Led by the Spirit
- Acts 8:26-40
- How can we know we are Led by the Spirit? Can we hear from God today like Philip did?
- Do I serve, where do I serve, do I give, how much?
- Some things are obvious
- I don’t need to pray about whether or not God wants me to watch porn?
- Freedom- rules to playing the game so that you don’t disqualify yourself “Out of bounds”.
- What play do you run? pass or run, go for it or punt?
- How do you know individually and us corporately what we are called to do?
- In the book of Acts we see “a continued work of all that Jesus began to do and teach” Acts 1, Jesus began to do, Luke
How can we, like Philip, be led by the Spirit? To hear Him and then have the boldness to do what he says?
If you do this, this will happen. That’s not what I am doing. None of these things can hurt but only help in us being in tune with the Spirit.
#1. You need to be born again.
But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8:10–11
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. Romans 8:14
- Cultural Christians, never understood the Gospel.
And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 1 John 5:11–14
#2. Bear the fruit of the Spirit
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:16–25
- When you do these things you will have a “Good Repute” or a good reputation with outsiders
- Beginning of Philips ministry in Acts 6:3
#3. Start Serving
“… and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:44–45
#4. Proclaim the good news
- In persecution, in providence, in power and in practice
- Acts 8:26
#5. Listen to God.
- What play, what position do you want me LORD?
- Vs. 29
#6. Learn the gospel
- What is the Gospel?
- Learn the scriptures- Learn to bridge the Gospel!
#7. Be willing to go
He had a family. Acts 21:8–9
Testimony
I was on my way to lunch this afternoon and I saw a woman kind of leaning/almost sprawled against a wall with a hopeless look on her face. I realized right then that I could go get something to eat and think about my problems during my lunch break or (because of last night’s study) I could at least go pray with that woman.
I went into CVS and got her some water and granola bars. I then went up to her and asked if there was anything I could pray about for her. She asked for good health and for good to prevail. Her name is Cynthia. I prayed for her and then we talked for a few minutes. I then thought, why don’t I just buy her lunch? We went into Rusty’s and got lunch specials. She was a little nervous that they wouldn’t let her sit in there with all her stuff. It was a little awkward, but no one said anything.
She was so grateful to eat a salad and she told me a little more about her problems. I think she has had some problems with drugs and then there were a lot of issues surrounding her car that she no longer has. I think I have been reluctant to help people in the past because I feel like I have to solve all their problems. Cynthia didn’t require that from me. She was very appreciative of the meal and my prayer.
I just wanted to share this, not to make myself sound good, but just to thank you for pushing us (gently) to be on mission.
I confess in the last month my problems overwhelmed me and I wanted to stop caring and giving and praying. It certainly feels like to me that every time I pray there is an automatic push back and you-know-what kind of storm. I find this difficult to understand about prayer. But the point is to keep putting one foot and prayer in front of the other and keep going. These verses came to mind today. Thank you all for continuing to persevere and reach out to our community in Jesus’ name.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:23-25
Sermon Slides
