A Calm Heart Series

A Calm Heart

John 13:53-14:7

JESUS WAS MAKING PREPARATION TO LEAVE THIS WORLD. WHEN HE BEGAN TO

EXPLAIN To HIS DISCIPLES WHAT WOULD TAKE PLACE, THEY BEGAN TO GROW

VERY CONCERNED AND WORRIED ABOUT IT ALL. NOTE: v33, "...WHITHER I GO,

YE CANNOT COME..." IN v36 PETER ASKED FOR MORE DETAILS. JESUS REPEATED

ONCE AGAIN THE FACT THAT WHERE HE WAS GOING THEY COULD NOT FOLLOW

AT THIS TIME. PETER MADE A GREAT CLAIM IN v37, BUT CHRIST KNEW THAT IT

WAS ONLY TALK. HE PROPHESIED THAT PETER WOULD DENY Him THREE TIMES

BEFORE THE COCK WOULD CROW THAT NEXT MORNING.

THE DISCIPLES HAD BEEN GIVEN AN OBJECT LESSON ON HOW THEY COULD

KEEP THEIR HEARTS CLEAN, NOW THEY NEEDED SOME INSTRUCTION ON HOW

TO KEEP THEIR HEARTS CALM. THEY WOULD .NEED CALM HEARTS IN ORDER TO

RIDE OUT THE IMPENDING STORM. JESUS BEGAN THIS IMPORTANT

INSTRUCTION IN 14:1 WITH THIS PHRASE: "LET NOT YOUR HEARTS BE

TROUBLED... "

A WOMAN SUSPECTS THAT SHE MAY HAVE CANCER, BUT SHE CAN’T BRING

HERSELF TO GO TO THE DOCTOR FOR FEAR THAT HE WILL CONFIRM HER

SUSPICIONS. A MAN IS FRIGHTENED BELIEVING THAT HE MIGHT LOSE HIS JOB;

AND ANOTHER IS CONSTANTLY TROUBLED OVER A CHILD WHO IS RUNNING

FROM GOD; AND STILL ANOTHER PERSON is FILLED WITH ANXIETY BECAUSE

THEIR MARRIAGE IS ABOUT TO BREAK UP. OTHERS MAY BE FILLED WITH

WORRY ABOUT ANY NUMBER OF THINGS. JESUS CHRIST KNOWS YOUR HEARTS

AS WELL AS HE KNEW THE HEARTS OF THE DISCIPLES. THE MESSAGE TODAY IS

THE SAME AS IT WAS THERE IN THE UPPER ROOM.

JESUS TURNED THE ATTENTION OF HIS DISCIPLES TO THE GLORIES OF THE

FUTURE. WE ARE OFTEN CONTROLLED BY WHAT WE FOCUS UPON. HE

REDIRECTED THEIR FOCUS AWAY FROM WHAT WAS TROUBLING THEM NOW,

AND TOWARD WHAT THEY HAD TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN THE FUTURE. WE

MUST ALLOW CHRIST TO DO THE SAME FOR US TODAY. EXAMPLE: WHEN MY

MOTHER DIED, RATHER THAN FOCUS ON THE PAIN OF THE LOSS, I TOOK

COMFORT IN KNOWING THAT ONE DAY WE WOULD BE TOGETHER IN HEAVEN

WHERE THERE WOULD BE NO MORE PAIN, NO MORE TEARS, AND NO MORE

SEPARATION.

LET’S CONSIDER THIS MORNING THE THINGS WHICH CHRIST DIRECTED HIS

TROUBLED DISCIPLES TO FOCUS THEIR ATTENTION UPON.

I. A SPECIAL PLACE. v2

A. HEAVEN IS A SPECIAL PLACE.

1. "IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE ARE MANY MANSIONS:"

2. USUALLY WE ENVISION SOME HUGE CASTLE-LIKE HOME WITH MANY

ROOMS.

3. HOWEVER, THE WORD ’MANSIONS’ SIMPLY MEANS ’DWELLING

PLACE’.

4. OUR LORD WAS ASSURING His DISCIPLES THAT THERE WOULD BE

PLENTY OF ROOM FOR EVERYONE.

B. JESUS HAS NOT BEEN BUILDING IT FOR NEARLY 2000 YEARS.

1. SOMETIMES WE SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT WITHOUT REALIZING

THAT HE IS THE SAME GOD WHO SPOKE THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE INTO

EXISTENCE.

2. THE FACT IS THAT HE HAS A PLACE PREPARED FOR HIS CHILDREN,

NOW!

3. JOHN DESCRIBED THE NEW JERUSALEM IN RE . 21: 16.

a. THE LENGTH AND THE BREADTH AND THE HEIGHT OF IT ARE

EQUAL.

b. IT WAS TWELVE THOUSAND FURLONGS OR ABOUT 1500 MILES

CUBED. 3,375,000,000 SQ. MILES

c. THAT IS NEARLY A 1000 TIMES THE SIZE OF THE UNITED

STATES.

d. FORGET THAT LITTLE CABIN UP IN GLORY LAND!

4. HEAVEN IS A PREPARED PLACE FOR A PREPARED PEOPLE.

II. A SPECIAL PERSON. V3

A. JESUS CHRIST WILL BE THERE.

1. NO MATTER HOW SPECIAL THE PLACE MIGHT BE, IF THE ONE THAT

THEY LOVED WOULD NOT BE THERE IT JUST WOULDN’T BE THE SAME.

2. THAT IS WHY JESUS SAID, "WHERE I AM, THERE YE MA Y BE ALSO. "

3. THOSE WERE THE WORDS WHICH THE DISCIPLES NEEDED TO HEAR

IN ORDER TO CALM THEIR HEARTS.

B. JESUS CHRIST IS COMING FOR US.

1. HE SAID, "IF I GO... I WILL COME AGAIN.. . "

2. I HAVE, ON OCCASION, BEEN SEPARATED FROM MY FAMILY.

3. NO ONE REALLY ENJOYS THAT, BUT I KNEW THAT ONE DAY WE

WOULD BE REUNITED.

4. WHEN FEAR OR LONELINESS WOULD STRIKE, I COULD FOCUS ON

WHAT IT WOULD BE WHEN WE SAW ONE ANOTHER AGAIN.

5. JESUS IS COMING AGAIN, NOT A SUBSTITUTE OR A STAND- IN, BUT,

JESUS CHRIST, HIMSELF!

III. A SPECIAL WAY. v4 -6

A. JESUS CHRIST IS THE "WAY".

1. THOMAS QUESTIONED THE LORD ABOUT THIS WAY, HE WASN’T SURE

HE KNEW WHAT JESUS WAS TALKING ABOUT.

2. JESUS’ ANSWER WAS ONE OF HIS "I AM" STATEMENTS. V6

3. JESUS CHRIST IS THE ROUTE TO GOD THE FATHER, AND TO THE

HEAVENLY CITY HE HAD JUST BEEN TALKING ABOUT.

4. HE IS THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF OUR JOURNEY.

B. JESUS CHRIST IS THE "TRUTH".

1. THE WORLD SAYS THAT THERE IS NO TRUTH, NO ABSOLUTES.

2. BUT, CHRIST IS THE TRUTH.- HE is BOTH CONSISTENT AND RELIABLE.