A Spirit filled life is a Spirit led life.
REVISION
Last month (April) we spoke about – You’re Full of It!
Week 1 – Being Baptised in the Holy Spirit is necessary to become a witness. (Acts 1:8)
Week 2 – Being born again – Regeneration + Holy Spirit Baptism is a second step past salvation.
Week 3 – Being Spirit Filled means living in the Power of the Holy Spirit.
Week 4 – The importance of tongues as a prayer language and how to receive it.
You are designed as a vessel for the Spirit of God to dwell within.
Man was created to be a vessel for the Holy Spirit to live in. You are called to live a higher life. A spirit dimension life not a natural or carnal life.
1Co 6:19 Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own,
1Co 6:20 You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honour God and bring glory to Him in your body.
Rom 8:5 For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit.
Rom 8:6 Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and forever].
Rom 8:7 [That is] because the mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts and purposes] is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God’s Law; indeed it cannot.
Rom 8:8 So then those who are living the life of the flesh [catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature] cannot please or satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him.
Rom 8:9 But you are not living the life of the flesh, you are living the life of the Spirit, if the [Holy] Spirit of God [really] dwells within you [directs and controls you]. But if anyone does not possess the [Holy] Spirit of Christ, he is none of His [he does not belong to Christ, is not truly a child of God]. [Rom. 8:14.]
We walk in the spirit, being aware of the spirit realm all around us.
Seeing in the Spirit, but more than that; being led, guided and influenced by the Holy Spirit.
He brings conviction – Joh 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
Warning. Act 16:6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.
Act 16:7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.
Act 16:8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.
Act 16:9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
Act 16:10 And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Strengthened. Eph 3:16 May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality].
Comforted Joh 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever–
There are 5 senses, but when you walk in the spirit that means relying on another source of information – the Holy Spirit.
2Co 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
Imagine if you could see in the spirit at all times. Imagine if you could see angels, Jesus, demons.
1Co 2:9 But, on the contrary, as the Scripture says, What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed]. [Isa. 64:4; 65:17.]
1Co 2:10 Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the [Holy] Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God [the divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man’s scrutiny].
1Co 2:11 For what person perceives (knows and understands) what passes through a man’s thoughts except the man’s own spirit within him? Just so no one discerns (comes to know and comprehend) the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
1Co 2:12 Now we have not received the spirit [that belongs to] the world, but the [Holy] Spirit Who is from God, [given to us] that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts [of divine favor and blessing so freely and lavishly] bestowed on us by God.
1Co 2:13 And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the [Holy] Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language [to those who possess the Holy Spirit].
1Co 2:14 But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated.
1Co 2:15 But the spiritual man tries all things [he examines, investigates, inquires into, questions, and discerns all things], yet is himself to be put on trial and judged by no one [he can read the meaning of everything, but no one can properly discern or appraise or get an insight into him].
1Co 2:16 For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart. [Isa. 40:13.]
This passage is about the message that Paul speaks about how his message of the gospel was not conveyed with words of man’s wisdom but through demonstration of power and the Spirit. He goes on to say that it is the Spirit has been given to us to reveal to us all the good things that God has in store for us and has already made available to us. We have received the spirit of God. But the natural man, the man who does not engage with the spirit is one who cant see these spiritual things.
Stories of being led by the spirit.
Jesus was led by the spirit into the wilderness. (Matt 4:1-11)
Paul as above.
Are you a spirit man? A spirit woman?
Walking daily with the Holy Spirit. So close, always waiting on Him, always hearing His voice.
So the outworking of this – what does it look like?
- When you’re going through a tough time, the challenge is on and your mind is screaming – it’s impossible! And you stop and listen to the Holy Spirit. Show me what you want to do, what you want to say to me, Holy Spirit. And your answer comes. You have the mind of Christ and the Holy Spirit comes to remind you of things that you have read in the word of God. – This week for me – He said “It’s going to be alright”
- Someone is reacting badly around you. It may be that you are copping the brunt of it or it may be that you’re just observing, and you step back from the scene and you’re praying, “Holy Spirit show me what’s really going on here.”
- One of the things I am always doing, is asking the Holy Spirit shall I tell this person I’m speaking to, what thoughts are coming to my mind? Sometimes people are ready to hear other times it’s not the right time.
- Before I go into the Police Station (I am a Police Chaplain) I pray – Holy Spirit flow through me. As I am talking to different Police members things happen and they open up their hearts.
- Holy Spirit – why do I find it so hard to forgive so and so? He may just show you an event where you were hurt a long time ago and it’s made you put a wall around your heart. Let Him come and heal you and take away that pain.
There is a conversation between you and God, the Holy Spirit is making the arrangements and guiding your life all day every day.
How do I become a man or woman of the spirit? –
- Reading the word of God – stores up inside you the reservoir of Gods words and values in your heart.
- Praying in the Spirit. – Rom 8:26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
- Have a daily conversation with the Holy Spirit – expect Him to lead you. Ask Him lots of Questions.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- As God designed you to be a human being filled with His Spirit, what do you think that means to us in our day to day life?
- Can anyone in the group share how they felt the Holy Spirit was showing them something?
- What would be an example of a Christian being carnally minded?
- What would be an example of a Christian being spiritually minded?
- How much delight might God receive from walking with you as you walk daily in the Spirit with Him?
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