Help Has Arrived! - Part A

Help is available but they don't always ask for help.

Many believers are unaware that there is a helper, the Holy Spirit, they can ask for help that many believers don't think much about the ministry of the Holy Spirit in your life following God's will for you were never meant to go it alone today on connected Skip Skip shares just how active the Holy Spirit in your life for here's a resource that will help you pursue a life of faith and purpose even in uncertain times normal basic human instinct which you believe the children as young as three years old already want to follow the crowd and fit in with the group of researchers counted at Duke University study Bible we learn that some of the people who make the most impact have done self identifying normal here. Skip, I think.

I think the Bible calls us to a holy defiance of the status quo. Paul the apostle said, do not be conformed to this world but be trans formed by the renewing of your mind to go from transform Pastor Skip spent trying normal thanks to you when you get $35 and more to help expand his ministry today with the mice here for direct line get your copies of these gold resources copies hundred 9288 board give online securely connectwithskip.com/author. Okay, let's get into today's teaching in John chapter 14, as we begin our study. Skip, I distinctly remember the summer of 1965 I was in my little kid I was in my parents backyard August and the song of the summer came over the radio help. I need somebody help not just anybody help you know I need someone being on and on and on our help.

I've always needed help people to know me go.

I needed help. When I was a baby I needed help to walk when I was a toddler. I needed help learning how to ride a bicycle. I needed help to figure out how to swim. My oldest brother. My dad help me in that category I needed help in school.

There were certain subjects that I was naturally good at many subjects I needed extra help to understand.

I needed help to learn how to drive skull drivers Ed and to drive a car on the freeway in Southern California. Believe me, takes help I needed help in sports coaches would give me techniques to make my sporting experience in in whatever was a better experience. So I've always needed help, but I haven't always been good at asking for help. My dad was sort of a self-made man figured things out on his own, and I guess I inherited that from him and when I should've asked for help. I just sort of weathered it on my own and and it has not served me well, kind of a classic example for my own life is when I was in grade school and I had forgotten an assignment paper at home and so the class started and the teacher asked for the assignment papers and it dawned on me that I had left mine at home so the easy thing to do is go and say I left it at home, go to the principal's office, call my parents asking for help, they would have driven it down.

Oh, know what I did is I decided at break I would leave the school and walk home to get my paper foreign 1/2 miles one way for nap miles back so this is me not asking for help in walking walking walking to school because my parents because now I missing in class and then think they he ran away. Harry got abducted or something so I dad is in his car looking for me and that he found me on my walk and he picked me up and he held up my paper and he said all you needed to do is call and ask for help. In my experience as a child, sadly, is how many Christians live their Christian experience. Help is available, but they don't always ask for help. Many believers are unaware that there is a helper of the Holy Spirit that they can ask for help back.

Many believers don't think much about the ministry of the Holy Spirit in their lives. AW toaster said the idea of the Holy Spirit to the average church member is so vague as to be nonexistent. I was reading an article this week, and a source called the Federalist was about what Christians believe in America. These articles always fascinate me, but especially this one because the title grab my attention.

The title of the article was survey finds most American Christians are actually heretics go. I gotta read that article basically began by saying if you were to give American Christians a theology test. The only way they would pass it is. If God grades on a curve and went on to both talk about different beliefs that evangelical Christians have in America and out one of the things in the article that got my attention for this particular message is it said most evangelical Christians say the Holy Spirit is a divine force or a symbol of God's power or presence of think about that. He's not a person to many evangelical Christians is just a symbol of God's power presents last time I checked symbols don't do much symbols are just there for you to look at and appreciate their symbolism.

They don't actually do any work. The Holy Spirit is far more than a symbol of God's power and God's presence.

Truth is, we couldn't do anything of any eternal value without the Holy Spirit's help, John Lloyd Ogilvie wrote these words. Sadly, many Christians settle for two thirds of God. God the father is way up there somewhere aloof and apart from their daily lives. Christ is out there somewhere between them and the father. The Holy Spirit is some kind of vague force or impersonal power that they hear about, but they do not know intimately. It is my sincere hope and prayer that we will get to know the Holy Spirit more intimately. The truth is you need help. The good news is help has arrived and we find that in the promise of Jesus in John 14. I'm beginning in verse 15 where he said to his disciples in that upper room if you love me, keep my commandments and I will pray the father and he will give you another helper, that he may abide with you forever. The spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you. Let's remind ourselves of the emotional state of the disciples at this moment there at the Last Supper throughout the evening. In these chapters. Jesus has told them that he is leaving them they're not too stoked about that. They're pretty depressed about that idea. They're starting to become unraveled emotionally. They're starting to feel help glass and Jesus of course knows that it makes throughout the evening. In these chapters, several promises of someone who is coming to help them what I want to show you in the verses that we just read. I want to drill down in them and I want to show you the five fold function of the Holy Spirit in helping or assisting the believer five traits. First of all, the spirit is an active helper now. I counted four times in this upper room discourse.

This Last Supper message that Jesus gives his disciples four times. Our Lord refers to the person of the Holy Spirit by the title helper. He's going to be a helper when the helper comes then that helper will do this four times he calls him the helper. It is the designated term that Jesus chose to describe the Holy Spirit. Of course he could abuse many other terms for he is given different titles throughout the Scripture.

The Holy Spirit is called the spirit of counsel, the spirit of wisdom, the spirit of might, the spirit of knowledge that's in Isaiah chapter 11.

Jesus could've called him the eternal spirit like in Hebrews chapter 9 Holy Spirit is called God. In acts chapter 5 verse four.

He is referred to as the good spirit in Nehemiah chapter 9 is called the Lord by Paul in second Corinthians chapter 3 is designated as the power of the highest Luke, chapter 1 Paul again calls him the spirit of adoption.

Romans chapter 8 in Peter gives him the title the spirit of glory and first Peter chapter 4, none of those Jesus uses he calls him the helper, the helper that the word helper is the Greek word par Clay toss some of you are familiar with the term Paraclete because of the churches you grew up in. It's a term that was thrown around par Clay toss is a Greek word that means somebody who is called alongside to help or one who contributes their assistance helper could be translated advocate counselor comforter exhorted her intercessor, encourager, or in this case, helper, oftentimes in ancient times it was associated with the legal profession. The law courts it way referred to somebody who was a counsel for the defense or somebody who would help you plead your case, help you win your case. I love how the amplified Bible renders it in this verse it says one called to stand constantly by us and who is ready to take part in every thing in which his help is needed.

He's the helper. God knows you need all the help you can get, so he is provided for you and for me a helper that we don't always know that we are often like the young Skip icing walking home for his assignment paper. All we have to do is ask for help because there's a helper available but do you ever feel, or have you ever felt that you had a breaking point that that if life throws you one more curveball in 2020. That's it or or do you ever feel like the temptations in your life are too much. The trials are just so accumulating you ever feel the pressure is too intense or sin is too powerful. This is where the helper comes in one of my all-time favorite quotes of the relationship of the Holy Spirit to the Christian is written by a guy named Tim Downs, Tim Downs wrote this, watches, cars, and Christians can all look chromed and shiny but watches don't tick cars don't go. And Christians don't make a difference without insides and then he says for a Christian.

That's the Holy Spirit. I watch Christian struggle over the years as a pastor.

I've seen many, many Christian marriages struggle. I watch people struggle and choices that they make addictions that they suffer struggle with. I've seen them deal with purity issues and struggle in that area.

What's going on. Well were in a kingdom rights called the kingdom of God to get into this kingdom is pretty easy and straightforward. All you need to do is believe in Jesus Christ and the Bible says you are adopted into the royal family. All it takes to get into the kingdom is easy, but to walk like royalty takes help to walk as a son or daughter of the king takes the helper and Jesus said, help is on the way now. Would you like to know what kind of help will give you. Let's examine that. Let's drill down a little more. Not only is he an active helper, but the spirit is a similar helper.

I want to explain that go back to verse 16 and notice the promise and I will pray the father and he will give you not just a helper.

What's the word right before another helper, that word is very precise. Another helper, it means a helper of exactly the same kind helper of exactly the same kind or from the same category now in English we have one word for another, and that's the word what sort another exit is only one work very good that you get an a on the test so we have one word in English in the Greek word if you want to say another you have a choice between two different words you can use the word all loss, which means another of exactly the same kind or you can use the word header Ross, which means another of eight different kind. How would this be useful. Here is an example. Let's say you go and order hamburger at your favorite burger joint, and it looks like the one on the left. It's greasy. It tastes a lot like cardboard, season cardboard you take a bite of that burger and you go I and I can eat this thing so you tell the guy who gave you the burger. I want another hamburger you don't mean I want one just like this bad one, you can use the word all is you can use the word header Ross I want another burger, but I wanted to be different from the first, but if you like the hamburger that you wake is really juicy and good like that. She's you have that I don't eat cheeseburgers.

By the way anymore.

But, but it does look good so you look at that you eat that you say so good. I think I could eat to. So now you go up to him and you say I'd like another you can use a different word is use the work all loss, I want another exactly like the first one. So when Jesus said the father is going to give you another helper what he's meaning is disciples. I've been a helper to you I'm leaving, but the father's going to give you another helper exactly like I've been to you everything that I have been to you. The Holy Spirit will now be to you, just like you've turned to me in every situation you can turn to the Holy Spirit in every situation I have been a helper to you. The Holy Spirit will now be your helper know it's just quickly examined how did Jesus help his disciples by giving just two quick examples. Number one he helped them pray he helped them pray they came to him one day and they saw that John's disciples taught Johnna taught his disciples out for anything they said teach us to pray like John taught his disciples.

So Jesus is that okay when you pray, come to the father like this, our father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.

You know the Lord's prayer, the disciples for he help them pray. Likewise, the Holy Spirit helps us pray. Romans chapter 8 verse 26 the Spirit also helps our weakness says for we do not know what we should pray for as we ought. Mark that a lot of times you pray for stuff you're way off base.

The Lord knows that, so watch this he he helps us in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered is a silly illustration you think you need a new car so you pray for God, please. In Jesus name I claim it.

Give me a new car, the Holy Spirit might be saying, don't answer that prayer father. He does not need a new car.

He needs patients so keep that old car going give them a good mechanic to keep going, so he knows that he's going to help us in our prayers. A second thing that Jesus helped his disciples with his instruction. He taught them for 3 1/2 years. They listen to the sermon on the Mount. They listen to the upper room discourse that is under the Olivet discourse. They listen to all those parables he gave all the life situations. He instructed them, he taught them. He schooled them. He educated them.

He matured them in the same way the Holy Spirit will do that look down in chapter 14 in verse 25 verse 25. These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. I taught you alive lived among you, but the helper verse 26, the Holy Spirit whom the father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you, so I've been a helper to you. He's going to send you one another helper exactly like I have been to you. This is important because I've heard throughout the years sentiment of many believers, myself included. Something like this. Would it have been great to live during the time that Jesus lived to actually be there to hear his voice and watch his miracles and and be there when you needed something every need you have. He could fix. Yes, that would be good. I'm not at all depreciating that I would love that. But what Jesus wants you to realize is that the Holy Spirit is the perfect substitution for himself when it comes to being a helper, the Holy Spirit is a perfect substitution of Jesus Christ when it comes to being a helper and just as the disciples learn to turn to Jesus for everything you and I need to learn to turn to the Holy Spirit for help. Jesus told them, apart from me you can do nothing. He wants us to know, apart from the Holy Spirit we can do nothing. The quicker you learn that the happy year you're going to be all sum it up this way. It's a little simplistic but I think it helps we need God the father for external life in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

We need God the father for external life.

We need God the son, Jesus, for our eternal life. He died on the cross for our sins gave us life eternal is a free gift, but we need to Holy Spirit for our internal life is the source of our strength is the source of our comfort. He's the source of instruction. He is our helper is another helper, a similar help. Here's the third trait I would like you to look at the this spirit is a permanent helper is permanent is knocking to be here one day and then leave the next he's he's in it for the long haul. Verse 16 and I will pray the father and he will give you another helper, that he may abide with you for ever forever is knocking to be with you. 3 1/2 years and leave he's knocking to be with you the first decade of your Christian life until you get your own footing and you can pull yourself up by your own bootstraps and and then leave and said, okay, you're on your own now grow up. He's knocking to be with you till you're 18 and then kick you out of the house like my parents did take get out. Do your thing he's with you forever. He is with you forever you have a 24 seven live in helper who will be comforting maturing counseling and praying for you, yes you can grieve the Holy Spirit. No question. Yes, you can resist and quench the Holy Spirit you need to know he's hanging around and he's pretty committed to the process of growing you and IRP is with you for ever see the Holy Spirit in the New Testament is not like the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament mill testing. Remember the spirit of God came upon individuals at different times for specific reasons and specific callings. And sometimes he would work powerfully and be upon them, and then he would leave and sometimes it was very disconcerting when he did, for instance, King Saul and first Samuel chapter 16 we read the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul. That's not good that's not good because Saul is the king of the land and if anybody needs help in ruling, God's people. It's the king, and so the spirit of God departed from Saul. David watched it happen and it scared him to death because he prayed later on in Psalm 51 do not cast me from your presence. Do not take your Holy Spirit from me to let happen to me what happened. The Saul while this is New Testament is not going to happen. That's Old Testament and the New Testament.

He is permanently in the believer Holy Spirit is with you forever basket with a message from the series 2020 if you Skip with Porton message for God's Holy Spirit lives in why to help us live out our faith in this world and our heart is to come alongside of you to do the same. That's why we work to make these Bible teachings available to friends like you and you can help connect even more people to God's word today through a generous gift. Here's how you can give now to impact others lives with God's truth.

Visit connectwithskip.com/donate to give a gift that's connectwithskip.com/donate or call 800-922-1888, 800-922-1888. Thank you for your generosity and come back tomorrow as Skip Heitzig six years why you can rely totally on the Holy Spirit to help you live faithfully to the Lord at least three times.

He is called the spirit spirit of true the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows the spirit of truth. I can't deceive you won't leave you to lie in