We make decisions every day. Some of them are more trivial like where we are going for lunch. But above all this is how we spend our time, our treasure and our talents.
This is a stewardship question. But it has eternal consequences. Decisions form habits. Habits form character. And character helps shape our identity and place in community. And ultimately direct us by God’s grace to our eternal home.
Sometimes it is hard to make the right decisions. When you come to the fork in the road what do you do? Yogi Bear would say, “Take it”. Funny but not really helpful. Decisions we make about direction in life are so important!
Jesus talked about 2 primary routes we can take in life. One is a straight gate and narrow path. The other is a wide gate and broad path. It has eternal consequences.
Someone has wisely said, Life has many choices. Eternity has only 2. And decisions we make now especially regarding Jesus will determine our destiny. But we need assistance and guidance.
I mentioned in the newsletter about my HS guidance counselor. She was helpful and well-intended. The vocational preview and orientation had me trying to figure out what career path might be suitable. But I was more confused after the test because there were so MANY OPTIONS. I knew more about what I did not want to do than what I wanted to do. Perhaps that can be helpful to some degree but still not a path or clear direction to follow. I needed HELP! Another Guidance Counselor!
I felt like the man with the T-shirt that read, I used to get lost in the shuffle. Now I just shuffle with the lost!
EJ Jones called it the herd instinct. The cattle follow the lead cow. We may call in peer pressure to conform to what others are doing. Keeping up with Jones’. Or following the crowd as those who crucified Jesus.
There is a story of a pastor officiating a funeral and being asked to lead the procession to the cemetery. Preoccupied and lost in thought while driving at the head of the procession, the pastor turned into a Walmart parking lot upon remembering something they needed to pick up. Moments later, realizing the mistake, the pastor glanced in the rearview mirror to see the long line of funeral cars following into the Walmart parking lot! He completely lost his mental focus!! It wasn’t me. But I understand it is a true story. To say the least we all need guidance to help direct us because we are easily distracted! Today we want to look at: Ways the Holy Spirit Guides Us:
First and foremost, the Spirit guides us:
Through God’s Word
The Spirit brings Scripture to life, showing us God’s will and how it applies to our decisions. After all, it is the Holy Spirit that inspired the Word! A great scripture on guidance is regarding the scripture is from the Psalms.
(Psalm 119:105). 105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
Jesus often quoted from the OT and used the scripture in key decisions he made.
Jesus relied upon the word of God to overcome the temptations of Satan. In every phase of temptation, in key moments of discernment, Jesus spoke the word of God and said to Satan… IT is written… that is a marvelous strategy for us.
The Early Church devoted themselves to the Word of God (The Apostle’s teaching) Acts 2:42 The Word directed their movement and gave them foundational truths upon which to engage the mission Jesus gave them. The same is true for the Church today. The Holy Spirit will always guide us to follow God’s word. God’s word is the objective truth that the Spirit will never defy or deny. If we move away from the teachings of scriptures we are moving away from the direction of the Spirit and following our own way which is moving on the broad road away from God.
Psalm 1 teaches that the righteous person meditates on the law of the Lord, day and night in order to be fruitful or successful in God’s sight.
Jesus stated that a true mark of our discipleship was to continue in His Word. Jesus therefore said to those Jews that had believed him, If ye abide in my word, then are ye truly my disciples (John 8:31)
So, the word guides and directs us in every season of life. It brings us light in our darkness. Truth to overcome deception. And principles and values upon which to build our lives.
Personal take. There has perhaps been no greater resource in my Christian life for direction from God than through the Word of God. From an early age to the present. Even in my coming to be here as your pastor was directed through the scripture from Isaiah. Isaiah 43:19 See, I will do a new thing. It will begin happening now. Will you not know about it? I will even make a road in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. That was the sure sign for me to be here as I was praying about our next steps in life. And this is not just for pastors and church leaders, it is for every follower of Jesus. The Holy Spirit guides us through the Word.
Another way the Holy Spirit guides us is: Through Prayer
Some biblical examples of people directed by prayer.
Abraham’s Servant:
In Genesis, Abraham’s servant prayed for guidance in finding a suitable wife for Isaac. He specifically asked God to show him the right woman by a sign, and God answered his prayer, leading him to Rebekah, who became Isaac’s wife. Surely praying about our marriage partner is a key decision in life. Another example is Moses.
Moses: Moses frequently turned to prayer in times of crisis, such as when the Israelites were facing the Amalekites in battle, or when they were thirsty in the desert, demonstrating Moses’ reliance on God’s guidance.
Jonah When swallowed by a great fish, Jonah prayed from the belly of the fish, expressing his repentance and seeking God’s mercy and deliverance. God heard his prayer and spared his life. God still had a mission for Jonah to go preach at Ninevah! Some of us may feel we are in the whale’s belly. And maybe in a place of great uncertainty or working through a low period where we may not know about what steps to take next. Of course our key example is:
Jesus When Jesus was selecting the disciples, he prayed all night long. (Luke 6:12) Before he was crucified he was praying in the Garden. In pivotal moments when key decisions were being made Jesus prayed fervently. We must certainly do the same.
I have often heard friends talk about waiting 72 hours and praying before they made a big decision that involved a great deal of risk or sacrifice. I find that to be good counsel.
Personal Take. I would say again that being consistently in the Word of God as you are praying is vitally important to receive direction from the Lord. Let me say that it was a prayerful decision while reading God’s word that directed me away from my former denomination. But the direction is forward, not backward. We are prayerfully pressing on in faith being guided by the Spirit in every season of life!
Next, the Spirit guides us:
Through Wise Counselors:
Sometimes, the Spirit guides us through open and closed doors or the wisdom of trusted believers (Proverbs 11:14). “Where there is no guidance, a people fall, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” This verse emphasizes the importance of seeking wise counsel in order to make informed decisions and avoid negative consequences, both on a personal and societal level. This is true in the church but even in the secular world we see alliances or partnerships providing greater support and security for institutions and even nations.
NATO is designed to ally nations together for support, strength and security. Now there may be larger questions about how practically it works. The examples I cite here are not necessarily Christian based, but their cooperation and counseling together is certainly in keeping with biblical principles.
Microsoft (Bill Gates and Paul Allen): Their partnership, forged from a shared passion for computers, led to the creation of one of the world’s most influential tech companies, according to Business Insider.
Google (Larry Page and Sergey Brin): Their collaboration on search algorithms resulted in a suite of technologies that are integral to modern life, according to Post-it.
Procter & Gamble (William Procter and James Gamble): This partnership, built on mutual respect and a focus on the company’s welfare, has resulted in a successful and enduring business. I imagine everyone of us here today have Procter and Gamble products in your home!
In WW2 The Allied Powers of America and England and Russia helped defeat the Nazi Regime. No nation alone would have been able to defeat such a formidable enemy. The Allied Powers counseled together and formulated strategic plans to defeat the enemy on different fronts of the war. Thankfully, we live in a free nation through those efforts. But as we bring this back to the church and our spiritual lives:
Jesus chose 12 men who would become the nucleus of the church’s beginning.
Jesus chose the 12 disciples. He counseled and prayed with them. And it was through these men that he would establish the church. And when the church was formed, we see that often the church relied upon the prayers and teaching of the apostle’s to secure their first steps as the Early Church. The scriptures indicate that they held all things in common and had tremendous solidarity as the church moved forward. Nobody lived in isolation. They held all things in common and nobody was in need. That is quite an incredible movement. And it was all directed by the Holy Spirit as the believers united together to form a community of faith. That is still happening today!
Personal Take. We are not meant to be “lone ranger Christians”. For many years I lived in a very isolated area. It was beautiful and peaceful. I certainly never desired to leave that location or lifestyle. But God had other ideas. And better ideas. And we have come to know that God has not called us to be comfortable or for life to be convenient or even choosing the easiest path. But at the time my mindset was more of isolation wherein I would simply live life as I wanted and not have to worry about other people’s lives. It was a very private and almost stoic existence. But it was through my local church that I recognized how much I needed the church community, particularly in difficult times. And it was from there that I discerned a call to the ordained ministry. After I completed seminary, I tried to go back to NC where I actually became a Methodist while doing Youth Ministry years ago. But the door closed through decisions from the Board of Ministry. I was searching for direction and where God would take us. I was open to go wherever God may lead us.
A clergy representative from Alabama was at the college in KY where I was enrolled in seminary. He knew about my situation and called to talk with me. We went to lunch, and he was very instrumental in my coming to Alabama. It was through his counsel that brought about a new direction that led to ministry opportunities that have been blessed beyond words. The point here is the Holy Spirt worked through the wise counsel of Rev Carl Couliette. I affirm today that in normal but especially critical times the Holy Spirit directs us through the wise counsel of others to help direct us in times of uncertainty. Lastly, the Holy Spirit directs us:
Through Internal Prompting
So what do I mean by internal prompting?
Now I know we must be careful here because the Spirit does speak to us in ways that we may not have a chapter a verse of scripture to match. There was no chapter and verse that led me to Alabama. But that movement was not against anything in the scripture against it and it was confirmed by prayer and wise counsel. And there was an internal peace and nudge of the Spirit to bring assurance about the decision. But we must be careful because the internal prompting can be our own desire, not God’s desire or will.
One young man at college went to a beautiful young lady who was also Miss Kentucky. He spoke to her and said that he believed God was speaking to him about marrying her. She replied to say, “God has never spoken to me about that. I believe if it was from the Lord he would be speaking to both of us!” A great answer from the young lady which exposed the selfish desire posing with a spiritual false front. I mention this as a caution, not to rely only on our feelings or internal prompting.
Yet we see evidence in the scripture and from Church history that the Spirit directed people through prayer and internal prompting. This is especially true in the Early Church. Here are a couple examples:
Antioch Church: The Holy Spirit instructs the church in Antioch to set apart Barnabas and Saul for specific missionary work.
Acts 13:2 And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” It was the prompting of the Spirit that moved them to select Barnabas and Saul. Another example:
Paul’s Missionary Journey: The Spirit directs Paul and his companions, forbidding them to preach in Asia and later guiding them to Macedonia through a vision. Acts 16:6–7 And they passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; and when they had come to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them. We can talk about closed doors or God creating a barrier to move us in another direction.
There are other examples but suffice it so say that the Holy Spirit was directing the steps taken by the Church and the people engaging in the mission of Jesus.
Our own Methodist movement was begun by the Holy Spirit bringing assurance to the heart of John Wesley. And from that experience he went on to establish a movement that is still going on today through our own Global Methodist Church now.
And even more personally, 5 Rivers Church was begun by lay people who felt led by the Spirit to begin anew. We believe this was done through a reliance upon the truth of God’s word, the fervent prayers of God’s people, the counsel and wisdom of like-minded believers and from the inner prompting of the Holy Spirit engaging people to accomplish the necessary tasks to establish a church. We are living proof of the work of the Spirit today.
Personal Take. When the choir sang last week, “Just A Closer Walk with Thee”, I thought that sometimes having a closer walk with Jesus means we must go through some fiery trials and make great sacrifices. I find it interesting that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness where he was tempted by Satan. Nearly all the apostles did great things for Jesus but were eventually martyred. They were guided by the Spirit in their work but that did not mean they did not endure hardship and even suffering. But even in their journey we find they were moved and guided by the Spirit through the Word of God, through prayer, through wise counsel from others and through the inward prompting of the Spirit.
Today I would challenge us to embrace the ways or means through which the Spirit guides us. Maybe you are not in the Word like you need to be? Or you are not praying as you should? Or maybe you are living in isolation like I was previously, and you need the fellowship and counsel of other believers? Or perhaps you have avoided the prompting or nudge of the Spirit operating in your life in decisions you are making. I pray you will respond and be open to allowing your life to be guided by the Spirit in ways that you may be lacking now. I am glad to talk with you further about this if anyone may desire it!
Let us pray… Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire or your love. Send forth your Spirit and we shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth. O God who by the Holy Spirit did instruct the hearts of the faithful. Grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy your consolations. In Jesus Name, Amen.