INTRODUCTION
Today’s talk is entitled How does God guide us?
As we consider this subject, I would like to make some assumptions –
1) We assume that God exists.
2) That God wants to guide us.
3) That we want him to guide us.
I will assume we all hold a positive response to all of these points. In other words, we believe that God exists, he wants to guide our lives and that we are open to His guidance.
But, before we can start to think about HOW God guides us, we must first ask ourselves an obvious question. What is God wanting to guide us towards?
The world would have our lives guided towards the ‘S’ words – Self & Success. Success in our careers. Success in what we own – cars, clothes, houses. Success in how others see us – status. Success in how we view ourselves. Success. Success. Success. Success. Success for me, me, me!
Now there’s nothing wrong with success. It just depends on what it is built upon how and it’s relationship to how we live life.
What is God wanting to guide us towards? Peter would answer holy and godly lives. Paul writes to Titus to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives and to the Ephesians understand the will of God and he encourages the Colossians to set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
God wants to draw us into his way and will for our lives.
God has a plan, a will for your lives, which Paul describes as good, pleasing and perfect.
So in answer to our question – God wants to guide us into a rich and fulfilled life in Him.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go – Says the Lord through the Psalms (32:8)
So, as we look at guidance in this talk, I’d like to give us a practical view of how we might understand God’s guidance. In fact you might call it the "Handy guide to Guidance", because there are five points representing four fingers and a thumb.
THE COMMAND OF SCRIPTURE(First finger)
This first finger represents reading of the Bible and following its teachings within our lives. The Bible makes certain things clear, when it comes to knowing how God wants to guide us. For instance we are told to love our neighbours, to love one another,
Micah gives us good instruction when he answers the question.. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
So there is no point in us strutting through live, showing of our fine spiritual feathers to everyone around, wondering why God doesn’t appear to be giving us his guidance in our lives.
The Word of God tells us how we should live our lives. It is clear in most of its teachings. The Bible provides a pattern as to how we are to live.
It is no good if a married person says ‘I have fallen in love with this other person and I believe God is telling me to leave my husband or wife’ God has already made his will known – ‘You shall not commit adultery’
Perhaps you are tempted to not pay your income tax – Perhaps many of us may feel like that! But the Bible makes it clear that we ARE to pay our taxes when they are due. We do not need to seek God’s guidance on this issue.
The will of God is displayed for us within the framework of the Bible.
In 1937 the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s highest religious leader, died. A search for his successor – his reincarnation, began. When it was noted that the head of the corpse tilted eastward, his followers began to look in that direction. That and other hints from religious visions led them to a two-year-old boy in a remote farmhouse, and today he is the Dalai Lama. We Christians are not left with such vague and nebulous guidance. We have the clear teaching of Scripture and the guiding presence of the Holy Spirit.
The Bible is our guidebook, it is written by the one who has journeyed before us.
But, the Bible reveals God’s general will for our lives. Taking the example of marriage again – We know that Christians are only free to marry other Christians, but the Bible doesn’t tell us who we should marry. Indeed, should we get married at all? For doesn’t the Bible equally equate singleness as a higher calling?
The Bible is an important aspect of Guidance, it provides the framework upon which guidance is viewed. But standing alone, it is merely a finger of guidance, not a hand.
CIRCUMSTANTIAL SIGNS(Second finger)
God is in ultimate control of all events. The writer of Proverbs points out: ‘In your heart you may plan your course, but the Lord determines your steps’ (Prov 16:9). Sometimes God opens doors, sometimes he closes them. (1 Cors 16:9, Acts 16:7)
Michael Bourdeux is head of Keston College, a research unit committed to helping believers in former communist lands. He studied Russian at Oxford. One day his Russian teacher sent him a letter because he thought it would interest him. It detailed how monks were being rounded up by the KGB and beaten. As Michael read the letter he felt he was hearing from the true church in Russia. It was signed from Varavva and Pronina.
In August 1964 he went on a trip to Moscow. He visited the old church of St Peter & St Paul, which had been completely destroyed by the authorities. Nothing remained in the old square, where he had recalled the beautiful church once standing, except a twelve-foot-high fence, which hid the rubble of the desolated church beyond.
Two women were walking amongst the rubble, when Michael looked at them they walked away, he decided to follow. After a few hundred yards he caught them up. “Who are you?” they asked, “I am a foreigner. I have come to find out what is happening here in the Soviet Union” They took him to a house, where he told how he had received a letter from the Ukraine via Paris. When asked who it was from, Michael replied “Varavva and Pronina”. There was silence. [PAUSE] Followed by uncontrolled sobbing. The woman who owned the house said “This is Varavva, and this is Pronina”.
The population of Russia is over 140 million people. The Ukraine, from where the letter had been written, is 1,300 kilometres away from Moscow. Michael had flown from England six months after the letter had been written. They wouldn’t have met had either party arrived at the ruins of the church 30 minutes earlier or later. Out of that meeting Michael Bourdeaux set up his life’s work.
Our God is a god of circumstances and co-incidences. He makes then happen and operates within them. Looking for guidance? Then look for Circumstantial Signs. Watch out for them.
But equally, don’t put too much weight on them. Satan can also create co-incidences. Remember Circumstantial Signs need to be viewed in the context of the whole hand. Are the circumstances in tune with the other fingers? Are they from the same hand of guidance?
Have you ever sought God over something only to find an incredible answer comes out of a so-called co-incidence? God uses circumstances to give us Signs of Guidance.
THE COUNSEL OF SAINTS (Third finger)
Proverbs 12:15 reminds us that The wise man listens to advice. It also advises us to Make plans by seeking advice (20:18)
The saying goes that no man is an island. That is also true in the kingdom. As we seek God’s plan for our lives an important part of guidance concerns advice and input from fellow believers. Each one of us should have at least one relationship with a mature Christian whom we can trust for sound advice. If there is a really big decision we are facing in our lives then it is good to seek advise from more than one Christian friend.
The people we chose for the advice, however, shouldn’t be chosen for their likelihood of agreeing with us! You can take a trip down to Marwell Zoo, if you simply want creatures to nod at you. We should consult people on the basis of their spiritual authority or their relationship to us, regardless of what we think they might say on a particular issue.
If you get advice from people for whom you expect agreement, it will seldom truly satisfy your search for guidance. The guidance that carry’s the most weight is that provided by people who we would not expect agreement from. Do we really trust in God to guide us or are we viewing guidance as a rubber stamp to endorse what we really want to do?
I recall from personal experience how several years ago, when I felt I was being called to become a lay reader. I wanted guidance, BUT I was trying to fight the path that was emerging before me. Every little thing seemed like an issue which I had to address, until finally the only barrier between me and the lay readers selection day became the issue of confirmation. I wasn’t confirmed and the church degreed I couldn’t train to be a reader unless I became confirmed. Why should I, I thought stubbornly? But it was the advice God provided, through an unrelated Christian business associate, that brought the confirmation barrier crashing down. “It’s like the rules you have to meet to join their club – What’s the issue?” he asked bluntly.
God himself was speaking through that man, that day. I was looking for agreement, but the power of God’s way lay in conflict with MY way.
But remember The Counsel of the Saints is only one finger. Again it must be viewed in unity with the rest of the hand. Ultimately our decisions are between us and God. They are our responsibility. We do not simply hand these things over. Sometimes God’s will may be contrary to the advice of others.
Who are the fellow believers that you go to for advise? Why wait until the big decision is upon you? Be clear in your mind now as to which Saints you will go to for Counsel when you need it.
A TOUCH OF COMMON SENSE (Fourth finger)
Well so far, our Handy Guide to Guidance might have some of you worried. OK, so I’ve got an important decision to make in my life. So I need to,
a) Read the bible – OK that sounds fine, but it can be very general. Why, didn’t you say it was a framework?
b) Look for a letter to arrive in the post from a friend, so that I can travel hundreds of miles to meet people I have never met before – by chance!
c) Talk to other Christians to let them tell me what I don’t want to hear!
OK if that’s you, if you’ve worried by the fingers so far, this next one is for you – The Fourth Finger is – A touch of Common Sense.
When we become Christians we are not called to give up Common Sense. Contrary to what hardened critics might suggest we do NOT park our brains outside the kingdom before we enter!
John Wesley, the father of Methodism, said that God usually guided him by presenting reasons to his mind for acting in a certain way. Indeed the Wesley’s were first called Methodists whilst they were studying at Oxford, because of their methodical way of approaching the Christian life.
Using our brains and common sense is important in all areas of guidance and decision making. Probably none more so than in the big issues such as marriage, or choosing universities, or jobs.
Could you imagine considering marriage to a man or woman without using your common sense by asking some basic questions… Are we spiritually compatible, personally compatible and physically compatible?
Few people would contemplate marriage to a another person, simply by reading the bible, waiting for a sign and ensuring those around us approved – important though these things might be. We would all give the matter much thought I’m sure. Indeed I’m sure some of us got married in spite of what others said!
John Stott reaffirms the Common Sense approach when he said, "God’s promises of guidance were not given to save us the problem of thinking"
So we now have the four fingers – The Command of Scripture, Circumstantial Signs, Counsel of the Saints and Common Sense. Now we come to the all important – thumb!
COMMUNION WITH THE SPIRIT (The thumb)
The thumb is Communion with the Spirit.
In everyday life the thumb is used in conjunction with the other fingers. To write we use the thumb and first two fingers. To carry a glass of water we use all our fingers and the thumb. Without any one of our fingers we would notice a difference. But without the thumb life would be extremely difficult.
Guidance is very personal. When we become Christians, the Spirit of God comes to live within us. When he does so, he begins to communicate with us.
We see examples of the Spirit’s guidance in the Bible. We find Paul and his companions, for example, planning to enter the city of Bithynia (Bi-thin-ia), in the book of Acts, ‘but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to’.
Samuel, in the O.T actually heard the Spirit of God talking to him. There are numerous examples in the Bible of God’s Spirit talking to his people.
The Holy Spirit speaks to us in various ways.
One of the main ways might be through prayer. But we need to ensure we are listening!
Can you imagine going to the doctors tomorrow morning and saying, “Hello doctor, I have a number of problems, I have piles, fungus growing under my toe nails, my eyes itch, my ears ache, my back clicks and I have tennis elbow.” Then looking at your watch and saying “Goodness me, is that the time. I must be going. Thanks for listening” and later that day complaining to a friend “Oh yes, he’s a good doctor, but he never seems to be able to really help me!”
The Spirit of God speaks to us in prayer, he can shape our thoughts, he can speak through visions or dreams. There are numerous examples in the Bible and throughout history.
And guess what [PAUSE] – he still speaks today. [PAUSE] I wonder are we listening?
Oh yes, he’s a good God, but he never really seems to be able to offer guidance!
Let’s listen to the Holy Spirit, if we want to know the way forward.
The story is told that Joan of Arc was mocked with, "She says she hears God’s voice; why, I don’t hear His voice!" Joan replied, "Ah, but don’t you wish you did though?"
Shhh… listen, the King of Kings wants to talk with us!
Perhaps we are sitting here, this morning, thinking that God doesn’t REALLY seem to want to lead ME. I can see how he has led others, but the reality for ME is different. If you’re finding it difficult to accept that God wants to guide you through life. If you think you are listening but nothings coming through perhaps you may wish to consider a couple of things:-
Relationship – Firstly the Holy Spirit can have problems at getting through to us if we have unrepentant sin in our lives. This affects our relationship with God and our ability to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to us. 1 John 1:9 – Tells us If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness and we’ll be able to hear Him again! 1 John 1:9 is like a big syringe it sucks out all the blockage of sin in our lives so that we can hear God’s Spirit talking to us!
Timing – Secondly, by-and-large we are impatient creatures. We live in an instant society and expect instant answers! Sometimes we needn’t be so quick in assuming God isn’t leading us. We need to relax and trust in him.
Talking about guidance, C. S. Lewis said…
"A glimpse of the next three feet of road is more important and useful than a view of the horizon."
CONCLUSION
So in conclusion, we have looked at the Handy Guide to Guidance featuring
The Command of Scripture
Circumstantial Signs
Counsel of the Saints
Common Sense and
Communion with the Spirit.
And just as with the hand, the thumb is key to doing anything, so being in Communion with the Spirit, or rather allowing God’s Spirit to guide us in life is also key.
1) It is the Holy Spirit who inspired the text in the Bible. It is the Holy Spirit who can make certain verses stand out to us, when we are seeking guidance in a particular area.
2) It is the Holy Spirit who creates those Circumstantial Signs, when seemingly amazing co-incidences point us in a certain direction.
3) If we chose our fellowship friends carefully it is the Holy Spirit who can speak to us through friends, as we seek out advice.
4) And it is the Holy Spirit who influences our minds and we seek to over see situations by applying Common Sense.
It is difficult to determine if any two or three fingers are prioritized above the others, what is for sure is that no specific guidance in any situation will ever go against the general guidelines given to us in the Bible and the Holy Spirit will always seek to keep us in step with the Father’s will for our lives.
Why, if you look at the hand, the thumb of the Holy Spirit always points up to the Father and Son, enthroned on high. [DEMONSTRATE DIRECTION OF THUMB]
For that is what he seeks to do – point towards Jesus and help us to try and become like him.
But there’s one final twist to the Handy Guide to Guidance. We shouldn’t be looking at our hands to remember how God guides – we should be looking at Jesus’ hands. [PAUSE]
And in the middle of each hand is a hole, a hole that ultimately reminds us that He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
They’re hands that speak of sacrificial living – doing what NEEDS to be done – doing the will of God, not ours.
And that is the final point to our Handy Guide to Guidance – Guidance is about handing over our whole life to Christ.
It’s NOT about steering the ship of our lives ourselves and when we hit a rocky reef, or travel through the straits of trouble handing over to God and saying “Here, you have a go for a while”. For if that is how we intend to sail through life, it will end up being a more difficult journey than it was intended to be.
So finally we end up back at the beginning of this talk…
What is God guiding us towards?
Holy and godly lives. Self-controlled, upright and godly lives. Rich and fulfilled life in Him.
Let us be prepared to be guided, wherever the path leads – THEN we will truly hear the voice of God speaking to us.
AMEN
