlves a lt f mystery humility intentinality Gd is mre willing t speak t us and lead us than we are willing t listen and be led Cnfidence: The Hly Spirit is in yu and is ding His wrk He will lead and guide yu in the particulars f yur life Often times by just knwing the Wrd and applying it Often thrugh the wisdm He gives us fr particular situatins Often in very seemingly natural ways (nly revealed t be the Spirit later) Often thrugh the church cmmunity and lving guidance and accuntability Often thrugh sme mre esteric experience This is essential because there are lts f things Scripture des nt tell us (FOR 1 ST SERVICE NOW SKIP TO THE TEXT) Let s talk abut hw t navigate this as a cmmunity as the church We need t and shuld expect t be led by the Spirit crprately and in ur persnal lives The big issue f the Gd tld me trump card Hw can we think abut that in a way that: (1) Helps us feel safe in being led by the Spirit (2) Helps us trust thers t d s (3) Prvides sme practical guidelines fr when the trump card is pulled Let s turn t Scripture (Acts 10) Dn t wrry abut the verarching narrative right nw, I just want t narrw in n this: (1) Peter has this amazing mment where he is led by the Spirit (2) What he des in respnse/bedience is ging t be challenged by his cmmunity (cntrversial) (3) He is ging t pull the Gd tld me trump card in defense f his actins Is that kay r nt? Why r why nt? What factrs might make the diffeence? Here we will see it wrking ut in cmmunity: private revelatin/leading creating cnflict; cnfrntatin frm the cmmunity and then reslve hw des this wrk? Acts 10:1-21 a Peter receives revelatin is led by the Spirit Befre we get t the cnfrntatin and trump card, let s just walk thrugh sme f the details f the stry that will be helpful fr us in learning t be led by the Spirit The Persn and Wrk f the Hly Spirit Series, Sermn 5

2 When Peter hears frm the Lrd he is up n a rf-tp fr his regularly scheduled prayer (v. 9) Peter had sme spiritual practices that he was disciplined abut (prayer and withdrawal) Imp: His gal was cmmuning with Gd nt needing leading (which is kay but cannt always be gal fr nearness) Practicing the Presence f Gd (Intimacy) Intentinality as Christ s fllwers and students Making time t practice listening Learning t pay attentin Quieting urselves and ur lives Cf. Devices (did yu d anything with that this week?) Silence can be painful Jesus is present in ur pain While praying Peter gt hungry and was thinking abut fd (Verse 10 = he was desiring t eat) Peter is human he is just like us Easily distracted and pulled away (we d this all the time) But this did nt keep him frm hearing frm the Lrd (Gd is nice He knws we are but dust) Als, Peter did nt always get fllwing Jesus right (Paul s rebuke and the denial and Caesarea Philippi) We need t be kay t fail at fllwing and being led this is hw we learn and learn t hear the Vice It is a life lng prcess f trial and errr (we learn that way t discern the vice/leading) There is anther imprtant lessn here: Again, while Peter was praying he gt hungry a desire f the flesh that is inncent enugh But, nt all desires f the flesh are inncent many are cping mechanisms that are unhealthy Learn t listen t the desires f yur flesh they are smetimes clues as t what the Spirit might be saying When we learn hw ur flesh speaks t us and leads us it can help us discern hw the Spirit might be speaking t us and leading us r at least prvide ccasin t listen Galatians 5 juxtapsitin (sexual/purity; medicate/rest; anger/frgiveness, grace; greed/genersity) Then Peter fell int a trance (v. 10) This is creepy in an awesme way! Here is what is significant abut a trance (as mysterius as that is) Dwn t earth applicatin: Gd had Peter s attentin We may never be in a trance, but we have t learn t pay attentin t Gd Gd put Peter in a trance what is He trying t d t yu t get yur attentin? Next, in verse 11, the sheet appears and it is then that Peter hears the vice (three times) Gd is ften fund r heard and speaks in the rdinary mments (praying and hungry) He will nt always speak in a dream r visin r vice smetimes it is the slightest impressin at the mst nrmal mment pay attentin t that and bey Sue and litter = learning t say yes in the small things (seemingly insignificant but they are fr yur training) We cannt expect t be led in huge things until we learn t be faithful in the little leadings! The stry f the Vincents (78 cars) (rdinary mments extrardinary pprtunity) Sme f yu feel like yu are nt led at all yu are! (Psalm 23) May be an issue f persistence Peter was perplexed as t what the whle thing might mean (v. 17) We ften are which means we need t learn t mve slwly and wait fr clarity Never act n a presumed leading while in a state f being unclear r in cnfusin Gd is never in a hurry! If yu are yu may be ff Think f Abraham and Hagar (Timing is key be patient! If it is the Lrd, He will make it happen) Learn t ask Gd gd questins Speak t Him while reading the Wrd and listen t Him while praying take time t reflect Speak t Him in the hard things and gd things and ask, What d yu want t d in this? The Persn and Wrk f the Hly Spirit Series, Sermn 7

3 While Peter is reflecting n the visin the Spirit speaks t him (v. 19) and Peter did what the Spirit tld him t d (v. 20) Reflecting is always a gd thing t d take time t reflect n what Gd is shwing yu (Cf. devices) Jurnaling is a gd way t d this because it slws us dwn and frmalizes ur thught prcesses a bit Ntice, Peter had hear the Vice gt the initial directin but didn t get mre until He was reflecting Gd usually des nt give us a 5 year plan (Jeremiah 29) If smething is truly the leading f Gd and yu are attempting t pursue that, then as time ges by yu will gain mre clarity If it is nt Gd, then as time ges by it will dissipate but the key is t fcus n Gd and nt the presumed leading That is where we can get ff curse when we fcus n the leading and nt the leader Especially when there are emtins invlved (the guy last week abut the girl) Deep emtins have the prclivity t clud perceptin ging slw and fcusing n the Leader mitigates the danger there (FOR 1 ST SERVICE) Peter beyed the leading f the Spirit There were radical results But it all started with a heart that just wanted t be with Jesus (it's a lve thing) Remember the gal Jesus is the gal! D smething this week Obey get alne with Gd decrease use f a device practice silence ask questins (FOR 2 nd SERVICE) That is all fine and gd. What is salient here fr ur purpses is the fact that Peter heard frm the Spirit What fllwed (Gentiles getting saved) created quite a stir in Peter s cmmunity the church in Jerusalem. S they ask Peter abut the matter Acts 11:1-18 Peter s defense was The Spirit tld me (v. 12) There is the trump card The end result was that the cmmunity/church/leaders had nthing t say in ppsitin (quieted dwn in the NASB) and glrified Gd (v. 18) Why? What made the difference? Why was it kay fr Peter t pull the trump card and what factrs cntributed t it being valid? And hw might we learn as a cmmunity t discern the leading f the Spirit tgether? The issue is (in a wrd) accuntability We, as the church, are accuntable t ne anther in the area f leading frm the Spirit fr: 1. Our mtives 2. Our directin 3. Our fruit 4. Our faithfulness t Scripture 5. Our relatinships with ne anther 1.The Right Mtives (r wh is this abut?) This was nt a Peter-riented thing, but rather a Christ/gspel/missin riented thing It was nt driven by eg r self-preservatin r self-prmtin It wasn t abut Him it, was abut the kingdm and the well being f thers There is always the issue f mtives! ($; pwer; psitin; that persn; that jb) James 4:3 Yu dn t have what yu want because yu dn t ask Gd fr it. And even when yu ask, yu dn t get it because yur mtives are all wrng yu want nly what will give yu pleasure. It is a lve thing (gd gifts) but it is als a glry thing (His) What is yur mtive? The Persn and Wrk f the Hly Spirit Series, Sermn 7 3

4 2. The Right Directin (r the way f the Crss) Peter had nthing persnal t gain He actually had much t lse in beying The Hly Spirit led him in smething that was cnsnant with the way f the crss and self-denial Matthew 16: But He turned and said t Peter, Get behind Me, Satan! Yu are a stumbling blck t Me; fr yu are nt setting yur mind n Gd s interests, but man s. 24 Then Jesus said t His disciples, If anyne wishes t cme after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his crss and fllw Me. 25 Fr whever wishes t save his life will lse it; but whever lses his life fr My sake will find it. The Spirit will lead us int sme really tugh places Jesus in Luke 4:1ff and Nah and Abraham (wn t always make sense) Paul and Silas in Acts 16:22-25 (jy in the midst f pain); Acts 20:22-24 (reslve in the face f threat) Jim Ellit and William Tyndale (d. 1536) Yu: The Spirit is leading us in the way f Jesus the Crss (leading lks like glry, expect t be?) 3. Evidential Fruit There was sme tangible evidence that the thing is questin was f Gd (v. 15) There was fruit that glrified Jesus We shuld lk fr fruit and evidence (fr selves and thers) 4. Faithfulness t Scripture What tk place was clearly supprted by Scripture (v. 16) Mrmns claim t have leading and a feeling f cnfirmatin Peple feeling justified in sexual immrality "Scripture is the ryal scepter by which King Jesus rules his church." -Jhn Sttt 5. Faithfulness in cmmunity (r ur relatinships with ne anther) Peter had relatinal currency with the peple cnfrnting him and a trustwrthy reputatin in the church Wasn t perfect but was clearly n missin and in it fr the glry f Gd He was a team player that cared abut the church and its well being and health We, as the church, are accuntable t ne anther in the area f leading fr: 1. Our mtives 2. Our directin 3. Our fruit 4. Our faithfulness t Scripture 5. Our relatinships with ne anther Therefre, it is nt wrng fr thse arund us in the church t lvingly questin the trump card Expect accuntability lk fr it ask fr it n ne is infallible if yu are afraid t be accuntable there is a prblem Mutual Submissin is a result f the Spirit filled life! (Ephesians 5:21) When it is truly Gd leading us there is a humility and a willingness t yield James 3: If yu are wise and understand Gd s ways, prve it by living an hnrable life, ding gd wrks with the humility that cmes frm wisdm. 14 But if yu are bitterly jealus and there is selfish ambitin in yur heart, dn t cver up the truth with basting and lying. 15 Fr jealusy and selfishness are nt Gd s kind f wisdm. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demnic. 16 Fr wherever there is jealusy and selfish ambitin, there yu will find disrder and evil f every kind. 17 But the wisdm frm abve is first f all pure. It is als peace lving, gentle at all times, and willing t yield t thers These are evidence f the leading f the Spirit Nt a selfish insistence that thwarts accuntability (never the Spirit) The call t Christ is the call t His cmmunity which means accuntability D yu have it? Cmm grup? Friends? Mentr?) Expect t hear frm the Spirit What has He already tld yu that yu are nt beying? What d yu want t submit t Him fr His leading What can yu d this week t psitin yurself? Devices; schedule; intentinality; accuntability The Persn and Wrk f the Hly Spirit Series, Sermn 7

5 The Persn and Wrk f the Hly Spirit Series, Sermn 5 5