The Great Commission
MINISTERING IN CHRIST
Part 4: The Leading of the Lord
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith – www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org
ANNOUNCEMENTS
6:00PM Evening Service at the church –
“Seminary Students will be preaching”
February 1st – Grace Steadman
February 8th – Lynnette Higgins
February 15th – Lori Ulman
February 22nd – Walker Spriggs
March 1st – Deacon Kurt Ulman
WHERE WE ARE AT
† Spending Time with the Lord
† Growing in the Lord
† Maturing in Christ
New Series: Ministering in Christ
Previously:
Committing your life to Christ
The Way to True Service
Light of the World ~ How to be an effective Witness
TODAY’S SERMON: The Great Commission
MINISTERING IN CHRIST
Part 4: The Leading of the Lord
SCRIPTURE READING
Proverbs 16:9, 33
A man’s heart plans his ways, but the Lord directs his steps.
This is one of the reasons it is so important for our hearts to be overflowing with the Good we store up from the Word of God.
Because all of our ways are planned within our heart.
But the Lord directs our paths, if we will listen to the Holy Spirit, and follow His lead.
The Holy Spirit directed Paul on many of his mission trips.
The desire to preach the Gospel and serve the Lord was in his heart, but timing, instruction and leading has to come from the Holy Spirit.
INTRODUCTION
I. TO BE LEAD, WE MUST HAVE A LEADER
We must belong to the kingdom, if we expect that King to lead us.
† Luke 15:7
I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
† II Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
This is the answer to “why” everything continues without God stepping in.
† Matthew 18:11
For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.
14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
When we belong to the Kingdom, then Jesus Christ Himself will lead us in this world through the Holy Spirit.
God dwells in us in the dimension of the Holy Spirit, and it is through this Spirit that we receive our Spiritual Fruits, and Gifts, and guidance by our Lord and Savior.
When we enter into the Kingdom, Jesus becomes our shepherd, and we His sheep.
It is at this point where the Lord will begin to lead us, and He will begin the moment we belong to Him, and will not stop until we go to be with Him in Glory.
He leads even the non-believer…by calling out to them.
Calling to them to enter the flock.
We can trust His leading. He is God!
II. OUR FATHER KNOWS BEST
† Isaiah 55:8-9
8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.
9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
It is impossible for us to understand the mind of God.
We can no more understand the thoughts of God than a fish in the lake understand the thoughts of man.
We are ‘incapable’.
So many lose sleep at night trying to understand that which is impossible for us to understand.
But we can “learn” to trust in the Lord, and He will show us His faithfulness.
In everything we trust in Him, He p[roves Himself over and over again.
He is our faithful guide.
† Isaiah 58:11
The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
Right now we live in a sun scorched land.
Bans lifted on government funded abortions, $337 million dollars spent last year alone on trying to prevent sexually transmitted diseases.
Our nations hand extending to a Muslim anti-Christian system of beliefs that are based on hate and intolerance for all those who do not belong to it.
An economy which has collapsed because of the greed of those in power.
So called “human rights” foundations that are nothing more than fronts for socializing the acceptance of sexual sin and immorality.
We are living in the sun scorched land.
BUT, to those who belong to the Lord…He will satisfy your needs in the sun scorched land.
He will strengthen your frame, you will be like a well watered garden, because your spring will never fail…your spring is the Holy Spirit.
† I John 4:1-3
1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
Many today claim to be of God…
But they deny Jesus Christ, either by word or deed.
† Deuteronomy 32:10-12
10 In a desert land he found him,
in a barren and howling waste.
He shielded him and cared for him;
he guarded him as the apple of his eye,
11 like an eagle that stirs up its nest
and hovers over its young,
that spreads its wings to catch them
and carries them on its pinions.
12 The LORD alone led him;
no foreign god was with him.
† Isaiah 52:12
12 But you will not leave in haste
or go in flight;
for the LORD will go before you,
the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
† Hosea 12:13
13 The LORD used a prophet to bring Israel up from Egypt,
by a prophet he cared for him.
† Proverbs 16:9
In his heart a man plans his course,
but the LORD determines his steps.
CONCLUSION
II Timothy 1:7
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
