How To Take Heart In Trying Times Series

How to Take Heart in Trying Times

Text: John 16:25-33

Well, this morning, we’re returning to our study of John’s Gospel, and just to remind you all of what where we were… Let me give you a quick re-cap. In chapter 13, Jesus went to the upper room with His disciples, and they celebrated the Passover together. . He in essence instituted the Lord’s Supper… Jesus has washed the disciples feet and told them about forgiveness. And Judas has left to go betray Jesus. And so, Jesus has told them to be prepared for what lies ahead. He’s stressed the need for Christians to love one another. At the end of John 14, in verse 31, we see that Jesus and the disciples left the Upper Room… Then in chapter 15, probably as they were walking towards the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus taught them about the vines and branches… and how we all need to be connected to the One True Vine, and how apart from Him, we can do nothing. He taught them how He would send the Holy Spirit and explained to them the ministry of the Holy Spirit – how He would lead us to all truth, and how He would convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgement. He told them how He wanted them to have joy and that their joy be full. But also, Jesus explained to them that He was going away… and how tribulation, trials, and persecution was coming.

A lot of instruction has taken place over the last few chapters.

That brings us to what we’ll be looking at today – John 16:25-33 (READ).

So, there’s a lot we could look at from this passage, but there are three obvious things that I want us to really zero in on today.

FIRST – Jesus wants to glorify God the Father, and He wants us to know God the Father. Right there in verse 25 Jesus says, “I will tell you plainly about the Father.” He doesn’t say, “I’ll tell you plainly about Myself.” … He wants to show us the Father – He wants to glorify the Father – He wants us to know the Father.

So, let me ask you – How deep is your knowledge of God the Father? What do you know of His character and attributes? And here’s another question – How can we know Him? Jesus said in Matthew 11:27, “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.” Now make no mistake about it – Jesus is saying exactly what you think He’s saying there. No one can know the Father, unless Jesus reveals Him to them.

Now turn back to John 1:18 (READ)… This really confuses the worldly…

Jesus says, “No one has ever seen God – but the only God who is at the Father’s side has made Him known.” Of course Jesus is speaking about Himself. He reveals the Father to whomever He chooses.

There are billions of people on this planet, and many of them think that they know the Father. They have some notion of God. Some idea, or concept of God. He’s up in heaven, sending natural disasters down on occasion… or maybe sending an occasional blessing down. But their understanding is surface level. They’ve never really taken the time to work through what it means that God is Omnipotent – All Powerful… Or Omniscient – All Knowing… or Omnipresent – Everywhere all at once (In all places, at all times, all at once). They’ve never stopped to work through the process of God’s holiness and what that means. Their head starts swimming when they think through the fact that God is utterly and totally just, but at the same time He is the Justifier of the sinner who has trusted in Jesus.

I could go on… To think of the God who sent His Son to suffer and die – To think of God in Christ reconciling the lost to Himself – as the God who gives the Law, yet saves by grace.

Thinking is hard! Or at least that seems to be the mindset of many folks today.

And I get it, sometimes I try to think but nothing happens… Some of you will get that later.

The point is – Do we know about God, or do we know Him? Has Jesus revealed the Father to you?

And I know some folks say, “Hey I’m saved… I don’t need to know a bunch of theology and doctrine. I’m good with just being saved.”

But here’s the thing… One day, as I go into eternity, I’m going to stand before God, and don’t want to have to say, “Well God, I sure am glad You saved me, but I really don’t want to know You… I just want the benefits of knowing You.”