Meeting: Sunday Service
Date: 23 June, 2024
Sunday School Topic: Be Spirit Led Conscious
Sunday School Theme: How to be Led by the Spirit of God
Minister: Pastor Olaide Olaniyan
The world has led us and wants to continue leading us even as believers.
(1 Corinthians 12:1-2) – “1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.”
(Ephesians 2: 1-3) – “1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”
The Ephesians’ former way of life did not stop even when they became believers. (Ephesians 4:17) – “17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind.” It is possible to be a believer and your life is still conditioned by a system of leadings that is contrary to God.
Part of the ways that Satan leads us are cerebral desires of the mind, they may not appear evil but they limit the leading of the Spirit in us. We need to exercise ourselves in the leading of the spirit because external information are not tailored to give us life. The Holy Spirit gives us, this is why we must depend on Him to live.
A lot of us have interpreted the leading of the spirit to mean that we’ll have gain in the natural when we yield to it. However, this is not what the leading of the spirit is majorly for – we must be delivered from this sense of gain – “5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.” (1 Timothy 6:5) The only gain the Holy Spirit gives is increase in life. We must be much more conscious of the Holy Ghost giving us life.
(1 Timothy 6:3-9) – “3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; 4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, 5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.” You can’t change the verdict of Jesus concerning what the Holy Spirit is obliged to do. Don’t use the Holy Ghost to profit from hell.
For some of us, the Lord would present all the facts to us for us to be led, because the measure of life you access is limited to the measure of light you get. If we still fail to obey the leading despite the information given, we’ll fall short of the life that was meant to be given.
Sometimes you don’t need some information that comes to you. If you walk in the spirit, every information that is necessary for your life and living would get to you. The leading of the spirit can help you avoid/remove junks when it comes to information.
The principal avenue Satan leads us is within us and through our flesh. (Ephesians 2:3) – “3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” Putting your flesh under is very paramount which would help you shut down external information. Nobody would put your flesh under for you, you have the sole responsibility of putting your flesh under, it is not even the Holy Ghost that would do it, but the Holy Ghost can help you to because He is readily available to help. Putting your flesh under does not happen automatically. “13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” – (Romans 8:13)
If we don’t put our flesh under, we would have the Holy Spirit but not make use of Him. It is important to listen to leading of the Spirit taught by Pastor Mike Ogunoye during Gadites meeting. Fasting is limiting the things that you have rights and privileges to 1st Corinthians 6:12. Fasting is restricting things that are even lawful and focus on things that are edifying. Things that are lawful are shut down and focus on things that edify. Lawful such as friendship, work etc. where Satan cheats us are disciplines of consecrations.
Without understanding the faith life, I would never be able to corporate with the Holy Ghost for leading. The faith life is given for me to increase in the life of God, trusting in the life of God even though I can’t see it. Leading of the Spirit is founded in faith. What the Spirit leads Younis to establish you in the faith life. When the Holy Ghost is leading you
(See Isaiah 43:15-28) Things that are not seen, science does not have an explanation for it. 10:40 am. There is nothing you want to be spiritual for that you would not touch spirit.
On Hearing from God and Submitting to Spiritual Authorities
(Acts 20:24) – “24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”
(Acts 21:10-13) – “10 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. 11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. 12 And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
When we say God does not lead us principally by prophets, we mean that God is personally interested in talking to us first before any other person. Referencing Acts 21:10-13, we can see that everything Agabus said in that passage, Paul already knew.
Paul had stature as he was already a prophet at Antioch, so he could judge what Agabus said. Agabus on the other hand saw something, but he couldn’t give a correct interpretation of what he saw. In essence, he judged from his natural knowledge. Judgement comes into place when there is adequate stature. This also applies to the leading of the spirit, in this situation, it’ll take spiritual authorities to help you judge your leadings.
Leading of the Spirit is not optimism, it is not desiring favourable results, what we must know is to be raised to have judgement. It takes ages to have spiritual judgement. The whole church did not have age to discern the will of God for Paul. Paul insisting on going to Jerusalem meant that the will of God should prevail regardless of what happened to him. God opened the door of going to Jerusalem to Paul, if not, some of the epistles may not have been written. The most important thing is to take pleasure in the things of God
(Isaiah 8:19-20) – “19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? 20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”
Sometimes you weigh judgement according to the light you have and one of the things that gives you more light is submission to authority.
THE END