Part 5 Divine Steering

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Turn with me to Acts.

Acts 16:1–15 ESV

1 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily. 6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. 8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. 11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

Prayer of Faith.

Intro: Ever wanted to know with 100% certainty that in life you are going in the RIGHT DIRECTION? ever been at a crossroads in life, wondering which way you should GO.

Maybe your at a crossroads right now. a valley of decision.

I can remember some MAJOR crossroads in my life as a young man where it seemed if i go THIS WAY: a life will open up to me, but if i go THAT WAY, a completely different LIFE will open up.

There can be so many unknowns.

Which road is the right one?

Which choice is the right choice?

Which path, is the right PATH… for ME.

the more you think about it you get to what Sounds like the substance of faith to me: the knife edge between Chance & Faith… what do you believer….and what will you choose?

There can be many a sense of what Could HAPPEN. is God in this?

Many people struggle with direction in life.

& as a result of that - many people want to know the way to go. AHEAD OF TIME The Plan. The Path - what is it, where does it lead: give me the information NOW, ill assess it. Ill decide & get back to you!

Isnt that LIFE? There has to be an APP for everything. A lay up of sorts - a sense of OPTIONS aplenty and the prevailing AUTHORITY over the CHOICE is me.. and me only.

but the life of FAITH shows us, like we read here in our bibles - that there is only ONE PERSON who truly knows where to GO - and thats the HOLY SPIRIT.

Psalm 139:16 (MSG)

16 Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;

all the stages of my life were spread out before you,

The days of my life all prepared

before I’d even lived one day.

How phenomenal to think - that every TMRW has been laid out, pre ordained…. ready for you to meet it. And your life has a COURSE, a PATHWAY….God has laid out for you this roadmap of all these places you will go, and all these things you will do and all these people you will MEET

All funneling towards his purpose, His glory and His reknown ….. But here is the tough part for us to accept sometimes: And its an unfolding story

Who knows it?

GOD….

GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT…. IS THE ONE, WHO IF WE WILL ALLOW will TAKE US THE

GOD-INTENDED, GOD-ORDAINED Journey called our life.

The issue is we have a HARD time getting this for a few different reasons -which we will get into

But back to our text: a little context for you

Acts 16 is a story of “divine steering”. a vivid display of what happens when we live SPIRIT LED.

this section of the book of acts is when the early church is in FULL drive mode. there is pause in chapter 15 as the apostles & the elders decide on the gospel going to the gentiles, much because of the vision Peter had in Acts 10 where a voice came to him

and Paul & Barnabas separate and just as fast as Barnabas has gone, Timothy moves into frame

Acts 16:1 “1 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek.”

aggressive growth, much happening - and in the midst of the book of acts - we see this moment where the HOLY SPIRIT diverts and funnels Paul, Timothy & Silas in a very unque way. with a very unique purpose for a specific time.

HOW DO WE GET THIS DIVINE STEERING IN OUR OWN LIFE?

How are we LED THIS WAY, How do we get the DIRECTION that the SPIRIT will give us?

1.ACCEPT

I cant help myself. Hopefully we have gotten this far already but note that in Pauls life it wasnt until his encounter wit the Lord did he realize his own depravity and his own need.

so much so that he was thrown off his horse

blinded for 3 days - Led by the hand to the city

to give us a literal picture

We cannot do this on our own

We dont’ have what it takes to live anything CLOSE to a spirit led life without the HELP of the spirit.

q: have you accepted your own need yet? or are you still living in the world of “ive got this” i can get this vehicle to the destination out of my own strength. my own knowledge. My own plan.

Young People: let me give you a shortcut. The faster you can realise that you cant do it and there is a HELPER ready to HELP you, the better.

Accept the Help.

The help is GOOD> the Plan is RIGHT. but you dont know what it is:

Remember what Jesus said to Nicodemus? That John Heard and wrote down?

John 3:8 ESV

8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Or where it goes….. You dont know. So ACCEPT the HELP - But don’t try to HELP THE HELPER whose trying to Just HELP YOU.

2.ALLOW

we don’t always know the plan: Paul thought he was going in the right direction, to the right place - But the SPIRIT was needed to BECAUSE he is the ONE WHO KNOWS the WAY.

**Imagine a guide who knows all the terrain, who knows all the circumstances, who knows who and what is awaiting you as you go** that is what happened here for Paul and Timothy.

But the SPIRIT Diverted them. They couldnt GO TO ASIA. for a reason

WE HAVE TO Allow the Holy Spirit to be in the LEAD role.

Write this down: Divine Steering, is Power Steering

If you want to stay the course, you need power steering - HIS STEERING

How will ever be able to stay the course: not without power steering - divine steering

*power steering is a phenomenal thing. as a low key car guy myself i love seeing all these new things happening in the car world

But i am old enough to remember cars that didn’t have power steering - manual steering, Where you had to LEAN on the wheel to get it turn, or if it LOCKED you would have to ask your buddy to lean on the wheel for you to unlock it.

Could you imagine a spiritual life without the power of the holy spirit guiding you along as you steer in the direction of your destiny?

You’d be struggling to make the turns

You’d find it hard to make the corners

You might hit something you shouldn’t

You could end up off the road…..

Here is the point: You need the spirit. Allow HIM, to be your divinely engaged power steering in life.

It begins in our mind; who have you decided, in your mind: IS LEADING your life?

Romans 8:3–5 ESV

3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

3.ACT

Take actionTo the place that He says to GO

The Holy Spirit to come alongside side

Acts 16:8 “8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.”

(Listen to him, Do what He says to do. Go where he Tells you to go, don’t go where he blocks the path).

why does it matter that we listen? because on the other side of our yes, our listening is PEOPLE who are moved by God.

This HOLY DIVERSION AND DIRECTION came with a purpose for a certain person. Not just timothy, not just silas… but Lydia.

Acts 16:13–15 ESV

13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

God had a plan for Lydia.

You know what Lydia represents? the lengths and extent GOD will go to reach people. starting with a person, and then a city - By avoiding going to ASIA (Turkey) the three go to

Lydia was a wealthy Gentile who was drawn already to the Jewish God. But upon hearing the preaching of Paul…. was radically SAVED into the Lord Jesus. Was baptized along with her household. and Became part of the household of faith - the first reported Christian in EUROPE.

It was Her house that was the first meeting place for the believrs in Phillipi.

you talk about a church plant. Imagine being the one HOSTING the first ever CHRISTIAN church in EUROPE

God had a plan for Lydia

God had a plan for you

And if you will let ACCEPT it…. ALLOW HIM TO LEAD YOU & ACT on the stirring,

.. Maybe you will play a part in reaching someone like Lydia?

….. Maybe there is a person like that on the other side of your yes?

Respond in FAITH

What are the areas you need to allow the spirit to help you?

(Here is a tip: you already know what they are. So why do you wait? Why do you delay, why do you deny his HELP

*We let the flesh lead

*We think old thoughts: I used to do this,

I used to do that. You need a brand new mind.

*We are held back by sin that entangles us.

Old sin. Old bondage. Old man telling your new man that he can’t.

That’s called a stronghold.

StrongHOLDs form like this:

From a single thought

We don’t process through the spirits filter

We don’t apply the blood to it.

Then what happens?

We begin to “Accept” that INSTEAD of claiming what is actually TRUE

example: I can’t change.

If I believe that, I’ll probably not change.

But I’ve believed a life.

I’m being renewed, transformed

Want God to steer you like He did the apostle, how does that happen?

By the leadership of the Holy Spirit. And NO OTHER WAY.