The Church’s Need For “Intercession”

Rom 8:22-27

22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

· For several weeks now I have felt heaviness for our church. I see the struggles and load some of you are caring. I’m concerned for you and want you to know I’m praying for you.

· I woke up early the other day with this on my mind and went to the word of God and said Lord I need something I can say to your people to help us with our problems.

· I read this portion of Scripture and realized this is where we are.

That is why I want to teach to us our need for intersession.

· Webster says intercession means, the act of interceding, it means mediation, pleading or praying on behalf of others.

· In our text tonight notice that the Bible says; The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also. “Even we ourselves groan within ourselves”.

· Look around tonight the whole world is trouble, there in pain, there tired and weary, there sick, there in need, there worn-out, but so are we.

· This heaviness is no respecter of persons, this heaviness does not care who it attacks, this heaviness effects the young the old, the rich the poor, the white and the black, it’s not singling anyone out, it has covered us all, the bible says “the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together .

· I don’t know how you feel but every now and then; I get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

· Every now and then a nervousness that comes over me, I don’t know why, maybe it’s just the stress and pressure of life.

· Every now and then I just feel like running in the corner and just crying uncontrollably.

· Sometimes I wish I could be just a-little child, so I would not have to deal with all that we have to deal with at times.

· Church let me tell you we are not alone, the whole world feels this same struggle, heaviness, and pain.

· Your friends and neighbors and family and yes even those you sit next to each and every night are feeling what you are feeling.

· Let me ask, have you ever found yourself in a situation where you felt helpless?

· Maybe you even felt unsure, you just didn’t know what to do or what was the right solution for your particular situation.

· You did not know who to call, where to go, how to fix it, how to deal with it.

· Let me tell you, we all face these kinds of situations in our lives.

· The most difficult part of these situations is just not knowing what to do, what is the right thing to do!

· I want to tell you something it’s great when I can call my dad or I can call Bro Livingston, or I can call another preacher, or even talk to my wife, and say what do I do in this particular situation.

· It great to have somebody to call on when your in trouble, it’s great to have somebody that’s been through what your going through so that can help you, it great to have somebody intervene for you.

· But what do we do when there is nobody to call, and nobody has the answer, and nobody can help you, and nobody has been through what your going through, what do we do then.

Romans 8:26..Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Church I want you to know “WE NEED AN INTERCESSOR”

We need the Holy Ghost to step in.

· Some here tonight are at a point right now where you don’t know what to do, you don’t know who to call, you don’t know who has your answer, and you don’t know what’s right and what’s wrong.

· The situation is out of control, the problem is too great, the burden is too heavy, and to battle is too fierce, the circumstance is out of control.

Heb 4:15-16

15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

· Church if we can some way some how can make our way to the throne of grace one more time, I believe that the Holy Ghost wants to intercede for us.

· The bible says, that there would come a time when we would not even know how to pray.

We would pray “Even so come Lord Jesus”

· The bible says there’s coming a day when “Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth”.

· Church I feel that heaviness, I feel like many of you are bogged down with the cares of life, some of you are lost in your own little world, your confused, your weary, your tired, your bothered, you wonder how can I work these problems out by my-self, how can I get a-head, how will it all turn out.

· Because of these situations many of you have lost your ability to pray, many of you just don’t want to take the time to pray, many of you refuse to press through in your prayer, many of you don’t believe God can move on your situation.

· But church here me, if we could in some way turn it over to Jesus the Holy Ghost what’s to pray for us, it wants to intercede for us, it wants groan for us, it knows the mind of God, and it knows what to say and how to say it.

· Church we are at that point, the need is great, the answer has not yet come, the strength has not been given, the problem is still there, we need and intercessor, we need a mediator.

The bible tells you and me, that the Holy Ghost is our intercessor.

· The Holy Ghost is willing to pray for us and intercede for us and groan for us in our time of great need.

· The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

· In the beginning before sin Adam and Eve enjoyed perfect communion with God.

· They talked with Him each and everyday.

· The world was a perfect place to live, nothing but peace, happiness and tranquility, never a problem.

· It was awesome, great and perfect.

· But when sin entered into the world, everything began to be affected.

· And every since then man and creation has been in a constant state of turmoil.

· There is no let up and no relief until Jesus comes back for the church.

Physicists call this the law of “entropy” (the 2^nd Law of Thermodynamics) … which simply states that everything in the universe is in a state of constant decay, it is a measure of the degree of disorder in a substance or a system: “Entropy” always increases and available energy diminishes in a closed system, as the universe.

In other words, nothing that can be seen with the natural eye, or touched with the hand, can be sustained forever in this world.

· When sin entered into the world this perfect universe began to decay.

· That’s why everything you put your hands on needs constant care.

· Everything we see needs constant care just to keep going.

· What about that new car you just bought, how long will it look new?

· Let me ask you a personal question, do you still look like you did 20 years ago?

· How about your house, do you have to maintain it?

· We live in a world that is in a constant decline, we ourselves must constantly intercede to keep everything right and properly maintained.

· Said that to say this, this is exactly what the Holy Ghost does to our lives if we allow it to intercede for us and help us and maintain us, so that we can be properly maintained.

Did you know that with all the wisdom the world has all the knowledge in all the doctors and lawyers, and teachers, and professors, scientists, all of the smart people in the world, there are still many things they do not know?

There still plenty of diseases that do not have cures for?

But yet with all we do know there are many things we can intercede for.

· When were sick we go to the doctor.

· When the car needs repair we go to the mechanic.

· When we need to learn we go to the teacher.

· When you toilet is stopped up you call a plummer.

· When your air-conditioning breaks you call a heating and air man.

It’s great to call someone who can help when you need them.

· Well now the Apostle Paul uses the analogy that the world is sick, it’s so sick it’s groaning, it is in anguish looking for someone or something to intercede for it, to bring everything back the way it should be!

· Church can I tell you, “All of creation is groaning” waiting for deliverance.

In fact Rom 8:22, says: “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now”.

· Paul uses a picture here like a mother in labor waiting for deliverance!

· I am convinced that we are at a point in our society where there is much pain, much confusion, much anguish; creation is looking for an intercessor!

· We know church what the ultimate intercession will be, but until then don’t forget you have the Holy Ghost that can make an intercession for you.

· It’s like having a spiritual doctors visit, the spiritual man is not feeling well, it’s sick, it needs to know what to do. Go to the doctor, He is still the great physician.

· We need to come to grips and quit denying it when something is wrong.

· Why should we be afraid to say I’m not sick in my body, but I’m not feeling well in your mind, I’m not thinking strait, I’m confused, I’m mentally drained, I’m stressed out.

· What’s wrong with saying were sick in our spirit.

· We’ve carried so much, we’ve worried so much, we been hurt, and let down, we’ve been disappointed, were tired of fighting the devil.

· Paul said not only is nature groaning but so are we.

· We are apart of nature.

· Like it or not our bodies are a lot alike, the same organs, the same feelings, the same hurts and pains, the same struggles the world has is what we have.

· And sometimes, things don’t work like they should.

· If the body can get sick, so can the mind, and so can the soul.

· If we can get sick physically, we can also get sick mentally and spiritually!

· We struggle many times not knowing what to do when we don’t feel right in our spirit and mind!

· Whether you realize this or not were three part being, body, soul, and spirit.

· And all three interact, if something is wrong in the mind, it’s going to affect the soul and spirit.

· If something is wrong in your spirit it going to affect the mind and the soul.

· I know we fight against that, we don’t want it to happen, but what I have found out, is that for too long we have tried to say it’s not so, when it is.

· And as a result people don’t know how to deal with themselves when they just don’t feel right in their mind, body and soul.

· We’re afraid to admit it’s too hard, it’s to tuff, I’m confused, I’m tired mentally, spiritually and physically.

· We don’t like to admit that we don’t know how to deal with a situation; we don’t like to say that we don’t know what to do.

· I want you to know that we all face those things, God made it that way.

· You know why so we would call on Him.

· But why is it that we go here and there looking for answers, we call this one and that one, often God is our last resort.

· I am convinced that the reason that all of us are feeling the desperation of the times is because it is rapture time, and if there was any time that we should be on our knees now more than ever it is now.

Luke 21:25-28

25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

· That looking up does not mean for us to stand around and look up with our heads in the clouds.

· It means to get as close to God as you can, it means to worship like never before, pray like never before.

· Listen church for the world there is no hope there is no relief, there is no physician, but you and I we have an intercessor, we have a mediator.

Illus: Back in October, 1982 in badger stadium in Madison, Wisconsin a packed house of 60,000 die-hard university of Wisconsin supporters were watching their football team take on the Michigan state Spartans. It soon became obvious that MSU had the better team, but what seemed odd however, was that as the score became more and more lopsided against Wisconsin they were breaking out in bursts of applause and shouts of joy! How could they cheer when their team was losing?! It turned out that 70 miles away the Milwaukee Brewers were beating the St. Louis cardinals in game 3 of the 1982 world series. Many of the fans in the stands were listening to portable radios … And they were responding to something other than their immediate circumstances. They were cheering what they couldn’t see, but what they knew as victory somewhere else! Even in the midst of watching their football team lose they had their hopes placed on someplace else!

This ought to be our attitude tonight.

We see much loss around us, were filled with heartache and pain and frustration, and worry, but never forget you can you can tuned in to victory somewhere else, were there’s peace happiness and joy, where there shouting holy, holy holy.

· The world has no signal to turn into, you and I do, through our intercession with the Lord.

· Let me ask how long has it been since you have lost yourself in God?

· How long has it been until you prayed through?

· How long has it been since you let the Holy Ghost become an intercessor for you.

· How long has it been since you prayed in the Holy Ghost until you spoke in tongues so long you felt a release in your spirit.

· How long has it been since you brought your problem and situation to the alter and gave them to God fully and completely.

Rom 8:26-27 says:

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

· Here is where the ministry of the Holy Ghost comes in for you and me!

· Yes we are weak; we don’t always know how to pray or what to pray for!

· Even when we do pray we don’t always ask properly or with correct motives.

· Sometimes we are even physically too weak to pray or emotionally at wits end!

· The Holy Ghost at such times comes to help us in our weaknesses!

· One man said that; Meditation is the soul’s chewing.

· Here’s what you need to understand, when we don’t have the words to pray the Holy Ghost does!

· When we don’t know God’s will the Holy Ghost does!

· When we are too weak, and to confused, and tired, the Holy Ghost knows exactly what to say, when the only thing we can do is groan.

· How many can still groan.

· Friend I’m telling you don’t stop praying, don’t stop groaning, don’t stop travailing.

· When we have the opportunity to have an alter service and you come and pray and you feel like you have said all you can to the Lord.

· Don’t let your mind tell you it’s time to get to the foyer and talk and fellowship stay there awhile and groan.

· Stay until you pray through, stay until you here yourself speak in tongues and let the Holy Ghost make intercession for you.

· I promise you its more beneficial to you than the fellowship in the foyer.

Did you know that the: the 911 emergency phone system is set up with our weaknesses in mind. all you need to do is dial those three numbers: 911. instantly you are connected to a dispatcher, in front of that dispatcher is a read-out of your telephone number, your address, and the name by which that telephone number is listed at that address. also listening in is the police, the fire department, and the paramedics. the caller might not be able to say what the problem is, or they are out of control and just screaming over the phone, they are not communicating they are so frightened or under duress … but the dispatcher doesn’t need the person to tell him where they are at, he already knows from the computer readout, and help is sent out right away anyways!

People are on the way to intercede whether they can talk or not.

IT IS AUTOMATIC!

· Church this is exactly what happens to you and I if we simply will fall on our knees long enough for the call to go through.

But if some way some how we stay long enough for the call to go through, you may not have the words, all you can do is groan, all you can do is cry and you can do is think and meditate upon the Lord.

· The intercessor is going to pick up and pray for you, talk to God for you, ask for you, work it out for you.

IN CLOSING LET ME READ TO YOU AN ILLUSTRATION:

A visitor was once walking along a high part of the shore of the dead sea when he lost his footing and so fell into the water. He could not swim and, in desperation and fear lest he should sink he began to frantically wave his hands in the water and shout at the top of his lungs! Desperately he kept flailing his arms and legs and shouting at the same time. This went on for some time until at last he was exhausted and felt he could do no more, he was too tired to keep trying to swim and decided to let fate have its way, then he found something he had not known, the water of the dead sea is so heavy with salt and other minerals that when he lay still in it he found that he floated just fine … It was impossible to sink! He could not drown so long as he just lay still … It was impossible to sink! He had exhausted himself for no reason at all. The very thing that he thought would take his life was saving it! He did not need to struggle at all, he was kept afloat by the power of the very substance he didn’t under­stand, he was safe! How true this is for us, we exhaust ourselves needlessly sometimes, when we could pray in the power of the Holy Ghost. He will bear us up; we cannot sink if we just rely on him! –

· Tonight I want you to realize that the Holy Ghost knows your mind but it also knows the mind of Christ. It knows our will, but it also knows the will of God.

· That is why the book says that the Holy Ghost is the great intercessor, the one who helps when we are weak.

· Tonight for those of you will heed the word of God, there is help, and strength, and encouragement for you through the help of our great intercessor.

Life is not easy for any of us!

· Even as Christians we all face crushing experiences; but unlike the world we are not alone!

· The Holy Ghost is a great intercessor.

· There are times when it is hard to pray, or tough to know what to pray for, and in those times the Lord has made a way for us.

· He has given us the great intercessor, His prayers are always answered, they are always correct!

· Always remember; “Only in quiet waters things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception given to the situation”.

· We’ve almost sadly lost the art of quietness, meditation, intercession.

· And yet it is the thing we need the most.

· It’s the churches greatest need and it’s our greatest need; intercession.

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