“HELP NEEDED” By Pastor YAU

Text: Hebrews 4:14-16 July 1, 2012.

INTRODUCTION:

1) A nation needed help: During World War II, the British Isles represented the last line of resistance against the sweeping forces of Nazi oppression in Europe. Under relentless attack and in danger of collapse, Britain lacked the resources to see the conflict through to victory. For that reason, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill went on BBC radio and appealed to the world: “Give us the tools, and we will finish the job.” He knew that without help from the outside, they could not endure the assault they were facing much less to victory.

2) A person needs help: Life is very much like that. Often, we are inadequate for the troubles life throws at us and we need help from outside of ourselves. As members of the body of Christ, the help may come at times from our Christian brothers and sisters, (Romans 12:10-13) and that is a wonderful thing. But ultimately, however, we need to seek help from our heavenly Father. The good and great news is that our God has invited us to come to Him confidently: “Let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:16)

SOMETHING ABOUT “NEED HELP”:

1) Look at the nature of God: Although the Trinity, God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, is complicated for many to understand, the supernatural nature of God shows us that it takes three persons to complete the unity of God. The three persons in the nature of God bring to the front the interlocking, supporting, fulfilling nature of God. While God is One not Three, but each of the persons in the trinity is necessary to make the other two complete.

2) God created us this way: “The Lord God said: It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” (Gen. 2:18) While we may develop many important doctrines from this verse, one thing stands out and that is: God saw the need of Adam to have a helper. Can God create Adam to be all- powerful, complete and all capable? Of course He can. But He didn’t. He created Adam incomplete, had needs he couldn’t meet. So, God created a helper to help him. Sometimes we wish we are all capable, need no one in our life. But that is far from the truth because God didn’t created us that way.

3) It is in O. T. teaching: “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their work. Though one may be over-powered, two can defend themselves. A cord or three strands is not quickly broken.” (Eccl. 4:9-12) Through life experiences, we all realize the weakness of being alone and the importance of having help from others. In the Books of Moses, God ordained that the strong is going to help the weak, and the rich is to help the poor. We are responsible to our fellow human being.

4) It is in N. T. teaching: “Carry each other’s burden, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2) Helping others by carrying their burden is the law of Christ, which we are obligated to obey, not just to elevate the burden of others, but also to fulfill the law of God. Too often we don’t understand that helping others is not an option, but a law. We all have times in which we do need help from outside of our self. No one may claim he is all complete or all-powerful and never needs help.

WE ARE SHY TO ASK FOR HELP:

1) We don’t want people to know: Although everyone knows his or her own inadequacy, some of us just feel shy to let others know by asking for help. These people want to keep everything of their life as secrets. They rather don’t do it than asking help from anyone.

2) We feel shameful to ask for help: This is closely related to the first one but on emotional level: we feel shameful to expose our inability when we need to ask for help from others. This has to do with pride on the inside, or even feel insecure and vulnerable to admit their shortcoming.

3) We are afraid of rejection: We all know that not all our requests of help will meet positive response. Some people are afraid to ask because they don’t want to face the embarrassment of rejection. This is particularly true to those who had been rejected before in the past. They had lost faith in the good will of others. So, they won’t as for help any more.

4) We don’t want to owe anyone: Some people feel that asking for help from others is the same as owing favor of them and they don’t want to owe anyone anything. Instead of calling these people independents, they are in fact loners, isolated islands in this world. We are like Lego pieces and usually rendered useful for nothing until we work with others to make something good.

WHO ARE THEY TO HELP US?

1) First, God our Father: “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16) We all believe God is our Father and He is the owner of the universe and is generous to render us any need we may have. The Bible tells us many times that we need and can come to God to ask for help in time of need or trouble. Jesus says, “If you know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matt 7:11)

2) Second, our family: “If anyone does not provide his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Timothy 5:8) Family is the closest people everyone can count on when we have needs. We should feel comfortable or at easy to share our needs with them and ask for help. As members of a family, it is our duty to help our own people in the family when one of us is ion need.

3) Third, ask the church: “Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” (Rom. 12:13) This is about meeting material needs for members in the church. By definition we are to help each other meeting needs, emotional, spiritual and others. God brings us together as a family, we are to take care of each other, meeting the needs of each other, extend support to each other in love.

4) Then, ask help from friends: “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” (Proverbs 17:17) “Brother” here is another way to call a friend. Friends are very important to our lives, especially when we are far away from our family. God leads us to some good people to become our friends for many purposes and one of them is to provide our needs. When we are in needs, big and small, our friends are those we can go and ask for help without feeling shameful.

WHEN YOU ARE A HELP GIVER: (Luke 10:33-37)

1) Have compassion on the needy: “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion on him.” (Luke 10:33, KJV) Compassion is the key to land a helping hand to someone God placed in our path of life. When God created us, He gave us the capacity to love, particularly the weak and the vulnerable. No question asked if the dying man is worthy of his help, the Samaritan had the love for him to wanted to help him.

2) Just do what you can to help: “And (he) went to him, bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own donkey, and brought him to an inn and took care of him.” (Luke 10:34) I don’t believe the Samaritan was a doctor who might know a lot how to care a wounded man. But he did whatever he can to save the life of that man. We may not have all the know how or ability or resources to do a lot for a needy, but we still can do whatever we can in our ability to help someone in need. You don’t have to be a millionaire to help someone. Just do what you can, and that is all God wants us to do.

3) Be willing to pay the prices: “And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host and said to him, Take care of him and whatever thou spend more, when I come again I will repay thee.” (10:35) Helping someone always take something from us: time, emotion, efforts, resource and risks. Everything costs something and nothing is free in this world. Too often, people are concern of paying the prices to help someone and they stop doing anything. But is God is stingy as we are, what would happen to our life? So, be generous and ready to give to help someone in need, whatever it may be.

4) Go and do thou likewise: “And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus to him: Go and do thou likewise.” (10:37) As James says in 1:22, “Do not merely listen to the word and deceive yourselves. Do what is said.” Most of us read both the Samaritan story and what James wanted us to do. But it takes actions to do it that can really help someone. Are you only a hearer or also a doer? Remember Jesus said, “Do it like wise.”

CONCLUSION:

1) Don’t be shy to ask. No one is all self-sufficient or all capable of everything. There will be times we need help from outside, be it is God or family or a friend. Being humble to admit we are in need is never anything shameful. God and all people He had placed around us are here to help us out when we cannot handle something all by ourselves. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, present your request to God.” (Phil 4:6) Do not carry all burdens by yourself.

2) Don’t withholding good: “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it is in your power to act.” (Proverbs 3:27) When God lead us to see someone who has needs and you are capable of helping, do not be stingy to do something to help out. You are in much better position to help others than when you need others to help you. “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things and at all times having all that you need, you will abound in doing all good work.” (2 Cor. 9:8)