Spirit Help
Romans 8:22-23, 26-28
In, Romans 8, Paul says very clearly that you and I live in a fallen and broken world. He says,"We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now."
We live in a wounded and fallen world. A world that is no longer perfect, a world that is filled with sin, with temptation, with sickness, with sorrow, with tragedy, with pain, with loneliness, with broken relationships and with people feeling that things aren’t the way they should be.
We all float in an identical boat because of this fallen world we live. At times, my life is like that of Job’s. What I mean by that phrase, is, there is suffering in this world which is not caused by something that someone did to themselves, or what someone else did to them, but there is suffering, period.
Suffering because of the brokenness which is all around us and it affects us in a whole host of ways.
Listen carefully to, Romans 8.22-23, 26-28NIV We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.
My redemption, your redemption is not complete until we leave this earthly body.
26-28 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Pastor Roy Fowler states, “My Division Officer in the Navy was also a Naval aviator. On his way home from a mission over Afghanistan he got vertigo (a dizzy confused state of mind caused by the inner ear). His senses were confused. The biggest was his sense of flight. Which can be deadly when landing on an aircraft-carrier-deck at night in the middle of the Persian Gulf. This was his thoughts. -He thought his plane was flying up right but when he looked at the instruments he was flying upside down. Everything he did was backward according to the instruments but in his mind they were correct.”
-He could follow what he thought was right, or he could depend on his instruments. PH
Psalm 19.14KJV Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.
I know you agree with me, “Lord, I desire, and hunger to follow your leadership, your voice, your Spirit!”
The pilot stated, Overriding what I felt was right was the ‘hardest thing to do.’ The struggle that took place in my mind was overwhelming to me.
You can figure out what this pilot depended on: because he lived to tell the story.
This I believe, “If God’s word is precious, His Spirit and His leadership will be too!”
Our conscience (learned past personal history) can be the hardest thing to overcome even when we feel we are right.
However it’s our relationship with God that will give us the true meaning of what is right and what is wrong. Our true knowledge of Biblical principles...Our understanding of what was happening at the time written...Context is important. Our understanding as led by God through his Holy Spirit.
Freedom in the Spirit should be our way of life. PH
The Apostle Paul gives the reader/believer a few points about Spirit help:
1. The Holy Spirit intercedes.
In these moments of uncertainty and vulnerability, the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words.
Rev. Perry Stone was speaking on how the spirit helps and intercedes. Perry said he was in Jerusalem and while exploring some mountains and high cliffs, suddenly he lost his footing and fell off the edge of the cliff hanging on to a root for dear life! -Perry escaped unharmed, which Perry stated is another miracle. Perry’s daddy, (a pastor and prayer warrior) Ask Perry Stone Jr. what time did this occur? Jr stated, 11AM. Brother Stone Sr. was moved to tears, he told Perry, at 10:50-11:20AM I went into a deep groaning, as I prayed for you.
The Spirit advocates, the Greek word for “intercede" which means, to plead on behalf of another.
John 14:16AMP And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever--
In verse 16, Jesus paints a word picture of the Holy Spirit standing in the gap for us, advocating for us, and communicating our deepest needs and desires to God, even when we can't articulate them ourselves.
“This is a profound expression of God's intimate involvement in our lives. It's not a distant, detached deity we serve, but a personal, caring, and involved God who is intimately acquainted with our struggles and needs.” P.H
Hebrews 7:25AMP Therefore He is able also to save forever (completely, perfectly, for eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede and intervene on their behalf [with God].
Again, Even though we often do not know how to pray, it is comforting to know that the Holy Spirit is interceding to the Father for us.
Again, 1. The Holy Spirit intercedes.
2. The Holy Spirit helps our weakness’.
He’s a continuous, ongoing help. The Spirit is our constant companion, our advocate, our helper in times of need. He walks with us through every valley, climbs with us on every mountain, and navigates with us through every twist and turn of life.
Testimony, “It’s always been the Holy Spirit’s help, that keeps me going. He gives me drive, purpose, vision, direction, He gives me elimination and revelation.” P.H
Hear this, “Our weakness is not a barrier to our relationship with God: In fact, it is in our weakness that the strength of the Spirit is made manifest.”
Romans 8:26AMP In the same way the Spirit [comes to us and] helps us in our weakness. We do not know what prayer to offer or how to offer it as we should, but the Spirit Himself [knows our need and at the right time] intercedes on our behalf with sighs and groanings too deep for words.
“The Spirit doesn't merely provide a temporary fix or a superficial solution. Instead, He intercedes for us with "wordless groans," a deep, profound, and intimate communication with the Father on our behalf.” P.H
Again, 2. The Holy Spirit helps our- weakness’.
3. The Holy Spirit brings wisdom and understanding everywhere He’s welcomed.
Sometimes we will fail to see, or even imagine God getting glory out of the mess. (This mess, My mess)!
However, John 14:26 tells us that the Holy Spirit is our teacher, and He will bring things back to our remembrance.
Listen to the language, and vulnerability of the apostle Paul as he writes, 2 Corinthians 12, speaking of dreams and visions, and then Paul writes,
2 Corinthians 12:7-10ESV So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Again, #3 The Holy Spirit gives wisdom and understanding wherever He is welcomed!
4. The Holy Spirit brings ministry with Him.
“You become the Holy Spirit’s ministry. He waits for you, He operates for you, but mostly, He’s working on you!” P.H
The Spirit's ministry and the Spirit’s goal is to make the Savior real, wonderful, more glorious to us, and to keep us continually aware that He is totally wonderful, and gloriously sufficient for all our needs and circumstances. PH
Again, 4. The Holy Spirit brings ministry with Him.
5. The Holy Spirit points us back to God’s love.
He helps us in our weakness by pointing us to Jesus Christ, by making His love, His grace, and His power real to us. PH
That’s why the apostle Paul points us back to God and His love in the closing of, Romans 8.
Romans 8:35-38ESV Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The unfailing love of God: A love that is stronger than death, more powerful than any spiritual force, unaffected by time or space, and unaltered by anything in all of creation. It's a love that is always there for us, always reaching out to us, always ready to embrace us.
It's a love that never fails, never gives up, never runs out on us. This is the love of God that we have in Christ Jesus our Lord.
N T Wright, the famous New Testament scholar talks about the task of Christians in the world. He says, "Many say, 'Oh yes, the Holy Spirit came in his place to live in us.' Yes, but for what purpose? The Holy Spirit came to empower us to be God's life in the world. We are to do the work of God in the world. We are to be God to the world. And we cannot do that alone. The church is God's redemptive community in the world. -Without you, and without you joined with God's other children, God's work will not be done. He will not do it without us. He will not do it for us.”
Again, 5. The Holy Spirit points us back to God’s love.
Benediction. -Wouldn’t you agree with me, “What we need most is, Spirit help!”
