Spiritual Discernment; making listening and obedience safe

1. Spiritual Discernment; making listening and obedience safe Dynamic # 5

2. It would be wrong to assume that everything we think is God speaking to us actually is what he is saying. • At times we will hear clearly • Occasionally we will simply miss his guidance • Sometimes we will mistakenly believe that the Spirit is speaking when in reality the source lies elsewhere.

3. Twin dangers that we must avoid • An attitude of gullibility • Assumes that everything that is claimed to be from God truly is from God • An attitude of skepticism • Assumes that God no-longer speaks and that every purported word from the Lord is actually unreal, or • Assumes that we cannot be certain and therefore are better off avoiding the issue anyway

4. Why ‘guidance’ might not be from the Spirit • The world, the flesh and the devil • Spiritual deception • Matthew 16:23 – Peter’s protest • 2 Corinthians 11:14 – Satan’s masquerade • Society’s assumptions • Romans 12:2 • Human heart • Jeremiah 17:9

5. Four vital questions to help with discernment

6. “…two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.” • 1 Corinthians 14:29 • “…do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” • 1 John 4:1

7. “…the things that come from the Spirit of God …are spiritually discerned.” • 1 Corinthians 2:14 • “…test everything. Hold on to the good.” • 1 Thessalonians 5:21

8. 1. Does it give glory to Jesus Christ in the present and in the future? • “…when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. …He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.” • John 16:13-14 • “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.” • 1 John 4:2-3

9. 2. Is it consistent with the intentions and character of God as revealed in scripture? • “They received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” • Acts 17:11 • But lest under his sign the spirit of Satan should creep in, he would have us recognize him in his own image, which he has stamped upon the Scriptures. He is the Author of the Scriptures: he cannot vary and differ from himself. • Calvin (Institutes 1.9.2)

10. 2. Is it consistent with the intentions and character of God as revealed in scripture? • Guidance may not be verbatim from Scripture, but it will always be: • In accord with the teachings of Scripture • Consistent with the character of God as revealed in Scripture

11. 3. Do other people who are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit have a confirming witness? • “…two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weighcarefully what is said.” • 1 Corinthians 14:29 • Not democracy or working towards a consensus • An inner witness, divine “Amen” or sense of peace

12. 4. Is there confirmation in objectively verifiable events or facts? • “My word that goes out from my mouth …will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” • Isaiah 55:11 • “If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken.” • Deuteronomy 18:21-22

13. 4. Is there confirmation in objectively verifiable events or facts? • May involve a suspenseful time of waiting. • May have an immediate objective verification • Word of knowledge that connects with facts • Prophecy that strengthens or corrects • Healing that is medically substantiated

14. Applying the Four Questions • Testimony / example

15. Cultivating spiritual discernment in the congregation

16. The need for teaching about discernment • Planned • As a preaching & teaching topic itself • Incidental teaching within another topic • Opportunist • In response to conversations and issues • “So how should we work out whether thisis genuinely the Holy Spirit at work?”

17. Learning through practicing discernment • How was the Spirit guiding people? • What persuades us that is was the Holy Spirit and not some other influence? • Did anyone think the Lord was guiding, but stayed quiet? What were you getting? • Did we drift or go off-track anywhere? • Is anyone willing to talk about what the Spirit was doing in your life?

18. Learning through practicing discernment • How does this bring glory to Jesus? • How is it consistent with the character and intentions of God as revealed in Scripture? • Is there a sense of confirming witness among other people? What prompts that response? • What “fruit” can we identify? Are there any objective facts that confirm this as being authentically the Holy Spirit’s work?

19. Submitting ourselves to the discernment process • Leaders are not perfect ! • Invite others to help exercise discernment about a specific area of leadership • Leaders’ vulnerability and accountability make it ‘safe’ for discernment to be exercised in other situations

20. Opening the door to the Spirit • The art of exercising spiritual discernment creates a pastorally ‘safe’ environment • Reassuring for those who have concerns • A proper context for ‘enthusiasts’ • Enables the manifestations and gifts of the Holy Spirit to be welcomed in a manner that honours Jesus