Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] I'm going to have you turn in your bibles to the Gospel of John. I've been doing a series of messages from this book. We're all the way to chapter 14. We're going to look at the entire chapter today. And I've entitled the message how to overcome intimidating and overwhelming situations in our lives.
[00:00:20] You know, what are the things that deeply trouble us as human beings? I think there are things in life that we cannot control. Those are the things that really kind of start troubling us. And there's things that I think, like reversals in relationships or difficult financial situations, poor health, even the idea of uncertainty. What does tomorrow hold for us? Or maybe ultimately death, that may cause distress and anxiety in our lives. You know, sometimes people get anxious about, you know, what's before me. Will it be good or will it be not so good? And I think we all have experiences in life where we've had good times or good moments in our life, and then we've had challenging, trying, difficult moments.
[00:01:06] So the question that Jesus is now going to explain to his disciples, we were up in the upper room, they're celebrating the passover, and Jesus kind of lays out in their minds a bombshell because he's telling them that he's going to depart, he's leaving them. And if you've been journaling along with me through the series, you know that they recognize the danger of just being in Jerusalem. This was now a very hostile environment.
[00:01:34] They had come into the community. They were cheering, but underneath there was this unrest.
[00:01:40] Jesus actually said earlier in chapter 13, some of one of them was going to betray him. And then we know the story. Judas left, and now he's here with these disciples, and he's warning them. He had warned Peter, you're going to deny me not once, but twice, three times before the rooster crows twice. All the other ones were going to run from him. And so these were shocking statements. They weren't ready for that. They had kind of given up everything to follow Jesus. They kind of lived in this anticipation of God's kingdom being realized as an earthly kingdom now. And so the message of Jesus departure is relatively shocking and very troubling to them. And they're struggling to grasp what Jesus is saying to them. And how many know that we have a hard time gathering information and embracing it when that's not our vision of reality. And so I think they were in a bit of denial right there. And I think we all have those experiences where we get information and we don't want that information. And we just can't wrap our minds around it. They were struggling with this information Jesus was laying down. They're trying to grasp what he was trying to say to them. So now Jesus shifts here in chapter 14. He wants to speak words of encouragement, words of reassurance, words of hope, because he knows that this crisis is just around the corner. They're going to face, probably as a group of people, as believers, the newly formed beginnings of a church, the nucleus. They're going to experience the greatest crisis today. Jesus is about to leave them. He's been their advocate. I mean, when they were criticized by walking through the cornfields and they were taking the grain and the Pharisees were criticizing Jesus disciples, Jesus advocated for them. He said to the Pharisees, haven't you not read? So Jesus is seen as the one that's been protecting them, guiding them, leading them, instructing them. He's been their teacher and now he's about ready to leave.
[00:03:42] So what about these words that were given 2000 years ago? How do these things now apply to us? How can you and I find the right response to life's most troubling events? Or how can we overcome the most dire, intimidating and maybe even overwhelming experiences in our own lives? And here in John 14, I think we're going to discover the hope and comfort that we find in having this trusting, wonderful relationship with God himself. And so I want to take a look at three responses. I call them wise responses to life's difficulties and uncertainties. And the first one is really that we put our trust in the right place. Who do we have confidence in? Or where are we placing our confidence? Is it in ourselves? Is it in our own resources? And how many know that sometimes we've even let ourselves down? Or maybe we don't have enough resources to address the situation we're faced. I'm not just talking financially. What about emotionally or physically or mentally, all of those things? Or are we really trusting in God himself? And I always think it begins with where we put our trust in God. In John 14, one, two, it says, do nothing. Let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. That's an imperative. That's a command. Believe also in me. He says, my father's house has many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you that where I'm going there, that I'm going there to prepare a place for you. Now, Jesus, as I've said, is giving an imperative here. He's telling us to put our trust in him. And he's going to address the fears and the troubles and the burdens and the challenges that you and I are experiencing.
[00:05:33] His presence. How many know just having God's presence in our soul can really alleviate and calm a lot of the fears and anxieties that life, you know, helps create within our souls? Jesus said that they needed to learn to trust him. You know, Merrill Tanny says something very significant. He said, if Jesus were leaving them, would they not be helpless and friendless in the midst of a hostile city? Terror must have gripped them. Jesus probably could see it on their faces. They were frightened. They were terrified by what they were experiencing. And then he gives them another command. Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me. He asked them that they would have a personal faith in him. The words must have shocked them, since he bracketed himself with God and ask that they believe in him equally with God. In other words, he was putting himself at the same place as the father.
[00:06:31] He had the audacity to demand that they would make him Jesus the object of their faith.
[00:06:39] That would suggest to us that Jesus must be God to ask for that. And I think that they were on that road of discovery, that Jesus was more than just a mandeh. How many get that idea? You know, as you're looking through the story, you're watching the miracles unfold, and, you know, they're experiencing things. And especially that time in the boat when he speaks to the winds and the waves. And the question that is raised, they said, what manner of man is this? Like, who can do this stuff? And they were like, you know, wrestling in their minds, because, you know, part of the image of a jewish person is there's one God. And yes, the messiah would come, but they never had the idea that God himself would come to earth. I don't think that really had been factored into their thinking. And yet Isaiah had said, God himself will save you. And God himself humbled himself and became a man. How powerful is that? Now Jesus is challenging them to put their trust in him, even as he'll challenge us through our challenges in life to trust in him. He goes on to say he made himself the key to the question of destiny and clearly stated that their future depended his work. That's a key point. Now, in order for Jesus to depart, he's trying to prepare them. And he uses the analogy of the jewish wedding. In John 14 three, it says, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me, that you may be where I am. Now, the image of leaving to prepare a place is filled with significance to people who understood the jewish bridal customs of that day. And what were they? Well, simply put, you know, it was customary after the engagement. And in those days, the engagement was as binding as a marriage because what they were doing is arranging a contract. Then the groom would leave and go to his father's house and build the room, and then he would turn around when the room was done and come back to get his bride. And we have these beautiful pictures in the New Testament of that's what Jesus is talking about. I'm going to prepare a place. I'm coming back to get you, my bride. And he's not just speaking of this analogy in relationship to those early disciples. He's also saying those very same words to you and I. So once that's completed, as the groom comes back, he takes his bride, goes back to this father's house, they celebrate the wedding, and that's where they plan to live their lives. And then we have that picture in the Bible. It says that Jesus is going to come back and what is going to happen? We are going to be taken to the father's house, be brought to heaven. We're going to have the wedding feast of the lamb, that's the marriage festival, and then we're going to live with him for all of eternity. So Jesus is telling them, this is what's about to happen now.
[00:09:28] He's preparing the way for that to happen.
[00:09:31] Because, you know, I don't know about you when you've read this text before, but it really kind of struck me that Jesus isn't just talking here about going and preparing heaven.
[00:09:42] That's not what he's saying. You have to move away from the analogy for a minute. He's not talking about there was something lacking in heaven. So what is Jesus really talking about here? Well, I think he's talking about he is the way or the means by which you and I have access into God's presence. Jesus said it this way in verse four, you know, the way to the place where I'm going.
[00:10:04] Thomas says, lord, we don't know where you're going, so how can we know the way? Jesus answers him, I'm the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. Now, the preparation that Jesus is speaking about here, as da Carson is going to point out, is what he's about to do. So it's not so much that Jesus is going, oh, I gotta go to heaven to fix something there for you. That's not what he means. What he's saying is, I need to leave now. And in my leaving and going through this departure, I'm actually preparing the way so you can inherit heaven. Are we seeing with the picture he's painting, he's saying, it's necessary that I go in order that I die and become a sacrifice in order for you to have a means to actually join me in eternity. That's what he's talking about. And Carson says it this way. It's not that he arrives on the scene and then begins to prepare the place. Rather, in the context of johannian theology, it is the going itself, via the cross and resurrection, that prepares the place for Jesus disciples. That's why he's telling them, I have to go, I have to die. I'm making the way for you to be with me. How many are picking up on the picture now? This is what he's telling them. This is what he's telling us now.
[00:11:32] Gerald Bouchard explains the significance of his exchange with Thomas. And he says it this way. Thomas had misinterpreted the metaphor to be a statement of taking a journey. Instead, Jesus was talking about the ultimate relationship of life that humans have with goddess, and that has implications for their eternal destiny. He says, when one understands the metaphor from this perspective, the way then becomes more akin to the way of life. So in other words, Jesus, I'm showing you the way. The way is how to get there is through a person, but it's also the way that we live. Now watch what happens. He says the law, or Torah, was not to be understood primarily as a set of rules, but as a walk with Goddesse. All along, God's intention was to teach humanity how you and I could learn how to know God and then walk with God. But what had happened is that they had basically polluted or they had reconstructed in their minds how people needed to live before God. And I'm talking about many of the jewish people, especially many of the Pharisees. It says, unfortunately, ideas of Torah, law, command or instruction can all degenerate into keeping a set of rules or failing to relate directly to the one who gave the rules of instruction. So what is he saying here? He's saying what happens sometimes is instead of relating to God personally, what we do is we start relating to what God requires of us. And pretty soon all we start doing is what God requires of us. And we don't have a relationship with God himself. And what we've developed is kind of a. A form, a religion, we become legalists, and it becomes problematic. He goes on to say it this way. In such a case, Torah instruction becomes ends in themselves. The way then fades into an act of human effort. So that dynamic relationship with God becomes swallowed up in keeping a set of wooden rules. Following rules is hardly what is intended in John as the way to the father. And I just add, this was what had happened to most of the Pharisees. They were now just following a set of rules driven by human effort, instead of this dynamic relationship with God. They really didn't know God, and we've seen that, as I've preached through the gospel of John. Here they are arguing with Jesus. They have their own ideas about what it means to keep the Sabbath. And unfortunately, they were totally wrong. And they saw Jesus as committing rules, a violator, someone who's breaking Torah, and they can't see him as who he really is. Lord of the Sabbath. Isn't that amazing? And I say all of that. You say, why are you spending time on this, pastor? Because I think what happens sometimes as believers, you know, we get. We start learning about God. We get to know God. We start learning of God's ways, but it can degenerate eventually into just doing the right things, and we become a little distant from God. We don't really get to know him. We start losing out. How do you get to know who God is? Well, yeah, you spend time in God's word, but it's not to proof text it or to argue your point of view. It's to get to know a person. It's to develop and cultivate a relationship with him. And we don't walk around as I've got all the answers kind of thing, because that's a very proudful and a lack of real humility, because how many know there's times God does things, and I shared that a few weeks ago. He kind of throws a curveball at you, and you go, I didn't expect this. You know, what's God doing now, right? I had it all figured out. How many know God will mess with your all figured out heads? I'll just tell you right now. He will do that to you. You know, talk to job. Job had it all figured out until, you know, everything he thought about God was wrong, and his friends were still where he was, and he's going, listen, guys, we've got it wrong. I didn't do anything bad. God's not punishing me for doing something wrong. I didn't do anything wrong. And we know from the story that he hadn't done anything wrong, but God was changing his whole approach. And God doesn't feel he owes us an explanation. We learned that from that book as well. God doesn't owe us one. Isn't that true? Actually, at the end, job says, man, I was totally wrong and got a deeper understanding and was a lot more humble about his relationship with God. And so what happens to people who become legalistic rule keepers?
[00:15:52] They are no longer relating to Jesus as he's revealing himself in his word scriptures.
[00:15:59] And then Gerald Bouchard says this, I think is so good. Now Jesus says he's the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the father, but by me. Any hint of universalism, which means the idea that there's many ways to God, okay, any hint of syncretistic viewpoints. In other words, we merge a bunch of ideas together and we create a, you know, we're just bringing everybody in, but it's not the way God spells it out. Patterns of salvation or reaching the father through any other means than the means by which God himself came to do on our behalf. In other words, we can't come to God on our terms.
[00:16:43] We come to God on his terms. And what God did was make an amazing sacrifice on our behalf. He, God, became a man and laid down his life for our sins. So any other way of trying to, you know, be good enough to get to heaven or another form of religion, what we're really saying is we're negating what God did on our behalf. You know, I look at all the religions in the world as humanity's efforts to somehow please God. God goes, you know, no matter how much you guys do down here, it's never going to be enough because we're all fallen, sinful human beings. So God himself came to earth, became a man, a sinless man, and lived a sinless life, and actually obeyed the will of God perfectly laid down his life willingly so that you and I could have eternal salvation. So anything that we come up with that's off, that plan is wrong. And we need to hear this message, because today people are trying to embrace all kinds of ways to God. Let me just say something. The Bible teaches a very exclusive way to God, but it's universal in its application. What that means is God says, whosoever will can come. So God is inviting all of humanity to come the way he created for us. So in that sense, it's universal, but in one sense, it's exclusive. This is the way, folks. There is no other way. And if we try to come up with something other than that. We're really negating and nullifying the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. That's why Paul was so strong on. If you think you can keep the law, what you're doing is negating what Jesus did for you. Cause none of us can do it. You'll never be good enough. You break it in one point, you've broken it as far as James is concerned, in every point. Let me move on here. The need for a growing relationship to God.
[00:18:43] If you really know me, Jesus said, you will know my father as well. Isn't that beautiful? So all we got to do is get to know Jesus. If you know Jesus, you know the father. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. So Jesus is telling them, look, you guys have seen God.
[00:18:59] I love Philip's lord. Show us the father. That'll be enough for us. And you know, there's a longing in every human heart to know God. They're really deep down inside. There's a longing, and he says, show us. We'll be satisfied with that. Jesus responds, don't you know me, Philip? Even after I've been among you such a long time, anyone who has seen me has seen the father. Isn't that beautiful? How can you say, show us the father? If you see Jesus, you're seeing. Jesus is actually God in a body.
[00:19:28] That's what he's telling you. Jesus is the second person of the Godhead. He's now a human being. We're looking at God and man in one person right there.
[00:19:40] Now, this belief is based upon the works of Jesus. Jesus says this. Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the father is in me? The words I say to you, I do not speak of my own authority. Rather, it is the Father living in me who is doing his work.
[00:19:58] Let's pause for a minute and think about what Jesus just said there. He said, everything you've seen me do was actually the Father in me, doing it through me.
[00:20:07] That's a powerful statement.
[00:20:09] Think about the application of that statement. You know, even so, as God himself. Now, in a believer's life, the Holy Spirit comes and lives inside of us everything that we are doing. We're not the originators. Rather, it is God at work in us who now becomes God at work through us, just like the father was at work in Jesus, and the Father was at work through Jesus. Are you getting a picture? God is saying, this is what needs to be understood. He goes on to say, believe me when I say that I'm in the father and the father is in me. I'm telling you this, or at the least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Now, how many know that Jesus did a lot of neat miracles? I mean, he was doing stuff that most people can't do. And I shared that a while ago, you know, and he healed the blind man. We know from the Old Testament there's not one recorded healing of a blind person. And Isaiah says that God himself would heal the blind. And Jesus comes along, and all he's doing is healing blind people.
[00:21:12] First of all, that was like the blind. The man that was born blind says one thing I do know. I was blind. Now I see sinners can't do this kind of stuff. This guy's got to be from goddess. You know, he's telling the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin, the religious rulers, this very powerful. But how about the disciples in the boat? The storm comes along, and what's happening? They're terrified. Some of these guys were fishermen. They've been on this lake all their life. This was a really bad storm. They thought they were going to die. They woke Jesus up, and he just says, be still. Boom. The wind and the waves immediately became calm. Notice their response. What manner of man is this? In other words, what human being can pull this off? You ever tried talking to the weather and commanding it? Good luck. Jesus was able to change it. So they're saying only God can do this kind of stuff. So Jesus is saying, if you don't believe what I'm saying, at least believe for the very sake of what you've been watching, you know, raising people from the dead. All the things that Jesus was doing was pointing to the fact that he's more than just a man, and that's what we need to understand.
[00:22:19] So the application is simply this. When you and I are confronted and distressed, and we're in situations where we feel anxiety rising, I think we need to remind ourselves what Jesus said, hey, don't let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God. Believe also in me. Trust in me. And some of you need to hear this word today. You need to put your trust in God today in the situation that you're in, because he's a God who can actually do what other people cannot do. He's greater than us. He's greater than our circumstances. God is for us and not against us. Let me move on to the second point. In accessing these amazing resources, how do we receive what we need from God? How do we connect with him? Well, like every relationship, it begins with communication. And we need to realize that we ask God. Praying is asking and receiving, but I believe the condition is so that we can bring glory to God. And so believing prayer is the key to seeing God work. We're now told the kind of works that will flow out of our lives as we are in union with Jesus. He said, very truly, I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I've been doing, and they will do even greater things than these because I'm going to the father, I'm going to come back to that verse and I will do whatever you ask in my name. So that the father may be glorified in the son. I'm going to do what you're asking so that the father may be glorified because you're asking the son. And the Son is going to bring glory to God because to see the Son wants to glorify the father. Isn't that beautiful? And that should be our absolute primary motivation in our lives. You know, sometimes our motivation is I want to be happy or our motivation is I don't want any hassles in life. Or our motivation is, you know, we could list a whole bunch, I want to be this, I want to be that. What we need to move to in our lives, and this is a journey. I'm not saying you get there automatically, but you need to get to that place of thinking. This isn't about me. I'm here for a reason. God created me for his good pleasure. What I need to be doing and living for is to bring glory and honor to God. When you move to that place, it changes your whole center of your being. It changes the direction, your desires, your passions, the movement and the decisions you'll make because you want to live to bring glory to God. And he says, then you may ask for anything in my name and I will do it. I can guarantee you if you're living to bring honor and glory to goddess, you'll be able to start seeing answers to prayer in a way you've never seen before. It'll just start happening. But let me go back to that first verse that I mentioned, verse twelve. It says, you know, I think this verse so often has been deeply misunderstood. And a lot of times we argue. Is he talking about we're going to do greater works in the sense that we're going to do more works than Jesus or we're going to do qualitatively better works than Jesus? I don't know if you can do better works than what Jesus was doing. But I like what Colin Cruz says. He says if the greater works of the disciples, he says, cannot be understood as quantitatively, that means more of them, or qualitatively greater, which means better than what did Jesus mean by saying their works would be greater than his? And this is his suggestion. The greater works are the results of their missionary endeavor, bringing many converts into the church. In other words, God is using them in a way that's different than what he was doing when Jesus was on earth. Because now we're going to see is the result of what Jesus did. That's his argument. Let's unpack it here. He says it's always also been suggested that when Jesus said about John the Baptist provides, he thinks, a clue. I tell you the truth, among those born of women, there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist. Yet he who is the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
[00:26:27] Why are people in the new covenant greater than the greatest prophet that ever lived, the one that was announcing Jesus birth? Why is he saying this? Because you and I are living in a different dispensation. You and I are living where God's kingdom has now arrived, and we're experiencing the presence of God in a uniquely different way. You see, in the Old Testament, people only had the spirit come upon them to do a task. In the New Testament, every one of us in this room that are believers have the spirit of God living within us. God is now camped within us. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. God's presence is inside of us. That's an amazing thing. He goes on to say here, John was herald of the kingdom that Jesus brought in. But John himself lived and worked and died before people were entering into that experience that I just described in terms of privilege, then the lease of the kingdom were greater than John. If we apply this to the difference between Jesus works and those of his disciples, we might say that the disciples works were greater than his because they had the privilege of testifying by word and deed to the finished work of Christ.
[00:27:37] In other words, and the fuller coming of the kingdom that is ushered in. Whereas Jesus ministry was prior to his death and resurrection was only foreshadowing these things. In other words, what he's saying is simply this, that Jesus was talking about what was to come. You and I are experiencing what has come.
[00:27:56] Is that an amazing thing? We are living in this, an amazing experience, and I want to just say something. The kingdom of God has come to this earth, but the fullness of God's kingdom has not yet come.
[00:28:10] We're living in his kingdom, but not the fullness of it. What's the fullness of it? When Jesus Christ himself will return to this earth and rule and reign and conquer sin and death and the devil and all of the things that are unjust and ungodly will all come to an end. And now we will live in the perfect environment.
[00:28:32] That's when the fullness of God's kingdom will rule and reign on earth. We're in God's kingdom. We're experiencing it, but not to the fullest expression of it, but it will come, and that's the blessed hope. The relationship here he's talking about is one of loving obedience to God, which leads to God's advocating on our behalf.
[00:28:55] Jesus is an advocate? He's advocating, actually, he's doing that right now. He's ever living to make intercession for us. He's advocating, okay, you know, sometimes we talk about the Holy Spirit being a comforter, but the better word is advocate. It's got more of a legal concept. It's somebody standing up for you. Jesus is standing up for us, and he says this, if you love me, keep my commands. I will ask the father and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever. Jesus was about ready to leave. Let me just read the next two verses. He's going to give this advocate the spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and he will be in you. He hadn't yet been inside of these disciples. They had the advocate, Jesus in bodily form with them, but they were about to experience something that was far beyond them because Jesus said, you know, it's necessary that I leave. And it's a good thing because then the advocate will come and live inside of you. The spirit of God will live inside of you, and then I will be with you always. I'll never leave you nor forsake you. I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you. See, they were worried that they would lose their advocate. But we're going to get another advocate. You and I have another advocate. We have the Holy Spirit. Think about it. What's the Holy Spirit's job? The Holy Spirit now is advocating on our behalf with prayer. And sometimes we don't even utter. Sometimes we're sighing in our. How many of you ever had those moments? You just have a deep sigh. You just, at the end of yourself, you're, oh, God, I don't know. You don't even know what to pray. You know what's happening. The spirit of God is now advocating on your behalf to the father. How many think that's amazing? We have God as our advocate. I don't know about you. You know, I like people, and I think there's some neat advocates out there as human beings, but they're no match for God. It's great to have God as your advocate. You know, this was one of the primary reasons why you and I can overcome difficult and intimidating situations in our life. We have an advocate who is always with us. Isn't that great to know? And, you know, well, let me go on. Cause I wanna. I'll bring out this other idea here in a moment. It says the relationship. He says, did I hit the right button okay. Yeah, I did.
[00:31:23] He goes on to say, before long, the world will not see me anymore. Jesus is gonna leave, but you will see me because I live. You will also will live. What does he mean by that? Jesus is gonna come back in post resurrection experiences, but he only does that to believers. On that day, you will realize that I am in my father and you are in me, and I am in you. Now, earlier, Jesus made obedience to his word of command. Now he frames it as an evidence for our love towards him. He says, whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my father, and I, too, will love them and show myself to them.
[00:32:07] So God says, I'm gonna reveal myself to people who are walking in obedience. You know, sometimes as christians, we go, well, what difference does it make if I walk in obedience or not? It makes a ton of difference, because if you're doing what God's telling you to do, he's gonna keep revealing things to you. I don't know about you, but I want God to keep making himself known to me. I want God to keep revealing things in my life. He goes on to say, then Judas, not Ascariot, said, but, lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world? And Jesus 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. Here he's talking about the reason why is because the world does not love God. They're actually at odds with God. They're at enmity with God. James says they're an enemy of God. It's only the people who really want God in their life have God in their lives. That's what he's telling us. You're the people. You're the ones that are coming. You're saying, I want God. God says, yes, and I want you. And when people push him away, God says, fine, you're making a choice. You're making a decision. Goes on to say here, anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. Wow, that's pretty strong language. So when you're looking around, people can say all kinds of words, I love you. But how many know? Behavior is far more powerful than words. Now, if you're telling your spouse, I love you, but then you're not doing anything to evidence that love, they're not going to be totally convinced. But when you're doing things to demonstrate that you love them, now they're buying in because it's stronger than just words. It's got to be that way. These words you hear are not my own. They belong to the Father who sent me it.
[00:33:45] All this I have spoken while still with you. But the advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. And so we receive this advocation of God by asking for it and believing prayer. And God answers by sending his very presence into our lives. And we're gonna see in a minute when the world tries to deal with the problem, what they try to do is change the outward. When God deals with problems, he sometimes changes the outward, but many times he changes us. And that's really profound. We're gonna look at that. You know, how do we receive deliverance from our fears and our anxieties? And when we learn to trust Jesus completely, we're committing our way to him. We're praying to him. We're allowing God to take our burdens. We're allowing God to alleviate our anxieties, because they do come even to believers. Paul even said that in Philippians. You know how to handle that? I'll get to that in a moment. It says here, the peace that Jesus promises is unlike what the world offers. I love this verse. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you, I do not give to you. As the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid. As I've already said, the world's answer is only external and circumstantial. You know, da Carson explains it this way. He said, the Pax Romana, which was the peace in the world at that time, because Rome had conquered the world, was won and maintained by a brutal sword. And now, many of the Jews thought that messianic peace would have to be secured by still a mightier sword, because they thought power has to overcome power. And that was their thinking. And so they probably thought like their early history when they were in Egypt. What did God do? Is he kind of thumped out the Egyptians, did he not, with those mighty plagues? And so God was more powerful than they were. And so they made, I think, an assumption that God would come and beat up Rome a little bit. How many are following this train of thought? And what does God do? No, he doesn't do it that way. And this is the reason why I think we need to walk with deeper levels of humility, because God's ways are not our ways. So what does God do?
[00:36:07] Carson goes on. Instead, it was secured by an innocent man who suffered and died at the hands of the Romans, the Jews, and of ourselves.
[00:36:15] And by his death, that's because all of us sinned, right? And by his death, he affected for his own followers peace with God. Therefore, the peace of God. In other words, because of his death, you and I can have peace with God. And then we have the peace of goddess that's powerful, which transcends all of our understanding. So the answers to our anxieties and troubles is a peace that comes from God dwelling within us. And remember the result of the Holy Spirit. What's the fruit of the spirit? Fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace. Isn't that amazing? You and I can have peace and so often in our lives. You know, and I know God does this. How many here can say, you know, I know God has delivered me from my troubles. Anybody could say, God heard my cry. This poor man cried like the psalmist, and God heard my cry and delivered me from my troubles. He changed my circumstances.
[00:37:14] And then there are other times in our lives. God doesn't change anything on the outside, but God changes me on the inside. How many can say that's true? You know, I want you to think of Philippians four, seven and six. I love. I love chapter four, Philippians. He says, do not be anxious for anything. That tells me sometimes we have anxiety. You know, the other night I had a lot of things I had on my mind. I had a whole list of things, and I was thinking about all these things. And I said to myself, okay, you could. You're going to stay awake all night if you think about all these things. Anybody have a sleepless night because you had so much on your mind? Okay, here's the, here's the good news. You take all of those things in your, list them off to God. I said, okay, this and this and this and this and this. I'm giving them all over to you. I'm having a good night's sleep. Thank you very much. Those are your problems.
[00:38:05] I'm not going to worry about them. I'm going to entrust my soul to you. I'm going to rest in you and listen to what it says.
[00:38:13] Not only cast your burdens on him, but it says, be anxious for nothing, but in everything with prayer and supplication.
[00:38:21] What's the next part with thanksgiving?
[00:38:25] Okay, some of you, you're going, I tried casting all my concerns to God, but I just kind of bounced back. And I stayed up all night anyways worrying about it. I'm going to give you .2 of how to move past that. And it's with thanksgiving. What I'm going to have you do is put down in your mind a list of all the things you're thankful for. And you start praying. You say, God, I'm thankful, first of all, that I didn't deserve having you reveal yourself to me, and I'm your child. I don't deserve that. Thank you so much. What a great thing that is, you know, thank you for my family. Thank you for the life you've given me.
[00:38:58] You start making a list, and you start just focusing in on the Thanksgiving part. I'll tell you what happens. The troubled part diminishes as the thanksgiving part goes up. And then it tells you this. It says, then after you've done that with thanksgiving, and then the peace of goddess, which passes all understanding will guard your heart and minds. Now God comes along and goes, okay, all these bad thoughts and all these anxious thoughts, I'm going to guard your mind from them. And then it goes on. In verse nine, it says, and think about these things. What do we tend to do? We're problem solvers. We want to solve the problem. We got our minds on the problem. God says, no, you've given them to me. I want you to think about these things. Whatsoever. Things are true, pure, lovely, with good report. Think about these things. You gotta get your mind on the right things. So many of us right now, we're filled with anxiety. We have burdens in our hearts. We're thinking about our problems. They're weighing us down. They're creating anxiety. You know, we're restless in our souls. What am I telling you today? You need to trust Jesus. You need to give those things over to Jesus. You need to begin to thank God for what's good in your life and don't focus on the problems. And God says, I will protect your heart. And, you know, God says, I'll even handle those problems. I'll help you. You'll see. You're going to walk right on through those things.
[00:40:17] Let me move on here. I'm running out of time. You heard me say I'm going away and I'm coming back to you. And Jesus did come back. If you love me, you would be glad that I'm going to the father. For the father is greater than I. Oh. Once again we are faced with another one of those misunderstood texts. Jesus is telling them not only go and come back again, but how many know when he makes the statement the phrase, the father is greater than I, the father is greater than Jesus. I don't know if you've ever had anybody from one of these so called christian groups that aren't christian groups tell you that Jesus is less than the father. Anybody ran into people like this and this is one of their favorite verses, the father is greater than Jesus.
[00:41:03] Okay. Anybody ever have that? Anybody ever run into that? Okay, I'm going to answer this question for you. This is going to help you. You're going to find out that's true and not true. Wait a minute. The Bible says it. Pastor. Yeah. Listen to me very carefully. What Jesus is saying is that in his humanity he limited himself and his glory to become a man. Read Philippians, chapter two. Right. He set aside his glory. He set aside his, his glory and came down and became a man.
[00:41:34] And he became the perfect sacrifice for humanity.
[00:41:37] Jesus is saying, you know, it's important that I go back to my father. Why? To regain my glory.
[00:41:44] Isn't that interesting? So Carson says it this way and I like it. If Jesus disciples truly love them, they'd be glad that he's returning to his father, for he's returning to the sphere where he belongs, to the glory he had with the father before the world began. And he prays that prayer, help me to restore my glory to where it was before, to the place where the father is undiminished, in glory unquestionably greater than the son in his incarnate state. What was Carson? He's a theologian. What's he saying? He's saying as a human being, Jesus had diminished himself and that's why the father was greater than him.
[00:42:20] It's in his humanity. But Jesus is also God. And he's saying it's really important that I leave so I can go back and have my glory restored. He's equal to the father. Does everybody follow what I just said? How many are going, okay, I get it now. So he says, the father is greater than I only because I'm in humanity. But when I go back to my original state, I will be equal to the father.
[00:42:48] Okay. Some of you are not convinced. I don't know. We'll see.
[00:42:53] Jesus prophesied now about what's to happen to strengthen their faith. How many know when you're about to head into a crisis, isn't it good that somebody says, hey, this is going to be the toughest time in your life, but I want you to know ahead of time you're going to get through it. And when God's telling you you're about to enter into the toughest time of your life, but don't worry about it. I'm going to get you through it. Okay? That should encourage you. Jesus says it to these guys.
[00:43:16] He knows that there's difficult days ahead. He wants them to know what's supposed to happen so that even though what happened seems like the worst possible scenario, you know, God is in charge of it. And that's also true in our lives. How many know that sometimes God leads us through the fire, through the water, lets men ride over our heads, but he's bringing us to this abundant place. And you and I don't see that. And I want to just say to us, hang on, guys. If you're in the fire, if you're in the water, if men are riding over your heads, God's not done with you. You're only going through.
[00:43:50] And God is going to work out a greater plan for ultimate good. And that's exactly what happens to these guys. That's exactly what happens to Jesus. And that is exactly what happens to you and I as followers of Christ. He takes us on through. He says, I have told you now before, it happens so that when it happens to, you're gonna believe. And then he says, I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me. But he comes so that the world may learn that I love the father and do exactly what my father commanded me. Come now. Let us leave. So what is he saying? He's saying the enemy has no hold over me. What does that mean? Jesus was sinless. Satan's only hold on a believer, as if we're sinning.
[00:44:33] But Jesus was sinless. He had no hold. He could not even bring Jesus to death because Jesus had never sinned. Jesus volunteered to die? Why? So that you and I could live.
[00:44:44] Is that amazing? His hold on our lives was now broken because Jesus broke it for us.
[00:44:52] That is such good news. That's the gospel. And so I'm going to have us stand as we conclude. How do we overcome the intimidating and overwhelming circumstances of our lives? One, he commands us. Trust Jesus. Put your trust in Jesus, number one. Number two, pray to him and realize his presence is with you.
[00:45:23] He said, I'm going to send you an advocate.
[00:45:26] You have an advocate today.
[00:45:29] You know what's happening right now. Whatever situation you're in, the spirit of God who lives in you is interceding for you. Jesus is interceding. We have two advocates, the Son and the Holy Spirit. They're advocating.
[00:45:45] I don't know about you. You know, somebody says, pastor, would you really pray for me? Sure, I don't mind praying for you. Do you know what I remember if you feel like no one's praying for you? I remember one time I felt like, well, you know, if people are not praying for me, doomed. And the Holy Spirit prompted this thought, Jesus is now praying for you. That's pretty good. I don't know about you, but I like having Jesus as a person advocating for me. And then when I think the Holy Spirit now is advocating for you, how many are going, bring it on. I've got two advocates. I got two advocates. All hell can come against me, but I got advocates here, and they're greater than all of hell itself coming against your soul. I've got an advocate. You got troubles? You got an advocate. Isn't that beautiful? I love it. And then finally, I think we got to shift our thinking.
[00:46:35] We're too problem oriented.
[00:46:37] I think we got to be thanksgiving oriented. We got to start thinking of the good things of almighty God. And, you know, God can either deliver you from your circumstances or God can strengthen you through the circumstances.
[00:46:52] I don't know where you're at this morning, but God is with you.
[00:46:58] And if God before you, who can be against you, all hell could break out against you, but you have an advocate.
[00:47:07] Let's lift up our hearts to God today. Let's lift up our hands and say, lord, here's my problems, here's my burdens, here's the things that are coming against and assailing against my soul, but I'm lifting them to you today, and I'm giving them to you because I'm trusting in you. I'm laying them at your feet. The scripture says, casting all your cares upon him because he cares for you. He died for you. He loves you with an everlasting love. He will never leave you. He will never forsake you. He will see you through right to the very end until you're in his wonderful presence.
[00:47:49] So, father, we thank you. We rejoice in you. We delight in you. This morning. We thank you that you're hearing the cries of your children's hearts today. Burdens are being lifted today, lord, you're lifting anxiety today. You're lifting despair today. You're lifting fears today. You're lifting these things from our soul because our trust is in you. We're not worried about tomorrow. Even though we can't see it, we can't control it. It's uncertain. But you are certain. You are certain. And our eyes are fixed on you. You're going to bring us through. You're going to bring us through. Father, we thank you for that. In Jesus name, amen. God bless you as you leave this morning.
