Yearning for God: The Power of Prayer and the Holy Spirit

"Do you believe in prayer that much do you believe that something Supernatural happens when when we pray for one another and and uh and it's so encouraging to me when I hear that you're praying for me we're praying for each other one of the things I've been praying for you though is uh you know summer can become such a time of self-indulgence right summer is kind of the time where it's vacation it's my time and we want to entertain ourselves and try to find these different ways to just just have fun and and that's good there's nothing wrong with that God gave us all these things to enjoy but one of my prayers is that even as we're going out and enjoying all these things that there's this other side of us that almost um gets bored of that and where we want more and say well that was fun but I want more I I want something deeper kind of like Solomon King Solomon remember when he's like okay I'm just going to get all the money in the world you know and then I'm going to have all the pleasure in the world and I'm going to have all the power in the world and he gets all of this stuff and then at the end he's just this emptiness like still not happy you know I it's all about God it's all about wanting and longing for something more I and pray that that you're fulfilled in all these different areas in life but at the end that you walk away somewhat empty and going you know what I want something Supernatural I I just I want more I want God I I I just want to experience God I want to experience his power and uh it's it's it's kind of like one of our guys that was off in India one of members of our church bayak went off to India for a few weeks and uh bayra he was dating another Gall in our church Allison and uh he he went off to India for several weeks and he was one of the guys that came back and said wow now I know what you're talking about I've never seen anything like that blown away but on the way back okay while he's in India he decides I'm going to get engaged I I I want to marry Allison and so he you know figures out a way to get a ring and everything ready so when he gets back he's going to get engaged to her well on the way back the flights got all messed up and uh and he just had this short window where he was going to see her CU they live in different places and you know to get engaged and uh he's just going nuts right just thinking man I got to get home I've been away for weeks and I going home I got to get engaged and and uh so you know he's on I think it was Continental Air and and and they were very good to him and he he made the statement he goes they they put they put me up in a festar hotel just absolutely beautiful they apologized profusely but this hotel was one the nicest place I ever been to he goes but I felt like I was in prison cuz I wanted to be with Allison a right all the ladies are like a guys are like okay whatever but but you know it's it's just but but when he said that to me I'm like wow what a great statement then things worked out he end up flying up and we had a big engagement party and stuff but when he told me that at the engagement party he goes man I was in this fstar hotel he goes but I felt like a PR prisoner cuz I just wanted to be with Allison I didn't care about all this stuff I didn't even care how the room looked I felt like I was in a prison and that and when he said that I thought I pray that we feel that way I I pray that you know because our our lives are pretty good down here okay Southern California SEI Valley things are pretty good but I I pray that we have that type of heart where we go you know what I'm in this five-star Resort down here but I feel like I'm an imprison because I want to be home with Jesus it doesn't matter how good things are here I I don't even notice this I feel like I'm a prisoner like you know like Paul was just saying gosh I just I just want to be gone I want to be with Jesus do are are you feeling that see that's what I've been praying for you is that you're so in love with this person you know like like bayra was is like I'm so in love with her and we're going to get engaged and we're going to get married and I I just I just want to be with her I've been gone and so I don't care I don't care what hotel you put me in I'm just not happy here I don't want to be here I want to be with her and in the same way I've just been praying that our hearts would be that way with Jesus that man as as good of a time as you've had this summer and as great as life may be going for you that in your heart you're just going yeah but I still feel like a prisoner down here my heart longs for heaven my heart longs for Jesus I'm in love with him and nothing is going to be right until I see his face is that you to where he's going Jesus just come just come back today whether you're having a hard time this summer or you're having a great time this summer I hope your heart is just going it just doesn't really matter I just love Jesus I just want to be with him man is that what it's all about cuz I don't ever want this to be about religion I don't want this ever to be about oh we're the church that does all these good works it's got to be about us just madly in love with Jesus I mean it does that describe your heart at all this morning just feeling like I'm a prisoner down here I got to get to Jesus Jesus come come today I'm in love with you you see the the disciples if you have your Bibles turn to John chapter 14 the disciples gosh they were so in love with Jesus it it was just this crazy crazy love relationship and in John chapter 14 in John Chapter 13 Jesus tells his disciples I'm leaving now okay and and the disciples man they just their hearts just broke I mean when Jesus says I'm leaving that killed them because Jesus explained that he's going to die I mean imagine and some of you guys don't have to imagine because you've been through it and I've been through it with you where the person you love the most on the earth is dying and you just you just it it just it's the worst feeling it's it's just it's horrible it's miserable able okay that's what these disciples are going through they're's going here's the person that we love the most and he's telling us that he's leaving us he's going to be gone Jesus is going to be gone and so they're they are filled with grief and then in John chapter 14 Jesus he starts comforting them he's coming alongside his disciples and he says in John 14:1 he goes don't don't let your hearts be troubled he go man I I can see that you're stressed out I can see sad he goes but don't let your hearts be troubled he goes trust me trust in God trust also in me and he Comforts him this way he goes in my father's house there's many rooms many Dwelling Places if it were not so I would have told you I'm going there to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I'll come back and take you to be with me so that you also may be where I am okay so Jesus Comforts the disciples he goes okay I'm leaving right now but I'm going somewhere I'm going to the father I'm going to prepare a place for you see this it was an imagery that was pretty clear in their day because when a a a man and a woman got engaged the man would go away and he would prepare a place for he and his future wife to live one day so he'd go away for a while which helped keep things pure too you know he'd go away for a while and he's you know getting the home ready getting everything ready then he would come back come back for his bride and it's that same picture here Jesus goes I'm going I am leaving but you got to understand this is a good thing don't let your hearts be too sad I know you guys are sad you're bummed out but you got understand I'm preparing a place and I'm going to take you we're going to be together okay we're going to be together don't worry just like Jesus says to us today we're going to be together don't let your hearts be troubled and uh and then in verse six is that verse that we we well verse 5 Thomas says to him Lord we don't know where you're going so how can we know the way and then verse 6 Jesus answered I'm the way and the truth and the life no one comes to the father except through me so the disciples are like well how can we follow you to this place how can we get there we don't even know how to get there and Jesus goes I'm the way there in fact I'm the only way there and no one's going to get to the father except through me he explains you just keep following me and you'll get there you just keep your eyes on Jesus Keep Your on what Jesus does on that cross for you how he died for you Jesus goes that's what this is the way you just keep following me I'm going to die for you soon he's telling his disciples just keep your eyes on me I'm the way I'm the truth I'm the life I'll get you there we're going to be together so he keeps encouraging them then he encourages them with this in verse 12 verse 12 of John 14 he says I tell you the truth anyone who has faith in me will do what I've been doing he'll do even greater things than these because I'm going to the father and I will do whatever you ask in my name so that the son may bring glory to the father you may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it so then Jesus tells his disciples look okay not only you going to come to be with me one day he goes but I'm going to the father and I will still hear you from up there in fact from up there from me being with the father you can ask me for anything in my name okay and I'll do it I'm there I will hear your prayers so he's comforting his disciples saying okay guys don't be so freaked out don't be so sad don't be so stressed out I'm going to prepare a place for you I'm going to bring you there in fact in the meantime you can still talk to me and I will hear you from heaven and I'll do whatever you ask in my name and so the disciples are listening to this but then he gives them the ultimate encouragement in verse 16 this is the greatest Comfort to them he says and I will ask the father and he'll 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 okay so when he leaves the Earth he tells them this he goes okay and here's the ultimate thing I'm going but I'm going to send someone else down okay imagine being a disciple okay are are you try try to pict yourself in that crowd I mean you've been with Jesus for three and a half years you've seen the Miracles you've fallen in love with him you realize he's the son of God now he says I'm leaving and and he encourages he going man you can pray to me I'm coming back for you he goes but but I'm going to send another counselor another counselor and this word for anothers there's there's two different ways to uh to to you you know for us in English to to say this I'm totally confused I'm like half asleep I've been just everywhere sorry um there are two how do you say it two okay thank you okay there are two it can either mean mean it can either mean another like another in the sense of a different kind of counselor or it can mean another that is just alike thank you whoever said to um another of the same another that is just like me and in the Greek what he is saying here is I'm sending you another that is just like me okay it's just as though I haven't gone I mean he's he's just he's the same kind he's not another like a different counselor he goes another one just like me is going to come another counselor and this word for counselor um John is the only one that uses this word as a noun it it is is this is verb in in the Greek paraco which you know where we get the word like paraclet you know someone that comes alongside it's it's it's this this picture of uh um to come alongside it's a word we use to encourage as you encourage each other you exort each other it's a picture I think I've shared before like a coach you know coming alongside a marathon runner you know and he's running alongside going either pick up the pace or you know slow down or you're doing great you know it that that's the idea of someone coming alongside a counselor see the disciples have had Jesus all along right and Jesus is walking them telling them what to do hey do this do that hey that's all wrong why are you guys fighting you know he's constantly with them and he goes okay I'm going to heaven but I'm going to send someone down it's it's going to be another counselor okay another one just like me you know that's why in the old it's it's so confusing okay I'm not going to pretend that I understand the Holy Spirit okay I understand things about the Holy Spirit but to understand him and understand how how can he be just like you and how how come in this passage Jesus says you know to Thomas you know look if you've seen me you've seen the father was it Thomas or philli um Phillip okay two okay there he says to Phillip you know if if you've seen me you've seen the father okay wait Jesus so if I've seen you i' seen the father like you guys are the same but you're not and then he says and I'm going to send another counselor another one that's just like me and it's like what he's just like you wait but there's one God the Bible tells me that and yet you you talk about God the Father and then you you say that you're the Son of God and that that if we see you that we've seen the father and then you talk about this other counselor that you're going to send down that's just like you I don't get it I mean I I believe it I know that there there you know that this is true and yet to say that I understand uh this this God who exists as the father and as the son and as the spirit and are separate and yet they they are one and there is just one God you know we don't have time to dive into all the theology behind that let's just let's just all admit um we don't get it completely that there are things about God that the Bible says there are secret things that belong to the Lord but then there's other things that are revealed that belong to us and to our children and we need to focus on the things that are revealed the things we know and we're going to camp out and talk about the Holy Spirit for a couple of weeks but I don't want to talk about the things that are questionable or the things that we may argue about and sometimes we we try to figure out stuff that isn't revealed as clearly there are so many things that are revealed about the holy spirit that we all agree on and those are the things we need to dwell on and be blown away by and sometimes we just think ah those things have gotten old and it's like man don't let this stuff get old I mean he's saying he's sending another counselor who's going to be with us forever but he says you know him because he lives with you and will be in you you okay Jesus says it's going to be different it's different he goes you know how I've been walking with you guys he tells the disciples we've been walking around for the last three and a half years I've been showing you all this stuff I'm doing Miracles he goes now when the other counselor comes he's actually not going to just walk alongside of you he's going to come inside of your body I am going to come inside of your human body he will be inside of you the holy spirit of God is actually going to come inside of your human body now do you hear that and go yeah I know I I learned that in Sunday school when I was a kid or do you do you sit there and just do you still Marvel at that I I mean honestly I mean do you just sit here and go man so I'm not up here by myself right now like right now as I'm talking Supernatural things are going on that I don't even get Man In the Flesh I'm tired my head's in like 10 different places and it doesn't even matter because the spirit of the Living God is inside this body see Jesus was telling his disciples look I'm going away but don't worry I'm sending another one to you and and he's just like me but it's different because he's actually going to be inside of you so now not only am I going away to prepare a place for you I'm going to come back and take it to be with me wherever wherever I am but you can talk to me while I'm up there with the father and I'll do whatever you ask and not only that but I'm going to send another one just like me as I go I'm going to send him down and he's actually going to be inside of you and so that's why later he goes so you're going to be able to do even greater things than what you've been doing you're going to do even greater things because now you've got me to pray to up in heaven right there with the father I'll hear everything that you say he goes and I'm going to send another one just like me and he's not just going to walk alongside of you he's actually going to be inside of you pretty amazing stuff you guys we're we're going to spend uh these two weeks talking about the Holy Spirit and I was so frustrated because I'm looking at all these verses the last couple of weeks going there's no way I'm going to get through it all there's no way and and so understand the goal in these two weeks is not to completely understand him because we can't first of all um but what I really want to do is I want us to internalize what we know because you guys think about it the first church the early church that was crazy wasn't it when you read in the book of Acts what the first church did I mean it was just nuts they just changed the world but understand it was all by the power of the Holy Spirit but secondly understand it was not from them sitting in an upper room and doing a bible study on the Holy Spirit they didn't know they didn't know squat about the Holy Spirit they had no clue what the Holy Spirit was going to do they just sat in that upper room and they prayed and they waited because Jesus told them to and said don't don't leave yet just just pray for the Holy Spirit wait for the Holy Spirit wait till he comes cuz when he comes then you're going to have power they didn't understand probably most of us in this room know more about the Holy Spirit than those early Believers did our Theology of the holy spirit is greater than theirs so the success of that early church was not because they had so much knowledge of the Holy Spirit but what they knew they truly internalize and they truly believe and that's my prayer for us I think it would be great it would be great if all of you went to our college and took a course on theology one and just understood everything you could about the Holy Spirit I think that's a great and wonderful thing to do and I hope you do it sometime I I mean I don't know of another church where you have an opportunity to actually just take college courses you know and and just just go and and get this knowledge I think that knowledge is great but at the same time and I do hope you do that at the same time my hunch is is that most of you in this room know quite a bit about the Holy Spirit but you haven't experienced him in a long time my hunch is is that many of you know about him but you haven't been experiencing his power lately and that you want more of that I I and maybe some of you in this room you feel like you're fighting for survival in your Christian Life you feel like you're you're just Holding On by a thread Sometimes some of you maybe you feel alone like gosh I'm alone in this I I am I going to pull this thing off you guys that's not how Jesus wanted us to feel I mean are you reading this passage Jesus is telling his disciples going man don't don't get scared I'm not leaving you alone okay Jesus this whole thing I mean when when you read this passage and do it if you if you have time this week you do have time this week so so just do it read like John 14 all the way through 16 John 14-16 what he says because I don't have time to go through it all but it's so beautiful cuz he starts off with this peace he don't let your hearts be troubled and then he ends at the end of chapter 16 with peace and all the way through he's going man I just want you to have peace I want you to have peace I want you to have peace I don't want you to feel scared I don't want you to feel alone I don't want you to feel worried I'm going to send my spirit down there and he's going to be in you so you'll never be alone are you experiencing that see cuz I struggle I struggle with stress I struggle with stress I mean I just recently again man my heart started freaking out and doing that you know like like just think oh man I'm getting stressed again and every time I do it it's because I take my eyes off the Holy Spirit and and I start thinking that I'm alone or something and I start thinking like I have to do all this stuff by my own power and you get freaked out and the Bible Jesus saying I don't want you to live that way I don't want you to be scared I I mean some of you guys are scared of whether or not you're really going to be able to live your life for Jesus right sometimes you look at the rest of your life go am I going to pull this off am I going to keep living for him I mean I feel so tempted sometimes you you go man and I get this persecution from people and and I just feel like I'm by myself sometimes and you and and God doesn't want you to feel that way we've been doing this study here you know while I've been gone on the on the one another's right and you're hearing this week after week you hear these messages like oh yeah I should love other people I should walk in and actually care for the people around me and and and uh you know and and we're talking about okay Saturday nights we're we're actually in groups talking to people and praying for each other and doing all these one anothers and in your heart you know I mean if some of you are honest you're go man I I don't really have a desire to do all that stuff I I don't even like to greet one another when you do the greeting time why don't we just text each other you know why don't we you know can we just do this can we do that you know and and and then you know you start reading all these commands in the Bible and and how God wants us to live and you're just like oh can I do that all can I really start loving people like that and God saying you know what I don't want you to be scared of all of this I'm going put my spirit in you to enable you to do those things see if you read in verse 23 and I love this 3:23 I mean I'm sorry 14:23 John just reminding them they're not alone Jesus replied if anyone loves me he'll obey my teaching my father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him he who does not love me will not obey my teaching these words you hear are not my own they belong to the father who sent me so Jesus tells the disciples he goes okay if you guys love me Jesus just saying just love me just be in love with me just keep loving me I'm going to be gone but keep loving me he goes if you love me you you'll obey my teaching he goes and you know what's going to happen happen is is I love this phrase he goes my father will love you God the Father will love you can you just love us and we'll love you back okay my father will love you I will love you and it says and we will come and make our home with you will come to you so so right now right now God God God the one who made you you know you're breathing right now just because of him okay you're moving you're you're feeling everything all because of him the god who's making this Universe you know spin around the Sun and keeping us warm and keeping us alive somehow that God says that you know just love me and I'll come down there and I'll live with you I'll make my home with you what a great phrase I'm going to make my home with you Jesus is that yeah and I'm the father's going to come I'm going to come we're going to make our home with you I'm not alone I'm not alone on the stage okay so I've got God the Father God the son God the Holy Spirit making their home with me what am I freaked out about what am I scared of I got to remember these promises I got to claim these promises that I'm not alone you're not alone and then in verse 25 he says all this I've spoken well with you but the counselor the Holy Spirit whom the father will send in my name he'll teach you all things he'll remind you of everything I said Peace I leave with you my peace I give to you I don't give to you like the world gives don't let your hearts be troubled and don't be afraid he says it again he goes man I'm going to send the counselor I'm going to send the Holy Spirit and he'll teach you everything he's going to remind you see and that's so good it's so good to know you know because sometimes I'm like man are they going to remember what I said last week are they going to remember any of and he goes don't worry why do you think like you're going to do it all you know he will teach them everything he will remind us of everything just remember it's him doing it that's why he says don't let your hearts be troubled don't be stressed out he don't be afraid don't be scared you've got the Living God inside of you what are you scared of what are you stressed out about is is is the world going to come to an end without you you know I mean does God really need your help everything's going to be fine and God's spirit is in you in in John 15 verse 26 he says when the counselor 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 so I don't have to feel like I got to I got to get these people to believe in Jesus the Bible says the holy spirit's going to come and he's going to testify okay probably the most fascinating thing though and I'll close with this is is John 16 look at John 16 this is the most fascinating encouragement is John 16:7 but I tell you the truth it is for your good that I am going away unless I go away the counselor will not come to you but if I go I will send him to you when Jesus says it's to your Advantage it's for your good that I'm leaving he goes because in order for the Holy Spirit to come I've got to go and this is actually going to be better for you that the holy spirit is here than for me to be here see because was for so many years I I just thought gosh it's it'd be so much easier to be one of the disciples you know having Jesus by my side 24 hours a day I mean that'd be so easy right I mean how can you screw up when Son of God is walking with you you know and you know bad thought comes to your head and he's next to you going I know what you're thinking you know and it's like ah you're right you're right you're right you know and and just everywhere how hard would it be to witness this is Jesus you know I mean it just would be so sinking easy being a disciple because you've got Jesus right there and he can testify about himself he can do a miracle you know whatever and he's keeping me pure and I feel so safe so secure if I could see Jesus right there side by if I could have him on the stage right now feel so secure like you guys better listen listen you know and and then for him to say okay this is even better than that do you believe that do you believe that what you have right now inside of you is better than what the disciples had with Jesus walking by their side and it's to our advantage CU he says in the next verse he says in verse 8 it goes you see when he comes he'll convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment see he says when he comes when the Holy Spirit comes he's going to convict the world see don't you feel a lot of times like you need to convict people don't you look at some of your friends you open up the word of God and you try to convict them and you just feel like I'm never going to get through to this person they're never going to get it and the Bible's saying man you're you're trusting in yourself it's not your job to convict the Holy Spirit when he comes he's going to convict man it's just such a comfort because we live in a world where it appears as though no one is convicted about anything and they're just living however they want to and I'm never going to get them to to to to feel convicted about their sin and the Bible says no when the Holy Spirit comes he will he will he will convict the world of their sin see I don't have to walk up here and go okay I got to try to convict the people this week you're going to be convicted some of you will lie and pretend you know you'll pursue things that aren't of God you'll pursue your sin and go I feel perfectly fine about this but you're lying you're convicted there are things in your life you try to justify but you can't you're convicted there are people who say oh I don't fear death I'll just see God when I see him and everything cool no you don't really believe that you know there's a fear of death there's a fear of coming before God and a fear of judgment you say oh no I feel good I feel like I'm a good person no not when you're alone maybe you're all your friends tell you you're a good person but then you look at your life and you know what you've done and you're convicted because the Holy Spirit does that to you and so I don't have to go around trying to play Holy Spirit holy spirit's down here and he's convicting the world of sin and righteousness and judgment so I don't have to feel alone and you don't have to feel alone as you're trying to tell people about Jesus the holy spirit says he'll testify for you he'll testify about Jesus verse 12 he'll guide you into all truth when the Holy Spirit comes he'll guide you into all truth verse 14 he'll bring glory to me Isn't that cool the holy spirit will bring glory to Jesus see sometimes I just think okay I got to bring glory to God I got to bring glory to God holy spirit will do it he'll do it he'll do it through me he'll guide me into all truth sometimes I feel so inadequate to Pastor to to teach cuz man some of the people I run with are so stinking smart you know and and sometimes they get in these theological conversations over lunch and I'm just sitting there going oh yeah huh uhuh totally did you guys watch 24 last week you know it it's just like what an idiot like I I just go man I can't do this I don't even know what you guys are talking about you know and and I can look at my own faults and just go gosh I am never going to have any impact the Bible says you know what it's not about you the Holy Spirit he'll guide you into all truth it's not about who's the smartest person on this Earth who knows the most you know it's it's about this Holy Spirit that's going to come and just change our lives completely youy guys I want us to pray just for an outpouring of the holy spirit in our lives and in this church and I don't even know what that looks like completely and I know what some of you are thinking right now as I say this some of you like me you grew up in conservative churches just great and you've got a conservative theology I do too and when people talk about the Holy Spirit too much it makes you a little nervous let's be totally honest here when you read the book when you read this book and you read about what the Holy Spirit does and I'm talking to those of us who grew up in pretty conservative churches when you read these passages about the Holy Spirit doesn't your own Spirit go I know there's more I know there's more than what I've experience and I know it's not all about feeling and all about experience and everything else and yet there's something more and I want the supernatural I mean if if the spirit of God is in me and it's better than having Jesus man there sure was a lot going on when Jesus was there and there's got to be more going on in this body in this life through me if I can really have that type of power to put to death sin and I'm not going to try to muster up Miracles just to have Miracles but shouldn't there be a lot more Supernatural going on in my life if the holy spirit of God really does live in here man don't you feel that sometimes don't just in your spirit just cry out like I know there's something more and I got to have it that's all I'm talking about I don't know what it looks like I don't know just like that early church they didn't know what was going to H do you think they knew that suddenly these tongues of fire were going to come on them and they're going to start speaking in different languages or whatever else we can't plan out for what the holy spirit's going to do he's like the wind that just comes and goes you don't know where he's coming where he's going man that that there's there's just I don't know what he's going to do in my life I just still believe man as much as I've experienced of God in my lifetime I know there's more when I read the Bible I go there's more more there's more he wants for me this is not all he wants for my life there's something more I mean isn't there when I say that isn't there something in your own spirit that goes I know I feel the same thing about myself this is not all God has for me on this Earth there's more and it's all up to the power of the Holy Spirit that's all it's about and I want us to pray for that not totally understanding him but just like those Apostles in the upper room just said God I don't I don't understand you told me this spirit's going to come and to have power I don't know what it's going to look like but I want it I want it in my life because I'm tired of living this way I'm tired of this Earth I want to see your power why don't you spend some time right now just praying for that pray that for yourself pray that for the people sitting around you right now just pray for something you don't completely understand but just more power in your life more of the supernatural just pray for that right now the worship team's going to come up and maybe you need some prayer there'll be people in the prayer room but right now just just pray for yourself that the Holy Spirit would Empower you and blow your mind" [00:00:54]