The Helper

Community Group Discussion Guide: Walking in the Spirit - The Helper
Read John 14:16-18 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; [17] that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. [18] “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
Acts 1:4-8 Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; [5] for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” [6] So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” [7] He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; [8] but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
Icebreakers:

1. How would you define the "Kingdom of God?"  (How is the Church related to the Kingdom of God?)
2. Jesus said, "My Kingdom is not of this world, but is established in another place."  Why do you think Jesus did not establish His Kingdom on earth as the disciples seemed to desire?
3. What do you think is the relationship between the Kingdom of God and modern day Israel?​

Big Idea: Jesus had created a panic among His disciples.  Firstly, He told them that He was leaving them and that where He was going they could not follow.  (John 14:1-6)  Secondly, in the analogy of the Vine and the Branches, Jesus made it clear: "Apart from me you can do nothing."  (John 15:5)  This is a real dilemma for the disciples.  Jesus is leaving, and they can nothing apart from Him.  What was the answer?  Jesus promised "another Helper."  The coming of the Holy Spirit was the answer.
Digging Deeper: Much of what Jesus said concerning the role of the Holy Spirit is located in the "Last Discourse."  This is the Gospel of John's account of Jesus' teachings starting in John Chapter 13 and running through Chapter 17.  (This covers the Last Supper and the Garden of Gethsemane)
Read John 14:16-18: I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; [17] that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. [18] “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

1. Jesus promised to send "another Helper."  This "new" Helper would be with the church forever.  How would you describe the work of the Holy Spirit in and through the Church?  
2. The Greek Word for "Helper" is paraklētos.  Thayer's defines paraklētos as follows: "In the widest sense, a helper, succourer, aider, assistant. The Holy Spirit was destined to take the place of Christ with the apostles (after his ascension to the Father), to lead them to a deeper knowledge of the gospel truth, and give them divine strength needed to enable them to undergo trials and persecutions on behalf of the divine kingdom.
3. What is the significance of the title, "Spirit of Truth?"
4. What is the importance of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Believer?  (The difference between Emmanuel, "God with us" and the Holy Spirit, "God in us.")​

Read Acts 1:4-8: Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; [5] for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” [6] So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” [7] He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; [8] but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

1. Why do you think that Jesus commanded the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they were "baptized with the Holy Spirit?"  
2. Verses 6 and 7 reveal that the disciples, after the resurrection, were still waiting for Jesus to establish the kingdom of Israel on earth.  Why do you think the disciples continued to be fixated on this idea?
3. Why is the "power" of the Holy Spirit necessary in conducting Kingdom work?​
4. What does it mean to be a "Kingdom of God" witness?​

Wrap-up: According to the Apostle Paul, the Church is currently fighting an ongoing spiritual battle with powers of darkness.  This is not a mundane battle that can effectively be fought with carnal weapons.  To engage the Enemy, we must put on the full armor of God.  We can also fight with the confidence of knowing that, "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world."