Easter Workshop 1981
GUIDANCE
Topic Summary
1) Death of a Vision – Loren Cunningham
2) The Three Voices – Joy Dawson
3) How God Guides Us – Don Basham
4) Guidance – Peter Collinson
1. Death of a Vision – Loren Cunningham
In your life, God may have spoken to you about a vision, ministry or a certain direction, but somehow it now seems to be dead and gone. Check it over. See if it might not just be in the “cross” stage. You may have become bitter, even at God, because the vision that He gave and the experiment you knew suddenly died on you. Possibly you added to the word of the Lord, as Proverbs chapter 30, verse 5 speaks about. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that you had the word of the Lord, and now God is simply allowing the cross to purge out that which was not of Him. And when you get back and look at that which emerges after the purging – at the very essence of it – your vision will inevitably be much more mature, much bigger, much better from God’s point of view, although it may have a different characteristic or a different organization or a different way than what you had originally expected it to have. Nonetheless, God will give the vision to you afresh, but this time with authority, with power, and with anointing. And it will be structured in such a way as to fit properly into the Body of Christ so that God can then multiply that which He has given you and make it bear much fruit.
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2. The Three “Voices” – Joy Dawson
All sorts of things go through our minds. Be it words, pictures, thoughts, ideas, memories. In prayer these must be ordered by God. We bring them all to Him. He is not just interested in some parts of us and our life, but in all. The sources of the things in our minds are as follows: i) From the Devil, ii) From our own minds, memories and imaginations, iii) From the Holy Spirit.
i) We come against the Enemy, and bind him up so he can’t bother us and we silence his voice in the Name of Jesus. (John 10:10) Luke 10:19, James 4:7. Do this in confidence and believe it done.
ii) We can take authority as believers in the same way over our own imaginations and thought- life. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5. We actively PUT DOWN all our imaginations and preconceived ideas. And we give all our thoughts to the captivity of the Holy Spirit HE ACTS AS A FILTER. So whatever of our own thoughts, burdens, desires or imaginations then remains or immediately returns has then done so in obedience to Christ. It will be relevant or helpful. * (John 10: 12-13)
iii) We ask the Lord to speak to us also by His Spirit whatever new thing He may wish. We will then recognize this as His “Voice.” * (John 10: 27)
If all that follows is NOTHING, an absence of anything specific, do not be concerned. Just enjoy the presence and peace of Christ quietly through the Holy Spirit. Reflect upon the nature of the love-relationship between you.
* Anything specific (e.g. words, pictures, scripture references) write it down. Also who you had to pray for and when.
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3. “How God Guides Us” – Don Basham
1. All progress in the Christian life is by faith.
2. Guidance comes when we move in faith, not when we sit in doubt. Like the rudder of a ship, guidance does not take effect until we begin to move. We must step out in faith, realizing that if we start to make a mistake, God will be in a position to guide us. The rudder will take hold, and God will steer us in the direction that He desires.
3. God has a goal for each venture we undertake for Him, He has a plan for every period of our lives, and when we link up with God, all kinds of unpredictable things begin to happen – tests as well as blessings.
4. Where God guides, He provides
By Faith
This means that, while God will guide us, normally His guidance is not so explicit or detailed that we don’t have to exercise faith in following it. As I understand the essence of guidance, it consists of receiving subtle impressions from God, then, in faith, acting on those impressions, trusting that they are from God.
When we move
Acts 16: 4-7 – especially note verses 6 and 7. A most unexpected and humbling picture begins to emerge. Saint Paul, renowned missionary and apostle extraordinaire, who had met Jesus face-to-face on the road to Damascus and later received revelations from the third heaven too sacred to share – this Spirit-filled, gift-endowed, number one leader of the Early Church finds himself, on this occasion, reduced to getting his guidance by ricocheting off doors slammed in his face by the Holy Ghost! Not a very spiritual picture, you say? Not very supernatural? Right! Nevertheless, closed doors are a valid part of guidance. Actually this should encourage rather than disturb us. It’s as if God is saying, “Don’t be afraid to move out. Don’t be afraid of closed doors!” If He closes one door, He’ll open another.
God has a goal
I believe God most often withholds His long-range strategy from us for two reasons:
1. If we could see victories which lie ahead, we’d get puffed up and prideful.
2. If we could see the problems which lie ahead, we’d become too fearful to go on.
(Acts 16: 9-24) Suppose you were arrested for witnessing to your faith: How would you take it? I’m afraid most Christians would immediately assume they were out of God’s will because they ran into such difficulty. We live in such sheltered, comfortable circumstances that if our faith really begins to cost us something we assume we have missed God’s guidance. We need to realize that just because opposition arises, it does not mean we have missed our guidance or that we are out of God’s will.
Acts 16: 25-34. I believe that about this time, Paul must have taken a second look at this man and said, “Haven’t I seen you somewhere before,” I believe the jailer was the man from Macedonia in the vision who said, “Come over and help us.” Although I may not be able to prove it word for word, the whole weight of the Scripture implies that God had the jailer in mind the moment that missionary journey started.
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4. Guidance – Peter Collinson
Some people think that discovering God’s will is like a treasure hunt, deliberately difficult, – but God’s not like that. He is our Father. God’s general will in our lives is that we are here to manifest his glory. There are many things we don’t need to pray about since He’s already revealed His will concerning them in the Scripture.
Romans 12: 1-2. Our minds can be gradually transformed so we begin to think His thoughts, and the Holy Spirit then is able to impress something upon us or prompt us. We can live in an attitude of prayer even when not specifically praying. Often the relevant question, especially on controversial issues, is not what is right or wrong, but what is Your will in this for me. No amount of praying will persuade God to guide us contrary to His word.
PRINCIPLES
1. WILLINGNESS to do whatever God wants even if it’s not our own will! His rule is a
loving dictatorship. He wants the best for us. Often we jump to conclusions, try to twist God’s arm etc. He blocks the answer until our motives are right.
2. PATIENCE to wait for confirmation of His will, even after we come to think this is likely His will – Isaiah 55:8. On far reaching decisions we need to be sure. The Lord isn’t in a hurry.
Ways He can confirm:
(i) Through normal reading of the Word or quickened Scripture.
(ii) Through the Body of Christ, counsel and judgment of those we trust. Proverbs 12:15.
We are dependent on one another. (This is not enough on its own)
(iii) Circumstances – everything works together and points that way, but again this is not
enough on its own.
(iv) Peace of God in our heart. Growing conviction that this is right, witness of the Spirit.
Colossians 3:15. This is the final test. In Col. 3:15 the word ‘rule’ means literally ‘act as
umpire.’
Also prophecy or audible voice of God or internal voice of God- but don’t always expect
it.
Sometimes we can make a tentative conditional decision, being open for God to redirect.
He can often direct more easily once we’re moving. Isaiah 30:21. As God’s children we
have every right to expect Him to show us, to put all responsibility on Him, provided
we’re prepared to be obedient.
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