June 20, 2010 - SpiritFire:

Listening to the Spirit's Voice (2 Timothy 3:14-17; 1 Corinthians 2; Ephesians 1 & 5)

Key Question:  How does the Holy Spirit speak today? Or does the Spirit speak to us today?

Kernel Message:

1. This sometimes get's confused as meaning exactly the same thing as "what do you think about speaking in tongues"? While we will briefly address this issue, we will focus primarily on what the New Testament clearly teaches on how the Holy Spirit speaks to us today!
2. Clearly, the Scriptures are one of the ways the Spirit speaks to us (2 Timothy 3:14-17)
   • The most often declared truth about the Holy Spirit is that the Spirit inspired a message and messenger from God to proclaim God's truth!
   • But notice two crucial things in relation to this truth
     • The importance of a human example to display the truth that is proclaimed (incarnation). So while the Spirit uses the Scriptures as a tool to communicate to us, the Scriptures are not the ultimate communication of God.
       • Jesus is God's ultimate message! (John 1:1-18; Hebrews 1:1-3) In other words, any interpretation or application of Scripture that doesn't square with Jesus is misunderstanding or misapplication of Scripture.
       • And the Holy Spirit works far beyond the work of inspiring the Scriptures. The Spirit works to help us become what Jesus intends for us to be (2 Corinthians 3:18) and the Spirit speaks, convicts, leads, motivates, clarifies, and guides us to know and do the will of God! (Ephesians 6:17 cf. 1 Cor 2; Ephesians 1:17-20; 5:15-17; 1 John 2)
       • And any understanding of the Spirit's work in us that conflicts with what the Spirit has taught us through Scripture and made clear in Jesus' life and teaching, is not of God. That is why we are taught to test the spirits to see if they are from God (1 John 4:1-3). That is why we are called into Spirit-filled community whose chief goal is loving like Jesus (1 Corinthians 13). That is why we are called to worship with other Spirit-filled believers so the message of God can be heard and applied by the Spirit (Ephesians 5:15-17)
3. So, rather than being dogmatic about how the Spirit can and will speak to us -- tongues, insight, visions, conviction -- I would rather us be humble about what say God can or will not do, and be committed to the Scriptures and invite the Holy Spirit to use them, our worship, and each other, to make God's message clearly known to us and lived out in us! [Grady King - I've yet to meet a Christian who did not know more truth than he or she was actually living.]

Practical Pieces of the Message:

• Scenario: Noise! It's everywhere. Books! They are everywhere. Messages! Can be found everywhere. So what do I listen to? What do I trust? How do I know truth is God's truth? [Old RCA "listening to his master's voice]
• Promise: Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth. The Spirit is the anointing that helps us know truth from error. The Spirit is God's presence to powerfully conform us to the nature of Christ in our thoughts, words, and deeds.

Key Point:

• Our call is to more intentionally invite God's Spirit to inform us of what we should do, conform us to God's will, and transform us to be like Christ!

Key Scriptures:

• Galatians 5 (led by the Spirit)
• Ephesians 1:15-20; 5:15-17; 6:18-20
• 1 John 2 & 4
• 1 Corinthians 2
• 2 Timothy 3:14-17

Drama, Media, & Connecting Pieces:

• A Couple of Great old Songs that I request we sing at both services. Great messages and a connection to our past.
  • Lord Speak to Me That I May Speak
  • My Stubborn Will at Last Has Yielded
• Pre-video:
• Key Video:
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• God Story Videos:
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• Scripture Reading & Prayer: Please read all of these at both Daybreak & Refresh for our Scripture reading out of the TNIV!
• 1 Corinthians 2:12-16
• Romans 12:1-2
• 2 Corinthians 3:17-18