Holy Spirit παράκλητος
“I assure you that it is better for you that I go away. If I don’t go away, the (παράκλητος) Companion won’t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” John 16:7
Intro: When I was young and growing up in the country the woods was our back yard. We would make trails. Climb hills. Wade through creeks in the valleys. One thing most boys have probably done at some time or another is find an old rotten or dead tree and try to push it over. How many of you have ever done that or at least seen the same thing happen at some time or another?
I remember me and a friend were walking along when I tried to push this rotten looking tree loose. I pushed. I shoved. I pulled. I tugged. But try as hard I could for the life of me I could not get the dead tree to budge.
My friend who was with said, “You need to use all your strength.” I said, “I am using all my strength.”
To which my friend replied, “No you are not. You haven’t asked me to help.”
Together the two of us pushed our weight against the old decayed tree and sure enough over it went with a loud thunder of victory as it fell and hit the ground.
That’s a valuable lesson for us all. We struggle alone during the hard times. We try to do it our self, single-handedly, by yourself, without any help. How many difficult times in life have you not taken full advantage of your Holy Spirit Companion?
The Greek word used here “παράκλητος” means intercessor, to resolve a conflict, to solve a problem, to intercede to step in on someone else’s behalf. This same Holy Spirit is our Companion today.
The Holy Spirit will help change things you can’t change, and do things you can’t do by yourself. The Holy Spirit will reveal the truth. Like the “Serenity Prayer.” That means He will help to change the things you can change. But also guide us so that we can know the difference between something that can be changed and give us strength to know the difference between those things that cannot be changed.
Ephesians 3:16 NIV says “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, God’s favor is heavy on you.” Think about God’s “glorious riches.” God is still God. God is still omnipotent. He is immeasurable. He is the source of creation. He is the power of sustainability. He is able to give us courage and strength to go through whatever trials, difficulties, tribulations, troubles, and problems we find ourselves in.
Look a second at the words “God’s favor is heavy on you.” This is not talking about God placing heavy burdens and serious problem or weighty difficulties on our life. No, Matthew 11:30 “My yoke is easy my burden is light.” The word heavy means here that a person can be carrying around heavy burdens in life. But look again “God’s favor is heavy on you.” This is a promise to take the worries the world places on us and replace them with the love that only God can give. To take the aches and pains of this world and replace them with healing. To take the conflicts, and the bitterness, and the hatred and replace them with forgiveness and peace.
We need to be praying bold prayers. We need to believe in extraordinary things to happen. Know God is going to answer prayers for you. Today your problems---may be your health, sickness, your lack of or something you need. But we as Christians believe in good breaks, blessings, favor, and God’s glorious riches.
If you are waiting on the doctor to call about a medical report start praying that when the call comes the news is going to be good news because you are blessed. If you are having trouble financially go ahead and believe that God is going to provide you with a bonus. Shake off the doubt. Christians don’t live in discouragement, but instead because of the promise Jesus has made believe in a life of hope, faith, confidence, optimism and expectation.
Not having enough to get by. Just enough to live from pay check to pay check. Start believing in “glorious are the riches of our God and God’s favor is heavy on you.” Maybe it is time to believe big.
One day in Joshua 10 Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard that Joshua had captured and completely destroyed Ai and killed its king, just as he had destroyed the town of Jericho and killed its king. He also learned that the Gibeonites had made peace with Israel and were now their allies. He and his people became very afraid. So King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent messengers to several other kings: Hoham of Hebron, Piram of Jarmuth, Japhia of Lachish, and Debir of Eglon. The five kings and five armies made an alliance to destroy Gibeon.
But Gibeon quickly sent a messenger to Joshua at his camp in Gilgal and asked him to come at once! To save them! To help them! So Joshua and his entire army of his best warriors left out to help Gibeon. Joshua traveled all night from Gilgal and took the Amorite armies by surprise. The Israelites chased the enemy and hand them on the run. The Amorites retreated down the road from Beth-horon, the Lord sent a terrible hailstorm from heaven that struck and killed even more of the enemy that Joshua and Gibeons army had already killed with the sword.
But time was running out. The daylight would soon be gone and the Israelites could not have complete victory over the Amorites, in the cover of the darkness. So, Joshua prayed to the Lord in front of all the people of Israel. He said, “Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Aijalon.”
The bible says in Joshua 10:13 “So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies.” The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and it did not set as on a normal day.
The sun was going down and Joshua could not defeat his enemy in the dark. He asked God to give him more time. The Sun stood still. The moon stopped. I am convinced that time itself stopped!
You may be facing a problem. A problem that seems so big, so impossible, so out of your control that you can’t see a solution. You can’t see an answer. You can’t imagine a way out or how you can ever comeback from this crisis.
And listen closely. You are right if you are by yourself. You must have authentic faith in God . When you don’t believe and you try to go it alone the problem is never going to be resolved. You may try to fix it with your own strength. But if you haven’t asked for help than you are not using the παράκλητος “Companion” that Jesus said you need to be using. The Greek closely means: Evidence one having authority. To tell in confidence as a trusted friend.
You might not be able to see a way but you have a way. The Medical report might say things don’t look good.
You might have a bad habit that you can’t overcome but God is going help you overcome. Don’t be afraid to ask God to do something out of the ordinary. Do you pray bold prayers?
The “Good News” is when Jesus left and ascended back up to heaven he didn’t leave you with an average, mediocre, second rate, pedestrian.
I read a story about a guy who had lost his job and was in need of work. One evening walking through the neighborhood when he saw man he had never met before. Something inside told him to, “ask this stranger for a job.” He thought to himself I can’t ask someone I have never met for a job. But just as they were about to pass each other he stopped and ask this total stranger for a job. The man was taken aback and said he was sorry but he didn’t know of any job openings and where he was working wasn’t hiring anyone that he knew of. But they exchanged information and the guy said if something came open he would let him know. Exactly five days later he got a phone call from that a person who unexpectedly announced that he would be retiring at the company and that would cause a chain of promotions and create a new job opening. To come in for an interview.
Friends we need to obey God. When the Holy Spirit says trust me, we need trust him. Be bold. Doubt will try to keep you for taking a chance. But when you live with authentic faith you will see God do great things. James 4:3 says, “You have not because you ask not.” How many things have you missed out on not because God wouldn’t do it but because you have not asked Him to do it?
There is story I read about a couple who had pet dog. As some of you here have a pet that is just like a member of your family. Somehow something on the top shelf in the garage fell on the beloved family dog.
They rushed the dog to the Vet but after an exam and X-rays the Vet said there was nothing could be done. There was likely internal bleeding and at best the right leg of the dog would have to be amputated.
The Vet recommended to the family that the pet should be put down.
But the Vet didn’t have faith. The family said, we are praying. The Vet said you don’t understand. The bone in the right leg is broken. The paw is crushed. The dog’s ribs are broken. The dog will never be right.
But the family said, put a splint on the dog’s leg. Put bandages on the dog’s ribs. Do whatever it takes to save the dog’s life. So the Vet did all he could do.
Four weeks later the Vet unwrapped the dog’s leg. Not only was the bone healed but the toe nails on the paw had grown back and looked normal.
Sometimes in this life experts say it want happen. They will say things can’t happen. What they are not taking into account is faith in God.
God can turn things around. Look at the person sitting next to you right now say, “That was God answering prayer.”
Now let’s apply this lesson about faith. If people will go to that much trouble to spare the life of a dog. How much effort will you go to save a lost persons soul?
Dream big. Expect big. Teach church growth. Believe in winning the lost to Christ. Have faith in evangelism. What you are praying for that is way too small?
What I thought was impossible. What I thought was a defeat. God turned in blessing.
Ephesians 2:7 “So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.”
Closing: Go ahead get your hopes up. Pray bold prayers. Believe. When you do God will show up. The Holy Spirit wants to be your Companion. Let us pray for the full of anointing of the Holy Spirit. What would happen if we spent the next few weeks of Lent praying for the full anointing of the Holy Spirit upon us as individuals? Upon our family? Upon our church? Upon your enemies? Upon our Community? Have you asked God to send the Holy Spirit upon us?
Sometimes we are faced with things that look impossible. But Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be our Companion.
To guide us and reveal to us a way to stay the course and overcome. We may face situations that seem hopeless. Remember you are special with God. Blessed because you believe God will do what he said he will do. It all begins when you come to altar to pray. Lord I repent of my sins. I ask Jesus to come into my heart. I ask Jesus to become my Lord and Savior. I receive the Holy Spirit as my Companion. If you prayed that prayer and believe, you are born again. Amen.
