This morning we continue our series entitled, “Power of Fellowship.” Our last message was entitled “The Holy Spirit Reveals.” It was based on 1 Corinthians 2, where the Apostle Paul told us how the Holy Spirit will reveal things TO us that had been previously concealed FROM us. Today’s message will flow in that same vein. I am calling this one, “The Holy Spirit Guides.” This message will be based on John 16:13, where Jesus said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you into all truth. He will not speak his own words. He will speak only what he hears and will tell you what will happen in the future.”
The picture I want to paint for you today is one of a tour-guide. In this case it would be more of a life-guide. The Holy Spirit is the guide who has been assigned to you by the Father to help lead you through life. I got this picture on Saturday when Isabella and I were in Philadelphia speaking on a panel. One of the Pastors there at the conference talked about two types of people who attempt to experience the Grand Canyon. He said that some do it on their own and others solicit the services of a guide. The guide has already been where he/she is taking you. The guide knows what is unknown to you. So the guide can easily direct you to avoid pitfalls and dangers, while also enabling you to enjoy the journey. If you choose to go without a guide, at best you may not get out of the experience everything you could. But at worse, you could experience danger, pain and peril. All of this could have easily been avoided had you used a guide. For life the guide I am talking about is the Holy Spirit.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. God has given you His Spirit to help guide you through life. The Holy Spirit knows what is down the road and around the corner. You don’t. So if you allow Him to guide you, He can help you avoid pitfalls, dangers and mistakes, while at the same time enabling you to make the most of every situation and opportunity.
2. The Holy Spirit has already been to your future. He now comes back to your present and does all He can to guide you into your destiny. You can fight His leading and ignore His promptings, but you are doing so at your own peril. You are running the risk of missing out on God’s best.
3. Like the person who stubbornly refuses a guide during their trip to the Grand Canyon and attempts to do everything on his/her own, many people stubbornly resist God. Some flat-out ignore Him and His divine promptings. They are determined to “do life” on their own. Don’t let this be you. God gave you a guide for life. His name is Holy Spirit. He will guide you into becoming the best version of yourself.
4. If you had the chance of doing something with a guide who already knows everything about the journey you are about to take or doing it on your own, which would you pick? The obvious choice is leverage the services of the guide. But many, because of pride, want to make decisions on their own. If you make the decision, then you are going to have to live with the consequences of it. If it is your will, then when it comes time to pay for it, it will be your bill. But if you allow yourself to be led by the Holy Spirit, then when you are doing God’s will, it’s His bill. Wherever He leads you, He takes the responsibility to keep you, because you are simply doing what He told you to do. Where God leads, He feeds. Where He guides, He provides. This is a much better way to live.
5. Many people are struggling their way through life unnecessarily. They have the Holy Spirit, but they refuse to allow themselves to be LED of the guide God provided for us. Don’t allow pride to cause you to make this mistake.
6. You can be Born-Again and filled with the Holy Spirit and then still refuse to allow the guide to guide you! Wouldn’t it be a shame to get to heaven and to realize all the things you missed out on simply because you stubbornly refused to allow the guide provided to you by God (the Holy Spirit) to lead you into His will?
7. You can live a good life by obeying God’s Word. But you will never maximize your purpose and potential in life without listening to the Holy Spirit.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You for giving me a guide to help lead, guide and direct me through life. This guide is Your Spirit. Holy Spirit lives IN me. There was a time in my life when I did not know His voice. Then there was a time in my life when I refused to listen to His promptings. But those days are over. I am led of Your Spirit in all things at all times. I allow myself to be led. I humble myself to Your will. I refuse to make decisions on my own. My life is not about me. It’s ALL About You! Your Spirit guides me, I listen, and I maximize the purpose and potential You placed IN me before the world began! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
