Raise Your Sail | Max Lucado | Help Is Here | Oak Hills Church

49:35 facing right now? What's the big issue that today is interrupting your peace, your sleep? What's the question? what question could you have answered that would really make a difference? What's the prayer that you find yourself offering day in and day out? What's that uphill struggle in your life? Can you articulate an answer? Can you? I know many of you are thinking, I've got dozens.

50:31 But that's okay. Is there a way to clarify these challenges and put them in a word or two or three? Reduce them down to a phrase. Can we articulate the struggle that's holding us back? try that and get that answer and hold on to it for just a few moments. And before the end of the message, we're going to talk about how God will help you. God will help you. You're not alone. And I want God being my helper to help you see you're stronger than you think you are. And I'm going to come back to this chair.

51:27 at the end of the message. And we're going to talk about what to do with that problem. So don't let me forget to come back. That would really mess things up, wouldn't it? We thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to open your word. Now please open our hearts. Forgive our speaker. You know how many sins he commits. Grant that we can see Christ in just Christ. Through Christ we pray. and all God's people said.

52:00 Katie Spots and Laura Decker have a lot in common. Both are endurance athletes. Both have boats. Both made headlines when they completed solo trips. Katie across the Atlantic and Laura around the world. Yet for all they have in common, there is one massive difference and that is one rowed and the other sailed.

52:30 23-year-old Katie rowed, rowed, rowed her boat from South Africa to South America. Can you imagine? 2,818 miles. Took her 70 days, five hours, 22 minutes. She rode eight hours a day into waves and wind, burning who knows how many calories, her hands full of calluses and blisters.

53:07 Laura Decker, on the other hand, sailed. In 2011, she became the youngest person to circumnavigate the entire globe. Her boat, a two-mast 40-foot sailboat named Guppy, took her 27,000 miles. Took a year and a half to do it, but she made it.

53:34 I do not plan to follow their examples. I think I would rather have a root canal with no painkiller before spending months and months on the open sea all alone. However, if forced to choose between rowing and sailing, boy, I know my choice.

54:03 Do you know yours? The life that we have been called to lead is not an easy one. and it comes with tempests and tall waves. And the Christian life is not easy. Now don't believe anybody who tells you that it is. You've seen all the things that we're trying to do. God tells us to care for the poor, to comfort the confused, to tell the truth, to be good stewards of money, good spouses in our family, good members of society. Find our gifts and use them. Find the lost and reach them. And control our temper, our lust, our greed, our arrogance, our tongues, our laziness, our appetites, and even our grumpy attitude. Tired yet?

54:59 We'll sooner empty the ocean with a thimble than fulfill all of these statements and commands. How can we change the world if we have trouble changing ourselves? I have a friend whose 10-year-old son ran away from home for a day, and when he came back walking up the driveway with head hung low, the father said, son, what did you learn today? He said, I learned that everywhere I go, I take me with me.

55:34 Don't we all? We take our greed, our selfishness, our wounds, our warts. we do not have what it takes to be the person God wants us to be but here's the big idea but God does he has everything we need to be the person he has called us to be and as we continue this conversation about the Holy Spirit I want us to unpack the assurance that the Spirit will empower you to be the person God wants you to be and the person you want to be. You're stronger than you think because the Holy Spirit is nearer than you can imagine. This was the promise that Jesus made to a certain religious leader who paid him a late night visit. I've given him a nickname. His nickname is Nick at Night. Here's the reason. John chapter 3 and verse 1 introduces us to him. Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. Here's what we know. There were about 6,000 Pharisees, religious leaders in the days of Jesus in Israel. Nicodemus was one of the 6,000, but he was also a ruler of the Jews.

56:57 That is to say, he was a member of the high court. There were about 70, so that's a pretty special case. In just a moment, we'll find out that he was a good teacher. That's what Jesus called him. You're a good teacher. Now, that could just be a compliment, but it could also mean that he was one of the select few in this tribe of 70 that was called upon to be the instructor. He was perhaps a rabbi to rabbis. All that to say, Nicodemus was a very religious man with many religious credentials. He was more religious than a Southern Baptist convention.

57:37 This man came to Jesus by night, that's why we call him Nick at night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know you're a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. So Nicodemus was careful and he was tactful. He was careful to come at night because he didn't want to be seen with this upstart rabbi who was stirring things up. So he was careful. And he was tactful. He said, you've come from God. He gives him a compliment. He kind of greases the skids. Jesus, however, was not tactful, and he was not careful. He was forceful. Nicodemus did not ask a question, but Jesus gave him an answer. And Jesus answered and said to him, truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Now remember, Jesus here is talking to Nicodemus, who is a very, very spiritual man at least a very religious man he was he was kind of if he was if he was in rome he would work in the vatican he was very respected highly regarded and jesus said to this very accomplished religious man now you need to start over you need to go back to the beginning Time to go back to square one.

59:23 You need to be born again. That's a bit radical for someone as fraught, as recognized as Nicodemus. And the Pharisee was taken back, and he asked a question. He said, how can a man be born again when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? Now I want you to notice something, please. Nicodemus spoke only four times in this conversation, and four times he used the word can, C-A-N. First he said, no one can in verse 2. How can in verse 4? Can he in verse 4? How can these things be? So Nicodemus was really focused on what we can and cannot do.

1:00:20 His focus was on human ability or inability. He was the one who chose to row the boat. He was all about human effort, human gumption, human capacity. In his view, the gate to heaven is greased with elbow grease, that God helps those who help themselves. Jesus, to the contrary, made four references, not to what we can do, but to what we cannot do. He focused on not our ability, but our inability. Jesus says, as you'll see in we read these passages, we cannot see or experience the kingdom of heaven. We cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. We cannot give birth to the Spirit.

1:01:14 We cannot discern the movements of the Spirit. So the focus of Christ is on our inability, not our ability. Friends, this is a classic conversation. This is a classic conversation regarding how religious we need to be, how successful we need to be when it comes to spiritual matters. On one hand, you have Nicodemus, and Nicodemus represents all those well-meaning, God-fearing, Bible-toting, law-abiding, tax-paying, tithe-giving, candle-lighting, pew-sitting, scripture-memorizing, boat-rowing. folk. On the other hand, we have Jesus.

1:02:11 and what Jesus says is less about what we can do and more about what God does what he says is really uncanny I thought that was kind of clever but no one else has all morning so don't feel bad here's the truth Jesus said the truth is I assure you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of the water and the spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the spirit gives birth to spiritual life. You've heard the phrase be born again. This is where it comes from. Jesus wants us to understand what is required to enter the kingdom of God. Now, the kingdom of God is kind of an umbrella phrase.

1:03:07 It refers to heaven, for sure, but it also refers to living beneath the authority of God now and the blessings that come with that. So how do we receive the citizenship of the kingdom of God? we need to be born again born first of the water and then of the spirit now you have been born of the water that refers to the birth from your mother please raise your hand if you've been born of a mother just to make sure okay so you the first birth has been accomplished you're here now you didn't have anything to do with your first birth You didn't request it. You didn't facilitate it. But your second birth is one that must be requested. But still, the work comes from the Spirit.

1:04:03 In your first birth, you became a brand new human. In your second birth, you become a brand new spiritual creation. In your first birth, you became absolutely unique. there's no one like you in all of human history never will be again in your second birth you become an absolutely unique spiritual being left on earth for the time being to accomplish a work that God wants to do through you and through me no one else and then that being will continue into eternity in a glorified body in a perfected universe. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, were it not the work of the Holy Spirit, it would be impossible. The Apostle Paul said, no one can even say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. Because we are spiritually dead without Christ, the Spirit prompts us to say yes, and when someone obeys or responds, they're able to confess Christ. Now, if Nicodemus was having trouble following this, we can hardly fault the poor guy. I mean, he'd barely said good evening, and Jesus talks about a new kingdom, a new birth, a new power, but Jesus was just getting warmed up. Look at this.

1:05:33 He introduces Nick at night to an unseen force. The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. Jesus could use any metaphor to describe the spirit he could have called the spirit a wave he could have called the spirit a comet he could have called the spirit a beluga whale he had in a universe of metaphors but which one did he choose the wind the holy spirit is like wind. There's a writer, a Dutch theologian, his name is Abraham Kuper, K-Y-U-P-E-R, and he dedicated much of his career to the study of the Holy Spirit. His book is about a thousand pages long.

1:06:44 It's a bit dense, but it's good. It's rich. In the first chapter, and the chapter is entitled careful treatment required when it comes to the Holy Spirit. He's got this paragraph. Again, this is not from the Bible. It's a teacher, Abraham Cooper. I think I misspelled his name. Of him, nothing appears, speaking of the Holy Spirit, nothing appears in visible form. He never steps out from the tangible void, hovering, undefined, incomprehensible. He remains a mystery. He is as the wind. We hear its sound, speaking of the wind, but cannot tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth. I cannot see him, speaking of the Holy Spirit, ear cannot hear him, much less handle him.

1:07:42 The Holy Spirit is like wind. The Holy Spirit is unlike us. That's good news. That's good news because we need a force that is not like us to help us face the challenges of life. We need power which is unbuffeted by what buffets us. We need power that is stronger than what attacks us. We need a power that is not affected by what affects us. And it is with this power that we deal with these problems. it's a supernatural mysterious uncontainable incomprehensible power the Holy Spirit and the good news the wonderful life changing news is that power resides within you and within me that we are entrusted with the wind of heaven the Holy Spirit.

1:09:00 You are a temple of the Holy Spirit. You host the majesty and the mystery of the Holy Spirit. You have within you the wind of heaven. Oh, Lord, help us to understand this. I consider myself to be a bit of an expert on wind because I grew up in windy country. I was raised in West Texas. And the average wind speed is 12 miles an hour. There's always wind blowing, always. It's a great place for flying kites. it can be a great place for playing baseball if the wind is blowing in the right direction i knocked a home run once all because of the wind i took credit but it was the wind that carried the ball my dad used to see the wind blowing the dust our way and he would always make the comment Here comes Lubbock.

1:10:08 It was windy. A friend of ours in high school decided to capitalize on this wind, and he invested what little money he had in about half a dozen small sailboats because our town, believe it or not, has a lake. Had a lake? It's still there. You wouldn't call it a lake if you saw it. It was a pond. and it was built to have something to do with water distribution for the area but still we had a lake it was a lake and and and it had fish and it was big enough to contain sailboats now not these were surfboard sized sailboats okay we're not talking big with a single mast and a little simple sail You could lower, the mast was lowered, and the idea was you float out onto this lake, and you raise the mast, and then you hoist the sail.

1:11:07 My friend James and I were among the first customers when our friend made this investment. We showed up at the lake, we paid our money, we rented one boat, we both climbed in and pushed off, or pushed off and climbed in, I don't know, and for a time we floated out with mast down, sail tide we floated out and we felt like we were mariners we felt like we were sailors it was fun but then that little boat came to a stop and we did not know what to do west texas rate is is known for wind not sailors we did not know what to do i looked at james james looked at me and we shrugged we jumped in the water and started pushing and kicking the boat back to shore. And I wonder if that picture of those two teenagers, James and me, kicking the boat to shore, propelling the boat to shore, might not be a pretty good picture of many Christians who believe truly, sincerely, genuinely believe that the power of God to forgive a saint is adequate but the power of God to get that saint home to help that person through tough times.

1:12:29 Well, they think it's up to them. God may have enough power to save me, but I'm not sure he has enough power to propel me. Maybe I'm talking to someone who says that's me. If that's you, I think the message of the Nicodemus story is simply hoist the sail. That there is a power that can get you home. Robo-Christianity is exhausting. You'll be left depleted and desperate. But once we allow the Spirit, the wind of heaven, to blow our sail, we find fresh power. Nicodemus focused on can. The Christian focuses on done. we believe that God's power is enough to do it it's done and he's going to get us home how do we hoist the sail well first if you've not done so already believe on him whom heaven sent believe in Jesus trust the work Jesus can do and then believe that the same one who saves you now empowers you.

1:13:51 and he has begun a work in you that he will finish he is turning you into a new creation and you don't have to fight it and you don't have to beg for it no more huffing and puffing no more long lists of things to do living with that deadening thought that maybe you've done a lot but not done enough. You don't have to come to Christ as Nicodemus did in the dark of night. You can come to him in the light of a new day, in the power of a new you.

1:14:31 Here's the big idea. You really are stronger than you think you are. You really are. There is a power within you that will help you face the problems that you're bringing every day. So how do we hoist the sail? Well, my answer to this has to do with a chair. your answer could be a prayer altar. It could be a neighborhood where you walk or a park where you hike. For me, a chair is where I give my problems to God. So how you do it and how I do it might be different, and that's fine. Don't make a big deal out of the how.

1:15:24 but please hear me as I talk about the what. What we do when we hoist the sail is we have an honest conversation with heaven about the problems that we're facing.

1:15:47 In my mind, this has to happen several times a day. in my world, there's one long conversation early in the morning. I learned a long time ago that the best way for me to start the day is not by thinking about my problems, but by talking to the one who can solve them. And so, for me, and you do what works for you. For me, the sun's not up and I'm up. I'm probably still in my pajamas, and I have an open Bible and a cup of coffee. And I want my first thoughts to be, Lord, I've got problems, but I've got you a provider.

1:16:39 When you do this, dear friend, take all the time you need. Take all the time you need. Please don't focus on ceremony or tone. don't get obsessed about praying in the right way don't turn this into yet another burden what if I miss pray remember you're talking to your heavenly father and fathers love nothing more than for their children to talk to them and when you talk to him this is hoisting the sail You're inviting the power of the Holy Spirit to help you face these challenges of the day. It really helps if you can articulate them specifically. There's a verse in your Bible that says, be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

1:17:44 in petition there is a word that literally means a menu item it's something specific I don't mean like a restaurant menu but but something that's again it's great to say Lord I'm just worried but worried about what Lord friend Lord I'm worried about this conversation with my supervisor. I'm worried about whether the mortgage, if I'm going to have the money to pay the mortgage, I'm worried about what my wife thinks about this decision. Can you help me, please? And express it, put words around it, and present it to him. Let's do that, okay, for just a few moments. if you want to kneel or bow your head however you want if you take someone's hand I'm going to start this prayer but then I'm going to be quiet dearest father we are the sheep of your pasture the flock you tend hear our prayers What you're doing is you're hoisting the sail.

1:19:20 you're inviting the power of the Holy Spirit to help you. supernatural strength will come your way. you do not know from where it will come or how it will come because the spirit is like the wind he cannot be harnessed he cannot be coerced let's resist any thought that he has to reply to a particular formula or recipe He is the wind.

1:20:04 But He will come. He will. He has promised to. And you have hoisted the wind, the sail. And the wind will blow. Now, I know you want this problem to be solved quickly, don't you? You want God to be like Amazon delivery. I mean, you want it right now.

1:20:31 And that happens supernaturally, miraculously. And I join with you in that prayer. It could be, however, that God in this particular case will be less of a microwave and more of a crock pot. That he will let it stew a bit. Not in a bad way. but haven't you experienced that it seemed like it took a long time for the prayer to be answered but once it was answered it came at just the right way in the right time What matters is that you acknowledge right now your problem is no longer your problem. it's not you the Holy Spirit has given himself the assignment of helping you of being that unseen force in your life I also pray you'll feel encouraged I really do I also pray that you'll see that what's about to happen is wonderful extraordinary will God answer the prayer in the way you want the prayer answered?

1:21:48 Folks, that's out of my pay grade. I know he will do the right thing in the right way because that's his promise. Will you receive that today? I mean, really. Please. You cannot face this world on your own.

1:22:11 And you don't have to. Okay? thank you Father for your goodness and kindness be the shepherd of this beautiful gathering of people through Jesus. Amen. So we must be born again, Jesus said. So the first time we were born, again, we didn't have a vote in that one. But the second time we're born, even though the Holy Spirit does the work, we do make the request. Many people never request. They face the world on their own power, not on God's.

1:22:52 You don't have to do that. You can invite the Holy Spirit into your life. When you say yes to Christ, sins are forgiven, power is given, and eternal life is secured. That's a pretty good offer. So we're going to offer a prayer for salvation. And if today is your day to say yes to Christ for the first time, then at the end of the prayer, I'll ask you to stand so we can applaud your decision. Okay? Follow me as I lead us in this prayer. Let's all pray out loud. Jesus, I'm not perfect, for I have sinned. But I believe in you. Save me. Change me. Forgive me. I give you my life. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. Amen.

1:23:46 Thank you. Who would like to say yes to Christ? Do you have a physical birthday? How about a spiritual birthday and you want to make it today? Would you stand up so we can say hello to you and applaud your decision?