Holy Spirit - Helper...Friend - Living Grace Fellowship

Sunday 07/21/19

Series: Walking the Talk

Message – Holy Spirit – Helper…Friend

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Holy Spirit – Helper…friend

We began last week with Prov. 18:24 and I think we will do so this week as well.

It reads,

Prov. 18:24 says, “A man with many friends maybe harmed but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.”

You, no doubt will remember that the word “friend” means a love.

Not in the romantic or sensual sense, but someone who is a companion of the soul. In fact, part of the way this word is defined is someone who is loved as their own soul.

Friendship is a relationship of koinonia for it would not be satisfied with anything less.

This is the relationship we have with the Holy Spirit.

Today we are continuing with our lesson about the believers forgotten friend, only this week I think we’ll call it ‘Holy Spirit, Helper…Friend’.

Turn with me to John 14…it’s where we left off last week and is where we will begin reading this week. We had gotten through 1-16a but we will start from the beginning. I’m reading from the Holman translation this week…

John 14:1-31, “Your heart must not be troubled.

Believe in God!…believe also in Me!

(2) In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if not, I would have told you.

I am going away to prepare a place for you.

(3) If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also. (4) You know the way where I am going.” (5) “Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where You’re going. How can we know the way?” (6) Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (7) “If you know Me, you will also know My Father. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.” (8) “Lord,” said Philip, “show us the Father, and that’s enough for us.” (9) Jesus said to him, “Have I been among you all this time without your knowing Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? (10) Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I speak to you I do not speak on My own. The Father who lives in Me does His works. (11) Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me. Otherwise, believe because of the works themselves. (12) “I assure you: The one who believes in Me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. (13) Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (14) If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. (15) “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

another Helper, Allos par-ak’-lay-tos – Allos = Another, numerically but of the same kind.

- Paraklaytos means – an aid of any kind. In fact, I’ve been told that in some instances it could serve as a Greek synonym for the Hebrew word, “ezer” used for women in their role as the helpmate of man. In the Greek writers, used of a legal advisor, pleader, proxy, or advocate, one who comes forward in behalf of and as the representative of another.

- Notice that this is what the Holy Spirit was doing with Jesus – even here!
  - Jesus prayed later – quite possibly IN Gethsemane itself for His disciples and did just as He had said to them. Let’s look at it in Jn. 17:24-26, “(24) Father, I desire those You have given Me to be with Me where I am. Then they will see My glory, which You have given Me because You loved Me before the world’s foundation. (25) Righteous Father! The world has not known You. However, I have known You, and these have known that You sent Me. (26) I made Your name known to them and will make it known, so the love You have loved Me with may be in them and I may be in them.”

to be with you forever—

He is the Spirit of truth.
The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you. En – Of those with whom someone is in near connection, intimate union, oneness of heart, mind, purpose, especially of Christians, in union with Christ by faith and who are become as branches in the true vine

(18) I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.

The KJV has, “I will not leave you comfortless”. This is a distortion of the Greek and conveys only a fleeting awareness of the intended meaning which is far more familiar and relational. The Greek word is orphanós. It means – obscure, dark, because the orphan is often little esteemed and neglected and thus forced, as it were, to wander in obscurity and darkness. Orphaned, bereaved, spoken particularly of children bereaved of parents (James 1:27). Metaphorically, of disciples without a master.

“(19) In a little while the world will see Me no longer, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live too. (20) In that day you will know that I am in My Father, you are in Me, and I am in you. (21) The one who has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me. And the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father. I also will love him and will reveal Myself to him.”

“(22) Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it You’re going to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?” (23) Jesus answered, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

(24) The one who doesn’t love Me will not keep My words. The word that you hear is not Mine but is from the Father who sent Me.

(25) “I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. (26) But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit–the Father will send Him in My name–will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you. (27)

“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful.

This word ‘Peace’ is the Greek equivalent to the Hebrew Shalom – which was one of the names of the Messiah – the Prince of Shalom!. It was therefore the paramount blessing that Israel was looking for in the messianic kingdom. The messenger who brings tidings of salvation is one who publishes peace.

That Hebrew word Shalom means wholeness, soundness, hence health, well-being, lacking nothing; It means peace as opposed to war.

When He had been with them He Himself had been their peace, but now that He was leaving He was NOT leaving them without PEACE – So the Holy Spirit was now heavens representative and source of peace among mankind through His ministry of the testimony of Christ Jesus. A ministry of Conviction, convincing and empowering.

“(28) You have heard Me tell you, ‘I am going away and I am coming to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. (29) I have told you now before it happens so that when it does happen you may believe. (30) I will not talk with you much longer, because the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over Me. (31) On the contrary, I am going away so that the world may know that I love the Father. Just as the Father commanded Me, so I do. “Get up; let’s leave this place.”

Now, in order to practically live out your union with the Holy Spirit, you’ll need a living example of it to compare with your experience that you might recognize His influences when they come.

God Bless!

I hope this message will bless you richly…not because I taught it, but because it reveals Christ. He alone is our blessing and if in any way – whether big or small, 100% accurate or even just partially so – I have revealed our great God and Savior to you in a relationally knowable way, then this was time well spent on both our parts.

We at Living Grace Fellowship encourage you to place your trust in Jesus Christ, deliberately choosing Him and bowing the knee to Him as your Master and Lord, so as to come to realize Him as your Savior.

You have a special place in God’s family & kingdom. The fact that you exist… that you are His creation, says you were in His heart, you are His delight!

If you do not know Him, please reach out to us. Give us a call at the number located on every page of this website or use our ‘Contact Us‘ page. We would be deeply honored, if you gave us the privilege of introducing you to the Lord. Neither money nor attendance at our church will EVER be mentioned.

If you HAVE been spiritually fed by this ministry and WANT to give, we truly appreciate that and you may do so here, but please understand that all the outreaches of this ministry are FREE for you and anyone to enjoy at no cost.

Blessings!

Pastor Mark

View posts by Pastor Mark

Hi my name is Mark and though I am opposed to titles, I am currently the only Pastor (shepherd/elder) serving our assembly right now.

I have been Pastoring in one capacity or another for nearly 30 years now, though never quite like I am today.

Early in 2009 the Lord revealed to me that the way we had structured our assembly (church) was not scriptural in that it was out of sync with what Paul modeled for us in the New Testament. In truth, I (like many pastors I am sure) never even gave this fundamental issue of church structure the first thought. I had always assumed that church structure was largely the same everywhere and had been so from the beginning. While I knew Paul had some very stringent things to say about the local assembly of believers, the point of our gatherings together and who may or may not lead, I never even considered studying these issues but assumed we were all pretty much doing it right...safety in numbers right?! Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong!

So needless to say, my discovery that we had been doing it wrong for nearly two decades was a bit of a shock to me! Now, this "revelation" did not come about all at once but over the course of a few weeks. We were a traditional single pastor led congregation. It was a top-bottom model of ministry which is in part biblical, but not in the form of a monarchy.

The needed change did not come into focus until following 9 very intense months of study and discussions with those who were leaders in our church at the time.

We now understand and believe that the Bible teaches co-leadership with equal authority in each local assembly. Having multiple shepherds with God's heart and equal authority protects both Shepherds and sheep. Equal accountability keeps authority and doctrine in check. Multiple shepherds also provide teaching with various styles and giftings with leadership skills which are both different and complementary.

For a while we had two co-pastors (elders) (myself and one other man) who led the church with equal authority, but different giftings. We both taught in our own ways and styles, and our leadership skills were quite different, but complimentary. We were in complete submission to each other and worked side-by-side in the labor of shepherding the flock.

Our other Pastor has since moved on to other ministry which has left us with just myself. While we currently only have one Pastor/Elder, it is our desire that God, in His faithfulness and timing, may bring us more as we grow in maturity and even in numbers.

As to my home, I have been married since 1995 to my wonderful wife Terissa Woodson who is my closest friend and most trusted ally.

As far as my education goes, I grew up in a Christian home, but questioned everything I was ever taught.

I graduated from Bible college in 1990 and continued to question everything I was ever taught (I do not mention my college in order to avoid being labeled).

Perhaps my greatest preparation for ministry has been life and ministry itself. To quote an author I have come to enjoy namely Fredrick Buechner in his writing entitled, Now and Then, "If God speaks to us at all other than through such official channels as the Bible and the church, then I think that He speaks to us largely through what happens to us...if we keep our hearts open as well as our ears, if we listen with patience and hope, if we remember at all deeply and honestly, then I think we come to recognize beyond all doubt, that, however faintly we may hear Him, He is indeed speaking to us, and that, however little we may understand of it, His word to each of us is both recoverable and precious beyond telling." ~ Fredrick Buechner

Well that is about all there is of interest to tell you about me.

I hope our ministry here is a blessing to you and your family. I also hope that it is only a supplement to a local church where you are committed to other believers in a community of grace.

~God Bless!