In this episode of Victorious Faith, Cherri Campbell discusses how believers can be led by the Holy Spirit. She elaborates on the importance of understanding and recognizing the voice of the Holy Spirit and emphasizes the crucial role of willingness in this spiritual journey. Drawing insights from Romans chapter 8, Cherri explains that maturity in faith involves being receptive to divine guidance and understanding God’s will as outlined in His Word.
Welcome to Victorious Faith. We believe you will be blessed, encouraged, and receive fresh faith to begin your day as you listen to today’s message with international missionary and Bible teacher, Cherri Campbell.
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Good morning. Welcome to Victorious Faith. I’m Cherri Campbell. As we’ve been studying the Holy Spirit in the last few weeks, this morning I’m going to begin sharing with you another message that I preached in one of our Victorious Faith services called How to be Led by the Holy Spirit. So join me now in our live service for the beginning of this message, How to be Led by the Holy Spirit. Open your Bible tonight, and we’re going to talk about how to be led by the Spirit, how to know the voice of the Holy Spirit, how to know the leading of the Holy Spirit. So let’s go to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8 and verse 14. Verse 14 says, For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Can sons of God be led by the Spirit of God? Yes, yes, they can. You know, I, I was speaking to a group one time in another country and talking to them about knowing the will of God. And after I spoke for about an hour and it was a small group and the pastor was there, he took over and basically nullified everything I said. It’s like, well, you just can’t know the will of God. It’s like, well, then why did God write it in his word? He wrote it down for us. He wrote his word. He wrote his promises for us to know. And then he gave us the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah. Also, one more thing I want to point out there. The word sons, they are the sons of God. This is very important because the word son there in the Greek. Now, you know, the New Testament is written in Greek and there are different words for different ages written. of a son or a child. And the word used in this verse is not talking about a baby, an infant, a toddler in elementary school or a teenager. This word is the Greek word huios, H-U-I-O-S, but it is a mature, full grown, fully developed man. So in other words, this is also telling us what is one of the characteristics of being a full grown, mature son of God. You’re able to be led by the spirit of God. That’s one of the characteristics that shows maturity because it is a mature adult. It is one who is fully developed, who is able to be led by the spirit of God. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. And let me just show us, look at one more scripture in John. Go to John again real quickly. Chapter 16, 13, going back to what that pastor had said. Well, you just can’t know. Well, the Bible tells us to know. John 16, 13 says, but when he, the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you in into all truth. He will not speak on his own. He will speak only what he hears and he will tell you what is yet to come. Well, he’ll tell you what to do in your next step. He’ll tell you what is to come for you. And so that is part of the work of the Holy Spirit is to guide you into all truth and to show you what is to come for your life, for your next step, for your next day, next month, next year. Hallelujah. That’s the work of the Holy Spirit. Praise the Lord. But we want to talk tonight about how do you know the voice and the leading of the Holy Spirit? And that’s something that is, for one thing, a big mystery and question mark to a lot of Christians. A lot of Christians do not understand that and do not understand how to be led by the Spirit or to know the voice of the Holy Spirit. But first, let me mention one of the qualifications. Let me say qualifications first. And we’re going to go through some others. But one qualification that you must have to be able to be led by the spirit, to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, to know the will of the Holy Spirit. There’s one very important qualification I want to mention right now, and that is willingness. Willingness. to hear and obey. And, you know, a lot of people will think, well, doesn’t everybody hear God? Doesn’t everybody? Well, not everybody hears God. You know, one person said, oh, it just scares me when people say they hear God. Another person said, it scares me that when people don’t hear God talk to them, but we are supposed to, but you have to be willing to hear what he’s got to say. Another way to say this is open, open, open. For example, I know you’ve all had this experience where you wanted to tell somebody something, but you knew they weren’t open. You knew they weren’t open to hear it. I mean, you just like to tell them straight out, but you know, they’re not open. Their heart is not open. Their mind, they’ve closed to that subject. They might have closed it either to the subject or to you talking to them about it. And you all know what I’m talking about. It’s like, I know exactly what you’re talking about. Well, you know, a lot of Christians are the same way with God. It’s like, God, don’t talk to me about that. They are so closed about something. They cannot hear God. Because they’ve closed their mind and their heart. And something we have to understand is that when you are not willing to hear something. then either one, God won’t even tell you or talk to you about it because he knows you’re closed or he’ll try to say something, but you’re not going to hear it. Your ears are closed, your heart and your mind are closed. And so that is really dangerous is that remember when Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane and he said, Lord, take this cup from me, but not my will, but your will be done. See, he was open to, To going to the cross. He hadn’t closed himself off from that idea. And there are a lot of Christians who are saying things, Lord, I’ll do anything except. And if there’s anything that you’re closed to see. The littlest bit of an unwillingness is going to stop you from being able to hear God clearly. When God is trying to tell you to do something. And you know what’s so funny? You know, I’ve even talked with people once in a while. And to me, it’s so obvious. And they’re saying, God, what should I do? God, what do I do now? And you see, it’s right there in their face. It’s just shouting at them. This is what you do. And yet they are not even open to considering this one. And so they’re looking, God, what do I do? God. Show me what I’m supposed to do. And they’re looking all around, except the thing that’s staring them in the face. It’s right there, but they’re not even open to seeing it. And that’s the way a lot of times Christians are. And that will hinder you from hearing from God. So you’ve got to be open, Lord, no matter what it is, I’m willing. And you know, that willing heart is going to be the heart that can hear what God has to say. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. In John 7, 17, Jesus said, if any man is willing to do his will. This is the new American standard. If any man is willing to do his will, he shall know the teaching. And he’s talking about his own teaching, whether it’s of God or whether I’m speaking of myself. But what is that? He’ll have discernment to know, is this God or is this man? Is this God or is this just me? If he’s willing, he will know. So what I’m saying is you must will to will. You must will to do his will. And there’s times when the answer to the problem that we’re asking God about, we think it’s over here. Let’s say, for example, finances. Let me just give an example. We have a problem. We say, God, help me in my finances. Help me in my finances. Help me in my finances. But over here, God is dealing with us about something. It might be forgiveness. It might be you need to move to Atlanta. It might be you need to call your dad whom you haven’t talked to for 20 years. And God is dealing with us over here. And we’re close to that idea. And we’re over here. God, help me in my finances. Help me in my finances. And what you don’t realize is that those two are connected. They’re connected. God is waiting for your obedience to get on the phone and call your dad or to forgive someone or move to Atlanta. He’s been telling you you’re supposed to go there and you’re not going. And then once you do it, it’s like the finances, the answer is going to come right there. Those two are connected. And we try to put a wall up. No, it has nothing to do with that. I have this over here. Don’t talk to me about that. Talk to me about this. And they’re related. So the breakthrough in one area of life will come when we are willing to do something in another area that God has been dealing with us. And we might think, oh, they have no relationship. They are related. They’re connected. Obedience to the one is connected to you receiving the answer in a totally different area of your life. So that’s why we can’t have any areas like you think of people having their heart and one section of their heart’s blocked off. Nope, that one’s got a lock on the door. I’m not willing to deal with that. But over here, let’s talk about this. God is saying, no, take that lock off that door and let’s deal with this because this is going to affect every other area of your life. Amen. And so what we’re talking about here, this is something that we talk about right at the beginning is because you’re not going to hear God if you’re not willing and if you’re not open to what he wants to tell you. And it might be openness to something else other than what you’re asking him about. It might be a question. It’s dealing with this over here when you’re trying to ask about finances or something else, you know. And so we need to be open and willing. And that’s the beginning of being able to hear. That’s the beginning to being able to hear God and to be led by his spirit is being open and willing in Psalm 40 verse eight. And I’ll tell you when, um, one time I was recently in the last two years, I was in another country. And actually by that time, God was already drawing my heart homeward and to start this ministry and everything. Although I didn’t know exactly what I was going to do, but the vision was coming to be here. And it was one of my later missions. And it was like my heart was torn. I was over there, but now my heart’s here. And it was really hard. And being there was harder than it had been previously. I’d been there several times, but all of a sudden I didn’t want to be there anymore. But I said this to the Lord, Lord, in Psalm 40, verse 8, it says, I delight to do your will, O Lord. And that became a regular prayer of mine because I was saying, Lord, I Right now, this is not what I want to be doing, but I’m choosing. I delight to do your will, O Lord. And then the NIV says, I desire to do your will, O Lord. And if you make that a regular prayer, Psalm 40, verse 8, then you will see God able to lead you because that’s that open heart. That’s that willing heart. And once you’re open and willing, God can start directing. Amen. So that’s a first qualification for being able to hear God’s voice and be led by the spirit. Now I’m going to give you some steps to being able to hear God’s voice and be led by the spirit. And the first step I’m going to say is in two parts. And this may seem really simple, but first step is believe that he does speak to you. Because like I said, there are Christians who say, well, God never talks to me. Well, if you say God never talks to me, then you are you’re missing it to start with. You’ve got to believe he does. He is talking to you. He’s talking to you every day. It’s just that you’re not recognizing him. But there is that faith. And we’re going to be bringing in faith all the way through this. It all has to do with faith all the way through. But you’ve got to believe he is speaking. What you just heard was the beginning of another message that I preached in our victorious faith services called how to be led by the Holy Spirit. And we will continue this message again tomorrow. So join me again tomorrow. And remember, God loves you. You are blessed and highly favored by the Lord.
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We’re glad you joined us today for Victorious Faith with Cherri Campbell. We invite you to visit our website at victoriousfaith.co where you can listen to the Victorious Faith radio broadcast, find biblical study helps, contact Cherri, and make donations. You can also write to us at P.O. Box 509 East Lake, Colorado 80614. Victorious Faith is a God and Partners supported ministry. As you sow seed and partner with this ministry, we believe God with you for the full harvest of victory you need in your life. Please join us again Monday through Friday at the same time to begin your day with fresh faith. And remember, faith is the victory that overcomes the world.
