Good morning. My name is Matthew Capone and I'm one of the pastors here at Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian Church and it's my joy to bring God's word to you today.
A special welcome if you're new, visiting. We're glad that you're here. This morning we're continuing our series in the book of Romans.
The book of Romans is a letter written by the Apostle Paul in the 50s AD. It's called Romans because it is written to the churches in the city of Rome and it is about the gospel.
It's about the good news of Jesus' life and death and resurrection.
We are getting to the end of Romans chapter 8. If you read the congregational letter that came out in February, you know that after we finish chapter 8, we are headed back to the book of Genesis for the story of Isaac.
It shows up in Genesis chapters 25 through 37 and then the plan, Lord willing, is when we finish with Isaac, we'll return again to Romans and we'll pick back up with chapter 9.
So we're finishing chapter 8, which is about life in the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, and we're continuing a problem that was introduced all the way back in verse 17.
So you remember verses 12 through 17 of chapter 8, Paul tells us, look, good news, you've been adopted by God, you're God's children.
And then he tells us this in verse 17,
And if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
And so there's the problem. Adoption ultimately results in glory, but we have to pass through suffering first.
And so that raised this question that we've been kind of chipping away at for a number of weeks, which is, okay, glory, that's great that that's coming.
How do we make it through the suffering in the meantime?
Verses 18 through 25 gave us our first answer.
We make it through the suffering by meditating on understanding, realizing how great heaven is.
So the hope of future glory helps us make it through present suffering.
We spent three weeks working through that first answer.
Now the second answer is coming in verse 26.
We make it through present suffering because of the work of the Holy Spirit on our behalf in prayer.
So with that, I invite you to turn with me to Romans chapter 8.
You can find it many places.
One of them is page 7 of your worship guide.
And as you turn there, remember that this is God's word.
Psalm 19 tells us that God's word is more precious than gold, even the finest gold.
And it's sweeter than honey, even honey that comes straight from the honeycomb.
So that's why we read now Romans chapter 8, starting at verse 26.
Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.
For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for 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.
I invite you to pray with me as we come to this portion of God's word.
Our Father in heaven, we do thank you again this morning for your word, and we ask for your help.
That you would send your Holy Spirit to unstop our ears, to open up our eyes,
to clear our minds and soften our hearts, that we would be able to see and hear and understand and believe
everything that you've given us in your word.
And most of all, you'd show us Jesus Christ, that we'd see him clearly.
You'd grow our love and our affection for Christ.
You'd increase our reverence and our awe for him.
And you'd lead us in obedience to him.
And we ask all of these things in his mighty name.
Amen.
One of the great principles of Scripture that I mention to you all from time to time
is that God never commands us to do something that he does not enable and empower.
And he does that in a wide variety of ways.
God has a vast repertoire of things he gives us to help us.
The emphasis in chapter 8 of Romans is God's gift of the Holy Spirit,
the help that is given to us by the Spirit.
That's why verse 26 starts with the verse, likewise.
He's saying, look, here's the next item in this list of supports that I'm giving you.
God enables and empowers all your obedience.
Here's how he does it.
Here is another way.
In your tool belt, your toolbox of God's power,
here's one more item.
Here's another help for you as you face the challenges of life.
Here's another way that I enable and empower you.
It's not just verses 18 through 25.
It's not just a hope of future glory, but also, again, verse 26,
the Spirit helps us in our weakness,
for we do not know what to pray for as we ought.
Now, as we think about this word weakness,
there's all sorts of weaknesses that we experience because we're human.
The challenges that we face in the world are not just because of our struggle against sin.
They're also because of our own frailty.
There is this inability, this weakness,
that shows up in our lives,
even if it's not something sinful,
because it's part of being human.
There are significant limitations that we knock up against as finite people.
And one way, Paul tells us,
that inability, that weakness, that frailty pops up in our lives
is when we turn to pray.
And we turn to pray,
and our frailty means often we have no idea what to pray for.
We know we're supposed to talk to God,
but what is it we're actually supposed to say?
We hit up against our own significant human limitations.
So someone comes up to you,
they say,
hey, I really need your prayers,
I want you to pray for me,
and you say, yes, absolutely,
and then you go to pray for them,
and you realize,
what am I praying to God for?
I know what the problem is.
I have no idea what the solution is.
I'm not sure what it is exactly I'm supposed to be asking for.
There are situations that are truly baffling to us.
So you have a friend,
and there's a great tragedy, right?
They're facing a terminal illness.
You know that within a short amount of time,
this person will die.
So it doesn't make sense for you to pray for healing.
Death comes for all of us.
It's inevitable.
Maybe you pray for comfort or relief from pain.
Maybe you ask that God would fix their eyes on heaven.
What else?
What else can you pray that will help?
How is God using this within his greater purposes for the world?
Well, you don't know.
You don't know because of your weakness.
Maybe someone asks you,
hey, I really need you to pray that my kid will get into Harvard.
And you think, well, is that a good prayer?
Will that take them closer to Christ,
or will it draw them farther away?
Will that make them proud or arrogant,
or will they serve as a light for the gospel there?
Well, for some people, maybe that's a good thing for them.
Others, it's a bad thing.
And you don't know God's will.
You don't know if it's good or bad in this situation.
So how should you pray?
Should you do what they've asked?
Should you pray that God doesn't get them into Harvard?
You don't know.
You have great weakness.
And then, of course, there are situations that are overwhelming.
And this really gets at the groaning that's spoken of in this passage
and the passages that preceded it.
There are tragedies in this life,
and when they happen,
there are times where grief and sorrow and confusion is so overwhelming,
perhaps you feel like you can't even breathe.
Your spouse tells you that they want out of the marriage.
Your doctor tells you that you have cancer.
Your child has a severe and crippling disability.
You find out that your best friend has left the Lord.
Wars and rumors of wars break out,
whether in the Middle East or somewhere else.
And you want to cry out to God.
You just don't know what to say.
And you don't know what to say because of your weakness.
It's in that confusion that the Holy Spirit helps.
Verse 26.
The Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
In all of those situations,
the Holy Spirit takes your desire,
he takes your groanings,
he takes your confusion and frustration,
and he prays to God
for exactly what will be for your good and God's glory.
The Holy Spirit knows the groanings of your heart.
Remember the Holy Spirit dwells within you.
Romans chapter 8 verse 9.
If you're a Christian,
he understands your confusion and frustration.
He knows your inability and your weakness,
and so he steps in.
The Spirit prays to God
for something that will bring your good and his glory.
Now maybe you're not praying for yourself.
Maybe you're praying for another Christian.
Maybe you're praying for the parent
whose kid needs to get into Harvard.
The Spirit will pray for something
that is for their good and his glory.
You don't know what to pray for?
That's okay.
Because the Holy Spirit does.
You have a problem.
We have a problem.
Because of our weakness.
And the Holy Spirit helps.
The point is this.
You pray,
and you groan,
in your confusion.
The Holy Spirit
prays and groans with you,
but not in confusion,
with clarity.
The Holy Spirit
knows exactly what to pray for,
and he does.
The Greek word for help here,
speaking of the Spirit,
in verse 26,
means to come alongside someone
or to share the load.
So,
some boxes,
maybe you've had a box
arrive at your house,
has this sticker on it,
and what does the sticker say?
To man lift.
It shows these little stick figures,
right?
One stick figure on one side of the box,
one stick figure on the other.
Paul's telling us
the life of prayer
is like that.
There are times
when it is too heavy
for you to carry alone.
Good news.
The Holy Spirit
lifts as well.
Pastor Derek Thomas
illustrates this
with the story
of moving a piano,
which at one point
he had to bring into his house,
and so he had many men
helping him lift this piano,
and he said this,
I had my hands firmly
on a section
of the piano,
but can I honestly say
that I lifted
that piano?
The truth is,
the young men
were doing most
of the lifting,
even though I groaned
along with them,
as the piano seemed
to grow heavier
with each step.
Christian,
so it is in prayer.
Yes,
your hands
are on the piano.
Yes,
you are groaning.
The Holy Spirit
is doing
the real work.
The Holy Spirit
is doing
the heavy lifting.
The point is this.
As a Christian,
as you walk
in this life
and you face
your own weakness
and inability
and frustration
and confusion
in prayer
and life,
you are not alone.
The Holy Spirit
is there
with you.
Another reason
why Jesus' words
are true,
it's better
that he left us
so that he could
send the Spirit.
Another benefit
that comes
from what we saw
in Romans 8,
verse 9,
that there's this
indwelling
of the Spirit
for every Christian.
If you are a Christian,
you have the Spirit
full stop.
Page 7
of your worship guide,
the indwelling
of the Holy Spirit
refers to
his special presence
in every believer
in Christ.
If you are a Christian,
the Holy Spirit
lives in you
and what does it do?
Many things
including
groaning
with you
in prayer.
Verse 27
goes on
to tell us
that these prayers
of the Spirit
are 100%
effective.
Verse 27,
and he who searches
hearts
knows what is
the mind
of the Spirit.
That first phrase,
he who searches hearts,
is a reference
there to God the Father.
Knows what is
the mind
of the Spirit,
so God the Father
knows the desire
of the Holy Spirit
and why does
God the Father
know that desire?
Well,
27 goes on,
because the Spirit
intercedes
for the saints
according to
the will
of God.
So the Spirit's
intercession
is effective
because both
God the Father
and God the Holy Spirit
are members
of the Trinity.
They're part
of the Godhead.
Remember,
as Christians,
we believe
in the triune God.
That is,
there is one God
in three persons.
And so,
they are always
in perfect
agreement.
The will
of the Father
and the will
of the Spirit
are always
the same.
And so,
the prayers
of the Spirit,
the answer
is always
yes.
Remember,
the Spirit
takes your groanings
and longings
and confusion
and frustration
and turns them
into a clear prayer
for your good
and God's glory.
Pastor Tim Keller
puts it this way,
God will either
give us
what we ask for
in prayer
or give us
what we would
have asked for
if we knew
everything
He knows.
God will either
give us
what we ask
for in prayer
or
give us
what we would
have asked for
if we knew
everything
He knows.
Now,
there is one
who asks
for what we
would have asked
for if we knew
what God knew,
the Holy Spirit.
and so those
prayers
are already
being
offered.
Great preacher
Martin Lloyd-Jones
compares the work
of the Holy Spirit
here to the work
of a good
lawyer.
There are
certain situations,
if you've lived
life long enough,
you know this,
unless you have
a lawyer,
you might
as well
give up.
Now,
when our
congregant
Shabnam
was taken
by ICE
last year,
the task
number one,
find a lawyer.
Find a lawyer
as fast
as
possible.
They tell you,
you know,
the conventional
wisdom is
if you get a DUI
and it's your
first DUI,
what's the
real punishment?
The real
punishment
is the
$10,000
you have to
shell out
for a lawyer.
And they've
been saying
that for years,
so I bet
it's $15,000
or $20,000
now.
Why is it
people start
legal defense
funds?
It's for that
reason.
When we were
calling around
for Shabnam,
they were
saying,
hey,
the going
price,
$20,000.
You want
someone to
help you
get out
of ICE
detention?
That is
your entry
fee.
Why?
Because a
good lawyer
represents
you.
A good
lawyer knows
the right
thing to
say and
when to
say it.
The right
lawyer understands
the system.
He's been
there before.
He knows
how this
works.
He anticipates
the questions
from the
judge.
The results
with the
right lawyer
are vastly
different.
Of course,
you hear in
the news,
right,
there's
celebrity
lawyers.
Hey,
this famous
person hired
this lawyer,
you know,
charges $10,000
an hour,
and they've
helped all
these other
famous people
get out.
And why
are they
worth that
much money?
Because they
know how
to win.
they know
how to
get it
done.
Christian,
the Holy
Spirit
always
wins
his
case.
And
he
is
your
lawyer.
Wow.
That's
what Paul's
saying.
you have
the best
legal defense
possible
before God
the Father.
You feel
like this
situation in
your life
is overwhelming
and beyond
your ability
to comprehend
and process
and understand,
and you do
not know
the right
words to
say.
No problem.
You have
a lawyer
who does
know
exactly
what
to say.
I have
a friend
here in
town
who at
one point
was taken
advantage of,
defrauded,
we might say
abused,
by a local
businessman.
Actually,
a number
of people
lost money
investing
with this
man.
People in
our circles,
Presbyterian
people who
trusted him
and he
walked away
with tens
of thousands
of dollars.
And I
talked to
this individual
at one
point about
legal
representation
because he
didn't have
any.
And he
was trying
to basically
negotiate this
situation on
his own.
And he
said this
to me,
Matthew,
we ain't
got lawyer
money.
This is a
way of saying,
yeah,
we've been
defrauded,
we've been
abused,
we've taken
advantage of,
but I don't
have the
resources.
I don't
have ten,
twenty,
thirty thousand
dollars to
throw at this
case.
So we're
going to have
to figure it
out on our
own.
If you
are in
Christ,
you have
lawyer money.
You have
the best
lawyer that
money can
buy.
In fact,
you have a
lawyer money
can't buy.
You have a
lawyer who
can only be
purchased in
one way.
and that
is the
blood of
Jesus
Christ.
Why is
the Spirit
with you?
Because
Jesus rose
from the
dead on
the third
day,
ascended to
the right
hand of
God the
Father,
and sends
the Spirit
to you.
you.
Why would
you fear?
You have
someone better
than Frank
Azar.
The
strong man,
strong arm.
Now,
Martin
Lloyd-Jones
uses that
to talk
about the
Holy Spirit.
Funny
enough,
the Puritan,
Richard
Sibbes,
who lived
a long
time before
Martin
Lloyd-Jones,
uses almost
the same
exact
illustration,
but not
of the
Holy Spirit.
No,
Sibbes
uses it
of Christ.
The
Holy Spirit
is not
the only
lawyer you
have on
your side.
You also
have Christ,
and by the
way,
we're going
to see
this in
a couple
weeks in
Romans,
representing
you before
the Father.
Because if
you're in
Jesus,
you have
both.
You ain't
got just
one lawyer.
You have
two
lawyers.
Theologians
would say
you have
Jesus
standing
before the
throne of
God
interceding
for you,
and you
have the
Spirit
in your
heart
crying
out
for you,
pleading
your
case
in
heaven.
How
much
better
could it
get?
All
because
of
Jesus'
life
and
death
and
resurrection.
And so
Arkant
Hughes
sums it
up in
this way.
It's
page
eight
of
your
worship
guide.
How
marvelous
this
all
is.
We
have
two
intercessors,
one
in
heaven,
our
Lord
Jesus
who
intercedes
for
our
sins
and
one
in
our
hearts,
the
Holy
Spirit
himself.
How
greatly
we
are
loved.
Christian,
how
greatly
you
are
loved
by
God.
Let's
pray.
Our
Father in
heaven,
we do
praise you
and thank
you that
you haven't
left us
alone in
our
confusion
and our
weakness,
that our
future doesn't
rely on the
greatness of
our prayers,
but instead
you've given
us the
Holy Spirit
to help
us,
to support
us,
to intercede
for us.
We ask
that you'd
remind us
of that.
It would
give us
great courage
and joy
to continue
following you
in this
life to
the glory
that is
to come.
And we
ask all
of these
things in
the mighty
name of
Jesus
Christ.
Amen.
I invite
you to
stand for
our
communion
hymn.