Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12; Proverbs 3:5-6; John 16:13-15
Title: Do You Know Where You are Going To and How to Get There?
Theme: God’s Guidance
INTRO:
Grace and peace from God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!
I want to talk to you today about the subject “Do you know where you are going to?”
Those words may sound familiar to some of you as you think back to a song that was recorded by Diana Ross. The song was written by Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin and was the theme song of the motion picture Mahogany.
The words of the song ask a simple question:
Do you know where you're going to?
Do you like the things that life is showing you?
Where are you going to, do you know?
Do you get what you're hoping for?
When you look behind you there's no open door.
What are you hoping for, do you know?
Do we know where we are going this morning?
Do we like the things that life is showing us?
Are we getting what we were hoping for in this life?
All of those are great questions to ask ourselves. All of those are great questions that we need to find the answers for in our lives.
The Bible tells us that the Wise Men were asking similar questions. They were searching for some answers. They had seen a special star in the sky. It was a star that pointed to the birth of a special king. It was a star that pointed to a special king that was to be born to the Children of Israel.
They had left the comforts of their country because of that star. It had given them purpose and direction. They had traveled for months across the deserts and wilderness to get to land of Israel.
They were determined to discover the identity of this special king that had been born. He was to be a king that was to stand alongside the likes of King David, King Solomon and King Josiah. He was to be the “Anointed One” and they wanted to give him honor, worship and glory.
I am sure along the way they might have joined in that song – Do you know where you are going to? Do you like the things that life is showing you?
Have you ever wanted a star to show you where you should be going? Or how about having your own personal pillar of cloud or a pillar of fire to lead the way? Could you use an angelic visit or a dream or a vision? What about seeing a burning bush, some watering pots or even a voice from a prophet?
As you read the Bible you notice that there are a great many people that received some special revelations that enabled them to know what they were suppose to do and where they were suppose to go.
But what about we who are living today?
Is there a way for us to know what we need to do and where we need to go?
Is there a Gideon’s fleece for us? Is there a divine casting of lots for us as there was for the Early Church when it was trying to replace Judas? Is there a still small voice for us to hear like the Prophet Elijah heard?
Actually, there is a way for us to know where to go and what to do. Jesus tells us in John 16:13:
“When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come.”
Let’s take a few moments this morning and listen to what God tells us about how to discover His will for our lives.
I. God wants to Share His Will and Desire for Our Lives
Perhaps the first thing we need to fully understand is that God does not want us living in the dark. God is not interested in us spending our years here on His Good Earth being confused, frustrated and discouraged.
God wants us to know His will and direction for our lives. God wants us to be led by His Holy Spirit. He wants us to make the right choices in our lives. He wants us to live the best life possible.
In John chapter 10, Jesus tells us that He is the Good Shepherd. He is the Good Shepherd that will speak to His sheep. They will know and understand His voice. They will be able to follow His direction and His direction will enable them to live a life beyond amazing.
In John 14:6, Jesus tells us that “He is the way, the truth and the life.”
Life here on earth can be difficult. Life can be full of frustration, anxiety and misfortune. Life can bring about problems and situations that we may feel are impossible to handle.
But at the same time we must understand that the LORD wants us to live an Abundant Life. An Abundant Life that looks a lot like the life of the sheep that we read about in Psalm 23.
If you remember those sheep have their needs taken care of by their shepherd. Those sheep are being led to still waters. Those sheep are being led into right living. Those sheep are experiencing peace in the midst of difficulty. Those sheep are being anointed and cared for and provided for in the best of ways possible. Even when they have to go through troubled times they know that the Shepherd is right there doing His best to guard them, protect them and encourage them.
That is to be our life here on this earth as well. The more we can hear God, the closer we follow God and the more we obey and listen to God the better our lives will be here on God’s Good Earth.
I like what I heard Dr. Rick Warren say the other day on this subject.1 Life is a series of choices. We are forced to make choices in our lives either good ones or bad ones.
Life is a journey. It is a series of stops and starts. But we need to understand that as we do those stops and starts that the Lord has given us some wonderful gifts.
+He has given us a Roadmap called His Holy Word
+He has given us a Compass called our Conscience
+He has given us a GPS guide called the Holy Spirit
We need to fully understand that the Lord God Almighty does not want us to waste our lives. He does not want us to spend our time here on this earth foolishly or carelessly. He does want us to invest our lives. He does want us to live out the best life possible.
This is why the LORD inspired the following words:
“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” – Proverbs 3:5-6
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11
“Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” – Hebrews 13:20-21
II. God Has Made a Way for us to Hear His Voice
The Wise Men had a Star. Moses had the Burning Bush and the Voice of God. Daniel had dreams and visions and angelic visitations.
We today, have the assurance of the presence of God’s Holy Spirit. The Bible over and over again tells us that today we have access to the Power, Presence and Leadership of God’s Holy Spirit.
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, HE WILL TEACH YOU ALL THINGS, and bring to your remembrance all things that I have said to you.” (John 14:26)
“But God has revealed them to us through His Holy Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.” (1 Corinthians 2:10)
“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27.
The real question is not will the LORD speak to us or guide us. The real question is will we be able to hear voice of the LORD? Will we be tuned in to hear the LORD speak to us through His Holy Spirit?
This morning, there are some key things that we can do to make sure that we do hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. There are some things that if we put them into place we can be assured of being able to hear and follow the Holy Spirit.
What are those things?
1. A willingness to be led by the Holy Spirit
When Jesus started calling His disciples He did it with an invitation – “Follow Me” “Come and you will see”
We know that some of those that followed Jesus were fishermen. And we know that they immediately left their nets and began to follow Jesus. We know that when Matthew was called the Bible tells us that he immediately arose from the tax collector’s table and began following Jesus.
Later on Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” – Matthew 16:24
That is an invitation followed by a commitment. One does not causally follow Jesus. Jesus’ invitation to follow Him requires a commitment. Jesus’ invitation to follow Him requires a life transformation.
It is the same for us with the Holy Spirit. It is only by grace that we can hear the Holy Spirit. And it is through the New Birth that we can be led by the Holy Spirit.
You have to want to hear and be led by God’s Holy Spirit.
It does not come by accident.
We will not be able to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit if we are not committed to following Jesus nor will we be able to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit if we are not desperate to hear His voice.
The Apostle Paul tells us that over 500 people saw the Resurrected Christ (1 Corinthians 15:6).
But when we get to the Day of Pentecost only 120 disciples were gathered together in the Upper Room.
Think about that for a moment or two. Over 500 see Jesus in His resurrected body. Over 500 people hear him, see him and touch him.
And yet, fifty days later less than 25% of them are ready to pray, wait and receive the Person, the Power and the Presence of His Holy Spirit.
Over 500 people had no doubt that Jesus was the Messiah. Over 500 people had no doubt that something supernatural had happened to Jesus. Over 500 people had been told of Jesus’ ascension and the coming of His Holy Spirit.
And yet, less than 25% of those same ones gathered together for a time of pray and waiting for God’s Holy Spirit.
If we are going to hear the Holy Spirit we have to have the tenacity, the passion and the desire of this 120. We have to leave the other 380+ behind and set out to hear the Holy Spirit at any cost.
Too many people do not hear God’s words or receive God’s wisdom because they are casual followers.
If you want to hear God’s words, receive God’s wisdom and follow the paths that He wants you to walk you must be passionate in your desire to follow Him. You must make that a lifelong commitment.
2. A willingness to surrender to the leadership of the Holy Spirit
Those Wise Men surrendered their calendars, their resources and their own lives to follow the Star. Everything else in their lives was put on hold to go hundreds of miles to discover the identity and location of this new king of Israel.
It was a daily surrender. Each day they had to get up, eat breakfast, break camp and get ready to either walk or ride on a camel. Each day they had to make sure they had enough provisions and had to watch out for any dangers along the way. Each day they had to commit to their goal; finding the child who was to be the Anointed One of Israel.
Like them we have to make a day to day surrender to the Holy Spirit. We have to make a daily choice of leaning into the will and way of the Holy Spirit. We have to commit our day to being open to His voice, to His leanings and to His guidance.
This daily surrender is what the Apostle Paul was alluding to when he wrote Romans 12:1-2
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
It is only through daily surrender that we can worship. It is only through daily surrender that we can stay away from the allures of the world. It is only through daily surrender that our minds can continually be renewed. And it is only through daily surrender that we can understand what is good, acceptable and perfect for our lives.
Walking with Jesus is an ever ongoing enterprise. It requires a passion. It requires surrender and a daily commitment.
3. A willingness to get into the Word
The phrase Homo unius libri ("(a) man of one book") is a Latin phrase attributed to Saint Thomas Aquinas. Saint Aquinas wanted to be known as a man of one book, God’s Holy Word. He believed that the best way to understand God was to spend your life devoted to reading, studying, meditating and obeying God’s Holy Word. He believed that something was never really learned until it was absorbed and became a part of a person’s daily life.
Later on, John Wesley invoked the phrase in this sense and declared himself to be a "homo unius libri", the "one book" being the Bible.
Now, if you have read any of Wesley you know that he was an avid reader. He was well versed in his day. He read and studied medicine, government, biology and many other subjects. But his sole passion was to be a man of one book – God’s Holy Word.
If we are going to hear God’s Holy Spirit then we need to be well versed in the Bible. For the Bible is the Lord’s Book. The Bible was inspired; God breathed His word to be written.
“All scripture is breathed out by God, and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17
There is a lot stored in those two verses. But the main line of thought is very simple. If we want to be able to hear the Holy Spirit and follow His leadings then we must be immersed in His Book – the Word of God.
Have you ever heard the phrase – “Like the back of my hand”? It is a phrase that people sometimes use when they speak of how to get to a place or how well they are acquainted with a place or a situation.
They know it like they know the back of their hand.
In the same way we are to know God’s Word.
Centuries ago this was not easy. The Bible was not easily accessible. The earliest Bibles were written in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and Latin.
But that is not the case today. Today the whole Bible has been translated into over 700 languages and the New Testament into at least 1,548 languages.
On top of that there are over 400 English translations of the Bible available to read with the top 10 selling translations being the following2
1. New International Version (NIV)
2. King James Version (KJV)
3. New Living Translation (NLT)
4. English Standard Version (ESV)
5. New King James Version (NKJV)
6. Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
7. Reina Valera (RV)
8. New International Reader’s Version (NIrV)
9. The Message (Message)
10. New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Included with all of that there are so many ways we can just hear God’s Word – tapes, CD’s, apps, internet sites and more. There is literally no excuse we could give to say that we do not have immediate access to God’s Word. There is literally no excuse for us not to be students of His Word.
If we want to follow the leadings of the Holy Spirit we must get into His Word.
4. A willingness to obey the Holy Spirit
Finally, we must be willing to obey the Spirit’s leading. We must be willing to co-operate fully with the Holy Spirit. We must be willing to be open to His Presence and His Power.
The other day I found myself needing direction to find a certain house in a city that I had never visited.
Luckily, I have a map app on my phone that will not only show me the location but it would guide me to that location.
However, it would only work if I put it into action. I had to open the app, put in some information and then follow its directions.
In a matter of seconds it laid out my path. I followed that path and it led me right to the house that I needed.
Now, I know that at certain times those apps have failed people.
But where an app can fail, the Holy Spirit cannot and will not.
We need to understand however, the Holy Spirit will not lead us unless we are open to Him. He will not speak to us unless we ask Him to speak to us. He will not reveal Himself to us unless we are willing to co-operate and be one with Him.
That of course means that we must humble ourselves. We must acknowledge that the Holy Spirit knows better how we should live our lives than we know. We must acknowledge that we need the Holy Spirit to be our Teacher, our Guide and our Leader. We must allow the Holy Spirit to have rule over our heart, our mind and our spirit.
And we must learn how to be quiet and listen for Him to speak to us.
We all know Ps. 46:10 – Be still and know that I am God.
The “know” part is not simple wisdom or knowledge. It is not simple enlightenment. It is much more than those things. “To know” points to experiential wisdom and knowledge. It points to relational wisdom and knowledge. It points to a oneness of heart, mind and soul with the Holy Spirit.
That oneness happens when we are open to His Presence and Power. That oneness happens when we become quiet. Stillness/Quietness is required if we are going to be able to hear the Holy Spirit. Stillness/Quietness is required if we are going to be able to let the Holy Spirit led us.
It is important this morning for us to desire the Holy Spirit.
It is important this morning for us to surrender to the Holy Spirit.
It is important this morning for us to get into His Word.
It is just as important for us to be open to Him. For us to be still and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us through our minds, through His Word, through dreams and visions, through angelic visitations, through our conscious and any other means that He decides to use.
This fourth step of being quiet and receptive is perhaps the most difficult of all. But it is the most essential. For true desire and true surrender leads to having quiet times with the Holy Spirit. True surrender to His Word leads us to being open to hear His words, His direction and His guidance.
That is why our world loves so much noise. That is why our world seeks to experience so much entertainment. That is why our world desires for us to fill our day with things, plans, ideas and worries, concerns and burdens.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:25-30
“At that time Jesus declared, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Jesus understood the need for quietness, for rest and for us to give ourselves over to the Lord. We need to understand that as well.
The last words that we have of the Wise Men are words of being surrendered and obedient. They decided that they would rather obey the leadings of God rather than the words of King Herod. They started their journey by being willing to be led by the LORD and they ended their journey by being willing to be led by the Lord.
I am positive that if King Herod could have gotten his hands on them, he would have arrested them, concocted false charges against them and either imprisoned them or had them put to death. But they obeyed the LORD and returned home full of joy. They returned home and were able to share the Good News of Jesus’ birth.
This morning, as we close do you know where you are going to? Do you like the things that life is showing you? Where are you going to? Do you know?
+Today is an excellent day for us to give our lives over to the LORD.
+Today is an excellent day for us to receive His forgiveness and grace.
+Today is the perfect day to be Born Again and filled with His Holy Spirit.
+Today is an excellent day for us to surrender to the Holy Spirit.
+Today is an excellent day to start being open and receive God’s direction for our lives.
Open Altar/Prayer/Blessing
1 https://saddleback.com/watch/living-in-the-goodness-of-god/how-to-be-led-by-gods-spirit - this is an excellent resource and message. I would highly recommend listening to this message!
2 https://churchanswers.com/blog/the-top-ten-best-selling-bibles-compared-to-ten-years-ago/
