HOLY GHOST HELP
Notes
Transcript
John 14:26-27 (KJV)
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
HOLY GHOST HELP
Last Sunday we celebrated Pentecost.
Pentecost is a celebration of the in filling of the
Holy Spirit. The day of Pentecost is the day on
which the Spirit descended upon the apostles,
and Peter preached to many thousands who were
converted in Jerusalem.
Pentecost means ‘fiftieth’. It comes exactly 50 days
after Easter or the Resurrection for us. In the Old
Testament it was called “The Day of First Fruits”,
and it was celebrated fifty days or seven weeks after
Passover.
The Day of First Fruits was set aside by Moses
(Leviticus 23:15-19) as a day of tribute to
commemorate the completion of the harvest
season.
Each Jewish family would wave two leavened
loaves of bread made from their own grain, as a
thank offering to the Lord.
What a wonderful parallel between the Old
Testament Day of First Fruits and our New
Testament Pentecost celebration. We are still
thankful – but we are thankful for the ‘harvest’ of
the Holy Ghost, which guides us through the maze
of our mission to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ
throughout the world. We celebrate the fulfillment
of Christ’s promise to send a Comforter at the
completion of His earthly ministry. Today, we
celebrate the work of His Holy Spirit in us.
I want to talk about the role of the Holy Ghost. But
before I do, I want to talk about trust, because the
two are related. Your Holy Ghost power will depend
upon your level of trust.
Trust is relative or proportional. It’s based on
experience and knowledge. For instance: I trust that
my office chair will hold me because I’ve already
spent many hours in it. I don’t think about how
many pounds I’ve gained since I bought the chair. I
just SIT in it. I trust that my car will start. I don’t
wonder if the battery was charged by the alternator
the last time I used it, or if the starter is still good. I
just get in and turn the key. I trust that if I need
Lady Diane to help me, she will.
All these are examples of trust based on experience
and knowledge.
For those of us that have been walking with the
Lord for quite some time, we’ve had experience
with the Lord, and we have some knowledge about
His power. We’ve been through trials and
tribulations, and we have a track record of coming
through our trials with the help of the Lord. So let
me ask you…Is there any situation you believe you
can get into that God will not get you out of?
Careful now. I know you trust God. But think before
you answer.
Let me give you a few situations where depending
on God will bring you THROUGH, but He may not
GET YOU OUT.
Rob a bank, get arrested and you’re going to jail.
Cheat on your spouse, and they may divorce you
even if you are sorry. Cheat on your taxes and IRS
will garnish your paycheck or lock you up. Get a
ticket for speeding, and you’ll pay a fine. Refuse to
follow the doctor’s orders, and you could get sicker,
or even worse…die.
God will not deliver you from the chastisement for
sin. The principles of the Old Testament Ten
Commandments still apply in the 21st century. It’s
a sin to steal. It’s a sin to commit adultery. It’s a sin
to lie. It’s a sin to ignore traffic regulations. There
are consequences for the choices we make, but He
allows those consequences to teach us His will and
His way. You have to pay for your ‘play’.
Even those who try their best to walk the straight and narrow path that leads
to eternal life will suffer along the way. There are
seasons of pain and suffering for even the best
Believers. So, why do we trust God, and what do we
trust God for? It’s in our text. He’s called the
comforter. No matter what our trials, Jesus
promised that God would send a Comforter to
those who believe in Him…a Comforter called the
Holy Ghost, who would be with us throughout our
seasons, our good choices and our bad choices.
And Jesus says that the Holy Ghost gives us some
things…some things we can lean on and depend
on every day.
First, Jesus said the Holy Spirit helps you remember God’s promises.
“He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
Have you ever had this happen: Some situation
arises that frightens you or makes you anxious, and
suddenly, you remember a verse from scripture
that speaks to your anxiety and calms you down.
You may hear:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not
to your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)
“I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5)
“No weapon that is formed against thee shall
prosper” (Isaiah 54:17)
This is the work of the Holy Ghost. God’s Spirit
“brings all things to your remembrance” that He
has taught you.
But here’s the catch. If you’ve never allowed the
Holy Spirit to teach you anything in the first place…
if you’ve refused to attend the Holy Spirit’s classes
on how to be a Believer…if you never allowed the
Holy Spirit to teach you the Word…then He can’t
help you in times of trouble. It’s like my car. It can
be washed and looking good on the outside, but if
it’s not gassed up, it’s not going far when I turn that
key.
We have too many pretty Christians who’ve been
cleaned up on the outside, but won’t allow the Holy
Spirit to do His work on the inside. Their
redemption may be real, but it’s shallow. They may
be saved, but they’re weak. And in their weakness,
they hold the Church of Jesus Christ back, because
they can’t or won’t keep up. We drag them along
with us, and do our best not to lose a single one
along the way, but imagine how fast we could move
if they were as gassed up or prepared for the
journey as those Believers who study and allow
the Holy Spirit to speak to them daily!
Believers should check their Holy Ghost gas tank.
Jesus doesn’t just want you washed up; He wants
you filled up. If you ARE filled up, you can be sure
that in times of trouble, when you turn your
spiritual key, your tank will be full of Christ’s
teachings, and the Holy Spirit will move you to
remember them.
Second, Jesus said the Holy Ghost grants you peace.
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.”
Peace comes from trust. If Christ says that He will
give you peace through the Holy Ghost, you have to
trust Him at His word. In New Testament times the
normal way to say good-bye was Peace (šālôm
in Heb.). In His death Jesus provided a legacy for
His disciples: My peace I give you. They would have
“peace with God” (Rom. 5:1) because their sins
were forgiven and the “peace of God” (Phil. 4:7)
would guard their lives. The world is unable to give
this kind of peace. Fear of death (Heb. 2:14–15) and
fear of the future are removed as Jesus’ followers
trust in Him. Thus they need not be troubled (cf. John 11:33; 13:21; 14:1).
Edwin A. Blum, “John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 324.
Third, Jesus said the Holy Spirit removes all fear.
“Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
Jesus promised that the Comforter would bring
you to a higher spiritual plane…one that knows no
fear. Notice that Jesus did NOT say you would never
experience trouble. The only way to avoid trouble is
to leave this earth right now and join Christ in glory.
But its not your time, and you have work to do
before you leave this earth. So the question is, “Can
you remain untroubled when trouble comes?” And
the answer is YES…by the help of the Holy Ghost.
Allow the Holy Ghost in you to trouble your trouble!
Someone once said, “Sometimes God calms the
storm. But sometimes God lets the storm rage, and
calms you.” Either way, the Believer learns to trust
God and allow the Holy Ghost to take away all fear.
Paul had to remind the young preacher named
Timothy of that fact. He said, For God hath not
given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love,
and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7) And the Holy
Ghost will remind YOU TOO!
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), 2 Ti 1:7.
Fearless Believers are those who trust God at His
Word. But remember that the Word has to be IN
YOU, before it can minister TO YOU.
God understands when new Believers still walk in
fear. You need to get this, fear shrinks as faith
grows. How do we get faith? Romans 10:17 So then
faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word
of God.
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Romans 10:17.
Once you’ve journeyed with Jesus for a while, and
studied His Word, and filled your spiritual gas tank
with fuel for your flight, you,re ready to fly with
Jesus!
You may still have trouble, but you are no longer
troubled.
Will you trust God’s Holy Spirit for the rest of your
life’s journey?
Will you let the Spirit fill you with the teachings of
Jesus Christ?
Will you operate on manpower and brainpower, or
will you submit to Holy Ghost power?
There is no circumstance that can restrict Holy
Ghost help.
There is no adversity that can hinder Holy Ghost
help.
There is no situation that can constrain Holy Ghost
help.
There is no power that can control Holy Ghost help.
There is no enemy that can defeat Holy Ghost help.
There is no obstruction that can block Holy Ghost help.
There is no force that can limit Holy Ghost help.
If you invite the Holy Ghost to help you, you will
find that His power is
unchangeable, unconquerable, unquestionable,
undeniable, and unbelievable!
There is no foe too fearful for the Comforter to conquer.
No road too rough for the Comforter to walk.
No mountain too big for the Comforter to remove.
No sorrow too deep for the Comforter to comfort.
And no battle too fierce for that the Comforter has
not already won.
Trust God to send you some Holy Ghost help.
First, Jesus said the Holy Spirit helps you remember God’s promises.
Second, Jesus said the Holy Ghost grants you peace.
Third, Jesus said the Holy Spirit removes all fear.