The Leadership of the Spirit

 

Introduction: Led by the Spirit to lead in the Spirit

Romans 8:14–For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Ex:  The Lord had me stay awake and really pray about an issue-it was the Spirit provoking me to act upon a situation

-it wasn’t something I anticipated-nor was it something I understood the urgency to be up at 2am!

John 10:27–My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

-I was sensitive enough to know the voice and respond to it’s leading,-when to submit and why, has everything to do with Who or what is the priority in our lives…(this is why prayer and the Word are important, facilitates worship of God 1st)

-so we can test what is right and wrong for us to be led by-if we are submissive to the Spirit of God…

Proverbs 25:2- It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.

–the solutions to problems/issues are concealed by God in the Spirit,-it is the glory of kings (us) to seek out a solution

–if God is not sought for a solution to your concealed issues-how can you lead yourself, other people, companies, churches, organizations etc.?

Ex: you cannot solve problems concealed by God without being sensitive to the Spirit for a solution-so when we call for a priority on the Word and Prayer is to fix what no one else can our heart!

-So when we don’t seek the Spirit for what is being concealed the issue grows-or we try and ignore it with natural solutions-(by that time things implode b/c of a lack of leadership-to find solutions to problems, by enabling or denial

The nature of the gospel is rooted in God confronting and having a solution or answer (Christ) to a problem (sin)-real leadership first confront/admits it, then seeks the Spirit to find solutions to problem

 

Practical use by the Spirit-(Trained out of the natural into the spiritual…)

Hebrews 5:14-But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Ex: “find what is challenging for you”-I find it naturally difficult to be emotionally vulnerable at times-but because I continue to train my Spirit, He is becoming more dominating than my pride (I’m growing to do what is good, humility, vulnerability, etc)

–The reason you may easily gossip, are always jealous, and never battle self-righteousness-is because you are not training in the Spirit, to be sensitive to what is good or evil

-The Spirit sensitizes us beyond our 5 senses to desire to please God-by submitting and operating from the Word/Spirit

Ex:  So we can’t justify natural behavior that is evil, it’s that we don’t train our Spirit-so when the situation calls on us to be godly, we won’t be…(it’s like signing up for a 5k run and expecting to finish high, and you haven’t ran in 6 mo)

-our profession without training makes a mockery of profession-(which makes us not credible)–to profess Christ, and not train, is to make no distinction from those who are unsaved and regulated to their “5 senses”

-we have the Spirit, that makes alive our conscience to Christ, to live for Him and fight against what is evil-first in ourselves and then wherever….(Professing Christ without training in the Spirit is to live in dead religion)

 

Text/verses John 3:1-5 is for context: Main verses 6-10

John 3:1-10-Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

(vs6-7)– An influential life from the Spirit

John 3:6-7-That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  7  Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

–Jesus stuns Nicodemus, who has lived passing down tradition rather than what is truly of God-the Pharisees and the Jews loved to hold onto their traditions, which would rival Christ, the new and living way of the gospel…

Galatians 1:14-16–And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone;

-Paul as a respected and advancing Pharisee had to break from tradition-because it did not affirm God’s call on his life

-Paul’s life was completely turned upside down to live and minister to cultures he never thought he would-had he held onto traditions, he would’ve only ministered to Jews, in the tradition of His Fathers, not Christ..

–Paul says he did not “consult with anyone immediately”, why?-because he is being led by the Spirit, it’s not familiar, it didn’t come from some tradition (or him trying to be like Peter and the other disciples!)

Ex:  most struggles in marriage and raising in children-is that we try and do it from tradition (what we saw growing up) and not from being led in One Spirit…(remember: God reveals problems/issues that you can seek out solutions in Him)

–it takes two people seeking God’s will “As One”-because if my past traditional ways, meet my wife and her past traditional ways, than we never come in agreement  (how much is the Word settling disagreements, sins, and situations in your life?)

John 6:63–It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

-If you can’t find it in your heart to think you need to submit to the Word/Spirit-you need to be born again, a Christian recognizes that is life!-(which breaks from any tradition that rivals the Spirit of God)

Without knowing it, Nicodemus was leading His life not in God, but in the traditions of his past-how much of your life is being led by the Spirit? and how much of it is being led by what is familiar/tradition? (which without God is bondage)

(this is what pushed Nicodemus to come visit Jesus at night…inquiring away from the pressures of tradition)

 

(vs 8)-The Spirit is the “Compass” of our lives, detecting when we are lost

John 3:8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

-Jesus describes the Spirit as one that does what it wishes, like the wind-we don’t know where it came from, nor where it’s going…it does what it wants-(that takes getting used to, b/c we trying to control before Christ)=abuse of all kinds

–The Spirits desire to come and have control over our desire to control-this is what submitting to Christ as Lord is all about

Ex:  right now, without being led by the Spirit-our decisions are made by what we think is right and prosperous for us…

-but we don’t know where we will end up-so we live in this hopeful and naive place that things will turn out o.k…(but we are extremely insecure and fearful=bondage)

–So because we are not submitted to the Spirit or anybody we live in pride that we are right in what we think-yet killing everything around us…

Galatians 1:13-For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it.

-Blind and zealous for tradition, without being led by the Spirit-Paul found himself destroying what God was trying to establish…

Are you destroying what you want established because you are trying to control life without the Spirit?

 

Letting go to the Spirit to be right with God

1 Corinthians 4:3-4-But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.

-Paul learned a crucial lesson without having the Spirit, that he longer trust Himself-nor does he see himself, as the final answer to what is right–(because he knew there was a time he lived confident in himself, and was dead wrong)

–When we live determined to be right, what room are you leaving for the Spirit?-the Spirit of God is more dedicated to His glory than our self-esteem and being acknowledged…(Are you going against the “wind of the Spirit?)

Ex:  Imagine the unity we would foster, opening lines of communication-if it wasn’t about being right, but about what is right…that’s being led by the Spirit

-Maturity is truly shown when we live making it less about people acknowledging you-but you acknowledging God (The Spirit glorifies Jesus, Jesus glorifies the Father)

-There are times when we don’t know where the Spirit of God is leading us, or even why-but the fact that you follow His lead over your old ways and traditions, is confirmation you are born again and growing…

 

Christians cannot influence for Christ, without being led…

John 3:9-10 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?

-Jesus poses a question to Nicodemus to make him consider where is he leading people,-because as a teacher of Israel surely he has come across all the ways the Spirit led Moses, David, the prophets, etc.

-but Jesus points out, how can you lead people to God Nicodemus, and you’re not led by the Spirit of God?-you are leading according to traditions of men, which is a pit...Matthew 15:14-Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

-so by being in a leadership position, by not being born again and led by the Spirit-he cannot influence people for God, though he professes to know God…

Ex:  that’s why we can come to church all day, but if I am not led by the Spirit-what I am influencing people with?=our tradition and our ways…which leads to more of a pit!

–Look at what you grew up influenced by, and be honest enough to recognize it in yourself-and know you need to be redeemed and sanctified by the Spirit

Hebrews 10:14-For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

–When love for God overtakes our love for self and our ways-you’ll fight all “traditions” that block people from seeing Christ (but that starts with being born again and having a heart to submit to the Spirit)

 

Conclusion:  A lasting impression

at the crucifixion of Christ, Nicodemus visits the burial of Christ…

John 19:39-Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight.

-Because Nicodemus saw himself as someone who followed God-but then found himself going the wrong way in meeting “True Life” all in the conversation with Jesus, turned to honor His burial…

-The conversation obviously made him consider, that he was going his way, in the traditions he had seen,-instead of being led by the Spirit of God. (do you let the Spirit of God minister to you?…explain)

-Remember Nicodemus came at night, because to follow this “new guy” Jesus was radical-and breaks with hundreds of years of tradition…(but real faith is the courage to follow Jesus as Lord with a new identity in Him, not in our tradition)

–When God opens you up to freedom, it seems drastic to change-but in the Spirit, freedom will always be more appealing than slavery

-The struggle is that we have emotional ties to those things He calls us away from-the Spirit causes you to start examining your ways, for liberty /freedom in Christ!…(Abraham and Hagar-control vs. God’s promise-Genesis 21)

Galatians 5:1-For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.