The Cure For Heart Trouble

SERMON OUTLINE:

(1). One key Principle (vs 1).

‘Personal faith in a personal God brings personal strength!’

(2). Three Guarantees of Jesus:

• Guarantee #1: "I GO" (vs 2) – that speaks of a place.

• Guarantee #2: "I WILL" (vs 3) - that speaks of a promise.

• Guarantee #3: "I AM" (vs 6) - speaks of provision.

(3). Three Claims of Jesus:

• Claim #1: He is “The Way” (vs 6a)

• Claim #2: He is “The truth” (vs 6b)

• Claim #3: He is “The life” (vs 6c)

SERMON BODY:

Ill:

• A father came home from work and was met by his five-year-old daughter,

• She didn’t normally run up to him in the garden and enthusiastically greet him.

• He looked at his daughter and she was not smiling.

• So he asked her a question, “what’s wrong darling?”

• His daughter replied. “All day long I’ve been having trouble with your wife.

• TRANSITION:

• We all have trouble, sometimes it’s a result of our own foolish actions,

• Other times it is the result of circumstances out of our control.

The disciples of Jesus have troubled hearts at the start of this chapter:

• The reasons (in the previous chapter):

• Jesus has spoken of his betrayal and death (chapter 13 verses 21-30),

• They assumed he was going to be around forever and now they are told he is going away.

• And his departure will not be a pleasant one…betrayal and death!

• And they are not stupid,

• They know that what happens to the master can also happen to the disciples.

• So they are also troubled for themselves as well.

• Not only is Jesus going away but he is going away without them!

• “Where I am going, you can’t come” (chapter 13 verse :33).

• For disciples who have left everything to follow Jesus,

• It must be terribly disorienting to hear Jesus say that he is leaving them.

• So that is why their hearts are troubled,

• This news will mean that their whole world will be turned upside down!

• Those three things will always trouble people,

• No matter who you are or what time period you live in,

• Human beings will always be troubled by death, by trials and by disloyalty.

(1). Key Principle:

• Now in chapter 14 Jesus gives the disciples words of comfort:

• The key principle is this:

• Personal faith in a personal God brings personal strength!

• Verse 1:

• “‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.”

Ill:

• In the Greek text all the verbs are present imperatives;

• That simply means they carry the idea of;

• “Keep believing in God…keep believing in me”

• Circumstances have changed but God hasn’t!

• Circumstances have changed but Jesus hasn’t!

Ill:

• One day, the great Baptist preacher C.H. Spurgeon,

• Was walking through the English countryside with a friend.

• As they strolled along, Spurgeon noticed a barn with a weather vane on its roof.

• At the top of the vane were these words: GOD IS LOVE.

• Spurgeon remarked to his companion;

• That he thought this was a rather inappropriate place for such a message.

• "Weather vanes are changeable," he said, "but God’s love is constant."

• His friend said: “Charles you’ve misunderstood the meaning.

• That sign is indicating a truth: Regardless of which way the wind blows, God is love."

• TRANSITION: Circumstances change all the time, but God doesn’t!

• Circumstances change all the time, but the promises of Jesus do not!

• They are anchors for the soul however rough the sea of life might be!

Notice: Jesus gives the disciples some assurances concerning the future:

“‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.’”

• Jesus told his disciples not to be troubled.

• If they trusted God, they needed to trust Him!

• Then he gives to them three reasons or three guarantees for trusting him.

(2). Three Guarantees of Jesus:

Guarantee #1: "I GO" or “I am going” (vs 2) – that speaks of a place.

• Jesus came from heaven to earth,

• We celebrate this every Christmas.

• Now he says it’s time to go home, time to return.