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Living Under Divine Inspiration
(Carried Along by the Spirit)
by Pastor Jim Feeney, Ph.D.
The following Scriptures were read in support of a sermon
entitled "Divine Inspiration — Carried Along by the Spirit"
This is an outline of that sermon for your free use.
Ezekiel 47:1-5, 8-9; John 7:37-39; John 16:12-14
Acts 1:8; Acts 8:26-29; Acts 13:9-11a
Revelation 19:10; 2 Peter 1:20-21
2 Peter 1:21 ...men spoke from God as they were CARRIED ALONG BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.
•• That’s what we all need — to be “carried along by the Holy Spirit”, to get into the flow of the living water of God's Spirit.
• Our goal is to live continually under divine inspiration.
• Of course, all that we do must be WORD-based.
•• However, much of what we do is not directly derived from the Word, but from the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
• E.g., (Acts 13:9) “...Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit,...” rebuked Elymas the sorcerer and called down blindness on him.
• Jesus spoke by supernatural revelation to the woman at the well in Samaria (John 4).
• Paul, spiritually discerning the cripple’s faith, said, “Stand on your feet" (Acts 14:9-10), and the man was instantly healed.
• These men to whom Peter referred in the verse above were actually writing the Bible via the “carrying along by the Holy Spirit.”
• In Acts 8:29, “The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’ ”
Ezekiel 47:1-5, 8-9 The water from God's throne was [3] ankle-deep. [4] ...knee-deep ... up to the waist. [5] ... deep enough to swim in.... [9c] WHERE THE RIVER FLOWS EVERYTHING WILL LIVE.
•• I want to see LIFE brought to the Dead Sea! Life brought to those in the Rogue Valley who are still “dead in sins and trespasses.”
•• That will require men and women who are full of God’s Word, but also carried along by God’s Spirit.
• Men and women who, under divine inspiration, can discern a cripple’s faith to be healed.
• Men and women who say of God's power to heal, “Such as I have give I thee...”
•• Ankle-deep in God’s Spirit? Knee deep? Waist deep? Then YOU are still IN CONTROL. God is not in control.
• Your feet are rooted in your comfort zone.
• The river of the Holy Spirit then cannot lead you to where it wants to give life.
• YOU are feeling that wonderful life washing you, but you won’t participate in the “Dead Sea” ministry.
•• The solution is: get in the deep water. Lift your controlling feet off the bottom. Let the river of God's Holy Spirit CARRY YOU!
Q: (Proverbs 3:5) “Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”
## There is a KEY to being carried along by the Spirit —
John 16:13-14 Jesus said, [13] But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.... [14] He will bring glory to ME by taking from what is MINE and making it known to you.
•• The key is: The Holy Spirit’s focus is upon revealing the THINGS OF JESUS!
• Revelation 19:10d “...the TESTIMONY OF JESUS is the spirit of prophecy.”
• Acts 1:8, KJV “Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses UNTO ME [Jesus]...”
•• Men of God wrote the Scriptures as they were “carried along by the Holy Spirit.” God's written Word was received under divine inspiration. What do these God-inspired Scriptures do? — Jesus said (John 5:39) “...the Scriptures ... testify ABOUT ME.”
•• Likewise (John 15:26), Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, “He will testify about me.”
• The Word of God testifies about Jesus.
• The Spirit of God testifies about Jesus.
• Want to be carried along by the Spirit? — Lift your feet off the bottom, and testify about Jesus.
## How do we get this river that will carry us along?
John 7:37-39 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is THIRSTY, let him COME TO ME and DRINK. [38] Whoever BELIEVES IN ME, as the Scripture has said, streams of LIVING WATER will flow FROM WITHIN HIM.” [39a] By this he meant the SPIRIT...
•• Be THIRSTY — you have to WANT the Holy Spirit. You need to fervently desire His fullness. You need to seek His anointing daily. You need to earnestly covet to walk daily under divine inspiration.
•• Come TO JESUS for this — All four Gospels say of Jesus, “HE will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
• (Acts 2:33) “HE has poured out what you now see and hear.”
•• DRINK — drink deeply! Don’t just take a sip. Don’t be a charismatic or Pentecostal spectator.
•• BELIEVE in HIM — Ask in faith, nothing doubting. Believe Him to fill you. Believe Him to lead you by His Spirit. Believe Him to lift you to the level of spiritual sensitivity that you are desiring today.
• Give up control.
• Lift your feet off the river bottom of your comfort zone.
• Entrust yourself totally to Jesus Christ.
• Thirst for this Holy Spirit flow.
• Come to Jesus for this living water.
• Drink deeply. Don’t settle for a small dose.
•• And today, as then, men and women will speak from God as they walk and live under divine inspiration and are carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Preached at South Valley Church, Phoenix, Oregon, March 6, 2005
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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of the Zondervan Corporation. All rights reserved.
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© 2005, James H. Feeney, All rights reserved.
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Additional free online bible studies and free sermon outlines on speaking in tongues, divine healing, gifts of the Holy Spirit, pro-life vs. pro-choice, traditional marriage, apostles and Christian prophets today, divine inspiration, and more may be linked to or viewed at Online Bible Studies and Free Sermons by Pastor Jim Feeney, Ph.D. (http://www.jimfeeney.org). |
