HOLY SPIRIT: Follow God

Welcome to the Celebration Church of the Window Podcast.

We are so glad you joined us, and we hope you are encouraged by today's season.

I want to thank our worship team for leading us the way that you do so brilliantly every single week, man.

We're grateful for what God is really doing here with us in this season.

And if this is your first time here, I want to introduce myself.

My name is Keith.

I'm one of the pastors here at Celebration Orlando.

And um my wife and I were privileged to welcome you into our home.

We pray that you make yourselves right at home.

We're so, so glad that you're here with us today.

We're in the middle of a Holy Spirit series.

And I truly believe that God has been doing some incredible things through it.

Just a couple of weeks ago, we we talked about a lot of things, but more importantly, I guess the big picture that we took away from it was that the Holy Spirit is not something that we need to be afraid of.

That scripture tells us that that Jesus, He gave us the Holy Spirit.

And if and if we have a good Father, which obviously we do, he would not give us anything that's going to bring us any harm.

So just really stripping ourselves of the of the fear and the concerns about what does it mean to really have the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Last week we talked about what does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, understanding that there's a lot of nuances connected to it, but but the big picture that we could take from it is simply this that when we allow the Holy Spirit, when we get out of the way, when we make room, that the Holy Spirit He's gonna flow through us and He's gonna give us access to power, to strength.

That the Holy Spirit is gonna give us the boldness to speak up and to step into places that other people just may not.

But also there's gonna be a fruit that comes from it.

There's gonna be this fruit that overflows from our lives.

And today we're we're we're so grateful to be able to continue the conversation and talking about the Holy Spirit in the context of what does it mean to be led by the Spirit?

I'm pretty sure many of us, if we've been coming to church or just around people, we we've heard people make statements such as, God told me, or I was led to, or this is the call on my life.

And and we hear those statements, and I think for those who have been around church for a while, we we understand it cognitively, we we understand the semantics of it, we understand it, but but if we really were to break it down, what exactly does that mean?

How do you how do you recognize it?

How do you how do you know that God said it?

I think sometimes, even though we are far more advantaged now in our walk with God than they were in the Bible days, but it was a lot more clear for them.

See, for the children of Israel, when they were walking around the wilderness, it was very clear where God was, because there was a tangible cloud in the sky that represented the presence of God.

And when that cloud got up and moved, they knew, okay, we gotta follow the cloud.

It was very simple, it was very easy.

The glory is moving.

Okay, let's go that way.

For some of us, sometimes it's like I don't sense where where it's going.

But nonetheless, throughout all of scripture, we see this constant reference to this idea of being led by the Spirit.

I love how our psalmist David tells us in Psalm 23, he says this he said, He makes me to lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters, a place of refreshing.

In other words, the Holy Spirit leads us to a place where we can be refreshed.

Verse number three, he says it this way He restores my soul, he leads me in a path of righteousness for his name's sake.

That means that that the Holy Spirit can lead us to places where we can we can operate in the righteousness or the right standing with God.

Romans 8, verse 14 says this for those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God.

Romans 8:14

That's not speaking of gender, that's speaking of of a species of human humankind.

So what it's saying is those who are led by the Spirit, if we allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit of God, it literally allows us to change our identity with being his son.

We're co-heirs, we're join heirs with Christ.

The Holy Spirit leads us to a place of being God's kids.

Psalm 37, verse 23, the steps of a good man are established or ordered by the Lord.

Psalms 37:23

And again, we see this idea of God ordering our steps, but all of it has this little bit of a requirement for us to actually be led and follow the steps that God has laid out for us.

Galatians 5, 18, it says it this way but if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

So the Bible says that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, there is freedom.

So in the context of this passage, what it's saying is that when you're led by the Spirit, you're not under the law, you're not under oppression, you're not under the legalism that can sometimes attach itself to us walking with God.

We see from beginning to end, Genesis to Revelation, this idea of being led by the Spirit of God.

And for some of us, we're wondering, like, what does that look like practically, though?

Those those those those reflections in scripture, I get that.

It's very clear, God's speaking, they I get that, but but what does that look like in its expression?

I believe there's a narrative here that that beautifully paints the picture that will land itself right in our laps if we really were to take a look at it.

The book of Acts, chapter nine, we're gonna look at a few verses here, so so buckle up.

But I think here we're gonna look at this beautiful image of what does it mean to really, really be led by the Spirit and to respond to it, but also the temptation that the flesh can often bring our way as well.

Looking at verse 1, it says this.

It says, Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord's followers.

So he went to the high priest.

He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for cooperation in the arrest of any of the followers of the way that he found there.

Let me pause there for just a moment.

The way.

That is what Christians were called before we were called Christians.

So, Christian, now we have the ability to have that label and it helps us to create some distinction.

But before that was even in place, they were referred to as the way.

And I think there's a I think there's a humble aspect to that that I think that we may have lost sight of, but it's important for us to grab a hold of now.

Because the messaging was no matter what's going on in your life, Jesus is the way out.

Jesus is the way.

I think that message hasn't changed for us now.

We may have different labels, different denominations, different structures, but at the end of the day, Jesus is still the way.

If you're wondering how can you how can you have a successful marriage, Jesus is the way.

If you're wondering how can you ever experience the healing and the wholeness that you know that God is calling you to have, Jesus is the way.

If you're wondering, how can I begin to walk this walk of integrity, what does that look like?

Jesus is the way.

We see here that from the very beginning of our faith in this inception as we know it, it was referred to as the way.

Continuing here at verse number two, it says that he wanted to bring all of the men and women that he found back in chains to Jerusalem.

As he was approaching Damascus on his mission, a light from the heavenly shone around him.

He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?

Who are you, Lord?

Saul asked.

And the voice replied, I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting.

Now get up, go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.

The men with Saul sound stood speechless, for they had heard the sound of someone's voice, but they saw no one.

Don't be surprised that when God starts speaking to you, people won't understand where it's coming from.

Don't be surprised that when you start responding to the Holy Spirit, that the people that are the closest to you, the people that were on the mission with you, they will not see what you're talking about.

We're just getting started.

Let's look at here what it says here.

At verse number four, it says, And he fell to the ground.

Okay, we passed all that part.

Okay, now here it is.

Verse number eight.

Saul picked himself up off of the ground, and when he opened his eyes, he was blind.

So his companions had to lead him by hand to Damascus.

Now he remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink.

Scene two.

Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias.

The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling Ananias, Yes, Lord, he replied.

The Lord said, Go over the straight street to the house of Judas.

When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul.

He is praying to me there right now.

Somebody say, right now.

Right now.

They're praying.

He's praying to me right now.

So this is your moment to move.

Like he's praying to me right now.

And this is what he says.

I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in, laying hands on him so that he can see again.

Verse 13, But Lord exclaimed Ananias, I've heard I've heard some people talking about the terrible things that this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem.

And he's authorized by the leading priest to arrest everyone who calls on your name here.

Let me translate that.

God, are you sure?

Because I heard this dude is foul.

This dude, this dude is foul.

Like he's he's he's he's arrested people, he's he's running wild in these streets.

God, are you sure that you want me to go in there and talk to this dude?

Because that doesn't make any sense to me at all.

But the Lord said, Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to the kings as well as to the people of Israel.

And I will show him how much he must suffer for my namesake.

So so Ananias went and found Saul.

He laid his hands on him and said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road has sent me, so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Instantly, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes.

He regained his sight, then he got up and was baptized.

Afterward, he ate food, he regained his strength.

Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days.

Man what a powerful story of a man who really honestly thought that he was following God.

If we can be honest, like Saul really thought that he was doing the Lord's work.

As far as he was concerned, that this whole idea of the way, this idea of worshiping this dead man that was killed a few months back, like it didn't make sense.

So for him, he had this righteous indignation that he honestly felt that he was doing the right thing.

He thought he was being led by the spirit, but he was actually being led by his passion.

We have to be careful that we don't mistake our passion for a divine calling.

Because he he he thought it was, but it turns out that he was way off course.

It's the same thing that that happened with the Pharisees, but but on the other side.

But on the other side of the equation, we have we have this man named Ananias.

And Ananias is just minding his own business, trying to pray and get closer to God and learn more about this this faith.

But but nonetheless, we we have this tension where God is now telling him, leading him to step into this space that is incredibly uncomfortable.

And so, what is he supposed to do with that?

These conflicting ideas, these conflicting emotions, and these moments where it seems as if we have way too many voices that are whispering in our ears.

Some of us can relate to that.

On a practical note, I can relate to that as I as I continue to do my best to get acclimated to this city.

I I still have discovered that I can't make it anywhere without using the map.

Not to my mailbox, not anywhere.

Like I'm I'm still I'm still just trying to get around the city.

So for me, I I rely on maps for everything.

I think I did just manage, maybe a week ago, to know how to get from my home to the job and back.

God forbid if there's any variation or any detour, because I'm lost.

So I just have to have the map on at all times.

It's just a part of my my my rhythm in this season of my life.

Y'all pray for me.

But but here's the thing: every city is different because in one city I will use one map because I felt like that did a little bit better.

In another city, another map, but but here in Orlando, none of them seem to work.

Like it's just, it's just it's just madness.

Like, I don't know.

Like what map tells me that I can avoid I4?

Like, I'm just looking for which one that will help me to avoid I4, and that's the one that the Lord is clearly leading me to.

Without a doubt.

So I, you know, just last week my my wife and I we had dinner plans down here in the city, and we left from our home and we left in plenty of time, and I pulled it up on my map, and I know exactly where I'm going.

We're riding, everything is good.

Got the sunroof open, it's a nice, beautiful day, got the music, got the vibe going.

It's date night with my boo.

Just riding, got my little lean, got my little lean going.

I'm like, hey girl, you look good.

She's like, hey, I know.

I'm like, can I get a compliment?

Oh, you look good too.

I'm like, it's too late now.

Like, I mean, it's just just riding, just vibing it out, good thing, good music, we're all chill.

So then I'm starting to listen to the map.

It's okay.

At two miles, get in your right lane, get off at the exit.

Cool.

Put on my blinker, which is what every responsible adult should do when they are driving, to let people know where you're going.

Can the Lord, can the Lord begin to lead some people with that?

Put on my blinker, get in the appropriate lane, and I'm prepared to get off.

But as I'm prepared to get off, I hear this voice say, keep straight for another seven miles and get off at the next exit.

I'm like, it was complete, it was completely confusing.

So I'm okay, do I do I get off at this exit or or do I keep straight?

Like, what am I supposed to do?

I I get I get off at the exit because I'm trying to go with the first instructions that I was given.

Maybe, maybe my map is having some emotional turmoil, but I'm like, oh, I'm just gonna stick with what you said at first.

Like, let's let's just stick with that.

Then it kind of comes up with the rerouting, you-turn, go back home, you've missed it.

Like you're getting you're just getting, you're getting you get all these responses.

And so we're riding, and it's confusing because one is telling me to get back on a highway, another voice is rerouting me to go another direction, and it's like it's utterly confusing.

I I legitimately feel like my phone is having a breakdown.

But then it occurred to me that my loving wife, who was doing her best to contribute to the journey that we were on, she opened up her map as well, but she was using a different map than I was using.

So now what is bleeding through our speakers of our vehicle is my map telling me to go one way and her map telling us to go another way, leading me into a place of utter and total confusion.

Imagine it's so confusing when you have so many voices trying to tell you where to go.

I'm gonna say it over here because y'all clap the most.

It's it's so it's so confusing when we have when we have so many voices trying to tell us where we're supposed to go.

We're both in the same vehicle.

But the book Amos says is how can two walk together if they not yet be agreed?

Agreement is past tense, which simply means this.

We will never make it to our destination if we haven't agreed on the method of way we're gonna get there.

Unfortunately, many of us, we're all on the road trying our best to get to the destination, we haven't even agreed on where we're going.

Okay, let me come over here this side now.

Sometimes we have all these conflicting voices.

And for us, if we can be honest, we have so many voices that speak into our lives.

We have the voices of elders and of parents, and there's great significance and value in that.

That's the voice of wisdom and practicality and how we're supposed to walk these things out.

By all means, you should do that.

We have the we have the voice of our own experiences, we have we have the voice of research because by all means, we're all experts.

If I go on to Google and type something in, if I get the proper phrasing and I can get about a million different variations of what I should do in 0.3 seconds, I actually see the data on it.

It's all right there.

We got those voices that are speaking to us.

We have the voices of our friends, we have the voices of our politics, we have the voices of our opinions, we have all these voices that are doing their best to try to shape us and and lead us into different directions.

But if we don't find a way to recognize the voice of God, it'll cause us to be at a place where we're at a traffic jam of emotions and we're conflicted in our soul.

Some of us, okay.

I'm gonna pause, I'll wait.

I feel like y'all want to do it, so I feel like we should do better than that.

Let's just give it up for God right now.

I felt like a good place to have a break there.

I don't know.

That seemed that seemed right.

It seemed good.

Seemed like they're like, hey man, some of us gonna go, some of us not.

Let's see where this thing goes.

Like, let's all commit.

If we're gonna clap, let's just all do it.

Don't leave that person out there hanging.

Okay, so anyway.

But if we're honest, we have those moments where where there is that sense of like, okay, like which which voice am I supposed to listen to?

Which influence, which which direction do I do I stay, do I go?

Do we get married?

Do we not?

Do I stay with this person?

Do I take this job?

There's all these voices and all these things that are that are pressing on our hearts, and and and yes, they all could seem like good ideas, but if we haven't quite learned how to reduce it down to what does God say?

What I what I've learned in my what I've learned in my life, and I try my best to put it into practice, and and honestly, I miss the mark sometimes, but what I try to do is I I try to make sure that I hear from God first, and then I connect with my resources to see if they can reaffirm or support what God has already spoken.

It's important that you don't allow the resources to become the source that speaks into your soul.

It's it's I I've got to anchor myself with God.

And and and this is where exactly we find ourselves entering into this text, where we enter into this story with with Paul.

Now, some of you may be wondering, like, okay, who's who's Paul, and why do preachers always talk about Paul?

Why does Keith reference Paul so much?

What's the big deal about Paul?

Well, we just got finished reading about Saul.

Well, Saul becomes Paul, just a change of the letter, one little subtle significant shift, but it literally changed the trajectory of Saul's life.

So Saul becomes Paul.

And here's why we talk about Paul so much.

Paul wrote two-thirds of the New Testament.

Paul literally is the one who structured and frames the theology of how we actually do church.

He's the one that talks to us about spiritual leadership, how to identify people.

All these incredibly powerful ideas and the way that we do church today, this man who once was killing Christians is the man who now illustrates and helps us to understand how to walk this thing out.

So this story in Acts chapter 9 is a really big deal because we see this instance of a man who's going this way, having an encounter with God, and now he's shifted and going another direction.

Acts 9 · chapter mention

That's just the beautiful power of the grace of God interrupting our regularly scheduled program.

But the fact of the matter is, as much as we celebrate Paul's moment of clarity, as much as we celebrate the moment that Paul has this encounter with Christ and he he goes on into this empowerful mission, we often miss out on the one piece of the puzzle that really was critical in allowing it to happen, if you really look at it, and that is the person of Ananias.

See, Paul was doing what he was doing, he had this encounter with God, but there was this man over here in a small little room praying to himself, and somehow God used that man to unlock the calling and the potential that he had in the man who would shape our very faith.

We often miss out on the Ananias moments, but I believe that Ananias is a perfect illustration of what it means to be led by the spirit, to be, to be in these spaces where we step into these moments.

So here's a couple of points that I want to give to you guys today.

We're gonna be super practical when we talk about what does it mean to be led by the spirit.

Here's the first point I want to give you.

To be led by the spirit means this to go where God tells you to go.

That's part one.

Just go where God tells you to go.

Ananias is is sitting at home right now.

He's praying.

He's got his worship music on.

Got his new AirPods in, noise cancellation.

Thank you, Jesus.

He's he's he's in the vibe, right?

He's in the zone right now, just just him and God just just getting into it.

And while he's praying, it tells him, Hey man, stop what you're doing.

I need you to go to this house.

Get out of your comfort zone, get out of get out of what you're doing, and I need you to get up and because I have an assignment for you.

Now, I mean, I I'm gonna infer my emotions onto this because I feel like I'm a great representation of all humanity.

I don't know.

Um, but that's inconvenient.

God, like it's it's it's good, man.

I'm getting this profound revelation.

We're spending time together.

I got a single tear coming down my cheek.

Like, why why would you tell me to stop right now?

Can I go and do it tomorrow?

But there was this, there was this pressing that that was leading that was leading Ananias to get up and get out of his comfort zone to do something that if we can look at it logically, it it didn't make sense the timing of it.

But but I believe that being spirit-led means going and doing things that you just ordinarily wouldn't do.

It means going to the places that God tells you to go.

There's many of us that probably can identify with those moments where we feel like, man, like I don't I don't even know why, I don't even know why I'm here.

But nonetheless, we find ourselves there.

For me, practically speaking, I I remember a couple of years ago I I was at a grocery store.

And while I was there, here's what I need you guys to understand about me.

Here's a moment of confession.

I am I am spirit-led, spirit-filled, but I am also incredibly methodical and I don't like wasting time.

I say that to say this.

When I go to the grocery store, I have a plan.

If I go down aisle one, I don't plan on coming back to aisle one because I get everything that I needed while I was in aisle one that time.

My wife, on the other hand, she's probably a little bit more spirit-filled in that sense.

So she's just kind of like, let's go to aisle four, let's go to aisle nine, let's go back to four again, let's go to aisle three, let's go to aisle two.

Oh, yeah, we gotta get something else out of aisle four.

Shoot me in the face.

Like it drives me, it drives me nuts to the point where I'm just like, hey, you know what, babe?

I'm gonna serve you today.

You stay home.

I'm I'll go ahead and go for us.

I'll take one for the team.

My sanity is worth it.

Real talk.

So I remember this time, I'm like, hey, babe, I'm going to the grocery store, send me your list, I got you covered.

So she sends me the list, everything is good.

I get in and out of the grocery store.

It's like, it's like pristine timing.

But as I'm walking to the car, I hate looking at my phone because I know it's inevitable that as I'm loading things into my truck, I'm gonna get that text message, hey, by the way, can you also get some milk and some butter?

And I'm like, Well, you knew that I was coming to the grocery store two weeks ago.

We we knew that this moment was gonna happen.

What why we waited until now to tell me that we need okay, let me move on.

Okay, so so I have to go back into the grocery store, and now I have to go get this milk and this butter.

So here I am.

And I immediately when I walk in, I'm looking around the grocery store immediately, trying to figure out okay, I know where I need to go, I know which line I need to get into.

So I'm eyeing up all of the cashiers, which ones look like they're happy, which ones look like they hate their life.

I'm gonna go into the line that looks like they're moving quick, because you know the ones that are quick and moving about it, and the other ones that's up there talking about what's going on this weekend.

I don't got time for that.

I'm trying to get out of here.

So I get my stuff, I get into the line, and so I'm in the express line.

There's three people in front of me.

I'm like, okay, cool.

Let's get this thing going.

Well, then there was like this this jam up, and something kept telling me, like, man, move, move over to aisle eight.

Very, very specific.

Literally make no sense to me.

Go over to aisle eight.

So, okay, there's all this block, and and and now there's this delay.

So I go over to aisle eight.

There's only one lady in front of me.

She has about 12 items in her cart.

I count it because I'm trying to calculate when I can get out of here.

So we're sitting here at aisle eight, and then I can see this moment where like there's like this sense of embarrassment that hits her.

So I'm I'm I'm there just kind of minding my business, kind of looking at the National Inquirer and learning more about Brad and Angelina and that whole mess.

Um so I'm standing there, and that, but I can kind of hear like the lady like, okay, like, you know, let me let me see what I can let me see what I can put back.

So I kind of hear her say that.

So I kid you not.

I felt like this pressing.

I know it sounds weird if you're not familiar.

I felt like this pressing kind of say, This is why I want you in this line.

This is why you're here.

So I kind of felt this nudging that God was like, I want you to pay the difference.

So first I had to look and see what the difference was.

You gotta count the cost.

We'll talk about that in a few minutes.

No Lord, that ain't you, that's the devil.

Um so I had so I looked over and I glanced, I'm like, oh, it's like eight dollars.

So I reached in my pocket, and you know, it is very rare that I actually have like cash on me.

So I reached in my pocket, I had 20.

So I leaned over to the lady, I said, Hey, I said, Here you go.

I said, just go ahead and um pay it and you can keep the difference.

So she looks down at it, she looks at me, starts weeping right there in the line.

I didn't know what to do with those emotions because I'm still trying to make it the Monday night football kickoff.

But it but as but as we're standing there, I'm like, hey, no, no problem, you know, just just God bless you, and and it's all good, man.

You know, just I you know, be encouraged.

Now you could look at this lady and tell that she she takes care of herself.

And and you guys get what I'm saying.

Like you could tell like she it wasn't like she was overly transient, like she just she was a woman, but just may have been going through a tough season.

No big deal.

Gave her the$20, everything was good.

I get outside in the in um in the parking lot, and she's standing there waiting for me.

And she walks up to me, like, you have no idea what this means to me.

My my husband just left me today and he froze all of our accounts.

I'm I'm meeting with my lawyer tomorrow, but I I just didn't have enough food to feed our kids for tonight.

So something told me to something told me to come to the grocery store, and I was literally just hoping and praying that I would have enough, and somehow I must have miscalculated and and and I didn't know what to put back because each ingredient was important for the meal that I was going to try to make that would last us for a couple of days until my lawyer could get our accounts unfrozen and I could get what was rightfully mine.

You have no idea how much of a of a blessing this is.

My my I was overwhelmed with emotions.

Something that seemed so small, something that seemed so insignificant, something that seemed like it wasn't a big deal at all.

It literally was an answered prayer for this woman.

I want you guys to hear me.

That being spirit-led is not these moments of just being this nebulous freestyle.

It's it's simply responding to those nudges from God that says, No, I want you to get in this line.

I want I want you to be in this place.

I want you to, I want you to do, I want you to be right there.

It's sometimes we're looking for God in these magnanimous giant movements, and God just simply wants to know if we can be obedient to the still small voice to stay in line, number eight.

This is why.

This is why I brought you into this line.

See, being led by the spirit simply means being in the places that God tells you to be.

But but here's the other thing about being about being led by the spirit.

Being led by the spirit also means doing what God tells you to do.

That's that's the other part of it.

And for Ananias, that was a that was a stretch.

Because Ananias, he understood who Saul was.

We can see that he broke down Saul's, he broke down Saul's commentary.

He's like, hey man, like I know this guy, Saul.

It's it's not beyond the realm of possibility that that that maybe even Ananias knew some people that Saul had arrested.

Some husbands that that had been dragged away from their wives, some wives that have been dragged away from their husbands, mothers and fathers being dragged away from their kids.

He it's it's not beyond the realm of possibility that he knew of people who were directly impacted by Paul, but nonetheless, God was saying, I need you to go in and I need you to lay hands on him.

I mean, I'm not talking about like laying hands on him, I'm talking about like laying hand, like laying hands on him.

I need you to go and I need you to go and pray for him.

Man, that's that's challenging when when you when you when you recognize that, man, like he doesn't deserve it though.

He doesn't.

God, like if we do you know all the harm that he's created?

Do you all do you know all the stuff that he's done?

Do you do you understand the the death and the carnage and the pain and the lives that were ruined as a result of this man?

And you're and you're asking me to go in and and lay hands on him, which is symbolic of you're asking me to go in and forgive him.

He doesn't deserve it.

I'm certain that there's some of us who can probably relate to that.

When God is leading us to this place where I need you to forgive, but God he doesn't deserve it.

She doesn't, if you only understood what they did to me, but but here's what I've I've learned as I've connected all this together.

The Bible says that where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, there is freedom.

So so maybe God leading you into environments where you need to forgive is not about them deserving it, but it's about you being free.

Maybe it's about you not being bound by the pain of the past, and every time you see or remind it or bump against something that reminds you of the past that it forces you to constrict yourself, but you're called to live a life of freedom.

And if and honestly, if if if Ananias didn't go in, he may have struggled with ever actually connecting with Saul.

But God, but God led him into this environment and said, I need you to lay hands on him.

What are those environments that God is leading you into right now that makes no sense?

What are the things that he's asking you to do that in your own strength, you're like, man, this is stupid actually?

They don't deserve it, it doesn't make any sense, but I believe that God is leading us to a place of freedom, not for them, but all for us.

See, seeing being spirit-led means stepping into these moments and understanding what God is ultimately calling us to do.

Other times it may it may mean just it may mean just reaching out to somebody.

It doesn't always have to be these crisis moments.

Sometimes it could just be an act of kindness.

God leading you to call that person that you haven't called in a while, to text that person that you haven't texted in a while.

My wife, she has this, she has this rhythm that she does.

It's it's quite impressive, where she'll randomly will go through her phone, scrolling through, and just say, Lord, who do you want me to reach out to today?

Type of thing that gives me anxiety.

But she but she's an encourager.

So she literally says, God, like, who do you who do you want me to reach out to today?

And she'll scroll through and then wherever, however her methodology is, she'll see somebody and she'll either call them or she'll shoot them a text.

There's this there was this one um young lady that that we were really close to.

We hadn't seen her in in quite some time, and so my wife's like, okay, I'm gonna shoot her a text, send her a text, like, hey, love you, thinking about you, so glad that you're a part of our of our family.

That's it.

She she didn't say, Hey, um the Holy Spirit put you on my mind, and I was stirring in my soul to want to encourage you with these three scriptures.

Like, none of that.

It was just like, hey, thinking about you, love you, so glad you're part of our family.

That's it.

But on the receiving end, that young lady had just she just experienced a miscarriage.

And she was living in an area where she didn't know anybody except for her husband.

It was a new season for her.

And going through a traumatic season like that, and feeling isolated and alone, and just happened to get a text message from a familiar face, from a familiar voice, telling her that she is loved and that she is part of a family, literally is exactly the word of encouragement that she needed.

It didn't become this crazy prophetic moment.

It was simply responding to the nudge of God.

Here's what I believe.

I believe that many of us, we have those promptings that happen from time to time where God tells you just, hey man, why don't you reach out to that person?

Well, I don't have a scripture.

You don't have to.

Just your presence, just your encouragement, just you reaching out and letting them know that you're thinking of them, that's that's what it means to be led by the Spirit.

That's what it means to respond.

Now, if God gives you all that stuff and it's in you and you've vetted it, that's fine.

But but ultimately, it's just it's just stepping into those moments and responding to that little gut feeling that that lets you know, like, man, this isn't me and my own strength.

I ordinarily wouldn't even be thinking about this person.

I wouldn't ordinarily even be doing this, but but there's a reason why they're on my mind.

So maybe God wants me to do something with it.

Here's the third thing that I believe we can see when it comes to being led by the Spirit.

It's not only do we go where God tells us to go, not only do we do what God tells us to do, but we also say what God tells us to say.

Now, this seems closely connected to the previous, but there is some distinction here.

What Ananias does when he steps into the room with Saul, who's praying, he steps up to him and he says, Brother Saul.

I want you to wrestle with that for a moment.

This man who was an opponent, this man who was a murderer, this man who was his opposition, he didn't come in with any of those labels.

He he came in speaking words of life.

Man, I know that those things are in your past, but but today, because Jesus said so, you're my brother.

What would it look like if we found ourselves in these moments where the nudging of God began to stir us and we really began to say what God wanted us to say?

Saying things that are as crazy and ridiculous as this.

Brace yourself.

I'm sorry.

Saying things as ridiculous as this, I love you.

Not love you.

I love you.

Somehow when we can remove that I from it, it makes it a lot less uncomfortable.

Love you.

We say it all the time when we see each other and they're like, man, God bless you, man.

Love you.

But for going forward, I'm gonna look you dead in your souls and say, I love you.

It may get weird.

Give me a couple weeks, we'll get used to it soon.

But it's taking ownership.

No, it's I, I, I love you.

Those those moments where we speak those words that God is is encouraging us to say.

It's interesting how those little words have the ability to encourage us when we don't even know that we need them.

Now, a few years ago, my my wife and I, we were going through one of what I would call a difficult season in ministry, because it is possible to go through difficult seasons in ministry.

And as we were kind of going through this season, there's this moment that we reflected back to.

You see, there was this little older lady, I don't like to say older, so I'll give I'll say season.

This lady with wisdom and years of experience had saw my wife and I were in we were in the mall, and she walked up to us and she grabbed me by my hand and said, God loves you, He sees you, He has a calling on your life, be faithful where you are.

Now, here's what I thought.

I was like, man, that's so sweet of her.

But I honestly thought that she missed it.

I've been pastoring her for over a decade.

Priest all over the place.

I'm like, she she probably looked at me, saw the sweatpants and the hoodie, and didn't know that I was walking with God, and that was and it's all good.

She missed it.

It's fine, that's all right.

You catch me on a weekend, you never know what I might be wearing.

So I thought she missed it.

Dismissed it.

I honestly here's what I said.

That's a nice word.

That just probably wasn't for me.

I'm walking with God, I know my calling and purpose, moved on.

Fast forward to a couple years ago, difficult season, and I began to pray and process through.

Like, God, like, am I supposed to stay here?

Am I supposed to like go out and plant my own church?

Side note.

Isn't it interesting that we always get stirred to leave when things aren't going our way?

God seems to be silent when everything's working well for me, or whatever I'm not comfortable with.

Maybe that's God leading me somewhere else.

No, maybe that's just you needing to sit still and be disciplined.

That's another message for another time.

But as I was praying, literally saying, God, like, do you want us to go and plan a church, Lord?

I literally trying to do our best to follow God, literally doing everything we can and sensing, like, okay, God, what do you want out of my life?

I want to steward the gifts that you've given me.

And every time I prayed, I literally just kept seeing this little old lady saying to me, God loves you, He sees you, He has a calling on your life, stay faithful where you are.

Every time I was like, Man, Lord, but what do you want me to do?

This little old lady.

God sees you, He loves you, He has a calling on your life, stay faithful where you are.

No, Lord, what do you want me to do?

God sees you, He loves you, stay faithful where you are.

It turned out that this woman responding to the spirit that was leading her, provided an answer to a prayer that I hadn't even prayed yet.

You never know how your ability to simply just respond to what the spirit is leading you to do, it literally can be unlocking someone's future because you could be an answer to someone else's prayer.

I I wanna I want to close with this.

Because if we're if we're honest, we could honestly say to ourselves, Keith, that's that's all well and good, but how do I know it's God?

What are the indicators?

What what are the things that that we know that is that it's God?

And and and by all means, I wish I could give you the the didactic list that would give you all the absolutes, but but I can't give you that because in order for you to know it's God, you're gonna have to spend time with them.

This is this is what Jesus tells his disciples that my sheep, they know my voice, and another they will not follow.

I can give you some some tips, some suggestions, but ultimately it's going to have to be God stirring you.

But but here's some questions that I've learned to ask that has helped me whenever I'm trying to determine, God, like, is this you?

And I'm hoping that this can be an encouragement for you.

Here's the first question that I'll ask whenever I'm in those moments of of God nudging me.

Is it biblical?

This this thing that I'm feeling, this thing that I'm sensing, is it is it biblical?

Because God will never lead you to do something that is contrary to his word.

I I can't tell you how many people I have talked to that have done things that are rooted in rebellion and used an obscure scripture to justify, but it's not consistent with the nature of God.

That's not biblical.

Is it is it biblical?

No, no, let me give me a moment because I want to I want to help somebody in here.

Because what I also realize is that we sometimes find ourselves in these moments of conundrums where let's take marriage, for instance.

Man, it's it's what God is joined together, let no man put asunder.

We know that it's not God's will that anyone gets a divorce, so we have that.

So is it biblical to get a divorce?

I I don't know how I feel about that, but on the other side, we see connected to the consistent nature of God that it is never his will for anyone to endure abuse or be sitting in an oppressive situation.

Literally, the mission statement of Christ is to set the captives free.

So let me help us to connect the dots.

Maybe you are in a in a season and you're saying, okay, is it biblical?

Well, God's word is kind of saying that he's not for that, but also on the other end, God's word also says that he doesn't want me to be oppressed.

Here's what I love to look at.

I love to look at the example of David because David was faithful, David was loyal, but when David had a spear thrown at him from Saul, David left.

I'm not sure who I'm helping in here.

Because maybe you're wrestling with, man, like what if I, what do I, what am I supposed to do in that moment?

What I'm telling you is God has never intended for you to stay in environments that are bringing you detrimental harm.

There is grace to leave because that has never been the will of God, because consist consistent with his nature is setting the captives free.

I'm not sure who that's for, but I'm hoping that you're encouraged by it.

Is it biblical?

But here's the other thing.

I've also seen scenarios like I just described that God gets involved, does a miracle, and it becomes a profound testimony.

It's never clean, but it requires you to spend time with God to get clarity.

Here's the second question.

Is it helpful?

Is it is it helpful?

Is it going to is it going to help somebody?

Is it going to be a blessing to someone?

Is it gonna is it gonna make a difference?

Because if God is leading you into an environment, I assure you, it's because he wants you to impact that environment, but there's also from something from that environment that he wants you to take from it.

If God is leading you somewhere, is it is it helpful?

Maybe God is leading you to take a new job in a new city in a new state, that's fine, but but is it helpful?

I'm not talking exclusively about income, but is it is it gonna be helpful to your family?

Is it gonna be helpful?

Are you gonna be able to find a place where you can worship?

These are not secondary thoughts, but it's literally allowing yourself to hear from God and understanding what it is that God wants you to do.

I've learned a lesson that your gift will make room for you, but every room is not meant for your gift.

So when you find yourself being invited into spaces, just because you got the invitation doesn't mean that that's your divine destination.

Is it helpful?

Is it something that God is in is really requiring of me to do?

Here's the other thing I want to say about that as we enter into this holiday season.

I realize that we've already apparently skipped past Thanksgiving because Christmas lights are already up everywhere.

I didn't know that was a thing, but I love it.

I'm for it.

But but here but here's what I realize.

In a church of our size, that's some of us here that are like, man, like this is a season where I want to get involved.

This is a season where I want to make a difference.

I love hearing what we're doing with the turkey drive, I love what we're doing with the toy drive.

How can I get involved?

Well, out in our lobby, we we have a church wall, and connected to it is our needs wall.

And what you'll find listed there are people in our church that have some needs.

But what I also realize is it's moments like this, seasons like this, that many of you may be stirred to say, but man, I feel like I can meet a need.

Listen, some things you don't really have to pray about.

God, do you want me to step into this situation and help somebody?

Yes.

Like God will never, that'll that ain't the devil.

Devil's never gonna tell you to help somebody.

Like, you you understand what I'm saying?

Like, yes.

So some of us right now are saying, like, man, like, should I should I help?

Let me help you.

Yes.

Yes.

So you can you can meet us out in the lobby at the end of service.

Dan's gonna be out there, and we would love to connect with you, and maybe there's something that you can you can provide.

When we were back in DC, there was a there was a person that came to our church, and they were like, Man, I got this extra car.

I'm literally gonna give the car to the church.

The next week, on our needs, while somebody said, Man, I am a single mother, I'm struggling, I need a car.

Needs met before we even knew that those people knew each other.

Like, what I'm saying is when you respond to what God is doing, he meets the needs before we even know that they are there.

Or maybe you're in here with us today, and maybe you're on the other end.

You have a need.

Again, our team would love to connect with you.

We we we would love to answer any questions.

We would love to connect you with resources and tools that will help you in this season.

I realize that that may be a stretch, but if you don't feel comfortable filling it out on the needs, well, by all means, you can certainly have a conversation with Dan or any of our staff.

We would love to help you to let you know that in this season we want to walk alongside you every step of the way because God has led us into a place where we're called to be a lift and we're called to help.

Here's the third question you can ask: What's the cost?

I'm not talking about money, I'm talking about what is required.

What is this gonna cost me?

Energy-wise, emotion-wise, what am I committing to?

This this is the part of being spirit-filled that requires us to, that requires us to press in with a little bit of, dare I say, strategy.

I know that we often think that being spirit-filled is no structures and no systems.

That ain't biblical.

I would dare to say that God is the most methodical and strategic being that has ever existed.

The redemption plan, very methodical.

The tabernacle, very methodical.

Jesus dying on a cross, very methodical.

I assure you that they weren't just saying, like, hey, you know what we should do?

Let's put Jesus on the cross.

No, it was all very methodical.

So being spirit-led is not this thing that doesn't lack any structure, it's providing a structure so the spirit of God can provide reproduction.

When we when we ask this question about whether or not what it's gonna cost us, it simply means what's required of it.

When my wife decided she wanted to go back to school, we had to count the cost.

What's gonna be required of us as a family?

It's gonna require her to work longer hours.

What does this mean for the family?

What does this mean for her workload?

It's literally counting the cost because again, being spirit-led doesn't mean that you ignore those things, it simply means that you know where to invite God and to give you strength in those things.

What's the cost gonna be?

And here's the final question: Do you have peace?

And I'm not talking about the the emotion that we can use to justify doing something that's completely contrary to the word of God, but I'm talking about the shalom, the wholeness, this sense of the sense of contentment.

Having peace simply means this I may be in a difficult situation, I may be in a challenging season, but but I'm whole because I know God is with me.

When my wife and I were back in DC, and I'm telling you stories about my own life because that's all I can speak from.

But while we were back in DC and we're in a process of getting ready to buy our home up there just about a year ago, everything lined up.

Credit was good enough, had enough money in the bank.

We're literally in a process of about to put down roots.

Was it biblical?

Yes, it was biblical.

We felt like God wanted us to put down roots.

Was it was it helpful?

Yes.

It was going to be a lift to our family, all the things we wanted to do.

Did we count the cost?

Yes, we did all that stuff.

But even though those three boxes were checked off, there just wasn't any peace about it.

I I couldn't I couldn't quite understand it because it made perfect sense to me.

Naturally, I didn't realize that six months later we would be living here.

I didn't realize that that the place that God was calling us to 20 years ago, and in many times in our own strengths tried to get to, that God was leading us back to here the whole time.

But if we would have gone ahead and moved forward with what we had the margin to do, when God began to speak to us about coming here, he would have to speak through the investment that we made in our own strength.

Listen, when you're filled with yourself, you will be led by yourself.

But when you're filled with the Spirit, it becomes the overflow that you are led by.

What are you filled with?

If you're filled with greed, you're going to pursue things that that feed that greed.

If you're filled with anger, bitterness, that becomes the overflow.

Some of us all know that person that's that's bitter and angry, and that's the Overflow, so no matter what encouragement comes our way, they find a way to make it a way to be offended about it.

Because they're full of it.

I don't mean it that way, but you get what I'm saying.

They're they're full.

But when we make room and allow the Holy Spirit to really breathe on our lives, that becomes the overflow that leads our lives.

So now I can step into these environments with love, with joy, with peace, with contentment.

Maybe you're wrestling with something right now.

The questions you need to ask yourself is this is it biblical?

Is it is it helpful?

God, is that is that you is it is it is are these things automatically do I have peace about it?

When you can resolve all those things together, I believe that you can then make an informed decision on how you can respond to the places that God is leading you.

With every head bowed and with every eye closed, I want to encourage somebody and pray for you guys in here before we go back into worship really quick.

If you're in here with us today and you will simply say this, Keith Man, there's there's some areas that I need, I need the Spirit of God to lead me.

I need clarity, I need I need vision, I need wisdom.

I'm in a season where I need to make a decision.

Do I stay?

Do I go?

Do I do we stay married?

Do we get a divorce?

Do I I just need I need clarity on that?

If that's you, I want to include you in this prayer.

On account of three, I boldly lift your hands up saying, God, I just I'm inviting you to lead me and for me to have the boldness and strength to respond to that.

One, two, to be led by the Spirit three.

Hands up, amen.

Amen.

God bless you.

Hands up everywhere.

God bless you, amen.

You go ahead and put those hands down.

Here, here's my second question.

Maybe you're in here right now, and your question is, man, I I need Jesus.

The name Ananias literally means that God is gracious.

So I don't think it's a sense of ironity, iron that irony that that God would lead a man whose name that means God is gracious into an environment that needed God's grace.

Maybe, maybe the thing that we need right now is the grace of God to let us know that we are loved, that we're forgiven, that God sees us and he has a purpose on our lives.

So if you're in here with us today and you want to commit or recommit your life to Jesus, I want you to lift your hands up on a count of three so I can include you in this prayer.

Simply saying, I'm I want to be led because the Spirit of God leads us to all truth.

So on a count of three.

One, two, three.

Yes to Jesus.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Church, can we give it up for everybody that's saying yes to Jesus?

Amen.

God bless you.

God bless you.

Amen.

We're so proud of you.

I'm gonna ask all of us to stand on our feet.

We're gonna go back into worship for just a moment and then we're gonna we're gonna go ahead and dismiss.

Pastor Justin's gonna come out and give us some instructions for those who are saying yes to Jesus, maybe even for the first time.

But as we go back into worship, I want to seal this in with a prayer.

Let's let's give our focus to God and let's see what God wants to do in this moment.

Lord, we thank you.

We thank you, God, that that we were led here.

That we're not here by accident, God, but you led us here to hear a word from you on what it means to be led by you and the simple, small things that can lead to such significant things.

So, Father, in the name of Jesus, for every person here, God, that's in the valley of decisions, wrestling with whether they should go left or right, whether they should stay or go, the person that's wrestling with whether they should take the job or not, which school to go to, Father, I pray, God, that you begin to lead and stir them up, that they can recognize what you're speaking over their lives.

So, Father, in the name of Jesus, make your path straight, give them clarity, give them hope, and give them peace.

So, Father, we dedicate this time to you.

We ask that you steal it in and we worship you.

In the name of Jesus, we pray.

Amen and amen.

Church is worship together.

Thank you for tuning in to today's podcast.

For more information about Celebration Orduendo or to get in touch with us, please visit celebration or window.org.