Sermon

The Gift Of His Departure

December 3, 2023 Sewee Bay Baptist Church Sermons

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Amen. Thank you, Treg.
Please take your Bibles and open them up to John chapter 14.

John 14 chapter mention
John chapter 14 this morning. Our passage is going to be chapter 14, verses 1 through 14.

John 14 chapter mention
If you didn't bring your own Bible, that's okay. We provide those for you in the seat backs in front of you.
And if you don't have a Bible at all, you can take that Bible home with you as our gift to you.
But we do ask that you open up God's Word because we'll be reading from here John chapter 14, verses 1 through 14.

John 14:1–14
And when you found it there in your Bible, if you would stand in honor of God's Word as I read.
Let not your hearts be troubled.
Believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father's house are many rooms.
If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself,
that where I am you may be also.
And you know the way to where I am going.
Thomas said to him,
Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?
Jesus said to him,
I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.
From now on, you do know him and have seen him.
Philip said to him,
Lord, show us the Father and it is enough for us.
Jesus said to him,
Have I been with you so long and you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, show us the Father?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own authority,
but the Father who dwells in me does his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else believe on account of the works themselves.
Truly, truly, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do.
And greater works than these will he do,
because I am going to the Father.
Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do,
that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask me anything in my name,
I will do it.
This is the holy word of God.
If you would be seated as we pray once more.
Lord, as we open up your word,
we ask, Father, in the name of Christ,
would you show us your glory?
Point us, point our attention, point our hearts
to the goodness and the worthiness of Christ,
and lead us to worship you, we pray.
In Christ's name.
Amen.
Well, somehow, as you can see,
it is Christmas time.
Which means Christmas music is on the radio.
Houses and churches are being decorated,
set up for Christmas.
All the preparations are being made.
Many of you are preparing, like I am,
to go and visit family for the holiday season.
But we know as Christians,
this Advent season, Christmas season,
is preparation for the coming of King Jesus.
It's about his birth,
and it's about his coming again.
And so we take our time,
during this Advent season,
to prepare our hearts
to worship the coming King.
Well, this year, over the next four weeks,
these four Sundays of Advent,
what I want us to focus on is
four gifts from God to his people.
Y'all thought we might pause
from the Gospel of John,
but as we look through the Gospel of John
and where we were in this book,
I realized, really,
there's no good reason to stop.
These are four good gifts
from God to his people.
So each Advent Sunday,
we'll see another gift
from Jesus to his followers.
These are good gifts to you, believer.
But this week, here in John 14,
the gift is a little bit peculiar.
As we prepare ourselves for his coming,
this week, we're celebrating
the gift of his leaving.
It's the gift of his departure.
John, throughout the Gospel of John,
he's been telling us
that after years and years
and years of waiting,
years of anticipating,
years of longing for the Messiah to come,
he has finally come.
He's been born in the stable.
The Word has become flesh.
He's dwelt among us.
He's born as a baby there in Bethlehem.
He grows up.
John demonstrates his ministry there
among his disciples,
all of the signs,
all of the miracles,
all of the teaching.
He's finally here.
The Messiah has finally come.
And now he says,
I'm leaving.
What kind of gift is that?
What good can possibly come
from the departure of Christ?
How is his departure a gift to us?
Well, I want to show us
three ways this morning
from this chapter in John 14.
Three ways his leaving is a gift to us.
This will be our outline this morning.
If you're taking notes,
I think that that helps you to follow along.
Three ways Jesus' departure is a gift to us.
First, we see that his leaving secures our coming.
His leaving secures our coming.
Look there with me to verse 1, chapter 14.
Jesus is preparing for his final march to the cross.
He's preparing to suffer.
He's preparing to be humiliated.
He's preparing ultimately to die.
And yet look what he does.
He turns to his disciples
and he comforts them.
Look there to what he says in verse 1.
He says,
Let not your hearts be troubled.
He comforts them.
He assures them that his leaving
is with purpose.
It's for their good.
He says he's not taking something away from them.
In fact, his departure is giving them
something wonderful.
He comforts them
with a three-fold promise here.
Look with me starting to verse 2.
He says,
First,
In my father's house,
there are many rooms.
You know,
when I lived in North Myrtle Beach,
I got to know a man by the name of Gene.
And I would lead a men's Bible study there
at Bolino's on the corner
right by Cherry Grove Beach,
if y'all know where that is.
And Gene would come
and you could tell that he was growing,
he was learning,
that he was there every single week.
But it didn't matter what text we were studying,
didn't matter what topic we were discussing,
every single week,
Gene asked the same question.
He said,
Jonathan,
what does it mean
that in my father's house
are many rooms?
And what do those rooms look like?
What can I expect when I get there?
What are the accommodations there in glory?
Every week he would ask that question.
And so I really ought to have
a better answer for you.
But sadly, I'm sorry to say,
I can't tell you exactly
what these rooms look like.
But I can tell you,
I don't think the point of this promise
is for us to worry about the accommodations.
Some translations,
you know,
they say,
in my father's house
are many mansions.
We've all heard the old hymns,
Elvis Presley saying,
I've got a mansion
down over the hilltop.
And there's some really interesting,
in my opinion,
really interesting history there
of why some versions say mansions,
other versions say houses,
other versions say rooms,
rather, excuse me.
And I read up on that.
I got my argument all together,
the description,
I had the explanation fully ready
to give to you
why I prefer the translation
rooms to houses.
And then I shared all of that
with somebody who's much,
much wiser than I am.
And she said,
really,
I don't need to know all of this.
So I'll spare you.
And she was right.
You know,
the point is not for us
to argue about accommodations,
mansions against rooms,
whatever that room might look like.
Jesus is assuring his disciples
and he's assuring you,
he's assuring us, believer,
that there is room enough for you
in the house of God.
That is an astounding promise,
is it not?
That there is room in the Father's house.
And what a comfort that is
to know that no matter
what happens to us here,
no matter what loss we may endure here,
no matter what suffering
we may endure here,
no matter what tragedy
we may endure here,
no matter what may be taken
from us here,
this promise cannot be taken
from you.
There is room
in the Father's house.
Not only that,
Jesus says,
second part of this promise here,
he says,
I'm leaving now
to go and prepare your place.
And this is the beauty
of the second part of the promise.
Jesus isn't just leaving,
he says in verse 2,
that he goes to prepare
a place for his disciples.
You know,
my brother Gene wound up,
he died a couple years ago.
And as I heard the news
of his passing
and as I went to his funeral,
this verse was all
I could think about.
And I will never read
this verse again
without thinking of Gene
and him asking me this question
every single week.
What are those rooms like?
I don't know exactly
what Gene saw
when he entered into glory,
but I know
because of Jesus' words
right here,
this promise to him
and to us
that he found
a place prepared
just for him.
There's room
in the house of God
for him.
You know,
ironically,
this is the opposite
of the Christmas story,
isn't it?
And we know
the Christmas story.
Jesus,
the Son of God,
became man.
He entered into the womb
of the Virgin Mary.
The time came for her
to give birth.
And what happened?
There was no room
for him,
for her,
in the end.
Before he was even born,
he was turned away.
He was rejected.
There was no room
for God
in the house of man.
But Jesus says here,
in me,
because of me,
through me,
through faith in me,
there is room
for sinners
in the house of God.
That should amaze us.
Jesus has left
to prepare a place
for sinners like us.
And the best part
of the promise,
verse 3,
he says,
if I go and prepare
a place for you,
he says,
I will come again
and take you to myself
that we may be
where he is
also.
One reason that I love
this Advent season,
as we've already said,
is because we're not
just looking backwards
to the first coming
of Christ.
We're looking forwards
to when he will come again.
And this is how
the Christian life
is lived.
We live in between
the two comings
of Christ.
We live with one eye
towards his first coming
and all that he accomplished
in his perfect life,
his sacrificial death,
his victorious resurrection,
and we look with another eye
looking forwards
towards his second coming.
He has promised us.
He has gone to the Father
to prepare our place
and he will certainly
come again
to take us
that we may be
where he is also.
Jesus is leaving,
secures our coming.
Not only this.
Second,
Jesus is leaving,
strengthens our believing.
The second reason
this is a gift for us,
his leaving
strengthens our believing.
Look here to verses
four through eleven.
Jesus,
here in verses four through eleven,
he tells us
some fundamental truths
that must be believed
if you and I
are going to go
to the Father.
See, the disciples,
they had a hard time
understanding exactly
what Jesus was talking about.
That's not unusual for them.
They kind of bumble around
throughout the Gospel
of John.
They were often
so stuck
in the physical
understanding of things
that they just had
a hard time
understanding
the message
of what Jesus
was trying to communicate
to them.
And so they had
a problem here.
Jesus says,
I'm going away.
I'm going to the Father.
Apparently,
he's preparing
a room for them
somewhere,
but they don't know
where he's going.
They don't know
how to get there.
They want a map.
They want a destination.
They want step-by-step
instructions
of how they might get
from point A
to point B.
But Jesus doesn't
give them that,
does he?
Look there
to verse four.
Jesus tells them,
you know the way
to where I am going.
But Thomas,
he spoke up
on behalf of the disciples
and he said,
Lord,
we do not know
where you are going.
How can we possibly
know the way?
Give us a map.
Tell us how to get there.
Show us where to go.
What are we supposed to do?
How do we get
to the Father?
But look what he says.
Instead of giving them
directions to follow,
what does he do?
Jesus tells them
several truths
to believe.
Jesus looks at him
and he says,
I am the way
in the truth
in the life.
See,
in order for us
to go to the Father,
we must know
the way.
We agree with Thomas
on that point.
We need to know
the way to the Father.
We must believe
what Jesus says,
that he
and he alone
is the way.
See,
we need to understand
that the path
to God,
the way to God
is not simply
a path for us
to follow,
is a person
for us to know.
Jesus says,
you want to go
to the Father?
What I'm giving you
is not a step-by-step
list of instructions
to follow.
It's not a checklist
to keep.
It's not a religious
system to obey.
I am giving you
myself.
I am the way.
Believe in me.
Jesus,
in his first coming,
he didn't just
simply come to
give us directions
that we might
be familiar
with the way.
He is the way.
He hasn't just
come to teach us
the truth.
He is the truth.
He hasn't just
come to give us
eternal life.
He is eternal life.
He hasn't just
come that we go
through him
to get to the Father.
When we come
to him,
when we come
to Christ,
we come to
the Father.
you must know
the way.
As we enter
into this Advent
season and this
Christmas season,
as we get so busy
with all of the
traditions,
the festivities,
all the busyness
of what we all
go through
in the month
of December,
take time
and pause
and ask yourself,
make absolutely
certain,
do you know
the way?
Do you know
Christ?
Do you trust
him?
Do you believe
him?
You must know
the way.
See,
this is a
statement of
exclusivity
and availability,
isn't it?
I am the way,
the truth,
the life.
No one comes
to the Father
except through me.
It's exclusive
and it is available.
The sinners like us
ought to rejoice
that there is
a way.
There is a way
to the Father
for sinners like us
who have earned
no standing
before a holy God
to be welcomed.
We have been given
a way.
We ought to rejoice
that there is a way.
We ought to rejoice
that there is
truth
in a culture,
in a world
where truth
is constantly
fluctuating,
is constantly updating,
what's morally
acceptable,
the moral compass
of our culture
is ebbing
and flowing
by the minute.
It's exhausting
to keep up.
We ought to rejoice
that there is
truth.
Church,
we ought to rejoice
that there is
real,
genuine
life
available
for any
sinner
who would turn
to Christ.
The false promises
of this world,
everything promises
you fullness
of life.
Nothing comes
through,
nothing but Jesus.
It is available
for any sinner
who would turn
to Christ.
It is available
and it is exclusive.
You may have
heard the phrase,
the mountain
has many paths.
Have you ever
heard that?
Apparently,
it's a religious,
a Hawaiian
religious saying
and it's meant
to communicate
that there's
many equally
valid paths
to God.
And that's how
our culture
understands religion.
It's completely
inclusive.
the only
acceptable view
is that all
views are
acceptable.
But if we really
listen to what
Jesus is saying
here,
we don't really
have that option,
do we?
Christianity,
according to Jesus,
is either the only
true religion
or it's a
complete sham.
It's either
worthy of
total acceptance
or total
rejection.
But what it
can't be is
just another
equally valid
path up the
mountain.
Jesus doesn't
give us
that option.
Listen again
to what he
says.
He says,
I am
the way,
I am
the truth,
I am
the life,
no one
comes to the
Father
except through
me.
Jesus
says,
sure,
there may be
many paths
up the mountain,
but only one
path gets you
up the proverbial
mountain.
You must come
through me
faith.
By faith,
by believing,
by receiving
that Jesus
and Jesus
alone came
to live in
the place
of sinners.
That Jesus
and Jesus
alone came
to die
in the place
of sinners.
And Jesus
and Jesus
alone
rose from
the grave.
So Jesus
and Jesus
alone can
offer eternal
life to any
who come to
him in faith.
Jesus
says,
to go to
the Father
you must
come through
him.
How will
we do
that?
How will
we do
that?
He tells
us,
to go to
the Father
through him
we must
see the
Father
in him.
In other
words,
we must
believe that
Jesus is
God in
the flesh.
That he's
not just the
way to
God.
That he
is God.
That he
is worthy
of our
worship.
That he's
worthy of
our devotion.
That he's
worthy of
our praise.
That Jesus
Christ is
worthy of
our life.
Thomas has
had his
turn and
now Philip
gets to
say his
piece.
He says,
Lord, show
us the
Father and
it is
enough for
us.
You see
what he's
saying there?
He's
saying,
Jesus, you
are saying
some bold
things and
we want to
believe what
you're saying.
We want to
accept what
you're saying.
Jesus, if you
would just
show us
God, maybe
that would
help just a
little bit.
I wonder if
you ever feel
that way.
God, just
show me.
Show me a
piece of who
you are and
maybe that would
strengthen my
faith.
Let me see
you.
I'll believe
that you are
who you say
you are.
Look what
Jesus says
to Philip.
Jesus says
to him,
have I been
with you so
long and you
still do not
know me,
Philip?
Whoever has
seen me
has seen
the Father.
How can you
say show us
the Father?
Do you not
believe that I
am in the
Father and the
Father is in
me?
The words that
I say, I
don't speak on
my own
authority, but
the Father who
dwells in me
does his
works.
Believe that I
am in the
Father and the
Father is in
me or else
believe on
account of
the works
themselves.
What is he
saying?
He's saying
you have
seen God.
You have
seen enough
Philip.
You have
seen my
works.
You have
heard my
words.
If you
have seen
me, you
have seen
the Father.
If you
know me, you
know the
Father.
If you
believe me, you
believe the
Father.
If you
worship me, you
worship the
Father.
If you
come to
me, you
come to
the Father.
And only
in me can
anyone come
to him.
Believe in
me.
Believe also
in God, he
said in
verse 1.
To come to
the Father, you
must come to
Jesus and see
him for who
he is.
Now, that's
one thing for
the disciples,
isn't it?
The disciples
who lived and
walked with
Jesus, who
saw him face
to face, who
could reach
out and
touch Jesus.
But what
about us?
2,000
something years
later, why
are we
gathered here
worshiping this
man, Jesus
Christ?
How can we
claim to
have seen
him for
who he
is and
to believe
him that
he is God?
Why are we
here celebrating
and honoring
this man, Jesus
Christ?
I'm going to
make a bold
assumption about
you, which
is that none
of us have
ever seen
Jesus.
Meaning, none
of us are
2,000 years
old.
None of
us have
physically
seen Jesus.
Why do
we believe?
We believe
because by
the grace
of God,
the message
of the
gospel came
to us
into our
ears and
by the
spirit into
our hearts.
What does
Paul say in
Romans?
Faith comes
through seeing.
What does
he say?
Faith comes
through, help
me, through
hearing.
And hearing
through the
word of
Christ.
See, his
leaving at
the completion
of his
work, his
departing to
go to be
with the
Father, his
leaving has
inaugurated the
age of
believing.
His leaving
has inaugurated
the age of
spiritual
seeing.
His leaving
has inaugurated
the age of
the church.
The reason
why we
are here in
All-in-Doll,
South Carolina
believing that
Jesus Christ is
God in the
flesh is because
by his spirit he
has opened your
eyes to see it
through the
word.
None of us
has seen
Jesus, but we
were given
eyes to see
and a heart
to believe
that he is
who he says
he is.
And this is
what Peter
says in
1 Peter

1 Peter 1 chapter mention
chapter 1.
It says,
Blessed be the
God and
Father of our
Lord Jesus
Christ.
According to
his great
mercy he has
caused us to
be born again
to a living
hope through
the resurrection
of Jesus
Christ from
the dead.
To an
inheritance that
is imperishable,
undefiled,
and unfading,
kept in heaven
for you who
by God's power
are being guarded
through faith
for a salvation
ready to be
revealed in the
last time.
In this you
rejoice, though
now for a
little while,
if necessary,
you have been
grieved by
various trials,
so that the
tested genuineness
of your faith,
more precious
than gold that
perishes though
it is tested by
fire, may be
found to result
in praise and
glory and honor
at the revelation
of Jesus Christ.
Listen to this.
Though you have
not seen him,
you love him.
Though you do
not now see him,
you believe in
him.
And rejoice
with joy that
is inexpressible
and filled with
glory, obtaining
the outcome of
your faith and
the salvation of
your souls.
Does this describe
you?
Though you have
not seen him,
you love him.
Does your heart
love him?
Does your heart
rejoice in him
with joy
inexpressible?
If it does,
church, this is a
miracle of God's
grace.
grace.
This is the work
of the spirit
to open up the
eyes of those
who are spiritually
blind that they
might see the
glory of God
in the gospel of
Jesus Christ.
It is his work,
but also,
guess what?
It is now also
our work,
which leads us
to our final
benefit of his
departure.
Third, his
leaving supercharges
our working.
His leaving
supercharges
our working.
What is the
church to do
in between the
two comings of
Christ?
We don't just
sit on our
hands and wait
patiently for
Christ's return.
We don't just
sit around and
wait for him to
come while we do
nothing.
No.
Now, because of
his departure,
because he has
left and ascended
to go to the
Father, we are
empowered to do
the work of
God with the
power of God
for the glory
of God.
Look there to
verse 11 again.
And Jesus said
that one strong
reason to believe
that he is in the
Father and the
Father was in him
was the works
that he was
doing.
Who can claim
to do the
works of Christ?
He rose a man
from the grave,
Lazarus.
He turned water
into wine.
He healed the
sick.
He gave sight
to the blind.
The works
testified that he
is who he
claims to be.
Believe me
that I am in
the Father and
the Father is in
me, or else
believe on account
of the works
themselves.
See, his
works, they
declared and they
demonstrated that
he is God in
the flesh.
That's the
purpose of the
works of Christ.
They were to
draw attention
to himself as
God for the
faith of his
people and the
glory of God.
Now, guess
what?
He says,
Christian, you
get to go
about the same
work.
Look what he
says in verse
12.
This ought to
absolutely floor
us.
He says,
truly, truly, I
say to you,
whoever believes
in me, do you
believe in him?
This is for you.
Whoever believes
in me will also
do the works
that I do.
And greater
works than
these he will
do because I
am going to
the Father.
Because I am
going to the
Father.
The church is
the body of
Christ.
Christ is the
head of the
church.
And now, the
church, because
of Jesus'
departure, we
go about God's
work of declaring
and demonstrating
that Jesus
Christ is Lord
to the glory of
God the Father.
Now, that work
might take a
thousand different
manifestations.
That might look
a thousand
different ways.
The work itself
is as diverse
as the
giftings God
has given the
body of Christ.
It may look like
praying for one
another or serving
one another or
using our gifts to
build up the body
of Christ.
It might look like
works of ministry
or works of
mercy or works of
evangelism.
It can look a
million different
ways.
But the point,
the aim, is the
same as Jesus'
work, which is
to declare and to
demonstrate that
Jesus Christ is
God.
He says, this
ought to floor us,
church, how in
the world can our
work be even
greater than
Christ's work?
Think about this
with me.
His work now
through us, now
that he has
departed, his
work is now
through us
greater in scope
than when he was
here on earth.
It is no longer
limited to one
small area of the
world.
This work, this
Christ-exalting
God-glorifying
work is now
being done all
over the globe.
He sent his
disciples out and
said, you will be
my witnesses in
Jerusalem and in
Judea and in
Samaria to the
uttermost ends of
the world.
Go declare and
demonstrate that
Jesus Christ is
Lord.
Go and make my
name known.
It's greater in
scope.
His work now
through us is
also greater in
clarity.
We have a
finished gospel.
We have the
life and the
death and the
resurrection of
Christ to believe
and to proclaim.
We have a
complete scripture,
a complete word of
God to believe and
to obey and to
proclaim.
His work is
greater in clarity
now that he's
gone to the
Father.
And because of
this, now that
he's departed, his
work through us is
greater in power to
save.
You heard the
verse that Dreg
prayed just a
moment ago.
I'm not ashamed of
the gospel, Paul
says.
For it is the
power of God for
the salvation of
any who believe.
To the Jew first
and also to the
Greek.
As the gospel of
Jesus Christ goes
forth to the ends
of the earth,
through the
witness of the
church, spiritually
blind, are
seeing, believing,
coming to faith and
coming into the
kingdom.
That's the story of
every single
Christian in this
room.
Somehow, in some
way, by God's
grace, the word of
God came to you in
power and you
believed.
church, don't
you want to be a
part of that
work?
Don't you want to
be a part of the
work that God is
doing in the
world?
If you do, good
news, he has
promised you
everything you
need to go about
the work of God.
He says here,
whatever you ask
in my name, this
I will do that the
Father may be
glorified in the
Son.
If you ask me
anything in my
name, I will do
it.
Church, we
ought to know
this is not a
blank check to
ask God for
whatever we want,
whatever we want
to do to
manipulate the
hand of God to
fulfill our
agenda.
This is a
promise of power
to complete the
agenda of God.
If we would
commit ourselves to
His work, we
have every bit of
power and provision
we need to do
it.
If we pray in the
name of Christ.
Church, I
invite you and
I urge you to
pray that God
would magnify His
name through us.
That this
Christmas season
that God would
do His work
through you.
If you feel
inadequate for that,
wonderful.
You're at a
perfect place to
ask Him to
work.
Would you pray
that God would
magnify His name
through this
church body?
That He would
use us and speak
through us and
continue His work
through us in
ways that are
beyond our
greatest expectations
and dreams.
Don't you want to
be a part of that?
Step number one
is to believe it.
Make certain
that you know
the way.
Make certain
that you know
the Lord Jesus
Christ.
And if you do,
then church,
join Him in His
glorious work.
And this Christmas
as we prepare
ourselves for His
coming,
the birth of
Emmanuel,
God with us.
Church,
who is it that
the Lord is
placing on your
heart that needs
to hear the
message of the
gospel?
Who is it near
you within your
sphere of influence
that needs to
hear the word
of truth?
That there is a
way to the
Father for sinners
like us.
Join Him in His
work.
His name is Jesus.
He has come and
He will come
again.
Let's pray.
Lord, we thank
You that You
have come.
We thank You for
the good news of
the gospel, the
promise that any
who come to You
will find forgiveness
for their sins and
will find acceptance
in the house of the
Father that our
eternal destination
is secure for those
who trust in You.
and we pray,
Lord, asking with
confidence, not in
ourselves, but in
Your power, God,
would You use us
and work through us
for Your glory?
It is our desire,
God, that we would
be about the work
of God, not in our
strength, Lord, but
through Your power.
We pray all this in
Jesus' name.
Amen.