The Holy Spirit Guides Us From Within — Zac Poonen

Hearing God's Voice in the New Covenant

I'd like to continue on what we heard about the memory verse this week. It says in Isaiah 30 and verse 21, your ears will hear a word behind you, this is the way walk in it when you turn to the right or the left.

External Revelation in the Old Testament

Now when you read in the Old Testament we find that God spoke from the outside and sometimes we wish we could hear him like that like God would say Abraham Abraham or in the middle of the night Samuel Samuel.

But that was God's way in the Old Testament and it had nothing to do with the man being spiritual because even a ungodly Satan worshiper like Balaam you know later on it says that Balaam was a sorcerer so even Balaam could hear God speaking from the outside.

So that's not a great thing to hear God speaking like that even King Saul and others heard. But this is the new covenant where we hear the word behind us saying it's a voice in our spirit this is God's highest way in the new covenant.

The way of speaking from outside we think it is better. It is not because it will never enable us to grow spiritually. Those Old Testament people could not become like Christ. But if we develop the habit of being sensitive to what is the voice of the spirit and what is some other voice in my heart we grow spiritually.

If you don't develop that sensitivity it says you're not growing spiritually. If you're always confused is it my voice or is it God's voice. But God wants us to grow. And what is it that hinders us in Hebrews in chapter 5 we read what prevents us from hearing that voice saying this is the way walk in it.

Being Filled With the Holy Spirit

First of all you must be convinced of what I just said that it is more important to develop a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. Speaking within you must work at it. Of course the most important thing is to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

In the Old Testament they could not have the Holy Spirit within. It was on the outside. That's why he spoke from outside and he didn't help the disciples to be spiritual. They were scared after even though they saw Jesus risen from the dead.

But the moment they were filled with the spirit it's completely different. They were no more scared. They throw the doors open and all fear had gone from their life. They're willing to lay down their lives.

Everything changed when the Holy Spirit came within. That's when you begin to hear the voice from within saying this is the way walk in it. This is why it's so important to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

We hear about that often. But I think a lot of Christians they're not sure. If you ask them you sure God's filled you with the Holy Spirit. Well brother I'm not so sure. I hope so. Well that would indicate I'm not really serious about it.

I remember when I was not sure for years about being filled with the Holy Spirit and I was so desperate after some time because I was the result of it. I was being defeated my life and I said Lord I've got to settle this.

I've got to be filled with the spirit and would pray and fast and cry out to God and do everything that I knew should be done till God finally met with me. It changed the whole direction of my life. And I'll never forget that day.

And CFC was born only after that. I don't believe that we can do any lasting work for God without being filled with the Holy Spirit. The Apostles did a lot of good things. You know they went out and preached if you read Matthew chapter 10 they even raised the dead and healed lepers before the day of Pentecost.

But they couldn't build the church. The Lord commissioned that Matthew 10 go out and heal the sick and cleanse the lepers. But they couldn't build the church until they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

And after being filled with the Holy Spirit Paul could not heal himself of his own sickness. That's not important. But he could build the church. See. So I see that building the church is more important than physical healing or anything else.

God's Specific Plan for Each Believer

And then they could hear the voice of the Spirit saying what to do and where to go. It's a wonderful thing to be led by God like that because I believe that for every one of you dear brothers and sisters God's made a plan for your life.

He made it long before you were born. And the most useful life you can live on earth is one where you fulfill that plan not just you know doing all the routine things. We come to church we sing the songs and once in a while we get up and share something and come to the weekday meetings and it can become a routine.

Good very good. Is it's better than nothing. But ask yourself do you believe God's got a plan for your life. A very specific plan. Do you have a passion. Lord before I leave this earth. I want to fulfill that.

That's what gripped my heart when God filled me with the Holy Spirit. Lord you got a plan for my life and I don't care. What else I don't do. I want to fulfill that plan. Because I know when I get into eternity it's not all the various meetings I attended and how much of the Bible I knew or what other people thought about me.

All those things are going to work be worth nothing. The important thing in eternity will be did you fulfill the plan God made for your life. If you're gripped by that I'll tell you one thing you will earnestly seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Even if you're young seek for that. In Hebrews 5 it says the same theme about hearing here the Holy Spirit says through Paul concerning Jesus verse 11 Hebrews 5 and verse 11 concerning Jesus we have so much to say.

Diligently Seeking God's Will

That means there are so many things about Christ which are not written in the Gospels. That's the thing that gripped me. There are so many things about Christ not written in the Gospels. If it has already written the Gospels there's no need for this sentence concerning Jesus.

We have so much to say and it's very hard to explain what's hard to explain about what you read in the Gospels that he healed the sick and he raised the dead and he went here and did miracles and all types of things that's not hard to understand.

But he says there are certain other things about Jesus which are very hard to explain. But I want you to know it but you don't. You're not able to know it because your hearing is not good. You're not able to hear the voice of the Spirit within your heart.

And the sad thing is even though you're not hearing it you're quite satisfied. I think if you begin to lose your hearing in the year it would disturb you tremendously. Imagine if you woke up one day and you discovered even in one year you lost hearing.

You'd rush to the doctor. Hey doc I've lost hearing. In one year we'd be really be concerned. I wonder if we are as concerned that we are not. Don't hear that voice behind saying this is the way you walk in it when you turn to the right.

When you turn to the left God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him that has never changed. He has said you seek me with all your heart you will find me. And I want to say to every one of you here if you seek God with all your heart and you don't find him God has broken his word.

He'll never break his word. I guarantee to everybody here in any area if you're seeking to find God's will if you seek him with all your heart you will find that. You'll find God's will. You hear that word saying this is the way not.

Don't turn right turn left. I found that again and again and again my life. And when I don't get it clearly I say Lord something's wrong. Some other some other thing has become priority in my life. But I don't want anything to be priority in my life except the will of God because I know that's the only way I can live a useful life on this earth.

Pressing Forward Beyond Past Successes and Failures

And I never want to look back over what is accomplished. That's another thing Paul said forgetting what is behind and reaching forth to what is before. I'll tell you one way we become dull of hearing if you keep looking back and pat yourself on the back saying so many good things you've done and what you think you're doing for the Lord and how useful you are.

You're using your home for the Lord perhaps. And you're doing things for the Lord and you keep thinking about that. You'll become dull of hearing. Paul said forgetting the things that are behind. We like to forget our failures.

All of us do. But we must forget our successes also the good things we have done must be forgotten. I think of it like a curtain that falls right behind me. A curtain right behind me. When I look back over my life I can see nothing.

There's a curtain there. I can't see the bad things because the Lord says I don't remember your evil anymore. I can't even see the good things. That's the only way to press forward. Paul says forgetting Philippians 313 the things that are behind.

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. And that is our goal. We will be able to hear in different situations. Say Lord I don't even if I failed in the past or done good things in the past.

I want to know at least the rest of my life. I would urge all of you to say Lord the rest of my life forget about the past. Maybe I failed maybe I succeeded in some areas but the rest of my life however little or much is left of it.

I want to walk in your plan. I want to hear that voice which says don't let turn left here turn right. Don't take that take this. And for that I want to be filled with the Holy Spirit because it's the Holy Spirit that made the difference in the new covenant.

The Old Testament is from outside the New Testament from within. And I pray that you will seek for that so that we don't become dull of hearing. And it says here is concerning Jesus that we have much to say.

The Spirit Reveals the Hidden Life of Jesus

The Holy Spirit always points to Jesus. And so many times I've said I've asked the Lord the Holy Spirit to tell me how did Jesus do it. I mean after he started his ministry that I need to read the Gospels.

I can understand. But Lord before he became 30 years old when he was living at home how did he live with his brothers and sisters. Can you tell me how did he do his work as a carpenter or whatever job he did.

The Spirit of Truth Leads Us to Christ

Well there's a verse which I would leave with you. John chapter 16 please. This is a verse that's helped me. John 16 concerning the Holy Spirit and was 13. The spirit of truth will guide you into all the truth.

And the truth is not the truth of 2 plus 2 is 4 or something like that. The truth is Jesus Christ. He said I am the truth. I am the way the truth in the light. The spirit of truth will guide you into into Jesus.

He's the truth. He will glorify me. Verse 14 John 16 14 and this is the verse I was thinking of. He will take of mine and disclose it to you. Now you don't need the Holy Spirit to read the Gospels and see whether Jesus healed the sick.

You can be an unbeliever and read the Gospels and know Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead and all that. What is it that the Holy Spirit would disclose to you which you cannot understand if you're not filled with the Holy Spirit.

It is those hidden things in the life of Jesus which are not written in the Gospels which teaches us how to live day our daily life. And there are so many of them that we read in John 21. Verse 25 John 21 25.

There are many other things which Jesus did which are not written in the Gospels which if they were written in detail the whole world would not be able to contain the books written. Those are the things the Holy Spirit will tell us you and me how Jesus lived in the areas of not his ministry but his daily life every little thing if you're serious about it what were his food habits.

I'm talking in terms of discipline and eating discipline and sleeping. How did Jesus do it. What is his attitude towards friends and enemies and everything things which are not written in the Gospels.

You'll hear a word behind you saying this is how Jesus lived. Dear brothers and sisters seek with all your heart to be filled with the Holy Spirit is the answer to everything that lies in the future. Amen.