WEBVTT 00:00:31.339 --> 00:00:33.979 Thank you to our worship team. We're awake and 00:00:33.979 --> 00:00:35.799 alive. How are you feeling today? Everybody good? 00:00:36.259 --> 00:00:38.859 All right. I have a lot of energy today, so be 00:00:38.859 --> 00:00:42.500 forewarned. Our setup team got to sleep in this 00:00:42.500 --> 00:00:45.060 morning, so we were here at seven rather than 00:00:45.060 --> 00:00:48.979 five. So we're wide awake and ready to go. It 00:00:48.979 --> 00:00:50.840 was what a gift it is on those Sundays that that 00:00:50.840 --> 00:00:54.549 happens. Before we go to the series, When Ricky's 00:00:54.549 --> 00:00:56.130 up here at the end, he's going to give you another 00:00:56.130 --> 00:00:58.450 push for Easter, but I'm going to give you a 00:00:58.450 --> 00:01:00.710 little different push for Easter, and that is 00:01:00.710 --> 00:01:04.109 to say, you know, it's no secret. Easter is a 00:01:04.109 --> 00:01:06.750 big Sunday for every church around the world. 00:01:07.549 --> 00:01:09.569 It's one Sunday a year. We have two services. 00:01:09.689 --> 00:01:12.030 We have a ton of people, all the things that 00:01:12.030 --> 00:01:15.569 go into Easter. And we need just an infinite 00:01:15.569 --> 00:01:18.409 number more volunteers. And so today is a chance 00:01:18.409 --> 00:01:21.829 for you to step up and to sign up to help. And 00:01:21.829 --> 00:01:24.209 there's like 12 different places that we need 00:01:24.209 --> 00:01:26.909 volunteers. So if you're like, I don't do kids 00:01:26.909 --> 00:01:29.489 or I don't do singing or I don't do preaching, 00:01:29.609 --> 00:01:31.930 good news, those roles are filled, although we 00:01:31.930 --> 00:01:34.530 need some helping kids. But if you were like, 00:01:34.609 --> 00:01:36.629 I could come on Saturday and help set up or I 00:01:36.629 --> 00:01:38.290 could help with the Easter egg hunt or whatever 00:01:38.290 --> 00:01:41.049 it may be, when you leave today, you probably 00:01:41.049 --> 00:01:43.090 passed it as you came in, the canopy that's out 00:01:43.090 --> 00:01:45.769 there, the shade canopy. On either side, there's 00:01:45.769 --> 00:01:48.230 an opportunity for you to sign up and just put 00:01:48.230 --> 00:01:49.930 your name. We'd actually love it if you would 00:01:49.930 --> 00:01:52.609 put your phone number as well so we can harass 00:01:52.609 --> 00:01:55.950 you, I mean, follow up with you between now and 00:01:55.950 --> 00:02:00.049 then. We need about 50 volunteers on top of kind 00:02:00.049 --> 00:02:02.920 of what we normally do. that I love so much about 00:02:02.920 --> 00:02:05.939 you all and love about LBC is that every time 00:02:05.939 --> 00:02:08.340 we say, hey, we have a need, you step into it. 00:02:08.419 --> 00:02:10.800 And so I'm up here to say we have a need and 00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:13.419 we would love for you to kind of show your true 00:02:13.419 --> 00:02:15.259 colors, if you will, and just to help us fill 00:02:15.259 --> 00:02:17.439 those spots. It would be tremendous. But we're 00:02:17.439 --> 00:02:19.500 going to incentivize it even one step further. 00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:23.960 If you sign up today for a spot to serve on Easter, 00:02:24.080 --> 00:02:27.259 we have some crumble cookie that has been delivered. 00:02:27.599 --> 00:02:31.159 And yeah, I know. And you get a crumble cookie. 00:02:31.340 --> 00:02:33.120 just by putting your name on there. Please put 00:02:33.120 --> 00:02:35.860 your name. Don't sign up your friend or your 00:02:35.860 --> 00:02:39.300 spouse just because you want a cookie. And parents, 00:02:39.379 --> 00:02:41.460 if you would just help us explain to your eight 00:02:41.460 --> 00:02:43.560 -year -old that life is not fair and they don't 00:02:43.560 --> 00:02:46.840 get a cookie. The cookies are for whoever volunteers 00:02:46.840 --> 00:02:49.139 to sign up just as a fun way to say, hey, we 00:02:49.139 --> 00:02:51.840 want to kind of draw all of you there after service. 00:02:51.900 --> 00:02:54.080 Let's have some good traction around Easter. 00:02:54.280 --> 00:02:57.020 It's two weeks from today. Ricky's going to remind 00:02:57.020 --> 00:02:58.879 you of kind of the part you need to do in getting 00:02:58.879 --> 00:03:02.020 RSVP'd and all that. save that for him. But the 00:03:02.020 --> 00:03:05.780 volunteer role is critical. It's our chance to 00:03:05.780 --> 00:03:10.060 shine and to welcome guests and to actually hopefully 00:03:10.060 --> 00:03:12.080 convince them, hey, maybe this is a place I want 00:03:12.080 --> 00:03:14.460 to come back to next week after Easter. And that 00:03:14.460 --> 00:03:16.419 happens because of you. So that'll happen after 00:03:16.419 --> 00:03:19.550 the service. If you don't like crumble cookie, 00:03:19.830 --> 00:03:22.550 I don't know that you're like a real human being. 00:03:22.750 --> 00:03:25.870 So, but that's that. All right, week six of our 00:03:25.870 --> 00:03:29.189 Before I Go series with one more week after today. 00:03:29.289 --> 00:03:31.629 And then that takes us to Easter and then into 00:03:31.629 --> 00:03:33.650 a new series. So we're just kind of cruising 00:03:33.650 --> 00:03:36.030 through the year. We've been working our way 00:03:36.030 --> 00:03:38.949 through this farewell discourse from Jesus, which 00:03:38.949 --> 00:03:41.949 was this conversation between him and his disciples 00:03:41.949 --> 00:03:45.590 that he had in this upper room the night before 00:03:45.590 --> 00:03:47.400 he was crucified. And as we come into, the Easter 00:03:47.400 --> 00:03:50.099 season, we can just feel this more, I think. 00:03:50.159 --> 00:03:53.000 I hope that you can. I certainly can. He literally 00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:55.400 had, at this point in this conversation that 00:03:55.400 --> 00:03:57.539 is going on, he literally has just a matter of 00:03:57.539 --> 00:04:01.479 hours, hours before he's handed over to the Roman 00:04:01.479 --> 00:04:03.900 officials, and that would kind of initiate, if 00:04:03.900 --> 00:04:07.210 you will, all of the... happenings that played 00:04:07.210 --> 00:04:10.229 out over his last 24 hours. So in other words, 00:04:10.250 --> 00:04:13.370 this is it for Jesus. This is it. These are some 00:04:13.370 --> 00:04:16.529 of his final moments, some of his final words 00:04:16.529 --> 00:04:18.949 with these guys, and he's spending them with 00:04:18.949 --> 00:04:21.629 the people that he was closest to. Very similar 00:04:21.629 --> 00:04:23.670 to what I suspect will be true for us someday 00:04:23.670 --> 00:04:26.370 when we know we're in our final hours of life, 00:04:26.430 --> 00:04:29.480 if the Lord gives us that. it may be sudden, 00:04:29.639 --> 00:04:31.980 but if it's not, and we have some awareness, 00:04:32.060 --> 00:04:33.839 these are the final hours of my life, I would 00:04:33.839 --> 00:04:35.480 imagine the people that will be in the room are 00:04:35.480 --> 00:04:37.699 the people that you're closest to and that you 00:04:37.699 --> 00:04:39.600 love, your family, your friends, whoever that 00:04:39.600 --> 00:04:42.279 may be. And that was certainly true for Jesus. 00:04:42.379 --> 00:04:45.240 He shared this evening meal with now his 11. 00:04:45.339 --> 00:04:47.660 It started with 12, but we know that early on 00:04:47.660 --> 00:04:51.360 in this, just after Jesus had done this incredible 00:04:51.360 --> 00:04:55.100 act of washing their feet, Judas peaced out, 00:04:55.180 --> 00:04:57.860 if you will, betrayed him. So Judas is left. 00:04:58.180 --> 00:05:00.759 He's gone. There's 11 of them sharing this moment 00:05:00.759 --> 00:05:03.620 with Jesus. And so we set this up way back when 00:05:03.620 --> 00:05:06.079 we started. We set this up as a seven -week series. 00:05:06.259 --> 00:05:08.100 And yet, as we read the passage today, if you're 00:05:08.100 --> 00:05:11.220 really tuned into your Bible, if you read it, 00:05:11.259 --> 00:05:13.199 you kind of get to the end of chapter 16, which 00:05:13.199 --> 00:05:14.399 is what we're going to do today. And you're like, 00:05:14.459 --> 00:05:17.040 well, it seems like it's over. Because in chapter 00:05:17.040 --> 00:05:19.459 17, something different begins to happen. So 00:05:19.459 --> 00:05:23.360 13 through 16, Jesus has locked eyes with these 00:05:23.360 --> 00:05:25.360 guys, and he's telling them all these things. 00:05:25.420 --> 00:05:28.139 Good things, hard things, truthful things, everything. 00:05:28.500 --> 00:05:31.120 But then you get to chapter 17, which will be 00:05:31.120 --> 00:05:33.639 next week, the conclusion of this series, and 00:05:33.639 --> 00:05:37.740 Jesus now begins to pray to the Father. And I 00:05:37.740 --> 00:05:39.420 would go on the record to say it's maybe the 00:05:39.420 --> 00:05:41.839 greatest prayer ever recorded for us, by the 00:05:41.839 --> 00:05:43.560 way. The Lord's Prayer is certainly up there 00:05:43.560 --> 00:05:46.860 as well. But he's no longer talking to his disciples 00:05:46.860 --> 00:05:49.839 is the point of telling you that. But we included 00:05:49.839 --> 00:05:52.199 it in this series because it's a very powerful 00:05:52.199 --> 00:05:58.319 way that Jesus ended this. What is that? You 00:05:58.319 --> 00:06:02.339 hear that? It's just me? All right. It's been 00:06:02.339 --> 00:06:04.259 a long morning. I thought I was rested. Maybe 00:06:04.259 --> 00:06:08.810 I'm not. Anyhow, we included it in this series 00:06:08.810 --> 00:06:12.029 because it's such a powerful ending to this discourse 00:06:12.029 --> 00:06:15.110 that he shared with these disciples. And for 00:06:15.110 --> 00:06:17.509 us today, 2 ,000 years later, as we're reading 00:06:17.509 --> 00:06:19.769 it together, it's a powerful way for us to end 00:06:19.769 --> 00:06:22.209 this series as well. That's next week. The point 00:06:22.209 --> 00:06:24.189 is the text today that we are looking at are 00:06:24.189 --> 00:06:28.350 the final words from Jesus to these gathered 00:06:28.350 --> 00:06:31.709 disciples. Why is it significant? I've told you 00:06:31.709 --> 00:06:33.829 several times, but I'll tell you again. It's 00:06:33.829 --> 00:06:36.370 significant because they come in a deeply emotional 00:06:36.370 --> 00:06:39.850 moment for these guys. They're very emotionally 00:06:39.850 --> 00:06:42.920 vulnerable at this point. We've seen this throughout 00:06:42.920 --> 00:06:44.480 the series. We've been reading these passages. 00:06:44.759 --> 00:06:46.639 The disciples, they're confused. They're anxious. 00:06:47.040 --> 00:06:49.300 They're unsettled. I don't know if you've been 00:06:49.300 --> 00:06:51.300 in a situation where you know something is coming 00:06:51.300 --> 00:06:52.779 that's going to be really difficult. You kind 00:06:52.779 --> 00:06:54.139 of get to a point where you're like, well, let's 00:06:54.139 --> 00:06:56.500 just get on with it then, right? Like if you 00:06:56.500 --> 00:06:58.300 have a scary doctor appointment that's coming 00:06:58.300 --> 00:07:02.560 up or a procedure or you're seeing maybe a family 00:07:02.560 --> 00:07:04.240 member that you're estranged from or whatever, 00:07:04.339 --> 00:07:06.560 it's like you kind of psych yourself up to the 00:07:06.560 --> 00:07:08.620 point of like, well, let's just get it over with 00:07:08.620 --> 00:07:11.850 then. Let's do this thing. And certainly, this 00:07:11.850 --> 00:07:14.970 is one conversation that we've spread over six 00:07:14.970 --> 00:07:16.910 weeks. So it feels long, but it wasn't long. 00:07:17.029 --> 00:07:20.129 It was one evening that Jesus is sharing with 00:07:20.129 --> 00:07:21.629 these guys. But they're kind of at a point of 00:07:21.629 --> 00:07:24.470 like, all right, man, you're going. Like, here 00:07:24.470 --> 00:07:27.430 we go. We're psyched. We're ready to go. We're 00:07:27.430 --> 00:07:29.269 scared. We're unsettled. We're anxious. We're 00:07:29.269 --> 00:07:31.290 all these things. He's been telling them about 00:07:31.290 --> 00:07:34.009 a time when they will not see him. And then they 00:07:34.009 --> 00:07:36.509 will see him again. His words sound mysterious. 00:07:36.589 --> 00:07:38.509 They're kind of troubling. But the road ahead, 00:07:38.589 --> 00:07:41.149 no doubt, is unsure and it's difficult. And so 00:07:41.149 --> 00:07:44.629 how is Jesus going to wrap this up? He turns 00:07:44.629 --> 00:07:47.870 his attention to prayer in chapter 17. But before 00:07:47.870 --> 00:07:50.490 that, he has some just final words. And we're 00:07:50.490 --> 00:07:51.829 going to kind of look at them together and break 00:07:51.829 --> 00:07:54.149 it apart. First, Jesus gives us the reality of 00:07:54.149 --> 00:07:57.720 sorrow. If you were with us last week, we started 00:07:57.720 --> 00:07:59.360 in a similar place. If you can remember this, 00:07:59.420 --> 00:08:02.560 I'd be super impressed. By the way, you can always 00:08:02.560 --> 00:08:04.699 get it in the church hub or church center up, 00:08:04.759 --> 00:08:06.600 so you don't have to have a great memory. But 00:08:06.600 --> 00:08:09.420 we started last week with the reality of opposition. 00:08:10.410 --> 00:08:12.389 Remember that? Jesus said, hey, if the world 00:08:12.389 --> 00:08:14.129 hates you, know that it's hated me. And so he's 00:08:14.129 --> 00:08:16.110 just kind of being a realist with them to say, 00:08:16.129 --> 00:08:18.389 this is going to be true for you after I'm gone. 00:08:18.889 --> 00:08:22.050 And again, he starts with the reality of sorrow. 00:08:22.269 --> 00:08:24.949 He's a realist. He wants them to be clear about 00:08:24.949 --> 00:08:26.810 what's ahead. And so he helps them to see first 00:08:26.810 --> 00:08:29.589 that there's a reality of sorrow that exists 00:08:29.589 --> 00:08:31.089 in the world. This is what he said, beginning 00:08:31.089 --> 00:08:34.789 in verse 16. In a little while, you will no longer 00:08:34.789 --> 00:08:37.350 see me. Again, in a little while, you will see 00:08:37.350 --> 00:08:39.669 me. Then some of his disciples said to one another, 00:08:39.789 --> 00:08:41.429 what is he telling us? In a little while, you 00:08:41.429 --> 00:08:43.289 will not see me again. In a while, you will see 00:08:43.289 --> 00:08:46.110 me. And because I'm going to the Father, they 00:08:46.110 --> 00:08:49.350 said, what is he saying in a little while? We 00:08:49.350 --> 00:08:51.730 don't know what he's talking about. Jesus knew 00:08:51.730 --> 00:08:54.070 they wanted to ask him. Imagine that. Jesus knew 00:08:54.070 --> 00:08:55.730 they wanted to ask him. And so he said to them, 00:08:55.750 --> 00:08:58.009 are you asking one another about what I said? 00:08:58.570 --> 00:09:00.590 In a little while, you will not see me again. 00:09:01.029 --> 00:09:02.990 And again, in a little while, you will see me. 00:09:03.720 --> 00:09:05.879 Truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but 00:09:05.879 --> 00:09:08.399 the world will rejoice. You will become sorrowful, 00:09:08.500 --> 00:09:12.220 but your sorrow will turn to joy. So Jesus begins 00:09:12.220 --> 00:09:15.279 with a rather kind of puzzling statement. In 00:09:15.279 --> 00:09:17.039 a little while, you and I are seeing me. And 00:09:17.039 --> 00:09:18.700 then in a little while again, you will see me 00:09:18.700 --> 00:09:21.419 again. And the disciples are rightfully so. They're 00:09:21.419 --> 00:09:24.059 very confused. They're whispering among themselves. 00:09:24.320 --> 00:09:26.080 You just picture like they're whispering, thinking, 00:09:26.340 --> 00:09:28.580 I'm not going to ask him. I'm not going to ask 00:09:28.580 --> 00:09:30.879 him. I'm not sure. And Jesus is like, why is 00:09:30.879 --> 00:09:34.230 it that you're wondering this? They're confused. 00:09:34.570 --> 00:09:36.370 They're talking amongst themselves, trying to 00:09:36.370 --> 00:09:37.830 make sense of it. What does he mean? Where is 00:09:37.830 --> 00:09:39.490 he going? It's almost like he's speaking to them 00:09:39.490 --> 00:09:41.590 in riddles of sorts. Like, you're going to see 00:09:41.590 --> 00:09:42.809 me. You're not going to see me. Then you're going 00:09:42.809 --> 00:09:44.029 to see me again. You're going to wonder why. 00:09:44.669 --> 00:09:48.950 And he's like, I'll clarify for you. What Jesus 00:09:48.950 --> 00:09:51.330 is describing is his coming crucifixion, which 00:09:51.330 --> 00:09:54.090 was at the door knocking. It was right there. 00:09:54.639 --> 00:09:57.679 And shortly thereafter, his resurrection, right? 00:09:58.100 --> 00:10:01.039 Soon they will experience a devastating loss. 00:10:01.179 --> 00:10:03.940 That's what he's essentially telling them. Their 00:10:03.940 --> 00:10:08.159 teacher, their leader, their friend, and ultimately 00:10:08.159 --> 00:10:10.419 their hope will be taken from them. And Jesus 00:10:10.419 --> 00:10:12.940 does not hide the reality from them. He says 00:10:12.940 --> 00:10:15.259 it plainly to them, truly I tell you, you will 00:10:15.259 --> 00:10:17.799 weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice. Your 00:10:17.799 --> 00:10:21.519 reality. will be sorrowful, unlike the reality 00:10:21.519 --> 00:10:23.860 of the world, if you will. And we talked about 00:10:23.860 --> 00:10:26.539 that word world last week, meaning used to describe 00:10:26.539 --> 00:10:31.700 those who oppose God, object or refuse relationship 00:10:31.700 --> 00:10:34.740 with their creator, et cetera. If you were in 00:10:34.740 --> 00:10:36.860 the carryover this week, tracking along with 00:10:36.860 --> 00:10:39.340 us, my goodness, there was some really good stuff 00:10:39.340 --> 00:10:41.259 in there, compliments of Preston who does that. 00:10:41.740 --> 00:10:43.580 So you should go back and look at that if you 00:10:43.580 --> 00:10:46.259 didn't get that. Anyhow, Jesus acknowledges their 00:10:46.259 --> 00:10:50.610 sorrow. He doesn't dismiss it. He does not say, 00:10:50.710 --> 00:10:53.169 hey, everything's going to be fine. Instead, 00:10:53.309 --> 00:10:57.269 he says, you will weep. Like you are actually 00:10:57.269 --> 00:11:00.610 going to be sorrowful. This is going to be painful. 00:11:00.990 --> 00:11:04.049 It's going to hurt. And there is something deeply 00:11:04.049 --> 00:11:08.470 comforting about Jesus's honesty. About Jesus's 00:11:08.470 --> 00:11:13.759 honesty. I mean, so much of the... opposition 00:11:13.759 --> 00:11:16.159 against the name and claimant gospel that's out 00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:18.039 there, people like Benny Hinn and some of those 00:11:18.039 --> 00:11:20.840 other people, televangelists, is that they leave 00:11:20.840 --> 00:11:23.860 out this part. They leave out this part of the 00:11:23.860 --> 00:11:26.840 Christian journey. Like, it's all name and claimant, 00:11:26.860 --> 00:11:29.019 wealth and gain, all these things. And Jesus 00:11:29.019 --> 00:11:31.159 is like, there's a part to this that is really 00:11:31.159 --> 00:11:35.120 sorrowful. There's a part of life that's going 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:38.899 to cause you to weep and mourn and grief temporarily. 00:11:40.279 --> 00:11:42.759 That's the issue with the name. No one has a 00:11:42.759 --> 00:11:46.340 problem with God blessing you, but you're only 00:11:46.340 --> 00:11:49.620 giving them 50 % of the equation, which is that 00:11:49.620 --> 00:11:52.799 there's a sorrowful, painful reality to life. 00:11:53.440 --> 00:11:57.360 And that's what Jesus is just, in his very realistic 00:11:57.360 --> 00:12:00.240 way, he's trying to put before them. And there's 00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:02.419 something for me that's deeply comforting about 00:12:02.419 --> 00:12:05.000 that honesty, because hands up if you've ever 00:12:05.000 --> 00:12:09.620 had a bad day. Hands up if you've ever had like 00:12:09.620 --> 00:12:15.080 a dark season. Okay. And the world just shrinks, 00:12:15.259 --> 00:12:18.940 doesn't it? And you're like, it's just me. No 00:12:18.940 --> 00:12:21.480 one else knows this. No one else knows this pain. 00:12:21.879 --> 00:12:24.299 No one else's marriage is like this. No one else's 00:12:24.299 --> 00:12:27.220 kids are like this. No one else knows what disability 00:12:27.220 --> 00:12:31.299 is like. No one else has the fractured relationships. 00:12:31.759 --> 00:12:34.139 Whatever it is, like it just shrinks and you're 00:12:34.139 --> 00:12:37.139 in your space of thinking like, it's just me. 00:12:38.120 --> 00:12:40.940 And Jesus is like, no, it's the Christian life. 00:12:41.519 --> 00:12:45.799 It's the Christian life. Life of following Jesus 00:12:45.799 --> 00:12:48.299 is not free from pain, but rather it's a life 00:12:48.299 --> 00:12:51.139 where pain is given meaning and direction. You've 00:12:51.139 --> 00:12:53.259 heard this quote, I suspect, from C .S. Lewis. 00:12:53.799 --> 00:12:58.460 Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers 00:12:58.460 --> 00:13:01.220 to us in our pleasures. He speaks to us in our 00:13:01.220 --> 00:13:04.740 conscience, but he shouts in our pains. You know 00:13:04.740 --> 00:13:09.629 that because you've experienced it. Most of my 00:13:09.629 --> 00:13:14.029 emergency pastoral, we need you to come now, 00:13:14.190 --> 00:13:16.909 kind of calls over 25 years in ministry have 00:13:16.909 --> 00:13:22.269 been in the place of pains. Because they're attuned 00:13:22.269 --> 00:13:26.289 all of a sudden to, is God in this? Is God in 00:13:26.289 --> 00:13:30.529 this hospital room? Is God in this whatever situation 00:13:30.529 --> 00:13:35.929 it is? God speaks to us in our pains. Jesus makes 00:13:35.929 --> 00:13:39.460 it clear, sorrow is real. Sorrow is, loss is 00:13:39.460 --> 00:13:41.700 real. Confusion is real. And of course, this 00:13:41.700 --> 00:13:45.500 was all tied to his death and departure. But 00:13:45.500 --> 00:13:49.899 you can certainly apply that to what life is 00:13:49.899 --> 00:13:53.620 for us today. But there are a few key words mixed 00:13:53.620 --> 00:13:55.740 in here that changed kind of the whole tone of 00:13:55.740 --> 00:13:58.080 this statement from Jesus. And the words are, 00:13:58.159 --> 00:14:02.710 a little while. That's that. That three -word 00:14:02.710 --> 00:14:05.389 phrase, a little while, changes the tone of this 00:14:05.389 --> 00:14:08.529 whole thing. Jesus says, a little while. In other 00:14:08.529 --> 00:14:10.610 words, their sorrow would not have the final 00:14:10.610 --> 00:14:13.370 word. Jesus is going to use this really unique 00:14:13.370 --> 00:14:14.929 illustration that we're going to read together 00:14:14.929 --> 00:14:17.789 to help them see the transformation of sorrow 00:14:17.789 --> 00:14:21.669 to joy. So sorrow is real. That's where he started 00:14:21.669 --> 00:14:25.330 with. This is going to be your reality. For them, 00:14:25.330 --> 00:14:27.850 it was going to be tied to Jesus. death and departure, 00:14:28.049 --> 00:14:31.649 and their coming persecution, which they had 00:14:31.649 --> 00:14:33.590 no idea at that point just truly how bad it would 00:14:33.590 --> 00:14:36.509 be. But he's going to not leave it there. He's 00:14:36.509 --> 00:14:38.049 going to take them further, and he's going to 00:14:38.049 --> 00:14:40.289 help them to see how this sorrow that's very 00:14:40.289 --> 00:14:43.230 real is going to be transformed into joy. And 00:14:43.230 --> 00:14:45.809 he uses a very unique description. It's in verse 00:14:45.809 --> 00:14:48.330 21, illustration, I should say. It says, when 00:14:48.330 --> 00:14:51.269 a woman is in labor, she has pain because her 00:14:51.269 --> 00:14:54.269 time has come. But when she has given birth to 00:14:54.269 --> 00:14:57.049 a child, she no longer remembers the suffering 00:14:57.049 --> 00:14:59.330 because of the joy that a person has been born 00:14:59.330 --> 00:15:02.710 into the world. So you also have sorrow now. 00:15:03.509 --> 00:15:05.370 But I will see you again. He's speaking of his 00:15:05.370 --> 00:15:07.750 resurrection. Your hearts will rejoice and no 00:15:07.750 --> 00:15:10.149 one will take away your joy from you. In that 00:15:10.149 --> 00:15:13.490 day, you will not ask me anything. Truly, I tell 00:15:13.490 --> 00:15:17.129 you, anything you ask the Father in my name, 00:15:17.149 --> 00:15:18.590 he will give you. In other words, you're not 00:15:18.590 --> 00:15:20.190 going to need me because you have the Holy Spirit. 00:15:20.250 --> 00:15:22.840 You have direct access to the Father. You're 00:15:22.840 --> 00:15:24.000 not going to ask me anything. You're going to 00:15:24.000 --> 00:15:26.940 ask God. You're going to ask the Father. Truly 00:15:26.940 --> 00:15:30.259 I tell you, anything you ask the Father in my 00:15:30.259 --> 00:15:32.639 name, he will give you. Until now, you have asked 00:15:32.639 --> 00:15:35.139 for nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive 00:15:35.139 --> 00:15:38.019 so that your joy may be complete. So Jesus uses 00:15:38.019 --> 00:15:40.580 one of the most powerful images of transformation, 00:15:40.700 --> 00:15:44.799 which is childbirth. The pain is real. It's intense. 00:15:45.019 --> 00:15:48.820 It's unavoidable, or so I've been told. I don't 00:15:48.820 --> 00:15:53.029 know. I was in the room. Seems that way. Seems 00:15:53.029 --> 00:15:57.610 like it checks out. The pain is real. It's intense. 00:15:57.789 --> 00:16:01.590 It's unavoidable. But it is not meaningless. 00:16:02.389 --> 00:16:06.389 It's not meaningless. It's a pain that is very 00:16:06.389 --> 00:16:09.090 quickly, hopefully, sorry to you ladies who are 00:16:09.090 --> 00:16:12.250 in labor for days, but very quickly it's going 00:16:12.250 --> 00:16:16.230 to lead to something. It's a process that produces 00:16:16.230 --> 00:16:22.600 what? Life. It gives life. Quite literally. And 00:16:22.600 --> 00:16:25.340 in the same way, Jesus, I mean, it's a very vivid, 00:16:25.480 --> 00:16:28.720 it's a very profound illustration, but he drives 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:31.860 the point for sure. In the same way the disciples' 00:16:32.120 --> 00:16:34.200 sorrow at the cross would give way to resurrection 00:16:34.200 --> 00:16:38.580 joy, and their grief would not simply disappear, 00:16:38.659 --> 00:16:41.379 it would be transformed. It would be transformed. 00:16:42.700 --> 00:16:45.200 And here's the key point to get from this, and 00:16:45.200 --> 00:16:47.519 that is God does not always remove sorrow immediately, 00:16:47.759 --> 00:16:52.600 but he does always redeem it ultimately. That's 00:16:52.600 --> 00:16:56.879 such a key thing to understand. God does not 00:16:56.879 --> 00:17:01.080 always remove sorrow immediately, but he does 00:17:01.080 --> 00:17:07.140 always redeem it ultimately. When? I have no 00:17:07.140 --> 00:17:12.000 idea. I have no idea. And some of you, if we 00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:14.279 had the time and we could come up and we had 00:17:14.279 --> 00:17:16.740 the time to bring you up here one at a time and 00:17:16.740 --> 00:17:19.039 tell us about, you know, hey, tell us about a 00:17:19.039 --> 00:17:22.910 season of sorrow for you. some of you are still 00:17:22.910 --> 00:17:27.009 waiting for that redemption. But some of you 00:17:27.009 --> 00:17:28.789 would be like, yeah, it was six months, and then 00:17:28.789 --> 00:17:32.309 you have the other side of that story. But some 00:17:32.309 --> 00:17:33.869 of us don't have the other side of that story 00:17:33.869 --> 00:17:37.069 yet. And so this is where we just drill down 00:17:37.069 --> 00:17:39.150 into the promises of God. God does not always 00:17:39.150 --> 00:17:41.289 remove sorrow immediately, but he does always 00:17:41.289 --> 00:17:46.009 redeem it ultimately, ultimately. The promise 00:17:46.009 --> 00:17:48.789 is not just relief from sorrow, but reversal 00:17:48.789 --> 00:17:55.240 of their sorrow. I mean, The danger of, yeah, 00:17:55.359 --> 00:18:00.220 I don't even know how to say it. The goal of, 00:18:00.279 --> 00:18:03.400 the purpose of pain, you can tell I'm making 00:18:03.400 --> 00:18:06.500 this up on the go. The purpose of pain is not 00:18:06.500 --> 00:18:09.259 that it would just someday go away, but that 00:18:09.259 --> 00:18:12.500 it would be redeemed. And so that you could look 00:18:12.500 --> 00:18:15.759 at that hard thing and be like, actually, God 00:18:15.759 --> 00:18:21.660 used that in a profound way in my life. Biggest 00:18:21.660 --> 00:18:23.940 pain points for me is the disability journey 00:18:23.940 --> 00:18:26.720 that we walk with our daughter. But I am distinctly 00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:30.420 aware of how God is redeeming that and using 00:18:30.420 --> 00:18:36.000 that in profound ways. And so to just go away, 00:18:36.119 --> 00:18:39.700 I might miss some of the redemption in that. 00:18:39.900 --> 00:18:41.539 Because like, yeah, it was just bad and then 00:18:41.539 --> 00:18:45.519 it was gone. No, actually, God did something 00:18:45.519 --> 00:18:49.539 in my heart and in my soul to like... Give me 00:18:49.539 --> 00:18:51.440 a different perspective and to understand what 00:18:51.440 --> 00:18:54.619 redemption looks like and how God will ultimately 00:18:54.619 --> 00:18:59.319 redeem all that is sorrowful in a profound way 00:18:59.319 --> 00:19:03.119 for his glory, for our good. I've told you this. 00:19:03.180 --> 00:19:06.579 I am a better person. I'm a better pastor. I 00:19:06.579 --> 00:19:09.819 don't know. Who am I to vote on any of this? 00:19:09.900 --> 00:19:15.339 But I'm a better human in every capacity, I think. 00:19:16.190 --> 00:19:20.470 Because of a pain in my life. Because of a sorrow 00:19:20.470 --> 00:19:27.130 in my life. So it doesn't always get taken away, 00:19:27.250 --> 00:19:31.029 but it does always get redeemed ultimately. So 00:19:31.029 --> 00:19:33.490 the promise is not just relief from sorrow, but 00:19:33.490 --> 00:19:35.589 it's reversal of that sorrow. Jesus told them 00:19:35.589 --> 00:19:38.160 again. told them, you also have sorrow now, but 00:19:38.160 --> 00:19:40.579 I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice 00:19:40.579 --> 00:19:42.380 and no one will take away your joy from you. 00:19:42.420 --> 00:19:44.539 Notice the permanence of that promise. No one 00:19:44.539 --> 00:19:47.460 will take your joy from you. Can they take your 00:19:47.460 --> 00:19:51.279 happiness daily? The stock market goes up, we're 00:19:51.279 --> 00:19:54.700 happy. It goes down, we're sad, we're mad. This 00:19:54.700 --> 00:19:57.519 happens, we're happy. Our kids get a good doing 00:19:57.519 --> 00:19:59.579 well in class and then they're failing. Like 00:19:59.579 --> 00:20:02.779 happiness just comes and goes like the sun comes 00:20:02.779 --> 00:20:06.569 and goes. Can people take your happy, can life 00:20:06.569 --> 00:20:10.029 take your happiness from you every day? Not your 00:20:10.029 --> 00:20:12.250 joy. Notice the permanence of that promise. No 00:20:12.250 --> 00:20:14.670 one will take your joy from you, which means 00:20:14.670 --> 00:20:16.910 then that this is not circumstantial happiness. 00:20:17.450 --> 00:20:20.289 This is not based on, depending on favorable 00:20:20.289 --> 00:20:22.809 conditions. This is resurrection rooted joy. 00:20:22.950 --> 00:20:25.509 Why is Easter a celebration? Because it is a 00:20:25.509 --> 00:20:28.450 celebration of something that cannot be taken 00:20:28.450 --> 00:20:32.220 from you. It's a resurrection rooted joy, a joy 00:20:32.220 --> 00:20:34.180 anchored in the reality that Christ has conquered 00:20:34.180 --> 00:20:37.200 death itself. So Jesus is telling his disciples, 00:20:37.440 --> 00:20:41.559 your coming sorrow is not wasted. And actually, 00:20:41.799 --> 00:20:45.599 and of course, I mean, it's easier said than 00:20:45.599 --> 00:20:49.619 believed at that point for them, right? But he's 00:20:49.619 --> 00:20:51.740 telling them it's not wasted. It's actually the 00:20:51.740 --> 00:20:56.740 doorway. It's the next step to unshakable, permanent 00:20:56.740 --> 00:21:02.680 joy. Permanent joy. Just think about the hours 00:21:02.680 --> 00:21:04.599 before sunrise. I don't know if any of you have 00:21:04.599 --> 00:21:08.900 ever seen that time of day. It's often the darkest 00:21:08.900 --> 00:21:12.200 and the coldest of the entire night, just literally 00:21:12.200 --> 00:21:14.480 moments before sunrise. I don't know if you've 00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:17.500 experienced that. I worked for too many years 00:21:17.500 --> 00:21:20.259 at a golf course, and we would get there at like 00:21:20.259 --> 00:21:22.839 three in the morning. Those were my glory days. 00:21:23.000 --> 00:21:26.079 I would go to Kendra's parents' house. We'd watch 00:21:26.079 --> 00:21:28.140 a movie until midnight. I'd leave there. I'd 00:21:28.140 --> 00:21:29.980 go sleep in my car at the golf course, and then 00:21:29.980 --> 00:21:31.920 I'd get up at 3 and go to work. It was great. 00:21:32.539 --> 00:21:36.779 What a life. I have a lot of questions about 00:21:36.779 --> 00:21:40.940 the younger version of myself. But we'd start 00:21:40.940 --> 00:21:43.700 working at 3 a .m. It's dark. It's cold. 4 a 00:21:43.700 --> 00:21:45.960 .m. It's dark. It's cold. 5 a .m. It feels like 00:21:45.960 --> 00:21:50.329 it's getting darker and colder. And then... In 00:21:50.329 --> 00:21:54.210 the east, here comes the sun. But if you didn't 00:21:54.210 --> 00:21:56.970 have a watch to know, like, well, sunrise is 00:21:56.970 --> 00:21:59.109 at this time. In fact, mine tells me tomorrow 00:21:59.109 --> 00:22:01.789 it's six, not sunset, hasn't clicked over yet. 00:22:01.950 --> 00:22:04.269 But I could literally look at my watch and know, 00:22:04.329 --> 00:22:06.250 like, this is when the sun's going to come up 00:22:06.250 --> 00:22:09.250 tomorrow. And it's right. But if you didn't have 00:22:09.250 --> 00:22:11.109 a watch, if you didn't know, you would just be 00:22:11.109 --> 00:22:13.329 convinced, like, it's dark and cold forever. 00:22:14.279 --> 00:22:16.140 But as it got darker and as it got colder, we're 00:22:16.140 --> 00:22:18.000 like, we must be getting close to like opening 00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:21.180 time. Yep, it's five o 'clock. Tea time is in 00:22:21.180 --> 00:22:24.960 an hour. It's the weirdest thing. But the disciples 00:22:24.960 --> 00:22:27.559 stood in that dark hour at the cross, but the 00:22:27.559 --> 00:22:30.160 resurrection, the joy of the resurrection, the 00:22:30.160 --> 00:22:32.759 light of the resurrection, the resurrection morning, 00:22:32.980 --> 00:22:35.740 all of that was coming. And certainly in our 00:22:35.740 --> 00:22:37.940 lives, there are moments that feel like the darkest 00:22:37.940 --> 00:22:41.539 hour. When prayers seem unanswered, when hope 00:22:41.539 --> 00:22:43.680 feels distant, I mean, I literally have people 00:22:43.680 --> 00:22:45.900 in this church that have been emailing me and 00:22:45.900 --> 00:22:49.660 calling me and texting me, asking me to pray 00:22:49.660 --> 00:22:53.119 for the same thing for now going on several years 00:22:53.119 --> 00:22:59.400 or more. Like, it's just the dark hour where 00:22:59.400 --> 00:23:01.759 prayers seem unanswered, hope feels distant, 00:23:01.859 --> 00:23:05.579 and yet Jesus reminds us what? A little while. 00:23:06.700 --> 00:23:09.819 So as it gets darker, it gets colder, you're 00:23:09.819 --> 00:23:15.119 probably, I say this with a lot of caution, you're 00:23:15.119 --> 00:23:18.940 nearing the joy of the resurrection. And what 00:23:18.940 --> 00:23:20.960 I'm not saying to you is when that's going to 00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:24.799 come because I don't know. But as Jesus has done 00:23:24.799 --> 00:23:26.619 all through this conversation with his disciples, 00:23:26.740 --> 00:23:28.480 he's going to give them another promise of hope. 00:23:28.900 --> 00:23:31.319 And it's the assurance of access to the Father. 00:23:31.400 --> 00:23:33.940 This is the beginning of verse 25. I've spoken 00:23:33.940 --> 00:23:36.519 these things to you in figures of speech. A time 00:23:36.519 --> 00:23:39.220 is coming when I will no longer speak to you 00:23:39.220 --> 00:23:40.900 in figures, but I will tell you plainly about 00:23:40.900 --> 00:23:43.180 the Father. On that day, you will ask in my name, 00:23:43.220 --> 00:23:45.000 and I am not telling you that I will ask the 00:23:45.000 --> 00:23:47.019 Father on your behalf, for the Father himself 00:23:47.019 --> 00:23:49.559 loves you. Like, you have this connection with 00:23:49.559 --> 00:23:52.440 the Father. He loves you because you have loved 00:23:52.440 --> 00:23:55.400 me. and have believed in me, have faith in me 00:23:55.400 --> 00:23:57.740 that I came from God. I came from the Father 00:23:57.740 --> 00:23:59.660 and have come into the world. Again, I'm leaving 00:23:59.660 --> 00:24:03.140 the world and going to the Father. So Jesus shifts 00:24:03.140 --> 00:24:07.059 here to another profound promise, which is that, 00:24:07.140 --> 00:24:09.339 hey, good news, you will have direct access to 00:24:09.339 --> 00:24:11.900 God. Remember that whole, it's better for you 00:24:11.900 --> 00:24:13.579 that I go away, that the helper may come? Like, 00:24:13.640 --> 00:24:17.250 this is some of the perk of that. You will have 00:24:17.250 --> 00:24:19.549 direct access to God. He says the time is coming 00:24:19.549 --> 00:24:21.930 when we will no longer speak, he will no longer 00:24:21.930 --> 00:24:24.329 speak in figures, but plainly about the Father. 00:24:24.549 --> 00:24:26.930 And then he says something so remarkable. On 00:24:26.930 --> 00:24:28.890 that day you will ask in my name, and I'm not 00:24:28.890 --> 00:24:30.750 telling you that I will ask the Father on your 00:24:30.750 --> 00:24:33.470 behalf, for the Father himself loves you. In 00:24:33.470 --> 00:24:35.849 other words, you can cut me out. You don't need 00:24:35.849 --> 00:24:38.930 the middle man. Because you have loved me and 00:24:38.930 --> 00:24:41.490 have believed that I came from God. This is an 00:24:41.490 --> 00:24:44.029 incredible shift here. The disciples had walked 00:24:44.029 --> 00:24:47.470 with Jesus physically. I mean, literally. They 00:24:47.470 --> 00:24:49.369 knew him. They touched him. They listened to 00:24:49.369 --> 00:24:52.009 him. They smelled him. They watched him. All 00:24:52.009 --> 00:24:55.730 the things, literally. He said, it's going to 00:24:55.730 --> 00:24:58.930 change. No longer will it be physical Jesus, 00:24:59.029 --> 00:25:00.910 but soon they'll have something even more profound, 00:25:01.089 --> 00:25:02.890 which is direct relationship with the Father 00:25:02.890 --> 00:25:05.869 because of him and through him by the Spirit. 00:25:06.770 --> 00:25:08.650 They would not be abandoned. They would not be 00:25:08.650 --> 00:25:10.829 left alone. And if you caught it, Jesus summarized 00:25:10.829 --> 00:25:12.630 the purpose of his life. If you caught it there, 00:25:12.670 --> 00:25:14.789 he says, I came from the Father into the world, 00:25:14.950 --> 00:25:17.549 had a mission to do. He did that mission. And 00:25:17.549 --> 00:25:19.549 now I am leaving the world and going back to 00:25:19.549 --> 00:25:21.529 the Father. That is essentially what we call 00:25:21.529 --> 00:25:24.369 the gospel in one sentence. Like, what is the 00:25:24.369 --> 00:25:28.150 gospel? It's that Jesus descended this Christmas, 00:25:28.230 --> 00:25:30.809 right? Came into our world, incarnation, lived 00:25:30.809 --> 00:25:33.490 a human life, died a human death for the forgiveness 00:25:33.490 --> 00:25:37.349 of sins. And then... Return to the Father. That's 00:25:37.349 --> 00:25:38.990 what he summarized. I came from the Father, I 00:25:38.990 --> 00:25:40.430 entered the world, now I'm leaving and going 00:25:40.430 --> 00:25:44.569 back to the Father. That's the gospel. He entered 00:25:44.569 --> 00:25:46.390 a broken world, he would leave through the cross, 00:25:46.549 --> 00:25:48.970 he returns in victory. And because of this, we 00:25:48.970 --> 00:25:52.150 now have access, not distant, not hesitant, but 00:25:52.150 --> 00:25:59.269 rather personal access to God. Jesus is reshaping 00:25:59.269 --> 00:26:02.269 on the spot, in this upper room, Jesus is reshaping 00:26:02.269 --> 00:26:04.700 their understanding of God. Quite literally, 00:26:04.779 --> 00:26:08.460 like not as a distant or inaccessible, divine, 00:26:08.640 --> 00:26:11.339 mysterious being, although there is a mystery 00:26:11.339 --> 00:26:14.420 to God for sure, but rather as a loving father 00:26:14.420 --> 00:26:17.720 who they have access to, who hears them, and 00:26:17.720 --> 00:26:21.220 who if we ask in his name and in his will, he 00:26:21.220 --> 00:26:25.319 hears us and he responds to us. I don't know 00:26:25.319 --> 00:26:26.900 if you've ever had that awkward experience of 00:26:26.900 --> 00:26:28.839 like you're going to someone's house and you 00:26:28.839 --> 00:26:30.819 walk up and the door is partially opened and 00:26:30.819 --> 00:26:35.990 you're like, what? Do I knock? Do I just go in, 00:26:36.109 --> 00:26:38.809 right? Like, it's partially open, so you're unsure. 00:26:39.029 --> 00:26:42.690 Like, does it mean come in, or am I welcome? 00:26:42.950 --> 00:26:45.670 You hesitate. Should I knock? You wonder if anybody 00:26:45.670 --> 00:26:47.390 will answer. And then, of course, you know, you 00:26:47.390 --> 00:26:49.470 hear, like, hey, come in, come in, come in, come 00:26:49.470 --> 00:26:52.630 in, come in. You belong here. I'm expecting you. 00:26:54.269 --> 00:26:56.269 That's a picture of what Jesus has done through 00:26:56.269 --> 00:27:00.710 his life, his death, and his resurrection. He 00:27:00.710 --> 00:27:02.349 has opened the door to the Father, which means 00:27:02.349 --> 00:27:05.490 then that we don't approach as strangers timidly. 00:27:05.930 --> 00:27:08.470 Like, I don't know, should I go in? Should I 00:27:08.470 --> 00:27:12.630 knock? Should I? But rather we come as confident, 00:27:12.750 --> 00:27:16.509 bold, beloved children of God. Hebrews chapter 00:27:16.509 --> 00:27:19.170 4. Therefore, since we have a great high priest 00:27:19.170 --> 00:27:21.210 who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the 00:27:21.210 --> 00:27:23.910 Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 00:27:24.089 --> 00:27:26.529 Remember how chapter 16 started. I tell you these 00:27:26.529 --> 00:27:29.529 things that you may not drift away. So here it 00:27:29.529 --> 00:27:31.789 is again in Hebrews. Hold fast to that confession. 00:27:32.609 --> 00:27:34.650 For we do not have a high priest who is unable 00:27:34.650 --> 00:27:36.890 to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who 00:27:36.890 --> 00:27:39.490 has been tempted in every way as we are and yet 00:27:39.490 --> 00:27:42.730 without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne 00:27:42.730 --> 00:27:45.589 of grace with boldness. You come as confident 00:27:45.589 --> 00:27:48.289 children of God so that we may receive mercy 00:27:48.289 --> 00:27:52.410 and find grace to help us in time of need. That's 00:27:52.410 --> 00:27:54.130 what Jesus was saying to them. Like, there's 00:27:54.130 --> 00:27:55.410 going to come a day where you're not going to 00:27:55.410 --> 00:27:59.900 ask me. And ask the Father directly, like in 00:27:59.900 --> 00:28:03.799 confidence, in faith, believing that he hears 00:28:03.799 --> 00:28:06.059 you, believing that you are entitled to stand 00:28:06.059 --> 00:28:08.940 before him and to make your request in a spirit 00:28:08.940 --> 00:28:11.900 of reverence, no doubt. God does not owe us one 00:28:11.900 --> 00:28:16.420 single thing, but he gives us many things. And 00:28:16.420 --> 00:28:18.599 he responds to the cries of our hearts and the 00:28:18.599 --> 00:28:20.980 needs and the desires of our hearts because of 00:28:20.980 --> 00:28:23.309 Jesus. And then you come to the final portion 00:28:23.309 --> 00:28:25.589 of this. I have like such strict warnings to 00:28:25.589 --> 00:28:27.430 be done on time because there's like too many 00:28:27.430 --> 00:28:29.049 kids outside. They're going to take over this 00:28:29.049 --> 00:28:31.869 place. So we're going to get done on time today. 00:28:32.710 --> 00:28:35.529 You come to the final portion of this and Jesus 00:28:35.529 --> 00:28:39.849 gives one of the best. And personally, I think 00:28:39.849 --> 00:28:42.869 one of just one of my favorite promises in the 00:28:42.869 --> 00:28:45.990 entire Bible. It's the promise of peace through 00:28:45.990 --> 00:28:49.089 Christ's victory. And it says it this way. His 00:28:49.089 --> 00:28:53.250 disciples said. Look, now you're speaking plainly 00:28:53.250 --> 00:28:56.230 and not using any figurative language. Now we 00:28:56.230 --> 00:28:58.210 know that you know everything. You just want 00:28:58.210 --> 00:29:00.089 to knock these guys in the head. That's what 00:29:00.089 --> 00:29:03.309 it took, but anyhow. Now we know that you know 00:29:03.309 --> 00:29:05.349 everything and don't need anyone to question 00:29:05.349 --> 00:29:07.849 you. By this we believe that you came from God. 00:29:08.690 --> 00:29:10.950 Jesus responded to them, Do you now believe? 00:29:12.490 --> 00:29:14.950 Indeed, an hour is coming, check this out, and 00:29:14.950 --> 00:29:17.950 has come when each of you will be scattered to 00:29:17.950 --> 00:29:19.890 his own home and you will leave me alone. This 00:29:19.890 --> 00:29:23.690 little squad is going to break up and it's going 00:29:23.690 --> 00:29:27.170 to get really hard. You will be scattered to 00:29:27.170 --> 00:29:29.329 your own home and you will leave me alone. Yet 00:29:29.329 --> 00:29:31.630 I am not alone because the Father is with me. 00:29:31.970 --> 00:29:35.089 I have told you these things. This is how he 00:29:35.089 --> 00:29:38.710 wraps up this farewell discourse. I have told 00:29:38.710 --> 00:29:41.430 you these things so that in me you may have peace. 00:29:43.329 --> 00:29:46.190 You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous. 00:29:46.349 --> 00:29:51.150 I have conquered the world. What a, like, mic 00:29:51.150 --> 00:29:55.970 drop moment for Jesus. Like, you could argue 00:29:55.970 --> 00:29:59.150 this is the climax of the whole passage. In verse 00:29:59.150 --> 00:30:01.849 33, Jesus gives one of the most comforting promises 00:30:01.849 --> 00:30:04.049 of all scripture. You will have suffering in 00:30:04.049 --> 00:30:09.170 this world. He's a realist. Be courageous. Why? 00:30:09.609 --> 00:30:13.369 Because you're strong. No, but because I have 00:30:13.369 --> 00:30:17.809 conquered the world, Jesus said. Again, this 00:30:17.809 --> 00:30:20.589 is not a denial of hardship. It's not a shallow 00:30:20.589 --> 00:30:23.210 reassurance. It is a profound promise of peace. 00:30:23.309 --> 00:30:25.829 It's not the absence of trouble, but the presence 00:30:25.829 --> 00:30:29.809 of victory in the midst of it. And it's interesting 00:30:29.809 --> 00:30:32.009 to watch the disciples' response here. They think 00:30:32.009 --> 00:30:34.950 they finally understand him, right? confidence 00:30:34.950 --> 00:30:36.910 probably Peter because why wouldn't Peter be 00:30:36.910 --> 00:30:39.549 the confident one now you are speaking clearly 00:30:39.549 --> 00:30:43.390 like okay we get it we we believe that you came 00:30:43.390 --> 00:30:46.750 from God we got five minutes to interact with 00:30:46.750 --> 00:30:50.309 you in this newfound belief but Jesus gently 00:30:50.309 --> 00:30:53.970 challenges him like do do you now believe because 00:30:53.970 --> 00:31:00.410 when you get hauled off so to speak to your homes 00:31:00.410 --> 00:31:02.809 and scattered each to your home and you don't 00:31:02.809 --> 00:31:04.529 have the assurance and the comfort of being in 00:31:04.529 --> 00:31:09.930 this room together, do you now believe? Do you 00:31:09.930 --> 00:31:14.990 now believe you will leave me all alone? And 00:31:14.990 --> 00:31:18.109 even in their confidence, Jesus knows their weakness. 00:31:19.450 --> 00:31:23.890 They will fail. You will fail. I will fail. They 00:31:23.890 --> 00:31:26.190 will run. They will drift. They will abandon. 00:31:26.490 --> 00:31:29.829 And yet this is crucial. His peace, His promise 00:31:29.829 --> 00:31:32.309 of peace, I should say, to them is not dependent 00:31:32.309 --> 00:31:36.230 upon their performance. It's not dependent upon 00:31:36.230 --> 00:31:38.289 their response or their performance. It's just 00:31:38.289 --> 00:31:41.730 a gift. That's what it is. Like, I'm giving this 00:31:41.730 --> 00:31:45.710 to you. In this world, you will have suffering. 00:31:45.809 --> 00:31:48.910 Jesus does not sugarcoat reality. Trouble is 00:31:48.910 --> 00:31:52.289 not a possibility. It's a certainty. And that's 00:31:52.289 --> 00:31:53.930 where we started this morning, right? With the 00:31:53.930 --> 00:31:57.289 reality of sorrow. It's where Jesus started. 00:31:57.410 --> 00:31:59.210 It's where we started this morning in the text. 00:31:59.349 --> 00:32:01.890 The word used here suggests pressure, affliction, 00:32:01.910 --> 00:32:05.349 and distress. Life in a broken world will include 00:32:05.349 --> 00:32:08.450 hardship. And faith in Jesus does not remove 00:32:08.450 --> 00:32:10.589 us from that reality, but it anchors us within 00:32:10.589 --> 00:32:14.750 it. So be courageous, take heart, not because 00:32:14.750 --> 00:32:17.309 of circumstances, because they're less than ideal, 00:32:17.549 --> 00:32:21.390 but because of Christ. I, Jesus says, have overcome 00:32:21.390 --> 00:32:25.049 the world. I have conquered the world. Notice 00:32:25.049 --> 00:32:28.430 the tense, have, past tense, already happened. 00:32:29.109 --> 00:32:32.829 Thank you, good Friday. Thank you, Easter Sunday. 00:32:34.390 --> 00:32:36.730 Even before the cross, Jesus speaks of victory 00:32:36.730 --> 00:32:40.369 as already secured. And the cross would look 00:32:40.369 --> 00:32:42.630 like defeat, no doubt. In that moment, it would 00:32:42.630 --> 00:32:44.569 look like defeat, but it would be the very means 00:32:44.569 --> 00:32:46.950 of triumph. And his victory for them and for 00:32:46.950 --> 00:32:49.130 us is not partial, it's complete. And so here's 00:32:49.130 --> 00:32:51.450 the last thing for today. Our peace is grounded. 00:32:52.380 --> 00:32:54.200 or rooted, or however you want to say it, in 00:32:54.200 --> 00:33:00.000 his victory. Not in our strength, not in our 00:33:00.000 --> 00:33:02.039 understanding, not in our control, but in Jesus. 00:33:02.339 --> 00:33:04.599 There's a great story told of a painting competition 00:33:04.599 --> 00:33:07.240 where artists were asked to depict perfect peace. 00:33:07.400 --> 00:33:10.559 Like, here's a canvas, paint it. And most of 00:33:10.559 --> 00:33:13.579 the artists painted calm lakes, serene landscapes, 00:33:13.960 --> 00:33:17.119 waterfalls. blue skies, but the winning painting 00:33:17.119 --> 00:33:19.299 in this competition was different. It showed 00:33:19.299 --> 00:33:24.119 a violent storm, waves crashing, lightning, winds 00:33:24.119 --> 00:33:26.119 raging, but in the corner of the painting, if 00:33:26.119 --> 00:33:28.240 you look, there's a bird just tucked on a rock, 00:33:28.299 --> 00:33:31.500 or a small bird just in a rock in the corner 00:33:31.500 --> 00:33:35.640 of it, sitting on its nest, calm and undisturbed. 00:33:35.980 --> 00:33:40.440 And that was the winning perfect piece picture 00:33:40.440 --> 00:33:43.640 that was painted. And I think it's a great illustration 00:33:43.640 --> 00:33:45.880 of this type of peace that Jesus is promising 00:33:45.880 --> 00:33:49.460 them. It's not the absence of storms, but it 00:33:49.460 --> 00:33:52.759 is calm in the midst of them. And the peace that 00:33:52.759 --> 00:33:55.079 Jesus offers, it's not fragile. It's not temporary. 00:33:55.180 --> 00:33:58.440 It's not dependent on external calm. And I've 00:33:58.440 --> 00:34:00.240 heard it described this way. This is not mine. 00:34:00.339 --> 00:34:02.799 I ripped this off from somebody. This piece is 00:34:02.799 --> 00:34:05.000 described this way. Three things. It's relational. 00:34:05.200 --> 00:34:08.340 In other words, it's in me, Jesus says. It's 00:34:08.340 --> 00:34:12.489 resilient. that it can coexist alongside of sorrow 00:34:12.489 --> 00:34:15.769 and suffering, and it is rooted in Christ's victory. 00:34:15.949 --> 00:34:18.570 It's relational, it's resilient, and it's rooted 00:34:18.570 --> 00:34:22.090 because of Jesus. So for followers of Jesus, 00:34:22.210 --> 00:34:24.150 peace is not something that we chase, it's not 00:34:24.150 --> 00:34:26.070 something that we manufacture on our own, rather 00:34:26.070 --> 00:34:29.070 it's something that we receive in Christ, that 00:34:29.070 --> 00:34:31.429 we receive in Christ. So how do we live into 00:34:31.429 --> 00:34:34.210 this promise? Because certainly this is one of 00:34:34.210 --> 00:34:36.429 those easier said than done passages in the Bible, 00:34:36.510 --> 00:34:38.960 am I right? I mean, if I just tell you, hey, 00:34:39.000 --> 00:34:42.079 just stop thinking about the thing that is the 00:34:42.079 --> 00:34:44.659 deepest pain in your life for the last five years, 00:34:44.800 --> 00:34:48.300 be like, okay, that's not helpful. So how do 00:34:48.300 --> 00:34:49.800 you live into the promise? Because certainly 00:34:49.800 --> 00:34:51.519 it is easier said than done. I think there's 00:34:51.519 --> 00:34:53.500 a few things. First, we can't and shouldn't be 00:34:53.500 --> 00:34:55.900 surprised by it, nor can we let it define us. 00:34:56.820 --> 00:34:59.400 It is just a reality of living as a human in 00:34:59.400 --> 00:35:01.920 a broken world. You will have sorrow, you will 00:35:01.920 --> 00:35:04.760 have suffering, but it cannot define us and it 00:35:04.760 --> 00:35:08.190 cannot take us by surprise. When hardship comes, 00:35:08.349 --> 00:35:11.090 we can't assume that it's something gone wrong 00:35:11.090 --> 00:35:13.869 spiritually. Might it be? It could be. But it's 00:35:13.869 --> 00:35:16.630 more than likely just the reality of living side 00:35:16.630 --> 00:35:20.590 by side with broken, fallen people. Jesus said 00:35:20.590 --> 00:35:23.469 it would happen. But trouble is not your identity. 00:35:23.550 --> 00:35:26.670 It's your reality. But it is not your identity. 00:35:28.179 --> 00:35:29.960 Secondly, we have to make sure that we are abiding 00:35:29.960 --> 00:35:31.780 in Christ. That was the portion that Joe preached 00:35:31.780 --> 00:35:33.900 two weeks ago, right? Making our home in Christ 00:35:33.900 --> 00:35:36.219 because peace is not found in circumstances. 00:35:36.639 --> 00:35:40.639 Rather, it is in relationship. And so as we make 00:35:40.639 --> 00:35:42.960 that daily decision to abide in Christ through 00:35:42.960 --> 00:35:45.079 prayer, through Bible reading, through being 00:35:45.079 --> 00:35:47.239 here in community with one another, through practicing 00:35:47.239 --> 00:35:50.179 our faith, we experience that peace. And I also 00:35:50.179 --> 00:35:54.000 have to hold on to what is certain in the midst 00:35:54.000 --> 00:35:56.980 of what is uncertain. And what is certain is 00:35:56.980 --> 00:35:59.900 who Jesus is. What is uncertain is everything 00:35:59.900 --> 00:36:02.960 else. Everything else is uncertain, but what 00:36:02.960 --> 00:36:05.179 is certain is who Jesus is. And so I hold on 00:36:05.179 --> 00:36:08.920 to that. I hold on to that, that Christ has overcome. 00:36:09.079 --> 00:36:12.039 Not will someday, but already has. So there's 00:36:12.039 --> 00:36:15.619 a victory today to claim. And then finally, I 00:36:15.619 --> 00:36:19.119 think we have to choose courage. I didn't say 00:36:19.119 --> 00:36:21.679 choose happiness. I don't even think you can 00:36:21.679 --> 00:36:24.119 choose joy. I think joy is a fruit of the Spirit. 00:36:24.239 --> 00:36:27.460 It has to be generated by the Spirit of God in 00:36:27.460 --> 00:36:33.219 you. But you can choose to be courageous. Being 00:36:33.219 --> 00:36:35.780 courageous is a choice, a choice to trust what 00:36:35.780 --> 00:36:38.940 Jesus has said over what I'm currently feeling 00:36:38.940 --> 00:36:42.019 and experiencing. How many of you know that you 00:36:42.019 --> 00:36:46.059 give too much bandwidth to your feelings? I do 00:36:46.059 --> 00:36:51.119 too. I'm in my head all the time. I'm in my circumstances 00:36:51.119 --> 00:36:54.559 all the time. And you have to pull back from 00:36:54.559 --> 00:36:58.400 those and lean on what is true. And be certain 00:36:58.400 --> 00:37:00.139 of what is true. The disciples would soon face 00:37:00.139 --> 00:37:03.380 the dark reality of the cross. Their world would 00:37:03.380 --> 00:37:07.840 collapse before it would be rebuilt. It would 00:37:07.840 --> 00:37:09.739 collapse before it would be rebuilt. But Jesus 00:37:09.739 --> 00:37:11.360 gave them something that would carry them through. 00:37:11.440 --> 00:37:13.139 And it was the promise of peace. It's not the 00:37:13.139 --> 00:37:15.480 kind that the world gives. It's not temporary 00:37:15.480 --> 00:37:18.800 relief. But it is deep, unshakable peace rooted 00:37:18.800 --> 00:37:22.719 in his victory. And that same promise is for 00:37:22.719 --> 00:37:25.119 us today, my friends. I just see so many of your 00:37:25.119 --> 00:37:27.440 faces and I know so many of your stories. And 00:37:27.440 --> 00:37:34.059 I just, it would do nothing greater in my heart 00:37:34.059 --> 00:37:37.440 than just to speak that over you and know that 00:37:37.440 --> 00:37:43.280 you believe it. Know that you believe it. Even 00:37:43.280 --> 00:37:48.210 if you... don't see it yet. Like, it's still 00:37:48.210 --> 00:37:52.670 dark, the sun has not risen, but it's coming. 00:37:53.150 --> 00:37:55.690 We know that. And so we hold on to that promise 00:37:55.690 --> 00:37:58.670 of peace. The same promise is for us today. In 00:37:58.670 --> 00:38:00.949 your uncertainty, in your grief, in your questions, 00:38:01.030 --> 00:38:03.789 in your struggles, Jesus says, in me you have 00:38:03.789 --> 00:38:07.630 peace. Not in your phone, not in your social 00:38:07.630 --> 00:38:10.690 media, not in your friends, not in unhealthy 00:38:10.690 --> 00:38:15.030 addictions, not in hobbies. not in working more 00:38:15.030 --> 00:38:18.610 hours, not in avoiding people. In me, you have 00:38:18.610 --> 00:38:21.050 peace. The storm will rage, the night will feel 00:38:21.050 --> 00:38:23.309 dark, but the victory has been won. And so you 00:38:23.309 --> 00:38:25.369 take heart, my friend, because Jesus has overcome 00:38:25.369 --> 00:38:28.710 the world. Amen. Let's pray together. Father, 00:38:28.809 --> 00:38:32.469 thank you for your promise of peace to us through 00:38:32.469 --> 00:38:39.289 Jesus. I will go first if it helps others to 00:38:39.289 --> 00:38:45.880 go second in saying that. Too often, I'm in my 00:38:45.880 --> 00:38:49.579 own head. I'm in my own emotions. I'm in my own 00:38:49.579 --> 00:38:53.719 circumstances. And I lose sight of the promise 00:38:53.719 --> 00:38:56.239 of peace that comes to us as we abide in Christ. 00:38:56.559 --> 00:38:58.440 And so I pray for my friends in the room today 00:38:58.440 --> 00:39:04.940 whose lives are just difficult. Whatever that 00:39:04.940 --> 00:39:09.219 one or 10 things are that threaten to steal our 00:39:09.219 --> 00:39:11.840 peace, God, we surrender those to you in the 00:39:11.840 --> 00:39:15.179 power, the name of Jesus, believing that in Jesus 00:39:15.179 --> 00:39:18.880 we have peace, we have perfect peace. Take heart. 00:39:19.840 --> 00:39:25.039 In a little while, in a little while, you will, 00:39:25.219 --> 00:39:31.360 your sorrow will be turned to joy. And so for 00:39:31.360 --> 00:39:34.389 the season that we're in, for the little while 00:39:34.389 --> 00:39:40.369 that we continue to wait through, we trust that 00:39:40.369 --> 00:39:45.150 you are ever working, always active, always near, 00:39:45.250 --> 00:39:48.650 and always aware, God, of those deep desires 00:39:48.650 --> 00:39:53.869 of our hearts, the pains that caused us to awaken 00:39:53.869 --> 00:39:57.250 to the reality of who you are and what you want 00:39:57.250 --> 00:39:59.889 to do in our lives. Lord, may we be responsive 00:39:59.889 --> 00:40:03.550 to that. Thank you for the gift of this day. 00:40:03.610 --> 00:40:05.670 Thank you for the gift of your word to us. Thank 00:40:05.670 --> 00:40:09.750 you for this farewell discourse from Jesus. Words 00:40:09.750 --> 00:40:11.889 of comfort to our hearts today. We love you and 00:40:11.889 --> 00:40:13.670 trust you in Jesus' name. Amen.