THE WORD

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THE WORD

Al

The Preaching Ministry of Ashley River Baptist Church

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Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God Reality 4 (Part B): God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways. GOD SPEAKS THROUGH CIRCUMSTANCES: Every experience must be controlled and understood by the Scriptures. The key is to interpret an experience against the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit uses the Bible, prayer and circumstances to speak to us and show the Father’s will. Jesus watched the Father’s activity. John 5:17, 19-20. God used circumstances to reveal to Jesus what He was to do. Likewise, we see what God is doing and adjust our lives, our plans and our goals to Him. God’s Perspective is Vital. Trying to see God in the midst of circumstances may provide a distorted understanding of God. The Spirit of God will take the Word of God and help you understand your circumstances from God’s perspective. Do not try to understand what God is like from the middle of your circumstances. THE TRUTH OF YOUR CIRCUMSTANCE—We cannot know the truth of our circumstance until we have heard from God. (Exodus 5:22-23; 6:12) Go to God: Ask Him to reveal the truth of your circumstances and to show you His perspective. Then wait on the Lord. KEY: Look for ways in the circumstance that His purposes can be accomplished to bring Him glory. HEARING FROM TRUTH: Remember: Truth is a person! Reality is not the circumstance. Reality is found in the Lord of the circumstance who is Truth! John 6:1-15 PHYSICAL MARKERS OF SPIRITUAL ENCOUNTERS (Joshua 4:6-7) Identify “spiritual markers” in your life. A spiritual marker identifies a time of transition, decision, or direction when you clearly knew that God had guided you. Look back at these spiritual markers and see more clearly the directions in which God has been moving your life and ministry. Next, look to see which one of the options before you seems to be most consistent with what God has been doing in your life. When circumstances do not align with what God is saying in the Bible and in prayer, assume that the timing may be wrong. Wait for God to reveal His timing.

REALITY # 4 - God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the …CHURCH… the members of the body to help others know and understand God’s assignment for their lives. Body of Christ: The church is a body. It functions best when all members are able to share what they sense God wants the church to be and do. Members of a church cannot fully know God’s will for their lives in the body apart from the body. God places every member in a church to accomplish His redemptive purposes in that church. It is the body of Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:27) Jesus Christ is present as Head of a local church. (Ephesians 4:15) Every member is placed in the body as it pleases God. (1 Corinthians 12:18) The Holy Spirit manifests Himself to every person for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:7, Ephesians 4:13) What God is doing in and through the body is essential to my knowing how to respond to Him. Where I see Him working in the body, I adjust and put my life there. PAUL: This was Paul’s goal (Colossians 1:28; 4:3; 2 Thes 3:1-2; Ephesians 6:19) Apart from the body, you cannot know God’s will for your relationship in the body. If the members are not talking about what they sense God is doing, the whole body is in trouble. Depend on God to Speak through the Church. Don’t ever be afraid to let the body of believers assist you in knowing God’s will. Sometimes God may speak through one person but His spirit convinces you that the message is from Him. Keep in mind, however, that one individual is not the church. A number of things begin to line up. What you are hearing from the Bible, prayer, circumstances and the church will begin to say the same things. Then you can proceed with confidence. What you do says more about what you believe about God than what you say. Trust God to provide you counsel through believers. Sharing in the Body: It is important to share what God is doing among the members. The church then becomes aware of Christ’s presence in its midst. Sharing what God is doing in your life may help someone else encounter God in a meaningful way as God speaks through us, the church, to other believers. You must pray for your church and the way God is working in and through her members to help believers understand God’s call. Make sure you have a right relationship with God so that when you profess to speak a word from God, it is precisely that. Lord, Guide me through these circumstances to find Your perspective and Your purpose in them and teach me to hear you speak through fellow believers. Thank You for loving me and guiding me.