The Leading Of The Holy Spirit (Tamil) — Zac Poonen

Living by the Holy Spirit Rather Than Judging by Appearances

We must realize that to be free from judging with our eyes and our ears is good news. Do you know how many husbands and wives have conflict because they judge by what their eyes see and their ears hear?

Conflict in the home is bad news. All the children of Adam have conflict in their home. Christians have conflict in their home. Is that good news? Bad news. And most of the conflict comes by judging by what your eyes have seen and your ears have heard.

That is the old covenant way of living. Many of us think we have come into the new covenant. You have not come into the new covenant if you are still judging by what your eyes see and your ears hear. We need to learn to live in the Holy Spirit, to be led by the Holy Spirit.

As we saw in our last study, if you are led by the Holy Spirit you are not under the law. Think of the matter of adultery. We are tempted by our eyes. If you listen to the Holy Spirit and you pray that prayer that Jesus taught us to pray, our Father in heaven lead us not into temptation.

Do you know that if you listen to the Holy Spirit, He will protect you many times from even coming into temptation? Do you know that when you pray to God like this, the Holy Spirit can stop you many times from coming into temptation?

Many of us are tempted and then we try to overcome it. It is good to ask yourself whether you got into that temptation because you were not listening to the Holy Spirit. Let me give you an example. Jesus told Peter, James and John in the garden of Gethsemane, pray so that you don't enter into temptation.

We can use that as a picture of the Holy Spirit saying to us sometimes, pray now. You are doing some important things but just leave it aside for a little while and get for a few minutes of prayer. Most of us, what do we say?

I know I have been foolish and said it myself. Lord, just a few minutes. I have just got this important thing to finish. That's exactly what Peter, James and John said in Gethsemane. When Jesus went away to pray, I don't know whether they prayed at all, those three.

Maybe they sat and talked a little and said, we are okay, we are quite strong. And they went to sleep. What was the result? When the temptation came all of a sudden, what was the temptation? All these soldiers have come to capture Jesus.

See the different reaction. Jesus was made like us in everything. But he always listened to the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit told him to pray, he prayed. So when the temptation came, he was ready.

He said, who do you seek? Jesus of Nazareth, they said. That's me. Let these other people go. But how did Peter react? The man who did not pray. Who thought he was strong. Who did not listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit to pray.

That came through Jesus there. He took out his sword and started fighting. Chopped off somebody's ear. What a terrible thing to do. You know if Jesus had not healed that ear. They would have caught Peter and crucified him also.

Thank God Jesus healed that man's ear so Peter could escape. Very often Jesus has to deliver us from all types of complicated situations we cause by our stupidity. Haven't you found that in your life?

You do some stupid thing because you don't listen to the Holy Spirit. Then afterwards the Lord has to come and deliver you from that. What a wonderful thing it is not to go by our senses. I feel very strong.

But the Spirit says, Pray. You are not so strong. Temptation is coming. I know it. I am trying to prepare you for it. Pray. May be a temptation in your home. May be a temptation in your office. Old Testament people had no way to overcome it.

But new covenant we have the opportunity. How? Because the Holy Spirit lives inside. And He is always trying to speak to us. The Bible begins like this in the first chapter. God said. God said. God said.

Receiving Daily Guidance From God

Every day. God said. Is there a single day God doesn't speak? This is how your Bible begins. What is He trying to tell us? One message. Every day of the week God wants to speak to you. Just like the manna that fell from heaven.

You know after 40 years of their getting the manna. You know after 40 years of their getting the manna. Moses told them. Deuteronomy 8. Verse 3. Why did God give you and your fathers manna for 40 years?

To teach you one lesson. That just like every morning you waited for the manna to come in order to survive. Otherwise you would die in the wilderness. Otherwise you would die in the wilderness. If you want to spiritually survive.

Deuteronomy 8 .3. You can live only by receiving every word that God speaks every day. That was the lesson of the manna every morning. That was the lesson of the manna every morning. Did God stop giving the spiritual manna today?

Those who are too lazy to go and collect it don't get it. Those who are too lazy to go and collect it don't get it. I think I can say honestly that for many many years. I have received the manna every day.

That's how I live. That's the first word he quoted in his ministry. Do you know that is the first word Jesus quoted in his ministry? Do you know that is the first word Jesus quoted in his ministry? Not only the man but he will live by every word that comes out of his mouth.

That's not just the bible. God is speaking to me. Do you know that even if you read the bible for an hour, God will not stop speaking to you? There was no printed bible like this. This type of bible has been available only for 600 years.

How did Christians live? What type of manna did they get for 1400 years? They were dependent on the Holy Spirit. You know I have sometimes thought like this. Supposing one day I get imprisoned for my faith and they take away the bible from me.

In a prison I don't have a bible. Can I get the manna from God? Of course. I am not dependent on the bible today. I have used it enough during the time I had it with me. Now even if one day somebody takes it away from me, I can still hear God speak to me.

It is the most important thing. It says man shall live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. And how does God speak? Let's turn to Revelation chapter 1. Revelation chapter 1. Verse 10. John says I was in the Holy Spirit on the Lord's day and I heard a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet.

I could hear clearly God speaking to me like a trumpet. Now there are many people who say that I can't hear God speak to me. Is it possible that a trumpet is blaring and you can't hear it? That is if you are deaf.

A trumpet is blaring but you can't hear it. Why did John hear it? Because he was in the Holy Spirit, full of the Holy Spirit. He is 95 years old and he wants to be filled with the Holy Spirit just like 65 years earlier on the day of Pentecost.

And I believe that is one way I know that I am full of the Holy Spirit. And I can hear the Lord speaking. Not with this ear. In my spirit. This is the way. Walk in it. Don't go that way. That guy is a deceiver.

Don't believe him. Don't accept that. Don't take that money that fellow gives you. His heart is not right with me. His heart is not right with the people. Don't go that way. Don't get into that business transaction with that person.

Don't buy that house. Don't marry that person. What a wonderful life! Do you live like that? I mean Jesus was so sensitive even for ministry. One day he had a prompting in his heart. As he was walking down the road.

Stop. He stopped. Look up. There is somebody hiding behind those branches. Tell him to come down. I say Lord, please let me live like this. I can save souls. But if we are walking down the road, watching all the posters and all the cinema posters and all that.

Where are you going to listen to the Holy Spirit? No, I am not saying I have attained that type of sensitivity Jesus had when he met Zacchaeus. But I believe Jesus lived as a man. He did not know that as God.

It was the Holy Spirit prompting and he listened. Even if I have not reached there, I believe I can have that experience one day. The Holy Spirit coming in is the most important part of this full gospel.

Beyond Speaking in Tongues: Hearing the Spirit for Ministry

And I get so angry with all these preachers who just stopped with speaking in tongues. That's all. Speaking in tongues is good. I am thankful that I edify myself with that gift. But I tell you, that only edifies me.

How can I help a Zacchaeus sitting on the tree? If I don't listen to the voice of the Spirit. Let me give you another example. We read once that Jesus was in Galilee. And we read in Matthew 15. Verse 21.

He went away from there and withdrew into the district of Tyre. Tyre. Now what I do when I read something like that. I turn to the back of my Bible to see the map. I say, where is Tyre? And where is Galilee?

And I see, boy, this is quite a distance. About 50 -60 kilometers. If it's a straight road, if it's a curved road, maybe 70 -80 kilometers. And I find Jesus near Galilee, all of a sudden he's got a prompting.

Go 80 kilometers away to Tyre. So he cancels all his program here and goes to Tyre. And remember, he doesn't have any chariot or anything. He's going to walk. How long does it take to walk 80 kilometers?

Even if you walk 40 kilometers a day, it takes two days. And he goes there. He took his disciples with him also. I don't think the disciples understood why he's walking like this. And not only that, Tyre is outside Israel.

These are not Jewish people. And he goes there. And there is this one Canaanite woman. And she says, I've got a demon-possessed daughter. And I don't want to go into the whole story. But Jesus healed that daughter.

That's all he did. And verse 29. He walked there and walked all the 80 kilometers back to the Sea of Galilee. To save one person, to heal one person. And that also is not a Jewish person. A Canaanite.

Does God love Canaanites? Aren't they the people whom God said to Israel, you must kill all of them? Well, certainly this woman was thankful that all the Canaanites were not killed. God loves everybody.

He loves Canaanites. He loves everybody. Some people say, God hates the Canaanites. I say, here's the proof he loved them. He walked four days to help one Canaanite. Does he love them or not? But it was a prompting of the Holy Spirit.

And the coming back also, the Holy Spirit said, that's all, now go back. I say, Lord, I want to live this life. So many people are doing ministry in a human way. I want to live by the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

I want to live everyday by the word that proceeds from God's mouth. Why? Because I have only one life. And it's like, to have only one life is like having a certain amount of money. Supposing you don't have plenty of money.

Supposing your monthly income is limited. Supposing your monthly income is limited. Somebody gets 50 ,000 rupees a month. Yeah, he can spend as he likes. He doesn't have to think how he spends. But somebody is living in a city like Bangalore.

And he gets 4 -5 ,000 rupees a month. He can't afford to buy everything he likes and spend it as he likes. If you look at his budgeting, he will be very careful. You say, why are you so careful, brother?

Because I only get 5 ,000 a month and Bangalore is an expensive city to live in. How do you live your life? Do you live your life as if you've got millions of rupees? Yeah, I can spend my time doing this, doing that.

Wasting my time with this, that and the other. Or do you live like this man with 5 ,000 rupees? I have only one life. Everyday is important. Everyday is important to me. I want to use everyday of my earthly life to live for God.

I have no time for other things. Everyday I want to be useful for God. Even if I go on a 2 -3 day holiday somewhere, I want to use those 2 -3 days for God. I don't want to waste my days. No, live for God doesn't mean we are always preaching.

Those of you who got married, small children, to live for God means spending time with your little children and encouraging them also. Taking those children out for a picnic, that's living for God. Because you have fellowship with them and you train them to live for Jesus Christ.

So, don't misunderstand me. Some people think serving God means only preaching, preaching, traveling, preaching. No. It's building fellowship with people. Building fellowship with our family members. Building fellowship with others in the body of Christ.

So, serving God has got many, many things. Maybe relaxation, going and playing a game of football, that's also necessary. Yeah, I believe in that. I believe the Holy Spirit may sometimes lead us to go and play football.

He says, Brother Zach, backsliding, what is happening? No, I have learned to listen to the Holy Spirit. You know, the Bible speaks about the day when Jesus will live on this earth. In the book of Zechariah chapter 8, When the Lord says, Jesus, I will, verse 3, I will return to Zion and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.

This is speaking about the thousand years when Jesus reigns on the earth. And Jerusalem will be called the city of truth. The mountain, the holy mountain. And there will be old people, men and women, sitting in the streets of Jerusalem.

And then see what the children are doing in Jerusalem. I think we should read, the children are all fasting and praying in some corner. Or reading their Bibles. Because their parents told them to read their Bibles.

What does it say? The boys and girls, the city is filled with them playing on the streets. Probably there are no cars and scooters at that time, so they can play on the streets. I love that word. The Holy Spirit leads boys and girls to play on the streets.

And when my spirit is like that of a little child, I can play with them too. Led by the Holy Spirit. So don't think being led by the Holy Spirit is always preaching and praying and reading the Bible. The scribes and pharisees and legalists were like that.

Jesus has brought us into the realm of the Holy Spirit. So it's a wonderful life. Where the Holy Spirit prompts us. Like I said about Jesus, how he was prompted to go here, go there. Like I said about Jesus, how he was prompted to go here, go there.

And do you know that sometimes Jesus also said like this. Come apart and take a little rest, because you have all been tired. He said you are all tired, we need to take some rest now. So there are many things that the Holy Spirit leads us to.

The Tabernacle as a Picture of the New Covenant

Now I want to go back to the tabernacle. I want to go back to the tabernacle. In Exodus, I told you that the first 39 books of the Bible have not been abolished. We call it the Old Testament, but God never called it the Old Testament.

The Old Testament is the covenant made with Israel which has been abolished. The Old Testament is the covenant made with Israel which has been abolished. And that's how some people get confused. They ask me, Brother Zach, you keep teaching old covenants, abolished, abolished, abolished.

Do you mean we don't read the Old Testament? I said, who called it the Old Testament? Man. God has never called those 39 books the Old Testament. God has never called those 39 books the Old Testament.

Those are the first 39 books of the Bible. The Old Testament is the covenant made with Israel which has been abolished. And in the second book of the Bible, there are about 10 or 12 chapters from Exodus 25 to 40 which describe this tabernacle.

So I told you there are three parts to this tabernacle. The outer court, and these two covered areas, holy place and most holy place. The tabernacle means dwelling place. And the Lord said in Exodus 25 in verse 8, just like He dwelt in the bush in a fire, He says, now let them construct a sanctuary for me that I can dwell in their midst.

So we can say the God who dwelt in the bush and the God who dwelt in the tabernacle. And how do we know God was dwelling there? There was a fire, the pillar of fire on top of the tabernacle. That was the most important part of the tabernacle which nobody could copy.

The tabernacle anybody can make even today because all the dimensions are given here. That also has got a lesson for us. Today people try to build a church according to the New Testament pattern. But what is the most important thing in the tabernacle?

Not the number of curtains or the color or the size of the boards or any such thing. The most important thing was the fire. What is the most important thing in a church? Not the external pattern whether we sing first and pray and then share the word.

No, no, no. Not the fire. Should we all raise our hands? Shall we all pray together or ask two or three people to pray? It doesn't matter. If you don't have the fire, whatever pattern you follow, it's dead.

There is no verse in the New Testament which says you must pray first or sing first or sing for 15 minutes or sing for half an hour. Or how long you should preach. These are all laws. We go by our convenience.

You can have the most perfect pattern if the fire of God is not there, it's a waste of time. The most important thing in that tabernacle was the fire, the glory of God. And the tabernacle was a picture of man as the dwelling place of God.

Body, Soul, and Spirit as God's Dwelling Place

And man has three parts. The Bible says that God made man in his own image. God is a trinity and he made man also as a trinity. Angels were not like that. Angels don't have a body. They are not a trinity.

They were not made in God's image. Man was made in God's image, a trinity. Except one difference that in God there are three separate persons and one God. They are all together, one God. Because God is spirit.

But in man's case we are not three separate persons. We are one person but three parts. And the three parts are mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 23. Spirit, soul and body. That's like the tabernacle.

Most holy place, holy place, outer core. In the tabernacle which of the three could you see? Only the outer core. In the three parts of you which can people see? Only one part, the body. In the tabernacle how many parts were hidden?

Two. Holy place, most holy place. In man how many parts are hidden? Two. Soul and spirit. It is an exact picture. And now we are going to show you John chapter 1 and verse 14. In John chapter 1 verse 14 we read about Jesus coming in the flesh.

Now this is translated beautifully in the English Bible. In this NASB translation that I have it has a margin and in the margin it says the exact meaning of the Greek word is this. It says in John 1 verse 14 in my margin the word became flesh and was like a tabernacle in our midst.

It tabernacled in our midst. It is the same word. Jesus came as a tabernacle. And what was the most important part? Verse 14 we saw the glory on his life. There was a fire in his life. Exactly like the Old Testament tabernacle.

That pillar of fire full of grace and truth. And then Jesus when he went up to heaven and he sent the Holy Spirit you know what the Spirit did? It took a 120 different people and like it says in 1 Corinthians 12 verse 13 baptized them into one body.

See baptism only means immersion. Jesus immersed the 120 people in the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit immersed them into the body of Christ. It's like saying I took 120 pieces of iron and put it into a furnace and it came out as one piece.

That is what the baptism of the fullness of the Holy Spirit does. Jesus baptized them individually in the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12 verse 13 the Spirit baptized them into one body. You can't separate baptism in the Holy Spirit from baptism into the body of Christ.

And why and this body of Christ the church is called the body of Christ. Why is it called the body of Christ? Because it has to fulfill the same function as that body of Christ in Israel 2000 years ago.

This is the amazing good news. Nobody in the old covenant could experience it. But today if I am filled with the Holy Spirit and I want to say something about this also. There is a difference between being filled with the Spirit and being full of the Holy Spirit.

Being Filled With the Spirit and Being Full of the Spirit

That's like saying you filled the petrol tank of your scooter in 1999 it was completely full but it's not full today. That is the experience of many people. Brother are you baptized in the Holy Spirit?

Yeah brother on 7th of July 1999 I filled my tank. I fully believe but it's completely empty today the vehicle is not moving. Do you know the difference between a tank that was filled and a tank that is full?

That is the difference between being filled with the Spirit and being full of the Spirit. I have met numerous people who are filled with the Spirit who are not full of the Spirit. I think that's possible of many of you sitting here.

The devil has made you satisfied with some date in the past where you got filled with the Spirit maybe you spoke in tongues or whatever it is. It helped you then I know your scooter went so many miles with that full tank.

Why are you so cold and dead today? I've heard some of our elder brothers speak God's word with a mighty fire and I hear some of them today the tank is empty. I'm sorry to say that I don't question that once upon a time it was filled but they have not walked in humility they have not kept going back to the Lord to be filled every day.

I seek the Lord every day to be filled with the Holy Spirit. When I get up to speak I say Lord fill me with the Holy Spirit give me the gift of prophecy otherwise I'll waste people's time. It's a great tragedy today that there are thousands and thousands of preachers who get up in the pulpit and waste people's time.

Not because they don't study. They study and if they don't get a message then they go to CFC India and listen to one of my messages and get some message for Sunday morning. People ask me Brother Zach can I preach your message.

No 99 of people who do it don't ask me but 1 ask me. I say sure because there is no copyright on my message. I didn't produce it. The Holy Spirit gave it so how can I have a copyright on it. There is one condition.

That word must become flesh in you then you can speak it. I don't speak what is not flesh in me. I made that decision 35 years ago. Lord I will never speak what is not true in my life. Why don't you hear me preach a message on healing the sick.

Because I don't have that gift. I pray for 100 people who are sick. 1 person is healed. That also because God is merciful to that. So I know my boundaries. Have you heard me preach on how to do personal evangelism when you are travelling in a bus.

I don't have that gift. I will never preach what I have not practiced. I say you can preach all my sermons but first practice it then preach it freely. But that's not enough. It's good to prepare your sermons so that you don't waste people's time.

See, it's like an important guest is coming to your house. You must always look at your Sunday morning or any meeting you speak at as important guests are coming to my house. So what do you do. You go to the meat market and you buy a lot of chicken legs and all that.

And all these people come. The same chicken you brought from the market you put it in front of them. Not cooked nothing. They say we are not hungry. Thank you for inviting us. We just came for some fellowship.

But before putting it in front of them you put that into the fire and then bring it out. They say brother can you give me one more piece. I want some more. What was the difference. The same chicken was put in the fire.

Yeah we need good pieces of chicken. So you need good pieces. That's not enough. It must be set on fire. We need good word. We need people who have studied the word of God. It must be on fire. Jesus once spoke to people for about two or three hours in Acts chapter one.

I'm sorry. Luke 24 He was walking seven miles to the town of Emmau. He was walking seven miles. They were not running so it must have been taken about two or three hours. And the whole three hours he spoke from Genesis to Malachi Bible study.

And they said boy our heart was burning for three hours. You know why. They Jesus lived in the Holy Spirit. Dear brothers and sisters. Those of you who preach the word of God. When you read that does it challenge you.

I remember when I read it first I said Lord please please help me to preach like that all my life. I'll pay any price. I'll pay me with the Holy Spirit. Give me the gift of prophecy. My brothers and sisters seek God for that.

Do you know the Bible says that he'll pour out the spirit on the sisters also. Acts 2 17. You may not be called to be a teacher. You're not called to be an apostle or a prophet. But prophesying you can prophesy to people in your house.

Prophecy doesn't have to take one hour it can be two minutes. A word that will challenge, bless and encourage people. I think mothers should be prophesying to their children all the time. Somebody calls you on the telephone.

Why not pray that God will give you a gift of prophecy. Two sentences that will encourage that person who called you up. You think only brothers can do that? You think only older people can do it? What about you 12 -13 year olds?

Why not you pray that God will fill you with the Holy Spirit. God give me the gift of prophecy. This is not the old testament where only some Elisha or Elijah could prophesy. This is the age of the Holy Spirit.

So that word tabernacled in our midst and the glory was there. I want to say one more thing before we close this session. I told you about this tabernacle. Outer Court Holy Place. Most Holy Place. Picture of Body Soul and Spirit.

Worshiping God in the Spirit From the Innermost Being

I want you to know one thing. God did not dwell in the Outer Court. God did not dwell in the Holy Place. God dwelt in the Holy. God dwelt in the Holy Most Holy Place. God does not dwell in our physical body.

That's very obvious. If it were like that if I cut off my hand I will lose something of God. You can cut off both hands and both legs. You don't lose God showing that God doesn't dwell in this flesh and bones.

That we all understand. But this is where many are confused. God does not dwell in the second part either. He does not dwell in our soul. He dwells in our spirit or heart. What is the soul? The major part of the soul is my mind and my emotions.

My emotions. God does not dwell in my mind. He does not dwell in my emotions. Deeper than all that. The equivalent of the most holy place the Holy Spirit. Why is this important to understand? Because in many meetings today they whip people's emotions up.

You know and some pastors and song leaders have a tremendous ability to whip people's emotions. With song fast songs or you know drums and a lot of musical instruments and or slow emotional songs that make people cry.

It is not the Holy Spirit. It is emotions. God does not dwell there. I am not saying it is unimportant. The Holy Place is a part of the tabernacle. Very important. I am only saying God does not dwell there.

God dwells in our spirit. Jesus said to the woman of Samaria God dwells. Jesus said to the woman of Let me paraphrase his words. In John chapter 4 In verse 23. Up till now people were worshipping God in the body and in the soul.

Because nobody could enter the most holy place. They could clap, they could raise their hands they could shout, they could scream, they could cry, they could be emotional. Instruments and drums and all to excite their emotions.

But now. Now an hour is coming. In another couple of years the Holy Spirit will come. And then the true worshippers will worship in the most holy place in the spirit. I still use my hands and raise my hands and clap.

I still use my body. I mean hands and all that. And my voice. I raise my voice. I use my soul. My mind when I am praying praising. My emotions. Sometimes I am full of joy sometimes I am weeping. But all this is the result of the Holy Spirit in my spirit.

It comes from the innermost being. A lot of worship today is not coming from the innermost being. It is superficial. The real worship must come from the innermost being. That was not possible until the day of Pentecost.

That's why Jesus said the hour is still to come. It's going to come. And the Father is seeking for such people to be his worshippers. That's what excited me. Oh Father. If you are seeking for such worshippers I want to be one of them.

I don't see any verse which says the Father is seeking for preachers. Oh prayer warriors. That's another big phrase nowadays. The Father is not seeking for all that. That's good. I am not saying it's bad.

I am a preacher. But I know the Father is seeking for worshippers. So I want to be a worshipper first. Whether I preach or not is secondary. Prayer warrior and all is secondary. I want to be a worshipper.

Because in the most holy place the fire of God comes and burns. This is the secret of the Christian life. This is the good news. This is the inheritance. Jesus purchased for you. Don't let the devil cheat you of it.

Let's pray Heavenly Father. I thank you for such a wonderful gospel. I pray that it will change all of our lives. That Christ may be glorified. In Jesus name. Amen.