Piney Grove Baptist Church

Easter Service- April 16th 2017- Acts 2:23-32 "An Unshakable Trust"

 
As the these survivors walked in this morning, I was reminded of a wonderful promise given by the Lord concerning a day of restoration. Rev 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Rev 21:5  And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. Without the resurrection, this promise lays flat and will remain unfulfilled. There will be no more disease, sorrows or tears of pain. The resurrections puts all of this things in their proper place as defeated. Until that day, we are reminded of the implications and promises due to the resurrection. “Preachers and believers therefore have a hard lot if in this life only they have hope in Christ. Better to be anything than a Christian under these terms! It is a gross absurdity in a Christian to admit the supposition of no resurrection or future state. It would leave no hope beyond this world, and would frequently make his condition the worst in the world.” Matthew Henry
You might be here today and you might have not been to church in a while. Your days of worshipping together with the church have been few and far between, but God wants to speak to you. There could have been a million things to go wrong that kept you from coming to the church today, but God saw fit to protect your days in order to bring you under the instruction and truth of His word, my friend, His words are not to be taken lightly.
Turn with me in your Bibles to the book of Acts, the history of the apostles, Acts chapter 2. All over the world today, people will be remembering that Jesus is alive. Even though this is a day which we have set aside to celebrate the resurrection, every single day of our lives should be filled with the reality that Jesus defeated the grave. A good rule of thumb for a believer, preach the gospel to yourself daily. Get up in the morning and reflect on this truth, “Christ is Risen, He is Risen Indeed.”
There will be churches and meetings this morning that will re-tale the history of what happened on the resurrection morning. The events leading up to that moment, when the empty tomb would be discovered, have been events that shook the very core of those that believed and trusted in Jesus as Messiah. Jesus three days before, they saw their Lord beaten to a place of unrecognition, they saw Him spit upon, bruised, crowned with thorns, punished like a common criminal. They saw their Lord pierced with a spear and it felt as if their hopes were pierced as well. They dropped the Lord placed Him in the tomb of a rich man, as according to prophecy. But on That early resurrection morning, the women made their way to the tomb that they would find empty. Luk_24:5  And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? Jesus overcome death, and revealed His risen nature to the disciples until He ascended to the father. Jesus had given the disciples a promise, that the Holy Spirit will come upon them, but He first must go to the Father. Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 
As we have been walking through the gospel of John on Sunday mornings, we have encountered some truths about the work of the Holy Spirit. He is our helper, our comforter, He will point to the work and person of Jesus and He will convict the world of sin. Jesus made these predictions about the Holy Spirit and later the disciples waited patiently in an upper room on the day of Pentecost. I could spent our time laying our valid arguments for the historical resurrection of Jesus. We can lay out valid points that place Jesus’ resurrection as the most pivotal point in human history, but unless the Holy Spirit is alive and working in your, there is no application to the history. Jesus rose from the dead so that you could live eternally with Him as a worshipper. The work of the Holy Sprit in ones life, takes us to the truth of the resurrection. Even though we couldn’t be there to witness it, the Holy Spirit grants us the certainty that He is alive. Death and darkness, get you packing,
“Nothing now to man is lacking,
All your triumphs now are ended,
And what Adam marred, is mended.”
- Henry Vaughan
Miracles Point to the Risen Lord: Act 2:22  Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 
Act 2:23  Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 
The disciples gathered together awaiting the promise of the Lord Jesus. Jesus had shown Himself to the disciples, proving that He was indeed alive and it totally changed their way of thinking. Jesus furthered the promise to them by saying, “ Act 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." And on this point, the resurrection provided the fuel and the energy to “go.” All of the miracles we see in the scriptures concerning Jesus, the walking on the water, the raising of Lazarus, the feeding of the multitudes, the healing of blinded eyes and deaf ears, all making an impact at the resurrection.
The disciples were gathered in one place on the day of Pentecost, awaiting the promises of their risen Lord. Expecting the Lord to bring about His work. After the promise of the Holy Spirit, those gathered in that room and began to speak in other tongues. These, other tongues acted as a sign to unbelievers and to those awaiting, that what they encountered was real. Peter began to preach: He reminded them that in the last days, God will pour out His spirit upon all flesh. There will be prophecy and visions given. Peter builds up the argument to say this, Act 2:21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.'
Peter continues His sermon, God showed you mighty works through Jesus, and sinful humankind killed Him. Remember, This death was not a surprise, it didn’t catch God looking away or by surprise, it was the Lord’s plan to crush the Son. Isa 53:9  And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
aAll the miracles point to the resurrection.
Act 2:24  Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. 
It was an impossibility for Jesus to stay in the grave. I want you to think with me. If the wages of sin is death and death, spiritually, and physically, is separation from God almighty, then what happened to Jesus when He was crucified with the stench of my sin on Him. He experienced eternal separation from God and yet overcome it. I cant get my little brain around such an intense concept. Kinh David forshadowed this event and Peter draws from the well of the Psalms: Psalm chapter 16 to be exact.
Act 2:25  For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 
Act 2:26  Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 
Act 2:27  Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 
Act 2:28  Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. 
Act 2:29  Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. 
Once Peter utilizes the words of David to point to the messiah, he reminds them that David is dead and gone. David cant do anything else in this life because he is in the grave. Pointing to the prophecies concerning the Christ…
Act 2:30  Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; 
Because there would always be one from the line of David to rule, David believed this prophecy would come to a close once Messiah was on earth. Peter continues to preach…
Act 2:31  He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. 
Act 2:32  This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 
Act 2:33  Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

"The Conquering Christ" John 16:25-33

We begin a week that will reflect upon an event that will propel human history into one of most important events in history. The week that proceeded the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. We know this week as “Holy Week,” and this day would be the day we call “Palm Sunday.” On this particular Sunday, it was calm as they waved the palms, Jesus came into Jerusalem riding on a donkey and the people surrounding Him shouted, Hosanna. Matthew narrates a beautiful picture of prophecy and foreshadowing as He writes, Mat_21:9  And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" As Jesus Christ pressed closer to the cross, His true nature become more realized by those that were astute to the Torah, those that were true students to the things of God would begin to realize this truly is Messiah. This is the one that will overcome sin, this is the one sent from God to lay down His life for you, and me.
Over the next few days, you and I will have a very rich opportunity to share our faith with people who might not otherwise give an ear to the gospel. People you might know that only come to church twice a year and this coming Easter may be one of them. It isn’t that their salvation is dependent on you inviting them to church, but it may open a door for them to hear about the Lord that overcome the world when He overcame death. This Easter Sermon will be entitled, “An Unshakable Trust.” I want our trust in Christ to be unshakable, and I know He has given us the ability to harbor an unshakable faith. How do I know this, because He sent the Holy Spirit to make sure we don’t get to far down the road. In theological terms, we might call this the “perseverance of the saints,” but I call it “I got your back,” despite yourself, the child of God, through Christ, and with the power of the Spirit, will never disperse out and away from the arm of the Lord. See, If Christ has overcome the world, if Christ is victorious in the world, then we are victors as well.
Today I want to share a message with you entitled, “The Conquering Christ,” When I think of Jesus I think of His sacrifice for me, but I also think of Jesus as the overcomer. Remember, we have been speaking about how Jesus told His disciples they would be persecuted for His name sake? A truth that Paul later elaborates on when he pens these words, Rom 8:36  As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." Rom 8:37  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Jesus is the ultimate conqueror or overcomer, so we overcome through Him as well. If you were to look up the word overcome in the dictionary you would find a number of different definitions for this verb.
succeed in dealing with (a problem or difficulty): "she worked hard to overcome her paralyzing shyness"
defeat (an opponent); prevail: "without firing a shot they overcame the guards" · [more]
(of an emotion) overpower or overwhelm: "she was obviously overcome with excitement"
There is another and better way to see the verb “Overcome.” In the spiritual sense. When the word is used in the N.T., it always refers to a Spiritual victory. John reminds us again, 1Jn 5:4  For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. As if to say, “we, through Christ, keep on conquering the way of the world.” The victory over the world was, potentially, won when we believed in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. We overcome the world by being brought into union with Christ. Going into this holy week, I want to present to you, The Conquering Christ…
Extending from last weeks sermon, Jesus told them several things about himself and about sorrow. That like a mother that goes through the labor of having a child, it becomes joyful when that child arrives, so when you suffer and sorrow now, a day will come when you will have joy. Extending from last week… Jesus says, Joh 16:25  "I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. Joh 16:26  In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; Joh 16:27  for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.
You might not understand everything, and that’s ok, but joy is coming. Why? Because serve…
The Conquering Christ Who Tests Our True Beliefs: You say you truly believe and trust that Christ brings you revelation and joy? You say you are an overcomer? Oh yea? Where is the fruit to that answer, where is the proof in the pudding, where is your orthopraxy in light of your orthodoxy. If we trust in Christ, why do we act so contrary so many times? This question is a question that Jesus asks His disciples because their actions didn’t line up with their profession. Let’s look, Joh 16:28 I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father."
The Son was sent by the Father into the world for one purpose, to redeem mankind. Jesus explains to His disciples that He is leaving the world, but He isn’t leaving defeated, but He will ascend to the Father as victorious. As He reiterates a point He has made previously, He also is revealing the disciples motives to them. Notice what the disciples say, Joh 16:29 His disciples said, "Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! Joh 16:30  Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God." Joh 16:31  Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? That is the same question I would ask you, “do you believe?” Jesus is pushing their faith, for the same word is used to describe faith and believe. The disciples made mention that they “now know,” but in reality, they really didn’t get the fullness of Jesus’ words. Even though they said that Jesus “knew all things,” they didn’t literally mean it, it was like saying, “you speak of much knowledge and truth, you must be from God.” If they truly believed what Jesus said, they would have never of scattered when the guards came to arrest Jesus. They would have remembered that Jesus said they would be persecuted as well. Therefore, the words of Jesus reveals they really didn’t believe. A God that loves us will correct us, A good and loving God will strip away our walls we build up around our emotions and motives and expose them if indeed they are faulty. He will rip the roof of and expose our sinfulness and lack of belief. Why? Because he wants us to grow in our faith.
Orthopraxy (practice what you preach)
What we see in the disciples, when they were pressed with their true beliefs, is a failure to line up their beliefs and their practice. There is a simple formula or truth about right practice, ready? 1Jn_3:10  By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. For a Christian, growing in faith and knowledge of God, our actions and practice must be in line with our profession. I can go on and on about the meaning of hypocrisy and how many of us fall into being heavy or lightly seasoned hypocrites, but God will expose your unbelief and move you forward to a robust faith in Him.
The Conquering Christ Who Demonstrates True Triumph: Joh 16:32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.
Once Jesus pressed their true belief and faith, He dropped the bomb on them. “Behold, listen…in the future for you, you will run and abandon me.” Jesus uses the term coming that is in the Futuristic present middle indicative that just simply shows and demonstrates the absolute foreknowledge of Jesus. He says, you all will abandon me, you will go and hide in your homes, and leave me alone. A prophecy first given to Israel, now given about the true representation of Israel, Jesus Christ, Zec 13:7 "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me," declares the LORD of hosts. "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones.
Once the reality of these verses sink into the hearts and minds of the disciples, there is a truth that Jesus will not truly be alone. All the way up to when Jesus says, “My Father, why have you forsaken me.” One of the most horrendous and yet beautiful sounds ever to be echoed across Golgotha’s hill. In one sense, it was horrendous because the Son of God had to suffer and die because of our sinfulness, and yet beautiful in the same exact sense, because the Son suffered and died. But we know how the story ends don’t we. Listen, every one of us would have been like the disciples, we would have scattered too, but God doesn’t abandon us. We might abandon Him, in the way we worship, in the way we “pray.” In the way we study about Him. I don’t know about you, but I am not satisfied with little Christonese sayings, “The man upstairs has it.” What, do you have an older gentleman staying in an upstairs room at your house? If you talking about God, He is not only “upstairs,” He should be part of our whole life, tell me about Him, not some watered-down version of God. See, you might be sitting here this morning and say to yourself, “I will never move away from God,” but your Bible study has been reduced to a verse or two maybe once a week, and most of the time it’s used out of context. Or, your prayer life has been reduced to a pithy saying like, “Let go and let God.” Do you realize, God’s “” even if we don’t “let go.” We abandon God in the way we worship, when we are more worried about presentation than we are substance. We have abandoned our Lord over and over again. So…These are ways we identify with the disciples but, there is hope. Joh 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."
The “yet” is loaded with hope and victory. Jesus said, He reveals these truths to you so you may have peace. Repeatedly, in church history, disciples of the Lord Jesus have been pressured by the enemy to pack up camp and retreat, but we serve a risen and victorious Lord.
The kind of peace I want, is the kind of peace that understands, whatever happens, Christ has me, “for my savior loves me so, He will hold me fast,” He will hold me to truth. A few years after these words, many of the Jesus followers will be put to death for their faith. In ancient Rome, crowds by the tens of thousands would gather in the Coliseum to watch as Christians were torn apart by wild animals. One spectator, who was a Christ follower said, “I stood uncovered to the heavens above, where He sits for whom they gladly died, and asked myself, ‘Would I, could I, die for Him tonight to get this gospel to the ends of the earth?’” Rader continued, “I prayed most fervently in that Roman arena for the spirit of a martyr, and for the working of the Holy Spirit in my heart, as He worked in Paul’s heart when He brought him on his handcuffed way to Rome.” Those early Christians “lived on the threshold of heaven, within a heartbeat of home, no possessions to hold them back.” What is holding you back from selling out completely to Him. Is Jesus the true conquering Christ, if so, why do you live in defeat. Jesus said, take heart, I have overcome the world. One this day, where we begin Holy week, Jesus came riding in on a donkey in humility, but the next time, he will come as the realized ruler of all the cosmos. Jesus owns it all, the world just doesn’t realize it yet.
 
Genghis Khan (1162-1227), 4,860,000
Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.) 2,180,000
Cyrus the Great (600-529 B.C.), 2,090,000
Attila (406-453), 1,450,000
Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), 1,370,000, all of which he lost in 3 years
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) 720,000
Hernando Cortes (1485-1547), 315,000
 
“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!” Abraham Kuyper

"Joy Comes In The Morning" John 16:16-24

If you've knelt beside the rubble of an aching broken heart, When the things you gave your life to fell apart, You're not the first to be acquainted with sorrow, grief or pain
But the master promised sunshine after rain, To invest your seeds of trust in God in mountains you can't move, You have risked your life on things you cannot prove, But to give the things you cannot keep for what you cannot lose, Now, that's the way to find the joy God has for you
Hold on my child joy comes in the morning, Weeping only last for the night, Hold on my child Joy comes in the morning, The darkest hour means dawn is just in sight. The words of the song reminds us that this present suffering and distress in life is only momentary. The Psalmist and King David wrote, Psa 30:4  Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. Psa 30:5  For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. I often find in my life, singing the praises to God often ministers to me in a mighty way. Just to remember, because God is a keeper of His promises, we do not have to face darkened days alone, joy indeed comes in the morning. H. W. Beecher once said, “When people want to make things attractive in farming, they give exhibitions of their products. The women bring their very best butter; the men bring the noblest beets and vegetables of every kind; and from the orchard they bring the rarest fruits; and when you go into the room where all these things are displayed, they seem to you attractive and beautiful. It seems to me that this is the way a Christian Church ought to represent the Christian life. You ought to pile up your apples and pears and peaches and flowers and vegetables to show what is the positive fruit of religion. But many people in the Christian life do as farmers would do who would go to a show, and carry—one pigweed; another thistles; another dock; and another old, hard lumps of clay; and should arrange these worthless things along the sides of the room and mourn over them. Christians are too apt to represent the dark side of religion in their conversation and meetings.” Disciples of the Lord shine brighter than they can ever shine for when they go through difficulty with joy.
I want to reflect on the words of the Lord Jesus as He addresses and challenges all of us to be encouraged, Joy Comes in the morning. “The grace of God has reached for me, and pulled me from the raging sea, He has put me on solid ground, the Lord is my salvation, my peace, my joy, my hope.”
Grab your Bible and turn to the 16th chapter of John, verses 16-24 will be the verses under examination and consideration. The disciples are a bit perplexed by the words of Jesus. The Lord frames a bed of security and shows them that the Holy Spirit will be with them to give them the words to say and to keep them from falling away. Think of it, without the Lord’s intervening where would we be. If it had not been for the Spirit of God, we all would disperse away from our Lord, but it is just like out God to pull us back into sweet fellowship when we begin to venture away. Jesus said, Joh 16:2  They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. Joh 16:3  And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. They will think they are doing God a favor by persecuting you. Why? Because they do not even know the Lord. Upon Jesus Christ lifting this veil, the disciples were discouraged and sorrow filled their heart. “Lord, what do you mean you are going away?” “Where are you going that we cannot follow?” Jesus replied, “If I don’t go away, the Helper will not come, but if I go, I will send Him to you.” These are legitimate concerns and worries that we all would have had, but the Helper is now here to guide, comfort, and teach you about Jesus. The Spirit of God will convict and judge the world of sin and we remember that Satan has been crushed in the eyes of the Lord. The ultimate work of the devil, as a destroyer, has been defeated. As God scans and surveys all human history He stamps it is as good as finished. But sorrow still filled the hearts of the disciples. They were still feeling as sheep soon to be without a shepherd. There is still no doubt that Satan, the deceiver, is still at work in the world, but we are also reminded, 1Jn 4:4  Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
How many here today are enduring tremendous sorrow, or going through a tough time? The Lord wants to be the bank where you rest, the rock where you stand, He wants to be your joy today. He also reminds us, the place for a Christian is not to bury our heads in the sand or even run from the enemy, just stand with Christ. *pray*
Revelation Comes When We Seek Answers: Joh 16:16 "A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me."Joh 16:17  So some of his disciples said to one another, "What is this that he says to us, 'A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me'; and, 'because I am going to the Father'?" Joh
Jesus is once again reassuring them that a little while, specifically His death, he would no longer be with them. This can point to the intermediate place of the cross and the grave, and from the resurrection to the ascension until what we call the eschaton or Christ’s ultimate coming. The disciples once again recalled Jesus’ words that He will be gone away from them. They didn’t understand the implications of the resurrection, they did not understand what would happen on the cross or in the grave. 16:18 So they were saying, "What does he mean by 'a little while'? We do not know what he is talking about." Joh 16:19  Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, "Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, 'A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me'? Even though Jesus clearly told them He would die, they still couldn’t grasp the weight of it. He is their Messiah and Lord, but they didn’t understand the substitutionary lamb, they didn’t understand the sacrifice that must be made. It is after the resurrection that revelation would become clearer. It is just like our Lord, when we ask in sincerity and with the right motives, the Lord will answer. We can point to the deity of Jesus when John states that Jesus, “knew they wanted to ask.” As John Gill stated, “he is the omniscient God who knows all things, what is in man, even the secrets of the heart; for he not only knew the whisperings of the disciples, and their inquiries among themselves about the sense of his words, but also their secret desires to ask him concerning it.” When it comes to sorrow, when it comes to uncertainty, Christ wants us to seek and ask the Him. We must understand, we are like these disciples in many ways. We are easily upset, prone to complain, and just don’t have it all together when it comes to the things of the Lord. In a time when God’s revelation has been realized, it is amazing how easy we squander it away.
Illustration and Application: Charles Francis Adams, the 19th century political figure and diplomat, kept a diary. One day he entered: “Went fishing with my son today—a day wasted.” His son, Brook Adams, also kept a diary, which is still inexistence. On that same day, Brook Adams made this entry: “Went fishing with my father—the most wonderful day of my life!” The father thought he was wasting his time while fishing with his son, but his son saw it as an investment of time. I tell you any time you seek to grow in the Lord by studying His Word, it is never wasted time. When we meet on Sunday evenings as a small group to dive into the Word, it is not wasted time, when we meet on Wednesday night to learn the word of God through Awana or through Bible study, it is not wasted time. See, we are in a better position than Jesus disciples in the narrative before us. Even though we did not walk with Jesus and hear Him audibly or see His miracles, we have the gift of special revelation, and it amazes me how many of us squander this gift away…including myself. Just like with these disciples, if we seek the Lord, with proper motives, the Lord will reveal to us His purposes, and better yet, sometimes He reveals our motives to us. Do you fall guilty of not seeking the wisdom of the Lord? These disciples were perplexed and worried, concerned and full of sorrow, but…
One day you sorrow will turn into joy: How many in here were overjoyed when you became a Child of God through Christ? How many rejoiced when Jesus saved you? How many has sustained that joy through your whole walk? Not many hands. Why? Because we all struggle and confront effects of a fallen world. Listen the words of Jesus, Joh 16:20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.
When the master tells you that all is not lost, there is a moment of hope and they must hold on to this hope. This type of lament is like an intense state of grieving, but to have faith in Jesus is an unshakable hope, not like saying, I hope this happens or that, but hope is a form of confidence. As to say, “I have confidence that what the master says is truth.” In fact, Jesus uses the double take, “truly, truly” as to add emphasis. Many that followed Jesus saw Him arrested and sorrow will fill them, they saw Him beat up to the place of unrecognition and they were overwhelmed with hopelessness, they saw Him stretched out and nailed to an old rugged cross and they were burdened down with a tremendous sense of loss. They saw the world jump up and down with joy thinking they had done God a favor, and those that followed Jesus were in horror, but praise God the didn’t stay in their pain, when Jesus stepped out alive and forever more the enemy was defeated and like…
 Joh 16:21  When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world… it becomes worth it all. Victory in Jesus my savior forever, our current suffering has no lasting effect upon our eternal celebration that Jesus is alive. You mothers know, the moments of pain you have during child birth, and all you can think of is getting the child into the world healthy. All the pain is like a drop in the bucket when they lay the baby on your chest for the first time. So Jesus makes the connection, all of your suffering, all of your trials, all of these persecutions, will only make you appreciate the joy the Lord brings all the more. Considering the death of Jesus, the pains of His death will give way to joy when He rises again. I want us to think of this promise…Joh 16:22  So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.  When the Hebrew referred to the “heart,” like Jesus is doing here, they think of the place in a person being where his or her will is enthroned. Likewise, when a person, “gives their heart to Jesus,” it is to say “they are giving the will of their being to His Lordship.” When Jesus revels Himself to them after His resurrection, their whole being will be overjoyed, and no one will ever be able to diminish this joy. Do you know a person that seems to suck the joy out of any situation in life? I mean a person would complain if the won the lottery because it only gave them 20 dollars bills. Not that money brings ultimate joy, but Jesus says no one will be able to strip it from you.
Joh 16:23  In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Joh 16:24  Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
Again, the resurrection will bring clarity to all misconceptions. They will enter a new age of rejoicing and worship the Lord in a new light. They asked nothing of Jesus for He was walking with them, but when he dies and is risen, every prayer will be asked through the name of the Son, not that saying Jesus is some magical spell to be cast, but every prayer becomes a reminder of who Jesus is and what He has done for you.
Every single one of us has been through sorrows. Seeing a loved one on their death bed, losing a parent, or several many trials in life that brings sadness. Sadness in a way helps us to be mindful of the fallen world that we live in a why Jesus Christs’ work is so important. As a young boy, I watched my grandmother suffer the effects of a disease, but the moment she passed away she witnessed joy in the morning. I watched my dad stumbled around with arthritis in his knees, I watched him struggle just to get to the house to see his grandson, the moment he died he opened his eyes to his joy, over and over again I watched the people I love go through hardships and disease, and yet the stood with Jesus, I watched my granddad go through the effects of Emphysema and stood strong with Jesus to the very end, to open his eyes and behold the morning of his joy. Listen, to get a little joy down here sometimes we must go through a little hell as well. It was once said, Joy is the byproduct of obedience.
How is your walk with the Lord today? Are you struggling with finding answers? Does it feel like the enemy has stolen your joy? Maybe you never had this joy and you want to be saved today. To give Jesus your heart would be like saying, submit your total will to the will of Christ…would you be that person today.
 
 

"Security Blanket" John 16:1-15- 03-26-2017

We are constantly reminded of the love of the Lord Jesus. We remember He loves us in that we are participates in His great salvation. To know we abide in Christ should fill everyone with the joy that we are safe and secure in Him. There are many ways the Lord has embellished His love upon us, He even shows us His love during times of persecution. Last week I read to you an article about the persecuted church in Egypt, how Christians who are being killed for their faith almost daily, millions of Muslims are coming to faith in Jesus. There is something powerful about that kind of testimony. When a suicide bomber goes into a building to blow it up, they are not doing it so others may know Allah, they are doing it for self, when a person dies for the cause of Christ, it is so that God would be glorified and others may know, there is something to this. In Tom Doyle’s book entitled “killing Christians,” he makes a note of how the church grows when she is pressed with persecution. “Oppressors over the centuries have never recognized that the persecution of Christians is always a failed initiative. It just doesn’t work. To the contrary, killing believers routinely accelerates the spread of the gospel and the growth of the church.” “Why,” you might ask, “because the Holy Spirit is in it, because God is in it, because God has given His church the message that can shake the gates of hell, disrupt sin, and march through history as victors. The spoils to the victors aren’t found in material goods, it isn’t found in the items we get here and now, but for people the world over to see the power of the gospel of the Lord Jesus and submit to Him as Lord…that’s the reward.
I want to show you something significant surrounding the structure of these particular passages before us.
I want to present to you a secretary blanket of sorts, more like a security bed. So let’s dig in and look at this nice package of passages before us.
It is important for us to back up a little, because part of this message and blanket will reach back into the end of chapter 15. We already know that Jesus was, and is, giving His disciples this promise because there is sure persecution coming their way. As the world hated Him and persecuted Him, so will they do to you, but Jesus said, “I will not leave you alone as comfortless orphans.” The first portion of this blanket is this… I am going to preach these verses a little differently, not in content but in form. I want to lay out what I see as a bed of security and look at the verses separately. The top of this the blanket is the enablement by the Holy Spirit. Vs. 26-27..”you will bear witness of me.
The Holy Spirit will come and enable us to stand and speak out for Jesus. He will empower His people to bear witness of the Lord Jesus, and will protect them as well. Look at these verses: Joh 15:26 "But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. Joh 15:27  And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. When the chapters and verse were inserted into the Bible by Archbishop Stephen Langton and Cardinal Hugo de Sancto Caro, we are thankful for chapters and verses, it helps us to remember portions of text, but sometimes can get in the way of a holistic/canonical reading of the Bible. This is such a case. Right in the middle of this is you and I as the believer. These verses demonstrate, even in the construction of the word of before us, how God has wrapped us in.
The second portion of this security bed is where you and I fit in and function in this world. The purpose of sending the Spirit is laid out for those that are called by Him. We are in the middle of a great work that God wants to do in the world through His son and aided with the power of the Holy Spirit. Here we are in the middle of this security bed. Joh 16:1  "I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. Joh 16:2  They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. Joh 16:3  And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. There will come a time when it feels like the world is against you, when it will dispel you from its ranks. For the disciples, it was those that were “religious” that thought they were doing God a favor by seeking to kill Him and His disciples. He says, I am telling you these things,  so that that when you get the urge to disperse to run away, when you feel like you have just had enough of the hostility of the way of the world, know that I am with you…hang in there, don’t lose hope, hold on to Jesus. There might be people in the church, that don’t want you to be around because you don’t wear the right close, religious people that feel as if they are more dignified than you, people that think they are doing the Lord a favor by disassociating with you. This type of “religious zealousness” is more reminiscent of a jihadist than a God follower. The Lord sends the Holy Spirit to keep us keeping on…maybe the words of the Lord Jesus, maybe some just don’t even know the Lord.
We are promised by the Lord Jesus, He will give us the words to say when we don’t know what to say. He will help us to speak about Jesus. If you are here today, and you know you know the Lord Jesus, He wants you to tell people, but you might feel inadequate to speak. Good! Just know this, none of us deserve to speak about Him, but He can and will give you boldness to speak more openly about His salvation. You know this security bed can be seen in two ways. There are other things in our lives that bring us comfort and tuck us in. See, the blanket we find in the Lord Jesus is not one that protects for persecution, there is no promise in God’s Word that He will keep us from persecution and trails, but the security He gives us is in the fact that we are not alone.
Before I got married, I don’t think I ever had a comforter on my bed. Most of my life, I had a fitted sheet, maybe a sheet and a blanket. When I got married, my bed was made with or course all of those items, but now with a mattress guard/ cover, a comforter, tons of pillows, and now…even one of those memory foam deals. Talk about a good sleep. Before this I slept well, but didn’t have all of the other items to enhance my rest. When you rest is in Christ Jesus, you rest well, I am not talking about sleep, I’m talking about confidence and security, when all of our hope rests in Christ, the rest will work out for His glory. Before Christ, I never knew what true hope was, I never knew what it meant to have confidence in God, I only saw God as some cosmic magician that once and a while I could call on Him if I wanted something, but now I know He is the only one who I can have true rest. Jesus talking to His disciples said, Mat_11:28  Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  There might be a time when you don’t understand everything, those days will come. Jesus’ words ring true, Joh 16:4  But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. "I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. Joh 16:5  But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' Joh 16:6  But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Jesus gets to the heart of the problem, and something we should all remember, “they do not know Him or the Father.” He reminds them to keep in mind these things when you are chased abroad and dispersed because of my name sake. It was a natural thing for the disciples to be filled with sorrow, for there were yet to understand the weight of the resurrection of their master and Lord. When the Holy Spirit comes, He will convict the world of sin: Joh 16:7  Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.  This promises is fulfilled in the second chapter of Acts. To recap on the work of the Holy Helper, I advise you to listen to the sermon “The Holy Helper.”
Joh 16:8  And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: Joh 16:9  concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; The Holy Spirit will convict sin, shows it is wrong and that we are sinful and I need of saving.
Joh 16:10  concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; Joh 16:11  concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
Joh 16:12  "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
Here is the last portion of this bed of security, much more than a security blanket, and not meant to shield from persecution and hard times. This simply illustrates how we are wrapped in power of the Holy Spirit. The Lord will judge based upon the work of the Son. The ruler of this world has been destroyed, he is as good as crushed in the eyes of the Lord. In the eyes of the Lord, the head of the serpent has been crushed, when Jesus stepped out of the tomb He stomped the head of the devil when he broke over the threshold. Jesus said He has many more things to tell them and they were unable to bear it now. Enter the world of the Holy Spirit once again…
The Holy Spirit will give you certainty of absolute truth, foreshadow the truth of things to come, and declare to you His will for you. Joh 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. Joh 16:14  He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you .Joh 16:15  All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
Here is the bottom portion of this bed of security. This is how the Lord works in the lives of believers. He gives us assurance when all the rest of the world thinks we are out of our mind. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit will give us certainty. In an age of uncertainty, the Spirit makes us unshakable. The Spirit will not say, look at me, but look at Jesus. He will affirm the Word of the Lord as absolutely true. This is our Lord’s last expansion of the great promise of the Comforter. First, He was spoken of simply as dwelling in Christ’s disciples and guiding them. Then, He will aid as He has promised, to remind the apostles of the facts of Christ’s life, especially of His words, His life and His resurrection.
I had the privilege of sitting down with a dear saint of the Lord this past week. We begin, in short, to discuss the sovereignty of the Lord, and why hardships, sickness and adversity come our way. He said to me, I think that our situations in life, sickness, disease and old age is God’s way of reminding us that there are better days coming. Trials and tribulations are used by God to show something is better for the believer. One cannot claim this attitude without the aid of God. Since we are prone to complain, one does not comes to grips with this life and its troubles easily without the comfort and aid of God almighty. There is security in knowing Jesus and the Helper gives us that peace and help. It is an amazing this to see this laid out in such a simple way, that even the sentence structure of these verses shows that God will never leave us, but has us wrapped up in him.
 

"Loving and Loathing"

Throughout human history, humankind has had a distain and hatred for the law of God Almighty. In the words of the apostle John, 1Jn 3:13  Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We often think about how the world attempts to push Christ out of every venue and avenue of culture and tries to replace Him with secularism and naturalism, but the fact remains, we should not be surprised that the world acts like the world. One of the truths that we are studying on Wednesday evenings, is the fact that we do not preach, teach, or evangelize in a bubble, nor do we preach, teach, or evangelize in a vacuum. There is always a context to factor in, there is always something going on around us that we must consider, we must factor in the fact that we are surrounded in this world by people that hate the name and work of Jesus. Let us not be so naïve, to think, everyone loves Jesus. Any community that elevates the truth that there is an ultimate authority, namely Jesus Christ and His finished work, will be in the bullseye of the way of the world. In case we have lost what John means by the way of the world, 1Jn 2:15  Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 1Jn 2:17  And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. In short, to love the things in the world more than the one that made the world is idolatry and sin, to love the creation more than the creator is idolatry and sin. It’s sad how some church have embraced the things of the world and have appealed to the lust of the eyes, the pride of life as ways of enticing people. What should shine above all else in our churches is the person of Jesus and His gospel, nothing else, and nothing more. Let the world tend to its own mess. Listen people, we don’t need the world to affirm when the church does something right or true, we don’t need for the world to give us approval, this isn’t “us versus them,” it’s the world against Jesus. I want to remind you, using the words of the Lord Jesus, that we are strangers in a strange land, pilgrims that are passing through, we are in the world but not of the world. One that same note, Jesus wouldn’t advocate throwing your T.V. in the yard simply because it’s a TV, or a radio just because it’s a radio, but to distance yourself from those things that cause you harm in your walk. Again, to describe what Jesus means by world, we understand it as the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life. All of these characteristics were engrained in the Greco culture, and these items are also entrenched in our culture as well. So, do not be surprised if people in this life will not listen to the words of Jesus, do not be surprised when people hate you.
Following The World is Hostility With God: This is not to say we should have a burden for the lost or a genuine concern for those separated from God. Let us look at this vast contrast: Joh 15:18 "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. Joh 15:19  If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
Jesus, after giving the vine and branches discourse, begin to teach His disciples what to expect while He is gone. In reality, this thought is not a new thought. In fact, all of human/biblical history demonstrates how humankind has, since the Fall, harbored animosity towards the things of God. These guys haven’t even got started yet, and here Jesus is foreshadowing things to come. He is instructing the disciples that the world not only will hate them because of His name sake, but hates the things of God already. As if to say, “If the world hates you, “as it does,” it hated me first. The presence of a good benevolent God in the world is a constant reminder of the vileness of sin. The world has always hated the holiness of God and still does. We should not be surprised when they kick prayer out of school, we should not be surprised when our children are not suppose to talk about God in class. But Being surprised and speaking right or wrong are two different things all together.
If we acted like the world, then the world would embrace us as a friend. The Word Jesus uses here for “love,” is the word used for a brotherly type love. Jesus is not implying that we have nothing to do with the world, we still need to live and function in life, just to be separate from its fleshly desires. There is a distinction between worldly love and Godly love. Listen, if it wasn’t for godly men who preached the gospel to me, I would have never heard, if it wasn’t for people that were willing to step to me, in my darkest of days, and stand it the very presence of “the way of the world,” I would have never heard the name of Jesus. Let us not think that if we get close to an unbeliever that their unbelief will rub off on us. BUT, if we act like the world, then the world will love us, it will gather us is into its own. See, people do not like to sin alone, the way of the world and the sin therein will drag others in. People do not like to sin alone, take it a step further, people often compare their sins to others, “my sin isn’t as bad as theirs.” The world is hostile towards Jesus.
*Voice of the Martyrs Article* The headline reads, The March 2 2017 article…Do you think these Christians were killed because they were complacent about Jesus? Do you think they were put in chains because their testimony and witness were lackluster at best? Listen, we cannot say, “that’s their problem not ours?” “That’s happening over there not here,” but if it had not been for the grace of God, we would be facing the edge of a knife as well. These people died because they were sold out to Jesus. It would be safe to say, in the face of a world that hates them, they stood strong. We should be ashamed, they can stand and die for the Lord Jesus and we have a hard time if the message goes over 5 minutes…God have mercy on us. The amazing thing about this community and many in the middle east, millions are coming to know Jesus, yes millions, because people are standing up for Jesus in a world that hates Him. Much to our surprise, there is a massive amount of people coming to know the Lord Jesus out of the Islamic religion. In the past decade, 2 to 7 million Muslims have come to faith in Jesus. Let that number sink in…The problem is we get in our little Christian bubble and no one gets out or in, but one day the world is going to come knocking.  Jesus also commanded us to go into the world, a world that will hate Jesus.
Following the Leader Is Disciple Making: Joh 15:20 Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
I have underlined a few words to indicate Jesus is mapping out instructions for disciple making. “Remember,” what He said earlier, a servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Him they will persecute you. “Remember” is a key word, for remembering and learning is what we do when we become disciples and move forward in our growth in the Lord Jesus. Jesus is reminding them, they just persecuted Him, but beyond that in the past and future, humankind has persecuted the ones that stand with the true God as long as they have breath. If we go back to the garden, Adam and Eve sinned against God because they didn’t trust ultimately in the absolute truth of God’s word and rebelled. Cain slew Abel, who stood for what was acceptable and right, the people hated Noah because He preached repentance. Humankind got so bad, he had to call a man named Abraham out of his hometown to venture out towards a promised land, along the way he made a pit stop towards Sodom and Gomorrah. The city fell under the judgment of God because it hated holy living, it was in full “all out” rebellion against God, by the time Abraham died, and by the time Israel marched out of Egypt, there needed to be a written reminder that God’s people are to be separated. In order to be separated from the world, we are to uphold the commands of God, but while Moses was up on the mountain getting the law, humankind showed its rebellion and distain for the one true God and started worshipping a golden calf. People, the Bible not only shows that God is supreme and Jesus is savior, but it also shows us how ugly we really are. You give a the world enough rope, and it will try and string you up, so it is vitally important to stay as close to Jesus as possible. Joh 15:21  But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. Joh 15:22  If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Just like when the Hebrew children had no excuse, because they received the law, so now you and I have no excuse to claim ignorance because we had heard the word of the Lord.  
Joh 15:23  Whoever hates me hates my Father also. Joh 15:24  If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. Because they have seen Jesus do mighty works, and still more to come, they are without excuse and guilty of being God haters, ignorers of God. Jesus came, the gospel will be fully realized, people will see an empty tomb and still rebel. To make disciples means we recall the law of God and remember the words and works of the Lord Jesus and pass those truths on… “to others that may be able to teach also.”
Joh 15:25  But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: 'They hated me without a cause.' Remember, it’s not us versus them, its them versus the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus reverberating the words of the Psalmist a Psalm of David, Psa 35:19  Let not those rejoice over me who are wrongfully my foes, and let not those wink the eye who hate me without cause.
You can talk about a superficial God that never touches our lives and the world will embrace you.  You can talk about a God that is out there somewhere in the great blue yonder, you can talk about a God that is like a genie in a bottle, but when you start talking about a God that expects nothing else but holiness, when you start talking about a God that will judge sin for the ugliness that it is, when you start talking about a God that expect no other way for salvation than His precious Sons blood, then you are hated, persecuted and slandered by this world…do not be surprised. I am about sick and tired of this anemic, pale, weak, powerless, Christianity. Its not the tools that need refining but the workman,  “A poor workman always finds fault with his tools.” In order to achieve this, we need the aid of the Holy Spirit, and disciple making among our peers and church.
Excuses, Excuses, we hear them every day, but the person who has heard the Word of God, who has been saturated in it, as Jesus says is without excuse. There is no reason for you Christian, why you shouldn’t be growing in your faith and knowledge of Jesus.
To be sure you are not at the same place in your walk in Christ as you were 10 or 20 years ago. Yes, Jesus is talking about persecution, but He is also pointing them to the obvious, these “religious people,” who have been bombarded with the Word every since they could read, have rejected me and you, and hate Him, they have no excuse. What’s your excuse today, I bet nothing you can muster can out do the cross, I bet nothing you can conjure as an excuse can outshine the radiance of the resurrected Lord. What is your excuse? I bet you know some people right now that throws every excuse in the book at you, ask them, “what is your excuse for not serving Jesus, what is your excuse for not furthering your discipleship with Jesus?” That being said….It’s just like out Lord, to never leave us alone….
III.             Following The Helper Enables us to Bears Witness To Truth: Joh 15:26  "But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.
Joh 15:27  And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.