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Sermon: Guidance
I. Why guidance?
-It's basic; you've heard it a million times; you need to hear it again
-Everyone needs guidance every day of their lives
II. Some basic considerations about guidance
A. Why do we need it?
1. It's not for our benefit. It's so we can do His calling for us
-Ps. 23:1-3 "for HIS name's sake."
2. We need to know that we are in His plan
B. Methods of God's guidance: Most common to most rare
1. His Word
a. Ps. 119:104 "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my
path."
b. Ps. 27:11 "Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path,
because of mine enemies."
c. Jn. 16:13 "When He, the Spirit of Truth comes, He shall lead you
into all things."
d. The Word gives us 99% of the guidance we need in our lives
e. The only time we need guidance outside the Word is when there is
no specific guidance for your situation in the Word
f. Examples of how to receive guidance from the Word:
i. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
ii. Love the Lord your God . . . and your neighbor as yourself
iii. Look out for the interests of others; regard others as more
important than yourself
2. Peace (almost like no guidance at all)
a. God trusts you (big compliment)
b. You must be at peace to feel the peace (rest; don't worry)
c. Remember, the Spirit speaks in a still, small voice (I Kings
19:12)
d. Worry means you're holding on to it. Let it go!
3. God works circumstances in your favor
a. Seems more coincidental than God
b. Romans 8:28 "God makes all things to work together for the good,
for those who love Him, for those who are called according to His purpose."
4. Desires
a. Ps. 37:4 "God shall give thee the desires of thine heart."
5. Thoughts, which ties in with . . .
6. Dreams and visions
a. Joel 2:28 "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour
out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams, your young men shall see visions
b. Peter on the rooftop (Acts 10:13)
c. Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel)
d. Joseph (Genesis)
7. Audible voice
a. Balaam
b. Saul on the road to Damascus
8. Angels
a. Mary and Joseph
b. Elizabeth and Zachariah
c. the wise men
C. When do we need it?
1. Every day (everyday guidance comes primarily from the WOG)
2. In unusual circumstances (not a crisis)
-guidance will generally come from the WOG or a peace
3. In a crisis
-crisis guidance comes by whatever means necessary
**Don't limit God to the spectacular. If most or all of your guidance comes
from the WOG or peace, you're right where God wants you.**
-Doesn't mean if God does use the spectacular, that you're out of His
will.
III. How to get guidance
A. Confess your sins
1. I Jn. 1:9- sins you know about
2. Ps. 66:18- sins you find in yourself upon inspection
3. Ps. 139:23,24- sins God reveals to you
B. Get your priorities right
1. Matt. 6:25-33 "Seek first . . ."
-This whole passage is about worrying about the future
-Don't try to figure your way out, just seek the Lord, and He will
take care of you
-What do we usually want guidance for? Provisions. That's what God
promises
2. Ps. 37:23 "The steps of a GOOD man are ordered of the Lord; and He
delights in his way."
3. Ps. 37:4 "DELIGHT YOURSELF in the Lord, and He will give thee the
desires of thine heart."
C. Listen (take time; meditate on the WOG; give God time to speak)
1. This doesn't mean you just have to sit in one place
2. Keep yourself open to hearing His voice
3. How do we know God's voice?
a. We find God's voice primarilly in the WOG
b. Jn. 10:3-5 We know His voice
c. It takes time to learn the voice of God
d. If we know the voice of God, and not the voice of a stranger,
that means we are spending all our time listening to His voice
-stay close to God all the time (WOG, prayer)
e. Eventually we will get to the point that when God speaks, we
immediately recognize His voice
D. Take a step
1. Is. 30:21 "Whether you turn to the right hand or to the left, your
ears will hear a voice behind you saying, 'This is the way. Walk in it'."
-WE are the ones that turn to the right or left, THEN we hear the
voice
-Just take everything you know about God, and take a step
2. God doesn't necessarilly speak to us every time we want Him to
-He wants us to learn things for ourselves
*Illustration: Alex with the fire truck.*
E. Get to work (put your hands to something)
1. Ps. 1:1-3 The key to prospering in whatever you do is "walking not .
. ."
2. Joshua 1:7 "Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe
to do according to all the Law, which Moses, My servant, commanded unto you;
turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever
you go."
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Guidance