GRACE IS NOT A PERMISSION TO SIN; GRACE IS AN EMPOWERMENT TO LIVE ABOVE THE DOMINION OF SIN
YOU CAN’T BE LIVING WRONG AND BE LED RIGHT. IT TAKES RIGHT ALIGNMENT TO PRODUCE RIGHT LEADING
THE LEADING OF GOD WILL ALWAYS BRING US VICTORY OVER FEARS AND SUPERNATURAL REFRESHING
WHEN WE ARE IN LOVE WITH GOD WE CANNOT LACK THE LEADING OF GOD
WHEN A PERSON HAS A HEART FOR GOD, THE PERSON HAS ACCESS TO THE HEART OF GOD
IT IS HOW MUCH WE ARE IN COMPANIONSHIP WITH GOD THAT DETERMINES HOW MUCH GOD IS ABLE TO UNVEIL UNTO US
THERE IS NO CIRCUMSTANCE THAT LEGITIMIZES COMPLAINING. EVERY SITUATION WE FIND OURSELVES IN, WE HAVE A REASON TO THANK GOD.
IF WE ARE GOING TO BE LED BY GOD, WE MUST MAINTAIN THANKFULNESS OF HEART
WHEN YOUR ATTENTION IS ON THE WRONG THING, THAT IS WHEN DEPRESSION COMES
THIS COMMISSION IS THE OUTCOME OF GOD’S LEADING FROM STAGE TO STAGE ALWAYS RESULTING IN INCREASING GLORY
THE CALCULATION OF MAN CAN EQUAL THE DEMOTION OF MAN BUT THE DIRECTION OF GOD WILL ALWAYS END IN THE ELEVATION
NO ONE THAT IS LED BY GOD ENDS UP IN THE SAME PLACE THAT THEY STARTED.
- Pastor David Oyedepo Jnr on UNDERSTANDING HOW GOD LEADS 6 at Midweek Communion Service || LFC Canaanland || 31st July 2024 ||
Our teaching series for our Midweek services all through this month has been UNDERSTANDING HOW GOD LEADS. Tonight we are coming to the concluding part of this teaching. Church Gist. My prayer is that for each one of us, after this season, none of us will miss His leading again in the name of Jesus Christ.
It is known that wisdom is knowing what to do but understanding is how to do it. Proverbs 4:7. There is no outstanding adventure in life without understanding. The leading of the Spirit is the heritage of every believer but it takes understanding to maximize its utilization. Romans 8:14. It takes understanding in order to access the leading of God for our lives. Isaiah 11:3. In our words, when His understanding comes alive. He will gain access to clarity of His instruction. Church Gist. John 5:30. From the example of Jesus we saw how that understanding played a very pivotal role in his access to divine direction. If it was for Jesus, it must be for us because Jesus is our perfect example. Hebrews 12:2. It means we also require understanding if we are going to gain access to His leading.
The question we must begin with tonight is: How valuable is God’s leading? We look at one very vital thing tonight and that is that God’s leading transforms lives. No one that is led by God ends up in the same place that they started. Every leading of God results in the transformation of one’s life. Proverbs 3:5-6. Romans 12:2. Not by leaning on our understanding but by following whatever He says. Church Gist. The leading of God will always lead to the transformation of the life of the believer. No one led by God stays on the same level. Every leading of God takes one from glory to glory. I see that becoming our experience from now in the name of Jesus Christ.
Deuteronomy 32:9-13. His leading does not end in the low places. It may start in the low places but it ends in the high places. We have a case study of the story of Joseph in Genesis 41. Church Gist. We see how Joseph was directed by God. Everything that Joseph did was as led. Genesis 41:15. God’s leading always results in transformed lives. For each one of us, from this season onwards I see our lives changing from one level to the other.
If you look at this Commission today, you will see the outcome of divine leading. The leading of God from stage to stage. And every leading result in increasing glory. God’s servant said at the beginning he had thought the ministry was to start in Jos. After the service of Commissioning, he said suddenly the Lord spoke there. It is not me that you heard concerning Jos. It was when you were playing tennis in 1974 that you said inside your heart that “If there is anywhere in Nigeria, I will like to live. I will like to live in Jos.” That is what you heard. Lord, what do we do now? “Stay here in Ilorin.” So we stayed put in Ilorin, no movement. It looked as if the leading will be for an embarrassment because everybody has heard Jos but God does not lead back, God leads forward. Church Gist. Stay put in Ilorin and suddenly the Lord came and told him to go to Kaduna, the city of persecution. It did not look like a leading forward but there is nowhere God leads that it ends backwards. Suddenly from Kaduna we saw the eruption of grace and then God spoke again, “Get down to Lagos and raise me a people”. Every leading of God may seem difficult at the time but it will always elevate one’s life at the end. We saw what happened in Lagos, eruption in Lagos.
Suddenly God spoke again concerning Canaanland, “This is the place”. A place that looked out of place but God said that is the place He has chosen and looks at what has happened in Canaanland over these years. The truth is this, every leading of God always transforms the lives of people. You will never end at the same level following God’s leading. Church Gist. The calculation of man can equal the demotion of man but the direction of God will always end in the elevation of man. If God is the one directing you, then check it you will discover that life will keep going from one dimension of glory to the other.
It is important to know how to access divine guidance and that is the crux of our focus tonight.
How Do You Access The Divine Guidance Of God?
- We Must Maintain A Heart Of Gratitude
Psalm 100:4. What does that mean? Without gratitude in one’s heart, you are not yet in God’s court. It is so important for us to understand that our access to God is predicated on the gratitude of our heart. It takes a thankful heart to gain access to God’s presence. Psalm 16:11. Church Gist. It takes gratitude in the heart to gain access to the presence of God and it is in the presence of God that we gain access to the path of life. We must understand that the gratitude of our heart is one of the access codes required to gain access to the direction of God. If we are going to be led by God, we must maintain thankfulness of heart.
It is important to know that there is no situation or circumstance that actually legitimizes complaining. Every situation we find ourselves in, we have a reason to thank God. That is why the Bible says, “In everything give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). No matter what is taking place. I have discovered that depression is a product of wrong focus of attention. When your attention is on the wrong thing, that is when depression comes. When you are looking at the wrong thing, that is when depression sets in. Look at the testimony that we heard, that Brother said at one point he was almost going to abandon the family because of all the challenges he was having. Depression had set in. He looked at everything and it looked like abandoning the family was a solution. Question: by leaving the family, have you solved the problem? Church Gist. No! You have multiplied the problem but wrong focus produces depression. He said then the wife began to encourage him to pay attention to the instructions that were being given and follow suit. He said he began to engage and suddenly he began to take pleasure in his engagement and before he knew it, God gave him global open doors. The frustration disappeared because depression disappeared. No man can see clearly with tears in his eyes. In the same vein, when a man’s heart stoops low in depression, he cannot see what God is showing.
Gaining access to direction requires a heart of continuous gratitude. We must ensure that nothing tampers with our thankfulness. Our gratitude to God must consistently be in place. Don’t let anything get your spirit down. In the Book of 2 Kings 3, we are told how certain kings came to Elisha and Elisha was upset when he saw them and he needed to receive direction from God. So instead of going on in complaint, he said they should bring him a minstrel. As the minstrel began to play and his spirit opened up in gratitude suddenly the voice of God sounded from above. Church Gist. Why? He allowed his heart to be stirred in gratitude. At every point in time make sure that your heart is saying Thank You Jesus. No matter what is going on around you. If you get around with God’s servant, our father, you will keep hearing “Thank you Jesus. Glory to God”. It is the language of those that are in tune with heaven. If you want to tune up, then ensure that you thank up. Your gratitude to God is one of your access points to God.
We have heard the story of this Commission and how God gave the vision of this Commission. God’s servant said he went down to go and visit some brethren in order to see to their well being and that visitation was not a location to location visitation, it was going from town to town. Traveling from one place to the other to follow up on a person and when you arrived at the door, you met a note: “Away On Weekend”. You imagine going from Lagos to Ibadan to go and see someone at Ibadan and by the time you get there you find out that the person was away on weekend. There was no phone to call, there was no way to have conversation, the entire purpose looks like it has been frustrated. Church Gist. Rather than saying, Oh Oh. What is this now? The first response. All things work together for good to them that love God. As soon as God heard that, God responded “Seek a quiet place I want to talk to you.” There are many things that are seeking your attention, they are to misdirect you. Every time you see distracting situations instead of giving yourself to complaint, give yourself to gratitude. Thank you Jesus.
I heard Dr Kenneth Copeland say something. He said he went for a particular meeting and everything he was to do in that meeting seemed upside down. They raised a tent where they were to hold the meeting, the tent started falling and the tent gave in. Everything was falling apart. He said he looked and he began to laugh. The wife asked him why he was laughing and he said “I must be a serious threat to Satan for him to be trying all of this threat.” He said right as he gave that response. Somebody came and said this is not how you do it. The person took over and laid the tent how it was supposed to be laid. Church Gist. Everything was put in order as soon as he gave that response, “I must be a serious threat,” instead of saying, “ah ahn! Lord, is it not you I am serving? I’ve gone out to minister to people, the tent we set up is falling down, everything is scattering, everything is upside down.” Instead of complaining and complaining, he began to laugh, celebrating – “Satan, you must be really threatened. That I have come and you’re doing all these troubles like this.” And God turned everything around. You see, the heart of gratitude is the position for intervention. If you want God to step in then make sure your gratitude is consistently going up to God.
- I see grace coming upon us for this in the name of Jesus!
- One must be in love with God and the interest of his kingdom. You want to keep getting led by God? Then be in love with God. John 15:15. So those who gain access to the inner secret of God are the ones that are companions with God and what makes a person companion with God is the person’s heart for God. Church Gist. When we are in love with God we cannot lack the leading of God. Our love for God and for the matters of his kingdom is what positions us to continuously experience the leading of God.
1 Corinthians 2:9-10. So the deep things of God are not accessed by the effort of man but by the heart of man. When our heart goes after God, the secrets of God come after us. Those who love God continuously get led by God. This is so important. So the leading of God comes in the direction of the lovers of God. Church Gist. That means that the more I love God, the more he leads me. The more my heart swells in love for God, the more I experience the leading of God. So we must continue to cultivate our love for God. That is one of the access points that we have to the leading of God. Like God’s Servant has illustrated over the years, you are here today in Church. There are people who don’t know where you are that live beside you – they only know you went out. There are people who are far from where you live that know your every move. Every step you take, they know. Why? Because the connection of heart is greater than the connection of location. Somebody is a neighbour, knows nothing; somebody that you are in love with knows everything. You see, it is how much we are in companionship with God that determines how much God is able to unveil unto us. Abraham got to a point that God had to say, “I cannot do this thing without revealing it to Abraham. Church Gist. I cannot take this step without showing it to Abraham.” Genesis 18:17. He became a custodian of the secrets of God because he was a lover of God. You see, our heart for God is a difference maker.
I look at the life of David in Scriptures and I discover that David was a man that came as it were from a background that it seemed nothing much can come out of him. His family life – he was a neglected child, he was the one who was forgotten at the point of appointment. The only thing David had was a heart for God. 1 Samuel 13:14. Church Gist. That was the credential. If you say, “what was on David’s CV to make him a favourite of God?” It was one thing – his heart for God – The heart that he had for God, his love for God. What became the outcome of that? You found David experiencing divine leading – unusual dimensions of divine leading.
Bible scholars tell us that the 2 people that Jesus quoted the most was Moses and David – all through the New Testament. David was a king – how did he gain access to divine secrets? His heart. So much so that we are later told in Scriptures, he said, “…and being a prophet…” How did he get to that point? Not by as it were ordination, but by affection. Church Gist. His heart for God gave him access to the heart of God. You see, it is heart to heart communication. When a person has a heart for God, the person has access to the heart of God. Everything inside his heart, he begins to open it up to him. How is it that there are different people who were prophets all through the Old Testament but Jesus continued to quote David, continued to quote Moses. David didn’t belong in that class as it were but his heart took him there. He began to gain access to things. Check it you will discover most of the prophecies concerning Jesus, you find a lot of them in the Psalms – where David was speaking prophetically, gaining access to the inner caucus of God’s heart on the basis of his love for God. The truth is this: when a person has a heart for God, that individual has access to the heart of God. You keep hearing his leading. Church Gist. There is clarity concerning whatever he is showing you per time. My prayer today, is that for each one of us as our hearts are ignited afresh, I see each one of us gaining access to greater secrets from above in the name of Jesus Christ!
- One must cultivate the fear of the Lord as a lifestyle: Psalm 25:12-13. So it takes the fear of God to gain access to the leading of God. Psalm 25:14. So those who fear God gain access to the leading of God. Why? Isaiah 59:1-2. That means that when a person is not walking uprightly before the Lord, not walking in the fear of the Lord, he does not have access to the secrets of God. Church Gist. He can’t gain access to the leading of God. That is why right living is what produces right leading. You can’t be led aright if you will not live right. Right living is what produces right leading.
Some years ago, a family came to see me – husband and wife both of them going neck and neck one to another and I was counselling them. After a while, the wife told me and said, “Sir, there’s something funny. Church Gist. Any time they start arguing, husband and wife will start going back and forth.” She said after the argument, the husband will carry the Bible, go to a corner, open it and start reading. So I said, “Sir, can you tell me one thing God showed you?” That’s you just finished arguing now, you open the Bible and start reading, just give me one revelation – post argument revelation – just one. His response was, “I normally see many things.” I said, just give me one. If they are many, it’s only one I am asking you for. He thought thought thought, he couldn’t find anything. I said, you didn’t see anything. You know why? Because every time you are disobeying God you won’t see anything. Church Gist. You see, it’s so important for us to understand that you can’t be living wrong and be led right. It takes right alignment to produce right leading. That’s why it’s so important for us to understand the necessity of the fear of God.
Today we live in a world where so many things have been trivialized. People think they can live anyhow, do anything, talk anyhow, behave anyhow and still experience the leading of God. It’s not true! No! Grace is not a permission to sin, grace is an empowerment against sin. Romans 6:1-2. So it’s not permissiveness for sin. No! It’s empowerment to live above the dominion of sin. It is in doing so that we begin to enjoy access to the leading of God. Church Gist. You can’t be doing what is against God and asking God, “Lord, show me the way, show me what is right.” First thing is: the one you know is right, do it first. The things you already know, this one you’re missing road here, this is wrong, this is wrong, correct that one first. When you correct that one you begin to experience clarity – God begins to show you what next to do.
- My prayer today is that for anyone of us that may have gone off course, may today be a day of correction!
What are the biblical proofs of being led by the Spirit?
- We experience victory over fears: when you are led by God, there is victory over fears. Psalm 23:1-6 – we have the picture of the advantage of God’s leading painted to us there. The leading of God will always get you to a point of comfort – no fear. Not because there are no dangers around but because there is the one who can dominate dangers around. That always gets you a sense of fearlessness. Church Gist. There is no intimidation in the heart. Why? because God is the one leading you. So the leading of God will always bring us victory over fears. Your heart is not shaking; your heart is intact because God is the one guiding your steps. Psalm 23:4-5. that’s what happens when God leads. When God leads, no fear; no intimidation. What does that mean? That means if fear is shaking your heart, check it. It may be that you are not being led. The leading of God comforts the heart. It brings calm to the heart. It brings fearlessness to the heart. There is confidence in the heart when you’re being led by God. Church Gist. That’s the difference maker. So the leading of God brings us to victory over fear.
- We enjoy supernatural refreshing. There is a refreshing in your inner man when you’re being led by God. Isaiah 50:4…He opens me up so I can hear what He is saying per time and when He opens me up, what happens? He said, “the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He leadeth me in the path of righteousness.” He says “that He restores my soul (He refreshes my soul).” Church Gist. So there is an internal refreshing, there is a sense of refreshing when you are being led by God. The things that God is leading you to do or the steps He is leading you to take may look like it’s shaking others but it’s refreshing you. There is a sense of refreshing.
God’s Servant said that when God led this Commission to Canaanland, he would come here in the night and he would go around in the night…I don’t know how many of you have walked in darkness inside bush even if it’s not proper bush, you know there are things you may be hearing. I don’t know if you understand what I’m saying. There are things you may be hearing. Church Gist. Sometime ago, we were taking a walk, myself and my children and then they heard something ‘kwaii.’ They said, what’s that? They started looking everywhere until they found the thing that was making noise. They said, daddy, daddy, see, see, see. It was a bird somewhere that was just making noise. You see, we were not even inside the bush. Now, imagine you are inside the bush (this entire place was forest) and he would stop and enter into the forest and walk through the place. Number one – no fear. But number 2 – every time he came out, he would say, “I feel God here.” That’s refreshing.
You see, when God leads you, there is a refreshing. His presence is what you feel. What scares others doesn’t scare you. Why? Because He is the One leading you. There is a sense of refreshing. You are renewed from inside. Church Gist. I see that becoming somebody’s experience from now! That’s why we must seek His leading and His guidance because when He guides us, no fear. When He guides us, we are refreshed.
- I see grace coming upon each one of us for this in the name of Jesus Christ!
—ALTAR CALL—
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