God, Are You Really There?

Title: God, Are You Really There?

Text: John 14

Introduction: How many times in our life do we face this question head on? If you say, "I never have wondered that", you probably haven’t lived a hard enough life or haven’t experienced enough of life yet.

Our attempt tonight is to see that God not only is there, but is not so far away as we might have thought in the past.

1. The Experience of the Troubled Heart.

A. The disciples felt a troubled heart.

1. John 13 at the end of the chapter they were trouble by the prediction of Jesus.

B. The promise of Reunion.

1. Jesus is the one who knows how to comfort. John 14

--v. 1 "Let not your heart be troubled...." He also said this in v. 27.

--He also let them know that His departure was not permanent.

"I go and prepare a place for you...."

2. Jesus had a way with words.

--He did not say that he would come again to "take you to that place," but He told them He would receive them unto Himself, that where He was they would be also.

--This was a comfort of His presence. "I will embrace you..." Their comfort was not in a place, but in the Savior’s presence.

--This was a comfort of reunion.

C. The promise of The Way.

1. Jesus proceeds to tel them "Where I am going, you know the way."

Thomas asks, "How can we know the way?" Jesus’ reply, "I am the way... no man comes to the Father, but by me."

--Jesus not only comforts by words, but by action.

--Have you ever been lost? I have. In school, as a freshman. In the big city. In the big mall in Huntsville.

--How comforting it is to find someone that knows the way.

2. Jesus’ meaning of "I am the way" goes deeper than "showing the way."

--Jesus is present with the one lost.

--He says, "Come with me I’m going that way."

--How comforting it was to find someone in school that was going the way

you were. So much better than giving directions.

--Many times you become friends to those who show you the way.

--Certainly Jesus is that comfort to our troubled hearts.

D. The promise of Present Action.

1. Jesus said in v. 13 "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father."

--Though the Lord is not here physically, His presence is ever with the

disciples.

2. Prayer is the power source of the Christian. God is ever present with those

who are His children. Yet, prayer is cheapened by the way we use it at times.

--We make selfish demands and requests.

--We repeat the same old phrases.

--We lose the very link that God Himself has given us to communicate

with Him.

--No matter how we treat it, it remains the most vital link to God and our realization of His presence.

3. We think so often of God being so far away He can’t hear the things we say.

--Quote from Thomas Talmage:

"When a soul prays, God does not sit upright until the prayer

travels immensity and climbs to His ear. In more than one place

the Psalmist said He inclined His ear, by which I come to believe

that God that God puts His ear so closely down to your lips that

He can hear your faintest whisper. It is not God a way off up yonder;

it is God a way down here, close up--so close up that when you

pray to Him, it is not more a whisper than kiss."

--Prayer is more than allowing God to know our needs. He knows them.

--Prayer is the opening of ones self toward the eternal Father.

--Prayer is allowing God to be the God and not dictate to Him our whims.

Thomas Carlyle: "Prayer is the aspiration of our poor, struggling, heavy-laden

soul toward our Eternal Father.

--Prayer is God’s way of saying I want relationship with you.

E. The Promise of Peace

1. In this time of trouble to the disciples, Jesus offered peace. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you...."v. 27

--This again show the importance of Jesus being with them. "My peace."

--Jesus gives us comfort through His peace.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer

and supplication, make your requests to God. And the peace of God which passes (surpasses, transcends, goes beyond) all understanding,

will guard your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus."

--Philippians 4:6-7

2. In their sorrow, Jesus knew they may ask, "Are you for real?" How many times do we have sorrow and wonder, "God are you really their?"