More Good News for the Worry Wart
Text: Jn. 14:1-6
Introduction
1. Read Jn. 14:1-6
2. Illustration: Rick Warren says, "Worry is the warning light that God is really not first in my life at this particular moment." Because worry says that God is not big enough to handle my troubles. Jesus says in Mt. 6:33: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.." And He said that at the conclusion of an entire sermon on worry. The antidote to worry? Put God first!
3. What caused Peter to begin to sink when he was walking on the water with Jesus? He took his eyes off of Jesus and put them on his problem.
4. What causes us to sink when in our life of faith? When we take our eyes off of Jesus and put them on our problems.
Proposition: Jesus wants us to take our eyes off of our problems and put them on Him.
Transition: Jesus gives us three reasons not to worry. First...
I. Because We Believe in God (1)
A. Believe In God
1. Let us first set the scene. Jesus has just told the disciples that He is going to be leaving them "Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ’Where I am going, you cannot come..." (Jn. 13:33)
a. These men had left everything to follow Jesus.
b. Now He was telling them that He was going to leave them and they could not come with Him.
c. This caused them to be very troubled.
2. The word "troubled" means "’to cause great mental distress." —Louw & Nida: NT Greek-English Lexicon
a. They were more than just a little concerned.
b. They were more than just a little bit worried.
c. They were greatly troubled.
3. But Jesus tells them "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me."
a. He is telling them, "Don’t worry, believe in God, and believe in me."
b. He is not telling them "It’s okay, you believe in God," but what he is doing is commanding them to believe in God (Morris, NICNT, 565-566).
c. What he is saying is that the way to stop worrying is simply to believe that God is able to handle your problems.
4. He urged them to maintain both their trust in God and in himself. - Expositor’s Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM
a. He is telling them, don’t doubt believe.
b. Don’t worry believe.
c. Don’t fret believe.
d. Don’t focus on your problems, believe.
5. Ps. 42:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.
B. Faith In God
1. Illustration: Corrie Ten Boom spoke of the unraveling effects of worry, when she said, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but it empties today of it’s strength.”
2. Worry will:
a. Raise your blood pressure
b. Harden your arteries
c. Put wrinkles on you face and dark circles under your eyes
3. Worry won’t:
a. Make your problems go away
b. Help you deal with your problems
c. Make you feel better
4. Since worry is doubt it is a sin!
5. The only antidote for worry is faith.
a. Faith in God the Father
b. Faith in Jesus His Son
c. Faith in the Holy Spirit
d. Faith in His promises
Transition: Stop worrying and believe!
II. Because He Has Prepared a Place for Us (2-4)
A. I Go to Prepare a Place for You
1. Another reason that Jesus gives us not to worry is that He is going to prepare a place for us.
2. Jesus tells His disciples "In my Father’s house are many mansions..."
a. Jesus assures His disciples that the reason that He was going away was to prepare a place for them.
b. He also assures them that they would be plenty of room for them and all believers. Notice that he says there will be "many" mansions.
c. Other places in the Bible it tells us that this place will be more glorious than any place we can imagine.
d. 1 Cor. 2:9 But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
3. But having a place prepared for us and getting there are two different stories. However, He assures us by saying "I go to prepare a place for you."
a. Certainly he would not go to prepare for friends unless he expected that they would finally arrive. - Expositor’s Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM
b. He would not make preparations for us and them leave us stranded.
4. Also notice what He says in verse 3 "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."
a. Though he did not elaborate on the promise, the guarantee is unmistakable.
b. His return is as certain as his departure, and he would take them with him to his Father’s house.
c. "This promise does not refer to death. Jesus left by the road of death; he will return by the road of life..." - Expositor’s Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM
B. Many Mansions
1. Illustration: Some nine year old children were asked what they thought of death and dying. Jim said, “When you die, they bury you in the ground and your souls goes to heaven, but your body can’t go to heaven because it’s too crowded up there already.” Judy said, “Only the good people go to heaven. The other people go where it’s hot all the time like in Florida.” John said, “Maybe I’ll die someday, but I hope I don’t die on my birthday because it’s no fun to celebrate your birthday if you’re dead.” Marsha commented, “When you die, you don’t have to do homework in heaven, unless your teacher is there too.” (1001 Humorous Illustrations for Public Speaking. Michael Hodgin, p. 100).
2. Who cares what you do in heaven, as long as you get to go!
3. For that matter who cares what happens in this life as long as we get to go to heaven.
a. Why should I worry about things that I have no control over anyway, as long as I get to go to heaven?
b. Why should I worry about things without eternal significance, as long as I get to go to heaven?
c. Why should I worry about things that won’t change even if I do worry about them, as long as I get to go to heaven?
4. The point is clear, why should we worry when Jesus has made two great promises to us:
a. He is going to prepare a place for us.
b. He is going to come and take us there.
5. Nothing that can happen to us in this life can compare to what Jesus has prepared for us in heaven.
Transition: Don’t worry about today, but focus on what Jesus has prepared for you tomorrow.
III. Because He is Reliable (5-6)
A. I Am...the way...the truth...the life
1. Jesus third reason for not worrying has to do with the fact that we can trust Him.
2. He says ""I am the way, the truth, and the life."
a. Jesus is the Way to the Father;
b. Jesus is the Truth (or reality) of all God’s promises; and
c. Jesus is the Life as he joins his divine life to ous, both now and eternally.
d. Jesus is the way that leads to the truth and life.
3. Jesus’ reply is the ultimate foundation for a philosophy of life. First, it is personal.
a. He did not claim merely to know the way, the truth, and the life as a formula he could impart to the ignorant; but he actually claimed to be the answer to human problems. - Expositor’s Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM
b. He is not a way, but the way.
c. He is not a truth, but the truth.
d. He is not a life, but the life.
4. Jesus didn’t respond to Thomas’s question with some cheap quote off the top of His head, but He spoke from a position of authority.
a. He is the way to the Father because only he has an intimate knowledge of God unmarred by sin.
b. He is the truth because he has the perfect power of making life one coherent experience inspite of its ups and downs.
c. He is the life because he was not subject to death but made it subject to him. - Expositor’s Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM
B. We Can Trust Him
1. Illustration: For an extraordinary pitcher he performed few extraordinary feats. Though a veteran of 21 seasons, in only one did he win more than 20 games. He never pitched a no-hitter and only once did he lead the league in any category (2.21 ERA, 1980). Yet on June 21, 1986, Don Sutton rubbed pitching elbows with the true legends of baseball by becoming the 13th pitcher to win 300 Games. His analysis of his success is worth noting. "A grinder and a mechanic" is what he calls himself. "I never considered myself flamboyant or exceptional. But all my life I’ve found a way to get the job done." And get it done he did. Through two decades, six presidential terms, and four trades, he consistently did what pitchers are supposed to do: win games. With tunnel vision devotion, he spent 21 seasons redefining greatness. He has been called the "family sedan" of baseball’s men on the mound.
2. You can depend on Jesus because He is:
a. The Way
b. The Truth
c. The Life
3. You can depend on Jesus because He will:
a. Show you the way to the Father.
b. Reveal to you all truth.
c. Lead you to eternal life.
4. You don’t have to worry because:
a. Jesus will make a way where there is no way.
b. Jesus will show the truth when the devil feeds you a pack of lies.
c. Jesus will give you life that no one can take away.
5. You don’t have to worry about the cares of this world because Jesus is the Great I Am
6. 1 Pt. 5:7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
Conclusion
1. We don’t have to worry because:
a. We believe in God
b. Jesus has prepared a place for us
c. Jesus is someone we can depend on
2. You can worry if you want to, but I’d rather trust Jesus.
