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  STEERING BY GODS COMPASS
  by A.W. Tozer
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Summary: We should trust in God's guidance and follow our own personal
bent, guided by love for Him and for our fellow men, rather than seeking
His leading in every decision.

Topics: "Godly Love", "Christian Relationships"
Scripture References: Matthew 6:5, Matthew 10:37, Matthew 23:6, Matthew 26:48, Mark 14:44, Luke 20:46, Luke 22:47, John 5:20, John 11:3, John 12:25, John 15:19, John 16:27, John 20:2, John 21:15, 1 Corinthians 16:22, Titus 3:15, Revelation 3:19, Revelation 22:15

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DESCRIPTION
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In this sermon on love, the preacher delves into the concept of 'phileo'
love, which is a friendship type of love based on emotions and personal
attachment. 'Phileo' is a love that expects a response and is often seen
in relationships where there is mutual affection and delight. This type
of love is described as a warm affection that requires attention and
thrives on a reciprocal nature. While 'phileo' love is conditional and
based on finding qualities in another person admirable, 'agapao' love is
selfless and originates from a sense of the preciousness of the object
loved.

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CONTENT
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Put this down as an unfailing rule: Never seek the leading of the Lord
concerning an act that is forbidden in the Word of God. To do so is to
convict ourselves of insincerity. Again, prophet, psalmist, apostle and
our blessed Lord Himself join to point out the way of positive
obedience. His yoke is easy, His burden is light and He giveth more
grace, so let this be the second rule: Never seek the leading of the
Lord concerning an act that has been commanded in the Scriptures.

Now, a happy truth too often overlooked in our anxious search for the
will of God is that in the majority of decisions touching our earthly
lives God expresses no choice, but leaves everything to our own
preference.

Some Christians walk under a cloud of uncertainty, worrying about which
profession they should enter, which car they should drive, which school
they should attend, where they should live and a dozen or score of other
such matters, when their Lord has set them free to follow their own
personal bent, guided only by their love for Him and for their fellow
men. On the surface it appears more spiritual to seek Gods leading than
just to go ahead and do the obvious thing. But it is not.

If God gave you a watch would you honor Him more by asking Him for the
time of or by consulting the watch? If God gave a sailor a compass would
the sailor please God more by kneeling in a frenzy of prayer to persuade
God to show him which way to go or by steering according to the compass?

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/aw-tozer/steering-by-gods-compass/
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