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?"
A. This story of scripture teaches us some comforting things.
1. Knowing God is there causes me to lose the fear of being lost.
--How much confidence do you place in God?
--Those who place their confidence in Him have comfort and strength.
--When someone asks, "How do you do it--stay faithful in the midst of
trial?" We simply reply, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
--Have you ever wondered how a pilot does not lose his way through the
sky?
--Only by instruments, maps, and tools that help him stay on the chartered course.
--Though he may not recognize the landmarks, he knows he is on course, if everything is mechanically correct.
--Many times we do not understand the "landmarks of life" but
thank God He does. And just because the pilot doesn’t understand the landmarks doesn’t mean he quits flying.
-----> Point is, with the presence of God there is no fear. He shepherds and guides me.
2. Knowing God is there removes the burden of the consequences of my
service to Him.
--When I do God’s will He carries the load of the responsibility.
--Paul said, "I planted, Apollos watered, God gives the increase."
--This shows Paul’s complete trust in God and not himself.
--Many times we expect too much fruit, because we believe it is
our "programs" that cause people to come to Christ.
--God is the reason people come to Him, ultimately.
--Jesus promised to be there with us "even to the end of the age."
--I will "fear no evil, for you are with me."
--He promised to be here for me to help me bear whatever consequences are for our doing good.
3. Knowing God is there helps me to resolve conflicts in life.
--Making decisions in a clearly right or wrong situation is relatively simple.
--But, What about those times when we have to decide something that has
more than one possible right answer.
--With God’s presence realized in our lives we make our decisions
and trust God to work out results for us.
--THAT’S TRUST!!
Conclusion: Do you realize the presence of God in your life?
Does that sound strange to you?
--When troubled times come in your life, how do you handle your relationship w/God?
--How do you pray, with repetitions or with love for your Father?
--Do you live at peace with yourself, knowing the presence of God in your life?
Our attitude toward God’s presence will determine our relationship toward Him.
