well as we come near the end of our series on the Holy Spirit we're going to be thinking about the leading of the Spirit a brother faces a decision he says I've prayed about it and I feel the Lord is leading me in this direction is he right? and if he says the Lord is leading him well who am I to challenge his decision a sister is facing a dilemma should she do this or should she do that and as she ponders her options there's an open door and she concludes on seeing an open door this must be the Lord's leading but is she right? is it of the Lord? after all a disobedient Jonah found an open door to go to Tarshish when God had commanded him to go to Nineveh How does she know it's an open door? Maybe God's will for her is a closed door. As a church we face decisions. We need more elders, more deacons. We've been talking about an assistant pastor, haven't we, since time immemorial. The church building, the future. How do we arrive at a decision? Do we just keep on talking till we all agree or do we just keep on praying and praying and praying until somehow we all feel led to go in the same direction? What if there's no clear voice from heaven? Do we do nothing? How do we know the Lord's leading? And here's a young Christian, he's thinking to himself, well how do I serve the Lord? Which church do I get involved with? Whom shall I marry? should I take this job? Should I buy that car? What if I miss God's best? What if I make a decision now that messes up the next 50 years? Christian friends, the Lord's leading for as many as are led by the Spirit of God these are the sons of God the leading of the Spirit and this morning we'll have one point of explanation and then three points of application so point of explanation how do we know the mind of the Spirit, how do we discern His leading? I don't think the answer is very straightforward and you might think a bit pedestrian the answer is through the Bible this is the twentieth message in our series and everything we've learned about the Spirit of God we've learned from His Word there is no other source So 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16, all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. All scripture, says the writer, is literally God-breathed. Every word of the Bible is his own. everything we need to get right with God, to live for His glory, to arrive safely in heaven and all that means for decision-making and the Lord's leading is written in this book. Do you know the... did you sort of see how Paul fills it out? He says that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. He presses it out. There's no room left for anything else, is there? Nothing that you need to know to discern the will of God is found outside this book or 2 Peter chapter 1 verses 20-21 knowing this first that no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation for prophecy never came by the will of man but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit the Bible writers, they weren't offering their personal opinions no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation or any private opinion you're not just getting what Paul thinks about something and what John thinks, this is what I think for prophecy never came by the will of man the initiative wasn't their own John didn't say, you know, I really ought to write some of these things down, people said yes, go on, you write them down Prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. When these men wrote, they were born along by the Spirit of God. Peter's a fisherman, isn't he? Spent half his life on boats. His picture is a picture of a sailing ship lifted up, carried forward by the wind to arrive at its destination. As these men wrote, They were carried forward by the wind, by the breath, by the Spirit of God. God breathed. The Spirit himself was in control, bearing them to the destination of his choosing. These men spoke, but they spoke God's words. They wrote, but they wrote God's words. so here in this book is the mind of the Spirit come with me to Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 1 we've been here a number of times in our series Hebrews 1 verse 1 God who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets has in these last days spoken to us by his Son the Son is not the final chapter of God's story the Son is the story God has in these last days spoken to us fully, finally, comprehensively, completely by His Son so the Son is God's supreme revelation He's the ultimate disclosure of course He is, we see the Godness of God in the face of Jesus Christ but he said in this series Jesus never wrote a word did he? didn't leave behind a record of his message no because he left behind a unique group of men the apostles and it was these men called trained by Jesus these men clothed with authority by Jesus who was sent to explain the message of Jesus if the Son is the message then the Apostles aided by the New Testament prophets under the direct supervision of the Spirit of God they infallibly interpreted and explained all that has been revealed to us in the Son and they wrote it down and we call it the New Testament it's all by way of a reminder really and later on you'll get John 14 verse 26 John 16 verses 13 and 14 where he speaks of the Spirit of God being the one who brings these things to their understanding. So how do we know the Spirit's leading? What's His will for our lives? Well, we've got a Bible! It's the Spirit's Word! Here is the Spirit's will for our lives. We've just been looking at Hebrews. The Hebrew Christians are at a crossroads. They've been believers for many years They've stood firm for many years, they've been through persecution and trial and difficulty, but now they feel they're at a crossroads. What should they do? Should they go back to Judaism? Or should they continue along this rough, hard, difficult road with Christ? What should they do? Should they just pray about it? Look for an open door as the Lord's leading? Maybe put down a fleece? they stand still as they face the crisis of their lives what is the spirits leading and the writer tells in Hebrews chapter 3 verse 7 therefore as the Holy Spirit says today if you will hear his voice do not harden your hearts the writer of the Hebrews is quoting Psalm 95 well the psalm 95 was written when they were looking at it a thousand years ago plus this is the right of Hebrews that's the voice of the Spirit to you today a thousand-year-old psalm that's God's voice that's God's leading therefore as the Holy Spirit said no says today if you hear His voice do not harden your hearts and then he goes on for the next chapter and a half it's really an exposition of Psalm 95 and all that it means and then he comes to his conclusion he says chapter 4 verse 12, for the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than a two-edged sword piercing even to the division of the soul and spirit and joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the hearts and there is no creature hidden from his sight so we've gone from the word to him Because it's all His Word, it's all the Spirit's revelation. So God speaks to us by His Son, doesn't He? But that revelation of the Son comes through the Spirit. By the Spirit's Word. So Christian friends, do you want to hear God's voice? Do you want to be led by the Spirit of God? well, open your Bible it's a bit pedestrian doesn't sound very exciting, does it? but I'm afraid there it is the word is a lamp to my feet a light to my path we're to commit ourselves to God's word, to hearing it to meditating on it to reading it, to talking about it, to discussing it give ourselves to the preaching of the Word. Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, He's preaching to them, isn't He? He's expounding God's Word to them. Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts. God leads, God guides, through His Word. This is what the Spirit says. This is how the Spirit leads. God guides us through His Word. God leads us through His word and he doesn't promise a lead and guide us by any other means let's put it all together, come with me to Romans chapter 12 Romans 12 verses 1 and 2 you will know these verses, they are very well known verses aren't they I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God you present your bodies as a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable service. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Want to know God's will? Well the first question to ask is am I committed to doing God's will? have you put yourself as a living sacrifice upon the altar Lord here am I do with me whatever you will am I committed to finding God's will well then I must be committed to doing God's will mustn't I? putting myself on the altar after all says Paul he gave himself for me I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God in the light of all I've been saying about Christ loving dying for his people giving himself for us what else can you do but give yourself to him be a living sacrifice place yourself upon the altar here am I Lord I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice wholly acceptable to God which is your reasonable service what else can you do but give yourself to him Okay, so I'm committed to God's will, I'm on the altar. But how do I know what his will is? Well, he goes on, doesn't he? "...and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Don't think as the world thinks. Think as God thinks. Don't listen to the voices around you. Don't even listen to your own voice. Listen to God's voice. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. It's a battle for the mind. That's what we don't want to think, do we? We just want God to tell us. So I don't have to think about it. But think! Get God's word in your head! Get God's voice in your head! you're a man or woman of the word so you start thinking like God not like the world around you you're thinking like God and if you start thinking like God you will start acting like God as you obey the scriptures as you think it through as you apply God's word to your situation so he says verse 2 you will prove what is the good an acceptable and perfect will of God. If you're committed to His will, He will lead you into His will. But He'll lead you into His will through the Bible. Not by thinking like everyone else, but by having a mind that's transformed, thinks like God thinks. Because God's words are all the time in my head. Psalm 37 verse 23 puts it like this, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. You want to be led by the Spirit of the Lord? Well, be a good man or a good woman and they'll order your steps. In other words, sit at Jesus' feet, learn of Him today and tomorrow and next week and next month and as you do as every day you make those little decisions council decisions where you put him first so the Lord will order your steps and you'll find after many days you'll arrive at his chosen destination those crowning decisions that we all have to make you know, my life's calling, who am I going to marry what the future of the church should be we arrive at those crowning decisions after a succession of little decisions daily decisions where I'm seeking first the kingdom of God and as I daily obey as I daily walk with God so I arrive at the chosen destination I've used this illustration lots of times you'll probably remember it tonight you've got to travel a hundred miles by car. You haven't got any sat-nav. How are you going to arrive at your destination? Well, you turn on the headlights, don't you? It's night time. You turn on the headlights. There are no street lamps. What do you see? You see the cat's eyes. The cat's eyes on the road. And you follow the light that you have. And without seeing more than a hundred yards ahead, you'll arrive safely at your destination. So Krishnavenda, are you following the cat's eyes? Or do you want God, as it were, to tell you the whole plan before you take the first step? Or maybe you feel the little steps, the next hundred jars, they don't really matter. The little decisions don't matter. I can make the little decisions myself. I can do what I like. But life is made up of little steps, little decisions, and the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. if you're really serious about doing God's will, if you daily walk with Christ, if your mind is soaked in this book, if you're thinking like Him and not like the world around you, if you're transformed by the renewing of your mind, if you're doing it in the little things not just the big things the little steps, not just the great big giant leaps then God will not keep you in ignorance of His will and you will prove as Paul says what is the good, can't be bettered, acceptable, peace, no regrets, perfect will of God, which is why the spirit today says today if you hear his voice do not harden your heart when we go wrong is a day when we start to harden our hearts it always starts with one day doesn't it so today if you hear his voice make sure it's not today that you harden your heart be led by the Spirit of God, then don't resist His voice in His Word. I wonder, Christian friends, if that's where you are this morning. If you are resisting His voice, is there a sticking point? You keep tripping over it. Maybe actually it's much more, you're just digging in your heels. Or maybe you're pretending you haven't heard. we all do that, don't we? Psalm 119 verse 19 should pull us all up short what does it say? It says this, it says Psalm 119 says I am a stranger in the earth do not hide your commandments from me think about that I am a stranger in the earth do not hide your commandments from me so if I live as a stranger in this world, I'm just a pilgrim, I'm passing through I'm heaven bound, homeward bound, here is not home if I refuse to be shaped by the values around me, if I'm committed to loving and obeying the Lord, then he will show me his will, then he will show his commandments to me he will not hide his commandments from me I'm a stranger in the earth do not hide your commandments from me living as a stranger here means he won't hide his commandments but if I don't live like a stranger if my mindset, my plans, hopes, ambitions are just like everyone else's, I'm indistinguishable from them what's in it for me? and I avoid the hard, the costly, the painful decisions for Christ because it's only going to spoil things if like Demas I move to Tunbridge Wells because the Christian life is costing me too much and I'm opting out if I refuse to deny self, take up my cross, follow Christ if I'm expecting heaven on earth now I'm not living as a stranger. I want it here. I want it now. Well, don't be surprised if the Spirit of God hides His commandments from you. Don't be surprised if He keeps you from finding out His will. He keeps you in the dark. And maybe the greatest tragedy of it is that we can be so filled with our own thoughts and so filled with our own notions and so filled with the love of self and the love of this world that we don't even notice it so actually I have the commandments, I can read the commandments, I can understand what they're saying and yet actually they're hidden from me because it's a spiritual thing and a Christian who goes down that route maybe they're just a Christianized unbeliever well they shouldn't be surprised if like Bunyan's ignorance in Pilgrim's Progress we discover there's a way to hell even from the gates of heaven that God hid his commandments all the way from me actually I wasn't bothered I was in it for me How do we know the leading of the Spirit? Well, it's not by obsessing about the future. It's just the Lord's leading. What am I supposed to do? It's by obsessing about His Word. That's why we had the reading. We nearly had Psalm 90, but we got Psalm 90. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statues of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover, by them your sermon is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward. Well, we close by making a number of applications, we could make lots of applications, just three things really in the time that we have. And the first thing is this, the big picture. What is the Spirit's will for me? Where is the Spirit leading me in 2013? Oh, 2 Corinthians chapter 3, again we've been here. in our series 2 Corinthians 3 verse 17 now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty but we all with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory just as by the Spirit of the Lord and Paul writes to the Thessalonians He says to them, 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, for this is the will of God, your sanctification. And he goes on to explain what that means in terms of sexual immorality and he goes on to finish it by saying, therefore he who rejects this does not reject man but God who also has given us his Holy Spirit. So what's the Spirit's will for you in 2013? It's your sanctification. Where's he leading you in 2013? He's leading you to be like Christ. to transform you from one degree of glory to another until you perfectly reflect the image of Jesus. That is leading in 2013. So Christian men, why agonize and obsess over a thousand thousand petty things? Should I wear this or should I wear that? Should I eat this or should I eat that? Should we go on holiday here or should we go on holiday there? Should we buy this car or that car? Take time, whatever, but you know what I'm saying the real issue, the real leading in 2013 is being made like Jesus and what if in 2013 my plans are blown off course by sickness or redundancy or failure or tragedy or it all goes wrong What if my life in 2013 isn't amazing? I think there's a terrible pressure in a lot of Christian circles today that somehow we've all got to have amazing lives, you know? Everything's got to be amazing. The Lord was amazing. This was amazing. But what if it's not amazing? Are these things really impostors? Am I on the wrong road? Well, Peter says no. He says, in this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you've been grieved. you've cried by various trials that the genuineness of your faith be much more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire may be found to praise honor and glory of the revelation of Jesus Christ. How do you know gold is real gold? You put it in the crucible and if it's rubbish it just gets burnt up if it's real gold the crucible, the heat doesn't damage it, it just purifies it. How do you know faith is real faith? God puts it in his crucible he sends trials, trials that make us weep that break our hearts but it doesn't destroy our faith if I turn off the light and walk out it's because the faith was never real it purifies the faith these things are not imposters says Peter they're making me like Christ they're readying me for glory and if the Spirit's will for me is to make me like Christ well what happened to Christ? he humbled himself didn't he? he emptied himself he became a nobody he became a obedient to death even the death of the cross so God's will for me might not be a promotion it might be demotion it might not be having my feet washed by others it might be a being a foot washer people like the company of others might find themselves lonely the person who shies and says oh no I couldn't might be thrust into the limelight the ambitious may be put in the backwater the gifted counted as a nobody if we're being made like Christ His will is always onward upward but it may not always feel like onward and upward inside But if the mind of Christ, which took him to Calvary, if that mind is in me, if I'm being transformed by the renewing of my mind, so I'm thinking Christ-shaped thoughts, I'm in the will of God, if I'm walking with Him, if I'm serving others, if the downward step is because of giving myself to Him and to others, as He gave Himself for others, then I'll find in 2013 I have no regrets Jesus said, he who loses his life for my sake will find it and I'll prove what is the good acceptable and perfect will of God second application Christian friends, big decisions we could talk about career or this or that but we're going to talk about marriage big decisions, whom should I marry? there was a girl that I liked and before the service I prayed Lord if she's the one may she come and sit next to me and there was a bit of shuffling on the pew and as I opened my eyes behold she was there it was an open door wasn't it? I laid down a fleece and it was the Lord's answer but actually the Lord called my bluff because actually as I looked at it I thought, no. It's a marriage. What do we do? What's the Spirit's leading? Well, open your Bible. If that's His will for me, open the Bible. Well, what does it say? It doesn't give any names does it? Well, it says this, it says if you have a choice, because actually some people didn't have a choice, arranged marriages. If you have a choice, marry in the Lord. What should you go for? Go for someone who's got lots of money and a good job? What, when our Lord was a carpenter? Go for godliness. Go for godliness. Charm is deceitful, beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised, it says in Proverbs. Go for godliness. I don't have a ten point list for them look at yourself are you godly? if they're godly and you're not godly well they're not going to be attracted to you are they? so if you want to marry a godly man, a godly woman you'd be the godliest man or woman you could possibly be and like will attract like go for godliness but godliness is not enough because the Bible also tell you can two walk together unless they are agreed there's got to be a chemistry hasn't there? you can't have chemistry and not godliness, you can't have godliness and not chemistry you marry your best friend, don't you? so open your Bible, what does it say? and the Bible also says talk to others Proverbs 15, 22 plans fail for lack of counsel but with many advisors they succeed get advice, talk to those who know you, who love you, who know them open your Bible, talk to those who know you and pray pray that your decision will be for the right reasons not because in the words of one song she's cute as a bunny, hair down to here and plenty of money pray for the right reasons, for Bible reasons not because you're afraid of being left behind that you better serve the Lord together and pray, Lord if I'm asking for a stone and actually I think I'm asking for bread but I'm asking for a stone, well Lord don't give me the stone give me bread give me a submissive will an open Bible, talk to those who know me praying, praying about it, praying that my reasons and motives and the way I go about this is right I want the Lord's will And then as I have a growing and a settled conviction, well, get on with it. Get on with them. Obviously, you've got to know them reasonably well already, I hope. But talk, share. Laugh together. Spend time with other people. Spend time together. Treat each other well. And men, behave as men. Woo them. Win them. Take the lead. Don't be afraid of responsibility. Don't keep your options open for the next 20 years. You don't want to grow up. Get on with it. And we can apply those same principles, can't we, to the other big decisions that we face. The Word of God, godly counsel, praying, praying for settled conviction, and then getting on with it. And then the final application. I know we're rushing through these. We can discuss some of the nuances and points later. What about church decisions? For example, what are we going to do about our building? Should we just pray about our building and see how we feel? But Christian friends, we can't know for certain the rightness or wrongness of something based on how we feel after praying. sometimes it's just me isn't it? I want something so badly I want to go down a particular route so much that I can pray about it and think yeah that's the way but actually it's me all the time you can't just simply say if I pray about it and I feel something at the end of praying that's the way I should go if you want to know that the Spirit's leading we open our Bibles what does it say? Well it doesn't say knock down this wall and put that there and go and do this does it? But it does say things to me like are you seeking first the kingdom of God? And if we make any changes will those changes be a servant of the word? Will it help us to make, baptize, teach disciples? Will it help us to fulfill the Great Commission? and if there are any changes would it better accommodate, better support the church family and if God is the God of order and the God of beauty is it something attractive that's honoring to Him and if this is our family front room would it help us to better welcome those that we long to be saved would it improve our opportunities to make Christ known? is it good stewardship? which doesn't mean on the cheap and do we understand what a church is? that's a good question to ask isn't it? this is simply the meeting place it's not the church we the people are the church if a bomb dropped on this place tomorrow and Amien Park Chapel ceased to be well the church wouldn't have gone anywhere would it? Church would still be here, God's people would still be here the spiritual building, the one that really matters that would be here we have them in God's word and God's word says take advice again Proverbs where there is no counsel the people fall but in the multitude of counselors there's safety so we get advice, wisdom, insight we don't have to reinvent the wheel, lots of churches have been through these things before so we talk, we listen we see what other people have done, what they've said and of course if we take advice it means we must be humble we must be teachable we must be submissive we must be willing to listen and then we'll pray not Lord tell us what to do so we don't have to think and we don't have to trust you just tell us not even Lord give us all a feeling of peace sometimes when it comes to big decisions we don't feel at ease we don't feel necessarily comfortable, that's part of our temperament, some people are comfortable with anything some people are agitated about all sorts of things it's temperament, sometimes feeling peace can just be temperament sometimes a lack of peace is just temperament we don't have to pray or help us, if we pray we all come to a sense of ease a sense of peace because what if 50% feel peace now 30% don't feel peace, does that mean the 50% are being led by the Lord and the 30% are off message? or maybe the 50% are being deceived and the 30% are off message or maybe it's the 20% who don't know, they're the ones who are in the Lord's will we've got to be careful what we pray haven't we? what do we pray? we pray that God will give us wisdom a real insight, understanding give us wisdom that we'll be guided by the things that his word lays out Lord give us wisdom in this matter, we don't make a foolish decision and we pray that those in the church who the Spirit has set aside to lead, that they would show leadership and that in our decisions we're driven by the glory of Christ and that it's Christ, not money that's ruling any decision and that God would give us unity and that if it's a bit messy that we would submit to one another in the fear of God and actually we'd all show the fruit of the Spirit love, joy, peace, long-suffering and God would bring us together to make a decision and then we get on with it and that we wouldn't be paralyzed by fear an engineer friend of mine he was unscrewing some device and he used to say he used to have a fear that if he loosened the wrong screw the whole thing would sort of explode like a sort of jack-in-the-box and bits of fly everywhere we can treat God's will like that can't we? We've only got to loosen the wrong screw as we make this decision and it all blows up in our face and that's the end of Amy and Park Chapel and the witness is ruined and God's abandoned us. It's only a building isn't it? If it's a building we don't sin if we do this and we don't sin if we do that. It's just a building. We don't blight the next 20 years because, what, you did that? Many of us have made changes to our homes. Why should we feel that doing something to this building is more holy than what we've done to our homes? A few men have changed your home. Did it take you outside the will of God? Did it blight the next 20 years of your witness and service to the Lord? So why should we treat changes to this sort of collective home any differently to changes we make on our homes? It's not a holiest place, is it? It's just a meeting place, just a building, just bricks. We're not in the danger of loosening the screw and... God is not here to catch us out, is he? Is he? Just do the wrong thing and it will all blow up in your face. Do this and we miss his will for the next 20 years. So do you see, Christian friends? We looked at three examples, we've done it very briefly and we've left lots of questions unanswered and we've skated across it and you may think, yeah, but, but, but, but, but, well, we can talk about those things as we talk over these things. But the leading of the Spirit, what's it about? The fundamental thing is, am I committed to doing God's will? Am I on the altar as a living sacrifice? That's the big thing, isn't it? Because if I'm committed to God's will, He will not keep me in ignorance of it. And then I open His Word. What does His Word say? I fill my mind with His Word. I'm not conformed to the way things are around me. I'm transformed by the renewing of my mind. My mind that's filled and fed with his word so I'm starting to think like him that I've spent so much time with the God of wisdom I'm starting to think wisely myself and that wisdom is expressed day by day the little decisions not just the crowning decisions and his word says ask the counsel of the godly and of the wise so we'll do that as well and I'll be teachable I'll be submissive I'll be ready to listen and will seek his face knowing as Jesus says that if we ask for an egg he won't give us a scorpion that if he really are seeking his face he's not going to give something that's going to sting me and poison me and ruin me and then as our convictions develop and if we're it's a personal decision I come to a settled conviction and if it's a church thing well we're not going to get complete agreement are we but the convictions are coalescing we have a sense of God's will in this then we'll get on with it we'll do it with all our hearts and we'll do it for his glory as we do we prove what is the good acceptable and perfect will of God