thenewharvest.org.za  · Web viewThe word intercede means to “speak on behalf of, to appeal and plead for.” It was used in the context of rescuing someone in trouble who has

Sermon Summary – Sunday 8 September 2019

The Groan Zone (Calven Celliers)

Have you ever been here? This is what I’m going to refer to as the “groan zone” – it’s where you sigh more than you speak; when your inner agony is so deep that you’re literally at a loss for words, you can’t even express what you’re actually feeling; when you cry and ask “Why?”; when you’re so confused that you just don’t know which way to turn; when you’re tempted to give up praying all together.

Read Romans 8: 26 – 28. The apostle Paul says that the Holy Spirit helps us, in other words He comes alongside to bear our load, it’s one of His divine roles in the lives of believers – Read John 14: 16 &17. You’re not alone when you’re in the groan zone. The Holy Spirit helps us when we’re weak and weary. In other words when “jy kannie meer nie” that’s exactly when God gets to work – Read Hebrews 4: 15 & 16.

And not only does He help us in our weakness, we’re also told that the Holy Spirit helps us when we’re perplexed about what to pray for. How many of you have you ever been at a total loss about what to pray for? Sometimes all we can get out is some sighing and a lot of crying. Well guess what? You’re not alone. Even King David, a man after Gods own heart, had moments like that. Read Psalm 5:1 and Psalm 38:9. Part of our weakness is our pitiful prayers. God is much less impressed with “perfect prayers” than we are. Read Psalm 34:18. Prayers muttered in broken sentences reflecting a broken heart are very precious to God. Part of what it means to be in a living relationship with Jesus is that you can be real with Him, there’s no need for pretence. Read Luke 18: 10 – 14.

The verb translated “helps” in this passage is apparently only used one other time in the New Testament, and that’s in the Gospel of Luke 10 when Martha asks Jesus to tell Mary to help her. As I’ve already alluded, it conveys the idea of helping another carry a burden. In today’s language, we might translate it as “to lend a helping hand”. The implication, of course, is that the Holy Spirit doesn’t just take the burden off of us completely and carry it Himself. Instead He offers to bear the burden with us and lighten our load. So that means that the Holy Spirit doesn’t just do everything while we just sit back passively and do nothing. So while the Holy Spirit certainly does His part, we need to persevere and do our part and to continue to pray, even when we don’t know what to pray. Waiting for the Lord in the groan zone should not be a time of inactivity.

“Fold the arms of thy faith I say, but not of thy action … heed not thy feelings: Do they work.” (George MacDonald)

“Rest in your faith, but not on your laurels.” (Calven Celliers)

When you’re in the groan zone, don’t let wrong feelings govern you, act against them. And it’s not simply mind over matter, you cannot do this in your own strength. Defeating these wrong feelings is enabled by the Holy Spirit as He empowers you to become all that you are in Christ.

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The second half of verse 26 tells us what the Holy Spirit does and how he does it. Let’s look first at what He does: “…the Spirit himself intercedes for us…” The word intercede means to “speak on behalf of, to appeal and plead for.” It was used in the context of rescuing someone in trouble who has no resources to escape. Stop and ponder that for a moment. The third member of the Trinity prays and pleads on our behalf, appealing to the Almighty. Doesn’t that just blow your mind? But wait. It gets even better! Do you know Who else is interceding on your behalf right now? Read Romans 8:34. We have two perfect prayer partners interceding for us at all times!

But not only is the Holy Spirit interceding for us, the apostle Paul says He intercedes for us with wordless groans. There are times in your life when, even though there are probably words to express your emotions, those words are just not sufficient, so you simply groan rather than voice words that cannot express the intensity of what you are feeling; which implies that even a groan has meaning. And I mention that to highlight that even though the groans of the Spirit in prayer on our behalf are wordless, they are definitely not meaningless.

It’s comforting to know that our Divine Advocate feels our feel, so intensely (because He’s not only with me, He’s in me, He’s part of me) and so when words are nothing short of inadequate to express what I’m feeling in the depths of my soul, He groans with me, in deep, yet inaudible sighing, expressing on my behalf what I cannot verbalise as I deal with all the garbage in my life. I am so encouraged to know that God's work for you and I is not limited to what we can understand and express with words. How cool is it to know that our thinking, especially in times of stress and groaning, is not the limit of God's acting. Read Ephesians 3:20.

And what should bring us even more comfort is that, as the Spirit groans with us and for us in the groan zone, He groans in accordance with the will of God. What the Spirit prays for us is that God would bring about the decisions and circumstances that would most magnify Christ in our lives when we are at a loss as to what the specific will of God is because of our weakness.

“Be encouraged that you are not expected to know the will of God in every respect. Yes his revealed will for you is always faith and hope and love. But whether to trust him to deliver from sickness or hardship or prison, or whether to trust him to help you die, you do not always know. And this text says it's OK not to know. There is one who knows. And he is praying the way one ought to pray who knows. Don't add to your burdens the worry that you don't know all the will of God.” (John Piper)

It’s important to remember that the point of these verses is that Paul is helping us endure the suffering and futility and decay and groaning of this world. And he encourages us by saying that our weakness in this world will always include some ignorance about what the will of God is and how to pray. We are weak and sinful, and Paul helps us understand how God is for us even in those moments.

When you feel weak, don't despair at your inability to know what to do or what to pray. At that very moment, experience the wordless groanings of your heart as groanings for the glory of Christ. And trust the Spirit of God to intercede for you about the specifics. Trust Him, that because He is praying for you, your Father in heaven will bring about decisions and circumstances that will magnify Christ in the best way.

What a gracious and merciful God we have. He has planned for all our weakness and nothing can separate us from His love!

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