Messages from Pastor Raddatz

                                                                        May 23, 2021 Day of Pentecost, Mount Olive, Houston, TX

Psalm 139:1-12, Ezekiel 37:1-14, Acts 2:1-21, John 15:26-27; 16:4-15  

John 15:26-27; 16:4-15, GOD’S SPIRIT ALWAYS HELPS YOU,

Main Idea: God’s Spirit will truly lead you.

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS…

…YOUR HELPER (advocate),

How did you learn to drive?  It can be an exhilarating thing to learn.  It can also wrack the nerves of a parent or grandparent.  Probably nothing more increases a person’s practice of prayer than when their child or grandchild is learning to drive. (smile)

If you had a driver education teacher you can get a picture of what Jesus is describing when he talks about the Holy Spirit being “Your Helper”.

Jesus knew his followers needed help.  We hear his words in John 14:16:

John 14:16, And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—

The biblical word for helper is “paraklete”.  It means: A HELPER, AN ADVOCATE to lead US to a deeper knowledge of the gospel truth, and give them divine strength needed to enable them to undergo trials and persecutions on behalf of the divine kingdom.  The Holy Spirit was to be given in all his fullness after Jesus ascended to the Father.   

Jesus knew the disciples needed help to fulfill the mission he had for them to do.  This is why he gave the Holy Spirit.

TO WITNESS (testify) TO  JESUS

Just as Jesus faced persecution he told the disciples and he tells us, “if they hate me, they will hate you.”  Jesus was put on trial.  Pilate the governor questioned Jesus about his purpose.  Jesus said, “…for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” (John 18:37)

John 18:38, “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.”

This was Pilate’s response.  But the people did not choose Jesus to be released.  Pilate gave them a choice and they did not choose Jesus.  They chose Barabbas to be released.  This was all part of God’s plan.

The truth was we could not save ourselves.  We can often be blinded to the truth.  Jesus is “the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14:6)

John 8:32, Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

DESCRIPTION OF TRUTH: the truth as taught in the Christian religion, respecting God and the execution of his purposes through Christ, and respecting the duties of man, opposing alike to the superstitions of the Gentiles and the inventions of the Jews, and the corrupt opinions and precepts of false teachers even among Christians. –Matthew Henry

The truth is that you and I need guidance.  We are like the people who go down the highway and see the sign MEN WORKING or DETOUR and want to keep going our way.  We need to remember the signs God gives us this Pentecost: THE HOLY SPIRIT IS WORKING and sometimes he DETOURS our way.  His ways are best.

AND GUIDE YOU!

Psalm 73:24, You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.

In his sermon, “A Dangerous Pentecost,” Halford Luccock tells of Lorenzo de’Medici, the great Florentine patron of the arts who was very proud of the spectacles he staged for the citizenry. Among his productions were several amazingly realistic religious pageants performed in church. But one Pentecost, Lorenzo went too far: he used actual fire to depict the descent of the tongues of flames on the apostles. The fragile stage set caught fire and, before horrified onlookers, the entire church burned to the ground (Marching Off the Map, Harper, 1952). The moral is clear: pray for Pentecostal power, but don’t try to manufacture it.  Charismatic Chaos, J. MacArthur, Jr., Zondervan, 1992, p. 175

Let’s celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit.  He is our helper in faith.  He is the one who leads us into the truth of God’s word and he will guide you and me.

Amen.