Led by the Spirit

Intro

HS Activate Song

WHAT are you being led by in life?

Or WHO are you being led by in life?

John 16:7, 13-15 NLT, “But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you… 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’

a) Jesus’ going means that we receive the Holy Spirit.

b) The HS tells us about the future.

The HS leads and guides us into our purpose!

The enemy doesn’t know all the plans God has for us, but he wants to disrupt those plans…

Through confusion

Disappointment

Our own desires

Thinking we know best

c) The HS helps us to glorify God and to walk in “every spiritual blessing” (Eph. 1:3) God gives us.

Those blessings include:

Being chosen by God (v. 4)

Made holy and blameless (v. 4)

Adopted as a child of God (v. 5)

Redeemed and forgiven (v. 7)

Given wisdom and understanding (v. 8-9)

Marked with the HS (v. 13)

Guaranteed an inheritance (v. 14)

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1. The HS is Our Destiny Leader

Being Led Feels Like Getting Left on Read

It’s uncomfortable!

God’s Spirit will often lead us to places we don’t expect.

BUT it’s for a purpose!

Examples:

God leading Lot’s family to leave the home they loved.

God leading Jonah to preach to a city of dangerous people.

God leading Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Each example sounds crazy for God to do…

BUT God had a purpose for them!

Whether we walk into that purpose is determined by how well we’re willing to be led by God…

We see:

Lot’s wife refused to be led and turned into a pillar of salt.

Jonah refused to be led to Nineveh and got swallowed by a fish.

BUT Jesus allowed the HS to lead Him and He overcame the devil!

Matthew 4:1, “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil."

After Jesus overcomes the devil through His obedience, it says “the devil left him” (v. 11).

It seems like the HS led Jesus to the worst place ever, but He led Jesus to a place where He could be closer with Him and help Him overcome the devil!

Jesus perfectly exemplified what it means to be led by the Spirit.

He was constantly led to difficult places where people opposed Him and tried getting Him arrested or killed, but He went with a good attitude and in faith.

In doing so, He healed, encouraged and transformed many people!

He even allowed God to lead Him to His death on a cross.

The HS leads us from a place of love and does it for our growth.

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2. The HS is our Divine Hand

The HS acts as God’s arm, hand and finger in our lives.

If you’ve ever asked for directions in public, someone will usually point the direction with their hand and finger.

Isaiah 40:12-13 NLT,

“Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale? Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord? Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him?”

Psalm 136 says that God delivered His people “with a mighty hand and outstretched arm…” (verse 12, NIV).

Exodus 31:18 NLT,

“When the Lord finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant (the 10 commandments), written by the finger of God.”

God now writes His law on our hearts.

Matt. 22:37-39 - love God, love others!

Psalms 8:3-4 NIV,

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?”

In Luke 11:14-16, Jesus heals a demon-possessed man, the people are astonished, but the Pharisees think to themselves, ‘He is only casting out demons by the devil himself’ 

Jesus responds in Luke 11:20 NIV,

“But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

Matthew translates “finger of God” to “Spirit of God.”

All these passages point to the fact that the HS:

Created the heavens and the earth

Created the moon, stars, oceans and everything else we see

Helps us to follow Him (writes His law on our hearts - Jer. 31:33)

Performs miracles and delivers God’s people

If you’ve ever been in God’s presence and felt a touch of Him, that’s the HS - the finger of God!

Even though we can’t see God physically, we can hear Him, sense Him, and feel Him.

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3. The HS is Our Divine Protector

This is what God’s Hand does…

Visual: Walk Manasseh (the dog) with her leash

Let go of her leash and her wander around.

When I stop leading her, she can wander off anywhere.

Dogs need to be on leashes outside for their own safety.

Get Joel to call her name.

Joel represents the enemy who tries to lure us in to distract us.

Grab the leash and steer her.

When I take control of the leash, this represents the HS leading our lives to keep us safe and guide down the best path.

Isaiah‬ ‭53‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬,

“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.”

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2     He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3     he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths     for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk     through the darkest valley,[a] I will fear no evil,     for you are with me; your rod and your staff,     they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me     in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil;     my cup overflows. 6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me     all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord     forever.

We’re the sheep who need leading and Jesus is the Good Shepherd who leads us through the HS’s guidance.

God never forces us to be led by Him.

But when we choose to be led by God, He leads us along the best path!

The HS leads us, our job is to simply follow.

Romans 8:14 NIV, “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.”

One of the greatest evidence for being a child of God is that we’re led by the Spirit of God.

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Pray:

a) Salvation prayer

b) Young people to be led by the Spirit