Alliance Church
Pastor David Welch
“Truth for a Troubled Soul”
II. The Private teaching and ministry of Jesus 13-17
A. Forgive one another with a servant’s humility.
B. Love one another with God’s supernatural love.
INTRODUCTION
In John 13:33 Jesus informed the disciples that he would be leaving them and they could not follow just yet. In light of his absence, they are commanded to continue on reaching a lost world by following His command to love one another as a shining badge of genuine discipleship. In chapter 14, Jesus discerns a troubling of their souls and offers them some powerful points of reference.
Stop letting your heart, the core of your being, be troubled.
“to stir up, disturb, unsettle, throw into confusion, be frightened, terrified, intimidated.”
Jesus himself experienced a “troubled” heart. At the thought of Judas’ betrayal in chapter 13 Jesus’ heart was troubled.
What is the condition of your heart this morning? Is your heart stirred, confused, disturbed, unsettled, frightened? Uncertain future? Loneliness? Confusion? Betrayal, denial? Abandonment, rejection? Failure? Exposure of inadequacies? Jesus offers truth to settle the troubled soul all through this chapter. Jesus offers the cure for a troubled soul even while He himself was experiencing an unsettled soul.
C. Truths that encourage the troubled soul 14:1-31
1. Continue trusting the plan of the Father and the Son
"Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. John 14:1
Whatever our concerns for the future or the present, Jesus lays out some solid truth that we can take to the bank. Most of our fear and unsettled soul trouble comes from ignorance of basic truth; fear of the unknown; confusion, isolation. Jesus provides several basic truths intended to inform, enlighten and calm and reorient the soul.
“Let not your hearts any longer be troubled.”
“Stop letting your hearts be troubled.”
This command implies that we have something to do with the cure for a troubled heart.
This command of Jesus implores them to stop something already in progress. It is a passive verb meaning that the troubled soul is something happening to them.
Circumstances and uncertainty cloud the soul. We can’t stop stuff from coming our direction. We can choose our response. Jesus offers the cure, the proper response.
Trust God! Trust Me too!
My departure need not trouble the soul if you understand it is all part of the master plan. There are several ways to look at this verse.
You continue to trust God. You continue to trust in me too!
You continue to trust God. I urge you to continue to trust me too!
I urge you to continue to trust God and I urge you to continue to trust me too!
I lean toward the double imperative (two commands). It is all about continual trust.
Our level of peace or anxiety fluctuates according to our level of trust.
Illustration: If I am suffering a heart attack and rushed to the hospital, there is a certain relief when a doctor comes to look at you until you find out that the doctor on call is named Kevorkian or a medical student in his beginning year on his first day after a 48-hour shift.
The lesser we trust, the more we struggle. So Jesus calls for a continuation of trust in Him in spite of the circumstances. They had spent their lives putting their faith in Yahweh. Jesus encourages them to continue to trust in the work of the Father. Jesus also encourages them to continue that same faith in Him. But things are unraveling. He is leaving them. Can he be trusted? Is Jesus just another mortal prophet with good words? Jesus urges them to trust Him as they have the Father. None of them have been to the Father’s house. Jesus has not only been there but lives there and must go through with the plan to prepare the Father’s house for a host of other residents -- them. My departure is necessary. We don’t and won’t always understand what God is doing or we would be God. Therefore we must continue to trust Him. It is the first step to a reoriented soul. Center on what is true.
2. A future reality exists beyond this life based on a present relationship
"In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:2
a) Jesus had to leave to prepare a place for us
I’ve been there and I’ll tell you one thing about the place… Heaven consists of multiple places to stay -- enough for everyone. The word used here is the word “to stay or remain”. It suggests the idea that we now live in corruptible impermanent places but heaven consists of places for everyone to stay permanently. Home in the fullest sense of the word. Jesus assures them, “I am not blowing smoke. If there weren’t such a place I would tell you.” “I must soon leave to get things ready.” Not only do such wonderful actual places exist in the Father’s house but I must soon leave to get them ready for YOU! Jesus physically left this earth to prepare a place for us in the same way God originally “established” or “prepared” the heavens and the earth for inhabitants. The sense here is that Jesus prepares an actual place where the immaterial and the material world exist in glorious harmony. It is interesting that not a great deal is revealed concerning heaven. Jesus exhorted them not to be troubled about His leaving. Trust US (the Father and Me). My departure is necessary to prepare a permanent place for you.
b) Jesus will physically return to gather those who trust Him
"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:3
Even though he informed them of his imminent physical departure he also promised his physical return for the purpose eternal cohabitation. He promised to return and personally gather them to himself. How much more intimate than retrieving us and taking us to eternally live with him in the Father’s house. What makes heaven most attractive is the eternal unbroken, unhindered, relationship possible with God.
Wherever I am you will be also. This separation is only temporary.
The plan is eternal union.
Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. 1 Thes. 4:17
The reason I thing God doesn’t really offer that much detail concerning the ambiance of heaven is so that we don’t focus so much on the surrounding as the population of heaven. Jesus calls them to trust him. Jesus fixes on the future hope of every believer. Jesus assures them that their believe in Him is the right direction.
3. Faith in Jesus alone assures ultimate access to heaven and intimate relationship with the Trinity.
Jesus challenges their thinking by suggesting that they already know the way to this wonderful place.
"And you know the way where I am going." John 14:4
He already taught them previously the way to eternal life both here and hereafter. Thomas honestly admits ignorance concerning not only where Jesus planned to go but also how to get there.
Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?" 14:5
No wonder they were having troubled hearts. How comforting to know that we aren’t the only ones that struggle with foggy thinking and confusion concerning the unknown and unseen. All of us struggle to understand the mysteries of heaven from time to time. We are tied to this physical world. It is difficult for us to comprehend the spiritual dimension of life. It is like being caught in a twilight zone. The physical world seems more real while the spiritual world often seems so unreal. Yet Paul clearly indicates the opposite to be true.
2 Cor. 4:16-5:1
.Jesus clearly presents the way to eternal life and fellowship with God.
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; John 14:6
John stresses throughout his entire writing the equal inseparable relationship between the Father and the Son. Jesus asserted over and over again his heavenly origin. I came from the Father. The Father and I are one. The Father sent me. I have come to do the work the Father sent me to do. The eternal Word became flesh. No man has seen God at any time. The only begotten of the Father, He has explained Him.
Believer in God! Believe in Me!
If you want relationship with the Father, you must come through me.
I alone am the way to God.
Jesus does not just show the way, He IS the way to God. Only through Jesus may one enter the Father’s house.
I alone am the ultimate reality.
Paul clearly stated that in Christ are hidden ALL the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
I alone am the source of life.
Jesus clearly taught the multitudes this truth over and over again. You have no life apart from me. Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you have NO life.
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me. John 14:6
Peter clearly restated this truth in an early sermon.
"There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12
This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony borne at the proper time. 1 Tim. 2:3-6
There is no hope for relationship with God either here or hereafter without wholehearted relationship with Christ. This faith in Christ is much more than mere intellectual assent to some basic facts. It is a conscious surrender and willing pursuit of relationship with Christ. It is a wholehearted embracing of Jesus and all that he is. It is Christ IN you the hope of glory. So many think that they can live a life that totally ignores the clear teaching of Jesus on earth or any relationship with Him in this life and then expect to spend eternity in a intimate relationship with Him just because they acknowledged some basic historical facts. Faith in Christ is much more than that.
Illustration: It is like reading an article in the paper about a wonderful woman. You read about her birthplace and family, her wonderful works of charity, her character.
You are impressed but do nothing. You never actually meet her or establish any kind of relationship. In fact, you basically ignore her all your life.
For 40 years you believe all the facts of this article and never doubt the existence of this woman. Then after you have lived a miserable life and lost everything you finally meet her and expect her to warmly and enthusiastically embrace you and agree to enter into a life long intimate relationship with you.
Ridiculous? But that is how some view faith in Christ. The Bible declares that salvation is by faith alone but we must understand what the Bible means by faith. I am certain that many who are banking on the promises of the Bible to those who believe are in for an eternal rude awakening. They think reading about Jesus in the Bible and acknowledging that he lived and died and rose again guarantees them an eternal future relationship.
Trust in Christ involves the whole person. Trust in Christ embraces Christ and His teaching as the one and only means to real life. Jesus is the one an only way. Jesus is the one and only truth. Jesus is the one an only life. When our soul becomes troubled and lost – Jesus alone is the way. When we become confused – Jesus alone is the truth. When we feel depressed and alone – Jesus alone is the life. Trust in Christ plus nothing is the only cure for a troubled soul. To the degree we are troubled is the degree we have failed to really trust Christ. Trust and obey for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus is to trust and obey.
Jesus again affirmed to the disciples that to know Him is to know the Father.
"If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him." John 14:7
Jesus used two perfect tense verbs here to indicate a point in time action with continuing results. Know at a point in time and still know. Have seen at a point in time and still see.
Jesus came in the flesh in order to relate to those who experience things on a physical as well as a spiritual plane. To have seen and continue to see the visible Jesus is to see and continue to see the invisible Father. This triggers a bold request from Philip.
Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." John 14:8
Philip asks Jesus to “point out the Father”. Jesus reaffirms his earlier assertion.
Jesus said to him, "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, 'Show us the Father'? John 14:9
These are also perfect tense verbs. The one who has “seen, perceived” and still sees ME (emphatic) has also “seen, perceived” and still sees the Father. The only cure for a troubled soul is to come to realize that the historical Jesus who walked this earth in the flesh was and is God.
"Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. "Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me; otherwise believe on account of the works themselves. John 14:10-11
The things I do and teach are from God because we are one. Until we embrace Christ as a real person who walked the earth and acknowledge that He was and is who He claimed to be and fully embrace Him, there will be no rest for the soul. Jesus suggests if they struggle with trusting Him; look again at His divine works.
When John the Baptist’s soul was troubled sitting in a prison awaiting execution, he sent messengers to Jesus requesting, “Are you the one or should we keep looking for the promised one?”
At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He granted sight to many who were blind. And He answered and said to them, "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. "And blessed is he who keeps from stumbling over Me." Luke 7:21-23
Application
Are you struggling with uncertainty of the future?
Are you confused and feel in the dark?
Do you feel abandoned and alone?
Is life throwing you too many things to juggle?
Perhaps you are struggling with your relationship with God right now.
Something has stirred up your soul.
Whatever the reason for a troubled soul this morning Jesus offers three of several solid reference points to aid in your reorientation.
Like stars to one lost at sea, these truths become reference points to the trouble soul to lead them back to peace and safety.
• Continue to trust the person and promises of the Father and Son.
• A future reality exists beyond this life based on a present relationship of trust.
Jesus had to physically leave to prepare a place for us
Jesus will physically return to gather those who trust in Him.
• Trust in Christ assures us a future place in heaven and a present and future relationship with God.
Jesus is the only way.
Just look again at his life and work.
There are several more reference points offered by Jesus that became beacons for the disciples and continue to guide lost and troubled soul today.
TODAY!
We have come today to listen to Jesus. Sometimes he talks through others.
What has Jesus said to you today?
Something to believe?
Something to change?
Something to do?
Something new to feel?
Do you still feel in the dark? Think about what Jesus said to his disciples.
Stop letting your heart be troubled!
Keep on believing in God. Keep on believing in me!
