These are notes on the sermon, The Language Of The Holy Spirit, preached by Pastor Joseph Prince on Sunday, April 7, 2024, at The Star Performing Arts Centre, Singapore. We hope these sermon notes will be an encouragement to you!
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This is a continuation of Pastor Prince’s sermon Live Led By The Power Of The Spirit.
At the Last Supper in the upper room, our Lord Jesus revealed that after His departure, another Helper would be sent—the Holy Spirit. Today, as new covenant believers, it is essential for us not only to understand what the Holy Spirit is on earth to do, but also to learn how we can partner with Him and receive His leading and guidance. Grounding ourselves in these truths about the Holy Spirit is vital for receiving blessings, strength, and protection and living victoriously, especially in these last days.
“for He dwells with you and will be in you”—When we receive Christ and all that He has done for us through His one perfect sacrifice, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us, where He will bear witness with us through our spirits, guiding us intimately from within. It is also comforting to know that unlike in the Old Testament, where the Holy Spirit will come upon someone and leave after the task assigned has been completed, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell with us forever, guiding and leading us in all things!
The Spirit leads and guides us by bringing to remembrance all that Jesus has taught or spoken to us and directing us through the peace or lack of peace within us. He also wants to speak to and empower us through His primary language—dreams and visions.
Beloved, it is so reassuring to know that after our Lord Jesus had completed His earthly ministry and returned to heaven, He did not leave us to navigate this world alone. He gave us a Helper, the Holy Spirit, to help us take hold of and live victoriously in all that He has done for us at the cross. Let us embrace the ministry of the Holy Spirit and allow Him to guide us into all truth in every area of our lives.
“He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you”—One of the ways the Holy Spirit will teach and guide us in all things is to bring to remembrance those things that we need to know when we need to know them. These things can come from what we have heard in preached sermons, what we have read in the Bible and devotionals, and even things we have seen and heard in our daily lives.
This guidance helps us navigate life’s challenges, make wise decisions, and comfort us in troubling situations, strengthening our walk with our Lord Jesus.
The word for “peace” in Hebrew is the word shalom, and its meaning is very rich, encompassing well-being, completeness, soundness, and safety. Thus, the shalom-peace that our Lord Jesus gives to us is not a worldly kind of peace, which generally means a lack of conflict. People often try to get peace by escaping, such as going to a spa or retreating to the beach or countryside. However, this peace does not last. As soon as you leave the spa resort, beach, or nature spot, that “peace” will also depart.
The peace that Jesus leaves as an inheritance for us is the peace that kept Him in perfect calm, such that He could sleep soundly even amidst a storm! This peace or shalom that the Lord gives us steadies our hearts, bringing an inner tranquility, and consequently health and wholeness for our bodies and minds!
In the above verse about letting God’s peace rule in our hearts, the Greek word for “rule” is brabeuō, which translates as “umpire” or “to decide, determine.” So this peace that our Lord Jesus has given us is meant to act as an umpire in our hearts, to help us decide and to determine what is good for us and what is not, and what to do in various situations. And the Holy Spirit guides us primarily by the presence or absence of this peace within our hearts.
What does this mean for me practically?
When we need to make a decision, the Holy Spirit can either increase the peace or shalom in our hearts or remove the sense of peace, causing a feeling of unease. For example, if someone approaches you about an investment or the sale of property or product, telling you how wonderful it is, but on the inside, you don’t feel good, or there's a doubt, a sense of discomfort, and you don’t feel the release to agree, then that could be the Spirit warning you to be careful and to pull up the brakes.
It is also interesting to note that in many of the epistles in the Bible, the words “grace” and “peace” often appear together. Grace and peace are multiplied through us knowing the Lord more, who He is to us, what He has accomplished for us, and His heart of grace toward us (2 Pet. 1:2 KJV).
Beloved, are you in a place where you are faced with a difficult decision or need the Lord’s wisdom to flow in and through you? Seek the Spirit’s guidance and experience great grace, peace, and the best paths forward.
If the Holy Spirit wants to lead and guide us in all things, then why aren’t more believers experiencing it in greater measure?
First, we must understand that praying in tongues differs from being spoken to by the Holy Spirit. When we pray in tongues, the Holy Spirit speaks through us to edify, exhort, encourage, and build us up (1 Cor. 14:4).
To be effectively led by the Holy Spirit, we need to learn the language of the Holy Spirit!
The above passage tells us that in these last days, the Holy Spirit will speak to us in dreams and visions, and this is a promise and a portion meant for both young and old.
Notice that both dreams and visions are pictures. So when we pray in tongues, we need to be alert to the visions that come up from within from the Holy Spirit. For example, when you pray for your child or a loved one, if a picture comes to your mind about your child, don’t push it aside. It could be the Spirit bringing something to your attention. Then you are in a position to use the authority you have in Christ to pray about the situation, to bind it if it is negative and to pray the Lord’s protection over your child or loved one.
Besides bringing up pictures when we pray, the Spirit can also speak to us when we read God’s Word. The Word of God, which the Holy Spirit inspired, contains many pictures the Lord wants to believe for ourselves. For instance, Psalm 1:3, which is a visual image of a thriving, fruitful tree that resides by the rivers of living water. The Holy Spirit can bring a picture of you as this tree to your mind, and once you take hold of it, saying, “It doesn’t matter what happens in the world, but for me, a beloved child of God, I am always abundantly supplied!”, that becomes a vision imparted!
Some believers feel that they would rather receive open visions (where you see a moving image, like a video or movie clip, when you are awake), or maybe a visitation from an angel, or even better still, Jesus appearing and speaking to them personally. These would not only be more spectacular, but would also definitely catch their attention. So why doesn’t the Holy Spirit speak to us in such obvious or loud manners?
Well, the Lord showed prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 19:11–12 NIV that He was not found in the “great and powerful wind,” nor the earthquake, nor the fire but in the still small voice. Isn’t it interesting that the Lord is not keen on the spectacular, but instead chooses to speak to us in a “gentle whisper,” like a lover or someone intimate, not separate from us?
And that is what the Holy Spirit is. He lives on the inside of us, deeply intertwined with our spirits, such that there is no separation. So He does not shout at us, but speaks softly. Sometimes, it can even be a wordless knowing from deep within our spirit.
However, it is also essential to understand that not all visions, pictures, or dreams are from the Holy Spirit.
The enemy knows that this is the channel through which the Holy Spirit can lead us mightily. Hence, he endeavors to pollute our spirits with evil imaginations, pictures, or thoughts so that we cannot flow effectively with the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, we must learn to discern the Spirit well to tell if something is truly from the Lord.
Here are some questions we can ask ourselves to discern whether a vision or dream is from the Holy Spirit:
1. Does it point to Jesus and glorify Him or someone else?
The Holy Spirit does not draw attention to Himself but seeks to glorify our Lord Jesus and make Him known to us (John 16:14). Reject the vision or dream if it glories someone other than Christ or shares something that does not resonate as a truth from the Bible with you.
2. Does it serve to exalt, encourage, comfort, or edify you and the body of Christ?
One of the central ministries of the Holy Spirit is to build up and edify the church (1 Cor. 12:4–11), and that includes you. So if the vision or dream does not build you up and instead tears you down and makes you feel afraid or condemned, then reject it.
3. Does it direct you to do something or confirms what you already have in your heart?
Unlike in the Old Testament, where prophecy is directional, under the new covenant today, prophecy is confirmation! This is because the Holy Spirit dwells in each of us and bears witness directly with our spirit, giving us a deep knowing from within whether something is good or not. Therefore, when someone gives you a prophecy, it should be a confirmation of what the Holy Spirit has already put on the inside rather than directing you to do something.
If you have received a vision or dream and require confirmation, it would be good to speak to a church leader or your small group, caregroup leader. The Bible tells us that “in the multitude of counselors there is safety” (Prov. 11:14).
Be watchful also for people who overuse God’s name to prophesy or direct, as well as people oozing with natural charm who seek to influence what you think or believe, for it could be done with malice or deceit. If someone gives you a word that does not resonate with what is coming from the Spirit inside you, especially if it is financial in nature, shelf it first. Then seek the Lord and wise counsel. If the word is from the Lord, the result will speak for itself as His leading and wisdom will bring good success and not produce bitterness.
The Holy Spirit desires to walk alongside us as a guide, leading us into paths of peace and in the ways of the Lord in every aspect of our lives. He accomplishes this by speaking to us often through His language of visions and dreams. With these mental images from the Holy Spirit, we can stand on God’s Word and declare them with the authority we have in Christ.
In the upper room, one of the powerful truths Jesus taught his disciples about prayer is that as believers, we can ask for anything in His name, and it will be done for us (John 14:14). Through His victory on the cross, our Lord has triumphed over death and entrusted us with the keys to reign in life. Therefore, we have also been given the authority to speak into the situations and things around us and to command certain outcomes in His name (Matt 16:19). This means that our declarations have the power to permit or prohibit certain things from happening to us or our loved ones.
For example, not all dreams or visions originate from the Lord. Thus, when we encounter troubling dreams or visions, we can exercise our authority in Christ and bind them in Jesus’ name. Additionally, we can speak well about our situations and over ourselves and our families, and see them come to pass in Jesus’ name.
In this year of living in the upper room, the Lord wants us to be aware that He is elevating us, His people, to a new level of authority and power. Just as a Spirit-filled Joseph was positioned for success (Gen. 41:38), the Holy Spirit wants to equip us with what we lack and guide us to the right time and place for every endeavor. And as you choose to rely on the Holy Spirit, He will give you a mouth and wisdom that your enemies cannot contradict (Luke 21:15).
Beloved, be expectant to walk in greater authority and dominion, reigning in every area of your life as you allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you in all things.
Hey beloved,
What do you do when you find yourself needing answers or direction?
With the wealth of information literally at the tip of our fingers, many of us would, in a heartbeat, find ourselves busy typing down questions into that oh-so-familiar interface—Google.
Tips to living healthier
How do I better manage my time?
What’s this symptom I have been experiencing?
How do I counsel my rebellious teenage child?
How can I overcome my chronic sleep problem?
As great as Google is at giving us information, good suggestions, or tips for self-improvement, can it really give us the answer we need?
Or perhaps you’re already all too familiar with its limitations:
No results were found for your search...
Conflicting and confusing results...
More self-improvement plans than you have the capacity for…
What do you do when Google fails you?
Well, here’s good news for you. Our Lord Jesus in the upper room tells us of a Helper whom we can depend on to teach us all things. Yes, ALL things, from our parenting to our careers, our health, and even the mundane practical decisions in our daily lives...
He is the Holy Spirit, and He wants to be vitally involved in your life! Romans 8:26 tells us that “the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses,” even when we are faced with a challenge or a situation so daunting that we do not even know how to pray!
Beloved, if you currently feel stuck in a difficult situation, can I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit for help?
He is right there with you. He never leaves or forsakes you. He brings to remembrance things to help you. He leads you through His language of visions and dreams. And He guides you with peace.
We hope these sermon notes blessed you! If they did, we encourage you to get the sermon and allow the Lord to speak to you personally as you watch or listen to it.
© Copyright JosephPrince.com 2024
These sermon notes were taken by volunteers during the service. They are not a verbatim representation of the sermon.
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