Ch. 9 - The Guided Life: Receiving Guidance from the Holy Spirit

Let me start by saying this chapter makes me uncomfortable. Therefore, I am going to offer some cautions to take about receiving guidance from the Holy Spirit. I don’t want to discount what Ortberg says in this chapter. I understand that Ortberg is trying to say, “when we listen to God, we receive guidance from the Holy Spirit”—that biblically makes sense (i.e. Galatians 5:25). The part that makes me uncomfortable is how we receive that guidance. It may be me being overly cautious, but it seems to me Ortberg leaves the door too wide open for the possibility that God speak to us directly? Now, Ortberg admits he has never heard God speak to him audibly and I don’t hesitate to say I have never heard God speak to me audibly or directly. However, I do believe God guides us through his Holy Spirit.

Before I mention how, I want to first offer some cautions and reasons why it makes me uncomfortable when I hear someone else say that God has spoken to them.

1.  Cults: Throughout history, people have used that as an excuse to do destructive and evil things. For example, most cult leaders claim to have some divine link to God. Their atrocities range from sexual molestation, to mass suicide, to creating entirely new false religions.

 

2.   It creates conflict: If you say God told me to do something and someone else says God told me the opposite. Who’s right? …because God doesn’t contradict himself. (Mt. 12:25)

 

3.    Adding to scripture: God warns us not to add to or take away from his Word (Rev. 22:18-19). This is a slippery slope that creates division amongst the churches.

 

4.    Free Will: God has given us free will. If you take being guided by the spirit to the extreme it can paralyze you and you will constantly be questioning yourself and others. For example, there is wisdom in the person, who asks, is it God’s will that I buy this house or take this job. But what about the question, is it God’s will that I eat at McDonald’s or Taco Bell for lunch. It sounds ridiculous, but where do you draw the line?

 

I think the line can be drawn or best understood with Ortberg’s statement on page 150,

 

“God’s purpose in guidance is not to get us to perform the right actions.

His purpose is to help us become the right kind of people”

 

How does God speak to us?

 

A)    Through the Bible: The Holy scriptures from Genesis to Revelation are God’s inspired word to the church. 2 Timothy 3:16^NLT says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,” In other words, God’s speaks to us through his Word and thus helps us become the “right kind of people”.

 

B)    Through other Christ Followers: Ortberg speak to this on page 153.
 

C)    Through Revelation: In scripture we have seen revelation happen indirectly through prophets and angels and then directly through prayer and dreams.

 

First let’s address ANGELS: The Bible says it is possible. Hebrews 13:12^NIV - Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. However, the caveat seems to be in this verse that we might not actually realize we have talked or interacted with an angel.

 

PROPHETS: A few prophets talked directly to God, Moses comes to mind. And in the NT, even though Paul was considered an apostle,  he meets many of the descriptions of that of a prophet one of which is-- the risen Christ spoke to Paul directly. There are a few other examples, but sense this happened so sparingly in the Bible, I question when I hear of prophets today. Why, because God plans for Christ (the Messiah) and his Church have been implemented. In essence, an argument can be made that the need for the role of a prophet is no longer needed because God has already acted and spoken.

 

Then there are those with the gift of prophecy. Those who have the gift of prophecy are not Prophets. One is a spiritual gift and another is a specific calling by God to deal with his people (plural). We don’t have time to address the gift of prophecy, but I will say this. The Prophets of the Bible “prophecied” only 5% of the time and sometime less than that. And so, I question those with the gift of prophecy today when they “prophecy” more than a Biblical prophet. The primary purpose of those with the gift of prophecy is NOT to speak of the future, but to declare what God has already said to be true. Their job is to deliver the truth of God with incite and discernment in order to help an individual repent from their sin.

 

DREAMS: God spoke to people through dreams in the Bible, Joseph (the earthly father of Jesus) comes to mind. Also, Joseph (one of the twelve’s son of Jacob) comes to mind. I don’t know if God still speaks to us this way, but he can if he wants, remember he’s God. I tend to think that he does, not because I have experienced it. But others close to me have. However, in each instance it seems to be a one time deal not an ongoing gift or ability. The one instance that comes to mind was when my sister-in-law had a dream that our home caught on fire and the cause of the fire was in our dryer vent. Out of curiosity I checked our vent, and to my surprise I found a dead bird clogging up the vent. Lent was building up around it and it was a fire hazard! Did God speak through my sister-in-law. I can’t say definitively, but I sure won’t rule it our either. Before I became a pastor, one of the sweetest and most loving faithful Christian ladies I know told me she had a dream that I would become a preacher. I told her she was crazy and that it would never happen. She kept having the dream and I kept telling her she was crazy. Now was God speaking directly to her, did she have the gift of prophecy to see into the future. I don’t know, but years later when I decided to make the commitment to become a preacher-I’d be lying if I said her words to me had no bearing on my decision. I remember having to eat crow when I told her, but it was the best crow I’ve ever eaten.

 

PRAYER: Most people think of prayer as a time we speak to God, but it’s actually one of the best times to listen to God. Ortberg lays out in the opening for this chapter that in order to receive guidance from God you have to be willing and able to listen. Prayer is the best time for this. And while in prayer,  what are we listening for…an audible voice? NO, we are listening for the Holy Spiri’ts guidance on what God has already revealed to be true in his Word.

 

Concluding Takeaways: When you need Spiritual Guidance
 

1)    Pray – Don’t let the noise of the world and your own desires drown out God’s voice. Listen to God in your quiet time (1 Kings 19:11-12 ^{Look up this verse, you’ll see what I mean).} You need silence and solitude for this—without it you won’t be able to hear God very well.

 

2)    Pay attention – God opens and shut doors. Use common sense when making decisions.  If God is calling you to do something, he’ll open the doors if you follow him in faith. If you decide to not listen to God and break down or through doors in life that he really does not want you to go through, you’ll suffer the consequences and he’ll get your attention one way or another.  2 Corinthians 2:12^(NLT) - When I came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ, the Lord opened a door of opportunity for me.

 

3)    Test -  So however you hear from God, use wisdom and discernment and test the message. 1 John 4:1^(NLT)  - Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. If some tells you God told me this, then test it against God’s Holy Scripture. If it contradicts the Bible, their message is not from God. If you feel God is calling you to do something that is a sin or contradicts God’s Word, it’s not from God. For example, if you hear a voice say, it’s ok to cheat on your spouse, that’s not God’s voice. If you hear a voice tell you to take a job that compromises your Christian values, that’s not God’s voice. If you hear a voice tell you to help someone financially and you’re in debt and can’t even feed your own family, that’s not God’s voice. God won’t have you grossly neglect your family at the expense of helping another family.

“HE WHO HAS EARS TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR”!!!

 

Jason