Spirit-Led Decisions | Rich Casanova | ACTS Series

FA Admin: Welcome to the Faith Alive Sermon Podcast. This is a replay of a past sermon from Faith Alive Church. Whether you missed it, want to hear it again, or share it with someone you know, we're glad you're here. This sermon is by Rich Casanova, Director of Church Operations. Hey, let's talk about today's sermon. We're gonna talk about spirit-led decisions and and what that means and and how do we achieve that? Where do we go with that? And we're gonna draw from Acts chapter 15. We've been in the book of Acts during this entire series, and it's been so phenomenal. Learning about the Holy Spirit and and how that will come and comfort us and guide us. Well, this is all part of that. So Acts chapter 15, I want you to know that the Holy Spirit doesn't just guide individual believers. He also guides the church. He also guides organizations through godly leaders who seek him together. So our key verse, we're kind of starting at the end of the chapter, and then we're going to work our way back around. But I want you to hear this key verse. This is from chapter 15, verse 28. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these few requirements. Why is that important? Notice, notice the order of things. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and then us. That means that decision was made before. And we'll talk about what decision that was talking about. But I want to ask you, as my church family, have you ever faced a decision where there wasn't a clear verse or voice telling you what to do? Should we move, take a job, start a ministry, change the strategy, launch an outreach? You know, I know I don't know about you, but for me, I would love it if God would just tell me like plainly like, dear Rich, take option B, signed God. All right, that would be awesome. But it doesn't work that way. Because God seeks our faithfulness and our trust as we as we work through these different decisions. God works through prayer, scripture, wise counsel, spirit-filled discussion, and unified leadership. See, the early church faced a crisis, was getting ready to split the church. There was big discussion about whether Gentiles would have to convert through circumcision and become Jewish before they could be believers. And there was firm stance on both sides. And so that's very interesting because if you think about that, that question wasn't small. The future of the church hung in the balance. But what we see in Acts chapter 15 is not panic. We don't see anger and profanity and yelling and screaming because somebody doesn't think the same way we think. We see active, earnest, spirit-led discussion. Ultimately, we see leaders following the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit-led churches, Holy Spirit-led families, Holy Spirit-led businesses. Are led on spirit led decisions. So, first of all, spirit led decisions begin with seeking truth, not winning an argument. In our home, my wife and I we're great pals. We love each other very much. Occasionally, we disagree on something. And I've learned over the years our disagreements have two outcomes my wife is right, or I am wrong. But the purpose of our discussion is not to see not to win, not to seek. I love you, but I'm just gonna tell you honestly, if you ever out shouted somebody in an argument and they walked away, you didn't win. They just got tired of hearing you shouting. It's not about winning. It's about seeking truth. And that's sometimes hard for us to swallow when we have when we have things we need to discuss, hard questions. And it is always a disagreement. Sometimes it's it's a tough decision that we have to make. So we have to be spirit-led in that decision. Acts chapter 15, verses 6 through 7. So the apostles and elders met together to resolve this issue. At the meeting, after a long discussion, Peter stood and addressed them as follows: Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you some time ago to preach to the Gentiles, so that they could hear the good news and believe. So the Jerusalem council gathered. Because there was a real theological dispute. This wasn't a minor disagreement about preferences. It was a question that affected the future of the church. And what's remarkable to me about this is that Luke says, the author of Acts, says there was much discussion. So I love that because the early church didn't avoid difficult conversations. We don't need watered-down sermons. We don't need to change the Bible. To suit somebody else's needs. We need to stand firm in the Word of God. And when we seek the Holy Spirit, we're looking for guidance in that. So I will tell you, sometimes we have to lean into those difficult conversations. Most people think that unity means that everyone agrees immediately. But biblical unity is different. Unity isn't the absence of disagreement. It's the commitment to pursue God's truth together. So in our, you know, in our family, if we if we have a disagreement or something, we have to pursue what does God have to say about this? Let's pursue that together. You know, I've used this illustration so many times, but it's really true. Here I am, here's my wife. The closer we are to God, the closer we are to each other. That's just the way and I'm telling you, not not as a matter of being up here. I'm telling you, because I've lived in both ways. Believe it or not, I have been in an argument before. And believe it or not, I haven't won every one of them. But there's a way to seek the truth. There's a way to solve problems. And once you've done it with God as the forefront, once you've let the spirit lead that, I'm telling you, you won't go back the other way. Because you get real traction that way. You gain real ground that way. You solve real problems that way. And that's important. Because in marriage, the goal isn't winning the argument. In parenting, the goal isn't proving you're right. And I'm going to caveat a little bit with parenting. If you have small children, sometimes you just need to have to to nip it, right? You can't have Mountain Dew on your lucky charms because I'm your dad and I said so. That's why. Right? But as they get older and you begin to pour into them and you begin to teach them and you begin to guide them. That's when they need to be involved. Right? That's if that's when you need to involve God in that. The goal isn't just proving you're right. In leadership, the goal isn't just protecting your position. When I was a trooper, I had a young trooper training him, and we were entering evidence into our computer system. And it's very tedious. It's very meticulous. And we're doing it. I had a way of doing it. I am not necessarily the most technologically advanced person, but I'm doing it. And he says, unsolicited, by the way. Sir, there's a easier way to do that. So this was my response. I said, listen, you, when you are working with somebody else or you're on your own, you do it any kind of crazy way you want. But when you're working with me, this is what we do. Now, pay attention. And I did it my way. After he was off the training program, I watched. And then I had to go to him and say, hey, show me that way. That's a lot easier than what I would do. Right? Yeah. It's not about protecting our position. It's about growth. It's about unity. It's about moving forward. So remember that. It's not about winning arguments. The goal is discerning what God desires. That's what the goal is. And sometimes the greatest evidence of spiritual maturity is not how strongly you speak, but how willingly you listen. The phrase translated much discussion or much debate comes from a Greek word. And I, you know, I like, I like getting into the translations. ⁓ that Greek word is zetesis. And what's important about that, that means inquiry, debate, investigation, really diving in. But here's the part I really love. The root of that word, stay with me, right? Is zeteos. Why is that important? Because throughout the entire New Testament, every time something is being sought earnestly, and I'm so what I mean, I mean by somebody really diving in. I need this answer. The root word is zateo every time. So I think that's important that we understand in chapter 15 of Acts, they dove into this thing, not to win the argument, but to find out what direction do we need to go so God's word can get to everyone. And I think that's an important thing. This wasn't a quick meeting. It wasn't a rubber stamp decision. They spent significant time wrestling through the matter. And it's interesting to me because even the leaders, some who there who have walked with Jesus, they did not always receive instant answers. That should be an encouragement to us. I like instant answers. I don't like to wait for anything. I I'm terribly impatient, right? I'm learning. Right, dear? Yes. Okay. Yeah. I don't like to wait. I want to know now. Well, God is working through me with that. Acts 15 reminds us that prayerful patience is often part of God's process because spirit led leaders pursue truth, not victory. So this week, identify a conversation, a disagreement, or decision where you've already formed a strong opinion. Before speaking, pause and pray. It doesn't have to be super long. Think before you speak. Let this and this engage before this does. Now I'm just telling you, I've done it both ways. This has engaged often before this has. It's hurt relationships. It's caused me to make bad decisions. I'm learning. So I don't tell you from a point of loftiness, I tell you from a point of having done it the other way. So I would encourage you to engage this and this before you use that. Because spirit led decisions remember what God has already done. I love that. Right? In Acts chapter 15, verses 8 through 9, God knows people's hearts and he confirmed that he accepts you. Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. This should give you much comfort. He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith. Peter's reminding the council of when he went to Cornelius. He wasn't, as a Jew, he wasn't allowed to go in there, wasn't allowed to eat the things that were being eaten. But he was shown by God, go there, preach to the Gentiles. Because Cornelius was faithful. His heart was cleansed through faith. Not through legalism, not through religious activities. And I think that's really important. He pointed to the evidence of God's activity. Sometimes we become so focused on the future we forget what's God done for us in the past. I've done it. I've done it during my walk. Crying out, Where are you, God? Where I don't see you in this. How come you're not here? Then I go through that little bump, the valley. And then later on I go, ⁓ my goodness. I'm convicted because I saw God was there the whole time. But my own pride, my own whatever kept me from seeing that. So often we have to kind of sit back and remember what God has already done. One of the greatest leadership questions you can ask, leadership in your family, leadership in your business, leadership here in the church, is what is where is God already blessing and moving? Find that out. That's going to do two things for you. One, it's going to give you a thankfulness, right? An attitude of gratitude. But it's also going to be convicting because you're going have to say, okay, Lord, the areas that it's not moving and not being blessed, what am I the hindrance of that? Show me, break my heart for what breaks your heart. Remove the scales from my eyes so that I can see clearly the direction you want me to go. So ask that question. Is the Holy Spirit often confirms future direction through past faithfulness? The Spirit reveals tomorrow's direction through yesterday's evidence. So this week, take ten minutes. It's not too much time, right? Everybody has 10 minutes. Don't tell me you're too busy. ⁓ I'm very busy. We're all busy. I love you, but you have 10 minutes, right? So take 10 minutes this week and write down three specific ways you've seen God work in the last year. Write down a prayer he answered, a door he opened. A lesson he taught, a challenge he brought you through, a ministry opportunity. And then ask, Lord, what are you showing me through these experiences? What are you showing me? So use God's past faithfulness as fuel for present trust. So here's a challenge to you. Keep a God's faithfulness journal so future decisions can be informed by remembered victories. In the world of shooting long guns, when we do that, we should keep a data book all the time. Data book should be it has to have everything in it. Should have the temperature, the humidity, the type of round, all those things, right? Because later on you can go back and see how that system performed under certain circumstances. You have a track record of that, right? Why wouldn't we do that with God? He gives us all the time. So be aware of that. Spirit led decisions must be anchored in scripture. Acts chapter fifteen, verses fifteen through eighteen, and this conversion of Gentiles is exactly what the prophets predicted. As it is written, Afterward I will return and restore the fallen house of David. I will rebuild its ruins and restore it, so that the rest of humanity might seek the Lord, including the Gentiles. All those I have called to be mine, the Lord has spoken. He who made these things known so long ago. So that's important. Not only are they having the discussion, they're anchoring it in Scripture. This is your guardrail. This is your lifeline. This is your protection. For whatever. Your family, your business, your finances, whatever it is. This is the guard. This is your protection. When we would do maritime interdiction, we go from one moving vessel to another moving vessel. We had kit we had to carry up onto the vessel. We had a special kind of suit on that if we fell into the water it would keep us warm enough to survive and and float. Right? It wasn't a little life vest, it's an actual suit. This is your life best. This keeps you anchored in Scripture. So when the stormy waves come, you are anchored with God's word, because this doesn't change. And I'm telling you, it's so important that we remind ourselves that. This is a critical moment in that because they didn't build their doctrine on experience. They built it on the word of God. Peter's testimony was powerful, but James points back to the prophet Amos and showed that God's plan, including Gentiles, had been in Scripture all along. This wasn't new. So many believers will ask, what is God telling me? That's a great question. However, a better question might be, does what I believe God is saying agree with what he has already said? Because the Holy Spirit isn't going to have you do something that's out of line with the scripture. It's just not. Remember, the Spirit and the Scriptures always work together. The Spirit inspired the Word, the Spirit illuminates the Word, and the Spirit applies the word and never, ever, ever violates the Word. Life vests keep you from drowning. Bulletproof vests keep you from getting bullets on you. Sweater vests protect you from being cool. My kids found a yearbook of mine from seventh grade. And I'm trying to look tough because it's sport day. We got all our sport pictures on the same day. Not a real scrawny, but I'm trying to look tough. I got my neck all bowed out, looking hard. But I got a sweater vest on. So my football picture, my wrestling picture, it's just not tough looking, right? This will protect you. This will anchor you. Be anchored in God's word. So Holy Spirit guides us forward, but Scripture keeps us on course. So before making the important decision, spend time searching scripture. Ask, what does God's word clearly say? What biblical principles apply? Here's your challenge. Choose one decision you're currently facing and find at least one scripture passage that speaks to the principles involved in before moving forward. Rebuke the clock. Point four, spirit-led decisions produce unity and forward movement. So here it is again. Now we're wrapping up all the way around. We took a circle. We start at the end. We went here. Now we're back to the end. Because here it is. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these few requirements. You must abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. If you do this, you will do well, farewell. That's what they came up with. That's what they decided so that it could include the Gentiles. And they came to that conclusion through discussion, through through seeking the Holy Spirit, through obedience, and through anchoring it in Scripture. They didn't say Peter thinks, or James prefers, or the majority voted. They said it seemed good to To the Holy Spirit and to us. That's encouragement to you. You don't have to have all the answers. We don't have all the answers. You won't be able to find all the answers on your own. But the Spirit knows the answers. The Spirit knows the next step. Seek that. Be obedient. Notice the confidence and humility with that statement, for it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us. Holy Spirit comes first. They're claiming partnership. The result was unity. The church moved forward together. Spirit led leadership does not guarantee everyone gets their way. But it creates confidence that everyone is seeking and following God's way, and unity comes as the fruit of leaders who follow the Holy Spirit together. So this week before making a major decision or any time, ask, Will this move me closer to God's purpose and strengthen the people God has entrusted to me? You know, that council taught us something so powerful. It teaches us that the Holy Spirit isn't just active in a revival meeting. The Holy Spirit is active in your marriage. The Holy Spirit is active in your dating relationship. The Holy Spirit is active in board meetings, in your financial decisions, in your home. He's active in leadership meetings. He's active in difficult conversations and difficult decisions. Most important, the spirit is active when God's people gather together with humble hearts and open Bibles, and they're willing to seek his will. That same spirit that was in the upper room in the actor Acts of chap of chapter two is the same spirit that was in Acts chapter fifteen, is the same spirit that rose Jesus from the dead, and is the same spirit that lives here in our hearts today. That's it. Yeah, and that's encouraging. He still guides our church. He still guides our family. Some of you are facing difficult decisions right now. You're facing a family decision, a marriage decision, a ministry decision, a financial decision, whatever it may be. And the temptation is to rush ahead. Trust your instincts. Trust your gut. Push forward. If it feels good, go. But I want to encourage you through Acts chapter 15. The best decisions are not merely good ideas, they are spirit-led decisions. So before you move, pray. Before you react, listen. Before you decide, seek God's word. And trust, trust that the same Holy Spirit who guided the early church is still guiding his people today. Because when we seek God together and surrender our hearts to His leading, we can move forward with confidence. Because spirit led decisions happen when humble leaders seek God's will together. Can we pray together? Heavenly Father, thank you for this beautiful day. Lord, thank you that you're a God of redemption. Thank you that you are a God of order and discipline. Thank you, that you are God who teaches us. Thank you that you will never leave us or abandon us. And Lord, I pray for everyone here, everyone online, if they've never known the peace that comes from your healing heart, that today is the day. There's no time. Lord, we just we just pray that everyone here who's listening, the community, when they're frustrated, when they feel alone, when they feel beat down by the world. That they know they can reach to a God who is everything, provider, healer. For those who have never accepted Jesus, I pray today that they will say this in their heart. Lord, I admit I'm a sinner, I need a savior. Lord, I believe that you were born of a virgin, that you died on the cross, that you were buried and risen again on the third day, that you defeated the grave, that you defeated death. I confess that you are my Lord and Savior. Pray that today is the day. Whoever needed to take that step takes that step. That's the best spirit-led decision they'll ever make. Lord, I thank and praise you for everyone here. I pray a special blessing over them as they move forward today, as they move forward in their spirit-led decisions with you. As we come together as a church family, we Let us say in agreement. In the mighty, matchless name of Jesus Christ, let us agree together and say amen. Amen. You guys have a wonderful day. Thanks for listening to the Faith Alive Sermon Podcast. We hope this message encouraged you. If it did, be sure to subscribe or share it with someone else who may need it. If you want to get connected or reach out to one of our pastors, go to our website at faithalive.church. We'll see you next time.

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