Sermon Tone Analysis

*We're going to **continue** our **teaching** on **being led by the spirit of God.*

*I) **Our** **main text** that we've been **using in this** **series** is* *Romans 8:16.*

*So let's turn there.*

*A) **When this verse says that** the **spirit bears witness with our spirit,** **it means** **the Holy Spirit testifies with our spirit.*

*1) **From this verse** **we can conclude** **that the** **Holy Spirit will speak to our spirits.*

*a) **In **(John 16:13)** Jesus said, **“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”*

*b) **In **that verse** **Jesus** **said** the **Holy Spirit** will **not speak of himself,** **but** **he will speak** **and what he says** **will guide us into all truth.*

*c) **But the question is** **how does he speak** **and how will we hear Him.*

*2) **From reading** **(Romans 8:16)** **the Holy Spirit testifies** **or** **speaks to our spirit.*

*a) **The more God conscious** we are, the more **we'll hear the voice** **of the spirit.*

*(i) **In other words** the **more we spend time** in **prayer**, **reading the Word**, and in **praise and worship** **the** **more** **will be** **sensitive** **to the** **voice** of the **Holy Spirit.*

*(ii) **We'll be** **more sensitive to spiritual things** **and will** **pickup** **what** the **Holy Spirit has said to our spirit**.*

*3) **Turn back** with me to* *Romans 8:16.*

*(Just a little **side thought** here.)*

*a) **It** **says** **here that the** **Holy Spirit bears witness** **with our** **spirit**.*

*(i) **The **NIV** **translation** says, **“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit.”*

*b) **Notice** that the **King James** **translation** **and** the **NIV** **both use the Word** **“WITH.”*

*(i) **The Holy Spirit** **“bears witness with our spirit”** **or** **“testifies with our spirit.”*

*(ii) **It **doesn't say** **the Holy Spirit testifies** **“TO”** **our spirit,** **but** **“WITH”** **our spirit.*

*c) **Our spirit** **communicates** **with** the **Holy Spirit.**

**The Holy Spirit doesn't do all the talking,** but **our spirit is in constant communication** **and** **fellowship with the Holy Spirit.*

*(i) *Look at *1st John 4:4.*

*(ii) **The **Holy Spirit** has **chosen** to **make** **his abode** **(his dwelling place)** **on the** **inside of you,** **and** **you are** **in** **constant communication** **and** **fellowship** **with Him.*

*d) **We** **need to listen** **more and more** **to the voice of our spirit **because** **our spirit continuously hearers** **the** **voice of God** **the Holy Spirit.*

*II) **Learning to be led by the Holy Spirit** is a **primary importance** **if** **you're** **going to** **obey God.*

*A) **If you can't discern** **what the** **Lord** is **saying** **to your spirit** **you'll have a** **difficult time following His plan** **and** **purpose** **for your life.**

**It's that simple.*

*1) **We can** **expect** **the Holy Spirit the guide** **us** **and direct** **us** **so we can fulfill God's plan** **and** **purpose for our lives.*

*2) *Turn to *Romans 8:14.*

*a) **Notice** it **doesn't say,** **“As many as our led by the mind or flesh, they are the sons of God.”*

*b) **And that verse also doesn't say,** **"As many as our led by prophets or by someone else telling them what to do, they are the sons of God."*

*(i) **It's good** **at times to** **seek wise counsel** **from someone you respect spiritually**, **but** you **shouldn't look to man** **to receive God's guidance.*

*(ii) **As a born again believer** **we** all **have** **the same** **Spirit of God**, and **we are** each **responsible** to **discern the Lord's leadings** **for our lives.*

*B) **Now how does the Holy Spirit lead us?*

*1) **The **first and foremost** **way God leads** **his children** **is by the inward witness.*

*2) **(Romans 8:16)** says **“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.”*

*a) **When** **you are** **born-again**, the **Holy Spirit** **lets** **you know** **you are a child of God** by **bearing** **witness** **with your spirit.*

*b) **The **inward witness** is the **way** the **Holy Spirit guides** **you** **in the** **most important event** **that could ever happen to you, **becoming a child of God.*

*(i) **Therefore, **it's** **logical** **that the inward witness** **will be the** **primary way the Holy Spirit** **will continue to **guide you** **throughout your Christian walk.*

*(ii) **In** **my own life and ministry**, **I'm** **almost always led** **by the inward witness**.

**Yes** **there are times** **that I've had** **supernatural guidance**, **like** **visions**, **dreams**, **and what might seem to be an** **audible voice** **from the Lord**, **but** **most of the time** **I’m led by the** **inward witness.*

*(iii) **That's the number one way God leads** all of **His children**.*

*C) **Too often** **our** **problem** **in** **following God's plan** **for our lives is that** **we** **have** **failed** **to train our spirit**, as we **should have.*

*1) **We have** **spent most of our lives in the mental** **and** **physical realms**, **developing our intellect** at the **expense of our heart or spirit**.*

*2) **When we neglect** the **development of our spirit**, **our** **intellect takes the throne** **in our lives**.

And **our** **spirit**, **the part of us,** **which should dominate and guide** **our mind and body,** **is kept locked away** **and** **not permitted to function as God intended**.*

*a) **But the **Holy Spirit** **through** **the** **inward witness** **is** **always** **seeking** to **give guidance** **to our mind,** **if we would** **only** **take time** to **develop** **our** **spirit** **and** **to** **listen**.*

*3) **Here is **an** **important point** **to remember** **if** you are **ever going to develop your spirit.**

You **must determine** to **always keep a tender conscience.*

*a) **Don't violate your conscience.**

**Instead,** make a **practice** **to always** instantly **obey your spirit**.*

*(i) **Remember**, **your** **conscience** **is the** **voice of your spirit,** **and** **it relates to your mind** **what the** **Spirit of God** is **saying** **to** **you in** **your heart.*

*b) **If you persist in violating your conscience**, **you will make your** **conscience calloused** **to the Holy Spirit's** **promptings**.*

*(i) **Once** **your** **conscience** **is** **seared**, **it'll be** **difficult** **for you to** **discern the Lord's leadings** **and** to **follow His plan.*

*(ii) **It** **will** **also** **hinder** the **development of your spirit if you allow** **yourself to be** **led** **by** **your** **soul**, **your** **feelings**, **natural** **reasonings**, **and** **emotions**.*

*c) **This is** **another area** **where** **Christians** **often** **miss it.**

**They** **allow** **themselves to** **get emotionally worked** **up** **about plans** **and** **desires** **of their own making,** and **then** **they convince themselves** that it is the **Lord leading them.*

*(i) **But actually**, **they are** **being led by** **their** **emotions**, **not** **their** **spirit**, **and** **their** **emotions** **lead** **them** **astray**.*

*(ii) **It's also** **important** in the **development of your spirit** **NOT TO BE LED BY** **OUTWARD** **CIRCUMSTANCES**.*

*III) **We need** **to get** **God's direction** **clearer** **in our spirit** **before we act.*

*A) **The trouble with** **some Christians** **is that** **when they do **receive some direction** **about** **God's plan** **for their lives,** **they** **mix** **that** **revelation** **with** **their** **own feelings** **and** **thinking**.*

*1) **They** **follow** **their own** **human thinking** and **entirely** **miss God's** **thinking on the matter.**

**Then** the **plan** **doesn't turn out right**, **and they** **get confused**, **wondering** **if** they **ever** **really** **heard** **from** **God**.*

*2) **The **only way** **you can** **keep that from happening** and **get** the **mind of the Spirit** **is to** **get in the PRESENCE OF GOD** **long enough** **to** **sift out** **your own **human emotions** **and** **thoughts** **and lay them** **aside** (on the alter before God.)*

*a) **Then** **pray and meditate** **on** the **Word** **until** you **hear** from **the Lord** **in your spirit** **and** you **know** on the **inside** **what to do.*

*b) **Sometimes** you may **not understand** **why** **God** is **leading** you in a **certain way**, but according to **(Isaiah 55:9)** **God's thoughts are higher than man's thoughts.*

*(i) **And **it's** in **God's Word** **where you** **find His thoughts.*

*(ii) **That's why** **meditating and feeding** **constantly** **on** **God's** **Word** **renewed** **your** **mind** **so** **your** **mind** can **come into agreement** **with** your **spirit**.*

*c) **The **voice that speaks** **to you** **in the Word** **is the** **same voice** **that** **leads** **you by** **your** **spirit**.*

*(i) **So** **being in the Word** **sharpens your spiritual perception** **and** **ability to hear God's voice** **in your own spirit.*

*3) **So** **waiting** **before the Lord** **in prayer** **and in God's **Word** **is** **vitally important** **if you want to walk** **in God's ways** **according to** **His thinking**, **rather than** **according to your own** **natural reasoning**.*

*a) **If you feel** **that maybe you have** **already seared** **your** **conscience**, yo**u’re at the place where you can** **reverse** the **damage** that has been **done**.*

*(i) **Start waiting** **on the Lord** **in prayer** **and** **start reading** **and** **meditating** **on his** **Word**.*

*4) **Spiritual things** **have to be practiced** **just like natural things to.*

*a) **For instance** a **baseball player** has to **practice** **in the spring** in order **to be ready for baseball season.**

**Basketball** **players** have to **practice**, **football** players have to **practice**.*

*b) **It's the** **same** **with spiritual things**, the **more** **you** **wait** **before** the **Lord**, **meditate** **on his **Word** **and** **pray in the Holy Ghost,** the **easier** **it will be** to **get quiet and listen** **to your heart,** **your spirit.*

*(i) **Of course, **it's **not easy on the flesh.**

But if you **want to receive God's** **wisdom** **and** **direction** **in your life,** **you'll have to** **keep your body under** **subjection** **to your spirit** **AND** **DILIGENTLY GIVE YOURSELF TO PRAYER.*

*B) **What** **are** **some** of the **things** **that can** **hinder** **us from** **hearing** **the voice of the** **spirit?*

*1) **Of course,** **being** **FLESH MINDED.**

That would be **following after** **the things of the** **flesh**.

**Being** **SENSE RULED**, **listening to the mind,** **the will,** **the emotions,** **and** **our own** **natural reasonings.*

*2) *Look at *Hebrews 12:1.*

*a) **Of course** **walking in** **SIN** is **something** that can **get** us **off track** **and** **hinder** us **from hearing** the **voice of the spirit.*

*(i) **UNFORGIVENESS** **is another big** **hindrance** **in us being led by the spirit.**

And **another area** **that** **hinders** **so many** **is by** **NOT WALKING IN LOVE**.*

*C) **Ministering to the Lord** **is** **one area** **that will** **also** **help** **you to** **hear** **the voice of the** **Spirit**.*

*1) **In **(ACTS 13:2)** it says, **"As they [certain prophets and teachers] minister to the Lord and fasted the Holy Ghost said…"*

*a) **When you worship the Lord, you create a kind of atmosphere in which the Holy Spirit can't speak to your heart.*

*b) **Take the time to let your body become quiet.

Let your mind be still.

Let your emotions subside, until there's no motion at all in manifestation coloring your thoughts.*

*(i) **Once your mind and body are quiet, listen way down deep into your inner most being to what the Holy Spirit is saying to you.*

*(ii) **There's going to be those times when your mind may seem to be in a fog or in the dark, but the Lord will enlighten your spirit and give you the guidance you need.*

*(iii) **Don't allow yourself to become spiritually lazy and stopped short of hearing what the Lord is saying to you in your spirit.*

*2) **Sometimes it takes considerable amount of time staying in the presence of God for you to settle those questions you may have and find God's direction.

You can always do it in one session of prayer.*

*a) **Sometimes it takes long sections of waiting before the Lord in prayer in order to get your motives and your priorities sorted out according to the Word so you can distinguish between the reasonings of your soul and the voice of your spirit.*

*b) **But if you get still long enough, and if you meditate on God's Word and pray in the spirit long enough, he'll get deeper and deeper in the spirit annual be able to differentiate between your soul and your spirit man.*