Have you ever looked at your life and wished you had a helper – someone to stand there with you and help you shoulder the load you carry? I have. 
Dads, you might feel like the weight of providing for your family is too great for you to shoulder. You know the weight of being a 24/7 godly example is too great for you alone. You feel the weight of trying to get your career on the right track and the load is often too heavy for you to bear. You wish you had a helper.
You wish you had a real physical presence standing next to you to hold up your arms. Your parents are not around any more. Maybe no family members are near to run to. Maybe you’re new to the area and you don’t have any strong friendships to lean on.
You wish you had a counselor, someone who had walked this way before who could coach you. You wish you had a comforter – someone who would not only sympathize with you, but also instill within you hope and courage to keep on. Wouldn’t it be nice to have your own personal cheerleader?
Jesus was having his final talk before going to the cross. He had just told his disciples that he would be leaving them, and their hearts were greatly troubled. But then he gave them this promise in John 14:16 – 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,
In the Greek the word “helper” is paraclete. It’s a word that doesn’t have a simple translation. Literally it means “one called along side.” It can be translated “helper”, but it can also “counselor” “advocate” “comforter” and “friend.” Later Jesus said the Helper to be sent is the Holy Spirit. That’s a promise for you and I as Christians also. We have a great helper with us who will never leave – the Holy Spirit.
One of the most damaging ideas anyone can meditate on while going through a time of trouble is, “I am alone.” After that come self-pity, and then despair. We begin to think no one cares. Those are thoughts that the Christian doesn’t have to dwell on. Even when we don’t feel his presence, the Holy Spirit is always there. Why not turn your attention to him? Call on him. Ask to comfort you and to fill you again with his power.
One day, during the Revolutionary War, General George Washington stepped out of his tent. It was extremely cold, and the wind was blowing. The demands of leading an army were weighing heavy on him, so he decided to go for a walk around the camp. In his long coat, and with his collar turned up no one could recognize him as the commander of the Continental Army.
Did Michael Jackson Live a Fruitful Life?
Michael Jackson was seen by many to have lived a fruitful life. He was connected to the movers and shakers in the music industry from a very early age.
From the Jackson 5 singing, “ABC”, to the 1982 album “Thriller” that sold over 100 million copies, he became the king of pop. Five years later, Bad sold 22 million copies. In 1991, he signed a $65 million recording deal with Sony. Jackson was so popular that The Walt Disney jumped on board and launched a 3-D movie at its parks called “Captain EO.” One of Jackson’s most lucrative deals was the $47.5 million acquisition of ATV Music, which owned the copyright to songs written by the Beatles’ John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The royalties from these songs gave Jackson the money to live a lavish lifestyle. But, my how is life began to fall apart. What a shock this week to hear of his death.
Jesus said in John 15:5 – I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
The fruitfulness here isn’t financial, material. It’s not popularity, and power. Those things can’t truly satisfy, and make us happy. With all that he had, Michael Jackson wasn’t a happy man. 50 facial surgeries later and he still wasn’t happy with himself.
What kind of fruitfulness are we talking about? It’s the fruit of the life of Christ in us. Notice with me Galatians 5:22-23 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control… When we are connected to the true vine these qualities that are most supremely found in Christ begin to grow in us.
One psychiatrist said, Jackson’s problem was that he wasn’t connected to his inner self. What Michael was really missing was connection to the true vine – to the blessing, abundance, fulfillment, and refreshment that only connection with him can bring.