Running To Win

Dave Lutzer: Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and proctor of our faith. Jesus promised his disciples a companion who would be with them after he was gone. That companion is the Holy Spirit, and he's still doing for today's believers what he did for the original 12 so long ago. If you feel lonely, stay tuned for an encouraging word. From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Pastor Lutzer, was the promise of Jesus for a companion only for the disciples in the upper room?

How do we know it's for us as well?

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: Well Dave, we know it is for us by reading the book of Acts where the Holy Spirit of God was working mightily among God's people, but also the teachings of the apostle Paul. In Romans chapter 8, for example, he speaks of the fact that we are all indwelt with the Spirit, and he goes on to discuss the work of the Spirit. And I believe very deeply that this series of messages is going to be beneficial to people as they understand once again that the Spirit is for them. At the end of this message, I'm going to be sharing with you a very exciting testimony from someone in the Middle East.

And as we have been emphasizing during the month of August, thanks to some generous people, we can now double any gift that we receive during this month up to $90,000. Would you pray about helping us? Would you like to become a partner or what I like to call a member of the Running to Win family? Well here's some contact info. Go to rtwoffer.com. That's rtwoffer.com or call us at 1 888 218 9337. Now let us listen, and then I'll give you that contact info after the message. Can we just take a moment and bow together in prayer?

Our Father, we ask in the name of Jesus that every person listening to this message might by your grace have an open heart. Draw those who feel distant from you into the inner circle of your love and fellowship. For those Father who may feel distracted because of what happened this week, we pray for a special focus, a special interest. Overcome Father all reluctance to hear what you have to say. And then make us obedient to whatever we hear in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Let me begin today by asking you a question. What do you think of when the phrase Holy Spirit comes to mind?

What are you thinking about? Do you think of the Holy Spirit as some kind of a force like electricity or some kind of an impersonal force that maybe gives you guidance, but there's very little intimacy or connection? The first time I ever experienced a GPS was in Germany when Rebecca and I were there visiting our daughter and the son-in-law. He was in the military. And they had a car with a GPS. Now it spoke English and not German, for which we were very grateful. And here I found myself driving along taking orders from a woman I had never met before.

And she was telling me where to turn, how many yards it was to the next exit. But then we came to a certain place where she said turn around. And we just kept driving, and then at the next opportunity turn around. I thought she was going to say you idiot, turn around. But there was no way that we could really communicate with her. We couldn't tell her that the place where you told us to turn was under construction. There was really no personal element in that kind of leading. It was all one way and no connection with a personality, even though she of course was a person.

Do you think of the Holy Spirit like that? Or do you think of the Holy Spirit of God as a companion, which is of course the subject of today's messages, that you know that the Holy Spirit of God is with you and beside you and in you? And that Christ is there as we're going to learn as a result of his work. Now when the disciples were on earth, they of course had Jesus with them physically. And we like to think about how wonderful it would be if we could have been there at Galilee when Jesus was actually there.

When he was walking on the water, when he was multiplying bread. Today when you go to Israel, everybody wants to say that they were where Jesus walked. There aren't many places that we can say with authority Jesus was here. But on the south side of Jerusalem, there are some stairs that were uncovered a number of years ago by archaeologists, and they are the first century stairs leading up to the temple area. There's no question that if you walk there, you can say Jesus walked here. So what did some of us do? We walked up and down every one of those steps up and down.

We wanted to say we walked where Jesus walked. We think what a privilege. You know what Jesus would say to us? You don't have it right at all. It is good for you, he said to the disciples that I go away. Because he says if I don't go away, I can't send the Holy Spirit and the benefits of the Spirit being sent to my people far outweigh my physical presence here on earth for reasons that will become clear in just a moment. So today you and I have the privilege that even the disciples only entered into after the Spirit came at Pentecost.

What a marvelous opportunity and privilege is given to us. Our text today is the 14th chapter of the Gospel of John. John chapter 14 where Jesus is speaking to the disciples and trying to comfort them in light of the fact that he was going away and would die on the cross. And eventually they'd have to live without his physical presence. So he's trying to give them some hope and telling them that the benefits of his leaving were wonderful indeed. Verse 15 of chapter 14 of John. If you love me, you will keep my commandments and I will ask the Father and he will give you another helper.

Now I want to pause right there and say that the Greek word that I'm sure you've heard is paraclete. Paracletos. Para means next to and means to call. It is indeed a helper. It is a companion, somebody who is called alongside of somebody else who's in desperate straits and the paraclete comes along as a helper. Jesus is saying when I leave, I'm going to send you another helper to be with you forever. Even the Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him, but you know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

Wow, time to pause for just a moment and catch our breath. When Jesus says I am going to send you another helper. In English, let me say that we have a word for another, and it's kind of a standard word that is used in many different situations. I may say I have given you a pen and then I can say I gave you another pen even though that pen may be quite different in shape and size and everything else than the previous one. So there'd be a word for that. I'm giving you another pen. It means a different one.

It's not the word that Jesus used here. When he said I will give you another helper, the word that is used is one like me, one who is identical to me. Because he is going to represent me now and manifest me to you. I sometimes used to say that the Holy Spirit is the substitute for Jesus in Jesus Christ's departure and absence. That is not quite right. I want to correct that nuance and say that it 's not as if the Holy Spirit substitutes for Jesus. It is that the Holy Spirit is the one who brings Jesus to us during this time when Jesus is gone.

That's why the words that the choir just sang are so appropriate. Christ with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me. Wow, biblical in every respect because it is now the Spirit that brings Jesus to us so that Jesus at the Great Commission can say go ye into all the world and preach the gospel and lo, I am with you. I am with you until the end of the age. How is he with us? By the ministry of the blessed Holy Spirit of God. Now why was it for our advantage that Jesus went away?

What's the advantage? Well when he was here on earth physically, he could be in one place at one time only. Even after he was raised from the dead and was given this glorious body, he could travel from Galilee to Jerusalem in a split second, but he couldn't be in both places at the same time. So if he's going to be with his people, if he's going to be with his people in Thailand and Morocco and Egypt and Iran and Iraq, and if he's going to be his people because God does have his people even in those countries.

If he's going to be with his people all around the world, there's only one way he can do it and that is by his Holy Spirit. And so the Spirit is the one who brings Jesus beside us while he is absent from us physically. Now someday of course we'll see him physically and we'll even see his nail prints, but for now he sends the Spirit and says I'm with you no matter where you are on this planet. So that's one advantage. The other advantage is simply this that the Spirit is with you, Jesus said. You'll notice the last part of verse 17, but he will be in you.

In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit came upon people, sometimes left people, gave them the ability to do marvelous things. But so far as we know, the people of God were not universally indwelt by the Holy Spirit. That's a new ministry of the Spirit when the Spirit comes. You say oh Pastor Lutzer, I don't understand all this terminology. Wasn't the Holy Spirit always here? Of course the Holy Spirit is always here because the Holy Spirit is God. So he was here in the Old Testament. He was here before the day of Pentecost. But what Jesus is saying and my how important this is and how it deserves fuller elucidation.

But what Jesus is saying in the day of Pentecost is that now a whole new era, we call it a new dispensation has come. And that means that rather than people just being in a land, the Jewish race with all of the revelation from God, now that is being spread around the world. And so now we have a new era called the era of the church. And with that new era, God says the Holy Spirit is going to have a brand new ministry. He's going to be around you, next to you, beside you, but also in you.

That's why we titled this series of messages when the Spirit has his way recapturing the wonder of God within you. Wow, if we can recapture that, we'll have accomplished something. Now what I'd like to do is to help you to understand this word paraclete. And in order for us to understand it, it is variously translated and with good reason. God used a word that has many different ways and aspects and meanings because God says he's going to be everything that you need in any situation. I'm sending you the Spirit, the paraclete. First of all, the main meaning of the word means advocate.

He's an advocate. You know it says in the book of Romans chapter 8, and I'll just read it to you. It says this. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses. Do you feel weak today? Do you feel powerless? Do you feel as if you are being unheard, unappreciated, and that you don't matter? Well, the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses for we don't know how to pray for ourselves. He helps us in our weaknesses. He helps us to pray. The Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings to deeper words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

There are times in our life that are so dark, that are so puzzling, that are so grievous that we do not know how to pray. We have nothing to say to God, and the Spirit prays in our behalf. Rebecca and I know a couple whose son committed murder, and a book has been written about it. So it's no great secret, but I remember the mother saying that when that call came very early in the morning while they were asleep, she rolled on the floor. And she was there on the floor and she couldn't get up for a long time.

What do you say to God now? Is there anything to say? Groanings too deep for words. And the Holy Spirit who is an advocate prays. And out of the dust and the ashes of that terrible experience, believe it or not, many wonderful things has happened. Their son who is in prison today is leading Bible studies, leading people to Christ. It's an amazing story if you can get the total picture, but there are times that are too dark for us. And the Spirit says in your weakness I'm here for you. The Spirit even helps us when we sin.

He doesn't help us to sin. Let me be very clear. But when we sin, what does the Spirit do? He is grieved. In fact, we'll have an entire message in this series on the grief of the Spirit. But what does the Spirit do? The Spirit points us to Jesus because the Bible says he shall not speak of himself, but what he has heard from Christ he shall speak. And Jesus said he's going to glorify me because Jesus deserves the glory and the glorification, and he's going to point people to Christ. And that's something that we can be assured of.

There was a man who was walking through the desert and he didn't have a compass, but he had a homing pigeon on a long string. And every once in a while he just let the pigeon loose and it would circle for a while and then it would head in the right direction. And that's the way he knew that he was on the right trail. That's what the Holy Spirit always does. The minute you become intimate with the Holy Spirit, Jesus is glorified. He'll always point you to scripture. He'll always point you to Jesus. That's his work.

And so the Spirit is our advocate. You may feel today so broken in spirit. Can I encourage you? If you're a believer in Jesus and the Holy Spirit is limited to believers in Jesus Christ, those who are converted. You'll notice Jesus said the world can't receive him. So in the world there are plenty of other spirits, but they're false spirits. The Holy Spirit is given to those who believe in Jesus and trust him as their savior. So he is indeed an advocate. The Spirit is also a comforter. Isn't this beautiful? Maybe you came to this service today not expecting to be blessed.

We'll get over it. Get blessed. Would you please? You'll notice Jesus says in verse 18 I will not leave you as orphans. I'll come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more. Indeed he's going to die, be resurrected and go to heaven. But you'll see me. I think I should say it right here. Sometimes we confuse the visible with the real and think that if something isn't visible, it isn't real. Jesus is invisible, but he's just as real as if he were standing beside us on the Lake of Galilee.

That's the whole point. It's why I want you to develop a relationship with the Holy Spirit, this companionship. I will not leave you as orphans. I'll come to you let a little while and the world will see me no more, but you'll see me. And because I live, you'll also live. In that day you'll know that and notice the beauty of this. I am in my father, you in me and I in you. Can you get any closer than that? The answer of course is no. He says I won't leave you orphans. This past week despite my self-imposed busyness, I just thought to myself what would it be like to be an orphan?

Now some of you can identify with that and thank God for all the orphan ministries. And we think for example of as our own in India that we help support. But I would think first of all I'd feel very abandoned. Feel very abandoned as if you know I'm just left. Jesus said I'm not going to leave you that way. Not going to walk out on you and say well now do the best you can because your parent, and I'm putting parent in quotes, Jesus is gone. No no no no. I will come to you, Jesus said, by the Holy Spirit of God.

And you have to realize that I'm not going to abandon you. I'm going to be with you. So I think one of the feelings I would have is abandonment. I think another feeling I would have is what shall we say? A sense of worthlessness. I would feel as if I really don't matter. Why would I matter to anybody if my parents abandoned me, they must consider me worthless. I say to you today, my dear Christian friend, those of you who've received Christ and have the Holy Spirit, you matter to God. You matter to God so much that look at what Jesus said.

He's just piling one blessing upon another. He says in verse 23 I think it is if anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My father will love him and we all because of the Trinity. Can't understand this without the Trinity. And we will come to him, I and the Father and the Spirit. And we will make our home with him. God says those people out there who abandoned you, who think that you're worthless and have no account, just know that that's not the way I consider you. To me you are so valuable that the father, the son and the Holy Spirit thanks to the Trinity is going to not only dwell beside you, but he is going to dwell within you and be encouraged because the Holy Spirit of God is the comforter.

He's the comforter. And he will not leave you an orphan. Well my friend, this is Pastor Lutzer. I hope that you share my excitement about the ministry of the Holy Spirit. How wonderful it is that Jesus spoke about us and the gift that he was giving to us. A gift that he wants us to experience. I'm holding in my hands a letter written to us from someone who listens to this broadcast in Arabic in the Middle East. This person says I was raised in a different faith. I had secretly explored Christianity, but was hesitant to take the next step.

One day I came across an episode of Running to Win that spoke directly to my heart about God's unconditional love. The letter continues. Today I continue my spiritual journey with other believers growing in the faith and finding strength in the word of God. I never believed that I could follow Christ without fear, but God opened a way for me through your program. My friend, that testimony is your testimony. It's because of our many partners who support this ministry that Running to Win can be heard in Arabic all throughout the Middle East. I'm so excited to mention once again that thanks to generous partners during the month of August, any gift that is given will be doubled up to $90,000.

Would you pray about helping us? Just think about it. $10 becomes 20, 25 becomes 50. Of course 50 becomes 100. Doing the math is easy. What an opportunity to give, to make an investment. I sure hope that you have a pen or pencil handy because I'm going to be giving you some contact info. Go to rtwoffer.com. That's rtwoffer.com or pick up the phone and call us at 1 888 218 9337. What an opportunity for your gift to be doubled right now. Go to rtwoffer.com or call us at 1 888 218 9337. Thank you so much for joining us on this journey to the finish line.

Dave Lutzer: You can write to us at Running to Win 1635 North La Salle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60614. When the disciples of Jesus heard he was about to be taken from them, they felt a deep sense of abandonment. How gracious Jesus was to promise them a companion who would be closer to them than even he was while on earth. Next time on Running to Win, why their companion is also our companion. Thanks for listening. For Pastor Erwin Lutzer, this is Dave Lutzer. Running to Win is sponsored by the Moody Church.