Spirit Prompter

Memorial Day                                                                         05/26/19—Highland—Meute

“Spirit Prompter”

Psalm 67; Acts 16: 9-15; John 14: 23-29

Pearl: The Holy Spirit reminds us of Jesus’ Way

Function: To move listeners to call upon the Holy Spirit to remind them of their loved ones, the things they should not forget, and mostly the Will and Way of Jesus.

Whose voice do you most want to hear again? I am sure that might loosen some tears in your eyes as dear loved ones come to mind.

1. You are thinking of family members long deceased or recently moved on to the Church Victorious in heaven waiting for the great Day of Resurrection.
2. You are thinking of friends much missed.
3. Perhaps you are thinking of teachers, entertainers, maybe even preachers.
   1. I love listening to sermon tapes of one of my early mentors. As I listen he comes back to life. I find sometimes I can anticipate what he will say based on what I remember of him and his unique style. I know how he will pray. He always prayed the same “Prayer of Illumination” just before preaching: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” It was that simple. No flare. That would come later in the sermon, for sure.
4. If you long to hear the voice of someone again, or to be reminded of their love, I suggest that you ask the Holy Spirit to prompt you of their voice, their face, and their love.
   1. This is one key aspect of the Holy Spirit’s work: to prompt.
   2. A Prompter has a very specific and important role to play in theater. A prompter is a person seated out of sight of the audience who supplies a forgotten word or line to an actor during the performance of a play.
      1. When I served as the Youth Pastor in my first church, the other HPC (Hampton Presbyterian Church), I was responsible for the Christmas Eve Youth and Family Service. So I usually engaged the High School and Middle School Youth to prepare some kind of dramatic production along the lines of a pageant.
      2. It usually fell to me to be the prompter sitting on the side of the platform to help the kids. One year two twin brothers, Matthew and Andrew, had significant lead roles. One brother was extra charismatic and full of personality. We rehearsed his part once but he strongly felt he was fine and would be ready. So on the night of Christmas Eve there we were. And there he was out there in front of a full sanctuary with all eyes on him. He looked to me for a line. I gave it to him. He looked to me for the next line. I gave it to him. He smiled and looked at me for the next line. I smiled at him and I gave it to him. This went on for most of his part.
         1. Prompters are important to have around.
      3. The Holy Spirit is your prompter through life. Go ahead and ask the Holy Spirit to remind you of those dearest to you. Ask for the Spirit to give you dreams of your dear ones to help you remember them.
         1. On this Memorial Day weekend as we hold our “Ritual of Remembrance” we remember our loved ones and those who died serving their country. Do something new this year; ask the Spirit to remind you of their love and of their best moments with you. Enjoy what the Spirit will bring!

In the Holy Spirit you have a prompter standing by always ready to remind you of things you should remember.

Certain things must not be forgotten.

1. Several hundred French citizens recently scattered all over the beaches of Normandy where the momentous D-Day invasion took place and so many American and Allied forces lives were sacrificed that fateful, and awful day.
   1. These citizens had large, life-sized stencils which they placed on the ground and with a small rake scratched inside the stencil. When the removed the stencil the likeness of a human body appeared in the sand. They scratched into the sand shapes representing the thousands of lives lost that day. It was a sobering sight to see. It reminded you of something which should not be forgotten.
2. In the same way and from that same era the Holocaust in Germany can never be forgotten. Jewish people maintain the promise to never forget it and so is established a Shoah Foundation. Everyone else needs to remember it as well. For by remembering such things we may not be so apt to repeat such horror.
3. How can you remember the things which must not be forgotten?
   1. Ask the elders in your life to tell you the stories.
   2. Read your history books. Much thanks belongs to all of the writers of history who help us remember.
   3. Go to sacred and hallowed sites where dramatic things took place.
      1. There is a power you feel when you visit such sites.
         1. A couple weeks ago when we went to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation we stopped at the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre. Just like you feel in the fields of Gettysburg, PA, the energy is palpable and memorable.
      2. And again, ask the Holy Spirit of God to remind you of certain things. God will reveal to you what you should know.

This brings me to the most important thing for which to ask the Holy Spirit’s reminding.

1. Every day, of every year, of your short life, you should ask the Holy Spirit to remind you of the Way and of the Will of your Lord Jesus Christ!
   1. In the Gospel of John are recorded his recollection of Jesus saying something to the effect of “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you” (John 14:26).
   2. Above all voices of those near and dear to you, you should ask the Spirit to prompt you on the things of Jesus.
      1. I did this just the other day when I was asked to bring a devotion to the Mason-Dixon Ministerium. I wanted to bring some message to them which would inform them and remind them of Jesus’ priorities and how his Way might inform what we do as a Ministerium. So I simply asked the Spirit to remind me of something of Jesus.
         1. I was led to the scene of the Last Supper when Jesus took off his clothes, wrapped a towel around his waist, knelt down, and washed the feet of the disciples.
         2. So when I asked the Spirit to guide us we were reminded and prompted on the “Ministry of the Towel.” We were reminded of Jesus’ command to serve and love one another humbly. We were reminded that we are not above any type of service to others. If our Lord has washed our feet, we should wash each other’s feet.
            1. Jesus shared that lesson on the night of his betrayal just before his Passion.
         3. Jesus likely asked the Spirit to give him some lesson to share with the disciples on that fateful night so that the gospel would be advanced. And so he came up with this idea to do the very thing that the lowliest servant would do for houseguests.
         4. Does it surprise you that I would say that Jesus asked the Spirit for help in what to do and share? I am sure Jesus asked for this kind of prompting all the time in his prayers alone with the Father!
      2. The Spirit is there always standing at the ready to prompt you.
         1. Parents, take heed. Ask the Spirit all of the time what to teach your children. Ask the Spirit to give you the words and the ideas. Ask the Spirit to give you exactly what your unique young ones need to grow into who God is designing them to be.
         2. You and I are God’s partners in this life. God desires to have your help and interaction. Ask the Prompter! Look over at the Spirit Prompter. Smiling, Spirit Prompter will not let you down.
      3. It was popular some years ago to wear or write the letters WWJD. This meant you were interested in knowing “What Would Jesus Do?”
         1. Rather than simply ask that question, “What Would Jesus Do?” in a deeper way look to the Spirit and ask day in and day out for reminders of what is the heart and the mind of Jesus.
         2. If your heart and your mind are both in synch with your Lord Jesus then you will likely do the right thing.
      4. Is there anything better than being reminded of what’s in the heart of Jesus?
         1. You might get the same message over and over. Fred Rogers weighed himself every day and announced every day for the last 30 years of his life that he weighed 143 lbs. The number 143 was his way of saying, “I love you.” It was a message he wanted everyone to know. He told it every day.
         2. This is a message that the Spirit will remind you of when you ask for prompting. You will be reminded of God’s love for you. Every. Time.

The more that you remember the Way of Jesus and the more that the world remembers the Way of Jesus we pray less wars will be fought.

1. When the Way of Jesus is remembered and recalled amazing things happen to people.
   1. Lydia sat and listened as the Way of Jesus was related. The Spirit was prompting. The Spirit was moving. Lydia and her entire household were then baptized.
   2. When you recall what Jesus taught and when you remember his words the Spirit convicts and transforms.
2. Ask the Spirit of God to remind you of the heart and mind of Jesus.
   1. Amazing things will happen in your life.
   2. Amazing things will happen through your life.
   3. Simply ask the Spirit. God is faithful and will do this.
      1. Earlier in this chapter of John’s Gospel are recorded Jesus’s comment: “If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.”
      2. Asking Christ in his name means asking for things that align with his heart and with his mind. These are the things that Christ will do. The things which match up with his will and with his way.

• So ask. Ask away. Ask the Spirit Prompter.

As you go out into that cemetery today and think of the loved ones of your lives, ask the Spirit to bring them to mind. Ask the Spirit to have them speak to you. Ask the Spirit through them to give you some message that you need.

Most likely your ancestors and your loved ones will remind you and bring to mind the very heart and the very mind of your Lord Jesus Christ.