October 7, 2018
Personal Heart of God
The Holy Spirit:
How He Seeks You vs How to Seek Him
How the Holy Spirit Seeks You
The Holy Spirit often talks to us when we’re going through our every day life, and something tugs on our hearts and sidetracks us from where we were going mentally.
Acts 8:26-31
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet.
29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
Acts 6:35-38
35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.
Sometimes, the Holy Spirit speaking into our lives is less about the specific of what to say or do, and more about Him just highlighting a person to us:
- We could be walking through a crowded room, and feel the pull to speak to someone.
- We could be reading scripture and be prompted to pray that scripture over someone specific.
- We could be talking with someone about normal stuff, and hear a still small voice pushing us to encourage them.
There are also times where the Holy Spirit puts passions in us that we didn't realize were there before:
- Having a sudden urge to teach people.
- Having mercy well up in us and feeling the need
to serve the broken hearted.
- Realizing you love to lead people.
If you hear anything from God, run it through a quick “wisdom test”
- Count the Cost
- If it’s a small cost
then go for it, if the cost of what He tells you is huge, make sure it's Him before you act.
- Check it with the Bible
- Everything God says will line up with the bible.
- Check it with Other Believers
- Talk to someone who has a great relationship with God and ask them to pray too.
- Ask God Again
- God will never contradict Himself,
so ask Him to confirm.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-22
19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil.
How to Seek the Holy Spirit
There is a huge difference between knowing the Holy Spirit is there and communicating with the Holy Spirit.
And, theres a difference between just communicating with Him, and letting Him have influence and control over your life.
Seeking Him is a lot like we just talked about Him get our attention, but it’s a lot more intentional. It’s us asking God specificlaly to speak and do things in and through us.
Romans 8:26-27
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
We have access to God Himself, and He not only loves us enough to speak into our lives, but He also wants us to be more potent when it comes to building His Kingdom!
Jeremiah 33:3
Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.
None of us are prophets like in the Old Testament, but He does give us spiritual gifts to be able to hear and respond to His call.
- Be in the Bible.
- Obey no matter what He calls you to.
- Be bold.
- Do it in community.
- Always stay connected to God.
John 15:4
4
Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
Connection Card
- I will start seeking the Holy Spirit in my day-to-day life
- I will listen harder to be ready when the Holy Spirit speaks
- This week, I will start to find out what giftings the Holy Spirit has given me
