Truth For A Troubled Soul Part 2 Series

Alliance Church

Pastor David Welch

“Truth for a Troubled Soul” Part Two – John 14:12-15

REVIEW

I. The Public Ministry of Jesus 2-12

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.

C. Truths that encourage the troubled soul 14:1-31

Jesus informed the disciples of his soon departure. He also made it clear that he would be betrayed by one of them and denied by another. There were plenty of reasons for a troubled soul. Abandonment -- Shattered dreams -- Impending failure -- Betrayal --Insecurity Confusion -- Facing an impossible task with an impossible group of uneducated men without Jesus. While Jesus was with them they began to see that life was different. Now He announces that He is leaving for somewhere that they are not permitted to follow. They gave up everything to follow him for three years and now he is leaving. What will they do? How can they carry on without Him? In chapter 14 Jesus offers a number of guarding stars by which to navigate in the dark when many of the normal landmarks are unavailable.

1. Stop fretting and continue trusting the plan of the Father and the Son

2. A future reality exists beyond this life based on a present relationship in this life

a) Jesus had to leave to prepare a place for us

b) Jesus will physically return to gather those who trust Him

3. Faith in Jesus alone assures ultimate access to heaven and intimate relationship with the Father and the Son.

Jesus called those men to trust him with their very lives and with the welfare of their eternal soul. He called them to trust in the extraordinary claims He made concerning His person and purpose. He repeatedly affirmed His heavenly eternal existence.

He asserted that His excursion to earth was by the Father’s directive. The Father and I are one. 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. He urged them to put their trust in God and put their trust in Him.

Entrust your life to Me! Entrust your future to me!

Introduction

Jesus continued his encouragement with a most engaging promise. Or perhaps it is more of a statement of fact. We have stumbled upon some most challenging characteristics of a true believer in John. John 8 indicated that true disciples are those who orchestrate their lives according to the word of Jesus. John 13 clearly pointed out that genuine love for one another characterized true disciples. Here Jesus introduces another characteristic of genuine disciples.

Genuine disciples will achieve

the great works of Jesus and greater

because Jesus ascended to the Father.

Jesus begins this most powerful statement with a clue to its extreme importance. Alexander McClaren comments on the use or truly, truly here.

He prefaces his words with ‘verily, verily!’ bidding us to listen to them with sharpened attention as the disclosure of something wonderful, and receive them with unfaltering confidence, on His authority, however marvelous and otherwise undiscoverable they may be.

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father. John 14:12

To a soul troubled by personal inadequacy and possible failure and feelings of abandonment by Jesus and this must have been a most uplifting promise. Many of us have read this passage countless times before. Don’t let the familiarity with the words cause you to miss reality of this ringing truth Don’t attempt to water it down or explain away its compelling implications. Jesus told that grim group of troubled souls that they would not only do the works that He did but also accomplish even grater works than He did.

Let’s ask several probing questions of this most familiar yet powerful verse.

• First, to whom does this grand statement apply?

• Second, what will those continually trusting in Christ do?

• Third, what great works does Jesus indicate genuine believers will do?

• Fourth, what are the greater works possible for every genuine believer?

To whom does this grand statement apply?

Jesus clearly points out a partnership between Himself and those who put their trust in Him. “To the one believing in Me” “That one (who continually trusts in Me) also”

The verb tense here indicates a continual active participation. The one continually trusting in Jesus… The one who joins himself to Jesus in eternal relationship? It is very difficult to justify limiting this statement only to the original disciples. If you do that here, than many of the promises of salvation would also become inapplicable to us today. It appears from the plain language used here that this statement applies to all believers.