WESTSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH
PASTOR: TERRY VAUGHAN
SERMON TITLE: SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT
“For God so Loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth in Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-18
TEXT VERSE: 1 CORINTHIANS 2:14 “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
I want to point out to you over in 1 corinthians 2:14 that there is a natural man and there is a spiritual man. Meaning that if you’ve never been saved by the grace of God that you’re still in the natural. There’s only one thing that I have found that we can get from God while in the flesh and that’s Salvation. Paul said I knew the Lord one time in the flesh and after I knew him that one time, I didn’t know him anymore in the flesh. Because now I know he’s a Spirit. Paul was birthed into the family of God on the road to Damascus and he became a spiritual man. You can work all you want to and you can come to the house of God all you want to and you can do all things you want to in the flesh; but it will not feed you spiritually in the flesh. If you want to get blessings from God tonight, the Bible says that God is a spirit and you must worship God in Spirit and in truth. The Bible says that the flesh will profit you nothing tonight. I want to preach a message I don’t believe I’ve ever had the opportunity to preach. I want to preach on spiritual discernment.
Now let me share these verses. Romans 8:6-8 “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”
I want to please God not only tonight but everyday and that’s what I think you need to have. Now listen to what Jesus said in Matthew 16:2-3 “When it is evening, ye say, it will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, it will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky: but can ye not discern the signs of the times?”
Beloved, we have the wrong thing on our minds. We need some spiritual discernment in our spiritual minds and not in our natural mind. We need to always have Jesus on our heart, our mind, our lips, our walk, and in our talk. There’s too many Christians today living after the old natural man. Trying to please self. Trying to please the devil. Trying to please sin. The Bible says that the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. You’ve got to get absent from the body and get present with the Lord tonight.
I want to show you what Spiritual Discernment is. A lot of Christians don’t know. I’ll go as far as to say that a lot of preachers don’t know. They can get up in the flesh and get in God’s way. If you’re going to preach the gospel, Paul says you better live the gospel. I want to show you some things on how Jesus used spiritual discernment and I want to apply it to your life. If it’s good enough for Jesus to do it then it’s good enough for us to do it.
NUMBER ONE: Turn to John 13:1 “Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.” Now, I want you to notice what I noticed in this verse. I want you to notice what Jesus knew. He knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world. If that’s not spiritual discernment, I don’t know what is. Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world! Now don’t you be mistaken, we’re not Jesus. We can be a lot like him, but we’re not him.
Now in Matthew 24:44 “Be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh.”
If Jesus had an end down here, you can bet you and I have an end down here. We don’t know when our end is going to be. We’re not supposed to be worried about when our time comes. We don’t know like he did but we need to have the spiritual discernment that, that day is coming one day after awhile. If we have that spiritual discernment we’ll realize that we’re here for a purpose. We’re not here to please our self. We’re here to please God. We’ve got a life span and we’re living it right now. All these backslid Christians waiting on someone to tell them what to do. Get your heart right with God and start living for him now. What are you going to do? Wait until you’re 97? Do it now! When you get home with him, you aren’t going to have to work anymore. We’re going to be praising God. But while we’re here we have to work. We don’t know when our time will come but we need the spiritual discernment to know that it could happen any time. James 4:14 “For what is your life? It is like a vapor. It appeareth for a short time and vanisheth away.” Our lives are short. It’s like a vapor. But God put us here for a purpose and we need to have the spiritual discernment to realize that every day seems be like our last day. Each day needs to be as important as the next day. These backslid Christians always waiting on the weekend to get here so they can sit on the stool of do nothing and sleep half the day on Saturday and sometimes on Sunday. I have news for you. Your time is coming! Your body might be tired and you might be sick but you’re still working for God. That’s spiritual discernment. Don’t think on the natural thoughts. Think on the heavenly thoughts. Don’t think on a day by day basis. Don’t think on a Monday through Saturday basis. Think on an eternal basis. We know our day is coming. The Bible says it is appointed unto all men once to die. The only way we can get out of death is if the Lord comes back first. Then we’ll be like Enoch and just go home to be with the Lord. I’m looking forward to that day but while we’re here we need to keep in our mind having spiritual discernment that this is not our home. We’re pilgrims and strangers and we’re just passing through. Too many Christians are getting used to this place. This place isn’t going to be here. The Bible says that heaven and earth will pass away but his word will never pass away. I wonder, are you living on the word tonight? (But preacher, it’s the weekend. We have to cut our grass Saturday and if it don’t get done, then Sunday is the make-up day.) You’re so backslid that you don’t even know it. If you’re going to serve God then you ought to start acting like it and living like it. He’s my life.
NUMBER TWO: Now look at John 13:3 Here‘s something else Jesus knew. “Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God.”
You know why a lot of people don’t know where they are going? Because they don’t know where they came from. This old “Darwin Theory” will get you in trouble. We didn’t come from some fish or some monkey. We came from the creator of mankind....God! He created all things for his glory and his pleasure and his purpose. That’s what the book of revelations says.
Christ knew in verse 3 that the Father had given all things into his hands. I wonder, do you know that tonight?
2 Corinthians 8:9 “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich for your sake he became poor. That we through his poverty might be made rich.” If you have Christ tonight, you’re the richest person who ever walked the face of this earth.
Do you know tonight that God can do all things for you? Paul said that my God can supply all your needs according to his riches in Glory through Christ Jesus. Here’s what Job knew. He said the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh, blessed be the name of God. Job lost everything that he had but in the end he gained more. He knew who the Lord was. Do you know who he is tonight?
2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound towards you that ye always having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work.” His grace is sufficient for us. Do we know and realize that God has given all things into our hands tonight? He gives us the very breath that we breathe. We need to have spiritual discernment and realize that we are his and why we’re here. The Bible says in one place that our childhood and our youth is vanity. I’ve found that to be true. You know what we do in our youth? We think about what we’re going to do when we grow up. They don’t think about death like you and I do. I think about death every day now. Wondering if today will be my day. But thank God death won’t be the end. When he calls my name I’ll go to sleep down here and I’ll wake, up there. You need to have the spiritual discernment that God has given all things to you and what are you going to do with it? What are you going to do with what God gave you? He put everything in your hands. Everything that you want for the asking. He said whosoever will, let them come and take of the water of life freely.
NUMBER THREE: John 13:11 “For he knew who should betray him.” Now that’s some spiritual discernment. In John 4:1 it says to try the spirits to see whether they are of God. Because many false prophets have gone out in the world. Joyce and I were talking to a lady in a restaurant the other day. She said she was a Catholic. I told her I didn’t care, she could still come visit with us down at Westside Baptist. She said, them old Baptist don’t have what I have. Got news for her....them old Baptist have more than she ever had. I don’t care what religion you are...if you didn’t get the Salvation of God....you didn’t get anything. Jesus knew who should betray him and it was Judas. You can call him Judas if you want but he was the devil himself. If God can send his Son in the flesh. The old devil can send his in the flesh. I don’t believe Judas was made like you and I. I don’t believe he had a soul. I believe he was the devil himself. The Bible said, Jesus knew who should betray him. I wonder do you know who is after you tonight? If you don’t have the enemy on your heart and your mind then you better get him there. Let me tell you what it says in 1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walketh about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” The devil wants to tear you down and strip you of everything you’ve got. Jesus knew who should betray him. That’s spiritual discernment. If you’re going on every whim every time somebody tells you something, you’re backslid. They could say they are having a great revival down in Conyers, Ga. Thousands and thousands of people will rush off down there thinking that God can only be found in Conyers, Ga. God is every where. He’s in Marietta, Ga. too. If I had to drive to Conyers to find him, I’d be in bad shape. You better know who your adversary is. If you don’t, how are you going to know who the Lord is? You know when I realized I was lost? When Satan had such a hold on me and the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and made me realize that Satan was trying to cast me into hell. That’s when I found Jesus.
John 10:10 “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” That’s what he’s come for. Jesus said, “I am come that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly.”
A lot of Christians when things start gong bad in their life they start blaming God. God why? You live for Christ and you won’t have many problems in your life. We’re prone to get sick but since I’ve been close to God, I haven’t had that much sickness. I had my two back teeth pulled yesterday. Can you tell by the way I’m preaching? I feel pretty good. I’m not going to let some tooth ache keep me from doing God’s business. I had them pulled and was back at work in an hour. My coworkers couldn’t believe it. I told them when they get their teeth cleaned they stay out two days.
We need to have some spiritual discernment and realize who our enemy is. Let me say this and I’ll cover the last thing. Satan wants to take your health. He wants to get your money and I’ll say this: if you don’t give your portion to God, Satan will take it. You’ll lose more to the devil than you ever gained from God. He wants to take your family from you. You stand strong for the Lord and say devil you can’t have them...I’m dedicating them to God....he’ll never get them from God. Stay on your knees every day. Jesus knew who would betray him. He said, “Did not I choose you twelve and one of you is the devil.”
NUMBER FOUR: John 13:18 “.....I know whom I have chosen.” We need to have the spiritual discernment to know whom we have chosen. In Joshua 24:15 Joshua said this “Choose you this day whom you will serve. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” I wonder tonight, do you know whom you have chosen? A lot of people have chosen the devil over the Lord. They chose the world over church. They’ve chosen sin over salvation. We’re living in a sad world. I wonder if you left this walk of life tonight...do you know who you are serving? Do you know where you’re going? We’re living in a world where every body hates each other. The Bible says you’ll know that you have passed from life unto death because you love the brethren. It also says if you don’t love your brother whom you have seen, how can you love God whom you have not seen?
Exodus 32:26 “Then Moses stood up in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord’s side?” Moses wanted to know. That’s what I want to ask you tonight. Who is on the Lord’s side? When you get to heaven and you stand by the Lord, you’re going to be standing there by yourself. It’ll be between you and God. You’re going to have to answer. The Bible says that every man shall give account of himself to God. Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess to him. Every one. That includes those in the nursing homes and those in the prisons.
We need to have the spiritual discernment to know whom we’ve chosen, who we live for, who we love.
Philippians 2:5 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” Jesus had a spiritually discerning mind. He knew all these things. We’re living in an everlasting way. It’s just not going to be here. Keep in mind what Christ said in Isaiah. “Your thoughts are not my thoughts neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. But as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Christ thinks heavenly.
LET US PRAY: Father, I don’t have that kind of spiritual discernment to know whom I have chosen. I thought I was saved because I was baptized and received into the church but I realize now that I must be born again to receive salvation. I believe in my heart that you are the Son of God and that you died and arose that I might receive life everlasting. I confess with my mouth that you are the Son of God, Jesus and I ask you to come into my heart and be Lord of my life. In Jesus name. Amen
