Message: God the Holy Spirit
I.
Introduction
a.
We are finishing
up talking about the three persons of the trinity this week by looking at the
third member (God the Holy Spirit)
b.
Exodus
17:8-13 – “The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose some of our men
and go out to fight the Amalekites.
Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my
hands.’ So Joshua fought the Amalekites
as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the
hill. As long as Moses held up his
hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the
Amalekites were winning. When Moses’
hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one
side, one on the other till sunset. So
Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.”
II.
Body
a.
We live
in a country that values the individual, showing vulnerability and weakness or
a need for others is frowned upon.
b.
Why
couldn’t Moses just do this on his own, was he not man enough?
a.
No he
wasn’t man enough, but he recognized he didn’t have the strength and that he
couldn’t get it done on his own, and turned to others for help.
b.
It
wasn’t something to embarrassed by, showing vulnerability and weakness is the
only way to receive the help we need.
c.
Karl
Marx said that religion was a crutch for weak minded people. Some view Christianity this way, a
crutch. Funny thing about crutches, they
actually help us when we need them…and we need one if we are going to make it
through this life.
d.
John 14:16-17 – “And I will ask the Father, and he
will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of
truth. The world cannot
accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know
him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I
will come to you.”
a.
Jesus is
talking about the Holy Spirit here, he refers to him as the Counselor. The word in greek is Paracletos. It is a word used for a person who would come
up alongside someone else and help them.
Usually this was used in a legal sense, they were an advocate. But it would be like anyone would come and
put their arm around you and walked with you.
b.
If you
needed someone to hold you up, they would.
If you needed someone to defend you, they would. If they needed someone to talk to, they were
there. If you needed someone to tell you
that the way you were going was the wrong way, they would try to keep you on
the right path. If you needed strength, he
would provide it. If you were sad, he
would help bring you peace.
III.
Conclusion
a.
Emma was
born on July 20th, 2009. I
had no idea what I was getting into. In
the first few days I said up 35 straight hours and then 30 straight hours. I was exhausted. We made it home and my mom helped out for a
while, but then after she left it was just Lacey and I and Emma. Emma cried, Lacey cried, I don’t cry. It is a hard transition to be a parent. Emma would cry and I had no idea what was
wrong. We would feed her, she would cry,
we would change her, she would cry. I
was getting very little sleep, and finally one night I broke. I went into the bathroom, turned on the fan,
and bawled. I finally looked in the mirror
and prayed, “God I can’t do this, I can’t handle this, I don’t have the
strength.” Then I went back out and took
Emma in my arms. I didn’t have the
strength, but God did, but it wasn’t until I admitted that I couldn’t do it
alone and allowed him to be my strength that I found the strength I needed.
b.
We need
the Holy Spirit in our life. Because we
can’t make it on our own. We need him to
walk beside us.
c.
Is there
anyone here that would like to admit that they need the Holy Spirit because
they need someone to give the strength?
d.
Is there
anyone here that would like to admit that they need the Holy Spirit because
they need comfort?
e.
Is there
anyone here that would like to admit that they need the Holy Spirit because
they need guidance?
f.
Pray
