What does it mean to be “led by the Spirit?”
by Kevin Meyer
What if the Holy Spirit led a church? What if each one of us kept in step with the Spirit?
Two years before becoming the Lead Pastor at Westgate, I drafted what I believed to be the Seven Essentials of Community. Growing tired and disillusioned with the trend of Fortune 500 CEO pastors leading churches with Disney World programs, I left church ministry to lead a non-profit organization. I couldn’t point fingers at anyone, as I had played a role in building this movement after completing my Doctoral program in church growth.
The first essential of community described my desire to be a church family where the Holy Spirit led us and not some leader’s business plan for numerical growth.
Essential #1: We will be a community that prioritizes listening to God and teaching others to develop this ear for God.
My prayer was that we desire to be a place and a people where the presence of God is tangible and where humble, hungry hearts will say, “God is here!”
Why is it so essential? Because Jesus modeled this kind of life. This is how Jesus lived, led by the Spirit. “Jesus, full of the Spirit, was led by the Spirit…” (Luke 4:1). Jesus commanded his church to wait for the fullness of the Spirit: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift of the Spirit my Father promised…in a few days, you will be baptized (or literally, immersed) with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4-5). The apostle Paul directed the church to live this way: “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” By doing so, we will demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23-25).
Walking in the Spirit and the freedom He gives is no easy task. Many in the church are bound to religious systems that have produced people who have a form of godliness yet without God’s power. Godliness forms and power is released only as we walk in the Spirit.
I taught on this once. Following the teaching a young man said to me: “I was hoping for three steps or some kind of formula.” I smiled and said, “No, there’s no easy way into a deep relationship with God that is led by the Spirit. You must want to know Him and seek Him daily with all your heart. As you do this you begin to recognize His voice and begin like a child to walk with Him.”
Listen to Luke’s words again. “Jesus, full of the Spirit, …was led by the Spirit in the desert….Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole country” (Luke 4: 1 & 14). Being full of the Spirit and led by the Spirit releases the power of God to transform the world around us.
This is why I listed these four words, led by the Spirit, as the number one essential for the community I wanted to build with others.
How does Westgate become a community led by the Spirit so we can unleash the power of the Spirit, allowing the news of Jesus and his transforming love to spread throughout our communities? By each person cultivating an ear for the Spirit! Imagine each of us, as a family, being guided by the Spirit. Westgate Church would express God’s power to carry out His works through loving relationships.
There are some critical steps needed to develop your stride in the Spirit:
1. You must believe God will speak to you.
God spoke to people in the Bible and continues to speak today. God will speak to you, and you can learn to hear his voice. Do you believe God will? Have you ever said, “Spirit of God, open my ears that I might hear you and be led by you?”
2. You need to practice listening to the Spirit of God.
Becoming proficient at anything requires repetition. Hearing the Spirit is a bit like fishing - through experience and practice, a good fisherman can tell whether they have hooked a weed or a fish. There is a big difference. Novices cannot feel the distinction. Hearing the Spirit involves reading God’s Word and listening to His voice. This requires setting aside time, even if it is just a few minutes a day. God will train your ear to hear the Spirit’s voice.
3. You will need to keep in step with the Spirit.
When the Spirit of God prompts you, obey. Do not hesitate. When Jesus says, “Come. Follow me!” Follow. You learn by obeying. If it is good, do it.
1. Visit westgatemn.church/identity-formation to begin (or continue) your own journey of discovering the characteristics, giftings, and experiences that make up your unique identity.
2. Email community@westgatemn.church if you would like to be added to the email newsletter and upcoming prayer opportunities for collectively discerning the work we’re being called to.