Trouble in Paradise - Pastor Kipp Penrod

Thank you for listening to this message from

Lifehouse Church. I want to do one more thing.

I'm going to get you to pray one more time. You're

like, this church prays all the time. Absolutely.

All right, I want you to bow your heads. We're

going to pray over our ears and our minds as

we get ready to hear God's word. Father, we thank

you for this day. I thank you for each person

in the house. Lord, your word's already blessed.

Your word's already anointed. It is already amazing.

So, Lord, we just come asking you to anoint our

ears that we might hear, our minds that we might

receive, and, God, that it might change our hearts

all along the way. And we just give you praise,

and we give you glory and honor. In Jesus' name.

Everybody say it together. Amen. Amen. Well,

listen, they told me I have to preach fast today.

And do you know what that means when you say

that to a preacher? Absolutely nothing. It's

good to have you. It doesn't mean anything. We

don't even hear that, yeah. But if you haven't

been with us over the last several months, we've

been working our way through the book of John,

and it's been an exciting time. And today we're

diving headfirst into John chapter 11. You can

John 11 · chapter mention

begin to turn there, but I want to get you caught

up just a little bit. And the gospel of John

is just that. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It is the story of Jesus. It is God with us,

Emmanuel, and it tells some of the things that

take place. with Jesus. And as we approach chapter

11, Jesus' public ministry is now beginning to

spread all over the region, around Jerusalem,

all around that area. Jesus' fame is getting

known and well known because of him traveling

from place to place and town to town and region

to region. preaching, teaching, performing miracles,

healing, and they hear about him. And as you

read through the book of John, you'll find that

as you approach chapter 11, there are seven major

miracles that take place with Jesus. In John

John 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2, Jesus turns the water into wine. In

John chapter 4, Jesus heals the royal officer's

John 4 · chapter mention

son. In John chapter 5, Jesus walks to the east

John 5 · chapter mention

side of Jerusalem. He heads to where the sheep

gate is, to a place that's called the Pool of

Bethesda. And there he walks amongst the crowd

who are waiting to be healed, picks out one man

and heals that man. In John chapter 6, he feeds

John 6 · chapter mention

thousands with five loaves and a few fish. In

John chapter 6, 16, he walks on the water. And

John 6 · chapter mention

in John chapter 9, he heals a man. who has been

John 9 · chapter mention

blind from birth. Six miracles leading up to

chapter nine. And because of that, the word of

God says that many of the Jewish crowd and others

begin to believe on Jesus. They begin to believe

that he is the prophesied Messiah. They believe

and they begin to believe that he is the son

of God. And word spreads to the region that the

power of God is manifested in this man named

Jesus. People begin to seek him out. They begin

to come around because of the many infallible

proofs that Jesus performs. And Jesus, on the

final miracle, he shows up to a town called Bethany

about four days too late. And when he gets there,

Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus, have

already buried their brother. Lazarus was friend

to Jesus, good friend. Lazarus gets sick, he

dies, and Jesus shows up four days later. Four

days later, the funeral has already taken place,

right? They've been mourning and crying for days.

The funeral food is now stale. It's in the fridge

and on the countertop, right? And Lazarus is

actually sealed up in a tomb. And Jesus, once

again, proves his power, proves that he is from

God, because he walks up to that tomb. He tells

him to move the stone, and he calls Lazarus back

from the dead. From the dead. And in fact, proving

that he has power over the elements. He has power

over the demonic. He has the power to heal. He

has the power to multiply anything that he speaks

about of his word. He has the power over the

future. He has the power to defy gravity. He

walks on water. And now he has power over death.

And because of these mighty works, the crowd.

Particularly the Jews believe that Jesus is sent

from God and that it's not just about performing

miracles, but they begin to see, the Jewish people

begin to see a bigger picture. They begin to

see a bigger potential that could happen. See,

they see a possible king to deliver them from

the fist of the Roman government. The Jewish

people at this time live underneath Roman rule.

The cruelty they've all experienced by the hand

of the Romans in that region. And they begin,

as they see Jesus, as they see the miracles and

they see his power, they begin to smell freedom

from Rome. They begin to see victory. They probably

envision riding with a conquering king who's

going to come down on Rome. They're stoked. They're

stirred. They know that even Rome can't stand

up against God's power. Can't do it. And now

Jesus' fame is at fever pitch outside of Jerusalem

in the region around, and news begins to stir.

It begins to swirl. And everybody in that region

begins to consider what this might mean for them.

What's this mean? How many know it's our default?

In life, to figure out whatever's in front of

us, it's our default to figure out, what is this

about? How is this going to affect me? What does

this have to do with me, right? Now, I know that

all sounds very selfish. So for Christians, we're

like, well, what's that have to do with my family?

Well, we really mean it's us, right? But that's

what happens in the region. Some of the Jews,

they have great hope that this king is going

to relieve them from the Rome's influence and

their grip and the torture, right? Some of the

other people that are in this scenario are the

Pharisees, and they are furious with Jesus. Jesus

has enormous influence over the people, and the

Pharisees, who are corrupt Jewish leaders, are

leading the people, and they can feel their influence

slipping away. They can feel that everything's

about to change. And all of Rome is in this as

well. They're keeping an eye on all that's taking

place with this subculture of the Jews under

their rule. They're ready to squash any uprising,

any problem, anything that takes place with these

captives. And even Jesus' disciples are aware

of the trouble. Say trouble. Come on, trouble

stirring around them. They know that there are

plots and plans to take Jesus out. They know

that Rome can converge at any moment and deliver

a crushing blow and stop everything that they've

worked for in the last three years. They know

that they're already in the crosshairs because

of their association with Jesus, and they can

smell trouble. Jesus' disciples, the 12 disciples,

they can smell it. They see it looming, right?

They're headed for trouble. Turn to somebody

beside you this morning. Tell them, we're going

to talk about trouble this morning. We're going

to talk trouble, right? John chapter 11, 45 says

John 11 · chapter mention

this. Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary

and had seen these things, Jesus did, believed

in him. But some of them went away to the Pharisees

and told them the things that Jesus did. Then

the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered

a council and they said, what shall we do? For

this man works many signs. If we let him alone

like this, everyone will believe in him. And

the Romans will come and take away both our place.

and our nation. How many know there's always

somebody who scurries away and tells on you?

Raise your hand if you tell on people. Go ahead,

do it right now. Come on, this is Confessions

Good for the Soul. They're a group of people,

right? They see Jesus healing, they see Jesus

doing what they're doing, and they run off to

tell the Pharisees what's taking place. And the

Pharisees smell the threat, they see their influence,

their position, their status, all being challenged,

right? And they begin to demonize Jesus. That's

what we do when we want to get rid of someone.

We demonize them. We make it sound way worse

than it actually is with them so that we can

get everybody else on board with us, and that's

exactly what they do. They said the Romans are

going to come, and they're going to take away

both our place. They're going to take our whole

nation, right? I think the Pharisees were a bunch

of drama queens, actually, right? But that's

what they do. We got to get them. We got to get

them out of here. And there is trouble on the

horizon. They could feel it in the air. I don't

know if you've ever felt trouble in the air.

I have when I was a kid. I used to do things

I wasn't supposed to be doing. And I came into

the house. How many know? Mom and dad just know

sometimes. Yeah. And I could feel the trouble

in the air. I knew something was coming, right?

You could almost taste it. And that's what was

happening here. In John 11, 49, it says, In one

of them, Caiaphas, being the high priest that

year, said to them, You know nothing at all,

nor do you consider that it is expedient for

us that one man should die for the people, and

not that the whole nation should perish. Now

this he did not say on his own authority, but

being high priest that year, he prophesied Jesus

would die for the nation, and not for the nation

only, but also that he would gather together

in one the children of God who were scattered

abroad. Then from that day on, they plotted to

put him to death. There was trouble stirring.

Therefore, Jesus no longer walked among them

openly with the Jews, but went from there into

the country near the wilderness to a city called

Ephraim. And there remained with his disciples.

There's trouble stirring. They're hiding out

from Caiaphas. Jesus and the disciples get out

of town. They're going to Ephraim. They're hiding

out from Caiaphas. The high priest, they're hiding

out from the Pharisees. They're ducking Romans.

They're laying low. There's trouble stirring.

And the Passover, it says, 55 says, and the Passover

of the Jews was near. And many went from the

country up to Jerusalem before the Passover to

purify themselves. Then they sought Jesus. All

the people were still looking for Jesus. And

spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple.

What do you think is what they were saying? And

will he not come to the feast? Now both the chief

priests and the Pharisees had given a command

that if anyone knew where he was, they should

report it that they may seize him. As we read

this, as this is leading up, honestly, to the

crucifixion of Jesus Christ, there is trouble

stirring. With a capital T. They could feel it

in the air. The disciples knew what was happening.

And you might say, well, why did you take all

this time, right, to unfold all this? Because

I need you to understand something. If you follow

Jesus like your disciples did, you will have

trouble. No amens. I didn't think I'd get any.

And if you read ahead in this passage of Scripture,

you're going to find out this is just the beginning

of trouble. Aren't you glad you came today for

some encouragement? You thought I was going to

preach on joy, right? Trouble. What are you doing,

pastor? I'm telling you the truth. I'm telling

you the truth. If you follow Jesus, trouble is

coming. Life is complex. It is complicated. It's

a gauntlet. And if you add to all that fun, we

have an enemy called Satan who wants to take

us out. He wants to take us down. You were made

in the image of God. That's what the word of

God says. And Satan wants to take down anything

that has to do with God. And just like Jesus

did, you follow him. You're going to have trouble.

Say, woo -hoo. Oh, wow, you actually did it.

Thank you. Right? Jesus is a living example that

even life with Jesus is not a trouble -free life.

In fact, Following Jesus means that you will

have trouble in paradise. How many of you ever

heard that phrase before? You're going to have

trouble in paradise. You're going to have it.

Jesus had trouble around him while he was doing

the will of God. You're going to have trouble

around you if you're doing the will of God. It's

going to happen. Just because you're a Christian

does not exempt us from trouble. It really doesn't.

Just because you're serving the King of Kings

and the Lord of Lords, just because you put on

praise and worship music in your house 24 -7,

right, does not mean you're exempt from trouble.

Just because you got a Jesus bumper sticker on

your car does not exempt you from trouble. Just

because your kid goes to a Christian school,

amen, does not exempt you from trouble. It doesn't.

In fact, if you're following Jesus, you might

as well just buckle up because your trouble game

is probably actually going to rise just a bit.

If you follow Jesus, it's going to magnify some.

And, you know, you're probably thinking, well,

Pastor, are you trying to get people to come

to church or leave church? No, I just need to

tell you the truth this morning. Because Jesus

speaks something in John 16, 33 that is incredibly

important in the middle of this trouble. He says

this, That's the paradise part, by the way. In

the world, you will have tribulation. That's

the troubled part. That's another word for trouble.

But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.

As we follow Jesus, we will have peace on the

inside. You will have paradise on the inside.

That's what Jesus provides you. It comes on the

inside. But you're going to have trouble on the

outside. Tribulation is going to be all around

you. It's going to take, man, if you don't believe

that, just turn on the news, right? Just pick

up your phone and flip on the news. Following

Jesus is going to be trouble in paradise. It's

going to be both sides. It's going to be. And

I can tell you from experience that following

Jesus will in fact, will give you the peace of

God on the inside of you. And how many know peace

equals paradise? Do you know that? Peace equals

paradise. It really does. Some of you young parents

in here confirm this, right? How many of you

young parents say peace is paradise? Oh, yeah.

Come on. How many of you that have young children,

you now take extended bathroom breaks in your

house? Right? You used to go to the bathroom,

and you were in and out in two minutes flat.

Bang, right? You go in, you do your business,

and you get on out of there. Now, come on. You

got young children. You just disappear into the

bathroom, right? Why? You're trying to get some

peace. You're trying to restore your sanity,

and you park in there. You're in there for 15

minutes. You're in there for 20 minutes. You're

praying the kids aren't bleeding out there, right?

You're just hanging out in there. You're in there

so long, your children think you flushed yourself.

You're downstream somewhere. That's why they

come beat on the door. Mom, dad, are you in there?

Come on, right? Others are getting ready to call

the paramedics. They're certain you just passed

out somewhere in the restroom. You're gone, right?

It's funny, Dixie and I, we have three grown

children, and two of them have children, and

two out of the three, they have two children

or more. And it's always funny, it's always humorous

to me, because when they have the first child,

right, when our children have the first child,

they're so intense about it, right? We've got

to boil the binky if it falls on the floor. We

must boil the binky. And they're very careful

about where you take the kid, and they're very

careful about who they hand the kid off to. Even

us, right, they're coaching us like we never

did. child before. You know, they're coaching.

But once they have two children, and then particularly

when they have three children, that all changes,

man. They're just looking for some peace. Like,

do you want your kids? You can have them for

a day. You want them for a week? Let's talk about

a month. They can just come over and hang out

with you for an entire month, right? Come on,

I just want some peace. Right? Peace is paradise.

And Jesus said, if you follow me, if you walk

in my way, you're going to have a peace that

passes all understanding. That's what the word

of God says. It's going to park in your heart.

It's going to come. And in the middle of all

the trouble and the tribulation that's going

on around on the outside of you, you're going

to have peace on the inside of you. It is trouble

in paradise. Amen? It's true. And I thank God.

Thank God Jesus didn't even stop in that scripture

with just those two things, right? He said, these

things I have spoken to you that in me you may

have peace on the inside. In the world, you will

have tribulation. They can put it back up on

the screen on the outside. But he said a third

thing. He said, be of good cheer. I've overcome

the world. Be of good cheer. I've overcome the

world. Don't miss this. Don't pass over this.

Don't undersell what Jesus says in this last

portion of scripture here. You can't. Because

if I do, I will miss what Jesus has for me to

get through any kind of trouble that you walk

through in life. You want to get through any

difficulty in your life, you got to understand

this last part along with the first part. You

got to understand that God's got a little bit

more for you, even than just a piece. Because

sometimes, Sometimes the peace of God on the

inside isn't quite enough. Sometimes you need

more. How many know sometimes you need more to

get through whatever you're doing, right? Sometimes

you need a little more chocolate during the day.

It's true. Some of you need a little more coffee,

right? One more coffee is going to get me through

the grind. I just need a little more energy to

get me to the finish line today. That's what

I need, right? And sometimes you're going to

need more in the middle of trouble. You're going

to need more than just a piece of God in your

heart. And I know the piece of God is there,

but you're going to need that little extra something.

When you're in the middle of the difficulty,

when you're in the long -term illness that's

going on in your life, when you're in the middle

of the financial burden that cannot seem to be

resolved in your life, right? When the emotional

toll from your job has you so stressed out, You

don't know what to do with yourself. When the

world is pressing in on every side, if we don't

have all that God has for us, we will get disillusioned

in the middle of the trouble. We'll begin to

decide we're going to quit on God in the middle

of the trouble, right? We'll get weak and we

get weary walking through the trouble because

we feel like we're not going to make it. We're

just not going to make it. We're going to lose.

We're going to lose everything. We're going to

lose, period. And Jesus knew that you would need

even a little more than just the paradise and

the peace in your heart to get through in the

day of trouble. And he says, be of good cheer.

I have overcome the world. Why is that such a

boost to get us through the trouble? Why does

that make all the difference in the world when

you're stepping through the difficulty and the

hardship to get out the other side? Because if

Jesus... overcame the trouble in the world, you

can overcome the trouble in the world. If you're

following him, if Jesus overcame the trouble,

we can overcome the trouble as well. He knew

that the peace of God wouldn't just be quite

enough, that you would need the reassurance at

the end of the day that you're going to make

it out the other side, right? He knew that in

ourselves, I don't know. I can come up against

trouble, and if it's just me wading through the

trouble, I have no idea if I'm going to get out

the other side. I can tell myself. I can hype

myself up. I can beat my chest. I can get a bunch

of attitude about the whole thing, but I got

no idea if I'm coming out the other side. I have

no reassurance of that. In my own strength, I've

learned the older I get, it's just simply not

true. I'm just simply not going to get there.

I need the reassurance that Jesus, because he

overcame the trouble, I can overcome the trouble.

Because I follow him, he empowers me to overcome

anything that's in front of me. Why do you think

when Jesus walked on the face of this earth,

he overcame death, hell, and the grave? He overcame

sickness. He overcame disease. He overcame the

elements. He overcame the law, right, the physical

laws that bind us, right? He came to overpower

anything that was trouble and tribulation. Jesus

was letting his disciples know and let us know

that he overcame, and because he did, we can.

He overthrew everything that Satan threw at him.

It's why he paid such a hefty price at the cross.

He died for our sin because we couldn't take

care of that trouble in our life. You don't have

enough in you to rid yourself of this sin. You

don't. Only he could. Let me put it this way.

How many of you love to be on a team that consistently

wins the championship? Raise your hand. Come

on, I don't even care if it's board games. How

many of you like to be on the winning team? I

love winning, okay? Absolutely, right? We want

to be on the team that continually and constantly

wins. We want to be part of that. We want that.

We want to win all the time. We want the championship

every time. We know that there might be some

games that we lose, right? There might be some

battles that we don't make it through and we

come out of short. But we want to know at the

end of the day, we're going to come out in the

championship round, right? We're going to make

it through because the leader of the team is

that good. Because the coach is that good. Well,

let me tell you something. If you're on Team

Jesus, the coach is that good. You're coming

out the other side. You're coming out on top.

And it's not because you got it all going on.

It's because he's got it all going on. It's because

he's amazing. He can't lose. Do you understand

that? The God that we serve cannot lose. And

if you're on his team, you can't lose either.

You might get beat up in some battles. You might

not win the day, but I'm telling you, you will

win the war. One day you will step into heaven

and you will be whole and right and full. Amen?

We win. We win. It's true. The peace of God inside

plus I cannot lose on team Jesus on the outside

equals I'm an overcomer. That's what the word

of God tells us. Praise team if you'd come. If

you'd come. Now, I know you may have came in

here today looking for a different message this

morning. You might have wanted me to tell you

that if you follow Jesus, it would be nothing

but roses and sunshine, right? If you follow

Jesus, all the stress is just going to melt away

on your life. You're going to have blessing that

will flow from the time you wake up in the morning.

The wind is going to be in your hair. You're

going to skip and frolic through the meadow,

right? Lushing green grass is going to be in

front of you, and your future is never going

to have a bump in the road. I can't tell you

that. As a matter of fact, what I'm going to

tell you this morning is, if you follow Jesus,

you're going to have trouble. Trouble is going

to unfold around you. But I can tell you this.

I will promise you this. If you follow Jesus

with everything that's inside of you, you will

have the peace of God flood your heart, and you

won't even know. The Word of God says it's a

peace that passes all understanding. It is so

powerful that it blows right past your mind,

and it just moves into your soul and emotion.

And you can't explain it. It's just there. Things

are unfolding around you. Things are falling

apart at every side. And you, for some weird

reason, have the peace of God that's lodged in

your heart. I can promise you that if you follow

from all your heart. And I can promise you a

second thing. You will win. You'll win. At the

end of the day, at the end of life, at the end,

you cannot lose. When you follow Jesus, it's

true. I'm going to ask you to stand this morning.

I'm going to read you just a couple of scriptures

to reiterate what I'm talking about because it's

all through God's word. And as the worship team

gets all set up, 1 John 5 says this, whoever

believes that Jesus Christ is born of God and

everyone who loves him who begot also loves him

who is begotten of him. By this we know that

we love the children of God, and we love God

and keep His commandments. For this is the love

of God, that we keep His commandments, and His

commandments are not burdensome. Now listen to

this. For whatever is born of God overcomes the

world. Did you hear that? Whatever is born of

God overcomes the world. And this is the victory

in that everyone overcomes the world. This is

the victory that has overcome the world, our

faith. Who is he who overcomes the world? Trouble,

right? But he who believes that Jesus is the

son of God. I'm going to read you one more, Romans

8, 31. What then shall we say to these things?

If God is for us, who can be against us? He who

did not spare his own son, but delivered him

up for us all. How shall he not with him also

freely give us all things? Who shall bring a

charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.

Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died

and furthermore is also risen. Who is even at

the right hand of God who also makes intercession

for us. Who shall separate us from the love of

Christ? Shall tribulation, trouble, distress,

persecution, famine, nakedness. How many know

nakedness is a problem, right? Peril, sword.

For as it is written, for your sake we are killed

all day long. We are accounted as sheep for the

slaughter. Trouble, trouble, trouble. Yet in

all these things we are more than conquerors

through him who loved us. For I am persuaded

that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor

principalities, nor powers, nor things present,

nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor

any other created thing shall be able to separate

us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus

our Lord. You cannot lose with him. You can't

lose. I'm going to ask you to bow your heads

as you stand in this. I cannot promise you a

trouble -free life in Jesus or otherwise, honestly.

But I can promise you if you follow him, that

he will give you a peace. If you truly follow

him, he'll give you a peace that passes all understanding.

You won't even be able to explain it. I can promise

you at the end of the day, you'll come out on

top. You'll get through the other side of the

trouble and somehow he'll bring you through and

you'll come out on top. And if you're here and

you're a Christian, you've been following Jesus

in your mind. You've been suffering with thoughts

that have plagued you. In your body, you have

suffered with plagues that have attacked your

body. If your soul is a mess, right? You're emotionally

all over the place. I'm here to tell you today.

He can and will come in and give you peace. Paradise

in the middle of trouble. So I'm gonna pray for

you first and then I'm gonna talk with those

and just keep your heads bowed as we do this.

I'm gonna pray through and maybe for those who

don't know Jesus. Father, I come to you today.

God, you know who's in the house here, Lord.

You know, God, who's among us. And Lord, I pray

right now, God, that you would begin to move

among your people. God, I pray that you would

guide and direct. But Lord, I... God, I know

there are people in here, they're struggling

right now. God, they're in the middle of trouble.

There's trouble on every side of them. Lord,

it's in the front, in the back, on the sides,

maybe even above and below them. And Lord, right

now they're tormented in their mind. They might

be tormented in their body and their soul. And

Lord, they need the peace of God in their lives.

And Lord, they need to know they're going to

come out on top. They need that reassurance.

So God, I pray right now, settle it in their

heads. Settle it in their hearts that I am not

going down. That life is not going to take me

down. The trouble is not going to tear me to

pieces. Because I am in you. God, I pray that

the peace of God floods their spirit. God, I

pray Holy Spirit pours upon them and baptizes

them and fills them full of your peace. Your

peace, Lord. God, help them. in their heads and

in their hearts. And as every head is bowed and

every eye still stays closed, you might be in

the house and you have never experienced the

peace of God in your life. You didn't even know

you could be in relationship with a holy God

who has your best interest at heart. So much

so that he sent Jesus to die on a cross to take

the payment of your sin so that you could be

in relationship with God. That's why Jesus came.

That was the whole purpose. If you're here today,

and you've never been in relationship with him,

but you want to be. You want to know the peace

that I'm talking about. You want to know that

you can win in following Jesus. I'm going to

ask you to do something. If you truly commit

in your heart, and that's the key, you're going

to commit to follow him. Raise your hand right

now if you want to meet Jesus for the first time.

All we ask you to do is pray. I'm not going to

call you out. I'm not going to ask you to come

up to the front. I'm not going to ask you anything.

You can raise your hand up, put it right back

down. Good morning. Thank you. Father, we come.

God, you know every soul, every mind, and every

heart in this house. Lord, we recognize that

Jesus paid the price that we couldn't pay. We

could not fix that trouble in our lives. Sin

separated us from God from the very beginning.

And Lord, it was Jesus who came to bring us back

into relationship, reconcile us back to God so

that I might know the peace of God and so that

I might be on the winning team. I might know

what it is to win. Lord, I pray right now for

that person. Lord, all they got to do is confess

that in their own words in prayer. All they got

to do is believe in their heart and the word

of God says that you will be with them and they'll

be saved. So God, for every person in the house

this morning, God, I pray, Lord, the one that's

praying that prayer, let them feel the peace

of God flood into their spirit right now. Let

their heart be so full. They're not going to

be able to explain it, but Lord, they're going

to know. Lord, we just give you praise and glory

and honor in Jesus' name. And everybody say it

together. Amen. Amen. I almost did it quick.

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