Pastor Allen opened with an exploration of how people often claim to hear the Holy Spirit’s guidance, yet many times those messages can come from other sources. He posed the question of how to discern true guidance from the Holy Spirit versus our own flesh or even demonic influences. He emphasized the importance of understanding who the Holy Spirit is, elaborating that He is the third person of the Holy Trinity, fully God, equal to the Father and the Son.

He highlighted that the Holy Spirit possesses divine attributes: He is eternal, omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, and has a role in creation. Importantly, the Holy Spirit communicates with us, calling us to Jesus, convincing us of His truths, and interceding for us. Pastor Allen explained how the Spirit comforts, convicts, and counsels, stressing that His main role is to lead people to Christ and establish a relationship with Him.

To discern whether it is the Holy Spirit speaking to us, Pastor Allen laid out several key indicators. First, the Holy Spirit’s guidance aligns with Scripture and brings clarity rather than confusion. He emphasized that any teaching or impulse contradicting God’s Word should be dismissed. He cautioned against relying solely on feelings or self-perception for guidance, urging listeners to return to Scripture and pray for wisdom and truth.

Further, he delineated between conviction and condemnation. He reassured that while the Holy Spirit may convict us of sin, He does not condemn us. Satan, on the other hand, uses condemnation to drive us away from Christ. Pastor Allen illustrated this through the examples of Peter and Judas, noting that the Holy Spirit restores us, encouraging confession and reliance on Jesus’ grace.

As Pastor Allen concluded, he reiterated the main points on how to know when it’s truly the Holy Spirit guiding us. The Holy Spirit calls us to Jesus, never contradicts God’s Word, glorifies Christ, convicts of sin rather than leading into sin, and provides comfort and clarity. He encouraged the congregation to rely on these principles as they seek to follow Christ faithfully.

Verses Used In Sermon (in order): Ephesians 4:30, Revelation 22:17, 1 Corinthians 12:3, 1 John 4:4, Galatians 1:9, John 16:13-14, Romans 3:4, John 16:8, Romans 8:1-2, Romans 7:24-25, Judges 21:25, 1 Corinthians 1:10