Hope And Help With Our Prayers Series

1. We groan for a variety of different reasons don’t we?

• Look back at Romans 8:22-23

NOTE: We groan as we see and feel the effects of sin.

• We hate sin and it’s awful effects around us.

• We groan when I see people hurting and dying.

• We groan over the struggles people are in the midst of.

• We groan over our own failures and faults.

While we are in this tent we groan: but notice we groan in Hope.

1 John 3:2 (NKJV) Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

We groan because we have experienced the ‘first fruits of the Spirit’. – We have tasted just a little of the glory to come!

It’s those tastes that leave us wanting more…

• COSTCO – those guys know what they’re doing don’t they?

• SAMPLES ALL UP AND DOWN THE AISLES.

• Sausage, bread, juice, cheesecake… you can have dinner eating the samples at Costco.

• But their goal… well their goal is that you will like their product and want more – so take the samples… and enjoy.

Oh what an exciting time it was for the children of Israel.

• Delivered. FREE. Ready for a new life. Slavery was gone. God had worked miraculously and wonderfully on their behalf.

• Can you imagine the excitement flowing through the people.

• Millions are ready to go into the Promised Land, entering into the promises of God!

• Look at Numbers 13.23-27

• Oh the fruit of the land… it’s going to be glorious!

It’s that way with us as Christians… we have that longing now to be with our Savior. A longing that we never had before.

Psalm 34:8 (NKJV) 8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

NOTE: We have tasted the blessings of heaven through the ministry of the Holy Spirit… and we want more.

• We want to see the Lord, receive a new body, & live w/ Him forever!

• We are awaiting that ‘adoption’ the redemption of our body!

Philippians 3:20-21 (NKJV) 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

NOTICE v24: We were saved in this hope!

• We don’t see it yet. We’re not in our redeemed bodies yet.

• But we’re longing. We’re waiting. We’re hoping for Jesus.

• But one day we won’t be hoping anymore!

• Soon it will be reality!

And our hope… it’s not some well maybe I think it will happen.

• OUR HOPE AS CHRISTIANS is based on the PROMISES OF GOD!

• It’s a solid CONFIDENCE that God will do what He said!

Philippians 1:6 (NKJV) 6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

Psalm 138:8 (NKJV) 8 The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

We were saved in this hope… we eagerly wait for it…

V26-27 – LIKEWISE… the Spirit also helps us in our weaknesses…

• HOPE in our prayers we also have HELP with our prayers by the indwelling power of God’s Holy Spirit.

NOTE: Jesus spoke of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in John 14-16

• Preparing His disciples for the upcoming beating, crucifixion, death, and resurrection… He speaks often of the Spirit.

• 14:16-17 – I will send you a Helper.

• 14:26 – Teach you all things, bring to remembrance.

• 15:26 – He will testify of Me

• 16:8 – Conviction of sin

• 16:13 – Guide you into all truth

THE HOLY SPIRIT, the ‘paracletos’… the One who is called alongside to help you, to comfort you.

• The Holy Spirit is a Person, the 3rd Person of the Trinity who is sent alongside to help & empower you in your Christian life.

• He dwells with you & will be in you!

Paul says that the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses.

• HELPS – literally to help carry a burden, to come alongside and ease that burden, to help with the pain, the weight of it all.

• The only time it’s used in the NT is with Mary & Martha.

Luke 10:40 (NKJV) 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”