The Holy Spirit is With us(Romans 8:26~28)

The Holy Spirit is With us(Romans 8:26~28)

 

26 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.

 

1. In Acts 9:1-19, we see a young Saul persecuting Christians and a prophet by the name of Ananias in Damascus.

 

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”

“Yes, Lord,” he answered.

11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”

13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

 

After the Pentecost, Ananias had been faithfully following the Holy Spirit when one day the Lord called him in a vision and told him to find Saul at a place called Straight Street, pray for him, heal his eyes, and let him know of God’s plans for him.

 

He was also told that God already showed Saul that Ananias would come to heal him. At Straight Street, Ananias found a suffering Saul praying, just as God had said.

 

Ananias placed his hands on Saul, prayed, and immediately Saul could see again. Saul was then baptized and then they ate together. This was the day Saul was filled with the Holy Spirit.

 

2. There are 3 differences between people of God and people of the world: First is that God is our master.

Second is that we have salvation through Jesus.

Third is what the Holy Spirit guides and helps us.

How wonderful it is to know that the Holy Spirit is with us, helping us!

 

All humans are evil and weak. People sin for two reasons: because they are evil and because they are weak.

 

A pastor in New Jersey, Pastor Yoon, once preached about a man named Hyun Young-chul, the second most powerful man of North Korea’s military. Hyun had dozed off in front of Kim Jung Un and was instantly shot and killed. The pastor asked the congregation, why did Hyun Young-chul doze off in front of Kim Jung Un?

 

What is because he did not take Kim Jung Un seriously? Did he now know he was forbidden to doze off? No. It was because he was 65, and as you get older you grow weaker and tired, thus you doze off frequently while watching TV, while having a conversation, and even while listening to sermons. But for a 30 year-old Kim Jung Un, this phenomenon is impossible to understand.

 

3. When Jesus went to Gethsemane to pray he knew the Roman soldiers would soon come for him. He asked his disciples to pray with him. But Jesus, who prayed until his tears were blood, came back to find his disciples had fallen asleep instead; they could not overcome their physical exhaustion. This happened 3 times.

 

Matthew 26:40-46 records the events as such:

 

“40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.

45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!””

 

We all possess weak bodies and feeble minds. If we are ever without the Holy Spirit for even a moment, we stumble, we fall, we make mistakes, we sin, we fear, and we are meek

 

We must always be awake and pray, but we are constantly thrown about at the whim of our emotions, money, recognition, and our surroundings.

 

Then how do we become strong believers or faith? God has a secret weapon for us, and that is the help of the Holy Spirit.

 

 

 

A) The Holy Spirit is our comforter.

1. John 14:26 says, “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.”

 

Just a rubber pacifier comforts and calms and young baby, the Holy Spirit comforts and pacifies us.

 

We also refer to a thick warm down blanket as a comforter. It provides us with comfort and protection. It becomes our lifeline in bitter cold.

 

Anyone in sadness or suffering needs comfort and someone to provide that comfort. But the comfort of a person has its limits.

 

Sometimes we feel so lonely. We feel no one truly knows us; that no one is beside us. But we must know that we have no reason to feel so lonely for the Holy Spirit is with us. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of Jesus. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 28:20, “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

 

2. The Holy Spirit knows exactly what we need and teaches us exactly what we need to know. The Holy Spirit envelopes our wounds, protects us from harm, comforts us in sadness, shows us the way, and makes everything around us work for our good.

 

How can this not bring us comfort? We are given hope, strength, wisdom and comfort even during illness, war, suffering, and despair. The Holy Spirit works in our lives, healing us and making us new as it did for Saul through Ananias.

 

B) The Holy Spirit prays for us.

1.Romans 8:26 says, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

 

No one can go through life and not receive help in some way. A Christian cannot go though a life of faith without receiving help in prayers from others. Our mothers prayed for us before birth; our parents prayed for us in our youth; our pastors and teachers prayed for us; our congregation and fellow believers prayed for us.

 

Through all these prayers, there is a greater praying power above them all and that is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit prays for us.

 

 2. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

 

3. A well-known pastor, Pastor Yohan Ahn, originally had no intentions of becoming pastor. He had plans to work in the US and live a well-off life.

 

But he suddenly lost his sight and consequently his job and wife. He tried to commit suicide by hanging himself in his kitchen, but when he tried the nail holding the necktie he was using bent and he lived.

 

It was then when a bright light shone through darkness and he heard the voice of the Holy Spirit telling him it was with him and that he was not alone.

 

Yohan Ahn found new strength and he left his house. He fell and stumbles and for while lived a homeless man near Seoul Station before becoming a pastor. Today he is he senior pastor at a famous church for the visually impaired in Korea. Pastor Ahn could regain his sight through surgery, but he rejects all offers and devotes himself to serving the blind. Hallelujah!

 

4. Pastor Jashil Choi was one of the main gears that helped pastor Young-ki Cho become the senior pastor at the famous Yoido Full Gospel Church in Korea. Reading her testimony, Pastor Choi also at one time attempted suicide. She took a small paper bag of pills into the mountains but just as she was about the take it a gust of wind blew and all of the pills dropped into a nearby stream.

 

The pastor then heard hymnals. She followed the music and found a church revival. There, she listened to the Words of God and she was changed. From then she went to church, became a pastor, met Pastor Young-ki Cho (who became her son-in-law), and established the famous Yoido Church. Hallelujah!

 

All of this happened because the Holy Spirit’s prayer and work kept her alive.

 

C) Ask for the Holy Spirit’s help.

1. The hardest thing for us to grasp about the Holy Spirit and its work is that we cannot see it. The Greek root for the word “Holy Spirit” means, “wind” (pneuma).

 

We cannot see wind but we know it exists. It moves. It works. Look at tornadoes; it picks us cars and houses. The Holy Spirit is the same; we may not be able to physically see it, but we can see it moving and working. It all depends on how much we are filled with the Holy Spirit, on how much we pray, and on how obedient we are to the Word.

 

2. David was always concerned and careful about unknowingly worrying the Holy Spirit.

David always prayed, (Psalms 51:10-11), “10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.”

 

Conclusion)

The Holy Spirit is always with us and always wants to help us. The problem is that we often reject it and forget about it. The Holy Spirit cannot work for us if we do not obey God’s Words. You must first open your heart to the Holy Spirit before it can fill you up. The Holy Spirit is not rude, so it won’t force its way in.

 

Let us ask ourselves at this time: How often did I invite the Holy Spirit into my life this past week? Isn’t the burden of sin heavy? How did I please the Holy Spirit? Am I worthy to be used by it? I may say the Lord is my master, but haven’t I tried to control things on my own? Why am I unable to find victory?

 

We must pray. We must ask for help. We must invite the Holy Spirit in. Open your hearts. It is the way to strength, power, and victory. Let us dedicate this coming week to obeying the Word of God and living with the Holy Spirit.