How Does God Guide Us? | Jemima Adjei | HTB Alpha Spring 2019

[Music] for guidance I go to friends family my brother quite a lot general guidance I go for my friends so I get a lot of ideas and guidance particularly my wife I also often look up to people in the workplace Peter parents about a speech to eat about and to kill my dad comes to girls sometimes internet a little bit confused right now as to what I meant to be doing because I don't know all the answers so it's always good to go somewhere else I call that sometimes just to try and like work it out by myself if it feels right then I'm going to go for it okay so in that I really want to do then if there is more constant price I'll still do it anyway we seek for answers then we will be guided and I would rather try and fail then not try at all I didn't grow up going to church see in fact my mom who's gone in she moves whoa yes yes my mum who's gone in okay yes my mum who's going to move from Ghana to Germany and there she met this dashing young gentleman and she fought yes my time and so she went the only issue was that he was already married but for some reason that didn't seem to stop them so this relationship carried on and my mum fell pregnant and she knew that there was no way he was going to leave his wife and kids to be with her so she decided that the best thing to do would be to leave Germany so come to the UK and to just start fresh so she did she moved to the UK where she had me now this was tough here she was in a country that wasn't her own well the language that she wasn't familiar with with no friends no family no real sense of stability anywhere so she decided the best thing to do would be if I send my daughter back to Ghana where I have family and when I get myself sorted here I'll bring her back so before I was even a year old my mom sent me to Ghana and I lived in a type of foster care system where I moved from home to home and cities cities cities and different families and that was pretty much my life until I was about nine years old when my mum brought me back to the UK now my life was pretty complicated up until then but it didn't get any better when I moved to the UK see my mum she had her own struggles I watched her go in and out of these violent abusive relationships and often with men who were already married and as a way to deal with her own problems she decided to start drinking I remember I would come home from school and I'd see my mum passed out on the sofa and I would go and just hold my face close enough to her face just to feel her breath just to check if she was still alive growing up in all of that meant that making the right decision didn't always come easy to me and to be totally honest with you I felt a little bit lost and maybe you feel lost sometimes too so it's been said that the two greatest days in a person's life is a day they're born and the day they find out why st. Paul writes this in Ephesians he says for you are God's masterpiece he has created you and you in Christ Jesus so that you can do good things that he planned for you long ago God designed you with a purpose already your mind and I know that sounds crazy but just as you are just as you're sitting here this evening God created you with a purpose already in mind God loves you and you are of infinite value Jesus died for you and you have a specific and unique role to play growing up I felt like I was a mistake and I was literally the walking evidence of what shouldn't have happened but now I know that I'm not going to let my life go to waste you know I know that there is good things for me to do there are good things for you to do your life can make a difference maybe when you think about these good things that need doing you think oh yeah that's that's all well and good but maybe that's a job or a calling just for really good holy people like the Pope he can do good things but not for me you know what the truth is that I've made mistakes we've all made mistakes I used to be in this long-term relationship a few years ago and you know when you know that you shouldn't be there I knew but I stayed there anyway you know there are times oh I know what I'm doing is wrong and there are other times where I just got it wrong but God's purpose is bigger than our mistakes and it's never too late if you are still alive right now it's not too late as just mentioned earlier on I was a secondary school teacher and every so often in teaching there comes a time where you meet a teacher who just seems to have it all together normally me on a normal Monday morning at school I look frazzled I'm just like what is going on you now look lost you got the power dresses the ones who can wear heels and just know what they're doing every day well my colleague Chris he knew what he was doing he literally were glide into the classroom he didn't have to raise his voice once and every child was just there like ready to listen and learn thoughts in my son's know see me I did not have the patience of Chris I literally would get some point where I would say no small people by my desk if you are shorter than this you need to move away from my desk cuz I didn't have the patience see I also have a dog I have a dog and his name is Cyrus hilarious Cyrus do you think he looks like he's smiling he's cute he's cute he does it like he's smiling so when I decided I was gonna get a dog I literally went on Google and I got a list of dogs eh-2-zed and I thought started going through and I stopped that okay because he's an Akita so I stopped that I didn't get very far and if you know anything about dog breeds that the Japanese Akita is bred to to hunt down bears did anyone know that okay good because I didn't know that so I decided I was going to bring him home you know that's what I did and I think sometimes I lose my patience with with Cyrus cuz the one thing I did know about this is breed was that they don't fetch how can a dog not set you know I remember when I knew I was gonna go get him I went to pets at home and I bought one of those long sticks that you pick up the ball with so you'd have to touch it after the dogs been chewing it no things still in my kitchen nothing so virus is nearly ten and I'm still trying to teach him to fetch now thank God thank God he is not like me God is not like me God is not losing his patience no matter how long I take to get something you know God is infinitely patient some stats he 8:32 eight says I will instruct you and I will teach you in the way that you should go I will counsel you and watch over you so how in practice do we hear the voice of God how does God guide us well there are five top tips I have had of how God can guide us and they all just happen to begin with a CS so the first CS is commanding scripture I know that as a teacher I shouldn't admit to this but I really don't like reading I really don't and to me I'm just thinking why would anyone read when we have YouTube but that makes no sense to me and so I really struggled to read the Bible I really struggled and a few years ago I was a guest here on alpha and I remember I was sitting up on the balcony when I heard Nicki talking about this app the Bible in one year so I downloaded it right there and then and I've been able to read the Bible and some days when I haven't felt like reading I've just had the Bible read to me and the mornings is as I'm getting ready for work and I'll be honest that in those years that I've been listening to the Bible and reading the Bible that's what I've actually learned about just how important I am to God just how important we are to God about the love and grace of God see the Bible tells us our main calling in life it doesn't matter if you're sitting in hiren you are a lawyer or a teacher a CEO of some major company you know doesn't even matter if you have a title or what house you live in what car you drive doesn't matter if you get married or you don't that's not God's main concern his number-one concern for your life is that you are in a loving relationship with him and then you were called to love your family to love your friends and to love your neighbor everybody is struggling with something that's the truth everyone in here right now has a story to tell and the thing is that your story can make such a difference if you know anything about teaching you know that there is a unexpected or there's a pressure on you that if you've been teaching for a number of years you are expected to apply for promotions after a while so it got to the point where for my better better do something so I started applying for promotions I went to job interview after job interview after job interview and every one of them turned me down you know I've been teaching for a few years by this point and here I was so embarrassed that no one saw me fit to be to have a position of promotion I was so embarrassed that I felt like I was a failure but what truly matters is not what we do what matters is who we are and the more we we read the Bible the more we pray the more we come to know about who we are there were certain things we don't need to pray about though I mean you don't need to pray about whether or not you should pay your bills you just do that that's just normal but there are other things that you know the Bible the Bible says that we're not saved to do good works but in fact we when we were saved by grace so that we can do good works God has a purpose for your life and he has good things for you to do you're not safe to do good things so you're not saved by the good things you do you're saved by grace so you can do good things so how did you find out what these good things are well the second CS is compelling spirit to be a Christian is to be led by the Spirit the Holy Spirit comes to live in our hearts and that's how we hear him speak and it takes a little bit of time to recognize his voice I recently lost all the contacts in my phone so I've been patiently waiting for people to call me so I can save their numbers the amount of awkward conversations I've had and by the end of it still not had a clue who I was talking to you would be surprised but if my brother calls me I know straight away that it's him because I recognize his voice and that's the same with the Holy Spirit you don't have to it takes a bit of time you'd you might not recognize it straight away but the more we pray and the more we read the more we start to recognize it sometimes we might ignore it but it's the process as we pray and as we read the Bible the Holy Spirit speaks to us and most of the good ideas I've had have come after I've prayed you know ring that person or send that text message go and see that person most of them come after I pray God puts a desire in my heart to do these good things Paul says in Philippians 2 verse 13 he says God works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose so as you know of was just mentioned I recently stopped teaching and when I went into teaching I thought this is it this is my ministry my calling I'm here but that's not how it's turned out God has changed my heart and he has put a strong desire in me to do something else now I'm training to be a vicar in the Church of England and I would I would have never thought that that's something that my future held so sometimes God guides us and visions or pictures and prophesies and other times he gives us an impression on our heart as we pray for people and we pray for people on the Alpha weekend away we pray for people here in the services on a Sunday and sometimes when you're praying something would just come to mind it never seems like a big deal at first and and often that's just how the Holy Spirit speaks to us the third CS is counsel of the Saints now Saints us a bit of a scary word but it doesn't mean ooh you know big important people st. just means Christians ordinary Christians so when I say counsel of the Saints it's about getting advice you know we're not in this world alone God puts us in community you are in community in your small groups so you experience that heaven and God doesn't just speak to me he speaks to all of us through the people he puts around us the writer of Proverbs says the wise person listens to advice and makes plans by seeking advice I'm so grateful for my friends who give me advice and just knowing that there are people around me who can talk me into things and out of things when that's the need ultimately it's our choice whatever we decide to do is our choice but how amazing it is to know that we're not alone that we are in community so how do we know when God is talking to us well there are some tests that we can do the New Testament says test the spirits to see whether they are from God so one test is this arts yourself is this in line with the Bible or is it loving and if you think that God has spoken to you through prayer or through a prophecy ask yourself is it encouraging is it strengthening is it comforting another test is to ask yourself do you Phil piece about your decision st. Paul says let the Peace of Christ rule in your heart the fourth CS is common sense just because you become a Christian does not mean that you lose all common sense it doesn't mean that you don't have to think anymore I have a confession to make and hopefully I'll get some comfort here I am such a fan of LBC oh my goodness it's just me leading Britain's conversations that is me and I have been known on occasions so Colin yes I have because sometimes the things I hear on there is ridiculous and I'm thinking come on people let's use our common sense so I call in I have to use a fake name by the way because I can't let anyone know it's me so I'm now you guys will know just you guys Jenny from Ealing that's me Jenny from Elin and it always took me through so I know I'm popular there so when I call and I'll impart my wisdom and I will set the topic straight and when I put the phone down I'm genuinely shocked the conversation is still going on because I have just resolved it you know I don't understand of course they still got a whole 45 minutes of the hour to fill but never mind and sometimes I think come on people where is your common sense you know the things you hear now you have to listen to LBC and you'll know so in 2 Timothy st. Paul wrote this he said reflect on what I'm saying for the Lord will give you insight into all of this he says in other words use your mind use your thinking use your common sense and in that God will guide you and there's stuff in the Bible that's very general the general will of God so we know that in the Bible's singleness is a high calling on some people's lives but that marriage is the norm but you can't open the Bible and just be like hmm Ezra I don't know when Ezra I'll work out no that's not how it works that you've got to use your common sense you've got to ask yourself am i compatible with this person do we have the same values the same vision the same goals in life and when you become a Christian you don't just leave the job you're in and think no this I can't be in this environment anymore no your job is your place of primary ministry that is where you stay God doesn't call us out of things he calls us into things so God hasn't called me out of education he's called me into ministry in the Church of England I mean you thank God for for Charlie Mackesy and the work that he does now imagine if he stops being an artist when he became a Christian I mean think of the impact that Charlie's life and work has made he's used his talents and his gifts that is his ministry his primary ministry and God has given you talents and gifts he's given you abilities and qualities your character strengths he's given you experiences in life that only you have and he doesn't want any of that to go to waste the 50s circumstantial signs God is creator of the whole universe you know Paul says this in Romans 8 we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him and have been called according to his purpose we know you know it's like he's talking from experience he says I know this I know that this is true and that in everything in your life God is working for the good all those years I spend moving from home to in care I couldn't believe it when I moved back to London I thought wow I have a mum you know I have a family and yeah fair enough she had her issues but she was my mum and she was my best friend when I was 23 my mum died of cancer and here I was again said God Here I am again alone but then I think back to that passage we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him and have been called according to his purpose and I remember that in my life God is working for good in all things there's bad stuff that happens who was and God can use that for good but also the bad stuff that we've done the mistakes that we've made all our struggles our circumstances God can use all of them for good he's guiding us and often we don't see that until we look back with hindsight see I wasn't planned by my mum or dad but God planned me in Jeremiah chapter 1 verse 5 it says I knew you before you were in your mother's womb Jeremiah 29:11 says for I know the plans I have for you plans to prosper you and not to harm you plans to give you hope and a future someone planned me when I was in year 9 I went for an audition a very well at the time very prestigious school it was called the Brit school a few people have been there you know it's a few and I thought to myself right this is it I'm done with this ordinary life I'm about to go and change my circumstances and I'm gonna be bigger than Beyonce that was it I went in there with a mission for some reason the the interviewers didn't seem to see that same vision and they sent me back in but now I had to go back to school after literally walking around like I was some celebrity in the classrooms in the corridors now I had to go and tell them there they said no now in hindsight I can say that God was guiding me and I believe that right now as I stand here today I'm exactly where I meant to be you as you sit here this evening you are exactly where you are meant to be I want to encourage you I want to say don't look back with regret about what's happening and don't look around you worrying but instead you've got to look up and you've got to trust that in everything that God is guiding you and that he is working for your good when when I went for my my last job interview I had the task of preparing and teaching a lesson on a modern-day Saint and so I picked Sir Nicholas Winton he was he was a young stockbroker on holiday in Prague when he saw the Nazi occupation and realized that Jewish families there were in so much danger in the space of about nine months he or he organized for 664 Jewish children who would have otherwise been killed in a holocaust to be transported to this country he managed to forge the permits and he spent his own money and got them over the border and placed them into foster families here in the UK when war broke out he became a fighter pilot and he completely forgot about everything that he had done so about 50 years later his wife found this old suitcase and inside were all the letters about the children that he had helped get over the border TV presenter Esther Rantzen heard about it and she tracked down some of the children invited them to the studio without telling sir Nicholas Winton he was then invited down to the studio totally unaware of why he was even there and he was placed next to a woman called Vera Gissing who was the who was one of the children that he helped rescue until that moment she had she and the other children had no idea who had saved them I absolutely loved the moment NAT he stands up and he looks around the room and he sees the impact that his life had had and he didn't even realize maybe your your hair this evening and you're thinking I don't have any talents like that I don't have any gifts like that maybe you're a helper or a host in a small group this evening maybe you said something nice to somebody in the office at work maybe you you gave up your your seat on a tube for for someone on your way here this evening one day God is going to say to you stand up and look around you have no idea the impact that your life has had on so many people you

Channel: HTB Church

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Length: 27min 4sec (1624 seconds)

Published: Thu Feb 28 2019