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
CHILD of God should EXCITE you.
b. Listen to the Apostle John- “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should
be called children of God! And that is what we are! . . .”- 1 John 3:1a.
COMMENT:
When the apostle John wrote these words, he was the OLDEST LIVING Christian. He was one of Jesus’ very first FOLLOWERS, and the only one of the 12 still ALIVE. And, yet, after all these YEARS when he thinks about being a CHILD of God, he is ECSTATIC.
c. Brothers and sisters, we should never take for GRANTED that we are God’s CHILDREN— deeply loved by our Abba Father.
B. Are you THRILLED about being a CHILD of God? …Well, WAIT, because there’s MORE.
1. Being God’s CHILDREN means that we are “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.”
a. To be a “co-heir” with Christ means that whatever BELONGS to Him, BELONGS to you and
me.
b. As God’s ADOPTED CHILDREN and BROTHERS and SISTERS to Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, we are HEIRS to the Kingdom of God.
2. Consider these passages:
a. Ephesians 1:13-14 (READ and COMMENT)
b. 1 Peter 1:3-5 (READ and COMMENT)
ILLUSTRATION:
In 1983 I was able to meet and have lunch with Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart, when I was asked to come PRAY for God’s blessings to be upon a new Wal-Mart store that was being opened in the small town of Pearsall, Texas. The MANAGER of that new store was a member of the church where I was PREACHING, and he was the one who INVITED me.
Sam Walton was a nice guy, and really down to earth. He told me that he was an elder of a Presbyterian church. The first Wal-Mart store that he opened was in Rogers, Arkansas in 1962 with borrowed money, and by the time he passed away in 1992 he was worth over 8-billion dollars,
which his oldest son Robert INHERITED.
That is quite an INHERITANCE. 8-BILLION DOLLARS! How many ZEROS is that?
3. But, guess what? Yours and my INHERITANCE as God’s children and co-heirs with Christ, is
infinitely better.
a. One day we will hear Christ say to those of us whom have given our lives to Him, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world”- Matthew 25:34.
b. I will take the Kingdom of God over Walmart Incorporation any day. How about you?
II. THE HOLY SPIRIT HELPS IN OUR WEAKNESS- Romans 8:26-27 (READ)
A. The Holy Spirit’s SPECIALTY is to BE WITH you and me when we are at our WEAKEST.
1. His BEST WORK is done on our WORST DAY.
a. This is not an “I HOPE SO…” or “WOULDN’T IT BE GREAT IF…?” This is FACT.
COMMENT:
Believe me, Brenda and I would not be here today if it wasn’t for God’s Spirit giving us STRENGTH and COMFORT during the WORST DAY of our lives. He SUSTAINED us when it could have been so EASY just to GIVE UP.
b. And brother and sister, He was with you during the WORST DAY of your LIFE, also.
COMMENT:
Whatever that DAY was for you . . . whatever HEARTACHE you experienced, you are here this morning because the Holy Spirit was there with you on that DAY helping you and giving you strength during your WEAKEST MOMENT.
2. The Holy Spirit intimately connects with our HEART and our SPIRIT to PROVIDE whatever we
NEED at that moment.
COMMENT:
If all we NEED is to CRY, He’s right there COMFORTING us.
If all we NEED is to SCREAM, He’s right there UNDERSTANDING our HURT and our
FRUSTRATION.
Even in our moments of DOUBT the Holy Spirit is patiently ASSURING us that God is not only WITH us NOW, but will always BE with us not matter what we go through in this FALLEN
WORLD.
And when we CAN’T even seem to PRAY, the Holy Spirit SPEAKS to the Father on our BEHALF.
3. I think most of us have been through some HEARTRENDING situations that have made it difficult
to PRAY. Am I right?
a. Maybe there was a time in your LIFE when you didn’t know WHAT to PRAY.
ILLUSTRATION:
In February 1985 my mother lied in a Midwest City, Oklahoma Hospital DYING. She was
in a semi-comatose condition for three weeks before PASSING AWAY.
When it first happened, my family?my Dad and brothers and sisters and our families GATHERED, and began to PRAY. Our PRAYER was that Mom would come out of this COMA and be ALL RIGHT. She had done it before, but this time she would just LIE there. Sometimes she would TALK out of her head. Other times she would GROAN in agony. But our PRAYERS continued, “God let her be all right. Give her more time.”
After two weeks they had to bring in a special MATTRESS filled with SAND because Mom developed FESTERING, PAINFUL BEDSORES. This new mattress was supposed to help ALLEVIATE the problem. We PRAYED on, “God, let this be the day that she WAKES up.”
On the third week we began to question our PRAYERS. In fact, we didn’t know what to PRAY anymore. Our prayers finally turned from “God make her WELL” to “God, please take her HOME.”
b. Perhaps there was a time when you simply COULDN’T PRAY.
ILLUSTRATION:
Maybe you FACED such a TRAUMATIC ORDEAL that the WORDS just didn’t come. You began, “Dear God, please . . .” and that’s as FAR as you got. You just SAT there CRYING
uncontrollably.
I certainly went through that when our son Steven was put on a VENTILATOR and we were told that he went into CARDIAC ARREST twice during the process. I had already PLEADED with God over and over to make Steven WELL. And finally, it got to a point where I just couldn’t UTTER any more WORDS. I tried, but my GRIEF just took over.
HAVE YOU BEEN THERE?
c. And sometimes WORDS just don’t RIGHTLY EXPRESS OUR EMOTIONS.
COMMENT:
We know what we DESPERATELY NEED, but we just don’t know how to ASK God for it. And when we PRAY, our WORDS just seem to FALL so SHORT.
B. That’s when the Holy Spirit steps in and takes those UNCERTAIN and sometimes RELUCTANT
WORDS and those HEART-FELT but UNSPOKEN THOUGHTS, and BRINGS them to our Father.
1. And He knows just what to SAY.
COMMENT:
In fact, He “GROANS FOR US.” And God takes the GROANS of the HOLY SPIRIT?WORDS that came from our HEART?and ANSWERS our PRAYERS according to His divine WISDOM.
We may not SEE IT and we may not UNDERSTAND IT, but God always KNOWS best and DOES what is best for us. After all, we are His KIDS.
As HARD as it was for me to UNDERSTAND and ACCEPT at the time, when God took my SON He KNEW something I didn’t KNOW and did what was BEST and GOOD for Steven.
2. Not only that, when the Holy Spirit takes our GARBLED PRAYERS and SPEAKS to God on our
BEHALF, they sound like an ANGELIC CHOIR to God.
COMMENT:
When you don’t know WHAT to PRAY or the WORDS don’t COME OUT the way you want to EXPRESS them, don’t think for one moment that God doesn’t KNOW your HEART. The Holy Spirit?your INDWELLING COMFORTER?will make SURE that God HEARS every SPOKEN and UNSPOKEN WORD.
CONCLUSION:
A. I know there have been DIFFICULT TIMES in your life where you have questioned if GOD IS HERE.
1. Yet we have the promise of God that “He will never leave us nor forsake us”- Hebrews 13:5.
a. Right now, if you can’t HEAR Him over the WAILING, that doesn’t mean GOD ISN’T HERE.
b. Just because you can’t SEE Him through your TEARS, doesn’t mean GOD ISN’T HERE.
c. When your WEAKNESS overwhelms you, doesn’t mean that GOD ISN’T HERE.
2. GOD IS HERE!! . . . AND HE WILL NOT LET US DOWN!!!
DO YOU BELIEVE IT?
