The Truine God: The Holy Spirit
08.13.06
**NOTE: THIS IS A CONCEPT OUTLINE FOR THIS MESSAGE, NOT THE FULL MANUSCRIPT. GRAPHICS AND MULTIMEDIA ARE AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT THIS SERIES.
Video Clip: “The Chronicles of Narnia – You Have to Lead Us”
In this clip from the Chronicles of Narnia, Peter is struggling with the loss of his leader, Aslan the Lion. There is about to be a battle between good and evil. But Aslan has left them. Peter suddenly finds himself thrust into a moment of decision, and he must choose to either wait for Aslan’s return, or step up as the leader of the army and go head on into the overwhelming odds that are lined up against him. He must face his fears and doubts. He must act.
I have days like these. I have days where I feel outnumbered, overwhelmed. I have days where I face the impossible. I have moments that seem to last an eternity.
I experience this in my faith, when I am faced with a spiritual challenge, when I try to live like Christ, but I seem to always fall short in my love towards others, or even in the way I follow Christ.
I experience this in my home when bills are due, and my daughter is sick, and my wife wants that one thing that I can’t afford.
I experience this in my work, where there are so many ideas, and dreams, and visions, and challenges but it seems that we are always short the money, or the people, or the time, or the space.
I often find myself in the same moment that we saw Peter find himself in: sit and wait for someone to save the day, or step up and act.
I’m sure you know what I mean. Life is a challenge. It can be overwhelming. It can be frustrating. And our response is to try to do something, anything to fix the problem. To meet the need.
The Waiting Room
In this morning’s opening song, the chorus says, “and they say that a hero will save us, but I’m not gonna stand here and wait.”
I am not a “wait-er.” I do not do well with the instruction “just wait.” I’m like a little kid who’s constantly asking, “Can I do it now? I want to do it now! I can’t wait!”
I like to be pro-active. I like to initiate movement. I want action.
People love action.
Most people are not wired to “sit and wait.” That’s why we find it so hard to do. That’s why the idea of letting things go and allowing someone else to take care of them is a challenge. Most people like to be in control of their lives, their situations, their decisions.
We like to “do”, even if we are not “doing” a lot.
One of the best phrases that we have come up with is “God helps those who help themselves.”
A lot of people believe that quote is actually found in the Bible. It’s not. But we want to believe it. We want to believe that we are capable of helping ourselves. Of solving all our problems. Of finding our own solutions. That if we try hard enough, work hard enough, and maybe if God helps a little bit, we can fix everything.
But when we face a situation that we cannot handle alone?
When we face a crisis with our family, or our jobs, or our finances, or our health, or any number of situations that require a solution greater than what we can provide by ourselves?
When we are one day faced with an impossible challenge with overwhelming odds against us?
What happens? Who do we turn to? What are our options? Is there anybody out there who cares and is listening, and understands and knows that we need to see something happen in life, and we need to see it soon or else we are going to lose it?
We are continuing this morning our series, “The Triune God.” And we are looking at the person of God the Holy Spirit.
We agree on God the Father: that He is overseeing all things; that He loves us as His children; that His desire is to have a close relationship with us.
We agree on Jesus the Son: that He was sent by the Father to us in order to make a way for us to be right with God; that He walked in humanity and divinity; that He willingly sacrificed Himself so that we could find forgiveness from sin; that He rose from the dead so that we could experience the hope of eternal life.
But what about the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is probably the most misunderstood member of the Trinity.
Often we are more interested in his works and gifts than in the person of God the Holy Spirit himself. But the Bible teaches us that He plays a vital role in our daily lives and in our spirituality.
Let’s take a look at how the Holy Spirit is introduced to us and what the Bible has to say about Him and His interaction in our lives.
As Jesus was leaving his earthly ministry, he brought all of his disciples together and told them, “Now is the time for me to go back to my Father.” His friends and followers are upset by this news.
Their leader is leaving. The great teacher that they have followed for the past few years is abandoning them. All the situations that they have found themselves in – the miracles that they watched him perform, the teachings they listened to that changed their lives, the dangers that he rescued them from… who is going to be there when they need help?
In stories, we often find these situations: a character faithfully follows the ways of their master, the master dies, is taken away, or leaves, and they must now become the hero, fighting against great odds, saving the girl, village, city or planet, finding in themselves all of the resources and characteristics that they need to be a hero.
But God didn’t intend our lives to be lived that way. He doesn’t want us to rely on our abilities, our characteristics, our resources.
Because all of those things are limited. They are based on us. And they can only go as far as we can go.
See if you can relate to any of the following:
I’m pleasant to be with – until I become grumpy and irritable.
I’m generous and giving – until I become selfish and self-serving.
I look out for others – until I need attention.
I’m humble – until I find something to be proud of.
I’m forgiving – until I’m deeply hurt.
I’m patient – until I reach my limit and lose my temper.
I’m Christ-like – until I become Travis-like.
Our lives must be based on something greater than ourselves! We have to have help!
Jesus says in John 16:
John 16: 7,13
“So let me say it again, this truth: It’s better for you that I leave. If I don’t leave, the Friend won’t come. But if I go, I’ll send him to you. When the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is.”
I need a Hero
The disciples are told to by Jesus to wait. “Just wait,” he tells them. “Sit down. Be patient. Help is on the way.”
I think it’s important for us to note that Jesus didn’t say, “Ok, I‘m outta here. Go back to your lives now, and just do it the way I taught you to. Don’t worry, it’s really easy. Piece of cake. You’ll be pro’s in no time.”
One of the greatest challenges we face in life is learning to live like Christ. Acting the way Jesus did. Living with love and concern for those around us. Living life in service to others rather than for ourselves. Not controlling our situations, but allowing God to handle everything.
God understood our humanity. He knew our shortcomings. How quickly we doubt and give in to fear. How easily we can be swept away.
God knew that life would not always be easy. He knew that trials and struggles would come up, and that we would need more than just ourselves and what we are capable of doing on our own. He was going to give us someone who would be able to help us, to guide us, to stay with us as we grow in our faith.
A Hero Will Save Us
The Holy Spirit is the invisible God on earth, here to be our hero when the impossible overwhelms us.
From the passage above, the Greek word used to describe the Holy Spirit as a person is “par-ak’-la-tos” which is usually translated as “Comforter” or “Helper.” The Message translates it as “Friend.” The TJV interprets it as “Hero.”
We now see the fianl way God interacts with us through the persons of the Trinity.
The Father gives us a family context with which we can experience God. We understand and enjoy the parent/child relationship with him.
The Son, Jesus, is our salvation, allowing us to experience the fullness of God’s grace and mercy.
And the Holy Spirit is God our Friend, God our Helper, who is part of our daily lives and desires to connect with us on a personal level.
God the Holy Spirit is a Person. Because He is spirit, we often have a hard time understanding and recognizing Him, or even relating to Him. But the Bible shows us that the moment we accept the work of Christ for our life, the Holy Spirit comes beside us, ready to help and guide us to a life that pleases God.
As a music teacher, I have a goal for my students – to help them learn, understand and perform music that will please people. It would not be very helpful to them if they bought their instrument, and signed up for classes only to have me whip out the biggest music theory book that I can find and give it to them. If my job as a teacher was simply to give them a book and send them on their way, what kind of music would be produced? What kind of student?
No, it is my job as a teacher to open the book with them and begin to walk them through the lessons, the applications. It’s my job to look at the way they practice, the way they play, to help them make the adjustments necessary to play the piece properly.
It’s my job to show them their mistakes. To appreciate their success and progress. To encourage them to keep going when it becomes tough. To help them stay focused and disciplined. And to give them opportunities to play and perform and allow their abilities to be seen and heard.
And this is how the Holy Spirit connects with us.
God did not just give us the Bible and say “Figure that out and let me know when you’re ready.”
He gave us the Holy Spirit to coach us along. To train us. To show us where we are stumbling, where we are succeeding. He is there to encourage us in the down moments, to lift us up, to stand with us when it becomes hard.
The Holy Spirit helps us live like Jesus. He is there to teach us and train us in the ways of Christ.
1Jo 2:27
But Christ has blessed you with the Holy Spirit. Now the Spirit stays in you, and you don’t need any teachers. The Spirit is truthful and teaches you everything. So stay one in your heart with Christ, just as the Spirit has taught you to do.
One of the hardest parts of learning to live like Christ is learning to change.
Remember the fast-food commercial from a few years back – “Change is Good.” They showed the “same ol’, same ol’;” in B&W, and then suddenly into the picture drops this huge, colorful, hamburger with the caption “change is good.” Well, it can be good, but it is also hard. We don’t like change, especially if we’re the ones who have to make the changes.
The Holy Spirit is there to help us with those changes.
As we go from thinking our way to thinking God’s way. From living our way to a way that pleases God. From following our plans to following God’s plans. The Holy Spirit points out what God wants and shows us where we need to change in our lives to conform to God.
Rom 8:5-9
People who are ruled by their desires think only of themselves. Everyone who
is ruled by the Holy Spirit thinks about spiritual things. If our minds are ruled
by our desires, we will die. But if our minds are ruled by the Spirit, we will
have life and peace. Our desires fight against God, because they do not and
cannot obey God’s laws. If we follow our desires, we cannot please God. You
are no longer ruled by your desires, but by God’s Spirit, who lives in you.
How does he help us to become like Christ? How does he teach us and change us?
He gives us a part of himself.
He says, “I know you can’t do this alone. I’m here to help.”
Galations 5:22
But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.
We often call this the fruit of the Spirit, but in reality this is the nature of the Holy Spirit that we are able to share in.
The Holy Spirit gives us the power and strength to face our difficulties and overcome our obstacles.
Romans 8:26-27
Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
The Holy Spirit reminds us that we are children of God and accepted by Him.
I used to be terrified that Christ was going to return and that I was going to somehow miss him. Or that I wouldn’t have done enough to be accepted by God. “Oh, you were so close.”
Gal 4:6
Now that we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. And his Spirit tells us that God is our Father.
Gal 5:5
But the Spirit makes us sure that God will accept us because of our faith in Christ.
The Holy Spirit keeps us right with God.
I started off this morning by saying that we are people who love action. But if we live life the way God wants us to, we learn to sit back and allow the Holy Spirit to act for us and with us in every situation that we face.
