Zac Poonen - The Holy Spirit Guides Us From Within

Summary

The speaker delves into the significance of hearing God's voice within, as opposed to the external voice of the Old Testament. Emphasizing the New Covenant's spiritual growth through sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, they stress the importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit for effective Christian living and ministry. Drawing from Isaiah 30:21 and Hebrews 5, the sermon encourages believers to seek and discern God's will for their lives, highlighting the transformative power of the Holy Spirit in guiding and empowering them to fulfill God's plan.

Takeaways

• 📜 The memory verse from Isaiah 30:21 speaks of God's guidance coming from within, unlike the Old Testament where God spoke from the outside.
• 🔮 Even ungodly individuals like Balaam could hear God's voice from the outside, indicating that hearing God's voice externally is not a sign of spiritual maturity.
• 🌟 Spiritual growth in the New Covenant is characterized by sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's voice within, rather than external voices.
• 💡 Developing sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's voice is crucial for spiritual growth, and without it, one may not be growing spiritually.
• 🔑 The Holy Spirit's presence within believers is a distinguishing feature of the New Covenant, enabling a deeper relationship with God compared to the Old Testament.
• 🚀 Being filled with the Holy Spirit is essential for effective Christian living and service, as it empowers believers to fulfill God's plan for their lives.
• 🙏 Prayer, fasting, and seeking God diligently are necessary to experience the filling of the Holy Spirit, which can lead to a life-changing encounter with God.
• 🏗️ Building the church is more important than physical healing, and it is only after being filled with the Holy Spirit that the apostles were able to do so effectively.
• 🛣️ God has a specific plan for each believer's life, and being filled with the Holy Spirit helps in discerning and following that plan.
• 👂 The Holy Spirit helps believers hear the voice of God, guiding them in their daily walk and decisions, which is a privilege and responsibility of New Covenant believers.
• 🔍 The Holy Spirit reveals hidden aspects of Jesus' life and teachings that are not explicitly written in the Gospels, aiding in a deeper understanding of how to live like Christ.

Q & A

What does Isaiah 30:21 signify in the context of the New Covenant?

Isaiah 30:21 signifies the internal guidance of God's voice within us, as opposed to the external voice heard in the Old Testament. It represents God's highest way of speaking in the New Covenant, guiding us through the Holy Spirit within our spirit.

How does the speaker differentiate between the way God communicated in the Old Testament and the New Covenant?

The speaker differentiates by stating that in the Old Testament, God communicated externally, even to the ungodly, while in the New Covenant, God speaks through the Holy Spirit within the believer's spirit, guiding them internally.

What is the importance of developing sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's voice according to the speaker?

Developing sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's voice is crucial for spiritual growth. It helps believers discern God's guidance and differentiate it from their own thoughts, leading to a deeper relationship with God and a more Christ-like life.

Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit?

The speaker emphasizes that being filled with the Holy Spirit is essential for spiritual empowerment, enabling believers to live a life that fulfills God's plan for them and to hear His voice guiding their path.

How did the speaker's life change when they were filled with the Holy Spirit?

The speaker's life changed dramatically when they were filled with the Holy Spirit. They moved from a state of defeat and uncertainty to a life of purpose and spiritual empowerment, leading to the birth of CFC.

What is the speaker's view on the significance of building the church in the context of the Holy Spirit?

The speaker believes that building the church is more important than physical healing or other good works. It is only after being filled with the Holy Spirit that the apostles were able to build the church and hear the voice of the spirit guiding them.

What does the speaker suggest is the most useful life one can live on earth?

The speaker suggests that the most useful life one can live on earth is one where they fulfill the specific plan God has made for them, which is revealed through the Holy Spirit.

What does the speaker mean by 'forgetting what is behind' in the context of spiritual growth?

The speaker means that to press forward in spiritual growth, one must not dwell on past failures or successes. Instead, they should focus solely on God's will for their life, forgetting past achievements as well as failures.

How does the speaker interpret Hebrews 5:11-14 in relation to hearing the Holy Spirit?

The speaker interprets Hebrews 5:11-14 as an indication that there are deeper truths about Jesus that the Holy Spirit will reveal to believers, truths that are not written in the Gospels and require spiritual hearing to understand.

What is the role of the Holy Spirit in guiding believers into understanding the life of Jesus, according to the speaker?

According to the speaker, the Holy Spirit guides believers into understanding not just the ministry of Jesus but also His daily life, including His habits, attitudes, and interactions, which are not explicitly written in the Gospels.

What does the speaker suggest as a prayer or plea for believers to seek the Holy Spirit?

The speaker suggests that believers should earnestly seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit, praying for the ability to hear God's voice guiding them in their daily lives and to understand the deeper truths of Jesus' life.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Spiritual Growth and the Voice of the Spirit

The speaker discusses the difference between God's communication methods in the Old and New Testaments, emphasizing the importance of developing sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's voice within us. In the Old Testament, God spoke from the outside, but in the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit speaks from within, guiding us. The speaker encourages developing this spiritual sensitivity to grow like Christ, contrasting it with the inability of Old Testament figures to do so. The speaker shares a personal testimony of seeking to be filled with the Holy Spirit, which led to a transformative experience and the birth of CFC. The importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit for lasting work in God's service is highlighted.

05:00

🏛 The Priority of Building the Church and God's Plan for Our Lives

This paragraph focuses on the significance of building the church and how it surpasses physical healing in importance. The speaker believes that God has a specific plan for each person's life, made before birth, and fulfilling this plan is the most meaningful way to live. The speaker challenges the audience to seek God's will with all their heart, referencing Hebrews 5 to stress the importance of hearing the Holy Spirit's voice within. The speaker also discusses the importance of forgetting past successes and failures to stay focused on God's will, using the metaphor of a curtain that falls behind, blocking the view of the past.

10:02

🔍 The Holy Spirit's Role in Understanding Christ's Life and Discipleship

The speaker delves into the Holy Spirit's role in guiding believers into a deeper understanding of Jesus Christ, beyond the written Gospels. It is through the Holy Spirit that one can grasp the 'hidden' aspects of Jesus' life, such as his daily habits, attitudes, and interactions, which are not explicitly recorded in Scripture. The speaker points out that the Holy Spirit will reveal these truths to those who earnestly seek to be filled with Him. The speaker concludes by urging the audience to seek the Holy Spirit to avoid becoming dull of hearing and to live according to God's plan, as revealed through the Spirit's guidance.

Keywords

💡Memory Verse

A 'memory verse' is a passage from a religious text, such as the Bible, that is memorized and often recited for spiritual guidance or encouragement. In the video, Isaiah 30:21 is the memory verse, which speaks to the idea of divine guidance and direction in one's life, symbolizing the theme of following God's path.

💡Old Testament

The 'Old Testament' is the first part of the Christian Bible, which contains the sacred scriptures of the Hebrew Bible. The script contrasts the way God communicated in the Old Testament, often speaking 'from the outside' to individuals like Abraham or Samuel, with the New Covenant described in the New Testament.

💡New Covenant

The 'New Covenant' refers to the promise of a new relationship between God and humanity as presented in the New Testament of the Bible. The video emphasizes that in the New Covenant, God speaks 'from within' through the Holy Spirit, which is a key aspect of spiritual growth and guidance in Christian belief.

💡Spiritual Growth

Spiritual growth is the process of developing one's relationship with the divine and becoming more Christ-like. The video discusses the importance of developing sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's voice within as a means of achieving spiritual growth, rather than relying solely on external signs or voices.

💡Holy Spirit

The 'Holy Spirit' is considered the third person of the Holy Trinity in Christian theology, often symbolizing the presence of God within believers. The script highlights the Holy Spirit's role in guiding believers inwardly, as opposed to the external communication in the Old Testament.

💡Sensitivity

In the context of the video, 'sensitivity' refers to the believer's ability to discern and respond to the Holy Spirit's guidance within. It is portrayed as essential for spiritual growth and for distinguishing between one's own thoughts and God's voice.

💡Discipleship

Discipleship involves following and learning from a spiritual teacher or leader, in this case, Jesus Christ. The video mentions the disciples' transformation after being filled with the Holy Spirit, illustrating the importance of spiritual empowerment for effective discipleship.

💡Fulfilling God's Plan

Fulfilling God's plan means living in accordance with the divine purpose for one's life. The script encourages believers to seek God's will actively and to be guided by the Holy Spirit to fulfill this plan, which is central to the Christian life.

💡Hebrews 5

'Hebrews 5' is a chapter in the New Testament that discusses the importance of spiritual maturity and the need to hear God's voice within. The video uses this chapter to emphasize the necessity of developing spiritual discernment and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.

💡Spiritual Deafness

Spiritual deafness, as mentioned in the video, is the inability to hear or discern the voice of the Holy Spirit. It is presented as a hindrance to spiritual growth and a sign of not being fully attentive to God's guidance.

💡John 16

John 16 is a chapter in the Gospel of John that speaks about the Holy Spirit's role in guiding and teaching believers. The video specifically cites John 16:13-14 to highlight the Holy Spirit's function in revealing deeper truths about Jesus and guiding believers into all truth.

Highlights

The memory verse from Isaiah 30:21 emphasizes hearing God's word as a guiding principle in life.

In the Old Testament, God spoke from the outside, which was not a mark of spiritual maturity.

Even ungodly individuals like Balaam could hear God's voice from the outside.

The New Covenant involves God speaking from within through the Holy Spirit.

Spiritual growth is associated with developing sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's voice.

Lack of spiritual sensitivity can hinder hearing God's direction.

The importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit for spiritual growth and guidance.

In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was external and did not enable spiritual growth.

After Pentecost, the disciples were transformed from fear to boldness by the Holy Spirit.

Building the church is more important than physical healing, as shown by the apostles' experiences.

God has a specific plan for each person's life, which is revealed through the Holy Spirit.

The urgency to fulfill God's plan for one's life, which is eternally significant.

The necessity to seek the Holy Spirit to understand the deeper truths about Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit points to Jesus and reveals the 'hidden' aspects of His life not recorded in the Gospels.

The importance of forgetting past successes and failures to remain sensitive to God's voice.

Paul's teaching in Philippians 3:13-14 about forgetting the past and pressing toward God's high calling.

The Holy Spirit's role in guiding believers into all truth about Jesus and revealing His life's hidden aspects.

John 16:13-14's promise of the Holy Spirit guiding into the truth and revealing Jesus' life.

The challenge of hearing God's voice amidst the noise of life and the need for spiritual attentiveness.

Transcripts

I'd like to continue on

what we heard about the memory verse

this week

it says in Isaiah 30.

in verse 21.

your years will hear a word behind you

this is the way you walk in it

when you turn to the right

or the left

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 belam

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 you

walk in it

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

you know in the Old Testament they could

not have the Holy Spirit Within

it is on the outside

that's why he spoke from outside

and

it 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 off 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 you 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 yeah 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 as a result of it I was

being defeated in 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 raise the debt

and healed lepers

before the day of Pentecost

but they couldn't build a church

the Lord commissioned them Matthew 10 go

out and heal the sick and cleanse the

lepers

but they couldn't build a church

until

they were filled with the Holy Spirit

and after being full of the Holy Spirit

Paul could not heal himself of his own

sickness that's not important but he

could build a church

see so I see that building the church is

more important than physical healing or

anything else

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 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

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 in the gospel

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 rushed 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 it

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'll 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 a

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

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 3 13 the things that are

behind I press toward the mark for the

price 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 fail 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 for 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 it 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 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

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 in

verse 13 the spirit of Truth

will guide you into all the truth

and the truth is not the truth of two

plus two is four or something like that

the truth is Jesus Christ he said I am

the truth I am the way the truth and the

life

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 gospel to know

Jesus healed the sick and raise the dead

and all that what is it that the Holy

Spirit would disclose to you which you

cannot understand if you are 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

and I'm talking in terms of discipline

in 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