SAINTS COMMUNITY, IKORODU

DECEMBER MARCH OUTLINE (SUNDAYS)

DECEMBER SUBJECT MATTER HOW TO BE LED BY THE SPIRIT

OF GOD.
WEEK 1 LEADING IS BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, NOT OPPORTUNITIES.

What does it mean to be led by the spirit?

Gods will and purpose is primary to our success in life.
Gods spirit has been given to lead the believer.
Rom 8.14
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There's a destiny in the world and there's a destiny in God.

We are in this world (physical) and there's a god of this world (2 Cor 4.4, 1 Cor 2.6-8)
1 Cor 2.6-8
These include men who rule our nation who dont know God. The believer must never subject
himself to their dictates lest he subtly is led of the god of this world. God wants us to be led by his
own spirit. Not everything that happens to the believer is God leading him. As children of God, our
destiny is in God. We arent to be programmed by this world or by its events.
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The fact that its Gods will doesnt mean it will automatically come to pass

Gods will in salvation is that all, men are saved (1 Tim 2.4, 2 pet 3.9) but not all are saved, same as
for healing but not all men are healed (3 jn 2)

Rom 8.14
As many as are led by the spiritnot opportunities.
The word led is the word borne, to be carried.

Ecc 9.11
Chance refers to opportunity. This was an observation of Solomon. We dont live by time and chance
it doesnt happen to the believer because he's led of the spirit.

Rom 8.14
Why does the spirit of God lead us?
Because we are sons of God.
How?
Every child of God has the spirit of God Rom 8.9, 14-16. Every believer is the temple of the spirit 1
Cor 3.16, 6.19

Being led by the spirit is the grace of God to us. Its the free gift of God. Time and chance mean its
okay but doesnt mean you are led.
For instance,
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God told joseph to leave with Jesus when Herod wanted to kill the children which wasnt at
the moment evident.
What would have happened if he or the wise men didnt yield to the spirit of God
John the Baptist couldnt have known Jesus was to take away sins until it was revealed to
him.

Not listening can cost us.

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Acts 10.1-15Many times, God is speaking ahead of us. He doesnt live in time. He had seen
that men were going to come to him.
Success in life is dependent on how we follow the leading of the spirit.
There are clear instructions on reaching out (Acts 1.8, Mk 16.15-16) but in Acts 16, Paul is
refrained by the spirit not to go into Asia.
Paul had the greatest results in Asia despite been told prior.

The Christian must not live by common-sense, opportunity or peoples experiences but by the word
of God which teaches him that he's led of the spirit.
Being led of the spirit isnt dependent on the believer but God. We dont pray to be led but to
receive his leading.
Rom 8.14
to be led means to birth, to carry. It involves guidance also. He leads us all the time because he's in
us. The spirit of God resides in us forever (jn 14.16), so he leads us forever.

Leading in marriage?
1 Cor 7.39
Paul says to marry in the Lord i.e. marry as permitted and inspired by the Lord Jesus.
We need to understand from the word how the spirit of God leads us primarily via his word. God
would many times speak to us when the word is taught. When fed the word, you would be able to
know the voice of God.

Pro 3.5
There must be an attitude of the believer to trust God daily. Its better to be a little slower than God
than to be ahead of him. God would always ask the believer to walk in his blessed plans.
WEEK 2 AND 3 WHERE THE BELIEVER IS LED/THE INWARD WITNESS
Rom 8.14, Ecc 9.11
Just like we have the spirit of God, we have the spirit of this world which encourages people to live
by choices they get, their flesh, desires, feelings but the word of God isnt like that.
Ecc 9.11
Solomon was talking about the problem of humanity that when he's successful, he's just lucky.
However God doesnt want chances to lead us.
Jn 8.12
Jesus is the light of the world. The word of God is the light of the world.
Jn 1.1-4
He's the light of men (of the world). The believer therefore cannot walk in darkness because he has
the light of life. When there's light, you dont go searching for light.
Pro 4.10-12
God doesnt lead us to stumble. We are led in clear and open paths of life.

Because something is Gods will doesnt mean it will always happen (1 Tim 2.4, 2 pet 3.9).
God in his own will has given man a choice. It doesnt change the fact that we have a choice to follow
leading or receive the word.

How does he lead us?

Pro 20.27
Light is to guide. That light is in our spirits. Direction isnt in time and chance.
What we see doesnt necessarily reflect who we see.

An example
Man is a spirit. What is outward doesnt necessarily reveal what is inside.
1 Sam 16.7
In the natural, Samuel saw Jesses elder sons look like the Lords anointed until God spoke.

Man is a spirit. If we cant see God, we cant see the devil or man (Gen 1.26-28, jn 4.24, 1 The 5.23
speaks of man spirit, man soul, man - body). Spirit is the word pneuma in the Greek and it
describes man jn 3.8).

Where does God guide us?

In our spirits (pro 20.27).

A distinction between spirit, soul and body.

Mans spirit and soul are distinguished in the word heb 4.12.
Man feels with the body, contacts intelligence with the mind and is led in his spirit. His body refers
to physical matter, things we can touch and see. The soul is seen as the seat of his
thinking/understanding/logic/emotions and personality.
Rom 8.14-16
Leading is in our spirits.
The unsaved man is called dead Eph 2.1-4.
The spirit of God works in the believer, the spirit of the power of the air works in the unbeliever.
Eph 4.18
He again the unbeliever as one in vanity of mind i.e. his understanding (emotions) is darkened. Paul
is therefore warning the believer not to live like the unbeliever whose understanding is darkened.

1 Cor 2.6, 10-14, 16

God cannot be contacted by seeing, hearing or perception. His plan is known because a man has his
spirit. God therefore cannot be known by analysis. Analysis is limited the mind of man couldnt
have known Herod was trying to kill Jesus for instance.
Intellect cant take one far; you have to listen to the spirit of God. Dont rely on your mind to lead
you in life pro 3.5.
Do the possible and let God do the impossible.

Does God lead with evil?

Rom 8.28
In the context of the chapter, he was referring to redemption i.e. things of God (election,
foreknowledge, predestination) working together for the good of the one that God loves.
He wasnt referring to sickness, disease, etc. Acts 10.38; or evil counsel Psa 1.1.

Ecc 9.11, 10
Solomon was pointing to the fact that in the travail of life, nothing is permanent. He wasnt revealing
the will of God.
Gods plan is to lead us. Jesus was led by the spirit (matt 4.1).
Leading doesnt mean all would be rosy or interesting, it means you arent subject to chance or
experience.
Pro 20.27
God leads us in our spirits. The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord i.e. that is where light is, where
to follow Gods leading.
Eph 5.13-18
Everything is revealed by light v13
V15 see then i.e. because Jesus has given you light.
V16 make the most use of time
How?
V17 by understanding what the will of the Lord is. To understand means to comprehend from
every side.
V18 to understand the will of the Lord, you need to be filled with the spirit.

The primary way God leads us is via his word. How? By teaching. If you are acquainted with the voice
of the word, you will be able to discern the spirit of God. Whenever we pay attention to it, we will
recognise the more; the spirit of God. You cant know the voice of God if you dont spend time with
him.
We know his voice by receiving wisdom in his word col 3.16, Eph 1.17, col 1.9-11.
The voice of the word is the voice of the spirit.

Philip
Acts 8.26-29 he knew it was the Lord because he must have been used to his voice.
Peter
Acts 10.19 often when we heard the spirit speak, it had to do with the believer; the speaking was
related with the believer.
God always leads the believer inspite of him, all he needs to keep doing is to receive the leading of
the spirit. The issue with the believer is if he is rightly positioned to receive from God.
Its for him to know where the signals are coming from and how the signals come.

The Inward Witness

Rom 8.14-16
Abba means father (said for the sake of emphasis i.e. the fatherhood of God).
The presence of the spirit of God relates with God as our father.
V15 to bear witness means to give evidence i.e. to testify.
The evidence we are sons of God is his word and that witness has been borne already.
The primary way he leads the believer is via the inward witness. The spirit bears evidence with our
spirits that which is the word of God.
The inward witness is the evidence of the spirit in us. Its the expression of the holy spirit in the
human spirit (i.e. the new creation Rom 8.9, 1 Cor 6.19, 3.16).
Whether its sadness, joy or there's an expression, the inward witness is the expression of the human
spirit born again which endorses, refutes (i.e. disagrees), or agrees with a report, or fact that is
exposed to it. A fact has to be exposed to it.
It doesnt work without a fact something must be exposed to it.

What it is not
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Its not formed from your opinion or existing set of knowledge

Its not the same thing as being taught or meditation
It doesnt bring fear to you 2 Tim 1.7, 1 jn 4.18

For instance, Peters doubt and the voice of the spirit werent the same.
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Its not a voice as such but a witness, evidence, emotion in your spirit.

Acts 16.16-18
It wasnt literal to know she was possessed but Paul for many days had that fact (what she said)
exposed to him. He was grieved in the spirit.
Acts 14.9
He perceived in the spirit
Acts 17.16
His spirit was stirred.

Eph 4.29-30
There can be an annoyance from the spirit.

How does the inward witness work?

On things heard and seen.
Acts 20.22
Paul was bound i.e. compelled in the spirit.
Acts 21.8,10
They prophesied that Paul shouldnt go to Jerusalem. They revealed the facts to him that he would
be bound but he was convinced by the inward witness to go.

WEEK 4 THE INWARD WITNESS EXPLAINED

Rom 8.14, Ecc 9.11, 3.1-10, Pro 20.27

THE INWARD WITNESS

It doesnt tell you who a person is (pro 18.22).
The most important aspect is for me to expose it to my spirit. What is seen outside doesnt depict
whats inside.

Pro 3.5
We must acknowledge the /Holy Spirit in our dealings.
The leading of the spirit isnt your responsibility but Gods. Its our responsibility to find out how God
is leading us. There's no time you dont have the leading of the spirit. The issue is following.
1 Cor 2.9-10
Its our responsibility to find out what God has revealed.

Whatever you focus on is what you receive. Man is a product of influence. The mind would think, and
reason things out your mind isnt evil but your logic can never be exact. It is limited.
Your thinking/reasoning can be wrong.
Your feelings can be wrong as your body responds to emotions. They arent always wrong but not
always right. The leading of the spirit is always right.

Practical things about the inward witness

1. Never be in a hurry. It defies logic.
We live in a world thats always on the move.
If something is unclear in your spirit, dont be in a hurry.
Acts 16.16-17
Acts 20.22 he knew what would happen but didnt make a move immediately.
Revelation would come when you are patient.
PRACTISE BEING SLOW.
2. Learn to wait i.e. keep silent
The inward witness can be quietened when you are too active.
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Jam 1.119 practise silence

When waiting, wait in the word and get full of the word.
For instance, Paul
Acts 20.22 he didnt know
Acts 21 he was sure
Acts 16 he reacted after many days of hearing the same things.
What did Paul do regularly?
1 Cor 14.18 he spoke in tongues regularly
Tongues must have been a making of his life.
How?
1 Cor 14.2,4
V2 when we speak, hidden things are revealed
V4 he's edified, i.e. improved upon
When we pray in the spirit, its clearer what Gods saying to you.
What to avoid to enjoy the inward witness
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Avoid evil communication psa 1.1, pro 13.20, 1 Cor 15.33

When there's an impression on my heart, I should wait to affirm what I have on my mind Deu
19.15, 2 Cor 13.1, Matt 18.16.
Paul got confirmations twice or more. A second confirmation is safe.
Sometimes the confirmation can be in the place of
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Prayer
Study

Learn to receive the leading of the spirit.