Bazaar United Methodist Church

Bazaar, Kansas

Pentecost
John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15
Acts 2:1-21
Romans 8:22-27

The Great Nevertheless of God

We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit help us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:22-27 NRSV

When Paul wrote to the struggling church at Rome, he had not yet visited them. But he knew the difficulties they faced. So he reminds them about where their strength lies. "OK," he says, "so times are tough. But we have hope. We have this great hope of what is to come and we wait for it with patience, in anxious anticipation." Now Paul expected Christ's return at any moment so anxious anticipation may have been easier for him to come by than it is for us 2000 years later. Most of us aren't really expecting Jesus return at any moment. It would shock us if it occurred. But the fact is that it could happen and we should be prepared for it at any time. Would you live your life any differently if you expected Christ to return this afternoon than you do now? The answer should be a resounding "No." If it is not, then you probably know what you need to do to make that change. If you don't, then you and I probably need to visit one on one.

The creation still seems to be groaning as pollution, deforestation of the rainforest, and inequitable distribution of food and resources continue. And all of us as believers continue to groan as we see newscasts with North Korea claiming we are provoking acts of war, global terrorism continues, modern-day slavery, sexual exploitation of women and children, pandemics, etc. assail us at every level. Sometimes it seems the best we can do is groan and sigh and hope.

Paul suggests that we are doing just the right things. If such horrors make us groan and sigh; if they lead us into prayer where words are inadequate, given the weight of our concerns, we are in the right place. It is in just such a place that we wait with hope. (v. 24) Here we have to live by faith, trusting in God alone. But there is more. In this place where we don't even know how to pray, the Spirit pleads for us in sighs too deep for words. Other translations say in groans or groanings or unspeakable yearnings too deep for utterance. In other words, when we have no idea how to pray, the Spirit is still able to pray through us because the Spirit prays according to the will of God. This is why so many Charismatic Christians believe in glossolalia, the private prayer language that allows them to pray in the Spirit. Does that mean everybody should do it? Not necessarily. But just because you don't, doesn't mean others can't or that such prayer is meaningless or ineffective.

That the Spirit prays for us should make us feel a lot better about all of those things that overwhelm us and make us feel small and insignificant and sometimes like we are without hope. That the Spirit prays for us should give us great hope. It should open our eyes once again. If you were unaware of the Spirit praying for you, this should be one of those things that brightens your day; that sharpens your senses; that warms your heart. The Spirit pleads for us in sighs too deep for utterance; too far beyond human language for us to be able to say them. And what is more, the Spirit always prays in accordance with the will of God. The Spirit prays God's will. We never have to wonder if we are praying selfish prayers when we pray in the Spirit. The Spirit prays according to the will of God. Wow! What a relief! No wonder those Charismatic Christians are high on praying in the Spirit. They don't ever have to be afraid that they have gone off track when they pray in the Spirit! You can do the same thing. Allow the Spirit to pray through you, knowing that you are praying according to the will of God.

So Paul reminds us that hope that is seen is no hope at all. Hope that is seen is encouragement and it lasts only a short while. Hope deferred, on the other hand, is truly hope. And our hope is for something far greater than we will ever see which is waiting for believers; something that makes our present weakness, our present groaning pale in comparison, it is so great. It is what Peter Storey calls the great nevertheless of God.

Peter Storey developed this idea when he served as the bishop of the Methodist Church in South Africa during the struggle against apartheid. Remember that the Methodist Church was always an integrated church in South Africa.

Even while surrounded by the strong-armed agents of repression, Storey knew that the Holy Spirit was active in his nation. The government had all the power; nevertheless, God was with the poor in South Africa. The South African regime did not hesitate to use force in order to stop rebellion; nevertheless, Storey, along with Desmond Tutu and others, led the black South Africans in a peaceful revolution. The odds were heavily against the peaceful revolution; nevertheless, with God on their side, they were victorious. In the end, there was strong temptation to retaliate; nevertheless, God gave them a means of forgiving enemies and forming a reconciled nation. No matter what the odds, if God is in something, no obstacle can block the great nevertheless of God.

There is a poem that was found written on a cellar wall in Cologne, Germany where Jews had been hidden from the Nazi's. I believe it was written by a young girl but I could not find all the information on it. My kids used to sing a version of it in choir. The poem says;
"I believe in the sun
even when it is not shining
And I believe in love,
even when there's no one there.
And I believe in God,
even when he is silent.
I believe through any trial,
there is always a way
But sometimes in this suffering
and hopeless despair
My heart cries for shelter,
to know someone's there
But a voice rises within me, saying hold on
my child, I'll give you strength,
I'll give you hope. Just stay a little while.
I believe in the sun
even when it is not shining
And I believe in love
even when there's no one there
And I believe in God
even when he is silent
I believe through any trial
there is always a way.
May there someday be sunshine
May there someday be happiness
May there someday be love
May there someday be peace...."
- Unknown

We need to remember as this child did, that God is present even when it seems he is silent. And we must put ourselves in those places where we have eyes to see and ears to hear. We must allow the Spirit to speak to us and through us or we live lives dulled to the Spiritual, to the eternal, to the unseen Real.

This passage should give us great hope. We may live in difficult times; nevertheless God is with us, "guiding creation. . .to a future fulfillment of promise. We do not see the hope that we hold to; nevertheless, it is this hope that saves us and for which we are given patience to endure. The Spirit is not always as visibly active in the church as we might desire; nevertheless, the Spirit is increasingly attentive to our pleading, even to the point of bringing our prayers home to God when we are unable to articulate them for ourselves. We may not know what God has in store for us; nevertheless, the Spirit knows the mind of God and leads us [draws us] toward the will of the One who made us for God's own purposes."

The knowledge that we have been given the Spirit who dwells with us as close as the air we breathe and the blood in our veins, who prays for us when we don't know how to pray, who grants us dreams, visions and the ability to prophesy in God's name, such knowledge should be glorious to us. It should excite us beyond reason. It should be making us stir up the gifts within us so that we use them for the church. But we seem to be afraid to even find out what our gifts are, much less to put them to work for the church. Where does such fear come from? I guarantee it is not from God. Yet most of you refused to fill out a Spiritual Gifts Inventory. Nevertheless, you have gifts and graces for ministry and God can use them in the church for building up the body of Christ in ministry to the world.

When we step out in faith and hope into the great nevertheless of God, trusting that God is leading us on, drawing us into his plan even when we cannot see the way.
I believe in the sun
even when it is not shining
And I believe in love
even when there's no one there
And I believe in God
even when he is silent
I believe through any trial
there is always a way.
May there someday be sunshine
May there someday be happiness
May there someday be love
May there someday be peace...."
May we be those who bring happiness, love and peace because we know how to live in the great nevertheless of God. Amen.