THE LEADING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We can’t study the subject of experiencing God and not look at the work of the Holy Spirit. We experience God today in a variety of ways because the Spirit of God dwells and works in and through believers. The Holy Spirit is God’s personal presence within every believer. We learn to recognize the Spirit at work as we abide and walk with Him. The Holy Spirit is not as incognito as we’ve made him. He is someone we experience every day.
We can experience the guidance of the Holy Spirit
The Spirit Leads Into All Truth John 14:15-17 “If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.”
John 15:26 “But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.”
The identity of the other “Advocate” (Grk: “Paraclete”) is now made clear: He is the Spirit of truth.
The Spirit of truth will guide the disciples into truth…and that goes for us too.
We know the truth: Jesus said I am the way, the truth, and the life…(John 14:6) Jesus said Sanctify them by your truth; your word is truth (John 17:17). John teaches Jesus is the Word (John 1:1;14).
Because we know the truth, we can discern what is true and what is not.
V. 17, This is not the case for the world. John 1:10: the world didn’t recognize Him…
Without a radio, radio waves go unnoticed. The Holy Spirit is unnoticed by the unsaved who have no spiritual life. The disciples had some experience with the Spirit (doubtless in preaching and miracle-working), but now His working would be much more intimate. Blum, E. A. (1985). John. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 323). Victor Books.
The Spirit Teaches and Helps us Understand
John 14:25-26 I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you…
John 16:13-15 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’
If you were curious how the apostles were able to give such accurate recording of events and writing of the New Testament books, this is why. The Holy Spirit guided the Apostles just as He did the prophets and leaders of the Old Testament.
In John’s Gospel, the disciples are shown to fail, throughout Jesus’ ministry, in their understanding of Jesus. One of the Spirit’s principal tasks, after Jesus is glorified, is to remind the disciples of Jesus’ teaching and thus, in the new situation after the resurrection, to help them grasp its significance and thus to teach them what it meant. -Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 505). Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.
What Jesus said in the days of His earthly ministry was only partially understood. Three things were needed for the apostles to understand Jesus’ person and mission: (1) His death had to occur. (2) He had to rise again to vindicate His claim and demonstrate His victory. (3) The Spirit had to come (He would be sent by the Father … in My name, i.e., in Jesus’ place and for Him) and interpret the meanings of Jesus’ words and deeds. The Spirit, Jesus said, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. This verse is addressed to the apostles…The Spirit worked in their minds, reminding them of His teaching and giving them insight into its meaning (cf. 2:22; 7:39; 20:9). -Blum, E. A. (1985). John. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 324). Victor Books.
The Spirit’s ministry in this respect was not to bring qualitatively new revelation, but to complete, to fill out, the revelation brought by Jesus himself. -Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 505). Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.
The Holy Spirit isn’t teaching us so we can write books of the Bible, but He does teach us and helps us understand the meaning and purpose of the Word of God.
1 Corinthians 2:14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.
John 8:47 “Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
The Spirit Gives Compelling Direction
The Holy Spirit instructed Peter that three men had come looking for him and told him to go downstairs and accompany them without hesitation (Acts 10:19-20). The Spirit later told Peter to go with these Gentile visitors without concern about their background (Acts 11:12).
The Holy Spirit commanded Philip to approach and walk alongside a carriage, leading to his conversation with the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:29).
Paul felt compelled by the Spirit to travel through Macedonia and Achaia before going to Jerusalem (Acts 19:21). More significantly, Paul described himself as bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem, with the Holy Spirit warning him through various cities that imprisonment and suffering awaited (Acts 20:22-23).
These instances demonstrate the Spirit’s active guidance through direct commands, visions, restraint, and inner compulsion, shaping ministry and missionary direction throughout Acts.
We can experience the Spirit’s conviction
John 16:5-11 “But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. 6 Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. 7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. 9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. 10 Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. 11 Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.”
Acts 2:37 “they were cut to the heart”
The words “convict … of guilt” translate the one word elenxei, “to present or expose facts, to convince of the truth.” The Spirit works on the minds of the unsaved to show them the truth of God for what it is. Normally this process includes human aid (cf. 15:26–27). 16:9. Today the greatest sin is the failure to believe in Jesus (cf. 3:18; 15:22, 24). Most people do not readily admit to being guilty of sin. They will admit to failures or vices or even crimes. However, sin is against God, and people have suppressed the truth of God (cf. Rom. 1:18, 21, 25, 28). The mighty working of the Holy Spirit is necessary to convince and convict people of their desperate plight. -Blum, E. A. (1985). John. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 328). Victor Books.
“Condemnation says, ‘You are unforgivable.’ Conviction says, ‘Come back to Jesus.’”
Jesus doesn’t shame or condemn us in our sin; He convinces us that sin is wrong and that we need His righteousness at the same time!
We can experience the sanctifying work of the Spirit
Galatians 5:16-17 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.
You’ll feel the struggle and the wrestling, and it would be best to follow the Spirit and not your flesh, follow the way out, not the desire and temptation of the flesh.
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
You will experience the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
You’ll also have moments where you go about your day or week and a situation may draw out the flesh, but the Spirit of God rises up in that moment and convicts you to use patience, self-control, gentleness, etc., and you choose the way of the Spirit; you are experiencing firsthand and in real time the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. Don’t take credit for it, though. We all know how easily we can rescind the right decision, and it’s Christ, the Holy Spirit, that is holy and godly.
We can also experience the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in other people…We can see them choose to keep in step with the Spirit instead of following their flesh…more on this another day…
The Spirit changes us from the inside out.
Galatians 5:24-26 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.
Application: How do we discern the Spirit’s leading?
Abide In Christ
How’s our alone time with God going? Are we in fellowship with Jesus (God and the Holy Spirit)?
Listen and Obey the Word of God
Am I digesting the Word of God or have I been digesting everything else? Be careful, a desire for something doesn’t appear out of nowhere; it comes from what we store in our hearts. What are you storing in your heart? Perhaps 3 hours on social media is the reason you want to do something…
Frequency creates familiarity. The voice we frequently listen to will be the one we hear the easiest and trust the most.
We should keep God close enough to hear him speak and lead us. This begins by meeting with Him on a frequent basis and turning down all other voices and noises around us.
Am I being obedient to the basic commands of God’s Word? Have I yielded to the authority of God’s Word, or have I been complacent, or worse, have I been rebellious? How can we discern where the Spirit is leading if we can’t obey the written will of God?
Am I listening to the Holy Spirit? Do I recognize His conviction and direction as I am alone with God?
Am I walking in step with the Spirit or against and/or away from the Spirit?
We can discern with the Holy Spirit because the Spirit guides in truth. We learn to discern as we abide and live in step with the Spirit.
Prayer
Have you spent time in prayer over the decision or direction you are feeling? Prayer invites God to help solve the equation.
Are you truly seeking and submissive to the will of God or do you just want God to bless your will?
There is nothing wrong with asking God to reveal His will with peace or strong faith to move forward or a conviction not to move forward.
Wise Counsel
Seek Godly counsel on the matter. Godly counsel will encourage a very similar process.
Godly counsel can offer an unbiased perspective. Sometimes they can see what to do immediately when you can’t because you are blinded by anxiety or selfish ambition.
Many times, Godly counsel needs time to process just as much as you because we do not know your heart as God does.
Go Not without God
Always return to God after seeking counsel.
Here’s a secret I have realized from personal experience. If you don’t know what to do, then you don’t have peace, and you shouldn’t do anything. It’s time to set that aside and abide again.
If you do feel compelled to do something but you’re anxious, that could mean you need to step out with faith in God (example: lead a Bible study, speak to someone about Jesus, change jobs, etc.)
Discussion
How can you tell the difference between God's leading and your own thoughts or emotions?
Pastor Ryan said, "Frequency creates familiarity." How does regularly spending time with God help us recognize His voice?
What habits help you stay teachable and open to what God wants to show you?
Have you ever sensed God leading you to do something that seemed uncomfortable or unexpected? What happened?
Why is it dangerous to ask God to bless our plans instead of sincerely seeking His will?
Today’s message mentioned several ways to discern God's will, including abiding in Christ, listening to and obeying God's Word, Prayer, and Wise counsel. Which of these comes easiest for you? Which needs the most growth?
What additional notes did you make during the sermon?
How can we pray together for you today?
The most important decision you will ever make!
If you’re ready to trust in Jesus for salvation and eternal life, we encourage you to process this decision with a strong believer and, when you’re ready, say a simple prayer like this from your heart: Dear God, I acknowledge and admit I have sinned. I see my need for Jesus Christ. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I believe I am forgiven and cleansed of my sin by His death. I also believe I have eternal life because of His resurrection from the dead. I repent, I turn away from my old ways, and I choose to live my life to worship you and follow Jesus, Amen!
We would love to know if you decided to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Let us know here.
Pray Together
We hope you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray you can find ways to apply it this week!