The Holy Spirit, Our Present Help

Introduction

We have looked the significance of Being Saved and the fact that God has blessed us in salvation.

The bible is clear that God helps the Christian.

David expressed that the Lord was his “present help in times of trouble”.

God is willing to dispatch Himself to our aid.

He does so in the person of the Holy Spirit

He, is our present Help

#1 - The Holy Spirit Is Present [In Us]

For some reason, we don’t talk enough about the Holy Spirit

We treat Him as though He has taken a Sabbitcal since the Day of Pentecost

We treat Him like He has bought a vacation home in Tobago

He was active, is active, and has always been ACTIVE.

From the dawn of creation throughout the OT, the Spirit was active

* He dwelled in persons

Ex 31:2-3 ““See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. “I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship,”

Num 27:18 “So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him;”

He didn’t dwell in persons

In kings, prophets, judges, skilled works

But he didn’t dwell in everybody

This was coming. . .

Ezk 36:26-27 ““Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.”

By the time we get to Acts 2, we realize what they said was coming, CAME!

Joel 2:28 ““It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions.”

God’s presence was seen in theophanies (burning bush, pillar of clouds)

God’s presence was seen in the Immanuel

God’s presence is NOW in the Holy Spirit

He dwells in you

Rom 8:9 “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”

Rom 8:11 “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

How does this Help? He’s present, He’s available!!!

[What good is the help, if the help is not there?] - Have you ever heard “if i was there, I would’ve helped you” - THE SPIRIT IS HERE, AND HE’S PRESENT TO HELP

#2 - The Holy Spirit Gives Power

Eph 3:14-16 “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power [through His Spirit] in the inner man,”

God grants from a place of abundance

God grants, so that you can be strengthened

You are strengthened with power

This power is not existent power, its doing power, action power, getting things done power, “I can” power.

God doesn’t tell you what He has, but He shows you how it works

This power eliminates the need to say “I can’t”

Have you ever faced a problem where you said “I can’t” “I just can’t”

[A Marriage, a Divorce, Finances, Work, Children, Grief, Church, Addiction, Storms] - you can’t. . .God’s power CAN!!!

GOD turns the “I can’t” to an “I can”

Preacher, that sounds like some good power, how do I get it?

“through His Spirit” “in the inner man”

The Spirit is the agency by which God dispenses this power

That’s why you need to value His presence

#3 - The Holy Spirit Helps Your Prayer

Rom 8:26-28 “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

Paul has established that Holy Spirit is working:

Rom 8:2 “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”

Rom 8:4 “so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” - Guides your walk

Rom 8:6 “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,” - Leads to life

Rom 8:9 “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”

Rom 8:13 “for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

Rom 8:16 “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,”

Then he says in vs 26, “In the same way” - He works in those ways, in the same way, He works in this way.

“Helps” - take part and help with; to lend a hand with; assist jointly to prepare a task; provide assistance

“weaknesses” - limitations, lack of strength, sickness, incapacity

The Spirit “intercedes” [plead] - He makes a personal petition [to the Father)

The Spirit knows the will of God

He pleads to the Father according to His will

That’s because I don’t always know what that is