God's will and the Holy Spirit

Intro

Has anyone ever reminded you to zip up your zipper?

“The X-Factor in Bible Reading.”

“When we study God’s Word and pursue Him, we can trust the Holy Spirit will guide us to know and understand God’s will for our lives.”

Has anyone ever reminded you to zip up your zipper?

The person tells you because they care about you and want to help you!

In a similar way the HS knows whats best for our lives and wants to help us. Sometimes we are too busy to hear him.

Since we cannot see the HS, how will he communicate God’s plan for us? Lets look at our passage tonight to find out.

PART1

1 Corinthians 2:6–8 CSB

We do, however, speak a wisdom among the mature, but not a wisdom of this age, or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. On the contrary, we speak God’s hidden wisdom in a mystery, a wisdom God predestined before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, because if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Should you ever be surprised or even offended at the opinions of people at school or on the internet? We shouldn’t be. The people of this world have a very different view on life than we as christians do.

Jesus in his in his sermon on the mount corrected common misconceptions

People think being wealthy will satisfy. So invest in eternity.

People may think that people serving us is the way to go, but Jesus tells us it is better to serve others.

People wan to be first, but Jesus tells us to be last.

We spend a lot of time with the world, and very little time with Jesus

The bible is described as hidden wisdom. It is hidden until the HS helps us understand it.

An unbeliever can read the bible hundreds of times, and not understand it if the HS is not helping him.

1. What truths about God seem difficult to believe for many people in our culture?

2. Where do you see key differences between God’s wisdom and the wisdom of the world?

Part2

1 Corinthians 2:9–11 CSB

But as it is written, What no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived— God has prepared these things for those who love him. Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, since the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except his spirit within him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

Many times we don’t know what we should ask God for. What would be best for us?

Other religions: God is unkowable

Understanding the Tinity:

God the Father: He has plans and purposes for all creation, including us.

God the Son: He carries out that will, including coming as a man so we could see what God is like.

God the Holy Spirit: He reveals God’s will and empowers us to live out God’s plans for our lives.

Sam, do you know what dakota is thinking?

Our own inner self, our spirit can only know what we are thinking.

Just like only the HS can truly know what God’s plan is, and specifically what his plan is for us.

Many christians are not trying to listen to God’s leading, but rather are just doing their own thing.

Many times we desire things that are not in God’s plan for us. We need to be willing to listen to the HS to help us discern God’s will for our lives.

3. How can we discern whether it’s the Holy Spirit who is speaking to and leading us?

4. When has the Holy Spirit revealed God’s will to you in a clear way?

When has the Holy Spirit revealed God’s will to you in a clear way? [LifeWay Students (2019). (p. 72). Bible Studies For Life: Student Leader Guide CSB Fall 2019 e-book. LifeWay Press. Retrieved from https://app.wordsearchbible.com]

5. How does it give you hope to know that God has prepared unimaginable things for you in the future?

Part 3

1 Corinthians 2:12–16 CSB

Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God. We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. But the person without the Spirit does not receive what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually. The spiritual person, however, can evaluate everything, and yet he himself cannot be evaluated by anyone. For who has known the Lord’s mind, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Sometimes is tough when people label us as weird or different. But often times, that is how the world sees Christians. It is foolishness to them, that we would want to follow Christ. And change our lives according to what the bible teaches.

When i was living on the western slope, and i told people my new wife and i were moving to leadville to be apart of a church and help it, people thought we were crazy. I had a good paying job, and easy living. but i wanted to give that up and come to a place were erika and i didn’t have a place to stay, no home, and no job. But we knew this is what God wanted for our lives. And now we have met all of you and get to encourage all of you!

Maybe someday God will call one of you to do something crazy and different. Like be a missionary to a foreign people. And it will seem crazy to family and friends. So don’t be surprised when your obedience to God makes others scratch their heads.

Paul ends with have the mind of Christ. This should be our goal in spiritual maturity. This is what the HS is leading us to. and some things will help us “have the mind of Christ”

Reading God’s word

Being sensitive to the HS’s leading.

6. When have you seen God’s wisdom treated as foolishness?

7. How does the Holy Spirit explain things to us?

9. What is the Spirit currently seeking to do in and through you?

The Bible contrasts living by the flesh with living by the Spirit (). Fleshly living, which is practiced by worldly people, is characterized by selfishness and indulgence and goes against God’s desires for us. To live by the Spirit, on the other hand, involves living sacrificially for the sake of God and other people.