Throughout the month of November, we have been going through a sermon series about the Holy Spirit entitled “erased.” In the American Church today we often speak of the Father and of the Son, but we seldom hear the Holy Spirit mentioned. We have this idea that the Holy Spirit is a “thing” or a “vapor” instead of a person. We may say from time to time that “the spirit” is moving or “I felt the spirit” but our mention of the Holy Spirit in our services and our daily lives is often minimal.
We find throughout the dispensation of time that God has always been active with us. He was active with us mostly as a father in the Old Testament. He was active with us mostly as the Son in the New Testament, and now He seeks to be active with us as The Holy Spirit. There are many functions that the Holy Spirit performs in the lives of believers. Today I’d like to disclose a couple that impact your life.
The Holy Spirit is our “helper.” In John 15:26 Jesus said “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.”
The Holy Spirit is our helper who guides us in this life and teaches us about the ways of Jesus. When it comes to receiving help some of us do it better than others. Many of us can even be stubborn when it comes to receiving help. We feel it’s a sign of weakness to receive help or a lack of independence. But God sees it as a partnership. All of us need that help. We cannot become like Jesus alone. We do not have the knowledge or the power if we simply operate out of our own power. We need the Holy Spirit to help us on a daily basis.
Another thing I love about The Holy Spirit is that he strengthens us! Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:16 “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being.”
Webster’s Dictionary defines strengthen as: to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure. I don’t know about you, but 2020 has been a year where I’ve needed strength more than any year of my life before it. The Holy Spirit has come into our lives as believers to “strengthen” us when we need it. Please understand that this fact doesn’t mean that we don’t do our part to take care of ourselves, pace ourselves, eat healthy, and take care of ourselves mentally. However, once we do the natural, we must trust the Holy Spirit for the supernatural.
There have been so many times in my life where I had nothing left to give and then strength came from the Holy Spirit to accomplish a task that I would have failed. I want to encourage you today to let the Holy Spirit work in your life. Let Him help you and strengthen you in this season. You may be going through a season of physical, mental, or emotional pain but what if the thing that produces your pain is the very way God will use to release His power in your life? Get in touch with The Holy Spirit within you! Listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit! Maybe today you realize that you’ve erased or have not been listening to voice of The Holy Spirit within you. If so, I encourage you to begin to connect to His power and direction today.
This Sunday at South Side I will share our final week of our series entitled “Erased.” Worship begins at 10:15, and our Children’s Ministry offers children’s classes for all ages. We are continuing to practice social distancing at our services. If you are unable to attend our online services will be available at 3 on Facebook and our website.
If you would like to give generously text: 84321 then the word “help” and follow the simple instructions. We would love to have your family worship with us! For more information visit us on our website at: www.southsidewch.com or on Facebook.
In Christ,
Barry Pettit
Lead Pastor
South Side Church of Christ
