John Ch14v1-14 - Don't Let Your Heats Be Troubled

!

Good morning, everybody.

Great to see you all.

I've been away the last five Sundays.

I was on placement

in Washington, D.C.

for two Sundays and then in

Grosvenor Road Baptist for three Sundays.

I'm very thankful for the church supporting

me to do those placements.

It's so good to be back

today with you all.

Look forward to telling you more about

those experiences away in time.

But thank God for them.

Returning to

John chapter 14

John 14:1–14

verses 1 to 14

and we're

going to read

from there. That's on page 1082

of the church

Bible.

John chapter 14

John 14 · chapter mention

and

verse 1 to 14.

Just

before Louise comes up to read that.

It's a little bit of context.

These

are some of the last words that Jesus

says to his disciples

before he goes to the cross.

After three years

of life

alongside

Jesus,

he's just told

these men that he's about to die.

But worse than that,

he's just told them that

one of them

is about to betray him

to his death.

And

Peter

is going to disown him

three times

before the morning.

So the disciples

are reeling.

It's like the rug's

been pulled

from under their feet.

Their hearts

are troubled

in this moment

as Jesus speaks.

So Jesus speaks

these words

into their

troubled hearts.

Thanks, Louise.

Do not let your hearts

be troubled.

You believe in God,

believe also in me.

My father's house

has many rooms.

If that were not so,

would I have told you?

that I am going there.

Sorry,

if that was not so,

would I have told you

that I am going there

to prepare a place

for you?

And if I go

and prepare a place

for you,

I will come back

and take you

to be with me

that you

may also

be where I am.

You know

the way

to the place

where I am going.

Thomas said to him,

Lord,

we do not know

where you are going,

so how can we

know the way?

Jesus answered,

I am the way,

the truth

and the life.

No one comes

to the father

except through me.

If you really

know me,

you will know

my father as well.

From now on,

you do know him

and you have seen him.

Philip said,

Lord,

show us

the father

and that

will be enough

for us.

Jesus answered,

don't you know me,

Philip,

even after I have

been among you

for such a long time?

Anyone who has

seen me

has seen the father.

How can you say,

show us the father?

Don't you believe

that I am in the father

and that the father

is in me?

The words I say to you,

I do not speak

on my own authority.

Rather,

it is the father

living in me

who is doing

his work.

believe me

when I say

that I am

in the father

and the father

is in me

or at least

believe on the

evidence of

the works

themselves.

Very truly,

I tell you,

whoever believes

in me

will do the

works I have

been doing

and they will

do even

greater things

than these

because I am

going to the

father

and I will

do whatever

you ask

in my name

so that the

father may

be glorified

in the

son.

You may

ask me

for anything

in my name

and I will

do it.

Well,

Jesus just

told us

in verse 1,

he says,

don't let

your hearts

be troubled.

Believe in

God.

Believe

also in

me.

You know,

I think we

can resonate

with the

disciples in

this situation,

can't we?

We can

resonate with

their troubled

hearts.

We all

walked in the

door this

morning with

our own

unique set

of various

troubles and

difficulties.

For some

of us,

those troubles,

well,

they can

begin to

overwhelm

us.

we don't

know what

to even

say to

God or

what to

do next.

Some

days we

just feel

like curling

up in a

ball.

Maybe it's

a relationship

that's broken,

seems beyond

repair.

Maybe it's

an illness

that you

never

expected.

Maybe it's

times of

change and

uncertainty.

maybe it's

stress at

work or

at school

or college

or saying

goodbye to

somebody that

you never

wanted to

say goodbye

to.

Our hearts

are troubled

today.

What Jesus

is about to

say to us

is not

easy.

It's not

a trite,

quick-fix

thing.

You know,

three steps

to not

having any

troubles

anymore.

No.

But God

the Son

stands before

us today

in his

word.

And he

speaks

three reasons

for real

comfort

in the

middle of

our

troubles.

and

God

So before

we look

at those

reasons,

let's

pray and

ask for

God's

help to

really hear

what he

has to

say.

Our

loving

Father in

heaven,

you know

our troubled

and weary

hurts.

Meet us

here by

your Spirit.

Help us

to hear

your Son's

words to

us.

That we

would not

fear,

but that we

would feel

your profound

comfort

in the

deepest

places

of our

hearts.

For your

Son's sake,

we pray.

Amen.

Well,

here's the

first reason

for comfort

in our

text.

Jesus

says,

do not

let your

hearts

be

troubled.

Your

home

is with

the

Father

forever

through

Jesus.

Have a

look at

verse 2.

My

Father's

house

has many

rooms.

If that

were not

so,

would I

have told

you that

I'm going

there to

prepare a

place for

you?

and if

I go

and prepare

a place

for you,

I will

come back

and take

you to

be with

me,

that you

also may

be where

I am.

You know

the way

to the

place where

I am

going.

What a

comfort

to our

hearts.

We've

already been

thinking about

that this

morning,

haven't we?

Jesus

has gone

to prepare

a place

for us

where we

will live

with him

and the

father

forever.

You know,

there was a

Jewish custom

in the time

of Jesus.

The groom

would leave

to prepare

a place

for his

bride in

his father's

house,

usually by

building on

an addition

to the

house.

And

following

the wedding,

he would

take his

bride back

with him

to his

father's

house

where they

would live.

And that's

a picture

of Jesus

and us.

He has

committed

himself

to us

in love

as our

bridegroom.

And we,

the church,

are the

bride.

He has

gone ahead

of us

to prepare

a place

to live

with his

bride

forever

in his

father's

house.

Revelation

speaks of

the wedding

supper

of the

lamb,

when Jesus

will be

fully and

finally

married to

his bride.

The church

and when

that time

comes,

he will

return

and take

us to

be with

him

forever

in his

father's

house.

See the

double

comfort

that that

is.

On the

one

hand,

married

to

Christ

forever.

Every

good

marriage

on this

earth

is just

a shadow

pointing

to that

true

marriage

to come

where we

will be

satisfied

and

comforted

in

Christ's

perfect

love

forever.

On the

other

hand,

we will

be with

the

father

forever.

In

his

union

with

us,

Jesus

shares

everything

he has

with

us,

including

his

father.

We

have the

right

to be

sons

and

daughters

of

God.

What

a

comfort

that the

father

who has

loved

and

delighted

in

his

son

for

all

eternity

calls

you

his

son

or

daughter

in

Christ.

Can you

just imagine

that moment

when we

will reach

that eternal

home?

Can you

see

the

father's

open

arms?

Can you

see a

smile

on his

face?

he is

not

reserved

in

his

love

for

us.

Jesus

has

prepared

a

place

for

you

to

be

with

him

and

his

father

forever.

So

take

heart.

Now

notice

what

Thomas

asks

in

verse

five.

Thomas

said

to

him,

Lord,

we

don't

know

where

you

are

going.

So

how

can

we

know

the

way?

Now

it's

a

bit

of

funny

question,

isn't

it?

because

Jesus

has

literally

just

told

them

where

they're

going

to

heaven

and

the

way

to

get

there.

He's

going

to

take

them.

Jesus

is

patient

with

Thomas

here

and

he's

patient

with

us

in

our

doubts

and

our

failure

to

hear

and

understand

as

well.

So

Jesus

says

it

even

clearer

and

I'm

thankful

that

he

does.

Verse

six.

Jesus

answered,

I

am

the

way

and

the

truth

and

and

Christ.

There

is

no

true

source

of

life

that

lasts

forever

outside

of

Christ.

You

see,

you can

never

know

the

comfort

of

being

with

the

Father

unless

you

come

through

faith

in

the

Son.

That

means

believing

what

Jesus

did

for

you

on

the

cross

to

reconcile

you

to

the

Father.

Because

Jesus

was

the

only

one

who

never

sinned.

He

was

the

only

one

who

could

pay

the

penalty

our

sins

deserved.

That

is why

he

says

no

one

comes

to

the

Father

except

through

me.

We

may

be

offended

by

that

claim.

We

might

say

that's

very

exclusive

Jesus

for

you

to

say

that.

But

it

is

the

truth.

And

Jesus

says

it

for

our

ultimate

comfort.

So that

in the

heartache,

in the

trouble that

we experience

in our

lives,

we would

know that

Jesus

has gone

to prepare

a place

for us

with his

Father.

So he

calls out,

believe in

me.

And I

will take

you there.

The bridegroom

has promised

to return

for his

bride.

Let us

take

comfort

in that

in the

midst

of our

trouble

today.

Here's

the next

truth

of Jesus

to comfort

our hearts.

And it

has to

do not

with

something

in the

future,

something

right here

in the

present,

our

present

experience

of the

Father.

Jesus

says,

don't let

your hearts

be troubled.

You

will see

and know

the

Father

right now.

in Jesus.

Now the

disciples were

devastated that

Jesus was

going away.

In their

minds,

the future

promise of

being with

the Father

just wasn't

enough.

What about

the meantime?

Have a look

at verse 8.

Look what

Philip asks.

He says,

Lord,

show us

the Father

and that

will be

enough for

us.

Now I

think we've

all been

there.

thinking,

you know,

if I

could just

see God

now,

if I

could just

sit across

the table

from him

and talk

to him

and hear

him speak

to me,

and if

I could

just know

what he

was like,

who he

really is.

And yet

Jesus has

actually already

answered this

question

beforehand

in verse 7.

And his

answer is

this,

we have

already

known and

seen the

Father in

Jesus.

So,

Jesus says

it again.

Have a look

in verse 9.

He says,

don't you

know me,

Philip?

Even after

I have been

among you

such a long

time,

anyone who

has seen

me has

seen the

Father.

How can

you say,

show us

the Father?

Don't you

believe that

I am in

the Father?

and that

the Father

is in

me?

The words

I say to

you,

I do not

speak on

my own

authority.

Rather,

it is the

Father living

in me who

is doing

his work.

Believe

me when

I say

that I

am in

the Father

and the

Father is

in me.

Or at

least believe

on the

evidence of

the works

themselves.

and the

God is

now here

we see

something of

the beauty

and glory

of the

Trinity.

Our

God

has revealed

himself

as being

one God

with three

distinct

persons.

Father,

Son,

Holy Spirit.

They share

the same

divine nature.

They are

totally one

in will

and purpose.

And yet,

they have

distinct

roles

in creating

us,

in saving

us.

For example,

the Father

sends the

Son to

be the

sacrifice

for our

sin.

And he

sends him

in the

power of

the Spirit.

These

persons relate

to each

other in

different ways.

For example,

as a

father and

a son.

This is

what Jesus

says.

He says,

the Father

is in

the Son

and the

Son is

in the

Father.

Think about

this with

me for

a second.

Equally,

we could

say the

same thing

about the

Spirit

being in

the Son

and in

the Father.

The

persons of

the Trinity

mutually

indwell

each other.

That means

if you

see one

person of

the Trinity,

you see

all the

others

also.

now,

when we

hear

Jesus

say this

first,

we could

think,

I don't

know if

I believe

this.

I don't

understand how

it works.

Does it

matter if

I believe

it?

Well,

yes,

it does.

Even though

it's hard

to understand,

Jesus

asks us

repeatedly

to believe

that it

is true

for our

comfort

in trouble.

And here's

why.

because if

we know

what Jesus

is like

from

reading the

Word,

we can

also say

we know

what the

Father is

like.

We can

also say

that I

have seen

his

Son and

all of

the Father

is in

the Son.

I've seen

the Father.

We are not

left guessing

about the

Father's

character.

Do you

ever think

that Jesus

is like

the warm,

welcoming,

compassionate

member of

the Trinity?

But the

Father seems

to be

different,

more distant

or

inapproachable?

Wrong!

That is not

true.

Jesus

reveals

the Father.

When we

see Jesus,

we see

who the

Father is.

So when

we see

Jesus forgiving

the woman

caught in

sin,

or having

compassion

on the

crowds,

or welcoming

the children

to him,

or being

patient with

the doubter,

or drawing

near to

the outcast,

or weeping

with the

brokenhearted,

we see the

Father's

heart right

there.

And he's

your Father

in Christ.

Oh, the

wonder of

being loved

by such

a Father.

he understands

the troubles

that you

feel.

And more

than that,

he's with

you in

your troubles.

If you

look down

a few

verses in

John chapter

John 14 · chapter mention

14,

look down

to verse

23.

Jesus says

here,

he says,

anyone who

loves me

will obey

my teaching.

My Father

will love

them,

and we

will come

to them

and make

our home

with them.

So don't

let your

hearts be

troubled.

The

Father

is actually

closer than

your skin.

You know

what he's

like.

You've seen

him in

Jesus.

He has

made his

home in

you with

the Son,

by the

Spirit.

He cares

about your

troubled

heart,

and you

can know

his heart

of love

for you

despite what

you're

going

through.

Believe

in

Jesus'

word to

you today.

Your

home is

with the

Father,

and in

the meantime,

you can

see and

know him

now in

his Son.

Take

heart.

And if

that account

of the

Father sounds

foreign to

you, may

I encourage

you to

read the

Gospels.

And as

you see

Jesus,

remember,

this is

who the

Father

is.

He

perfectly

reveals

the

Father.

There is

one last

thing in

this text

that Jesus

wants to

say to

give us

his

comfort.

And it

may be

the most

surprising

in some

ways.

It is

that you

and I

will do

the works

of the

Father

in Jesus.

Now,

when our

hearts are

weighed down

with trouble,

we can

feel like

we're no

good to

anyone.

And I

think we've

all experienced

that.

That feeling

of just

wanting to

curl up

in a

ball.

Feeling

paralyzed

by pain

or sadness

or worry.

It's like

it's all

you can

think about.

You can't

even do

anything else

it feels

like.

Or at

least you

don't

want to.

Well,

Jesus says

to his

disciples

and to

us,

I know

your

hearts

are weighed

down

with

troubles.

But the

Father has

a real

purpose for

you right

here,

right now.

He wants

to do

his works

in you

whenever you

feel at your

weakest.

Now,

let's look at

what these

works are

in our

reading.

Verse 10,

Jesus says,

the words

I say

to you,

I do

not speak

on my

own

authority.

Rather,

it is the

Father living

in me

who is

doing

his work.

So can

you see

the link

there?

The

words

that Jesus

speaks

are the

works

of the

Father.

That's

what Jesus

says.

Obviously,

Jesus did

other things

than just

speak

God's

words.

But in

Jesus' mind,

the primary

work of

the Father

was speaking

his word.

Now,

keep that

in mind

as we

read

verse 12.

This is

quite

something.

Verse 12,

very truly

I tell

you,

whoever

believes

in me

will do

the works

I have

been doing,

and they

will do

even greater

things than

these,

because I

am going

to the

Father.

So you

and I

are called

to do

the same

works

that Jesus

did,

the works

of the

Father,

speaking

his

word.

What a

comfort this

is in

our trouble.

That gives

us a

surpassing

purpose.

We are

ambassadors

of the

Father.

In our

workplaces,

schools,

housing

estates,

clubs,

in our

families,

we are

the

Father's

mouthpiece

and

masterpiece

too.

We speak

the true

words about

Jesus to

others,

so they

also can

hear and

believe and

be reconciled

to the

Father

forever.

and just

think about

this.

Isn't it

often through

our times

of suffering

and pain

that the

best

opportunities

arise to

speak of

Christ?

You know,

as people

see us walk

through real

struggles,

they are

much more

likely to

take notice

of what

makes us

tick.

They can

see a

peace

beyond

our

circumstances.

They can

see a

hope beyond

the current

pain.

They can

see a

faith that's

steady

through

hard times.

People

begin to

ask,

how is

this so?

Why are

you like

this,

given your

circumstances?

And the

door is

opened to

speak about

Jesus.

One

example of

this is a

lady named

Johnny

Erickson

Tata.

Some of

you may

know her

story.

She was

paralyzed in

all four

limbs in

a tragic

diving accident

when she

was 17

years old.

For the

last 50

years, she

has struggled

with chronic

pain,

depression,

grief, and

questions about

why God

allowed this

to happen

in her

life.

and as

more and

more people

began to

hear of

her story,

she had

more and

more

opportunities

to speak

of Christ,

especially

to those

who are

also going

through

intense

suffering

and pain

or coping

with a

disability.

Now,

Johnny

doesn't

downplay

the reality

of pain,

of her

ongoing

disability,

but she

does speak

of how

Christ has

been enough

for her

all the

way through

it.

Countless

people have

come to

faith in

Christ

through

listening to

her story.

She was

someone who

very easily

could have

given way

to despair

and just

done

nothing,

but she

believed

the word

of Christ

to her,

that despite

her troubled

heart,

the Father

had given

her his

own works

to do,

even

there in

that place.

She found

immense

comfort in

the fact

that God

has given

her purpose

in her

struggle.

And for

you and

I today,

Jesus says,

don't let

your hearts

be troubled,

I've got

to work

for you

right here,

the Father's

work.

The Father

is sending

you to

the people

around you

who are also

suffering and

struggling.

What an amazing

comfort that is.

It doesn't

erase the

pain,

it doesn't

fix all

our problems,

it doesn't

just magic

our troubles

away,

but it's

a real

comfort as

we walk

through it.

We have

a purpose

right here

as an

ambassador

of the

Father,

and Jesus

empowers us

for this

task.

Just look

what he

says next,

verse 13.

and I

will do

whatever you

ask in

my name

so that

the Father

may be

glorified in

the Son.

You may

ask me for

anything in

my name

and I

will do

it.

Now we do

need to be

careful here.

We could

really run

with those

words and

do a lot

of damage

with that.

What is it

exactly that

we are to

ask Jesus

for and

that he

will give

us?

Well,

Jesus said,

it's whatever

we ask

in Jesus'

name.

Here's what

one author

said.

A request

in the name

of Jesus

is a

request

in keeping

with the

character

and mission

of Jesus.

I'll say

that once

more.

A request

in the name

of Jesus

is a

request

in keeping

with the

character

and mission

of Jesus.

So we

don't ask

for something

that Jesus

wouldn't want,

clearly,

and expect

him to give

that to us.

No.

But he

wants us

to ask

him for

things that

align with

his will.

What is

his will?

Well,

actually,

Jesus said

that in

verse 14,

13.

It's that

the Father's

name will

be glorified

more

and more.

So,

do we

ask in

our

struggles

for

opportunities

to share

Jesus?

That's a

good question.

Do we

persist

in praying

for friends,

family,

co-workers

to have

open hearts

to listen

to the

word of

Christ?

Jesus

loves

to answer

such

prayers.

He loves

to show

his mighty

power

in us.

Ask

in his

name

and watch

him work.

Just

try him.

We all