Take Heart, Jesus Has Overcome The World(From our 9-15-24 Worship)
Watch The Video Version Here: https://youtu.be/0vn4GCY-lFo
Transcript:
Have you ever had a hard day?
October the 20th of 2013 was a hard day for a a Decatur, Georgia native named Antoinette Tuff. Turns out she was going to be named pretty correctly, or the last name at least. Before we talk about October the 20th, I need to tell you about all the days that kind of led up to that. You see, October the 20th 2013 was gonna made was gonna be made harder and better because of all the hard days that Miss Antoinette had been struggling with up to that point.
She had a child with several, several development, developmental problems and several health problems that went, went along with that. And they had struggled for years. through all the health struggles that went along with that. Then, right before this day in 2013, when she went to work, her marriage had fell apart and her husband left after 33 years of marriage.
She was left with a home and with a child to take care of. And on top of everything else, with only one income, She was several months behind on the mortgage payments. She was worried that she was going to lose her home and didn't know what was going to happen. All of those things were swirling around in her mind as she stepped into her office at, at a, um, a school there in Decatur, Georgia.
Had about 800 students in it that morning. But that morning, a man named Michael Brandon Hall Stepped into that school with an AK 47 and enough ammunition to change the community forever.
But on that day, there would be no school shooting. On that day, there would be no loss of life because it's Mr Brandon walked into the school with his rifle ready to do an evil, horrible and atrocious thing. The first thing he did is he went to the office. And there he come into contact with Antoinette.
And Antoinette did something that was incredibly brave. Some might have thought it was foolish. But she began to talk to Michael. And I want you to hear her own words. About this young man who, who was coming to do something evil. Listen to what she said. Okay? I could see the pain on his face. He was a hurting soul, and I felt that
I just kept telling him it was going to be okay.
I understood what he was going through, dealing with depression and feeling alone. I told him about my own struggles to let him know that he wasn't the only one.
You see, for about 35 40 minutes, Michael Brandon Hall was inside that school with an assault rifle and he did fire a few shots out the door towards police. But the more Antoinette talked to him, the more he began to calm down. She was able to get 911 on the phone and become an intermediary intermediary between him doing Michael and the police.
And after I'm sure what seemed like an eternity, Michael laid his rifle down and laid that on the ground and surrendered himself to police.
You see, the things that she had been through in her life, even though I'm sure, you know, maybe when this first started, she's thinking, of all, of all things that's been going on in my life today, we've got to deal with this, right? You imagine. But all those hardships she went through in her life. Allowed her to build a bridge to a soul that was hurting.
And because of that bridge, she was able to stop an unspeakable evil.
I don't know why good people have to suffer. I wish that you didn't have to suffer. I, I wish that you never had to feel any pain, but I, I just know, I know that you will. I know that if you haven't been through it yet, that you will. I mean, the last few days have just reminded me over and over again. I went to the which Spring Hill Tennessee yesterday and went and said goodbye to a christian sister who left three daughters and a husband.
Her husband was a is a preacher there and a mentor of mine and they're hurting. There are people who are dealing with sickness. They can't diagnose it. They don't know what's going on. We've heard the cancer word far too much here lately. Why do these things have to happen to good people?
I mean, I know the answer. I know the answer. We live in a fallen and broken world. I get it. But if you're like me, even if your mind knows the answer when it's When it's you that's hurting, when it's your loved one that's hurting, your, your heart don't want to buy it. That's just not good enough. It's not good enough.
So what do you do? How do you, how do you struggle? How do you, how do you hang on? I want to try to maybe answer that question this morning by looking at one of the most stressful pieces of scripture that I can imagine. And when I say stressful, what I mean by that is We're going to try to put ourselves in the place of those that were going through these things and And I think For the apostles and for Jesus, this is one of the most stressful Pieces of scripture that there is But I also know I also know that in those pages In this book My time The God has given us all things pertaining to life and godliness or things that can that can help us when we're the ones struggling when we're the ones sorrow.
So if you got your bibles, go with me. Go into john 16. I know I got john 14 on the screen. I'm gonna get there in just a minute, but we're gonna go toe pull the lesson this morning out of john 16. You john 13 to 17 is is To me one of the most stressful parts of the scriptures because if you imagine the Apostles and Jesus going through this moment This is right before Jesus is about to be arrested and carried off and sent to the cross In John chapter 13 Jesus begins there by washing the Apostles feet and you know what?
They don't get it Peter bless his heart. He says you're not washing my feet Yes, Peter, I've got to wash your feet. Okay. Well what give me a bath in wash all of me No, honey, you don't get it. I'm just just let me wash your feet. He watches their feet. Then he tells them, well, somebody's gonna betray me. What do you hang on a minute?
We're just trying to absorb this, this feet washing lesson. And now somebody's gonna betray you. What do you mean? Is it me? Is it me? The room is just a buzz with activity. Then he says the new commandment I give you that you love one another's. I've loved you. What do you mean? Hang on a minute. You want us to love everybody.
What about the guy that's gonna betray you? I don't want to love him. And then Peter and his betrayal. I mean, it is an emotionally charged moment. And that's why John 14 1 Jesus tells him, Let not your hearts be trouble. Believe in God. Believe also, believe also in me. Why did he tell him? Let not your hearts be troubled because their hearts were troubled.
That's why he told him that
you see Jesus here at the last hour is trying to pour into them everything that he can, all the last little lessons and teachings, and we're going to pick up in the middle of Chapter 16 in just a moment, but I need you to see what it is that Jesus says they're going to deal with. Verse 20, truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice.
You will be sorrowful. You see, the greater context here of John chapter 16, where we're going to start reading, is Jesus going to talk to them about how they're going to feel when he dies. What are you going to go through emotionally? Will you watch me be crucified on the cross? Rocky. He's he's the one about to have to go the cross.
And yet here he is. And he's trying to help them make it through this this situation they're gonna have to watch. How do you deal with sorrow? I think there's several things here in john 16. That's gonna first of all, show us why sorrow hurts so much. But then again, at the same time shows us Maybe some things that we can do to help us when we're in those struggles ourselves.
So we're going to start in verse 16. Now, in John, all throughout this passage, one of the, one of the great things that Jesus is going to talk about over and over again is prayer. He's going to talk about the Holy Spirit. He's going to talk about the Father. This is a great study. And please, this morning, we're just going to We're just looking at one sliver of this whole entire section.
There's so many wonderful things here to study. Go back and study this song. I mean, you can find great lessons on the Holy Spirit here. So many things, but I, I feel bad this morning. I'm gonna have to step over some, some big points to, to get to this point. But, um, I just want you to understand how powerful this is, but we're going to start in verse 16.
Jesus says a little while and you will see me no longer. And again, a little while and you will see me. Some of his disciples said to one another, what is this that he says to us a little while and you will see me, you will not see me a little while and you will see me and because I'm going to the father.
So they were saying, what does he mean by a little while we do not know what he is talking about? You're being confused. You're not understood. A lot of times what makes sorrow so painful is you don't understand. Why me? Why now? What's what's this gonna? What's this gonna change in my life? What's it mean for them?
What's it mean for for us? There's just a not knowing. Well, absolutely kill you on it. You got to wait on the test results. You gotta go get a scan. And then they say, well, the results will be ready in five days. I mean, they could say they'll be ready in 30 minutes and you don't want them in 30 minutes, right?
You want them right now. The confusion makes sorrow so painful. But when you think about how to fight against that, we were not team. Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him. So he said to them, Is this what you were asking yourselves? What I meant by saying a little while and you will not see me and again a little while and you will see me.
You got to understand that Jesus knows God knows what you're going through. God knows the struggle that you're setting in. Right. Romans chapter eight tells us that nothing can separate him and us from from his love. Jesus knows what you're going through. Now. Maybe you can't get an answer right now.
Maybe, maybe it's not going to change anything about your search of circumstances or situations. Maybe you can't change anything, but you can take rest and comfort in the fact that Jesus knows he knows what you're going through. He knows the answer of the test. He knows what is going to change about your life.
He knows how this is going to play out to the very end. He knows every bit of that. And even if you can't know all the answers, you can know the one who knows all the answers. If you focus on that, that could be a real help and a comfort. I told the story before, and I don't want to tell it again. It's entirety.
But when Gavin was in the hospital, I had to leave Annetta and him in the hospital. And I remember just being distraught. They didn't have any idea what was wrong. And I'm like, God knows what's wrong with this child. That's got to be good enough for today. Sometimes the only comfort you can take is the fact that God knows.
Don't let go of that fact. Don't forget that in the moment. He knows now the other thing that's so hard often is when we're the ones struggling with other ones in sorrow is our world might blow up. Our world may be torn apart. But the world just keeps on turning, doesn't it? True, the truth I'll say to you, you will reap, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice.
You're going to be so distraught over the fact that Jesus been crucified and there's going to be those that are celebrating the very fact that you're distraught over. Your life is going to come to a screeching halt and yet there's going to be so many people around you that just, just another Tuesday.
But it's going about their life. And maybe you look at them and you resent that fact. Or maybe you look at them and you're jealous. It's part of what makes sorrow so hard is that the world has to keep on turning. It just won't stop for you and your situation, even though you want it to. But that's one of the best words in the English language in it.
But but verse 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. You got to understand that for the Christian, now I'm going to qualify that statement with if, for the Christian, sorrow will always turn into joy. I don't know the timeline of when that'll happen.
I don't know when, if it'll even be in this lifetime. But for the Christian, when they get to go home, when they get to go to their father, when he wipes away every tear, when he makes everything new, your sorrow will be turned to joy. You can write it down. You can take it to the bank. And it's hard because, you go on with this, the part of this that makes it so hard when you're the one in the midst of the sorrow is the time factor.
Verse 21. When a woman, when a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come. But when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish for the joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now. But I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice.
And no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of me. You see? They're gonna watch Jesus be crucified. They're gonna watch him hang there and struggle to breathe, and they're gonna watch him die, and they're gonna go through three days, three days, even though Jesus told him, here's what's gonna happen.
I'm gonna die. I'm gonna be raised again, right? But still, they're going through it. They're the ones feeling these emotions. How long did those three days seem to them? Probably like a lifetime. That 30 minutes in that office with that gunman, I'm sure felt like a lifetime. That's the problem with sorrow is if it's if it's a day or 10 years, it feels like a lifetime, but it's not a lifetime.
It's not eternity. Sorrow can be turned into joy. And for the Christian, it will be. If not in this life, then in the next, you just write it down. Course, prayer is a big part of this. Right? Look at verse 23. In that day, you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the father in my name, he will give it to you.
Until now, you've asked nothing in my name. Ask and you receive that your joy may be full. The word ask here is used in two different senses, and it almost seems contradictory. That first to ask means to ask a question for information. Jesus says when you see me right, risen from the dead, you're not gonna have any more questions.
You're gonna understand what I said to you. You're gonna, you're gonna understand that I have overcome death. But see, the second asks in this passage are to make a request like for a prayer. You wanna know how to deal, how to help get through sorrow? You've got to pray. Amen. You've got to reach out. You've got to ask.
Sometimes you don't know what to ask. Well, there's a passage in Romans eight that talks about that, how the Holy Spirit can help us. But we have to reach out to God. We have to continue our prayer life and I get it. It is so it's so easy when we're the ones sorrow when we're the ones down in that pit.
Yeah, you know, I walked through the valley of the shadow death when you're in the bottom of that valley. You don't feel like maybe pray, but doesn't matter what you feel like it or not, because you need it. You absolutely need God and you need to pray. You need to not forget that he's God, that he's sitting on his throne, that he loves you.
Pour out your pour out your petitions. Pour out your feelings. If you're mad at God, tell him you're mad at him. He's a big boy. He can take it. You can He already knows. And that helps you get those things out. Quite oftentimes, you've got that best friend, right? That you can call when something's going on, and they'll listen to you just being and blabber over 30 minutes and you get on.
They say, Thank you. You hang up a phone ain't done a thing, but listen to you and let you get it out. What do you think prayer can do? We have to pray along with that. Maybe this Shouldn't have to be said but God's Word I've said these things to you in figures of speech the hours coming when I'll no longer speak to you in figure speech But I will tell you plainly about the father Now I know he's talking to them and he's in a specific situation, but we have been told plainly about the father This book contains everything we need for life and godliness And you know what?
Maybe when you're sorrowing you don't feel like okay today's Bible study the old Acts chapter 1 Maybe you need some help. Maybe you need to get out with a good, faithful Christian brother or sister and say, Can we can we sit down and study? Can we get in the word? Because I tell you what this book is medicine for the soul.
Maybe you need a little help. Sometimes that's okay. Do that. Make a call. Reach out. But we we've been told we've been told plainly about the father about his love for us. And you don't think his heart breaks when our heart breaks, you know, like he doesn't feel for us. Yes, he does. Listen to him. Listen to him.
First, 26 28. In that day, you will ask him my name and I do not say that that I will ask the father on your behalf. Jesus says, I'm not gonna have to be the intermediary for you and your prayers. What? Because for the father loves you Because you have loved me and have believed that I've come from God I came from the father and I have come into the world and now I'm leaving the world and going to the father in The Old Testament days if you needed a prayer sent to God you had to go to a priest To have that done.
You have a direct connection with God He loves you Don't forget that Don't forget to take advantage of it. And I know it's easy to forget It's like having the best tool in the world and forgetting to pick it up. I need to take your screw out and I've got the best screwdriver in the world over here in the toolbox.
And what am I gonna do? Let's go get a hammer. No, I need to go get I need to go get the tool that works. I need to pray. I have a direct connection. Another thing when we're in sorrow 29 32 His disciples said it down. You were speaking plainly and not figurative speech. Now we know that you know all things and you do not need anyone to question you.
This is why we believe that you come from God and Jesus answered. Do you now believe behold, the hours coming indeed has come when you will be scattered each to his own home and will leave me alone. Yet I'm not alone for the father's with me. You can't be overconfident. Sometimes we get in the middle situation like I got this.
I got it all handled, took care of. No, no, we don't. They thought they had it all handled, took care of too. If I if I can do it all by myself, I don't need God and I can't do it all by myself. I got every day and you do too. And it's easy to think, well, I'm just gonna take care of it. I'm gonna handle it. I'm not gonna bother God.
I'm not gonna talk to him about it. You know, he's got other things. No, can't be overconfident. And lastly, if you don't hear anything else I say today, this is the point. This right here. This is the whole reason. This is where I started this lesson. That's what I've been trying to get through the whole entire time.
When you sorrow, do this right here. Jesus said, I have said, These things to you that in me, you may have peace in the world. You'll have tribulation, but take heart. I have overcome the world. I want you to think about that phrase. Take heart. Why didn't he say have heart? Why did he say take heart? If I tell you to go to my house and and take something off the shelf, what do you do?
You gotta go get it. You know what? Sometimes in life we, we get down and out and we're sorrowful and we don't feel like, we don't feel like taking heart. I just want to sit here and wallow and I, and he says, you've got to take heart. We live in the world that is in the midst of a spiritual battle. And I tell you what, sometimes you've got to fight to take back your heart.
I don't know what you need to do. You may need to go out in the backyard and scream at the devil and then go pray. I, I don't know what you've got to do. Maybe you've got to call somebody and say, I'm struggling, I'm hurting. I don't know what you've got to do, but you have got to take heart. And you can take it, why?
Because he's overcome the world. He's overcome anxiety and depression. He's overcome cancer. He's overcome everything that we struggle with. And ever and ever will struggle with.
You're gonna have peace not in this world. Don't you think it's gonna feel all fine and fuzzy and warm and you're gonna have tribulation in the world. But in Jesus, you can have peace if you'll take heart. You gotta have some active participation in this. You gotta let somebody know when you're struggling, when you're hurting, you gotta reach out.
You gotta take it. Because if you don't, if you just sit down and don't do anything, Satan's gonna try to take it away. Let's tell you, we live in the midst of a spiritual war and it's not fought on a battlefield. It's fought right up in here to your ears. Most time that's where it's fighting. You've got to take heart.
He overcome the world. They threw everything they could in him with that cross. They beat his flesh off his back. They tried to take his life. And you know what? They couldn't take it. He gave it. He gave it up. He let himself die in three days. He was raised again. Take heart. He has overcome the world.
So wrap up today. I don't I don't know much else what to say. I think there's a a good, a good verse here in verse one. Jesus tells them, I've said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. Why do you need to take heart? Why do you need to pray? Why do you need to focus on the father? Why you need?
Because Jesus doesn't want you to fall away. He cares about you. He loves you. And yes, this world is going to bring all kinds of relations. all kind of trials, all kind of sorrows, but you don't give up. You don't quit. You take heart. I don't know what you're going through today. I don't struggle with. You may need some help taking heart.
You know what? That's fine. We all need help time to time, but help is here. God loves you. His people loves you. If we can help you in any way, would you come? Yeah.
Transcript:
Have you ever had a hard day?
October the 20th of 2013 was a hard day for a a Decatur, Georgia native named Antoinette Tuff. Turns out she was going to be named pretty correctly, or the last name at least. Before we talk about October the 20th, I need to tell you about all the days that kind of led up to that. You see, October the 20th 2013 was gonna made was gonna be made harder and better because of all the hard days that Miss Antoinette had been struggling with up to that point.
She had a child with several, several development, developmental problems and several health problems that went, went along with that. And they had struggled for years. through all the health struggles that went along with that. Then, right before this day in 2013, when she went to work, her marriage had fell apart and her husband left after 33 years of marriage.
She was left with a home and with a child to take care of. And on top of everything else, with only one income, She was several months behind on the mortgage payments. She was worried that she was going to lose her home and didn't know what was going to happen. All of those things were swirling around in her mind as she stepped into her office at, at a, um, a school there in Decatur, Georgia.
Had about 800 students in it that morning. But that morning, a man named Michael Brandon Hall Stepped into that school with an AK 47 and enough ammunition to change the community forever.
But on that day, there would be no school shooting. On that day, there would be no loss of life because it's Mr Brandon walked into the school with his rifle ready to do an evil, horrible and atrocious thing. The first thing he did is he went to the office. And there he come into contact with Antoinette.
And Antoinette did something that was incredibly brave. Some might have thought it was foolish. But she began to talk to Michael. And I want you to hear her own words. About this young man who, who was coming to do something evil. Listen to what she said. Okay? I could see the pain on his face. He was a hurting soul, and I felt that
I just kept telling him it was going to be okay.
I understood what he was going through, dealing with depression and feeling alone. I told him about my own struggles to let him know that he wasn't the only one.
You see, for about 35 40 minutes, Michael Brandon Hall was inside that school with an assault rifle and he did fire a few shots out the door towards police. But the more Antoinette talked to him, the more he began to calm down. She was able to get 911 on the phone and become an intermediary intermediary between him doing Michael and the police.
And after I'm sure what seemed like an eternity, Michael laid his rifle down and laid that on the ground and surrendered himself to police.
You see, the things that she had been through in her life, even though I'm sure, you know, maybe when this first started, she's thinking, of all, of all things that's been going on in my life today, we've got to deal with this, right? You imagine. But all those hardships she went through in her life. Allowed her to build a bridge to a soul that was hurting.
And because of that bridge, she was able to stop an unspeakable evil.
I don't know why good people have to suffer. I wish that you didn't have to suffer. I, I wish that you never had to feel any pain, but I, I just know, I know that you will. I know that if you haven't been through it yet, that you will. I mean, the last few days have just reminded me over and over again. I went to the which Spring Hill Tennessee yesterday and went and said goodbye to a christian sister who left three daughters and a husband.
Her husband was a is a preacher there and a mentor of mine and they're hurting. There are people who are dealing with sickness. They can't diagnose it. They don't know what's going on. We've heard the cancer word far too much here lately. Why do these things have to happen to good people?
I mean, I know the answer. I know the answer. We live in a fallen and broken world. I get it. But if you're like me, even if your mind knows the answer when it's When it's you that's hurting, when it's your loved one that's hurting, your, your heart don't want to buy it. That's just not good enough. It's not good enough.
So what do you do? How do you, how do you struggle? How do you, how do you hang on? I want to try to maybe answer that question this morning by looking at one of the most stressful pieces of scripture that I can imagine. And when I say stressful, what I mean by that is We're going to try to put ourselves in the place of those that were going through these things and And I think For the apostles and for Jesus, this is one of the most stressful Pieces of scripture that there is But I also know I also know that in those pages In this book My time The God has given us all things pertaining to life and godliness or things that can that can help us when we're the ones struggling when we're the ones sorrow.
So if you got your bibles, go with me. Go into john 16. I know I got john 14 on the screen. I'm gonna get there in just a minute, but we're gonna go toe pull the lesson this morning out of john 16. You john 13 to 17 is is To me one of the most stressful parts of the scriptures because if you imagine the Apostles and Jesus going through this moment This is right before Jesus is about to be arrested and carried off and sent to the cross In John chapter 13 Jesus begins there by washing the Apostles feet and you know what?
They don't get it Peter bless his heart. He says you're not washing my feet Yes, Peter, I've got to wash your feet. Okay. Well what give me a bath in wash all of me No, honey, you don't get it. I'm just just let me wash your feet. He watches their feet. Then he tells them, well, somebody's gonna betray me. What do you hang on a minute?
We're just trying to absorb this, this feet washing lesson. And now somebody's gonna betray you. What do you mean? Is it me? Is it me? The room is just a buzz with activity. Then he says the new commandment I give you that you love one another's. I've loved you. What do you mean? Hang on a minute. You want us to love everybody.
What about the guy that's gonna betray you? I don't want to love him. And then Peter and his betrayal. I mean, it is an emotionally charged moment. And that's why John 14 1 Jesus tells him, Let not your hearts be trouble. Believe in God. Believe also, believe also in me. Why did he tell him? Let not your hearts be troubled because their hearts were troubled.
That's why he told him that
you see Jesus here at the last hour is trying to pour into them everything that he can, all the last little lessons and teachings, and we're going to pick up in the middle of Chapter 16 in just a moment, but I need you to see what it is that Jesus says they're going to deal with. Verse 20, truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice.
You will be sorrowful. You see, the greater context here of John chapter 16, where we're going to start reading, is Jesus going to talk to them about how they're going to feel when he dies. What are you going to go through emotionally? Will you watch me be crucified on the cross? Rocky. He's he's the one about to have to go the cross.
And yet here he is. And he's trying to help them make it through this this situation they're gonna have to watch. How do you deal with sorrow? I think there's several things here in john 16. That's gonna first of all, show us why sorrow hurts so much. But then again, at the same time shows us Maybe some things that we can do to help us when we're in those struggles ourselves.
So we're going to start in verse 16. Now, in John, all throughout this passage, one of the, one of the great things that Jesus is going to talk about over and over again is prayer. He's going to talk about the Holy Spirit. He's going to talk about the Father. This is a great study. And please, this morning, we're just going to We're just looking at one sliver of this whole entire section.
There's so many wonderful things here to study. Go back and study this song. I mean, you can find great lessons on the Holy Spirit here. So many things, but I, I feel bad this morning. I'm gonna have to step over some, some big points to, to get to this point. But, um, I just want you to understand how powerful this is, but we're going to start in verse 16.
Jesus says a little while and you will see me no longer. And again, a little while and you will see me. Some of his disciples said to one another, what is this that he says to us a little while and you will see me, you will not see me a little while and you will see me and because I'm going to the father.
So they were saying, what does he mean by a little while we do not know what he is talking about? You're being confused. You're not understood. A lot of times what makes sorrow so painful is you don't understand. Why me? Why now? What's what's this gonna? What's this gonna change in my life? What's it mean for them?
What's it mean for for us? There's just a not knowing. Well, absolutely kill you on it. You got to wait on the test results. You gotta go get a scan. And then they say, well, the results will be ready in five days. I mean, they could say they'll be ready in 30 minutes and you don't want them in 30 minutes, right?
You want them right now. The confusion makes sorrow so painful. But when you think about how to fight against that, we were not team. Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him. So he said to them, Is this what you were asking yourselves? What I meant by saying a little while and you will not see me and again a little while and you will see me.
You got to understand that Jesus knows God knows what you're going through. God knows the struggle that you're setting in. Right. Romans chapter eight tells us that nothing can separate him and us from from his love. Jesus knows what you're going through. Now. Maybe you can't get an answer right now.
Maybe, maybe it's not going to change anything about your search of circumstances or situations. Maybe you can't change anything, but you can take rest and comfort in the fact that Jesus knows he knows what you're going through. He knows the answer of the test. He knows what is going to change about your life.
He knows how this is going to play out to the very end. He knows every bit of that. And even if you can't know all the answers, you can know the one who knows all the answers. If you focus on that, that could be a real help and a comfort. I told the story before, and I don't want to tell it again. It's entirety.
But when Gavin was in the hospital, I had to leave Annetta and him in the hospital. And I remember just being distraught. They didn't have any idea what was wrong. And I'm like, God knows what's wrong with this child. That's got to be good enough for today. Sometimes the only comfort you can take is the fact that God knows.
Don't let go of that fact. Don't forget that in the moment. He knows now the other thing that's so hard often is when we're the ones struggling with other ones in sorrow is our world might blow up. Our world may be torn apart. But the world just keeps on turning, doesn't it? True, the truth I'll say to you, you will reap, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice.
You're going to be so distraught over the fact that Jesus been crucified and there's going to be those that are celebrating the very fact that you're distraught over. Your life is going to come to a screeching halt and yet there's going to be so many people around you that just, just another Tuesday.
But it's going about their life. And maybe you look at them and you resent that fact. Or maybe you look at them and you're jealous. It's part of what makes sorrow so hard is that the world has to keep on turning. It just won't stop for you and your situation, even though you want it to. But that's one of the best words in the English language in it.
But but verse 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. You got to understand that for the Christian, now I'm going to qualify that statement with if, for the Christian, sorrow will always turn into joy. I don't know the timeline of when that'll happen.
I don't know when, if it'll even be in this lifetime. But for the Christian, when they get to go home, when they get to go to their father, when he wipes away every tear, when he makes everything new, your sorrow will be turned to joy. You can write it down. You can take it to the bank. And it's hard because, you go on with this, the part of this that makes it so hard when you're the one in the midst of the sorrow is the time factor.
Verse 21. When a woman, when a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come. But when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish for the joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now. But I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice.
And no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of me. You see? They're gonna watch Jesus be crucified. They're gonna watch him hang there and struggle to breathe, and they're gonna watch him die, and they're gonna go through three days, three days, even though Jesus told him, here's what's gonna happen.
I'm gonna die. I'm gonna be raised again, right? But still, they're going through it. They're the ones feeling these emotions. How long did those three days seem to them? Probably like a lifetime. That 30 minutes in that office with that gunman, I'm sure felt like a lifetime. That's the problem with sorrow is if it's if it's a day or 10 years, it feels like a lifetime, but it's not a lifetime.
It's not eternity. Sorrow can be turned into joy. And for the Christian, it will be. If not in this life, then in the next, you just write it down. Course, prayer is a big part of this. Right? Look at verse 23. In that day, you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the father in my name, he will give it to you.
Until now, you've asked nothing in my name. Ask and you receive that your joy may be full. The word ask here is used in two different senses, and it almost seems contradictory. That first to ask means to ask a question for information. Jesus says when you see me right, risen from the dead, you're not gonna have any more questions.
You're gonna understand what I said to you. You're gonna, you're gonna understand that I have overcome death. But see, the second asks in this passage are to make a request like for a prayer. You wanna know how to deal, how to help get through sorrow? You've got to pray. Amen. You've got to reach out. You've got to ask.
Sometimes you don't know what to ask. Well, there's a passage in Romans eight that talks about that, how the Holy Spirit can help us. But we have to reach out to God. We have to continue our prayer life and I get it. It is so it's so easy when we're the ones sorrow when we're the ones down in that pit.
Yeah, you know, I walked through the valley of the shadow death when you're in the bottom of that valley. You don't feel like maybe pray, but doesn't matter what you feel like it or not, because you need it. You absolutely need God and you need to pray. You need to not forget that he's God, that he's sitting on his throne, that he loves you.
Pour out your pour out your petitions. Pour out your feelings. If you're mad at God, tell him you're mad at him. He's a big boy. He can take it. You can He already knows. And that helps you get those things out. Quite oftentimes, you've got that best friend, right? That you can call when something's going on, and they'll listen to you just being and blabber over 30 minutes and you get on.
They say, Thank you. You hang up a phone ain't done a thing, but listen to you and let you get it out. What do you think prayer can do? We have to pray along with that. Maybe this Shouldn't have to be said but God's Word I've said these things to you in figures of speech the hours coming when I'll no longer speak to you in figure speech But I will tell you plainly about the father Now I know he's talking to them and he's in a specific situation, but we have been told plainly about the father This book contains everything we need for life and godliness And you know what?
Maybe when you're sorrowing you don't feel like okay today's Bible study the old Acts chapter 1 Maybe you need some help. Maybe you need to get out with a good, faithful Christian brother or sister and say, Can we can we sit down and study? Can we get in the word? Because I tell you what this book is medicine for the soul.
Maybe you need a little help. Sometimes that's okay. Do that. Make a call. Reach out. But we we've been told we've been told plainly about the father about his love for us. And you don't think his heart breaks when our heart breaks, you know, like he doesn't feel for us. Yes, he does. Listen to him. Listen to him.
First, 26 28. In that day, you will ask him my name and I do not say that that I will ask the father on your behalf. Jesus says, I'm not gonna have to be the intermediary for you and your prayers. What? Because for the father loves you Because you have loved me and have believed that I've come from God I came from the father and I have come into the world and now I'm leaving the world and going to the father in The Old Testament days if you needed a prayer sent to God you had to go to a priest To have that done.
You have a direct connection with God He loves you Don't forget that Don't forget to take advantage of it. And I know it's easy to forget It's like having the best tool in the world and forgetting to pick it up. I need to take your screw out and I've got the best screwdriver in the world over here in the toolbox.
And what am I gonna do? Let's go get a hammer. No, I need to go get I need to go get the tool that works. I need to pray. I have a direct connection. Another thing when we're in sorrow 29 32 His disciples said it down. You were speaking plainly and not figurative speech. Now we know that you know all things and you do not need anyone to question you.
This is why we believe that you come from God and Jesus answered. Do you now believe behold, the hours coming indeed has come when you will be scattered each to his own home and will leave me alone. Yet I'm not alone for the father's with me. You can't be overconfident. Sometimes we get in the middle situation like I got this.
I got it all handled, took care of. No, no, we don't. They thought they had it all handled, took care of too. If I if I can do it all by myself, I don't need God and I can't do it all by myself. I got every day and you do too. And it's easy to think, well, I'm just gonna take care of it. I'm gonna handle it. I'm not gonna bother God.
I'm not gonna talk to him about it. You know, he's got other things. No, can't be overconfident. And lastly, if you don't hear anything else I say today, this is the point. This right here. This is the whole reason. This is where I started this lesson. That's what I've been trying to get through the whole entire time.
When you sorrow, do this right here. Jesus said, I have said, These things to you that in me, you may have peace in the world. You'll have tribulation, but take heart. I have overcome the world. I want you to think about that phrase. Take heart. Why didn't he say have heart? Why did he say take heart? If I tell you to go to my house and and take something off the shelf, what do you do?
You gotta go get it. You know what? Sometimes in life we, we get down and out and we're sorrowful and we don't feel like, we don't feel like taking heart. I just want to sit here and wallow and I, and he says, you've got to take heart. We live in the world that is in the midst of a spiritual battle. And I tell you what, sometimes you've got to fight to take back your heart.
I don't know what you need to do. You may need to go out in the backyard and scream at the devil and then go pray. I, I don't know what you've got to do. Maybe you've got to call somebody and say, I'm struggling, I'm hurting. I don't know what you've got to do, but you have got to take heart. And you can take it, why?
Because he's overcome the world. He's overcome anxiety and depression. He's overcome cancer. He's overcome everything that we struggle with. And ever and ever will struggle with.
You're gonna have peace not in this world. Don't you think it's gonna feel all fine and fuzzy and warm and you're gonna have tribulation in the world. But in Jesus, you can have peace if you'll take heart. You gotta have some active participation in this. You gotta let somebody know when you're struggling, when you're hurting, you gotta reach out.
You gotta take it. Because if you don't, if you just sit down and don't do anything, Satan's gonna try to take it away. Let's tell you, we live in the midst of a spiritual war and it's not fought on a battlefield. It's fought right up in here to your ears. Most time that's where it's fighting. You've got to take heart.
He overcome the world. They threw everything they could in him with that cross. They beat his flesh off his back. They tried to take his life. And you know what? They couldn't take it. He gave it. He gave it up. He let himself die in three days. He was raised again. Take heart. He has overcome the world.
So wrap up today. I don't I don't know much else what to say. I think there's a a good, a good verse here in verse one. Jesus tells them, I've said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. Why do you need to take heart? Why do you need to pray? Why do you need to focus on the father? Why you need?
Because Jesus doesn't want you to fall away. He cares about you. He loves you. And yes, this world is going to bring all kinds of relations. all kind of trials, all kind of sorrows, but you don't give up. You don't quit. You take heart. I don't know what you're going through today. I don't struggle with. You may need some help taking heart.
You know what? That's fine. We all need help time to time, but help is here. God loves you. His people loves you. If we can help you in any way, would you come? Yeah.
