Spirit Led And Spirit Fed

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#February 24, 2013

Troy First Assembly

Text: Romans 8:1-17 – Focus on verse 14

Subject: the Holy Spirit

Title – Spirit Fed and Spirit Led

Pastor Darrell has told me that there is a real spirit of revival in this church and my message today is a message of encouragement for you all to continue in that spirit of revival.

I want to share with you about how, especially in these last days, the church needs to rise up and seek continually to walk in or be led by the Spirit.

Are we a Pentecostal Church?

Do we rely on the Holy Spirit to accomplish the things that God has called us to do?

Are we led by the Spirit?

14because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Most Christians think that being led by the Spirit is a difficult thing. I hear people say often that they are reluctant to be used in the gifts or they are cautious about this or that because they are afraid that it isn’t the Spirit leading them but the flesh – so they do nothing. But look at verse 2 in Romans 8.

…because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

Are Christians always Spirit led? No! There are so many different ways that we can be led and deceived.

Many are led by the head…

you can be led by your circumstances. Isn’t it funny that people just let the circumstances of life dictate to them which way the Spirit wants to move them? If my financing comes through for my house I guess it’s God’s will that I have a house. If it doesn’t then I guess it wasn’t His will… No, God really doesn’t work that way. It is either God’s will or it isn’t. Were you led by the Spirit to look for a house? Did God point out the right house for you? Were you confident that it was His will for you? You see, what verse 2 talks about “the law of sin and death” that is not just talking about sin. It is about operating according to the sinful nature –the natural man. Doing what seems right, or what makes sense. Sometimes what the Spirit wants for us doesn’t make sense in the natural.

Some are led by their negative confessions- their mouths - they say things about their lives that is contrary to what God says.

The best way to walk in the Spirit is to be sure of God’s will for your life and the best way to know God’s will is to be grounded in His word. Ephesians 5:17-18 deals with that.

17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is…

18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Would God, by His Spirit, have told you in the Word to understand what God’s will is if He wasn’t able to make His will known to you? We can know God’s will by the written logos word and by the rhema word spoken to the spirit man. Then once you hear from the Spirit, you must be willing to walk in whatever He tells you.

Turn over to the Book of Acts. 1:8, But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

We see in the book of Acts the stories of the growth of the early church. Miracles at the hands of the apostles. Much of the early parts of Acts take place in Jerusalem. Was the early church being led by the Spirit? We know that the apostles were. Miracles, healings, salvation, prophetic words… but the “church” never got beyond Jerusalem. Where was it supposed to go? Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth.

The first car I remember my mom and dad having was a 1952 Oldsmobile. And as a kid I remember sitting behind the steering wheel while the car was parked and pretending that I was driving. And you now, as hard as I tried I couldn’t turn that steering wheel. Because the car wasn’t moving. And that was what was happening in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit was wanting to use the whole church but the church was stuck. It wasn’t going anywhere. The Holy Spirit was saying, “Come on. Move! Go, so I can give you direction. Finally it came to persecution to get the church to move. Philip went into Samaria. The Holy Spirit moved him down to Gaza and then took him away to Azotus. Paul was moving in the wrong direction. He wanted to go into Bythinia and then Asia, but the Holy Spirit steered him in the right direction. He was moving – not staying still.