0:07 I intend to speak this morning from the book of Romans. Romans chapter 8. Romans 8 from verses 12 to 15. Um my intention is to bring up uh 0:30 a very uh central uh part of the life of Jesus that I've seen as I read the gospel and and when it's all said and done this morning to encourage us to pursue this this manner of life which our Lord had. Uh I trust God will help us this morning 0:48 as we do that. So Romans 12 Romans 8:12-15. It says there, "Therefore, my brethren, we are debtors not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if you live after the flesh, you will die. But if through the Spirit 1:06 you do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live." Verse 14, which is really the verse I want to talk from. "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For you have not received the spirit of 1:22 bondage again to fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, Father." Verse 14 is the crux of my of my message this morning. It says there that it is those who are led by the Spirit 1:40 of God, they are the sons of God. In Galatians uh chapter 3:26, it says, "We are all the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ. We're all the children of God." In Galatians 3, by faith in Jesus Christ. a man or woman 1:59 who is committed their hearts to Christ in faith, by faith, that one is a child of God, it says in Galatians 3:26. But in this verse I read in your hearing in Romans 8:14, it goes further by saying that it is those who are led 2:18 by the spirit of God, they are those are the sons. Those are the sons of God. And as I began to think on on what I wanted to share this morning morning, um a question arose in my heart, which I've never really pondered in the past. 2:34 It's just It's a very It's one of those um uh one of those um titles we give to Jesus, which I've never really thought of, but I thought of it uh the last few days. Where the question is this, have you ever wondered why Jesus was called is called almost 2:54 all his life, pretty much all through the gospels and through the scriptures, the son of God rather than being called the child of God? Those would have seemed the same thing, wouldn't it? He's a child of God. The Bible would 3:07 Peter and and uh Paul and all this or uh John and all this folks, Luke, would have referred to him as the child of God. But we never see that. The scriptures refer to Jesus as the son of God. I wondered if there's a distinction 3:25 between those two things, him being the son of God and being the child of God. Jesus was referred to as a child, but almost exclusively at the beginning of his life, as an infant, as a baby. You see that in Matthew 1 and Matthew 2 3:40 and Luke 1, Luke 2. I think Peter refers to him as the holy child in in Acts in Acts uh chapter 4. But exclusively Christ was referred to as the child as a child, as it when he was a baby. But that child grew up, it says in Luke 3:57 2:40, that child grew up and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him, it says in Luke 2. So, as it the reference to Jesus as a child, almost exclusively was him as a baby. But as that child grew up, as he began 4:17 to walk amongst the Jews and to do all the things the Father had called him to, the scriptures referred to him as the son of God. When the angel came to Mary, says, "That child you have will be a will be called the son of God, 4:31 the son of the most high." What I'm trying to pull out of here, and I don't want to split hairs or play with words here, you can he could have been referred to as a child of God, that would be that would have been accurate. 4:43 But I think there's a reason why the Bible refers to him not as a child of God as it walked through his life on earth and even afterwards, but as the son of God. There's a slight distinction there. A child would have been accurate, but 4:59 the scripture specifically refers to Jesus as the son of God. I don't know if you see what I'm trying to say here. There's a measure of maturity that you see in a son versus a child. Both the child both the both of they 5:12 offspring of that man or that woman. But the connotation of a son refers to one who's growing or is grown or is mature and or maturing. And I think of it you think of it also even in even in reference to your relationship with with your parent 5:29 with my dad, I'd say. When I was a little boy with if he took me out, he would say he could have say he would say he could say, "My son, this is my son." Or he could say, "This is my child." Both again would have been accurate. 5:41 But now that I'm 41, if I went out with him and he took me to his friend's house or something, I I doubt if he would refer to him as my child. He most likely, almost always, that's been my experience, I'm sure it's yours, 5:53 he would say now, this is my son. My son, I'm his child still, but I'm trying to show that the reference to the use of the of that word son refers to one who is maturing and growing. Jesus Christ was the son of God 6:10 because as he grew up as a man, his ears were tuned to hear what his father wanted, to do exactly what his father wanted, and to please his father. He grew up in maturity, looked to sayings. He was maturing, and he grew up to walk in the the 6:26 pleasure of his father all through his life. It's a small distinction, but I think it's very important. As I said again in Galatians 3, we all by faith are children of God. There's no difference there. But Romans 4 Romans 8 here, in verse 14, 6:43 goes further by saying that those who are led by the spirit of God that are sons of God. They're the children of God also, but for me, I've taken that to mean a step further. One who is maturing and growing in obedience to the voice of God 7:03 is the one that pleases him. It's the son and daughter of God. That's what I want to talk about this morning. The very importance of we as believers hearing from God all the time and obeying and doing what he says to us 7:20 by his spirit. It's not enough just to be born again and stay in that infantile childish that childish state, but that we desire that we would hear God's voice every day. Every day, him leading me, him guiding me, 7:39 him instructing me, the spirit of God that is, instructed me day by day. That is how we grow to maturity. That is how that child Jesus grew up and walked by the spirit of the Father till the day he died on that cross. That 7:56 is why he was called the son of God because he grew up day by day to please his Father while he was on earth. Even in heaven, he's still the son of God, but I'm saying while he was on earth that the spirit that distinguished him 8:12 from every man on earth at that time that this one lived in growth, in knowledge, in love, in obedience to his Father. That's what I want to share this morning, my brothers and sisters, that we would thirst to hear the voice 8:28 of the spirit of God every day, to live by that spirit, and to find our pleasure in obeying everything that the Father says to us, just like Jesus did while he was on earth. It's not a small again, I don't like to play with words, but I really think 8:46 there's something here. Not just to be children. In fact, Paul says that in Ephesians, I think in Ephesians chapter 4, that we be no more children tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, right? But that we would grow. 9:03 Grow in maturity. That's what I want to speak on this morning. There's a difference between two believers, one that is walking not by the by rules or by laws or by his own imaginations, but by the voice of the spirit of God in 9:19 his own heart. I really believe this is a place of rest. In other words, I would be moving not based on what what I feel or what I hear or what I'm being pressured to do, but by what God himself, by his spirit, speaks in my 9:35 heart. And speaking of Jesus again, it's quite an an amazing thing that this man who was God when he came to this earth would say more than once that I can do nothing of my own. Imagine that. God in the flesh, the man Jesus would 9:54 say I of myself can do nothing. That's quite a humbling statement for this man to say, but it was the reality. I can do nothing of my own. As John 5:19 says, truly, truly I say to you the son can do nothing. I can do nothing of my own, but what I 10:13 see the Father do. And he says the same thing in John at the end of that chapter. Whatever I see my Father do, that's what I do. However, I'm led by his spirit, that is what I desire to do. If Jesus could live this way, 10:30 Jesus who in whom was hidden the treasure of all wisdom and knowledge and and understanding, if he could live that way on earth in complete reliance to the spirit of the Father, how much more you and me. It's not a small thing, my brothers and 10:47 sisters. It is those again who are led moment by moment by the spirit of God. They are the ones who please God because again they would have found that place of not relying on their own understanding, but resting and trusting 11:04 in God's word. I think this doesn't come to us automatically when we start on our journey as believers, but as we walk with God more in obedience, more by more and more, I think that voice becomes clearer in our hearts. That's been my experience. 11:20 It's not as clear as I want it to be, but I can distinguish that voice of God's of God's spirit in my heart better now than I did 2 years, 3 years, 5 years, even last year. But, it requires obedience to what he says to us moment by moment. 11:37 So, what I want to talk about this morning. I intend to start off by showing an example, three examples actually in the Bible, of the danger and the benefits of living according to our own understanding and not relying on 11:51 God's word. Going to quickly go through these examples. I want to encourage you to go back and read them. Very fantastic stories. Read them carefully. I believe God will show you more from these stories in your own pri- 12:03 quiet private time as you read it carefully. The first one of a man or people who relied on their own understanding on what they thought was right and then obviously when they're looking at it on an you know, just physically outwardly. 12:20 This was what they should have done. But, they didn't ask God and ultimately got into trouble. This happens to us many times. It's happened to me. Uh I believe I mean one of these days when I stand before the Lord, there'll be things I've done in the past 12:36 that'll be clear to me that this was not God's will, even though it appeared to right. It was not what God wanted, but God in his mercy still turned it around for good. But again, as we grow in maturity, we want to leave those mistakes aside 12:50 and ask God first, what do you have me what would you have me do? This is what appears right in my eyes. But, I want to hear your voice because nine times out of 10, you might what you did was maybe right, but there may be that one time where God 13:05 says this is not the way to do it. If you relied on your experience, you would do the way you've done it and you could be wrong or do it contrary to what the Father wants. So, it's what I'm trying to get at this morning 13:20 to be still and ask and listen and be clear with God before we take decisions, before we do things. There are many times, I'm quite sure it's happened to you, it's happened to me many times, more in the past and less and less now is what I wanted to be 13:35 where I do things based on what I feel is right. And it could be most of the time, but again there may be one time where God says no. But because I'm relied on my own understanding, I go ahead and do that thing. Let's watch out for this, Lord friends. 13:52 So, the first story I want to share is from Joshua chapter 9. It's a story of Joshua and the Israelites. And they are with in their their encounter with the Gibeonites. I'm sure it's a story you know. They've they've defeated 14:06 Jericho. They've defeated AI. And here with the Gibeonites who deceived the Israelites. You know that story. Joshua chapter 9, the Gibeonites had heard and I'm going to go through the stories relatively quickly, tell you the 14:21 gist of it. I want to encourage you to go back and read it. And the Lord I'm sure will speak to you from these stories. The the Israelites had defeated the folks in Jericho. They defeated AI and some other nations. And the Gibeonites who came to deceive 14:36 them had heard all these exploits by the Israelites. They were afraid. And it says there they came, Joshua chapter 9. I'm going to start from verse 3 and just go very quickly through this one. And when the inhabitants of Gibeon, 14:50 Joshua 9:3, they heard that what Joshua had done with Jericho and to AI. They worked very cunningly and went and made as if they had been ambassadors. They took old sacks and and upon their asses and the donkeys and wine and wine 15:07 bottles, old and rent and bound up. Old shoes and clouted up their feet and old garments. What they were trying to do here was to come, pretend as though they had come from a very distant place uh to meet uh and his people with old 15:23 clothes, moldy bread, torn shirts, torn shoes, and and just pretend they say, "Yeah, we're from a distant place. We heard what your God has done." You know, pretty much seeking mercy from the Israelites. Whereas the Gibeonites 15:39 were not from a far country, they were actually a nation around where the the the people of Israel were at this time. So, they tried to deceive them. They they came to Joshua and his people. And then you see in verse 14 is where the mistake was 15:57 made here. Joshua 9:14. And the men took of their victuals and asked and they did not ask counsel at the mouth of the Lord. In other words, the Israelites felt felt sorry for the Gibeonites here. But they did not first of all ask God, 16:14 "God, should we accept and uh this people and take them in?" It seemed obvious this people this people were pure looked poor. They looked uh tired. They looked helpless. What would you do if someone came to your door that way? 16:30 You'd say, "Come in. Come and eat." But what they should have done here was to ask God, "What do we do?" I mean, would you have done that if you were in the position? Most likely not because you you can't your heart would 16:43 have melted towards these people. But here they were being deceived. And they took them in. And for hundreds of years the Gibeonites stayed with the Israelites. They caused them some trouble later on in the days of Saul. 16:57 And yeah, a big mistake was made here because according to verse 14, they did not seek counsel of God. They did not ask God, "What should we do?" This appears right in my own eyes. This is what I feel I should do. It looks 17:17 right. Everything is lined up perfectly up to this point and my decision can easily be made. But God, what do you what should I do? What should I say? Um I'm pointing out this story again because we make decisions all the time 17:33 based on what seems obvious to us. And truly, you make make the right decisions nine out of the 10 times, but this one time may be where God says, "No. Don't do it this way this time." He may not God may give a reason, may 17:49 not give a reason, but you hear that voice in your heart say, "No." Everyone may say you're cruel, you're mean, or you've done you're doing something the wrong way. It doesn't matter. I want to go by what the spirit of Christ is saying in my heart. 18:05 I've said earlier that this doesn't come automatically, but I'm quite sure absolutely sure that as you walk in obedience with Christ more and more, that voice becomes clearer. It becomes clearer. So, the Israelites did not ask 18:20 God for what for counsel. They fell into this trap. It became a trouble a problem for them for hundreds of years. The Gibeonites were generally good people. They They stayed subdued, but uh it still was not a perfect case. 18:34 This Gentile should not have been a mixed crowd amongst Israelites, but they promised them they would not destroy them. They had to keep their promise for for as long as the Gibeonites stayed with them. So, let's be careful. Read the story. 18:50 There's more to this. I have I'm just rushing through. It's a powerful story. Read what happened to them later on in the days of Saul where David had to avenge the Gibeonites. They had to keep their promises because they had told 19:01 them, "We won't hurt you." But that was the wrong thing to have done. Seek counsel from God always. Seek counsel from the spirit of Christ before making a decision. That is one story I wanted you to point out. Take time to 19:16 read it. Another one that has really touched me over the years as I considered it, the story of Jehoshaphat. Uh you know Jehoshaphat was was a very good king, was one of the very good kings of Judah. Uh Uh you know that story in 2 Chronicles 19:31 20 when he asked God for wisdom to fight the Ammonites, the Moabites, and so forth. He was a very good king. A very good king, but he made some mistakes. And his primary mistake was this also. That in certain situations he never 19:46 asked God, "What shall I do?" And one of those instances is one I want to point to you here. Read it again. I'm running through this. It's just like a story that I'm telling you, but if you take time to read it, you'll catch things that I cannot say 20:00 here. God will bring it to your heart. That story is in 1 Chronic 1 Kings chapter 22. 1 Kings 22. When uh uh Jehoshaphat's interaction with Ahab. Ahab uh you know was the king of Israel, the northern tribe. 20:19 Ahab was a very very wicked king. And he was drawn to wickedness by his wife Jezebel. So God was not pleased with with uh with uh Ahab. But in 1 Kings 22, Jehoshaphat, the very good king of Judah, 20:37 which was a a sister nation to Israel. In fact, they were one, but the division had occurred uh years before. Jehoshaphat encounters goes to uh to Ahab here. And Ahab wants to go fight the Syrians. Ahab seeks help from Jehoshaphat. 20:55 What would you naturally say to your brother? And uh Jehoshaphat in verse uh 1 Kings 22, in verse 4, towards the end of verse 4. Jehoshaphat said king of Israel, "I am as you are. My people are your people, my horses are 21:13 your horses." And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, then Jehoshaphat in verse 5. Jehoshaphat was a good man. He had made that commitment to Ahab, but in verse 5 still asked that we would inquire of the Lord. Ahab never even bothered to do such 21:29 things, but Jehoshaphat says, "Let's ask God first before we go fight the Syrians." And of course it's a wonderful story. I can't go through it all here. God sends a deceiving spirit to deceive Ahab to go fight. There was one true prophet, Micaiah, 21:44 who ultimately tells him, "Don't Don't go fight the Syrians. You're not going to win." Ahab didn't want to hear that message. Uh he wanted to hear the false prophets. Anyways, that prophet Micaiah tells him, "Don't go fight." 21:59 Uh ultimately, they went to fight the Syrians. Jehoshaphat Jehoshaphat had goals with him, contrary to what the prophet had said. So, another danger I see here is this, that God may be saying one thing to us, but because we are bent on doing what we 22:17 want to do, like Jehoshaphat was here. The prophet had said, "You're going to lose this battle." Jehoshaphat Jehoshaphat asked for the to for to to hear God's heart on the matter, but still went ahead with Ahab. God may be leading us in a way, 22:37 but because we want to satisfy our own desires, we may go contrary to what God what God wants. And as you read that story on, uh Jehoshaphat almost gets killed, but he was spared. God spared him again. You read later on, I mean before 22:54 Jehoshaphat dies, he aligns with Ahab's son to go go on an expedition. The ship got destroyed. A shipping in expedition, the ship got destroyed. Again, because he aligned himself to a man or people whom God was against. 23:09 He did not ask of God. And when he asked, actually, he asked. And when God gave him instruction, he went contrary to that. Gave his heart on the matter, Jehoshaphat went contrary to what God wanted. What am I saying here, my brothers and sisters? 23:25 Whenever you have that auction for the spirit of Christ, obey. Just do it. And put your own flesh or your own desire or for your own your own goals aside. Go and do what God says to do, even if it is contrary to what you what you know, what you 23:43 feel. They who are led by the spirit of God, those are the ones who go to maturity as sons and daughters of God. Jesus was this way. And that's why we've heard it before. Jesus said, "I came not to do what I want. I want to do what the 24:00 Father says." He walked in obedience all through. You have You and I have made mistakes in days past. Going forward, my encouragement is we would hear and do what the spirit of Christ is saying to us. This is how to have that sweet 24:19 fellowship, sweet fellowship with God at all times. The third story I mean, these are stories that touch my heart as I've read them. I don't know. I hope you do I'm just touching them on them very quickly. But it's the nuggets in all of 24:31 these stories that I've mentioned to you that if you go read carefully carefully you carefully, you'll get some other things that I cannot I cannot really spend time here to talk on. The third story here, still in the Old Testament, is a story So, 24:45 this is a uh the first one was a case where they did not inquire of God, Joshua and his people. The second one was one where they inquired uh Jehoshaphat inquired. When the answer came, he still did contrary to what God 24:59 had really wanted in that instance. This third one, 2 Samuel, this is after David had become king. Want to point out another danger of going with our own mind here and not relying on the voice of God. 2 Samuel chapter 5 25:15 uh towards the end of that chapter after David had become king. Again, go back and read it. Read it on your own. There are things here that I believe God will show to you as you do. In 2 Samuel chapter 5 starting from verse 17 to the end 25:31 this is a story after David had become king in Israel. He was king in Israel, the whole of Israel now. And the Philistines came to fight him. Right? Verse 18 of 2 Samuel 5 says the Philistines came and spread themselves 25:49 in the valley of Rephaim. And David, verse 19, inquired of God saying "Should I go up to the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?" And what does God say? God says, "Go up. I will doubt no doubt deliver the Philistines into your hand." David did 26:08 the right thing. He inquired of God and God says to him, "Yes, go ahead and fight them. I'm going to deliver them into your hands." Now, a few moments later a few moments later the Philistines came back to fight David again after being defeated the first 26:25 time. And David David, I mean, if you were in his shoes, what would you have done? Yeah, there's no doubt they came back exactly the same way. They came to the same valley. Everything was exactly the same way. They came back again 26:39 to the same valley. Verse 22, "The Philistines came again and spread themselves in that same valley of Rephaim." Exactly the same scenario, the same situation. And naturally you would have thought, David should have thought, "What's 26:54 happening? This is the same outcome, right? I'm going to go fight them. The same situation. God gave me victory the first time. Why should I really bother asking?" But David asks of God again. Verse 23. Lord and of the Lord he said, "Would you 27:12 He asked of God in verse 23, and what does God tell him there? "Do not go up like you did the first time." That's really what touched me there. Because the natural instinct would have been to just do it like I've done it to 27:28 get the same type of result. And he had he done that, he may have gotten the victory, most likely would not. Um but here he listened to what God says. I don't know if you're catching what I'm saying here. The obvious thing would 27:43 have been just to do what his mind said to him. But he took time to ask of God. This second time looks exactly the same. "Should I do it the same way?" And God says to him, "Don't. Don't go in front of them this time. Go 28:00 behind them." And why did God want him to do that? Because he says there, "I will go before you and I will smite the Philistines this time. You just go behind them. You hear the voice on the trees. Then, after I have begun the 28:18 gotten the victory for you, you also can come behind and smite them as well." Do you see what I'm saying here? There's a way that seems right, but that way may be wrong. David could have fallen into that trap here. They who are led moment by moment by the 28:37 spirit of God, they are the sons of God. There's no chance of falling to a trap because you are led by God moment by moment. I'm thinking again of times I made decisions based on what I thought was right. A friend wants me 28:54 to do this. A family member is doing such and such and they want me to come. Yes, in the natural sense, that's what I should do. Yes, let's just give them a yes, I'll be there. But do you ask of God quickly? Lord, should I shall I Should I go to 29:09 this person's home? Should I do this? It sounds obvious that I should, and it could be. Like I said, nine out of 10 times, the answer maybe would be yes, but it could be that one time that God says, "Don't go. This person is in rebellion to me. If 29:23 you go to them, you'd be supporting the man I'm against." That's what happened to Jehoshaphat. I take that story in 1 Cor- 1 Kings 22 to heart a lot, many, many times, because Jehoshaphat, a man of God, was aligning himself to Ahab, 29:38 who was a who was in rebellion. God was against him. But the right thing was to go in the natural sense was to go to help him. Let us inquire of God always. Take time to do it. And it may sound It may sound strange at the beginning that 29:53 I'm But ask him, "Lord, what should I do here?" You know, God cares to hear. This You can load him up with 1,000 questions in a day. He doesn't bother him. God would because he delights in that. That this son and daughter of mine 30:09 is taking time to hear him to seek my face. I would lead him in the path that is good. Truly, that's how Jesus was. Jesus sought the face of God, his father, always. And that's why you hear of him praying. Praying always, "What shall I do?" I'll 30:26 give an example, two examples. There's many of them. If you read the gospel, you can smell these instances that Jesus did not do what was obvious to him, but simply did what the spirit directed him to do. He didn't spell it out that way, but you can 30:42 perceive it as you read the Gospels. I'll give two quick examples before I move on here. One was one we looked at in our men's meeting on Friday on Wednesday. In Luke 4, at the end of that story, after Jesus had done miracles, healed 30:56 Peter's mother, did all types of miracles, uh the Bible says uh the next the day as a day broke the next day, the people asked him to stay. But Jesus says, "No, I have to go." Because I've been called not to do miracles and cast out demons, but to 31:14 preach the Gospel of the kingdom. Uh Luke chapter 4, verse 42. Verse 42. After the previous verses had talked about the great revival Jesus had brought about in the towns, but here the people wanted him to stay 31:34 and he says, "No." What was the natural thing to have done? It would have been to stay. But because he had prayed, he departed and went to a deserted place to seek God's face. He knew the answer would be should be no. I have to keep moving on. 31:47 I came to preach the kingdom of God. By the way, this is another verse verse verse 43 is one we talked about it on Wednesday. In terms of miracles and and casting demons and all these sort of things, they're great, but that is not a primary thing in the 32:03 life of a believer. That was not the primary thing in the life of Jesus. He came not to do all of these things even though he did them, but according to verse 43, I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also. For for this reason I 32:18 was sent. Remember that. Miracles are not the greatest thing. Declaring the life of Jesus, the Gospel of the kingdom of God is even more primary than seeing miracles. As we said on Wednesday, even the devil can do these things. 32:34 But we are called to preach and to live out the life of God. That's just by the way. So, that's one example. Jesus would have could have stayed in that town, but he decided to go. That tells me he was moving by different a different 32:47 voice than what seemed natural than what seemed natural to him. I'll give another example in John chapter 7. It's another one that has been profound as I've read it over the years. In John 7 at the beginning of that chapter, I'm going quickly here, 33:01 friends. My hope is that you go by I do that. When I sit in here and someone speak, I have notes. During the week, I read these things and the Lord leaves out things to me. I'm hoping you're doing the same. To go back and read. Go back and read it for 33:16 your own self and God would show you things that In John 7 here, the Feast of Tabernacle, it says, was at hand. Jesus' brothers did not believe in him. They came and taunted him. They said to him in verse verse 4, let's start from verse 2. 33:35 It says here that the Feast of Tabernacle was at hand. Verse 3 says his brothers therefore said to him, "Depart. Go to Judea. Go to Jerusalem that your disciples may see the works that you're doing. For there is no one who does anything in 33:48 secret if he himself seeks to be known openly." They said all this because they didn't believe in him. In verse 6, Jesus says, "My time is not yet come, but your time is all the way ready. You can do whatever you want. I can't do 34:03 anything I want. I can't. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that the works are evil. You go up to the feast, verse 8. I do not go up yet, for my time has not yet come." When he had said this, he abode still in 34:18 Galilee. And then verse 10 says, "When his brothers were gone, his brethren were gone, then he went up also to Jerusalem to the feast, not openly, but in secret." Do you see what I'm saying here? He had told them, "I can't come. My time 34:33 is not now at this moment." But after they left, the way was open for him. Now you can go. And I've was I would I've read those those that those verses, I thought to myself, Jesus uh was running the risk of looking looking small and first of all in in in 34:53 the eyes of his brother. I mean, when they when they challenged him to go to Jerusalem, he should have just said, "Okay. I I know who I am. I I want I'll go." But because he was listening to the voice of God his father, 35:05 "This is not the time for you to go." But after they had left, it says, "Okay, you can go now, Jesus." And he decided to go. They could have said he was double-tongued or why did you say no at first yes at first and all 35:19 kinds of things they could have said against him. They thought you said you weren't coming and if he wanted to to please his brothers or seek their their praises, he would have gone according to their words, but but he was led by the spirit and and 35:33 went at a different time. It's a small story there, but it touches me a lot to say for me saying, "I'm not going to be pressured by anybody. No. I'm going to listen for God's voice and to do according to what the spirit puts 35:47 in my You see many examples of this sort of thing with Jesus. He was led by the spirit. So this is what I'm trying to show, brothers and sisters. It may not be so at the beginning, but as we walk with the Lord, we ought to be growing in 36:01 this. Growing in hearing the voice of the spirit of God. Uh Proverbs 3:5 says not to trust lean on trust in the Lord with all our hearts and not to lean on our own understanding. In all our ways, we must acknowledge God 36:20 and then he will direct our steps. There's a danger in walking in my own understanding. But those who are led day by day by the spirit of Jesus, those are the sons and daughters of God. It is what I want to encourage each one 36:38 of us to be this morning. Growing and maturing believers. Those who are not moving by the by the drumbeat of the world or of friends or anyone, but moving according to God's voice all the time. 36:56 I guarantee you as the more you do this, the easier it becomes. Honestly, you don't have to even have to fast and pray and all of these things. Just speak to God. There's a place where you're talking to God in your heart. Lord, what should I do? 37:09 Lord, help me. What help And even if the voice the answer does not come right away, wait. Ultimately, you'll get a peace. This has been my experience again. Even if when the answer has not been clear, I wait. I wait. I wait. I wait. And even 37:24 if I do make a mistake, if the goal was to honor God from the beginning, not myself, God, I want to honor you in this decision. I'm not sure, but I have to decide. I'm still not sure. Even if you make a mistake, because you're in your your 37:40 your intentions were right in honoring God, I believe God even turns that for good. The goal must be to honor God in everything we do. And even when the voice is not clear, wait like I said. And even if you you decided based on 37:56 you had to decide even though the there was no clarity, I believe God can still turn that for your good, for his glory and your good, because he sees that your heart was right from the beginning. Was to honor him. That's been my 38:10 experience. That even when mistakes were made, God was still able to turn it for good. The question must be always, God, I want to honor you. Please help me to honor you. I may not be sure what to do now, but I want to honor you. You got to be 38:26 honest with that question, not just smooth over it. I want to honor you, Jesus. Help me. You'll never go wrong. Not one time will you go wrong. God will always turn it for his glory and for your good. So, let us let us seek for this from the 38:44 Lord. Open my ears. There's a verse in Isaiah 30 21. It says, "You're going to hear a voice behind your ear telling you, 'This is the way you should go. When you go to the left or to the right, walk in that voice according to that 39:00 voice.' It's there. The voice of the spirit of Jesus is available to us all the time. Are you attuned to him to hear that voice? You know, in Psalm 40, David said once that God did not want offerings or sacrifices from me. 39:19 Psalm 40 verse six, "But my ear has thou opened." David said that. God wants an obedient ear. Jesus later on quoting that that verse was speaking of Jesus in Hebrews. Jesus went further, "More than just an ear, you gave me a 39:34 body to do to obey and do what you've said to me." Hebrews uh chapter 10, I think verse five. So, God wants an obedient here ear, obedient life more than any sacrifice we can give to him. Let us thirst for this. I'm thirsting for this more and 39:52 more. I'm telling you the truth that any work or ministry that I do for the Lord is not what excites me. Honestly, it's the presence of Jesus with me on my during my regular day. That excites me more than even standing up 40:05 here speaking as I do now. It's just Jesus is with me. No more I'm not more excited now than I would be tomorrow afternoon at work. I want you to come to a place where that is is the same. The presence of Jesus is what makes a difference. It's not in 40:21 sacrifice or ministry or all these sort of things. It's walking in obedience. Walking, being led by the spirit of Jesus all the time. I want to encourage us brothers and sisters. Let us ask for this. Ask God to help us to be this sort of a 40:38 Christian. I'm saved. Praise the Lord. I'm saved by faith in in in Jesus Christ. I'm a child of God. But now I want to grow into sonship, into maturity with him. And that only happens as we walk by the spirit of Jesus. This is a big 40:57 distinction brothers and sisters amongst Christians. Uh I want us to be of the latter type. Where we're all going to heaven. Praise God. But now I want to live according to the voice of God day by day. Psalm 25:14 says, 41:16 those uh it's those who fear God that are led that are instructed by him. Psalm 25:12, I think verse 12 says, uh the secret of the Lord are with those who fear him. And then verse 14 says, it's those who are who fear God. They are the ones who 41:33 are instructed in the way that they should go. If you want that instruction, that life where God is guiding you and telling you what to do. It happens. This is not some fantastic stuff I'm speaking to you honestly. God does that in our hearts. 41:49 It's those who fear him. Those who fear him. Those who want to do his bidding. Who hold him in reverence. Psalm 25:16, okay, verse 20 uh verse 14 says, the secret of the Lord is with those who fear him. But verse 12 says, it is those who fear the Lord, 42:06 they are the ones whom the Lord would teach in the way that they should go. This is not some It's not a It's not just written there. It's true. If you hold the Lord in reverence, to do what He says, to please Him, you will hear that voice more clearly 42:24 as we walk with Jesus. I want to encourage you, brothers and sisters. Let's be this kind. Let's not be stubborn. Let's not be stubborn. Uh 1 Samuel says, stubborn Being stubborn is like is like idolatry. Rebellion is like is as witchcraft. 42:40 We don't want to be stubborn. We want to yield to the voice of the spirit of Jesus. Always. Whatever He says, I will do. That's how the man Jesus was. And that's why this Always He was called the Son of God, never the Child of God. The Son of 42:57 God, because this one lived in full obedience to please His Father. We also can be that way. We also must be that way. Where the spirit leads, I go. The voice is there. The question is, are we hearing Him? And we won't hear Him if we don't hold 43:16 Him in reverence, if we don't walk in obedience to Him. So, there's a wonderful life yet more that God has for us. Let us thirst for it. He'll give it. God wants to guide us. Psalm 32 says, "I will guide you with Psalm Psalm 32:8 and 43:31 9. I will guide you in the way to go. But don't be as a horse or mule that needs to be disciplined before it listens." We don't want to be that way. We want to listen and do. May God help us. Let's think about these things. Read these scriptures, 43:47 all these verses, all the stories I said. I think God will show you yet more than what I can here. Amen. Thank you.
