You Are Here Series

I STILL BELIEVE: YOU ARE HERE

1

A. Romans 8:26 (READ)

1. We all have DATES that trigger MEMORIES for us.

a. Some DATES you have circled on your calendar are sources of CELEBRATION and JOY—

BIRTHDAYS, ANNIVERSARIES, FAMILY REUNIONS, GRADUATIONS.

b. Other DATES embedded in your memory are days that you never would have WISHED for—days that brought HEARTACHE and GRIEF—days that turned your WORLD UPSIDE DOWN and

CHANGED everything. You know those DATES all to well. DATES LIKE:

COMMENT:

-When your FATHER walked out of your home.

-When the DIVORCE papers arrived.

-When the POLICE knocked on your door.

-When the BIOPSY came back positive.

-When the HOSPITAL called to inform you that your loved one didn’t make it.

2. It was on those DAYS when you cried out the loudest: “GOD WHERE ARE YOU?”

a. If you’ve ever been there where you’ve felt the WIND knocked out of you with one SWIFT KICK, then you know that even to UTTER a WORD to DESCRIBE what you are going through physically,

emotionally and spiritually at that very moment is like taking a DEEP BREATH under water.

b. We have all had those DAYS that we WISH were NEVER on our CALENDAR.

B. We are in the third lesson of our series: “I STILL BELIEVE”—based on a heartrending circumstance in

singer/songwriter Jeremy Camp’s life.

1. If you are also in the SMALL GROUP study, you have heard from Jeremy Camp, himself, describe the

HEARTBREAK that he went through when his wife Melissa, of only three-months, passed away from

CANCER.

ILLUSTRATION:

While the movie was being FILMED, Jeremy was interviewed by CCM Magazine (Contemporary Christian Music) and was asked about his TRUST in God and His Word while going through the most difficult circumstance of his life.

Jeremy replied, “I would read about how God healed in the Gospels and I would throw my Bible across the room.” He continued, “I questioned whether God is a loving God. In frustration I would say, ‘I don’t want to share in your faithfulness because I don’t think you are faithful.’”

Having struggled with his BELIEF, Jeremy added, “It was a journey for sure. There were times when I couldn’t pray or even knew what to pray. It wasn’t easy—a lot of grieving, a lot of anger, a lot of just confusion, but God was there every step of the way.”

2. Have you ever tried to PRAY, but couldn’t?

a. Last week we talked about the word “GROANING” that Paul used twice in vv. 22-23 in describing the “groaning of creation” and our “personal inward groaning” for our final REDEMPTION— the coming of Christ to make everything NEW.

b. In our lesson today, Paul writes about the “groaning of the Holy Spirit.”

COMMENT:

It speaks of the Holy Spirit interceding for us when we PRAY to God with HEARTS so BROKEN that we can’t even get out the WORDS that we want to say. But “with groans”, the Holy Spirit takes our words that can’t even be expressed, and speaks to our Heavenly Father on our behalf.

c. But unlike our GROANING, this isn’t a GROAN of GRIEF and ANTICIPATION but, rather, a GROAN of UNDERSTANDING and INTIMACY.

C. Jesus described the Holy Spirit as our “PARACLETE”—our “COUNSELOR” (John 14:16, 26).

1. The word “PARACLETE” simply means “Called along side.”

2. The Holy Spirit, also referred to as “Spirit of God” and the “Spirit of Christ”, LIVES within us giving us the STRENGTH and COMFORT that is needed to face whatever DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCE

that comes our way as we live in this FALLEN WORLD.

3. There are two functions of the Holy Spirit found in this chapter that I want to focus on today that helps us with our “PRESENT SUFFERINGS”.

MESSAGE:

I. THE HOLY SPIRIT TESTIFIES THAT WE ARE GOD’S CHILDREN- Romans 8:15-17 (READ)

A. Do you realize how GREAT it is to be CHILD of God?

1. We were once SLAVES to SIN, but now we are God’s CHILDREN—His SONS and DAUGHTERS.

a. The Creator of this Universe—the One who spoke everything into existence—is our “Abba

Father”.

b. The word “Abba” is an Aramaic word that has no English equivalent, but it is used in the most ENDEARING and INTIMATE way to describe a CHILD’S deep LOVE, RESPECT and OBEDIENCE for his or her DAD.

COMMENT:

It is the same word that Jesus used while pouring His heart out to His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane the night he was ARRESTED when He prayed, “Abba Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will”- Mark 14:36.

2. The Holy Spirit is merely reminding us of the INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP that we have with God

as His CHILDREN.

a. Whether you are a NEW Christian or have been one for DECADES, knowing that you are a