Thank you to our worship team. We're awake and
alive. How are you feeling today? Everybody good?
All right. I have a lot of energy today, so be
forewarned. Our setup team got to sleep in this
morning, so we were here at seven rather than
five. So we're wide awake and ready to go. It
was what a gift it is on those Sundays that that
happens. Before we go to the series, When Ricky's
up here at the end, he's going to give you another
push for Easter, but I'm going to give you a
little different push for Easter, and that is
to say, you know, it's no secret. Easter is a
big Sunday for every church around the world.
It's one Sunday a year. We have two services.
We have a ton of people, all the things that
go into Easter. And we need just an infinite
number more volunteers. And so today is a chance
for you to step up and to sign up to help. And
there's like 12 different places that we need
volunteers. So if you're like, I don't do kids
or I don't do singing or I don't do preaching,
good news, those roles are filled, although we
need some helping kids. But if you were like,
I could come on Saturday and help set up or I
could help with the Easter egg hunt or whatever
it may be, when you leave today, you probably
passed it as you came in, the canopy that's out
there, the shade canopy. On either side, there's
an opportunity for you to sign up and just put
your name. We'd actually love it if you would
put your phone number as well so we can harass
you, I mean, follow up with you between now and
then. We need about 50 volunteers on top of kind
of what we normally do. that I love so much about
you all and love about LBC is that every time
we say, hey, we have a need, you step into it.
And so I'm up here to say we have a need and
we would love for you to kind of show your true
colors, if you will, and just to help us fill
those spots. It would be tremendous. But we're
going to incentivize it even one step further.
If you sign up today for a spot to serve on Easter,
we have some crumble cookie that has been delivered.
And yeah, I know. And you get a crumble cookie.
just by putting your name on there. Please put
your name. Don't sign up your friend or your
spouse just because you want a cookie. And parents,
if you would just help us explain to your eight
-year -old that life is not fair and they don't
get a cookie. The cookies are for whoever volunteers
to sign up just as a fun way to say, hey, we
want to kind of draw all of you there after service.
Let's have some good traction around Easter.
It's two weeks from today. Ricky's going to remind
you of kind of the part you need to do in getting
RSVP'd and all that. save that for him. But the
volunteer role is critical. It's our chance to
shine and to welcome guests and to actually hopefully
convince them, hey, maybe this is a place I want
to come back to next week after Easter. And that
happens because of you. So that'll happen after
the service. If you don't like crumble cookie,
I don't know that you're like a real human being.
So, but that's that. All right, week six of our
Before I Go series with one more week after today.
And then that takes us to Easter and then into
a new series. So we're just kind of cruising
through the year. We've been working our way
through this farewell discourse from Jesus, which
was this conversation between him and his disciples
that he had in this upper room the night before
he was crucified. And as we come into, the Easter
season, we can just feel this more, I think.
I hope that you can. I certainly can. He literally
had, at this point in this conversation that
is going on, he literally has just a matter of
hours, hours before he's handed over to the Roman
officials, and that would kind of initiate, if
you will, all of the... happenings that played
out over his last 24 hours. So in other words,
this is it for Jesus. This is it. These are some
of his final moments, some of his final words
with these guys, and he's spending them with
the people that he was closest to. Very similar
to what I suspect will be true for us someday
when we know we're in our final hours of life,
if the Lord gives us that. it may be sudden,
but if it's not, and we have some awareness,
these are the final hours of my life, I would
imagine the people that will be in the room are
the people that you're closest to and that you
love, your family, your friends, whoever that
may be. And that was certainly true for Jesus.
He shared this evening meal with now his 11.
It started with 12, but we know that early on
in this, just after Jesus had done this incredible
act of washing their feet, Judas peaced out,
if you will, betrayed him. So Judas is left.
He's gone. There's 11 of them sharing this moment
with Jesus. And so we set this up way back when
we started. We set this up as a seven -week series.
And yet, as we read the passage today, if you're
really tuned into your Bible, if you read it,
you kind of get to the end of chapter 16, which
is what we're going to do today. And you're like,
well, it seems like it's over. Because in chapter
17, something different begins to happen. So
13 through 16, Jesus has locked eyes with these
guys, and he's telling them all these things.
Good things, hard things, truthful things, everything.
But then you get to chapter 17, which will be
next week, the conclusion of this series, and
Jesus now begins to pray to the Father. And I
would go on the record to say it's maybe the
greatest prayer ever recorded for us, by the
way. The Lord's Prayer is certainly up there
as well. But he's no longer talking to his disciples
is the point of telling you that. But we included
it in this series because it's a very powerful
way that Jesus ended this. What is that? You
hear that? It's just me? All right. It's been
a long morning. I thought I was rested. Maybe
I'm not. Anyhow, we included it in this series
because it's such a powerful ending to this discourse
that he shared with these disciples. And for
us today, 2 ,000 years later, as we're reading
it together, it's a powerful way for us to end
this series as well. That's next week. The point
is the text today that we are looking at are
the final words from Jesus to these gathered
disciples. Why is it significant? I've told you
several times, but I'll tell you again. It's
significant because they come in a deeply emotional
moment for these guys. They're very emotionally
vulnerable at this point. We've seen this throughout
the series. We've been reading these passages.
The disciples, they're confused. They're anxious.
They're unsettled. I don't know if you've been
in a situation where you know something is coming
that's going to be really difficult. You kind
of get to a point where you're like, well, let's
just get on with it then, right? Like if you
have a scary doctor appointment that's coming
up or a procedure or you're seeing maybe a family
member that you're estranged from or whatever,
it's like you kind of psych yourself up to the
point of like, well, let's just get it over with
then. Let's do this thing. And certainly, this
is one conversation that we've spread over six
weeks. So it feels long, but it wasn't long.
It was one evening that Jesus is sharing with
these guys. But they're kind of at a point of
like, all right, man, you're going. Like, here
we go. We're psyched. We're ready to go. We're
scared. We're unsettled. We're anxious. We're
all these things. He's been telling them about
a time when they will not see him. And then they
will see him again. His words sound mysterious.
They're kind of troubling. But the road ahead,
no doubt, is unsure and it's difficult. And so
how is Jesus going to wrap this up? He turns
his attention to prayer in chapter 17. But before
that, he has some just final words. And we're
going to kind of look at them together and break
it apart. First, Jesus gives us the reality of
sorrow. If you were with us last week, we started
in a similar place. If you can remember this,
I'd be super impressed. By the way, you can always
get it in the church hub or church center up,
so you don't have to have a great memory. But
we started last week with the reality of opposition.
Remember that? Jesus said, hey, if the world
hates you, know that it's hated me. And so he's
just kind of being a realist with them to say,
this is going to be true for you after I'm gone.
And again, he starts with the reality of sorrow.
He's a realist. He wants them to be clear about
what's ahead. And so he helps them to see first
that there's a reality of sorrow that exists
in the world. This is what he said, beginning
in verse 16. In a little while, you will no longer
see me. Again, in a little while, you will see
me. Then some of his disciples said to one another,
what is he telling us? In a little while, you
will not see me again. In a while, you will see
me. And because I'm going to the Father, they
said, what is he saying in a little while? We
don't know what he's talking about. Jesus knew
they wanted to ask him. Imagine that. Jesus knew
they wanted to ask him. And so he said to them,
are you asking one another about what I said?
In a little while, you will not see me again.
And again, in a little while, you will see me.
Truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but
the world will rejoice. You will become sorrowful,
but your sorrow will turn to joy. So Jesus begins
with a rather kind of puzzling statement. In
a little while, you and I are seeing me. And
then in a little while again, you will see me
again. And the disciples are rightfully so. They're
very confused. They're whispering among themselves.
You just picture like they're whispering, thinking,
I'm not going to ask him. I'm not going to ask
him. I'm not sure. And Jesus is like, why is
it that you're wondering this? They're confused.
They're talking amongst themselves, trying to
make sense of it. What does he mean? Where is
he going? It's almost like he's speaking to them
in riddles of sorts. Like, you're going to see
me. You're not going to see me. Then you're going
to see me again. You're going to wonder why.
And he's like, I'll clarify for you. What Jesus
is describing is his coming crucifixion, which
was at the door knocking. It was right there.
And shortly thereafter, his resurrection, right?
Soon they will experience a devastating loss.
That's what he's essentially telling them. Their
teacher, their leader, their friend, and ultimately
their hope will be taken from them. And Jesus
does not hide the reality from them. He says
it plainly to them, truly I tell you, you will
weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice. Your
reality. will be sorrowful, unlike the reality
of the world, if you will. And we talked about
that word world last week, meaning used to describe
those who oppose God, object or refuse relationship
with their creator, et cetera. If you were in
the carryover this week, tracking along with
us, my goodness, there was some really good stuff
in there, compliments of Preston who does that.
So you should go back and look at that if you
didn't get that. Anyhow, Jesus acknowledges their
sorrow. He doesn't dismiss it. He does not say,
hey, everything's going to be fine. Instead,
he says, you will weep. Like you are actually
going to be sorrowful. This is going to be painful.
It's going to hurt. And there is something deeply
comforting about Jesus's honesty. About Jesus's
honesty. I mean, so much of the... opposition
against the name and claimant gospel that's out
there, people like Benny Hinn and some of those
other people, televangelists, is that they leave
out this part. They leave out this part of the
Christian journey. Like, it's all name and claimant,
wealth and gain, all these things. And Jesus
is like, there's a part to this that is really
sorrowful. There's a part of life that's going
to cause you to weep and mourn and grief temporarily.
That's the issue with the name. No one has a
problem with God blessing you, but you're only
giving them 50 % of the equation, which is that
there's a sorrowful, painful reality to life.
And that's what Jesus is just, in his very realistic
way, he's trying to put before them. And there's
something for me that's deeply comforting about
that honesty, because hands up if you've ever
had a bad day. Hands up if you've ever had like
a dark season. Okay. And the world just shrinks,
doesn't it? And you're like, it's just me. No
one else knows this. No one else knows this pain.
No one else's marriage is like this. No one else's
kids are like this. No one else knows what disability
is like. No one else has the fractured relationships.
Whatever it is, like it just shrinks and you're
in your space of thinking like, it's just me.
And Jesus is like, no, it's the Christian life.
It's the Christian life. Life of following Jesus
is not free from pain, but rather it's a life
where pain is given meaning and direction. You've
heard this quote, I suspect, from C .S. Lewis.
Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers
to us in our pleasures. He speaks to us in our
conscience, but he shouts in our pains. You know
that because you've experienced it. Most of my
emergency pastoral, we need you to come now,
kind of calls over 25 years in ministry have
been in the place of pains. Because they're attuned
all of a sudden to, is God in this? Is God in
this hospital room? Is God in this whatever situation
it is? God speaks to us in our pains. Jesus makes
it clear, sorrow is real. Sorrow is, loss is
real. Confusion is real. And of course, this
was all tied to his death and departure. But
you can certainly apply that to what life is
for us today. But there are a few key words mixed
in here that changed kind of the whole tone of
this statement from Jesus. And the words are,
a little while. That's that. That three -word
phrase, a little while, changes the tone of this
whole thing. Jesus says, a little while. In other
words, their sorrow would not have the final
word. Jesus is going to use this really unique
illustration that we're going to read together
to help them see the transformation of sorrow
to joy. So sorrow is real. That's where he started
with. This is going to be your reality. For them,
it was going to be tied to Jesus. death and departure,
and their coming persecution, which they had
no idea at that point just truly how bad it would
be. But he's going to not leave it there. He's
going to take them further, and he's going to
help them to see how this sorrow that's very
real is going to be transformed into joy. And
he uses a very unique description. It's in verse
21, illustration, I should say. It says, when
a woman is in labor, she has pain because her
time has come. But when she has given birth to
a child, she no longer remembers the suffering
because of the joy that a person has been born
into the world. So you also have sorrow now.
But I will see you again. He's speaking of his
resurrection. Your hearts will rejoice and no
one will take away your joy from you. In that
day, you will not ask me anything. Truly, I tell
you, anything you ask the Father in my name,
he will give you. In other words, you're not
going to need me because you have the Holy Spirit.
You have direct access to the Father. You're
not going to ask me anything. You're going to
ask God. You're going to ask the Father. Truly
I tell you, anything you ask the Father in my
name, he will give you. Until now, you have asked
for nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive
so that your joy may be complete. So Jesus uses
one of the most powerful images of transformation,
which is childbirth. The pain is real. It's intense.
It's unavoidable, or so I've been told. I don't
know. I was in the room. Seems that way. Seems
like it checks out. The pain is real. It's intense.
It's unavoidable. But it is not meaningless.
It's not meaningless. It's a pain that is very
quickly, hopefully, sorry to you ladies who are
in labor for days, but very quickly it's going
to lead to something. It's a process that produces
what? Life. It gives life. Quite literally. And
in the same way, Jesus, I mean, it's a very vivid,
it's a very profound illustration, but he drives
the point for sure. In the same way the disciples'
sorrow at the cross would give way to resurrection
joy, and their grief would not simply disappear,
it would be transformed. It would be transformed.
And here's the key point to get from this, and
that is God does not always remove sorrow immediately,
but he does always redeem it ultimately. That's
such a key thing to understand. God does not
always remove sorrow immediately, but he does
always redeem it ultimately. When? I have no
idea. I have no idea. And some of you, if we
had the time and we could come up and we had
the time to bring you up here one at a time and
tell us about, you know, hey, tell us about a
season of sorrow for you. some of you are still
waiting for that redemption. But some of you
would be like, yeah, it was six months, and then
you have the other side of that story. But some
of us don't have the other side of that story
yet. And so this is where we just drill down
into the promises of God. God does not always
remove sorrow immediately, but he does always
redeem it ultimately, ultimately. The promise
is not just relief from sorrow, but reversal
of their sorrow. I mean, The danger of, yeah,
I don't even know how to say it. The goal of,
the purpose of pain, you can tell I'm making
this up on the go. The purpose of pain is not
that it would just someday go away, but that
it would be redeemed. And so that you could look
at that hard thing and be like, actually, God
used that in a profound way in my life. Biggest
pain points for me is the disability journey
that we walk with our daughter. But I am distinctly
aware of how God is redeeming that and using
that in profound ways. And so to just go away,
I might miss some of the redemption in that.
Because like, yeah, it was just bad and then
it was gone. No, actually, God did something
in my heart and in my soul to like... Give me
a different perspective and to understand what
redemption looks like and how God will ultimately
redeem all that is sorrowful in a profound way
for his glory, for our good. I've told you this.
I am a better person. I'm a better pastor. I
don't know. Who am I to vote on any of this?
But I'm a better human in every capacity, I think.
Because of a pain in my life. Because of a sorrow
in my life. So it doesn't always get taken away,
but it does always get redeemed ultimately. So
the promise is not just relief from sorrow, but
it's reversal of that sorrow. Jesus told them
again. told them, you also have sorrow now, but
I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice
and no one will take away your joy from you.
Notice the permanence of that promise. No one
will take your joy from you. Can they take your
happiness daily? The stock market goes up, we're
happy. It goes down, we're sad, we're mad. This
happens, we're happy. Our kids get a good doing
well in class and then they're failing. Like
happiness just comes and goes like the sun comes
and goes. Can people take your happy, can life
take your happiness from you every day? Not your
joy. Notice the permanence of that promise. No
one will take your joy from you, which means
then that this is not circumstantial happiness.
This is not based on, depending on favorable
conditions. This is resurrection rooted joy.
Why is Easter a celebration? Because it is a
celebration of something that cannot be taken
from you. It's a resurrection rooted joy, a joy
anchored in the reality that Christ has conquered
death itself. So Jesus is telling his disciples,
your coming sorrow is not wasted. And actually,
and of course, I mean, it's easier said than
believed at that point for them, right? But he's
telling them it's not wasted. It's actually the
doorway. It's the next step to unshakable, permanent
joy. Permanent joy. Just think about the hours
before sunrise. I don't know if any of you have
ever seen that time of day. It's often the darkest
and the coldest of the entire night, just literally
moments before sunrise. I don't know if you've
experienced that. I worked for too many years
at a golf course, and we would get there at like
three in the morning. Those were my glory days.
I would go to Kendra's parents' house. We'd watch
a movie until midnight. I'd leave there. I'd
go sleep in my car at the golf course, and then
I'd get up at 3 and go to work. It was great.
What a life. I have a lot of questions about
the younger version of myself. But we'd start
working at 3 a .m. It's dark. It's cold. 4 a
.m. It's dark. It's cold. 5 a .m. It feels like
it's getting darker and colder. And then... In
the east, here comes the sun. But if you didn't
have a watch to know, like, well, sunrise is
at this time. In fact, mine tells me tomorrow
it's six, not sunset, hasn't clicked over yet.
But I could literally look at my watch and know,
like, this is when the sun's going to come up
tomorrow. And it's right. But if you didn't have
a watch, if you didn't know, you would just be
convinced, like, it's dark and cold forever.
But as it got darker and as it got colder, we're
like, we must be getting close to like opening
time. Yep, it's five o 'clock. Tea time is in
an hour. It's the weirdest thing. But the disciples
stood in that dark hour at the cross, but the
resurrection, the joy of the resurrection, the
light of the resurrection, the resurrection morning,
all of that was coming. And certainly in our
lives, there are moments that feel like the darkest
hour. When prayers seem unanswered, when hope
feels distant, I mean, I literally have people
in this church that have been emailing me and
calling me and texting me, asking me to pray
for the same thing for now going on several years
or more. Like, it's just the dark hour where
prayers seem unanswered, hope feels distant,
and yet Jesus reminds us what? A little while.
So as it gets darker, it gets colder, you're
probably, I say this with a lot of caution, you're
nearing the joy of the resurrection. And what
I'm not saying to you is when that's going to
come because I don't know. But as Jesus has done
all through this conversation with his disciples,
he's going to give them another promise of hope.
And it's the assurance of access to the Father.
This is the beginning of verse 25. I've spoken
these things to you in figures of speech. A time
is coming when I will no longer speak to you
in figures, but I will tell you plainly about
the Father. On that day, you will ask in my name,
and I am not telling you that I will ask the
Father on your behalf, for the Father himself
loves you. Like, you have this connection with
the Father. He loves you because you have loved
me. and have believed in me, have faith in me
that I came from God. I came from the Father
and have come into the world. Again, I'm leaving
the world and going to the Father. So Jesus shifts
here to another profound promise, which is that,
hey, good news, you will have direct access to
God. Remember that whole, it's better for you
that I go away, that the helper may come? Like,
this is some of the perk of that. You will have
direct access to God. He says the time is coming
when we will no longer speak, he will no longer
speak in figures, but plainly about the Father.
And then he says something so remarkable. On
that day you will ask in my name, and I'm not
telling you that I will ask the Father on your
behalf, for the Father himself loves you. In
other words, you can cut me out. You don't need
the middle man. Because you have loved me and
have believed that I came from God. This is an
incredible shift here. The disciples had walked
with Jesus physically. I mean, literally. They
knew him. They touched him. They listened to
him. They smelled him. They watched him. All
the things, literally. He said, it's going to
change. No longer will it be physical Jesus,
but soon they'll have something even more profound,
which is direct relationship with the Father
because of him and through him by the Spirit.
They would not be abandoned. They would not be
left alone. And if you caught it, Jesus summarized
the purpose of his life. If you caught it there,
he says, I came from the Father into the world,
had a mission to do. He did that mission. And
now I am leaving the world and going back to
the Father. That is essentially what we call
the gospel in one sentence. Like, what is the
gospel? It's that Jesus descended this Christmas,
right? Came into our world, incarnation, lived
a human life, died a human death for the forgiveness
of sins. And then... Return to the Father. That's
what he summarized. I came from the Father, I
entered the world, now I'm leaving and going
back to the Father. That's the gospel. He entered
a broken world, he would leave through the cross,
he returns in victory. And because of this, we
now have access, not distant, not hesitant, but
rather personal access to God. Jesus is reshaping
on the spot, in this upper room, Jesus is reshaping
their understanding of God. Quite literally,
like not as a distant or inaccessible, divine,
mysterious being, although there is a mystery
to God for sure, but rather as a loving father
who they have access to, who hears them, and
who if we ask in his name and in his will, he
hears us and he responds to us. I don't know
if you've ever had that awkward experience of
like you're going to someone's house and you
walk up and the door is partially opened and
you're like, what? Do I knock? Do I just go in,
right? Like, it's partially open, so you're unsure.
Like, does it mean come in, or am I welcome?
You hesitate. Should I knock? You wonder if anybody
will answer. And then, of course, you know, you
hear, like, hey, come in, come in, come in, come
in, come in. You belong here. I'm expecting you.
That's a picture of what Jesus has done through
his life, his death, and his resurrection. He
has opened the door to the Father, which means
then that we don't approach as strangers timidly.
Like, I don't know, should I go in? Should I
knock? Should I? But rather we come as confident,
bold, beloved children of God. Hebrews chapter
4. Therefore, since we have a great high priest
who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the
Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession.
Remember how chapter 16 started. I tell you these
things that you may not drift away. So here it
is again in Hebrews. Hold fast to that confession.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable
to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who
has been tempted in every way as we are and yet
without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne
of grace with boldness. You come as confident
children of God so that we may receive mercy
and find grace to help us in time of need. That's
what Jesus was saying to them. Like, there's
going to come a day where you're not going to
ask me. And ask the Father directly, like in
confidence, in faith, believing that he hears
you, believing that you are entitled to stand
before him and to make your request in a spirit
of reverence, no doubt. God does not owe us one
single thing, but he gives us many things. And
he responds to the cries of our hearts and the
needs and the desires of our hearts because of
Jesus. And then you come to the final portion
of this. I have like such strict warnings to
be done on time because there's like too many
kids outside. They're going to take over this
place. So we're going to get done on time today.
You come to the final portion of this and Jesus
gives one of the best. And personally, I think
one of just one of my favorite promises in the
entire Bible. It's the promise of peace through
Christ's victory. And it says it this way. His
disciples said. Look, now you're speaking plainly
and not using any figurative language. Now we
know that you know everything. You just want
to knock these guys in the head. That's what
it took, but anyhow. Now we know that you know
everything and don't need anyone to question
you. By this we believe that you came from God.
Jesus responded to them, Do you now believe?
Indeed, an hour is coming, check this out, and
has come when each of you will be scattered to
his own home and you will leave me alone. This
little squad is going to break up and it's going
to get really hard. You will be scattered to
your own home and you will leave me alone. Yet
I am not alone because the Father is with me.
I have told you these things. This is how he
wraps up this farewell discourse. I have told
you these things so that in me you may have peace.
You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous.
I have conquered the world. What a, like, mic
drop moment for Jesus. Like, you could argue
this is the climax of the whole passage. In verse
33, Jesus gives one of the most comforting promises
of all scripture. You will have suffering in
this world. He's a realist. Be courageous. Why?
Because you're strong. No, but because I have
conquered the world, Jesus said. Again, this
is not a denial of hardship. It's not a shallow
reassurance. It is a profound promise of peace.
It's not the absence of trouble, but the presence
of victory in the midst of it. And it's interesting
to watch the disciples' response here. They think
they finally understand him, right? confidence
probably Peter because why wouldn't Peter be
the confident one now you are speaking clearly
like okay we get it we we believe that you came
from God we got five minutes to interact with
you in this newfound belief but Jesus gently
challenges him like do do you now believe because
when you get hauled off so to speak to your homes
and scattered each to your home and you don't
have the assurance and the comfort of being in
this room together, do you now believe? Do you
now believe you will leave me all alone? And
even in their confidence, Jesus knows their weakness.
They will fail. You will fail. I will fail. They
will run. They will drift. They will abandon.
And yet this is crucial. His peace, His promise
of peace, I should say, to them is not dependent
upon their performance. It's not dependent upon
their response or their performance. It's just
a gift. That's what it is. Like, I'm giving this
to you. In this world, you will have suffering.
Jesus does not sugarcoat reality. Trouble is
not a possibility. It's a certainty. And that's
where we started this morning, right? With the
reality of sorrow. It's where Jesus started.
It's where we started this morning in the text.
The word used here suggests pressure, affliction,
and distress. Life in a broken world will include
hardship. And faith in Jesus does not remove
us from that reality, but it anchors us within
it. So be courageous, take heart, not because
of circumstances, because they're less than ideal,
but because of Christ. I, Jesus says, have overcome
the world. I have conquered the world. Notice
the tense, have, past tense, already happened.
Thank you, good Friday. Thank you, Easter Sunday.
Even before the cross, Jesus speaks of victory
as already secured. And the cross would look
like defeat, no doubt. In that moment, it would
look like defeat, but it would be the very means
of triumph. And his victory for them and for
us is not partial, it's complete. And so here's
the last thing for today. Our peace is grounded.
or rooted, or however you want to say it, in
his victory. Not in our strength, not in our
understanding, not in our control, but in Jesus.
There's a great story told of a painting competition
where artists were asked to depict perfect peace.
Like, here's a canvas, paint it. And most of
the artists painted calm lakes, serene landscapes,
waterfalls. blue skies, but the winning painting
in this competition was different. It showed
a violent storm, waves crashing, lightning, winds
raging, but in the corner of the painting, if
you look, there's a bird just tucked on a rock,
or a small bird just in a rock in the corner
of it, sitting on its nest, calm and undisturbed.
And that was the winning perfect piece picture
that was painted. And I think it's a great illustration
of this type of peace that Jesus is promising
them. It's not the absence of storms, but it
is calm in the midst of them. And the peace that
Jesus offers, it's not fragile. It's not temporary.
It's not dependent on external calm. And I've
heard it described this way. This is not mine.
I ripped this off from somebody. This piece is
described this way. Three things. It's relational.
In other words, it's in me, Jesus says. It's
resilient. that it can coexist alongside of sorrow
and suffering, and it is rooted in Christ's victory.
It's relational, it's resilient, and it's rooted
because of Jesus. So for followers of Jesus,
peace is not something that we chase, it's not
something that we manufacture on our own, rather
it's something that we receive in Christ, that
we receive in Christ. So how do we live into
this promise? Because certainly this is one of
those easier said than done passages in the Bible,
am I right? I mean, if I just tell you, hey,
just stop thinking about the thing that is the
deepest pain in your life for the last five years,
be like, okay, that's not helpful. So how do
you live into the promise? Because certainly
it is easier said than done. I think there's
a few things. First, we can't and shouldn't be
surprised by it, nor can we let it define us.
It is just a reality of living as a human in
a broken world. You will have sorrow, you will
have suffering, but it cannot define us and it
cannot take us by surprise. When hardship comes,
we can't assume that it's something gone wrong
spiritually. Might it be? It could be. But it's
more than likely just the reality of living side
by side with broken, fallen people. Jesus said
it would happen. But trouble is not your identity.
It's your reality. But it is not your identity.
Secondly, we have to make sure that we are abiding
in Christ. That was the portion that Joe preached
two weeks ago, right? Making our home in Christ
because peace is not found in circumstances.
Rather, it is in relationship. And so as we make
that daily decision to abide in Christ through
prayer, through Bible reading, through being
here in community with one another, through practicing
our faith, we experience that peace. And I also
have to hold on to what is certain in the midst
of what is uncertain. And what is certain is
who Jesus is. What is uncertain is everything
else. Everything else is uncertain, but what
is certain is who Jesus is. And so I hold on
to that. I hold on to that, that Christ has overcome.
Not will someday, but already has. So there's
a victory today to claim. And then finally, I
think we have to choose courage. I didn't say
choose happiness. I don't even think you can
choose joy. I think joy is a fruit of the Spirit.
It has to be generated by the Spirit of God in
you. But you can choose to be courageous. Being
courageous is a choice, a choice to trust what
Jesus has said over what I'm currently feeling
and experiencing. How many of you know that you
give too much bandwidth to your feelings? I do
too. I'm in my head all the time. I'm in my circumstances
all the time. And you have to pull back from
those and lean on what is true. And be certain
of what is true. The disciples would soon face
the dark reality of the cross. Their world would
collapse before it would be rebuilt. It would
collapse before it would be rebuilt. But Jesus
gave them something that would carry them through.
And it was the promise of peace. It's not the
kind that the world gives. It's not temporary
relief. But it is deep, unshakable peace rooted
in his victory. And that same promise is for
us today, my friends. I just see so many of your
faces and I know so many of your stories. And
I just, it would do nothing greater in my heart
than just to speak that over you and know that
you believe it. Know that you believe it. Even
if you... don't see it yet. Like, it's still
dark, the sun has not risen, but it's coming.
We know that. And so we hold on to that promise
of peace. The same promise is for us today. In
your uncertainty, in your grief, in your questions,
in your struggles, Jesus says, in me you have
peace. Not in your phone, not in your social
media, not in your friends, not in unhealthy
addictions, not in hobbies. not in working more
hours, not in avoiding people. In me, you have
peace. The storm will rage, the night will feel
dark, but the victory has been won. And so you
take heart, my friend, because Jesus has overcome
the world. Amen. Let's pray together. Father,
thank you for your promise of peace to us through
Jesus. I will go first if it helps others to
go second in saying that. Too often, I'm in my
own head. I'm in my own emotions. I'm in my own
circumstances. And I lose sight of the promise
of peace that comes to us as we abide in Christ.
And so I pray for my friends in the room today
whose lives are just difficult. Whatever that
one or 10 things are that threaten to steal our
peace, God, we surrender those to you in the
power, the name of Jesus, believing that in Jesus
we have peace, we have perfect peace. Take heart.
In a little while, in a little while, you will,
your sorrow will be turned to joy. And so for
the season that we're in, for the little while
that we continue to wait through, we trust that
you are ever working, always active, always near,
and always aware, God, of those deep desires
of our hearts, the pains that caused us to awaken
to the reality of who you are and what you want
to do in our lives. Lord, may we be responsive
to that. Thank you for the gift of this day.
Thank you for the gift of your word to us. Thank
you for this farewell discourse from Jesus. Words
of comfort to our hearts today. We love you and
trust you in Jesus' name. Amen.