Choosing The Right Guide For Your Life with Rick Warren

hello everybody good to see ya I say hi to all of our campuses and those of you who are joining us online welcome to Saddleback if you take out your message notes we're continuing in a series we started last week you know if you had been invited to go to a brand new city let's say you want some game show and you go to some exotic city somewhere that you've never been to you've pretty much got four options on how you're gonna know what that city is you could just walk around with no Direction no input and you say let's just walk around see what the city is all about and if you just get off the bus or get off the plane and you walk around that city you'll see some interesting things but you're gonna miss most of the city because you don't know really what's there and if you just walk around and kind of you know drift through the city you don't get the best of what it's all about now your second option is to get a map and you can get a map of Paris or or a map of London or a map of Tokyo and you open it up and now you got a little bit more direction and you can use that map to walk right now that'll let's go there let's go see that and that's actually better than just drifting through the city but it's not the best you could then number three get a guidebook and then a guidebook it tells you here's the cool stuff to see in the city here's the best places to eat here's the the attractions you don't want to miss here's the stuff that's most fun here's the stuff that's most fulfilling here's where you get the best bargains and having a guidebook now really opens up the city far better than a map far better than just walking around but the best of all is the hire a personal guide somebody who's been there or lived there all their lives they know all the best spots they know how to avoid the tourist traps they know how to get to the real Paris the real London the real Tokyo they know how to point out stuff that nobody else knows about they'll often know the history they'll know the background they know the full experience they know the best place to take the picture having a personal guide is the best of all last year can i I went and rented a car to simply drive around Ireland then we could have just done that on our own but at one point we got a guide to help us see some stuff that we would have missed and we saw all kinds of really cool things learned all kinds of really cool insights and had a lot of fun experiences that we would have totally missed we would have picked the wrong restaurants we would have seen the wrong things we would have missed the stuff that the locals know about that the tourists don't know about because we simply got advice we got a personal guide now the same is true for your life you can just drift through life you can get a map you can get a guidebook or you can get a personal guide through your life and depending on which of those things you choose will determine how effective how meaningful how significant and how fulfilling your life is you can just drift through life and most people do they don't have a map they don't have a guidebook and they certainly don't have a guide I highly recommend you avoid that kind of lifestyle that's just that's just existing and you go through life not knowing what really to see what really to do what's important what's not important now the world will give you plenty of maps you can go up to Hollywood and you can get a map to the homes of the celebrities and you get you know go look them up yourself but God has given us both a guidebook that's this the Bible and he has given us a guide and that guide is called the Holy Spirit now in this series which we started a week ago we called it choosing your future I said we're gonna look at five different choices in life and the first week if you you want to go back to hear that message on choosing the right values for your life because if you don't choose the right values you got the wrong foundation you're gonna waste your life totally waste your life and the world's value system is the exact opposite of what God says you ought to value in life and so if you if you listen to the world you're gonna miss out on what your life was really all about choosing the right values this weekend I want us to look at choosing the right guide for your life now there are plenty of guides out there you choose you know some talk show hosts on TV you can choose some radio commentator you can choose a friend there are lots people who'll be glad to guide you through life not necessarily in the right direction but there are plenty of guides out there but God has provided both a guidebook the Bible and a personal guide will help interpret the guide book called the Holy Spirit I don't know if you've ever thought about this but why did Jesus go back to heaven after he came to earth why didn't he just stay here why didn't he just stay on earth so we would have a physical visible model we go wow that's how God wants us to live that's the way to handle that kind of situation that's out a way how to handle that stress that conflict that's that just look at Jesus he's living in Minneapolis right now let's go ask him and and and why did not Jesus stay on earth after he rose back from the dead he went back to heaven why well he said it's actually better for me to leave better how could anything be better than having Jesus guiding us personally through life he said because when I leave I'm going to send the helper the helper the counselor the Advocate the Bible calls the Holy Spirit many things he said I'm gonna send my spirit back to earth the Holy Spirit it's just the spirit of Jesus the Spirit of God and and he says this is is gonna be better than me personally being here how the world is the Holy Spirit better than Jesus and how's it going to help you make the right decisions in life and how the Holy Spirit want to be your guide counsel or guidance counselor and not just have a guide book but actually have a personal counselor or a personal helper through life why did Jesus go back to Evan because he said I want to send the Holy Spirit no look at this verse up here on the screen jesus said this in John 16 he said it's actually best for you that I go away in other words that I go back to heaven because if I don't the helper won't come to you but if I do if I go back to heaven I go away he will come because I will send him to you and when he the Spirit of Truth now I want you to remember this the Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Truth when the spirit of truth comes he will guide you there's the guidance he's the guide for your life he will guide you he will lead you he will direct you he will show you he will guide you into all truth I've given you he says the truth but I'm gonna give you the guidance counselor who's gonna guide you into all truth he's gonna explain this to you and and he will tell you what is yet to come in your life that is a guide and he is called the Holy Spirit how is having the Holy Spirit better than Jesus because when Jesus was here he was limited to one location when he was physically in a body he could only be in Jerusalem he couldn't be in Jerusalem and you know Hong Kong at the same time he couldn't be in Buenos Aires and Berlin and Manila all at the same time but now his Holy Spirit can be everywhere he can be with all of us and he can help all of us and he can be in all of us this is a big deal this is why Jesus said it's better for me to leave because I could only be in one place in one time in the physical body I'm gonna go I'm gonna come back in my spirit and my spirit is gonna be in you Christ is gonna be in you the father will be in you the Holy Spirit will be in you God is not three gods he's one God so if you've got Jesus in your heart you got the Holy Spirit in your heart you got the father inyart God is God he's just one God but he has three different percentages and so he says I'm gonna come back and I'm gonna put my spirit inside you and that spirit is called the Holy Spirit by the way do you know there's me the Holy Ghost and the Holy Spirit I mean somebody was like Holy Ghost other people say it's like two different things no it's a mistranslation in 1611 the first public english translation was approved it's called the King James Version of the Bible it's the oldest of the English translations and in the King James Version of the Bible there were two different committees of about 50 people or so each and they were each working on the translation of the Bible in English and half of the committees used the word spirit and half of the committee the other half used the word ghost because in those days ghosts didn't mean what it means today 400 years ago ghost didn't mean ghosts 400 years ago ghosts just met spirit the word in Greek in the Bible for the Holy Spirit is the word pneuma pnd um a numa it's from what it literally just means air it means breath it means spirit when you have a pneumatic drill that is a a air pump drill when you have a new pneumatic tire it is an air-filled tire it's not a solid tire so Numa simply means breath air spirit half the guys and the translation and that's why when you read the Bible sometimes in in the King James it says Holy Ghost and sometimes it says Holy Spirit and now you know which translation team was translated in that particular verse so there's no like ooh Casper the Friendly Holy Spirit okay the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit and I highly recommend you stop using the word ghost because those mean something scary today's not what it meant 400 years ago get it good all right so the Holy Spirit and Holy Ghost are the same thing now Jesus says this look on your outline John chapter 14 verse 16 Jesus said the father will give you another helper he's talking about the Holy Spirit who will be with you forever that helper is the Spirit of Truth now the world cannot accept him because it doesn't see him you don't see the Holy Spirit or know him but you talking about two believers you know him because he lives with you and he will be in you so he is our helper he's the Holy Spirit he is the Spirit of Truth he will be with us and he will be in us and this is the guide I highly recommend you choose for your life you say okay great got it Rick got it how do I do this I'm glad you asked because that's what I want to look at in part two and that is how does the Holy Spirit want to guide my life I'm gonna give you five or six ways what does he actually do and how do I let him guide my life and what are the benefits of it okay everybody ready for this all right let's get started this is one of the most important things you learn in life is how to be led by the Holy Spirit because the Bible says in Romans chapter 8 only those who are led by the Holy Spirit are the children of God Oh so if I'm not led by the Holy Spirit I'm not in God's family I'm not a child of God I'm not going to heaven I'm not on the in-crowd the mark that you are a believer that you're a child of God you're a daughter of God your son of God is that the holy spirit guides you and leads you now when you first start off in the Christian life you're not very good at this you don't really know how to let the Holy Spirit lead you but you get better at it and you're gonna learn to understand its voice just like the person if you're married you've been married to sometime and they pick up the phone and talk you don't have to say hi this is your wife you know her voice you've heard it enough hi this is your husband you know his voice when you first start walking with Christ you don't know the voice of the Holy Spirit it's hard to go is this God talking to me is this just me talking to myself did I just you know eat a bad pizza you know or did I just have some idea that came off of some movie I just saw as you grow in the Lord you get Betty to that's God that's God talk to me and he puts these impressions in your mind and he leads you so let's start off by let me give you five or six ways the Holy Spirit wants to guide you he wants to be your guide through life when you understand these you're gonna go I'm in I want this I want the Holy Spirit guide me because everything he's been sent to do is everything you want in your life every single thing he says I'm here to help you so how does the how does the Holy Spirit help me and how can he help me on Monday morning how could he help me on Tuesday night how could he help me when I'm you know out playing some sport or in some business deal well let me give you a five or six ways number one if I listen to the Holy Spirit I let him be my guide he will help me number one know what I need to know that's the first thing the Holy Spirit is sent to do to help you know what you need to know there are things you need to know in life that if you don't know you're gonna fail it's essential information there's a lot of stuff you don't need to know in life and that's all on television but stuff you do need to know in life the Holy Spirit will teach you he will guide you and he'll help me know what I need to know that means the truth the info the insights the things that I need now here's the cool thing about the Holy Spirit if you'll learn to let the Holy Spirit lead your life and I'm gonna teach you how to do this on a daily basis if you'll do this he not only helps you know what you need to know he helps you know what you need to know in that moment the very moment I need it now we're talking it's not like I'm gonna teach you all this stuff and I hope someday you use it the Holy Spirit brings to mind in your mind what you need to know when you need to know it at the very moment you need it so it's not just what there's the wind and he's gonna give it to you the very moment you need it for instance have you ever read a Bible verse maybe at the beginning of day and later that was the exact Bible verse you needed that day yeah well that was the Holy Spirit you didn't even know but it was the Holy Spirit calling your attention to a certain thing a verse you didn't even know you needed it but he said I know what you're gonna need at 10 o'clock I know what you're gonna need at 2 p.m. in the afternoon and he helps you in advance he gives you what you need to know when you need to know it and sometimes he gives of you right before it happens and sometimes it'll give it to you the day before but he knows already what's gonna happen in your life and so he gives you what you need know when you need to know it sometimes you'll you'll read a book and later on in that week years ago that is exactly what I needed they just read that I just read it yesterday that was the Holy Spirit he was being your guide sometimes it's a song and a song comes on the radio and you hear that great that song you know that is exactly the song that I need right now I'm discouraged I'm frustrated I'm mad I'm angry I'm such really frustrated whatever and that's exactly what I needed to hear that was the Holy Spirit he gives you what you need to know at that moment sometimes you read an article and like at a Christian magazine or something and you know a few hours or a few days later you're talking with a friend and you go you know I just read an article on this and you share a truth that was the Holy Spirit he was giving you what you needed to know when you needed to know it now sometimes God does this for you for your benefit but sometimes the Holy Spirit gives you what you need to know for somebody else's benefit what are you an example Tuesday night I went home and Andy Andy Lewis Kay's brothers my brother-in-law was at our house he's at our house for dinner and we're sitting around talking and all of a sudden Andy just out of the blue brings up the subject of the who was the very first Christian rock artist the very first contemporary Christian artist of the modern era and his name was Larry Norman some of you remember Larry Norman his first album came out in the 1960s he put out about 30 different albums it's most famous song was called I wish we'd all been ready there's a song that came out and he was very big in the 60s and the 70s Larry was the original Christian rocker there was nobody before him he broke ground nobody had ever heard of Christian contemporary music everybody was still singing hymns in those days there's none of the kind of music we used in churches today Larry took a lot of flack for taking modern contemporary music and putting Christian words to it and it was really a pioneer in that and its first three albums that came out in 68 69 71 were really classic and they were so good that people like Capitol Records who had the signing for the Beatles wanted to sign Larry Norman because he was that good he was respected by secular as well as as Christians and Andy and I just got it I hadn't talked about Larry Norman in the least 35 years okay I didn't even thought about the guys and and as we were talking about that and he goes let's listen to music and something inside me Holy Spirit said sit down and listen and I had this little nudge that said just sit down and listen and for the next couple hours Andy and I listened to those original two or three albums and just talked about the implications of those songs I had plenty of other stuff I needed to do tons of other stuff and he did it was enjoyable but I really need to be doing something the next day I was flying the Nashville to speak to the National Religious broadcasters and then I had to come back for Rick my Chows fly back here for his surgery and then I had to fly back to North Carolina for Billy Graham's funeral and it was very very busy week for me God just gave me this little nudge sit down and listen and we listened and we talked and we listened and we talked about Larry Norman hadn't talked about him in 35 years the next day I flew to Nashville to the rillette National Religious broadcasters I spoke there was opening keynote speaker after I was through that's pretty tired I was gonna go straight to bed I was walked out of the big Grand Ballroom walked out and a woman came up to me and she looked like she was in need and I said can I help you and I and I looked down at her name and saw her name and I call her my name she said how do you know my name I said well I just read your name tag you know some spooky it's right there on your name okay how do you know my name she goes I'm Larry Norman's wife now he died probably a decade ago and she was in deep need do you think that was an accident the night before no God had prepared me to help her to help her why because I listened to the neji's of the Holy Spirit sometimes I'd always seem right there's a shoot I got a million things to sit down and listen to this music and I did now you call that a coincidence you have to have a pretty big faith to believe in the astronomical odds of that happening me talking about her husband me flying to Nashville me being there her being at there her walking upright at the right time and me saying can I help you God knew what he's doing I could give you tens of thousands of examples of that in my life because I listen to the Holy Spirit I listened to his nudges and by the way he doesn't always speak in net fact he never speaks in these and the house you know it's not like that Warren has sit down us and listen to through thy song us now it's more like Rik sit down and shut up got it Lord got it okay so I could give you thousands of examples of that now the Bible says in John 16:13 when the spirit of truth comes that's Holy Spirit he will lead you into all truth he's gonna give you the truth you need and you need the truth because if you build your life on lies you got a faulty foundation it's gonna stumble it's gonna break it's gonna fall over it's gonna crack up now when the Holy Spirit tells you what you need to know when he gives you the truth that you need at that particular moment there's a word for it it's called revelation revelation is when God tells you something you need to know this book of course the Bible is God's complete revelation to humankind but God also reveals things to you how does he do it through the Holy Spirit and he'll give you these little nudges and he'll give you these little insights and there'll be thoughts you go I would have never thought of that it's a revelation the Bible says in Luke 2 26 about Simon it had been revealed a to Simeon by the Holy Spirit and Simeon had been told he said you're not gonna die until you see the Messiah he would have never known that the Holy Spirit had to tell him that and God will reveal things to you it's never gonna contradict this book in fact if it does kind of dick the book it's not from God God's Word and God's will never contradict each other so if you God tells you to do something that's the opposite it's in this book you're wrong that was not the Holy Spirit that was the evil spirit giving you that thought but the first thing Holy Spirit does is he helps me know what I need to know when I need to know it number two if I listen to the Holy Spirit he will help me get to where I need to go he will help me get wearing not only know what I need to know but go where I need to go he'll help me get where I need to go there are some places you need to get in life and there's no way you're gonna get there by yourself God has put a dream in your heart a desire in your heart a vision in your heart and you have a dream of where you're gonna be someday there's no way you're gonna get there on your own but if you'll let the Holy Spirit guide you he will guide you into places that you never ever imagined you'd be and I could give you a lot of examples of that in my life he will help me know what I need to know help me get where I need to go he's gonna open doors of opportunity for you at Chris at Easter we're gonna start a new series on the doors of destiny the doors of opportunity in your life spend some time on that and God says I've set before you an open door and it's an open door that nobody can close and God opens the door for you nobody can close it and so what you want to do is let the Holy Spirit guide your career you want the Holy Spirit guide your relationships you want to let the Holy Spirit guide who you marry if you're not letting him guide you in things like that then you're gonna make a lot of errors you're gonna make a lot of mistakes the Bible tells us in Luke 227 the Spirit led Simeon this is the guy we just talked about to go to the temple and when he got there you know what he saw Joseph and Mary and the baby Jesus and Simeon was the man given the highest privilege of dedicating the baby Jesus to God in the temple of jerusalem if Simeon had not been sensitive to the Holy Spirit he's probably sitting at home in this Barcalounger you know doing a crossword puzzle and all of a sudden he gets an impression and the Holy Spirit says go to the temple and so he gets up and go cuz he knows the voice of God and he goes to Timothy when he gets a lo and behold there's Barrie Joseph the baby Jesus and he gets the privilege of dedicating the baby Christ he would have missed it and you will miss things in your life if you don't learn how to listen to the Holy Spirit my Bible is full of examples of the Holy Spirit we're doing what I call nudges where he nudge as he puts an idea go do that go do it he'll tell you stuff to know but it'll also tell you where to go if you'll listen to him in Acts chapter eight 29 it says then the spirit told Philip go catch a ride with that chariot now let me tell you the background Philips walking down a dusty road one day minding his own business singing songs having fun walking down a dusty road and all the sudden a guy comes buying a chariot which means the guy obviously was a man of wealth or power or influence he's probably an official he sees this black guy go by in a chariot we later find out that he is an Ethiopian leader major leader in Ethiopia and as that chariot goes by and Philip sees this black guy go by on a chariot the Holy Spirit says to him I don't want you to know what you need to know I want you to go where I want you to go he says go catch a ride with that you hitchhike go catch a ride with that chariot so he runs up to the chariot and and he sees the guy's got a book in his hand and I said what's your reading and the guy goes well it's the Book of Isaiah but I don't understand it now Philip knows why he's there well I know it I understand it and he said tell me what you read and he's reading the passage in Isaiah about how the Messiah is going to come one day and Philip because by the way the guys come and he was just crucified and a few days ago he was resurrected and he's alive and he's walking around Jerusalem now for forty days and it's a very cool thing my guy says tell me more and God had that that Ethiopian reader coming by and a chariot and and said and he gives a nudge to Philip said go catch a ride with him he explains to him with Christ he gets up in the chariot to keep traveling together as he's kind of talking with a guy and he says well you know I I guess what I need to do next and fell because you need to be baptized as a symbol that you've you know you've said I've I'm all-in I've accepted Christ as my savior and they're driving along and he sees a creek bed in the Ethiopian a leader goes well there's some water what's to keep me from being baptized right now and it goes nothing so they stopped the chariot you read the whole story go down to the creek Philip baptized this guy gets up guy takes off in his direction heads back home Philip goes back the other direction that man took Christianity to Africa and that's why the oldest Christian churches in Africa are actually in Ethiopia why is that how did Christianity expand Africa because somebody listened to a nudge of the Holy Spirit somebody said go catch a ride with that chariot that was Holy Spirit and so he did if I had time I could give you hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of examples of this happening in the history of this church at Saddleback we'd call it catching a wave now surfers know that waves have to be caught and surfing looks easy but it's actually pretty hard requires balance but most of all it requires patience did you get on your board and you paddle out past the waves and you get out there too out the back and you just stop and you wait for the right wave and every surfer knows that not every wave is worth surfing some were short waves some are duds some of them are incomplete ways some are broken waves and so you go out there and you just wait and you wait and you wait until God brings the right wave along and then you start paddling as fast you can jump your knees jump up and you write it in and the whole goal is to ride that wave without losing your balance and then getting off the wave before it wipes out and that's how God wants you to live your life now every surfer knows surfers don't make waves only God makes waves only God can make a wave surfers job is just to surf the waves of God great you know what I see I see so many business guys out there trying to make a wave I'm trying to make a wave I'm trying to make away so my business will grow I'm gonna try to make away you can't make a wave but I tell you what if you listen to the Holy Spirit and he tells you what waves to catch God will do more in one year than you can do in 10 years on your own in your business it's whether you're listening the Holy Spirit listen to yourself most people are out there trying to make a wave I want to get married I want to do you know whatever and you're true you can't make a wave sorry this growth the growth of Saddleback Church was not my business and it was not the business of anybody else is because God is creating a wave and we had enough people in this church you're smart enough cuz that's the way God's going let's hop on that one and we're always looking oh where's the next wave and we've touched that we caught many many waves over the last four decades we don't try to create them only God creates waves I'll say it again get it good all right twice haven't done that in a decade so now but the point is you've got to be listening because he'll show you where what you need to know but it'll also show you where you need to go by the way sometimes you'll find yourself in a situation and somebody asks you a question that you don't know the answer to and you're going I am the slightest idea what to say right now or you're in and in you're in a conflict or you're at a graveside or you're in a situation and it's upsetting somebody and you don't know what to say you know what I'm talking about ever been in those situations I haven't the slightest idea what's safe in this situation right I'm on the phone they just asked that how in the world am I supposed to respond that's when you need the Holy Spirit number three if I listen to the Holy Spirit he will help me say the right things he helps me know what I need to know he helps me go where I need to go and he helps me say what I need to say at the right time and in the right way as is extremely important when you're having a conflict with your spouse that you listen to the Holy Spirit because if you listen to yourself you're gonna say something really dumb and make the problem worse I am exhibit any of this I could tell you many many dumb things I've said in an argument with K on the other hand when I listen I say Holy Spirit you need to tell me what to say I haven't slightest idea what say what this moment just had then God will teach you what what you need to say mark chapter 12 verse 36 the Holy Spirit led David to say now not only does he tell you what to know tell you where to go but he tells you what to say if you listen that's what a guy does and if you listen you'll stop saying so many stupid things if you just listen more to the Holy Spirit and you won't get yourself in so much trouble now the Holy Spirit has used you many if you're Christian he's used you many many times without you even know it and he puts an idea in your mind and you say it and it had affected somebody in a way and you didn't even know that they needed to hear that you were sitting in your small group and you said something offhand and you don't need honestly don't even remember it but it was like the light turned on for somebody else in that small group and it was like God spoke directly to them and shot an arrow at their heart God used you to say what they needed to hear and you didn't even know it you just got an idea so you said it you didn't realize it's from the Holy Spirit how many times have you come to church and then you walked out you said shoot I felt like brick was talking directly to me I was I was you said I feel like you're reading my mail I don't need you I have the Holy Spirit and and I pray every time God I don't even know what you want me to say but you put in me what I need to say cuz you know who's gonna be there that's why I'm effective I'm not brilliant I just depend on the Holy Spirit God tell me to say what I need to say and how to say it because you know who your brand so if you know who you're bringing the church next weekend and you know what you want to say them it's okay with me you can just do it through me or Tom or buddy or anybody else as long as the word gets out Holy Spirit is used you many times now sometimes the Holy Spirit will tell you in advance what you need to say that's just good preparation I don't wait til I walk out here on stage go what are we gonna talk about this weekend anybody read a good novel lately you know book review no I am all week praying I had four flights this week and on each of those airline flights I'm sitting there with my eyes closed saying Laura Holy Spirit what do you want to say to your people this weekend and I'm reading Scripture and I'm praying and I'm just letting him tell me like God you know who's gonna be there so why would you give me something to say that makes no relationship to where they are he wouldn't so if he's gonna bring you to church this weekend then he's gonna tell me what he wants to say to you and and you could you don't have to wait to the last second he he gives it to you in advance you prepare and you prepare for it but sometimes the Holy Spirit just tells you right in a moment and that's a fun thing too you know I I do a lot of interviews when I was at the Billy Graham funeral I probably did 20 interviews every major network every major magazine our newspaper just one right after another seems like every time I turn around something sticking a microphone in front of me well when you're doing an interview you don't know what they're gonna ask you don't say tell me the questions in advance then I'll tell you if I want to do the interview and oftentimes they want to trip you up and that they want to you know cause you to say something stupid or get involved in some controversy stuff like that and people say you know Reckling I watch you doing interviews I don't you don't ever seem very nervous I'm not you said well you don't know the questions I don't well they could try to trip you up they do but you're not nervous no why because I have an advantage they don't have I have the Holy Spirit they don't have the Holy Spirit but I do and the whole time they're asking that offensive question I'm going okay Lord how you gonna handle this one can't wait see what you're gonna say cuz I'm not saying anything till you give it to me so this is gonna be fun and I love just laying it out on the edge and you put yourself in a corner where you're bound to fail once God bails you out and they ask some of the most outrageous questions and you don't let's see what you have to say about this Lord and then I wait and and the Holy Spirit will then give you the impression he will not only tell you to know what you need to know and go where you need to go but say what you need to say and so you need to do this with your boss with your neighbor in a witnessing situation you don't know what's say just don't panic throw up an insta prayer and go Holy Spirit what do you want to say Holy Spirit what do you want to say right now and then just wait if you'll do this it's like a muscle the more you do it the stronger it gets the better you understand the Holy Spirit the quicker you get the answers you faltered start that's okay I did but I've been walking with the Lord for over 50 years I know the voice of God when I made doubt when I know the voice of God because I've heard and he's my best friend I've walked with him so long I've spent so many hours alone with him I know him and the longer you spend time in this book with God you know what he's gonna say and he's gonna bring it to your mind Matthew 10 verse 19 20 do not worry what to say or how to say it you got to make the presentation you got to go for a job interview you got to make a proposal do not worry about what to say how to say it at that time you will be given what to say for it will not be you speaking but the Spirit of your father speaking through you this is why the Holy Spirit is here know what we need to know to go where we need to go to say help us know what to say what we need to say number four if I listen to the Holy Spirit he will help me this is a bit wait for God's perfect timing he will help me wait for God's perfect timing friends I didn't realize the importance of this in my younger days but I have discovered the timing is everything you know that all over America the same baseball pitchers throw the exact same sized ball and they all stand on the same sized mound regulation mound and they stand the exact same number feet away from the batter but the difference between a Hall of Famer and amateur is timing it's the timing on how they throw that ball and in knowing the right timing a sermon can be a success or a dud a speech can be a success or dud project can be a success or a dud it's all about timing you can do the right thing at the wrong time and it doesn't work maybe you got God gave you an idea to start a new business and you thought well I got the idea should just start start it no there are always three parts to a vision you need to write this down it's not of the notes write this down three parts to a vision when God gives you a vision for your business or your marriage or anything else number one first he tells you what he's going to do that all a vision always comes in three parts he tells you what he's going to do now what happens is once we know what God says yeah I'm going to do this in your life then we go out we started as if we just do it any way we want to at any old time want to know no we started we started probably too soon and in the wrong way and then we fall flat on our face and we come back crying to God and go oh god did I miss you did I miss your will I thought you told me to start this business I thought you told me to start this career I thought you told and God said well I did you just didn't wait for part two and part three of the vision part two is the how and how God does what he does in your life will usually be the exact opposite of the way you'd like to do it in fact you can normally take the the normal way you would do something and do the opposite and you probably be in God's will by God says my ways are not your ways I didn't say do it like I said I was gonna bless your business I didn't say I was gonna bless it anyway you wanted to do it you got to wait for the how and then you gotta wait for the third part of vision which is the win and that's the timing and that's the most important at all God often will give you a peek to your future we'll look at this in the door series a peak year future and he says this is where I'm taking it you're not there yet I've got to get you ready I've got to build your spiritual maturity I've got to get you stronger in the Lord because the success that I'm gonna give you with this you're not ready to handle timing is everything and so one of the things Holy Spirit does is he is he gives you the right timing now there's no way you know the right timing for everything but there is a way for God to know the right timing for everything and the Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes there's a right time and a right way to do everything and so if you're gonna wait on God's timing you know what it means it means this you don't freak out over delays when you freak out over delay I have this vision but it isn't happening as fast as I want it to happen it means you're not trusting God's timing we waited 13 years to get our first piece of property for the Lake Forest campus 13 years of delays and the church kept growing from two people to 200 to 2,000 to 4,000 to 8,000 to 10,000 we were having over 10,000 and at 10 as before we got property for the first building now we're waiting on property for all of our other campuses and and and God will give us the property in due time in the right way but we don't get worried about delays because God's timing is perfect if we had jumped ahead of God's timing for instance at the lake forest campus we would have settled for so much less when God wanted to give us a hundred and twenty acres that was way beyond my idea my big when I started church my big dream is to have 50 acres which was crazy because no Church California had 50 acres God said well good idea Ric but it's just a little small I'm gonna give you a hundred and twenty and if we hadn't waited we would have missed if you don't wait God always gives his best to those who leave the choice to him that's true and a mate a husband or a wife in a career God always gives his best to those who leave the choice to him God you at the right time in the right way bringing the right business the right job the right piece of land the right partner and on and on and when the Holy Spirit is guiding you this delays don't bother you you just wait confidently you're not discouraged Galatians five five we are led by the spirit to wait sometimes the spirit says go but sometimes spirit says wait we're led by the spirit to wait how in the confident hope of righteousness through faith master what are you waiting on what are you waiting on in your life let me ask you another question are you talking to the Holy Spirit while you're waiting or are you just out there waiting I highly recommend you talk to the Holy Spirit while you're waiting and he'll help you understand where to go what to know what to say how long to wait number five if I listen to the Holy Spirit if I listen only spirit he will help me this is a big one resist things I can't normally resist I like this one if I listen to the Holy Spirit if I let him be my life guide he will help me resist things I can't normally just I'm talking about temptations compulsions desires addictions Galatians 5:17 and 18 the desires of self-indulgence are always in opposition to the spirit in other words what I naturally like to do that's the opposite of what the Holy Spirit wants me to do and the desires of the Spirit are in opposition to yourself indulgences which keep keep prevent it keep you prevented from doing the things you want to do but when you are led by the spirit you are not in bondage to the law what's he saying here the Holy Spirit's power is stronger than willpower the stuff that you say I really wish I didn't say that I really wish I didn't act that way why do I get so insecure why do I get so angry why do I get so shy why do I get so impatient why do I get so lustful why do I oh I wish I didn't do that well the Holy Spirit's power is stronger than the self indulgent power of your natural self by the way this is one advantage that celebrate recovery has over every other recovery program we have the Holy Spirit and now we have the Holy Spirit's power it's not just willpower that's helping me stay sober or clean or not a codependent or all any of the other habits and hurts and hang-ups that we deal with the verse before that verse relations 5:16 says that this on the screen if you're guided by the spirit you won't fulfill notice you won't fulfill the selfish desires of your sinful nature now I want leave that up there for a minute notice it does not say if you're guided by the Spirit you won't have selfish desires you're gonna have them it doesn't say you won't have them it says you don't fulfill them this is very important whatever your area of weakness is whether it's sex or anger drugs or bunny whatever your downfall is you're gonna struggle it with it the rest of your life it doesn't say that when you follow the spirit you no longer have no temptation no in fact the more you grow as a Christian the more Satan tries to tempt you not less more because he's trying to take you down Satan hates you God loves you as a wonderful plan for your life Satan hates you that's a terrible plan for your life why does Satan even care about you he wants to hurt God I'm gonna quit this way to hurt somebody's hurt his children and so there you'll never have an heir in your life or your temptation free it just says if you walk in the spirit if you're guided by the spirit you don't fulfill you may still have that natural attraction the rest of your life but an attraction is not an action an attraction is not a sin an action is if you walk in the spirit you don't fulfill the lust of the flesh I might have a natural attack attraction to want to have sex with other women who aren't my wife but an attraction is not an action and inactions is the sin I know I'm not gonna do that white because the Holy Spirit gives me the power to say no because there's some other things that are more important to me far far more important to me so I'll be able to resist the things I can't normally resist let me give you one more if I listen to the Holy Spirit he will help me it's a big one avoid dangers and mistakes this is why it's so important to be led by the Holy Spirit if I listen to the Holy Spirit he will help me avoid dangers and thus take part of the Holy Spirit's job is to protect you to shield you the vile use of the word shield the word shelter the word defend to keep you from disaster my protector my rock my defender it is the Holy Spirit's job to protect you from dangers and mistakes and one of the ways he does this is by warning you and cautioning you and and and the Holy Spirit just doesn't whisper sweet nothings in your you're good you're great you're fantastic you know I believe in you yes the Holy Spirit encourages you but sometimes you don't you dare do that sometimes he warns you sometimes he corrects you sometimes he speaks in your mind a word of protection saying if you go down that road it is disaster buddy you're headed into a dead end real quick so if you want to avoid mistakes and dangers in life you just have to listen to the Holy Spirit the less I listen to him the more mistakes I'm gonna make the less I listen to him the more problems I'm gonna have the more dead ends I'm gonna face now I want you to write this down on your outline I am most likely to hear the Holy Spirit when I'm relaxed write this down I am most likely to hear the Holy Spirit when I'm relaxed it's almost impossible to hear the Holy Spirit when you're tense when you are nervous when you are upset when you're angry and especially when you're fearful you said how do I know if what I'm hearing right now is my fear or God's Spirit they read my lips on listen if there's an element in fear in it it is not from the Holy Spirit the Bible says God has not given us a spirit of fear but power and love and a sound mind anytime you feel fear that's not God talking the Holy Spirit can warn you about something don't do that but it's not going to be a fear-based thing fear-based is never of the Holy Spirit never a little spirit so he will warn you and letting the Holy Spirit lead you'll spare you from a lot of unnecessary pain acts 20:1 for the Holy Spirit warned Paul not to go to Jerusalem why because there was a conspiracy there to murder him he didn't know about it and Holy Spirit and told him and and said don't go there and he said okay I don't have to know why but I'm not gonna go and so he didn't all right quickly how does the Holy Spirit guide and then I'm gonna give you just quick steps and this is fast how does the Holy Spirit guide oh ye of little faith forget and I'm going home figure it out yourself alright alright you wimpy wimpy wimpy people have I told you lately that I love you do I preach to you long yes do you still come yes [Laughter] it's the whole Council of God now it's like the farmer said to the farmer buddy it's good to feed your flock but you'll have to give him the whole bale hey yes I do how does Holy Spirit guide well I could give you a big long list of ten ways but because you're so weak I'm gonna give you just three all right write these down there don't don't write the ones I'm mentioning right now look up here God can lead you through wise counsel he can lead you through visions he can lead you through dreams he can lead you through circumstances he can lead you through miracles we'll go over that some other time but let me give you the three most common ways that the Holy Spirit Guides ninety-nine percent of time it's one of these three ways number one by revealing the meaning of what he said by revealing the meaning of what he said I'm talking about the Bible if he's the Spirit of Truth he's certainly going to use the Bible because the Bible is the truth so if you want to know God's will get into God's Word God's will is found in God's Word stop looking for a vision start looking for a verse stop looking for a sign start looking for a scripture the Spirit of Truth will lead you in truth and so he's going to take you to the word but here's the problem sometimes you get to the word and it doesn't make sense anybody ever had that problem or sometimes you read a story to nice story what in the world's have to do with me that have you ever had that question of course you have of course yeah that's why you need the Holy Spirit because we not only have the guidebook we have the author and his personal commentary in our ear it's the only book that you can read that when you're reading the book you can go now what did you mean when you're saying this and the author's right there to go well here's what I mean so you get not only the guidebook you you get the guide sometimes we don't understand a verse look at this first Corinthians 2:11 4:14 the man without the spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God for their foolishness to him and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned first place if I'm not a believer if I don't have the Holy Spirit there's no way I'm going to understand the Bible I cannot understand the Bible without the Holy Spirit to understand the truth I need the Spirit of Truth so God knew this and he assigns the Holy Spirit to be our interpreter and in John 15:26 the helper will come the Holy Spirit the Spirit who reveals the truth that's why I said with this book you get both the book and live commentary from the author because the Holy Spirit wrote the Bible so the first way is I need to know what you want me to do Lord I read the Bible and he reveals to me the meaning of passages you know this is what it means in my life right now that's called an application this is what it means in my life I know it happened long ago what is mean to me right now the Holy Spirit gives you the application he applies it he illuminates it he reveals it and he applies it to your life second way that the Holy Spirit Guides first as I get in the book and he helps me understand it number two by reminding me of what he said he not only reveals what he said reveals the meaning of what he said in the Bible he now reminds me of what he said one of the Holy Spirit's job is to remind you of truth that you've already learned it is his job to be your mental reminder to bring it to remembrance John 14:26 the helper will teach you everything and notice that circle it will cause you to remember all that I told you this helper is the Holy Spirit so what is he saying if I've heard a sermon and I've taken down notes and I've read a Bible and I've taken down notes and I've been in the Bible study and I've been in small group and I've taken down notes then I put some stuff in my mind but I don't remember everything I've read heard and taught and learned and discussed I don't do that but the Holy Spirit knows what's already been put in my mind and he can bring it to remembrance when I need it isn't there verse in the Bible that says and he brings that to mine now follow me on the logic on this the more the word you put in your mind the more he can bring to remembrance that makes sense right so the more Bible I get in my in my brain the more he can a bigger library he's got if I only got a little bit of Bible he didn't have a lot to pull out the Holy Spirit cannot remind you of stuff you've never heard in the first place this is why you need to read the Bible every day this is why you need to listen to God's Word you need to read God's Word every day you need to fill your mind with God's Word the more you put in your mind the more he can remind you but he can't remind you of stuff you haven't ever heard so you got to get in to the Word of God by the way if you ever thought about this since you know the disciples didn't walk around with bind they didn't have notepaper how in the world did they remember all these stories that and the example of stories that Jesus and the things that Jesus said and they wrote down the Sermon on the Mount if I asked you write down last week's sermon could you remember it I don't even remember it come on so unless you write notes you don't remember how in the world so how do oral we get the Bible well look up here on the screen the Bible says this you need to know 2nd Peter 1:20 that nothing in Scripture was just thought up by the prophets themselves it was the Holy Spirit who directed and reminded them of these true words from God so there's always spirit who years later says Peter write this stuff down and John write this stuff down and Matthew write this stuff down and Mark write this stuff down it was always fruit who brought it to mind they would have not remembered all this stuff that's in the New Testament but the Holy Spirit reminds us of what he said ok so he he helps us understand what he said he reminds us what he said and the number 3 he guides us by giving us nudges and confirmations nudges and confirmations now these are mental impressions it's often called an internal witness the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit it's just a sense that you know internally nobody's told you this but you know that you know that you know that you know that you know because the Holy Spirit is said this is the truth and you know it and it's hard to recognize it first but the longer you walk with God the better you can hear God's voice if you're in the word Romans 8:16 I love the message paraphrase says God's Spirit touches our spirit our spirits and confirms what we really are God will often use a nudge to confirm something you know God will often use an impression to confirm sometimes to warn but a lot of times to confirm last week Rick and Laura macho had not decided on where they were going to have their surgery they had gone to a hospital one hospital and the hospital said your surgery your cancer is inoperable your it's inoperable and I said Rick you think we're gonna give up with that really I mean you if you got a million-dollar racehorse you don't take him to the local vet you go wherever million-dollar racehorses get worked on and so my wife Kay began to do a lot of research and talk to doctors who were knowledgeable in the in the area of cancer that Rick macho had in his brain they found a hospital said we not only can we will do your surgery Rick had a multiple different ones he didn't know which one to choose he now had four or five hospitals to choose from and earlier this week he had called and he said what Rick were you and Kay pray with me and Laura on which one we should take and I said well what have you heard so far and he said well we went to this one and I really really felt good about it he said every person I met I just felt the internal peace about it every every doctor I talked to even the the check-in nurse and he goes everybody there just it it just felt so right I said Rick I'll be happy to pray with you but you don't need my prayer you already got your answer the Holy Spirit has given you your answer you don't need to pray about it you've already had five or six little nudges so you don't really uh-huh and so I said we'll pray it with you and I prayed with him but you don't really need to pray about it because you've already been nudged six times by the Holy Spirit and he went there and Wednesday the surgery was successful yeah and they got about 90 plus percent of the the the tumor and now they're looking at the microscopic parts that they could get by radiation chemo and working on a plan on that he's working on recovery he has a arm isn't working real well and his right leg is it working real well but they said that could be just temporarily and they dr. defeated a lot the doctor was elated with the surgery felt that went way beyond and I'm going okay thank you God thank you for your prayers answered thank you for all of that and so now we just got to pray for full recovery because we could have lost him on the table and he had been told already it was inoperable but clearly it wasn't and so we listened to the promptings of the Holy Spirit all right he gives us those nudge by the way let me just say this and I know I'm running behind but act feeling the pressure right now here's a really important thing every time you get an impression to do good act on it don't go I'll do it later why because every time you do it you strengthen the muscle that hears the Holy Spirit every time you go I got it how many times they've something you've been told say something nice to that person do something for that person send that note call that person offer a meal give some advice offer some prayer all these good and you know I just don't have time right now when you do you weaken the muscle that hears the Holy Spirit every time you get a nudge to do something to do good do it do it because you're strengthening the muscle that actually makes you tune since the Holy Spirit knows when I tell them do this we're gonna do it that makes sense so never delay in there aw you know say if somebody you know you see somebody over there look like have a hard time and yeah and you feel like I should go up and say can I pray for you well then do it walk up and say can I pray for you if they say no fine but you obeyed the Holy Spirit and if you obey the Holy Spirit when you get those nudges it will get stronger and stronger it's stronger in your life and you're better you can hear his voice when I wish I could go into this when I hear the Holy Spirit it's often illumination of Scripture it's often an interpretation of an event I'll be sitting in a meeting and I'm going holy spirit what's going on here and he tells me and I can see what what the real issue is and sometimes it's an impression people and their this is their problem and it just comes supernaturally and it gets better over time all right real quick how do I let the Holy Spirit lead me and I'll just give you the points and won't even go into number one here's the steps you need to start doing every day to let the Holy Spirit be your guide number one pause and be quiet you can't hear the Holy Spirit very well on the run so I'm 37 7 be still and know that I am God sit down and shut up okay pause and be quiet if you're frustrated and you can't get alone go into the bathroom sit in the stall that's the only place you can get alone in your office be still and be quiet Psalm 37 7 Isaiah 30 verse 15 in quietness and confidence will be your strength so you got to just pause and be quiet alright number two humbly ask the Holy Spirit to guide you you have not because you ask not you've got to ask but you've got to ask with a humble spirit it's your attitude that the Holy Spirit is looking for Psalm 25 9 god guides the humble in what is right and he teaches them his way the more humble you are the more you're gonna hear the Holy Spirit God guides the humble not the proud not the arrogant not those who think they've got it all figured out God I'm humbly asking you so I'm twenty-seven verse 11 teach me Lord what you want me to do lead me down the right path god I got to have it I can't do this on my own I've got to know what the next step is I can't move give me a give me a direction guide me I'm I'm humbly asking you I've paused I'm quiet I'm humbly asking you to guide me number three be willing to do what he says before he tells you now if you approach this with God I'll do what you tell me to do but you got to tell me first and then I'll decide what I'm gonna do it or not you're gonna hear nothing you must want to be led you start with desire with longing with craving I've got to God's guidance its truth as many people don't want God to lead them they want to be their own boss they say God I'm willing to do whatever you say I'm signing the check you fill in the amount I'm saying yes before you even tell me what it is you want me to do John 7:17 whoever is willing to do what God wants and chooses it will know what I teach if what I teach comes about the knowing comes after the choosing god I choose to do your will now let me know what it is number four look to God's Word look to God's Word your word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path we have the guide but we also have a guidebook and you need both we have the guide and the guidebook the Bible says guide my steps by your words so I will not be overcome by evil number five expect his guidance in faith expect his guidance in faith if you're not expecting the Holy Spirit to tell you now well why should he tell you anything God works not God does not listen to your complaints God listens to your faith God does not listen your gripes he listen to your faith James chapter one if you want to know what God really wants you to do ask him and he'll gladly tell you for he's always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask him but but be sure that you really expect him to tell you if you don't ask in faith don't expect the Lord to give you any solid answers we trust God's guidance because he's never wrong but you have to believe and finally number six it's important wait for God's response don't get in a hurry don't get in a hurry don't get in a rush God hadn't told me yet so I'm gonna go ahead and start that business I'm gonna go ahead and get say yes to that engagement wait for God just the Bible says God does speak sometimes one way and sometimes another even though people may not understand it and if you wait the waiting will get clearer and clearer and clearer let me pray for you this is the most important thing you can know as a Christian how to be led by the Holy Spirit father I pray for our flock I pray for this family of God I pray for every person at every campus who's going to have to make some difficult decisions this next week may we never again make a decision on our own but make it first in consultation with you you've given us a guidebook you've given us a guide Holy Spirit help us to learn to hear your voice to listen to your nudges help us to get into God's Word to fill our minds with your word so they will remember and then you can cause us to remember what we've stored in our hearts Lord for everybody who's having a tough time this week Holy Spirit give them new insight help them to know what they need to know help them to go where they need to go help them to say what they need to say help direct them along the way help those who need to wait for your perfect timing to not get in a hurry help those who are struggling with something that just they can't seem to resist to stop relying on willpower and to rely on spirit power and I pray you would protect this flock that you would protect them from dangers and mistakes and lord help us to be smart enough to listen to your warning and then not walk foolishly in the areas you've told us to avoid Lord for anyone who doesn't know you here today may they right now say Jesus I want to know you just say that Jesus I want to know you and I want you in my life may they begin this journey today for the rest of their life I pray this blessing in your name amen god bless you guys thanks for checking out this message on YouTube my name is J and I'm Saddleback's online campus pastor and I would love to invite you to join our online community here are three ways you can take a next step first learn more about belonging to our church family by completing class 101 online second don't do life alone anymore by getting into an online-only small group that meets on platforms like Skype or learn more about hosting a group with your friends in your home third join our global Facebook community to connect with others with the online community and be more engaged in the day-to-day to take any of those make steps visit Saddleback comm slash online or email online at Alaba comm hope to hear from you soon [Music]

Channel: Saddleback Church

Views: 206,745

Rating: 4.7712564 out of 5

Keywords: saddleback church, rick warren, choosing your future

Id: Glm2IQpkIb4

Length: 76min 53sec (4613 seconds)

Published: Mon Mar 05 2018