Week 11 - Guidance Thoughts - by Dan

I recently got an email from a friend of mine who was working in Sudan. She started the email by stating: “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us…” (Acts 15:28)

This is not that common of a way to start conversations in my background. We will be looking at guidance today - both corporate and individual.

Question: Where do you receive guidance from? Does your small group, family, or church regularly pause, unite, listen, and then act on the direction of the Holy Spirit?

God guides people individually, and much of that has been talked about over the past several centuries in the body of Christ.

But there is a big vacancy on the discussion on corporate guidance. How does the whole body of Christ follow the promptings and guidance of the Holy Spirit?

God does lead groups. We look at the early nation of Israel to see leading with a pillar of fire and a cloud.

Foster's view: Christians are to live under the immediate, theocratic guidance of the Holy Spirit.

After Christ was taken to Heaven, the Holy Spirit began forming a new people.

Acts 4:32,33 - The Christians were unified and held everything in common.

Acts 15:28 - The group of Christians made a group decision with the leading of the Holy Spirit.

This group had rejected human totalitarianism and total anarchy

They had even rejected democracy.

Some groups (Quakers) have "meetings for clearness" where they together seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Other groups have moments to first "sound the call" - hear from a person on an idea or vision - and then they "test the call" - to see if the Holy Spirit was really moving.

Slavery was originally abolished in 1758 in Philadelphia by the Quakers after one of these meetings. p. 183

Some dangers of misusing Guidance

Guidance is not about manipulation of others - or crushing of the opposition or the weak. It lifts up people and strengthens them.

The Spirit's guidance must also always conform with the Holy Scriptures.

The Bible is in a way corporate guidance as well.

We should also realize that there is a degree of human fallibility and that there will at times be disagreements that lead to separation. Our fears and pride many times will overwhelm the leading of the Spirit. - See the story of Paul & Barnabas regarding Mark.

Putting it into practice:

* Spend 30 minutes praying and listening for the Holy Spirit's guidance. Spend this same amount of time in a group and let God lead the thoughts and discussion.