FAITH TO FOLLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT

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faith to follow the spirit of God begins with a hunger of God, requires timing, the word and permission to let God be God

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INTRODUCTION

Yesterday we looked at wrestling for our faith and we shared that we need to contend for the doctrines of the word of God. I am not sure if we are recording this but if you want a copy of the sermon the audio team can assist from the back.
Today we want to continue the same theme of faith since we are in 10 days of faith and so we can fully maximize the days of faith. Today we want to share on Faith to Follow the Holy Spirit.
I think one of the greatest contributions to the church has been the pentecostal church.
She is the newest kid on the block.
The oldest protestant denominations are the presbyterians who began somewhere in the early 1500s followed by the lutherans in 1517,
then the anglicans came along in 1534, followed by the baptists in 1609,
then came the African inland church in 1895,
and lastly the pentecostals in 1900 -
so you see she is the youngest church denomination. But she has restored to the church what has been called the AGE of the Holy Spirit. She is the largest denomination in Africa and 10000 people are giving their life to the Lord in Africa and latino countries under the auspices of the Pentecostal churches.
Of the members of the Godhead I think the one most neglected is the Holy Spirit. and part of the reason is how the bible tends to describe him.
You see for God the Father there is such concreteness about him.
You see for God the Father there is such concreteness about him. We see him in the OT thundering through the pages, might power, judgment, love. With Jesus we see him in the NT loving, forgiving, being one of us, crying, sleeping. So its easy to identify him. With the HOLY SPIRIT, we are left unsure, because most of the times when he is described it is inanimate terms, he is described as water, or a fire, or a wind, or as a river. So we are not really sure how to relate with him. Sometimes we refer to him as an it.
We see him in the OT thundering through the pages, might power, judgment, love.
With Jesus we see him in the NT loving, forgiving, being one of us, crying, sleeping. So its easy to identify him.
With the HOLY SPIRIT, we are left unsure, because most of the times when he is described
it is inanimate terms, he is described as water, or a fire,
or a wind, or as a river. So we are not really sure how to relate with him and so sometimes we refer to him as an it.
and that is wrong because he is a person, he has a mind, he has emotions, he has a will…all the characteristics of personhood
Of the members of the Godhead I think the one most neglected is the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we refer to him as an it…… and that is wrong because he is a person, he has a mind, he has emotions, he has a will…all the characteristics of personhood and just like the Father and the son he is God. The OT was the age of God the Father and the NT gospels was the age of the son and when Jesus left he sent to us the Holy Spirit so in essence the Church cannot function without the Holy Spirit, he is the overseer, the administrator of the church. He hears what Jesus tells him and then he executes, he takes from Jesus and then he executes it in the Church. But not only in the church but in our individual lives the Holy Spirit is the most important person in our christian walk. He is the one who gives us birth into salvation, he is the one who sanctifies us and he is the one who will glorify us. He is the one who is in to confirm that we are the children of God. Without the Holy Spirit there would be no creation, no human race, no NT, No church, No salvation, No holiness, and no heaven. So today lets look at Faith to Follow the Holy Spirit.
That is wrong because he is a person,
he has a mind, he has emotions, he has a will…all the characteristics of personhood
just like the Father and the son he is God.
just like the Father and the son he is God.
just like the Father and the son he is God.
The OT was the age of God the Father and the NT gospels was the age of the son and when Jesus left he sent to us the Holy Spirit
so in essence the Church cannot function without the Holy Spirit,
he is the overseer, the administrator of the church.
He hears what Jesus tells him and then he executes, he takes from Jesus and then he executes it in the Church.
But not only in the church but in our individual lives the Holy Spirit is the most important person in our christian walk.
He is the one who gives us birth into salvation,
he is the one who sanctifies us and he is the one who will glorify us.
d. Without the Holy Spirit there would be no creation, no human race, no OT or NT,
Without the Holy Spirit there would be no creation, no human race, no OT or NT,
No church, No salvation, No holiness, and no heaven. So today lets look at Faith to Follow the Holy Spirit.
No church, No salvation, No holiness, and no heaven.
So today lets look at Faith to Follow the Holy Spirit.

So today lets look at Faith to Follow the Holy Spirit.

I Faith to follow the Holy Spirit begins with A hunger for God

EXPLAIN THE TEXT

a hunger for God is the first characteristic we have to possess if we are going to follow the Holy Spirit
Faith to follow the Holy Spirit begins with A hunger for God-
a hunger for God is the first characteristic we have to possess if we are going to follow the Holy Spirit
A hunger for God-
Listen to psalms 63:1- O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all that you have done;
I ponder the work of your hands.
I stretch out my hands to you;
my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah
As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
This are called psalms of David. There was something about David that he just thirsted for God, he had a hunger for God.
No wonder God called him a man after my own heart, and no wonder the Spirit of God would regularly fall on David.
This was the difference between Saul and David. Saul never would seek the Lord unless he was in some kind of trouble and thats when he would go fasting and wearing sackcloth and all that but when times were ok.
Saul had no interest with God at all. But not so with David, when he first became King, his thoughts soon turned to how can I bring the ark of the Lord to Jerusalem. And when they were finally able to bring it.
We all know the story. He danced until his fumble shoes came out and his clothes fell off.
This was a man who hungered for the Spirit of God. The ark of the Lord was brought to Jerusalem.
Soon after that he started telling Nathan the prophet that he needed to build a temple for the Lord. You see his thoughts were constantly on God and how he could please God and how he could do this and that for the Lord.

That is called Hungering for the spirit of the Lord.

ILLUSTRATION

When I was dating my fiancee who finally became my wife, I never got tired of that girl, everyday seemed to be like I had met her for the first time— yaani that was hunger wah!!.
I would pick her up every night from KIM which used to be at university way, walk her to Kencom take a bus to Adams arcade, drop her home…this is kidu 8:30 pm and then walk home from Adams arcade to Madaraka where we lived and as the scriptures say this seemed to me but a few minutes because of my love for that girl-
next day I would meet her again and its like I have seen for the first time - aiessh angowa!!!- take her to church- there is none like you!!
there is something in me that wants to be with her the whole time
It is called hunger- there is something in me that wants to be with her the whole time-

APPLICATION

That is what it is with the Holy Spirit- there is the desire, the thirst to want him, to follow him, to be in his presence and incidentally that will always lead you to worship,
there is something about worship and the Holy Spirit.
Faith to follow the Holy Spirit always begins with a hunger for God-
I thank God for Pastor Ekelemu on saturday when he was sharing and said there has to be a hunger for God, and I got challenged because I remembered times when I was so hungry for the presence of the Holy Spirit
and how over the years some of that desire has waned and just dried up. And we get into the politics of religion and the drama of churches and the mess of religious bickering and forget the simple satisfying hunger of his presence.

Faith to follow the Holy Spirit begins with a hunger for God

II FAITH TO FOLLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT REQUIRES TIMING

EXPLAIN THE TEXT

The Holy Spirit is never early and he is never late, he is always right on time. We have to have the faith to follow the Holy Spirit’s timing.
david and the temple
in the fullness of time Jesus came. He came right on time, not a minute earlier and not a minute later.
Paul and his preaching companions are evangelizing in the book of and Paul is interested in going into the Asian continent but the Holy Spirit forbids him; he then tries to go into Bithynia and the Holy Spirit forbids him.
but I thought the Lord said go into all the world and preach the gospel- Yes but it was not time yet, the timing of the Holy Spirit is very important. Something maybe right to do but it’s the wrong timing.

ILLUSTRATION- the Masai and the bus - he was trying to do the right thing but at the wrong timing.

APPLY THE TEXT

To follow the Spirit of the Lord requires timing. We have to know the time. Here is where it can get dangerous because we may have sincere intentions and try to pump up the Holy Spirit
Sarah got into that kind of pressure of timing and decided to help the Lord get a boy and they got Ishmael,
Sarah got into that kind of pressure of timing and decided to help the Lord get a boy and they got Ishmael,
You see the enemy wants to pressurize us so we can get out of timing with the Holy Spirit
You see the enemy wants to pressurize us so we can get out of timing with the Holy Spirit
He wants us to believe that we will not come out of these present tough circumstances that we are in
He wants us to believe that we will not come out of these present tough circumstances that we are in
He wants us to believe that we will never be debt free and will always be struggling at the bottom of the totem pole
He wants us to believe that we will never be debt free and will always be struggling at the bottom of the totem pole
He wants us to believe that we will never settle down in a God satisfying relationship and we will be lonely all our lives
He wants us to believe that we will never settle down in a God satisfying relationship and we will be lonely all our lives
He wants us to believe that God is not interested in our lives and the things that are important to us and so that is why this timing is all wrong
He wants us to believe that God is not interested in our lives and the things that are important to us and so that is why this timing is all wrong
But that is a lie from the pit of hell because in the fullness of time The Holy Spirit will shift your dimensions for the glory of the Lord
But that is a lie from the pit of hell because in the fullness of time The Holy Spirit will shift your dimensions for the glory of the Lord
- my times are in your hands says the psalmist to the Lord
It is better to wait a while and have things fall in place then to rush and have things fall apart.
It is better to wait a while and have things fall in place then to rush and have things fall apart.
- my times are in your hands says the psalmist to the Lord
There is a class that is offered in Gideon’s army by Pastor Liz called hearing the voice of God and understanding the will of God.
There is a class that is offered in Gideon’s army by Pastor Liz called hearing the voice of God and understanding the will of God.
In this class she does teach a lot on discerning the voice of the spirit and his timing. I would highly encourage anyone who would like more of this to come for that class.
In this class she does teach a lot on discerning the voice of the spirit and his timing. I would highly encourage anyone who would like more of this to come for that class.
FAITH TO FOLLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT BEGINS WITH A HUNGER FOR GOD, IT REQUIRES TIMING

III FAITH TO FOLLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT IS FOUNDED ON THE WORD OF GOD

EXPLAIN THE TEXT

Like we said yesterday the Holy Spirit will never lead you contrary to the word of God. Never-
he always leads in accordance to the Word of God. Where there is no word of God there is no Holy Spirit.
If you do not have a word concerning that situation do not move until you get one.
And do not manufacture one either. But when the word of God comes then do it.
The scripture tells us that God watches over his word to perform it,
The scripture tells us that God watches over his word to perform it- on the very first attack from the devil the Lord told Satan man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. It is the word of God that the Holy Spirit comes to manifest, to reveal in our lives and then he confirms and performs that word.
on the very first attack from the devil the Lord told Satan man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
It is the word of God that the Holy Spirit comes to perform.

EXAMPLE

So two people can be doing the same exact thing but the Holy Spirit has quickened the word to one of them and not the other.
people can be doing the same exact thing and the Holy Spirit quickened a scripture to them and they are doing that word and its workin another just jumps in without a word and they fail and they start wondering what happened. How come so and so we are doing the same thing and they are working and mine aint. Its because the Holy Spirit led that other person and quickened a RHEMA word to them and their timing has also come, but for the other person they are just doing it to do without a word from God and thats why they are failing.
so the HOLY SPIRIT is watching the word to perform it on the one he quickened the scripture but not the other one.
so one is succeeding and the other one failing though they are doing the same exact thing.
the one failing maybe getting upset and saying i am doing exactly what so and so is doing but why are they succeeding and i am failing.
it could be because the Holy Spirit has confirmed to them a word and watching over it to do it but you jumped in because if God is doing it for them he can do it for me- but we have no word from God to do it.
FAITH TO FOLLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT IS FOUNDED ON THE WORD OF GOD.

ILLUSTRATION

11:24-29 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.
By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
Vs 29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.
Vs 29 is the verse I want to hone in on. You see both the Israelites and the Egyptians were going through the red sea,
both were traveling through the red sea, but the word of the Lord had only come for the Children of Israel.
They had been cornered by the Egyptians and the LORD spoke to Moses, to stretch his rod and a wind blew all night and the red sea parted like walls of water.
and the children of Israel passed through it. The Holy Spirit was watching over the word he had spoken to Moses;
and the children of Israel passed through it. The Holy Spirit was watching over the word he had spoken to Moses;
now the Egyptians just jumped in to pursue to the Israelites when that word was for someone else and not them. And they drowned.
now the Egyptians just jumped in to pursue to the Israelites when that word was for someone else and not them. And they drowned.

APPLY THE TEXT

The word of the Lord will be quickened to someone here and that is for them not for me.
If I see them and say if the LORD did it for them he can do it for me
and I just jump in I will drown.

ILLUSTRATION

I am reminded of Paul Yongi Cho, or is it David Yongii cho the largest church in the world in Seoul Korea had these powerful conferences and in one of the conferences these 3 little girls left the conference and as they were going home they came across this flooded river and they said
the Lord who spoke to Peter and told him walk on the water is our Lord too, if Peter did it we can too
since the word is forever settled In heaven and God is no respecter of persons they waded into the river.
Their bodies were found out in the open ocean 3 days later.
You see that word was for Peter not for them or us. The HOLY SPIRIT was watching over that word that was spoken to Peter to perform it.
Now if he quickens that word to you then he will watch over his word to perform. Don’t try and make it happen or fake it to make it……it will not work till the Spirit confirms it in your spirit.

Faith to follow the Spirit begins with a hunger for God, requires timing, founded on the word of GOD. LASTLY

Faith to follow the spirit is founded on the word of God.

FAITH TO FOLLOW THE SPIRIT OF GOD ALLOWS GOD TO BE GOD

EXPLAIN THE TEXT

Lastly faith to follow the Spirit of God allows God to be God.
There is a mystery to our faith and God that we will never understand on this side of eternity.
God is infinite in his understanding and there are things that are beyond our scope that we will not understand.
Faith to follow the Spirit of God will allow God to be God.
Many of us may have brought a loved one for the healings on 2 Sundays ago and our loved ones didn’t get healed
and there is a lot of questioning and anger as to why he may have healed some and didn’t others.
Faith to follow the Spirit of the Lord has to allow God to be God.
4.
14 When times are good, be happy;
but when times are bad, consider this:
God has made the one
as well as the other.
Therefore, no one can discover
anything about their future.
15 In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these:
the righteous perishing in their righteousness,
and the wicked living long in their wickedness.
have we seen that? Haven't we experienced that

ILLUSTRATION

That reminds me of an example in the bible of the kings of Israel and Judah-
King Asa was a wonderful King he loved the Lord and was devoted to him- he ruled 41 years.
King Jehoshaphat- loved the Lord and did what was right in God's eyes- ruled 25 years.
King Hezekiah loved the Lord and was devoted to God- ruled 29 years.
King Manasseh the worst King to have ever ascended the throne of Judah, hated God with all his heart,
brought shrines and witchcraft into the temple of God and sawed the prophet Isaiah in half- rules 55 years
That is what Solomon is saying- this is not fair
I have seen a righteous man perish even though he played by the rules, he feared God- PERISHING IN THEIR RIGHTEOUSNESS
And i have seen cruel despotic, canniving men and women - LIVING LONG IN THEIR WICKEDNESS.

ILLUSTRATION

I am reminded of a very trying moment I went through in my life when somethings I believed in were completely challenged. You see I had grown up in what is called the word faith movement. You confess, you possess and so life and death are in the power of the tongue and so if you want prosperity and success and all these you have to confess and what you confess you will possess.
you have got to dominate the circumstances of your life with the word of God and change the atmosphere and your destiny by confessing the promises of God.
so this pastor came to visit us from Kenya and oh we loved him so much. in my estimation he was the most humble man i have ever encountered, his walk with the Lord was so vibrant, so close- and he walked in the prophetic office.
He came to visit us in Houston and we had a wonderful time in the Spirit, the Holy Ghost moved in that church that day under a very strong prophetic and healing anointing. we celebrated and worshipped God during his visit, such a wonderful time.
the pastor came back to Kenya and his wife picked him up from the airport and on their way home had a head on collision with a truck and they died on the spot- he was hardly in his fifties at the time. at the church in houston I remember we cried and wept until we had no more strength to weep. what happened. didnt we speak the word of God, didnt we confess that with long life he will satisfy us and show us his salvation. what happened?

APPLICATION

that was the beginning of an honest look at my christianity and just a keep it real look at the things i believed and the HOLY SPIRIT taught me that in my faith walk i will have to let God be God in all my circumstances.
the same God who will deliver from the death is the same God who will permit death.
the same God who will protect us from adverse circumstances is the same God who will allow adverse circumstances for his glory.

ILLUSTRATION

Habbakuk had been called by God to prophecy over the wicked kingdom of Judah. and as he prophesied he asked God how long before you punish these wicked corrupt Israelites? how long must their individual, communal and national sins continue.
Habbakuk had been called by God to prophecy over the wicked kingdom of Judah. and as he prophesied he asked God how long before you punish these wicked corrupt Israelites? how long must their individual, communal and national sins continue.
habbakuk had been called by God to prophecy over the wicked kingdom of Judah. and as he prophesied he asked God how long before you punish these wicked corrupt Israelites? how long must their individual, communal and national sins continue.

habbakuk had been called by God to prophecy over the wicked kingdom of Judah. and as he prophesied he asked God how long before you punish these wicked corrupt Israelites? how long must their individual, communal and national sins continue.

The Lord responded not very long because I am bringing a nation to chastise my people.
I am raising the babylonians to bring judgment on my people. Habakkuk asked the Lord how can you use a nation more evil than us to judge us? Those babylonians have no rule, they are pagans, they are heathens, they are a law to themselves
how can you use these evil people to judge others more righteous then they are?
that seems to be a contradiction to your character, those circumstances don't align with your character.
that seems to be a contradiction to your character, those circumstances don't align with your character.
DO YOU KNOW what the Lord told him….and this is the scripture we know so well….the Lord told him The just shall live by faith. Habbakuk 2:4
DO YOU KNOW what the Lord told him….
and this is the scripture we know so well….the Lord told him The just shall live by faith. Habbakuk 2:4
Habbakuk i am not going to explain myself to you, you will have to trust me and in the end you will see that I was faithful.
Habbakuk i am not going to explain myself to you, you will have to trust me and in the end you will see that I was faithful.

APPLICATION

THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH
Lord i have believed you for so long to come out of this trying circumstances- the Just shall live by faith
Lord i struggle so much with this sickness and i have confessed the healing scriptures and been in so many prayer lines and i am still not healed - the Just shall live by faith
Lord i struggle so much with this sickness and i have confessed the healing scriptures and been in so many prayer lines and i am still not healed - the Just shall live by faith
Lord i believed you for a marriage partner and today we are divorced even after you confirmed it and now i am alone again- the Just shall live by faith
Lord i believed you for a marriage partner and today we are divorced even after you confirmed it and now i am alone again- the Just shall live by faith
Lord I have these children and i have no school fees, we are about to be locked out of our house, i have tithed, I have given my offerings and i am still catching hell- the Just shall live by faith.
Lord I have these children and i have no school fees, we are about to be locked out of our house, i have tithed, i have given my offerings and i am still catching hell- the Just shall live by faith.

Faith to follow the Spirit of the Lord has to allow God to be God. in all your detours and delays i am working on something greater than your present circumstances and you will have to trust me!

After the Lord told Habakuk that listen to his confession in Habbakuk 3:17.
Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls—
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
i may not understand it, I may not comprehend it, i am still living in my difficult circumstances- but i choose to follow the spirit of God and let God be God.

CONCLUSION

FAITH TO FOLLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT
BEGINS WITH A HUNGER FOR GOD
REQUIRES TIMING
IS FOUNDED ON THE WORD OF GOD
ALLOWS GOD TO BE GOD.
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