Opening Set:
(E) All to You (Lincoln Brewster)
(E) You are the One (Baloche/Brewster)
(B) God is Great (Hillsongs)
GUIDE ME
My Unseen Guide—Part 1
It was just hours before his arrest when Jesus and his most trusted friends gathered to share the Passover meal. Jesus knew it would b their last time together before his arrest and crucifixion, so he began to prepare them for the tough days ahead.
He told them many things, none more confusing than his assertion that he was about to leave them—and that leaving them was actually a good thing.
This had to mess with their minds. Only recently they had come of the full realization of who Jesus was. Far more than a great teacher, prophet and leader, he was the Messiah—the deliverer for whom God’s people had waited so long.
Now he was talking about leaving, claiming this would be even better for them than if he stayed. This must have struck them as nonsense.
But it wasn’t nonsense. It was part of the plan. Once he was gone the Holy Spirit would be sent to come and live within them; which he was around that couldn’t happen.
If only his hearers had understood what he was saying they would have been awestruck. The promise was breathtaking. Jesus was telling them that the exact same Spirit who had guided and empowered his life and ministry was about to come and provide each of them with all the spiritual guidance and power they’d ever need. And he’d do it from the inside out. Wow! Yet at the time they didn’t grasp a word of it.
With the advantage of hindsight, it’s understandable. Their minds were too filled with dreams of grandeur. They’d arrived in Jerusalem just a few days earlier, having come to celebrate the Passover. Throughout the trip Jesus had been dropping hints that he was up to something big, that this would be an especially eventful visit to the holy city.
To their ears, this could mean only one thing; He was about to reveal himself to the masses. He was about to take over as king.
They were so sure of it, they’d been secretly arguing about who would have what roles in the royal government. Two of them, had even gone so far as to have their mother lobby Jesus on their behalf, seeking prime positions for them in the new regime.
With throngs of fellow pilgrims swelling the streets for Passover, the timing must have seemed perfect. The only problem was the religious leaders. They weren’t on board. But surely once Jesus revealed himself and set up his kingdom, they’d come around quickly enough.
The Roman oppressors wouldn’t have a chance. Not with Jesus leading the way. He’d already shown his mastery over disease, demons, nature and even death. He’s stilled the storm, walked on water, and raised the dead. Even the world’s best trained soldiers couldn’t stand up to that kind of power.
His disciples had to be pumped. Everything was falling their way. They’d hitched their wagon to the Messiah and been picked for his inner circle. Now, in just a few days he would be king, and they’d be set for life.
But we know that’s not how it played out.
Jesus didn’t conquer the Roman. He didn’t set up an earthly government. He was arrested, tried and executed. And even when he came back to life three days later, it still wasn’t to overthrow the Romans or set up an earthly kingdom. Instead, he spent the days immediately following his resurrection instructing and preparing his followers to lead a heavenly kingdom that was spiritual in nature. And then, without much warning, he left them again—this time floating up into the heavens as they watched helplessly below.
He promised to come back. They thought and hoped it would be soon. 2000 years later we’re still waiting. How could this be a good thing>
A short time later it all made sense to them.
As they waited in the upper room for the promised Spirit, he suddenly showed up. Instantly they experienced what Jesus had promised. The same Spirit who guided and empowered him for ministry now resided within them. It’s an amazing story!!
Up to this point, the only time his followers had been able to experience the full power, guidance and wisdom of God was when they were in the physical presence of Jesus. Now that limitation of time and space was gone!
The Holy Spirit was no longer simply with them, he was in them.
With that simple but profound change, they hyper-expansion of Christianity began. No longer bound by the limitations of Jesus’ physical presence, the gospel’s power and message spread at a dizzying pace, accompanied by signs, wonders, and the amazing miracles of conversion and transformation.
The disciples were no longer relegated to the role of Jesus’ road crew. They were the fully empowered messengers of God. No wonder Jesus said it would be better when he was gone. But that’s not just for them. It’s for us!
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. John 16:13 (NIV)
I MUST RENOUNCE ALL COUNTERFEIT GUIDES
1 Samuel 28:7-25
A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. Acts 19:19 (NIV)
Is there anything you need to burn or renounce?
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS MY GUIDE NOT MY CONSULTANT
Pastors have lots of people coming to them for advice and counsel. I don’t do that much any more. But I used to have folks wanting help with personal issues, troubled marriage, wayward children, financial mess, or a workplace crisis.
My response was pretty much always the same. I listened, try to discern the unique aspects of their situation, then apply the best biblically informed wisdom to their issue.
Many times the cases were so convoluted there’s no easy answer—or beyond my pastoral counseling acumen. I’m quick to admit I have nothing to offer but a listening ear or a referral to a clinical counselor.
Others the solution is so obvious. In those cases, I’m not shy about pointing out a prescribed course of action. There’s a problem with an obvious solution, so here’s the fix.
Then there’s the really tough ones. The cases where people come asking for counsel, but they don’t really want it. Unfortunately, it’s a lot more common than you might think. Many people who ask for counsel simply want someone to validate what they know they want to do.
They’re easy to spot. There’s a pattern. No matter what I suggest, they have ten reasons why it won’t work. No matter how bad their situation, after our meeting they go out and continue doing exactly what got them into the mess in the first place.
I had to institute the three strike rule.
The sad truth is that when it comes to God, we can do the exact same thing, these hard headed counselees do, but with one major difference. When God gives advice or guidance, it’s not coming from a potentially fallible source. It’s not the mere advice of a flawed human being, it’s the guidance of God!
When God speaks it doesn’t make much sense to push back or give him ten reasons why it won’t work. That’s an argument we can’t wing.
But we’ve all done it. We’ve all had times when we knew exactly what God wanted us to do, but we still decided that in our particular case our own wisdom was better than his.
Here’s the problem. God doesn’t do consulting. Never has, never will. He does God. When I treat him as a consultant, he simply stops showing up for the meetings.
And it gets worse. God not only stops showing up for the meetings, he also pulls back some of the light he’s already given us.
This is what Larry Osborne calls the dimmer switch principle. It has a profound impact on our spiritual life for both good and bad. Yet in many circles it’s never mentioned. ATTENTION VIDEO TECHS—AS I’M TALKING ABOUT THIS SUBJECT BEGIN TO DIM THE MASTER LIGHT SWITCH SLOWLY OVER TWO OR THREE MINUTES TIME GO FROM 10-0.
Once understood, it explains a lot. Why spiritual insights seem to come in spurts; why the spigot of God’s leading can suddenly run dry; and why some people who once possessed great spiritual insight can regress to the point of mind boggling foolishness.
It’s a simple principle, here’s how it works. When I respond to the light I have, God gives me more. When I reject the light I have, God takes away the light I already have.
That is the clear implication of Scripture in Romans 1, describing the downward spiral of a culture that has turned its back on God. Three times in that passage he points out that their increasing moral decay is the direct result of having rejected the truth they already knew. And in each case, God turns them over to even more depravity and darkness. In other words he puts his hand on the dimmer switch and turns down the light.
The exact opposite is also true. When I respond to the light I have—no matter how dim it is—God grabs the light switch and turns it up.
I remember a winter camping experience several years ago during a military exercise. We were in surroundings that were completely unfamiliar to me. I woke up just before dawn and decided to go search for the latrine. I had only walked about 30 yards when suddenly the ground beneath me gave way and I found myself up to my calf in freezing cold water.
To my surprise I had inadvertently wandered out onto a small frozen lake. I shuddered at the thought of what I’d almost done. In the predawn darkness it looked like I was just walking across a flat meadow covered with snow. I had no idea of that danger in which I had placed myself. If the ice hadn’t cracked when it did, if I had wandered further out onto the deeper parts of the lake I could have been in some real trouble.
Yet just ten minutes later, with more light in the sky I would have had no problem spotting the danger. The first gleam of dawn would have revealed the no fishing, swim at your own risk signs posted around the perimeter of the frozen lake. With a second glance I could have easily made out the outline of the lake’s shore. I would have spotted the earthen dam and spillway.
At the beginning of our journey with God, many of us don’t do a very good job discerning between right and wrong. We know and understand a few things perhaps. But the longer we walk in obedience, the clearer the spiritual landscape becomes. Subtle distinctions that were once imperceptible become obvious; things we would have never noticed at first suddenly can’t be missed.
TESTING MY CANDIDACY FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT’S GUIDANCE
1. Am I Obedient To What I Already Know?
Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. [5] Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. Acts 8:4-5 (NIV)
Song: Lord Have Mercy
2. Am I Open To Divine Appointments Along the Way?
The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." [30] Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked. [31] "How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him…. [35] Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. Acts 8:29-35 (NIV)
3. Am I Open To Holy Spirit Promptings Along The Way?
When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. [8] So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. [9] During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." Acts 16:7-9 (NIV)
4. Am I Open to Supernatural Events Along the Way?
When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. [7] With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. [8] So there was great joy in that city. Acts 8:6-8 (NIV)
Song: Let The River Flow
5. Am I Open To the Insight of Other Christians Along The Way?
It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: Acts 15:28 (NIV)
Song: Give Us Clean Hands
6. Am I Open to Let God Change What I Want?
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, [13] for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV)
Song: Sweetly Broken
