Your Grief Will Turn to Wonderful Joy
First B Jackson
2022-01-25

Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record.

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Alright. We're live too. Hello, everybody watching at home. And hey, everybody here. And hey, can we give a big thank thank you to look look at everybody in the kitchen back there.

That that group right there. And Joni. Joni right over here. She was a big help. She got our our tasty garlic bread all buttered up and but just really appreciate you guys.

Thank you so much for for doing that. And, if you are coming for the first time for Monday night, we've been going through the book of John, which has been awesome, and it's been more conversation style. So I I read the text. I share some thoughts, and then open it up for conversation. Don't feel like you gotta talk.

Like, I don't want you to be like, I'm never coming back there again. They made me say something. No. No. We don't.

But if there is a word of encouragement or something that jumped off the page at you, I want you to be able to share it. But before we get into the conversation, should we sing together? Will you stand and sing with me?

It's an invitation. So from Matthew, Jesus says, come to me all you who are weary and carry heavy burdens. I'll give you rest. Come by you weary, and no one save us. That's good news.

Bring all your failures. Bring addictions. Bring him down at the foot of the cross. Jesus is waiting loved, God so loved. An invitation to bring on.

Bring all your failings, bring your addictions. Come lay them down at the foot of the cross. Jesus is waiting. God so loved the world.

Who would be willing to say John three sixteen out loud? Anyone? Let's hear it. For God let's say it together. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Ain't that good news? That's why we're singing this, because of that good news. We got more good news right here, and this is from from first Peter. Praise be to God of father, Lord Jesus Christ. In his great mercy, he's given us new, a new birth into a living hope.

And this next song or this next verse is about the resurrection. It's the good news. Then came the Lord Jesus Christ, my

God, what is great about singing these songs right now to you is that you are a living God. We don't speak to to somebody who doesn't exist. God, you were there in the beginning. You'll be there to the very end. You are with us.

Your spirit, God, does something amazing in us if we would yield our will to you. You teach, guide, convict, convince. Lord, would you use this scripture tonight to do just that? And would you speak to us, God? Would we be open to listening to you, hearing from you?

In Jesus' name. Amen. So this song was new to me this week and it just spoke to me. And the lyrics are, it says, All my words fall short. I've got nothing new.

How could I express my gratitude? It's going, God, what do I have? What could I possibly offer you? And it's a hallelujah. Praise be to God.

Sometimes that's all I got. Sometimes that's all we got.

And every song I stand, and you never so I throw up my hands, I've got one response. I've got just one with my arms stretched wide. I will worship you. So I throw my hands. So I throw up my Don't you get shy on me.

Lift up a song because you got a lion inside of those lungs. Beat up and praise the Lord.

That sometimes really, that's all I got. All we got. And with what we have, we bring to you this evening, God. With the attention that we could possibly muster up to hear from you. Would you stir us in a way maybe we unex we we did not expect tonight.

In Jesus name, amen. Amen. You can have a seat. There does there happen to be a a clicker? How are we doing?

Yeah. How was your day on a scale of one to five? One was terrible and five was good. How are you doing? He's got a 10.

Of course you

do. Visit this if you're having a bad day, visit Florine at Smith's in the checkout and you will feel better. I can guarantee it. I'm serious. Some some people do.

They literally go to Smith's just to visit this man. You got the joy of the Lord, and I appreciate that about you. Tonight, we're up to John 16, and I just wanna cover verses 16 to 33. The heading in my Bible is Jesus teaches about using his name in prayer. So the first part of the chapter was Jesus teaches about the Holy Spirit.

We'll visit that a little bit too. And the context is this. Right now in John, Jesus is headed toward the cross. He's getting near the cross. It says in John 13, he loved his disciples.

Now he's gonna love them to the very end. The very end. He doesn't have much more time with them and so he's teaching them and he's preparing them for what's to come. And the truth was hard things were coming. That's the truth about it.

Hatred, persecution and even death. It was gonna get difficult. So how were they gonna go on without abandoning their faith? That's what John 16 is about. And we started John 16, the chapter when Jesus said, I've told you these things so that you won't abandon your faith.

So what are these things that Jesus was telling them? Here's a little recap. K? If you wanna do something, put these in your back pocket and and hang on to these because this is good. This will encourage you throughout the week.

Jesus says, do as I've done for you. That's after he's washed his disciples' feet. Love one another. With that self giving, others focused love, love one another. Don't let your hearts be troubled.

Trust God, trust also in me. There's more than enough room in my father's home. I'm the way, and I'm the truth, and I'm the life. No one comes to the father except through me, Jesus says. Anyone who has seen me has seen the father.

Ask me for anything in my name and I will do it. Wow. I'm gonna give you another advocate. He will never leave you. He's the Holy Spirit.

Since I live, you also live. That to me is one of the most profound verses in the Bible. Since I live, you will also live. That's a great promise. I'm leaving you with a gift, peace of mind and heart.

Don't be troubled or afraid. Isn't that good? Remain in me and I'll remain in you. You didn't choose me, I chose you and I appointed you to produce lasting fruit. You must also testify about me because you've been with me from the very beginning of my ministry.

So those are just a few of the things that Jesus told his disciples so they wouldn't abandon their faith. Listen, church. Those are just a few of the things that Jesus tells us so that we won't abandon our faith. My peace I leave to you. My peace I give to you.

Even more, another promise that Jesus gave them and us, the Holy Spirit. And the role of the Holy Spirit is to empower those disciples to testify or bear witness of all that they saw and heard. Here's the cool part about that. We are here right now listening to this word because the Holy Spirit did that. It empowered them to testify about everything that they saw and heard.

And the Holy Spirit would do lots of things. He would teach us all things, remind remind us of everything that Jesus taught, guide us into truth, convict the world of sin, convince the world of righteousness, and it would give his disciples courage in the most difficult times so they wouldn't abandon their faith. I looked in Acts two. Do you remember when Acts two, Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost? Peter stands up.

He comes as bold as possibly can be sharing the gospel. Why? Because the Holy Spirit empowered him. Real life application. The Holy Spirit then is the Holy Spirit now.

Alright? He's still teaching and reminding and guiding and convicting and convincing, giving us courage in the most difficult times so that we, church, would not abandon our faith. Remember, if you are a believer in Christ, you are gifted with the Holy Spirit. He gives you that gift of the Holy Spirit. He will be with you always to the very end of age.

Hold on to that. Believe it because that's what's true. So here's even more tonight from John 16 that Jesus gave his disciples specifically. He's talking about using his name and prayer. What's that about?

Let's take a look at it. Verses 16 to 33. Here's what it says. Here's Jesus speaking. He says, in a little while, you won't see me anymore.

But a little while after that, you will see me again. Some of his disciples asked each other, what does he mean when he says in a little while, you won't see me, but then you'll see me and I'm going to the father. And what's he mean by a little while? We don't understand. Jesus realized they wanted to ask him about it.

So he said, are you asking yourselves about what I meant? I said in a little while, you won't see me, but a little while after you will see me again. I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. It'll be like a woman suffering the pains of labor.

When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she's brought a new baby into the world. So you have sorrow now, but you will see me again. Then you will rejoice and no one can rob you of that joy. Yes. At that time, you won't need to ask me for anything.

I tell you the truth, will ask the father directly and he'll grant you your request because you use my name. You haven't done this before. Ask using my name and you will receive and you will have abundant joy. I've spoken these matters and figures of speech, but soon I will stop speaking figuratively and I'll tell you plainly about the father. Then you'll ask in my name.

I'm not saying I will ask the father on your behalf, for the father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God. Yes. I came from the father into the world and now we will leave the world and return to the father. Then his disciples said, at least you're speaking plainly and not figuratively. Now we understand that you know everything and there's no need to question you.

From this, we believe that you came from God. Jesus asked, do you finally believe? But the time is coming, indeed, it's here now when you will be scattered. Each one going his own way, leaving me alone, yet I am not alone because the father is with me. I have told you all of this so that you may have peace in me.

Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. This is a great verse, probably a familiar verse. Listen. But take heart because I've overcome the world. If I don't hit on it right now or later you know what struck me when I read this verse just now?

Here I don't know if you have many trials and sorrows, but take heart. I have overcome the world. He said this before his death and resurrection. Like he kinda knew what was gonna happen. I just oh, it's so good.

Let's pause there and pray. God, thank you for these promises to us. God, may we hold tightly without wavering like Hebrews says, for you can be trusted to keep your promises. It is true. We will have trials and sorrows.

There's a lot of joy to be experienced, but there are also trials at the same time. But we can take heart because you have indeed overcome the world. In Jesus' name, Amen. Again, we're just picking up where we left off last week, but I I just wanna savor it a little bit. I didn't wanna rush through it.

I wanted to chew on it. And, again, Jesus is going to the cross. Doesn't have much more time with his disciples. He would die, raise, ascend to heaven, go to the father. He warns the disciples, hey, tough times are coming.

They grieved. They didn't understand all of what was going on. But Jesus says this, it is best that I go away. It's best for you. They were like, what are you talking about?

It's best. Because if he didn't, the Holy Spirit, the advocate, the comforter, the helper wouldn't come. Again, this all seems so strange to them. That's why they asked, what's he mean when he says, you won't see me? Then you'll see me.

He's going to the father. It didn't make sense. Jesus explains in verse 20. I tell you the truth. You'll weep and mourn over what's gonna happen to me, but the world will rejoice.

As we read ahead, we're gonna see we're gonna hear shouts from the crowd yelling, crucify him. Crucify him. His disciples truly would grieve, but Jesus says, your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. In just a few short days, really, just a few short days from this right here, they would experience joy and delight and gladness. Surprise because Jesus would overcome death.

He would see them again. That's just too good. That grief that they experienced. Like a mother who suffers the pains of labor. Okay, I'm going say this.

Mom, if you're watching, thank you. To my wife, we have three children. I was there in the Delivery Room for all their births. Wow. If you want an intense experience, hang out in a delivery room.

I mean, don't be a random guy that just hangs, goes into a delivery room. That's not cool. But I mean, every time one of our children was born, I thought, Christa, my wife, how on earth could you do this again? Like, on earth could you possibly do this again? And I I can't say from experience because, I don't know, I was just there holding her hand, you know, getting ice cubes, doing what dads do.

I passed out in the Delivery Room during the epidural. I know. Isn't that awful? Like, come on, Carl. Really?

You don't have a real big part in this. Could you just stay awake? Dad's doing are you in the delivery room? Yeah. Oh, I'm the guys are the worst.

Thank you, moms. But you get this. You get this though. Right? If you have children, you understand this well.

That pain, that grief gives way to inexpressible joy. Inexpressible joy. The disciples would have a similar experience when Jesus rose from the dead. Check out verse 22. You have sorrow now, but I will see you again and you will rejoice.

There it is again, the word joy or rejoice. The awareness of God's grace going, oh my goodness, God loves us so much he's come back. The awareness of that and catch this. No one can rob you of that joy. Keep that.

Hold on to that. That is huge. Meaning, no one, nothing, nothing at all. It's used as a declaring fact. Like, nothing will take away your joy.

Like hardships, trials, even death, persecution. Nothing will take away that joy that you recognize the grace of God. Nobody can take it away. Isn't that awesome? Because there's a lot of things that can be taken from us, right?

There are many things like possessions, they can just disappear, right? In heartbeat, in a moment. But he's saying this joy, nobody can take it away. How is that really though? How is that for good?

How is that for living a Christian life is going, God, thank you that no one can take away the joy that I've experienced in you. Thank you, God, for that. Verse 23. At that time, you won't need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth.

You'll ask the father directly. So they asked Jesus. Now they can say, ask the father directly and he will grant your request because you use my name. You ever wonder, why do Christians go, in Jesus name I pray. In Jesus name.

We kinda it just almost kinda added on to an end of a sentence. Why do we say that? Because of this right here. We can ask the father directly and he will grant us our request because we use Jesus name. Jesus tells us, pray in my name.

This is the third time we've heard this now in John. He says, ask me for anything in my name and I will do it. That was John fourteen fourteen. Then he said, the father will give you whatever you ask for using my name. That was the second time.

It's like or the third time. It's like Jesus really means this. Like pay attention. They can ask for anything in Jesus name and Jesus would grant it. Now, let me ask us a question.

The more time that Jesus spent sorry. The more time that the disciples had spent with Jesus, What do you think those disciples really wanted? Here's the way I think of it. The more time those disciples spend with Jesus, the more time that we spend with Jesus, the more we want his will to be done. The more we want his kingdom to come.

You you hear what I'm saying? And for God's will on earth as it is in heaven, even more than our own will. Because this isn't just a ticket to just ask for anything that we want. I I don't think that's saying that at all. I think it's the more they spend time with Jesus, the more we spend time with Jesus, the more we want his will to be done.

And you know what? His will might be look a lot different than ours. His wants, wishes and desires might be a lot different than ours. And they might even come with some trouble on our end. But he's with us always to the very end of age.

In this world, we will have trouble, but take heart, he's overcome the world. That brings me a lot of comfort. Verse 24, you haven't done this before. Ask using my name and you will receive. Catch the last part of this verse.

And you will have abundant, what's the word again? Joy. He said, there it is again. The awareness of God's grace. I recognize your grace, God.

I'm experiencing your grace, your love, your goodness, and it's coming out. It's joy. It's like Jesus really wants his disciples to know and experience this. Real life application. It's like Jesus really wants us to know and experience this, to be aware of it, to be conscious of it, to recognize, hey, his favor is always leaning in our direction.

That's the definition of joy. They could go directly to the Father using the name of Jesus and experience this joy. Real life application. We can go directly to the Father using the name of Jesus and experience this kind of joy, a joy that cannot be robbed. Let me just pray for a moment.

Lord, there are a lot of things that can rob us. God, would that grace that you're always extending in our direction, may we not be robbed of it? Would we really just bathe in it, soak in it? You're offering it. Now the troubles that we experience, the troubles that we have, the things that we rely on and just spin in our heads over and over and over again, making ourselves mad.

Would you take those things away? Truly. In Jesus name, you told us to pray in that way and so we do. Amen. Verse 27.

For the father loves them dearly because they love Jesus and believe Jesus came from God. That relationship with the father was already there because they trusted in the son. Not good. You never met the Father, yet they're loved by the Father and they trust the Father. The relationship is already there.

Real life application. The relationship with the Father is already there when we trust the Son. You have a relationship with the Father because you trust the Son. The Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. Do I understand it fully?

Not really. But I know it's God. The three in one. Skipping down to verse 32. But the time is coming, indeed it's here now, when you will be scattered.

Each one of you going his own way, leaving me alone. That truly would happen. The guards would arrest Jesus, the disciples would flee. One of them, I think, took off Buck naked. I think it was John.

He's like, forget you, robe. I'm out of here. But listen, he says, Yet I'm not alone because the Father is with me. And we'll end with verse 33. Sorry, made you laugh, didn't it?

It's true. I told you all of this so that you may have peace in me. And here it is again. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows, but take heart because I've overcome the world. That is the truth of the matter right there.

The disciples, they would abandon him. They'd come back. They would come back eventually. They'd be filled with the Holy Spirit. They'd be empowered.

They'd testify about Jesus. But in just a little while, they were gonna flee. Friends, sometimes we flee. Sometimes we're on the run, aren't we? You can always come back.

You can always come back. Jesus is always making that invitation to us. He can always come back. But for now, Jesus is headed toward the cross in John 16. He wanted them to know, you can have peace in me.

Even in these trials that are coming, you can have peace in me. Real life application. We can have peace in him. Even in the trials, we can have a peace that passes under

what were you saying about the disciples? And if they spent more time with Jesus, what they'd be praying for?

Yeah. I think that the more time that the disciples spent time with Jesus, the more that they would want his will rather than their own. I think the more time that we spend with Jesus, the more we will want his will rather than our own. As he did tell us to pray in that direction. Right?

He taught us to pray, may your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Right. And that's in the Lord's prayer there when I think about that too. And the disciples could have asked Jesus for a lot of things, like teach us how to do miracles or teach us how to heal people. But what the disciples did ask for is, Lord, teach us how to pray. And that is when they learned the Lord's prayer, and it's that your will may be done.

And so when we pray, I think about it's not just, Lord, make me a millionaire. In Jesus' name, Amen. It's like, it has to be you might as well be praying for his will to be done always. And when I think about praying, it's also the one thing that constantly God tells us to do, constantly, without ceasing, pray without ceasing. It doesn't say you should be working without ceasing or you should be worshipping or tithing without ceasing ceasing.

It's the one thing to constantly do is prayer. Then Jesus teaches us, teaches his disciples how to pray. And the point that you made is the more time you spend in prayer, the more that prayer becomes his will be done, not our own will. And oftentimes, think when I think of, oh, in Jesus' name, we pray a lot of different things that we think that we want or we think is the best thing for us. But really we ought to be praying his will be done here on earth as it is in heaven.

And as you said, the more time you spend in scripture, the more time you spend with Jesus, that becomes more and more your prayer.

Because if you ever been in a position where you've said, God, I really want your will to be done. And then you get a very clear answer and and it wasn't the answer that you expected or wanted. Wait a minute, really? Was it that? Like I'm supposed to become friends with that person and share the gospel with them even though they hate me or whatever it might be.

Or I'm supposed to move here or do this or or do that. Yeah. And it's extremely uncomfortable. It doesn't make any sense financially. We could go on and on and on.

Sometimes it does not God's will does not make sense.

So often when we pray, it's about petitioning. Sometimes I think it would do better if I put praise before petition. And then it becomes more about His will than my will and what I'm asking for.

Good point, Blake. Thanks for bringing that up. Any other thoughts from John 16?

Just a few words. In light of the the joy joy of the world Mhmm. Joy of the Lord, I've experienced in my life to be hand in hand with God. I know what it means to to feel his presence, to feel loved by the Lord, and to be just under his arms. Right?

But also I've experienced in my life what means to walk away and do your own thing, do my own thing, and not being in in his will. And it's a terrible place to be. And the joy of the joy of the Lord comes when we understand our position in Christ. We know that no matter what's happening, no matter where we are, how things are in our lives, we are saved by the grace of Jesus Christ. Amen?

Yeah. He died for us on the cross. He paid for our sins, and that's the sticker that says on my chest, paid, saved by the grace of God. Right? But also, then after that, to experience that joy of the Lord, this is based on my own life experience.

It might not be for you, it might not be for everybody, but for me. When I'm obedient to his will, when I'm trying to be aware of his presence in my life and then follow his will, then I get to experience that joy more and more. The more I'm obedient to him, the more I say, Lord, your will be done, not mine. And, Lord, forgive me. I shouldn't say that word.

I shouldn't look at that thing or something like that. The more I seek his will, the more the joy of the of the Lord starts in our hearts and our minds is when we understand that, God, I'm a coworker with you. You did your part. You saved me. You I'm your child now.

Now my responsibility is, Lord, to love others, to share the gospel, and to stay focused on the word, on the Bible. The more I stay in the word, in the Bible, in prayer, that obedience then comes natural. We don't have to force it. Lord, I'm going to dismiss right now, and I'm gonna be like this all the time. So everybody that's passed by, Florin, hi.

No. Not that way. It's it's a pure humble understanding when you say, Lord, thank you for saving me. And if there's anybody around me that doesn't know you today, and if someone around me that might be through suffering or pain and I have no idea about it, Lord, make me sensitive to them so I can reach out, so I can say the right word, so I can say something. And, Lord, make me obedience to you.

And then when I'm in obedience to you, Lord, I can reach out to the ones around me. That's what I want to share.

Amen. Amen. That's a great definition too, I think, of grace recognized. Everything that you said right there. Yep.

And I think the deeper the obedience, the deeper the joy we experience too.

Amen. Yes.

Thank you for sharing that. Yep. Because we know what it's like to wander away and and to lose some of that.

Gosh. At least I something to say.

I I think you you live out that very I was thinking as you were speaking that you you live that out very well. And never once have I ever thought that it was fake, a fake smile, or a fake it was genuine. But I think my biggest sin sometimes starts with a lie that I deserve something besides an eternity in hell. And so when I think my I'm not thinking correctly or I fall into sin, that's usually where it starts. So I think there is something to be said for recognizing God's mercy and grace in what we actually deserve and where we are.

Yeah. And I so I just would say you're totally on point.

Yep. Yep. I think your daughter would like to say something too.

A lot.

Anybody else want to share before we sing? Thanks for your thoughts tonight. I really appreciate it. What happens is when we have these conversations, these gospel conversations, we get to hear the gospel through your personality. And I love that because we're one body with many parts so we can understand a single truth.

It means the same thing, but it's conveyed through different personalities. I really appreciate that. So thank you for sharing it. Let's stand up and sing. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.

I always love to leave us with a little verse or a benediction, and here's one from Hebrews tonight. It's let us hold tightly and without wavering to the hope that we affirm because God can be trusted to keep his promise. Amen. We'll see you next time.