The School of The Spirit PART II

John Chapter 14 verse 25. these things have I spoken unto you being yet present with you but the comforter which is the Holy Ghost and the father shall send in my name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you this was our text last Wednesday night I'm going to continue talking about the school of the spirit God bless you please be seated I'll do a little review tonight Through The Years you might remember me saying I don't like long reviews why should I come again if you're going to tell me the same thing you told me last week but I do think it's important to review a little bit about the school of the spirit when the Lord filled you with his spirit he enrolled you in the school of the spirit you're born again of water and of the spirit and the guy began a growth process in you it is important that we have new life after the New Birth that we don't get stuck in a protracted infancy and stay spiritual babies forever but according to the Bible even though we're in the middle of this process God is doing his part growth spiritual growth is not automatic and it is not guaranteed you can be a lazy student and you can get stuck in infancy in Hebrews chapter 5 and as you know I won't display all of these many verses but in Hebrews 5 the writer says I have some things I really want to tell you but you can't deal with it you're not able to hear it he said you're you're dull of hearing and I can't show them to you or say them to you because it's going to go right over your head basically is what he tells them and he says for for when the time you've been in the her so long hey you really should be teaching other people the word of God but you still have need that other people would teach you the first oracles the ABCs the beginning principles of the word of God he said you have need of milk and not meat and then he explains what the difference between a spiritual baby is and a mature Christian is he said everyone that is that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness for he is a babe but but strong meat belongs to those who are a full age and then he describes what full age is who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil they have grown up and they don't have to have someone standing in the way waving their hands they don't have to have 92 rules they have their senses exercised to discern Good and Evil intuitively by the spirit they know right from wrong and by the word they get right from wrong so I just want to make this point that because we are in the school of the spirit doesn't mean we pass K4 or K5 and uh we're in our graduate school it's really not a matter of time time matters but it is a matter of effort and the Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 3 you're so foolish he said you began in the spirit do you think you're going to be made perfect by the flesh you were fill of the spirit born of the spirit you got started in the spirit but now he said you've evidently put walking in the spirit and they're actually going back under the Old Testament law trying to live by the law and not by the power of the Holy Ghost now this school is designed to make you like Jesus Christ and the call to enroll given by Jesus Christ come follow me and I will make you Fishers of Men in the school of the spirit all we have teachers this is somewhat one-on-one instruction it is Jesus Christ by the power of His Spirit working in your life as you pray and engage in the word of God the Lord specifically talks to you now all of us need some of the same things because we are all human beings but there are certain things about you and certain things about me just like children in a home you may need a little extra dose of one thing and I may need a little helping of something else because of our unique nature and how we respond to the word of God this is an amazing thing that you and Jesus Christ are engaged in school together and he is committed to tutor you one-on-one God and you and you have full access to him 24 7 365. graduation is called the resurrection of the Dead the Rapture of the church and until you get there you're still in school as we all are that everyone who ever graduated like The Heroes of Faith in Hebrews 11 have spent time at the feet of Jesus Christ becoming like him it's amazing that Jesus Christ is both the teacher and the curriculum he's the one teaching us and he's the one we're studying amen and becoming like him is the goal of the school of the spirit Ephesians 3 17. that Christ May dwell in your hearts by faith that you being rooted and grounded in love let me pause to say this is an amazing prayer of Paul for the Ephesians Ephesians 3 14-20 that Christ May dwell in your hearts by faith so that's where we want to be right Christ Living in us that you being rooted and grounded in love here is the foundational beginning part of you being like Jesus Christ are growing in the school of the spirit as if you're rooted and grounded in the love of Jesus Christ and a love for other people the first and great commandment is to love the Lord thy God by your heart soul mind strength your whole being and to love your neighbor as yourself so isn't it interesting that foundational is the love of God Amen rooted and grounded in love that's the foundation of growing in God if you see Jesus as an enemy as an adversary you're not going to grow if you see trials as God trying to trip you up and not help you advance and grow then you're going to see God is constantly trying to overthrow you and destroy you rather than to save you and make you more like him verse 18. the created and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with All Saints what is the breath and the length and the depth and the height of four-dimensional love of God in every Dimension the love of God is there and to know the love of Christ which passive knowledge that we might be filled with all the fullness of God growing is what God does in Us in the school of the spirit two other verses that say the same basic idea Ephesians 4 13. till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect or mature man under the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ he is the goal being like him and when you grow up day by day week by week month by month you may not be able to tell you're growing but I can tell you that if you're involved in the process if you're sincere in your walk with God you will grow you will become more like Jesus Christ if you allow sin stay in your life if you allow unforgiveness to reside in you if you do not obey the Lord in your life your growth will be stunted he may even be kicked out of the class well actually you'd have to drop out under the perfect man under the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ amen Ephesians 4 15 but speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ so when you look at the Bible and you study Matthew Mark Luke and John and you see who Jesus was how he conducted himself you learn about being a Christian Jesus imparted those words he said to go in all the world and teach the things that I've commanded you that's what we teach that's the curriculum in the school of the spirit it's Jesus and it's about Jesus so the school of the spirit is not about learning a skill set or even memorizing a body of material it is really becoming like Christ it is capturing the spirit of Christ if you remember the disciples when they asked Jesus to call down fire from heaven destroy his enemies and they were really expecting him to give them a gold star and a passing grade on that quiz and Jesus said you don't know what Spirit you're of for the son of man has come to save men's life not to destroy men's lives so in the school of the spirit it is becoming like Jesus Christ he's our master and he's also our Mentor so let me go back to John 14 and just recap what this chapter is about I mentioned last week that John 13 31 is where this begins it is when Judas leaves the upper room they've had foot washing communion he leaves the room to go to betray the Lord and Jesus begins to teach they're a little confused they're very frustrated he's talking about his imminent death they still don't get it there's some heaviness about it and in John 13 and 14 I went back and gave you each of these questions last week that they asked him but Jesus gives the answer to many of these questions he's going to talk about his departure and his return but when he leaves he was sent back the comforter John 14 26 the comforter of the Holy Ghost when he comes he's going to teach you all things he'll bring all things to your remembrance and there are some things that Jesus teaches I went into more detail on this last week I'm just going to give you a high level review of of what the spirit teaches first of all God gives life to his word you read his word but you read it with the spirit living inside of you and the spirit illuminates the word of God the letter kills the spirit gives life and then the Lord sheds light on his word he reveals these things to us First Corinthians is 2 says by his Spirit We compare spiritual things we're spiritual things and Paul said the natural man does not receive the things of God they're foolishness to him he can't receive them because they are spiritually discerned amen the Bible tells us that God guides Us by the spirit he guides us into all truth I'm going to make a point I made last week that a person that has the Holy Ghost doesn't mean they're perfected we should not expect that and people who are not Apostolic who have been around the Bible and around an Apostolic culture for a hundred years they might have received the Holy Ghost in their traditional church at home wherever they receive the Holy Ghost don't expect him to know what you know and be who you are when they just come to God but if they will walk with God there's the promise that the spirit will guide them into all truth and Jesus said that the Holy Ghost will bring all things to your remembrance it is a lifetime of Walking with God Romans chapter 8 verses 4 through 6. talking about going after God pursuing the Lord in the school of the spirit that I'm in the middle of Romans 8 great chapter on the work of the spirit and the life of a believer that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in US he walked not after the flesh but after the spirit so everybody that's reading Romans 8 theoretically it's written to churches has already received the Holy Ghost and Paul says that the righteousness of the law on Sunday Lord willing if you read my article going to talk about the righteous and the wicked 74 times mentioned in the bible uh pretty amazing truth about the righteous people and the wicked people of of our world and what God is doing a Revival of righteousness but Paul said the righteousness of the law that Old Testament law it is fulfilled in us he walked after the flesh not after the flesh but after the spirit and here here's something to understand for they that are after The Flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit for to be carnally minded is dead but to be spiritually minded is life and peace if you spend your whole day your whole week after the things of the flesh you will be a carnal person you will not be like Jesus you will wonder why you struggle so much temptation is real for every human being but if you're after the flesh if you're feeding your mind a diet of things that are ungodly sensual not like Jesus Christ you're going to become that amen to be carnally minded is death but if you're after the things of the spirit we all live in a real world where we just incidentally see a lot more things that we want to see that are not like Jesus Christ you can't unsee something you cannot unhear it you have to overcome it by replacing it with the word of God amen you have to continually be renewed in the spirit of your mind so in the school of the spirit we pay attention and we pursue the things of the spirit amen now there are some things about this school I would call them school rules in a way but how to how to really be engaged in this school and grow in God first of all you need to be receptive to this spirit amen you need to have an open heart to truth that when God speaks to you you receive it and embrace it not reject it not resisted amen every teacher in the house and every parent who's a teacher in the house we've all dealt with stubborn people who do not want to listen I know you've never said this to your children look at me listen to me right we say in one ear and out the other it doesn't it didn't Lodge there Jesus talked about people who are hearers of the word they just went in one ear and out the other and they never obeyed it building your house on the rock or the sand is determined by whether or not you hear and do God's word are only here so if you hear something and you know to do that and you don't you're a really bad student in the school of the spirit amen as a pastor before I was a pastor I've had people come to me to seek counsel I'm not a counselor but I give spiritual and Biblical advice I have a Bible and it's pretty powerful and that's that's what I use that's the tool the Holy Ghost the tools Holy Ghost and the word of God but you know some people have already made up their mind that's why they change who they go to they go find someone who will tell them what they want to hear because they didn't like what you said so they want a second opinion or a third opinion or no opinion look in the mirror mirror mirror on the wall who's the fairest of them all must be me counseling with myself you have a fool for a counselor your counseling only with yourself then the multitude of counselors there is safety every one of us has vulnerabilities how many a friend the Bible said that faithful are the wounds of a friend but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful thank God for someone who loves you enough to tell you the truth and I'm not talking about me right now talking about a true friend it may be me it might be someone else I'm just talking about someone who doesn't care what you how you feel about it but they care about what happens if you do the wrong thing amen amen so that you could really talk about that a long time right I heard a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still somebody's made up their mind you're kind of wasting your breath there have been times in the Bible uh just not in my notes so a specific specific doesn't come to mind where the Lord said just go on do that I already told you once no since you're asking again go ahead you don't want to do the right thing so go get hurt go Crash and Burn and maybe as Jeremiah 2 maybe Verse 18 says you know your own backslidings will prove you maybe like hosea's wife Gomer maybe God will head your way in thorns and life will hurt so much that it'll drive you back to your spiritual husband amen King Saul was a very stubborn man and Samuel told him I want you to wait seven days and on the seventh day before the day ended Saul jumped the gun he offered a sacrifice to the Lord and when Samuel came Saul said I I waited as long as I could and I just forced myself force yourself I mean what is that but then Samuel said to him Rebellion is as the sin of Witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry because thou Hast rejected the word of the Lord he has rejected you from being King now how how is stubbornness like witchcraft well who is who is the most Rebellion being in the world Lucifer son of the morning covering cherub in the presence of God in the Holy Mountain who said you know I know there's God but I'm going to ascend I'm gonna I'm going to take his place and he is the original Rebel amen he's the divider of homes and relationships that's just what he does when Stephen was preaching his sermon Acts chapter 7 it's a very long sermon I've thought of this mentioned this before if I knew I was getting ready to die I would preach a very long sermon hoping that it would delay death a little bit longer it's a long sermon it's recorded in Acts chapter 7. but Stephen goes through kind of catalogs the history of Israel how every time God spoke to them they rejected his voice and turned God away and Stephen tells them in Acts 7 51 you are stiff-necked and you're uncircumcised and hardened ears you to always resist the Holy Ghost as your fathers did so do you you're not forced to do it but you're choosing to do this you've received the law at the disposition of angels and you have not kept it the Bible said when they heard these things they got so angry that they were cut to the heart but instead of repenting they gnashed on him with their teeth they cried out with a loud voice they stopped their ears can you imagine adults acting like this they don't want to hear you they ran on him and the Bible said they threw him out of the city and they stoned him to death calling on the name of the Lord now that's a pretty hard sermon but in the school of the spirit there will be times when the word of God offends you it will offend you because of your will because of my will speak something to me that stings the reason I don't like it is because I don't want to obey it I don't want to do it but God loves me enough he loves you enough to not let you go on your way not being disciplined or chasten no chastening is Pleasant right but the Bible said and I'll use a more modern word that if you're not chastened of God you're an illegitimate child you're not a real child of God because him the lord loves he chastens thank God for that amen so don't let that be you amen first Thessalonians 5 17. we're in the school of the spirit in my subtopic right now is being receptive to the voice of God amen first Thessalonians 5. pray without ceasing and every give think of thanks for this is the will of God concerning you amen I like that verse quench not the spirit the word which here is like to pour water on a fire like the fire of the Holy Ghost and when the Lord is working in your life don't pour water on it I've been in churches before where people did not want a demonstrative move of God a deep move of God and when God began to move powerfully they just kind of poured water on it to dumb it down and kill the fire of the Holy Ghost quench not the spirit despise not prophesying hear the word prophesying probably refers more to preaching despise not the Lord's speaking to you in a way that will change you amen Jesus in Matthew 13 The Parables of the kingdom of God talked about people that he tells to talk to them in Parables because seeing they see not and hearing they hear not neither do they understand they don't want to do better they don't want to do right and Jesus said their their heart is wax gross their ears are dull of hearing and their eyes have they closed intentional rejection of the word of God everybody say be receptive amen Bible the ignorant and unlearned men in facts chapter 4 grew in the spirit because they were walking with God and they they learned amen acts 4 and 13. now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus they have spent time with Jesus and him being the teacher they became like him they said this of Jesus how how does this man know the letters having never learned amen Paul told Timothy to study to show thyself approved unto God so we study the word of God but we study with the spirit because it is a spirit that gives life on the word amen I have four formal education as long as it does not educate you against God amen education beats ignorance every day but the Bible said there are some people who are willingly ignorant of spiritual things and professing themselves to be wise they became fools so as we learn we don't need to be ever learning and never coming to the knowledge of God Amen we want to be people who are in the school of the spirit I'm amazed at in our culture there are people who are doctors of theology but believe teach and practice things that are abhorrent to God that are condemned by the scripture they condone what the scriptures condemn we do not want to be those people amen the Bible is very clear Paul said this to Agrippa that we should repent and turn to God and do Works meet for repentance Proverbs 28 13 tells us that we should come to God as you cover your sins you will not Prosper but whoever confesses and forsakes their sins will have mercy amen John 6 63 just a verse here about God speaking to us in the school of the spirit it is a spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing Jesus said the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are Life Second Corinthians 3 5. not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything of ourselves but our sufficiency is of God who also have made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the letter but of the spirit for the letter killeth but the spirit gives life so I I just want to tell you that if you just walk by if you see the Bible as a rule book and you see teaching as something being imposed on you you will always resist it but if you let the Holy Ghost speak to you and you're receptive to God he will help you he will guide you into all truth everybody say be receptive don't be stubborn amen some some children by their nature James Dobson wrote a book the strong-willed Child and every parent said that's my kid years ago Errol jabay wrote a book called The Kingdom of self we grow up having somebody take care of every need that we have that's what how babies are they're dependent totally dependent but that will that a person is born with is extremely strong from the beginning some more than others and the Bible said that that you've got to kind of train that will amen foolishness is bound in the heart of the child but a rod of Correction will drive it far from him so you've got to be receptive I want you to be receptive to the word of God don't be that spiritual child that spiritual student that God has to beat every day that the only way you're going to learn is by a spiritual weapon now some of you parents don't believe in Corporal correction but if you'll read the Bible it's there and God believes in correction we may not physically whip you but he may allow you to be physically affected so that you'll listen to him it is a Redemptive work he's not trying to kill you he's trying to save you that's why the Bible said and I know he could deep extreme by what this means you know don't spare for the crying of your child he won't die spank him he won't die that's what the Bible says so but there's beating and there's abuse and there's a lot of abuse in our world that is horrible and wrong all right it is time to move on to the second point and I'm watching my time carefully everybody say be patient be patient have you ever wish you could have a brain transplant from somebody who is really smart you know think about this you can you can buy a new computer and you can transfer all the data all the information all the programs get a new phone just transfers right over why can't we just come to church find a mature Saint let you sit right next to them wirelessly all of their Christianity would just come into you and that's how you would get it wouldn't that be awesome you wouldn't have to go to school at all just go put your capping down on you ready for graduation sit next to the valedictorian of the last class and just everything they know just automatically be transferred to you how cool would that be amen sort of like AI right little artificial intelligence it's all automatically you've got it but in life and in the school of the spirit there is a word called process I don't like it always it is way too slow for me way too slow for us we want to get it now we want to read a book just by like thumbing through the book right that's a process all right one of the greatest challenges in the school of the spirit for us is waiting on the Lord is going through the process and dealing with myself and how long it takes me to get in if you're trying to learn something the Bible quizzers have the phrase 15 method right read it five times check it or quote it five times check it phrase fifteen and three times you go through that phase phrase 15 to 555 and you try to memorize like that why did why though isn't everybody have a photographic memory just look at it bam it's right there wouldn't that be awesome if you were back to this thing now the Lord uses time and I'm not talking about a day sometimes a long time to test our spirit and our submission to him and when we get impatient we jump the gun and make really big mistakes like Saul I refer to like Abraham I referred to I didn't refer to like Abraham God promises his son to him Isaac is not born until he's a hundred years old what kind of game is God playing but Millennial later we look back and Abraham's 100 Year weight doesn't seem like anything to What It produced Isaac but Abraham's impatience produced Ishmael I've already talked to you about Saul who wouldn't wait seven days to the end of the seventh day until Samuel came the psalmist at least 10 times in the Book of Psalms the psalmist and it isn't all David says how long ago Lord how long will You Forget Me O Lord forever Psalm 13 1. how long will you hide your face from me how long shall I take counsel in my soul how long will you look on Rescue my soul how long Lord will you hide yourself forever that's how the psalmist felt about God who didn't jump when he called on him amen Psalm 27 14 tells us what we have to do Psalm 27 14. wait on the Lord be of good care courage and he shall strengthen thine heart wait I say on the Lord wait in the Lord Psalm 37 said and keep his way Proverbs 20 wait on the Lord and He will save you we love David wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength so we sing I'm going to wait on you Jesus at least till the end of this song I'm gonna wait on you Jesus am I really going to wait on you Jesus Psalm 37 7 rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him now wait a second God is not in a traffic jam God is not hung up where he can't get to you and I know by our human nature we kind of don't like it but we're in the school and we're the student not the teacher and over and over in the Bible being patient waiting staying in the process is so important in the school of the spirit James wrote about people who presumptuously jump into a business deal they say we're going to go to this town we're going to buy and sell we're going to get much gain and James said you ought to say this is James 4 15. if the Lord will but we're going to wait on you Jesus till we have Direction because when we hear from the Lord we're going to be able to do what God Said and God will bless it I'm not going to take the time to go into acts 17 when Paul is waiting in Athens but while he's there God speaks to him and he is just sitting there but now he preaches in Athens and I heard a man say one time that a good man's steps are ordered the Lord but also are our stops I know the Bible doesn't say that but our steps and our stops our steps of walking and our stops of waiting on the Lord are all ordered of the Lord and they are important that's why Jesus taught you need to ask seek and knock maybe different dimensions of prayer like the friend at midnight is a is a story told by Jesus about a guy that knocks on the door and his friend says no it is a story about prayer it is like the story of the Widow and the unjust judge that he will not listen to her but Jesus told this Parable that men ought always to pray and not feign or not give up patience is so important in the school of the spirit amen very difficult right final thing you need to know the voice of the teacher is that God's voice is that an idea I had a thought I had or is that the voice that came from somewhere else not just hell maybe but another voice that is not the voice of God but is the difference between a good idea and a voice of the spirit I was taught as a young man that there is a fine line between the voice of God and a strong spiritual desire not an evil desire but even something good but is that God or is that me I want to know the voice of the teacher with so many voices we need to learn the voice of the Lord now we'll not take the time to go through the entire story of Samuel being spoken to by God it's in first Samuel chapter 3 but the Bible said he did not know the voice of God he had never heard that voice before he didn't know that the Lord was speaking to him and after four times the fourth time he finally learns the voice of God John chapter 10 verse 3. this is Jesus he's talking about his followers he's and then in the middle of the story about the Good Shepherd and to him the Porter openeth and the sheep hear his voice and he called his own Sheep by name and leads them out and when he puts him forth his own sheep he goes before them and the Sheep follow him for they know his voice now my message today is not on the voice of God and how to discern it I've spoken about it not that long ago but the clearest way I know the voice of God is by the Bible I thank God for dreams and visions and prophecies and tongues and interpretation but the clearest voice of God is his word and anytime you someone tells you something advises you counsels you or anytime you have an idea or you read something or hear something you should always hold it up to the Bible and make sure that it is aligned to the word of God and if you're not sure go to a mature believer and ask them that they may know the Bible better than you and help you before you jump off into a decision that's disastrous Jesus said they know his voice a stranger they will not follow for they know not the voice of strangers it's like a bank teller right they don't have to study every counterfeit bill they just need to know what a real hundred dollar bill looks like and feels like if they know the real they will reject the counterfeit there's a lot of strange voices speaking in our world but Jesus said my sheep hear my voice they know my voice the context is they follow him he leads them out and they will not follow or heed The Voice of a stranger amen first John 4 and 1. believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God we're in the school of the spirit so the Devil he's spiritual too he knows the Bible he can misuse it try the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world even in the gifts of the Spirit we hear that word come of interpretation but we judge not the person but we judge did that align to the word of God thank God we have people that are tuned to the spirit spiritually mature used in the gifts of the Spirit and it could be many many of us used in the gifts of the Spirit we need that amen listen to his voice Revelation chapter 3 the letters to the churches Jesus is speaking to them and to the Church of laodicea that church that thinks has got it all together at the end of that address and rebuke Revelation 3 20 Jesus said behold I stand at the door and knock If any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in and will sup with him and he with me I'll have Fellowship I'll have a meal with you sit down and talk to you I learned about this verse many years ago that God stands at the door of the church stands at the door of my life and he knocks this does not say that God has a battering ram and he's going to knock down the door this does not say that God God could do anything right Jesus passed through walls but here's here's the imagery of God coming to you for you to be in the school of the spirit and listen to him he is knocking and the lock or the latch is on the inside If any man hears my voice and will open the door I will come in think about that think about God almighty coming to your prayer closet coming to your car where you're praying coming to wherever you are knocking on the door said hey I've got some things I'd like to teach you and if you'll just be receptive to my voice be patient to listen if you'll be know my voice I will come in if you're Abel please stand right now Revelation 3 20. it's almost embarrassing to think that that God would knock and I would not answer amen there may be times when you feel and urging to pray someone said that sometimes maybe a feeling of depression is a trigger of intercession feel heaviness on you you feel something happen you may think of a person and through my life I've just decided that if I have somebody on my mind I'm just going to share it with them and if I'm wrong I'd rather be wrong and pray for them I don't think there's any harm done by that and to not reach out to them or to not pray for them and they needed it or I needed to pray amen God understands your work schedule he knows all about your life knows about your obligations and commitments I don't think he's going to come cause you to you know not be paying attention to something you're supposed to be doing but in the school of the spirit are really on God's time and not ours for all the time we give to so many other things work and education and the News the media and whatever it is you do with your time and all of us do with our time we need to make sure that we're enrolled in the school of the spirit that we're receptive to God's voice and we're patient to wait on him amen and that we know his voice