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John 14:1-17

Let Not Your Heart be Troubled

  • Rich Jones
  • Weekend Messages
  • November 08, 2020

We understand what it means to have troubles, we live in a troubled world in a year that will live in infamy. In John 14:1-17, the disciples find themselves troubled over the news that Jesus will be leaving them soon and that they would all fall away that very night. But Jesus comforts them saying, “Do not let your heart be troubled.” He gives them the strength and faith to go through the troubles. These are the words we need to hear for our lives as well.

  • Sermon Notes
  • Scripture

Let Not Your Heart be Troubled
John 14:1-17
November 7-8, 2020

This year will live in the pages of history as a year of great troubles, although, when this year is ended it will not be the year of all years when it comes to trouble. Jesus said these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

In John 14, Jesus is in the upper room with His disciples. They’ve just had their last supper together and He is literally hours from being arrested, so these final words have great significance.

In the verses immediately before this, Jesus told them that He was about to be betrayed, that He would be with them only a little while longer, saying, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you shall follow later.”

This was disturbing to all of them. Peter said, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly I say to you, a cock will not crow, until you deny Me three times.”

Jesus was telling them that troubles were coming, troubles that would reach to the core of their faith. Which is why His next words were so important. “Let not your heart be troubled.” It’s interesting that He said, “Let not…” In other words, do not allow your heart to be troubled. It’s a directive, a command, you might say, of the Lord. “Make sure this, watch over your heart, do not let it be troubled…”

When the soul is disturbed, faith can be shaken. We need peace in the soul, and we need faith strengthened. It reminds me of the words of David when his soul was disturbed within him…

Psalm 42:11, Why so downcast, O my soul? Why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and by God.

God doesn’t want your heart troubled within you. He’s giving you and me the same directive, “See to it that you don’t allow your heart to be troubled.” A troubled heart is anxious and in distress, there’s a lack of peace, there’s anxiety and worry and fear. These are the things that will defeat and shipwreck your faith if you allow them to remain in your heart.

We understand what it means to have troubles, we live in a troubled world in a year that will live in infamy. When this pandemic started, we were told that the shutdown would last a couple months. Now, 9 months later, it’s getting worse. Many people lost their jobs. Then we had an election that was disturbing and unsettling for many.

Being cooped up and in quarantine caused many relational troubles. For others it could be physical troubles, you have symptoms and don’t know what it could mean and you’re afraid to go to the doctor. Or maybe you have been to the doctor but didn’t like what he said. For others it’s marital troubles. You can’t communicate and you’ve had the same argument for the last 16 years, or maybe it’s become routine, and you were hoping for romance. For others it’s their job. They can’t find value in what they do, or there are troubles with their manager or workers around them.

Jesus understands, but these are earthly troubles with earthly experiences. Look at the disciples at this very point, Jesus just told them troubling things and of course we understand that just a few hours later they will be thrown into a sea of troubles that would shake them to the very core of their being. Their world is literally about to turn upside down.

Jesus just told them there was a betrayer in their midst and they didn’t know who it was. Judas Iscariot had just left them, but they thought it was to do an errand. Jesus also just said that He was leaving them and that they couldn’t follow. Earlier He had told them that he would be handed over to His enemies, that He would suffer many things and be killed.

Even the bold Peter was being shaken. Clearly, he was in the trusted inner circle, but now Jesus said that even Peter would betray Him. In fact, Jesus said that they would all fall away that very night. They had every reason to be troubled.

These words of Jesus are compelling, “Do not let your heart be troubled.” But then He gives them the strength and faith to go through the troubles. These are the words we need for our lives as well.

I. Faith is the Answer to a Troubled Heart

  • After telling them to not let their heart be troubled, Jesus then said, “Believe in God, believe also in Me.”
  • In other words, faith is the answer to a troubled heart. Faith is the answer to fear.
  • They believed in God, that’s good. Now they need to believe in Jesus, even though He will leave them.
  • How should they believe? He said He was going to prepare a place for them and come again to receive them to Himself. He also said that He would send another Helper, the Spirit of truth.
  • Jesus is strengthening their faith by speaking the truth that will transform their fear, their troubled hearts into faith and peace.

John 14:27-28, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

A. We need a heavenly perspective

  • People have troubled hearts when they don’t know what to do, they don’t know how bad things might get and so they react as if the worst possible thing will come true.
  • Faith changes our perspective. “You believe in God, believe also in Me,” Jesus said, and then in another place, “I will never leave you nor forsake you, I will be with you even to the end of the age.”
  • We need God’s perspective in times of trouble.

2 Corinthians 10:7, You are looking at things as they are outwardly.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5, For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

  • Take every fearful thought captive, take every defeated thought captive. That’s a great word to strengthen faith. You must speak to your own self-doubt and fear. Give fear an answer!
  • There is a spiritual solution, the weapons we use, however, are not of this world, they are not of the flesh, but are divinely powerful.

Illus – A tool belt is an excellent illustration. You don’t put on a tool belt to look manly. You understand how the tools work, and then you use them to address the problems and difficulties you face.

  • You feel helpless when you’re ill-equipped; there’s nothing you can do about it, you think, so you walk away or get angry, but getting angry is not God’s solution, it only makes it worse.

James 1:19-20 Be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

B. Jesus is the way

  • One of the most famous things Jesus taught is found in verse 6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.”
  • He is the way to the Father. We can now have relationship to God as our Father because of the forgiveness of sin made possible by the blood of Jesus.
  • But He also walks with us on the path of this life giving you what you need to not be troubled of heart and have the peace that comes from faith.

Illus – I could give you directions to somewhere, or I could give you a map, but the best way is if I take you there myself, if I go with you. That’s the point Jesus is making, “I’ll take you there. Stay close to me,” He was saying.

  • Now that I’ve lived a few years, I look back and see the hand of God moving. That strengthens faith so you will know that He still walks with you now.
  • Jesus said He is the way to the Father, and He will walk with you until you get there.

Illus – I can see the hand of God moving through so many events, even in some of the hard things. He was preparing me to serve by growing up poor, working on a farm, being a janitor, cleaning toilets, washing dishes in the restaurant, serving tables, etc., how God brought my wife into my life, getting to serve in ministry, paying for Bible school, and so much more.

Psalm 37:23, 31, The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way… The word of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.

II. God Loves to Help You

  • Jesus said that He is the way, the truth, and the life; and that no one comes to the Father, but through Him, He then explains the significance of what it means to come to the Father.
  • First, He explains that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him. That relationship explains all the marvelous things that Jesus demonstrated in His life and ministry, but then He includes us in that relationship as well.
  • What a powerful answer for a troubled heart. Their world is about to be turned upside down, but if they would take hold of what Jesus is saying, and walk in faith, God will turn their world around.
  • People often settle for far less than God’s best because they won’t take hold of what God asks them to do. Jesus said in verse 15, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
  • He knows we live in a world filled with troubles, but God is equipping us so we can be victorious.

A. Pray to your Father

  • In verses 13-14 Jesus taught about the significance of praying, of asking in His name. Never discount the significance of your prayers.
  • Although some misinterpret these verses and use them to suggest that you can use God’s power to do anything you want. That’s not what He means.
  • Jesus said the Father abiding in Him does His works. That’s the point, it’s what God wants to do through you; and what does God want to do? Speak words of life and bring people into a living relationship to God.

James 4:2-3, You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

Illus – I was on the phone with someone who was helping me with something technical and I said, “I’m glad you’re there.” He responded, “I’ll be here unless I win the lottery, then I’ll spend the rest of my life playing golf.” What an opportunity that was. Here I was talking with technical support and then a door opens to talk about the meaning of life.

  • Some people get hung up on the phrase “greater works than these shall he do.” This is often used by those who focus on signs, miracles, and wonders to justify making these things the main point.
  • But do you know anyone who walks on water, or calms raging storms immediately by giving a command, or raises people after they are dead four days, or resurrected themselves after three days? If not, perhaps Jesus meant something else.
  • God’s heart is to take the gospel to the ends of the earth and to reconcile people to Himself. That’s what God is doing now. Do I believe that God heals people today? Absolutely. Pray, ask, seek, knock.

Luke 11:9-10, 13, “I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you, seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he was seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.… If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

B. He gives the Spirit of truth

  • Jesus said that the Father will give another Helper, that is, the Spirit of truth.
  • You live in a world of troubles? God will send a Helper. There’s much to say about the Holy Spirit, but it’s interesting that Jesus said that He is the Spirit of truth.
  • To be victorious in a world of troubles, we need more than a set of truths, we need to be true. There’s a great difference. Truths are something you can know and understand, but to become true is a condition of the heart.

Luke 6:45, “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.”

  • When your heart is true you speak truth.

Illus – I don’t often quote from Psychology Today, but they had an interesting article about how often people lie in their daily lives. There was a survey where people were asked how many lies they had told in the past 24 hours. The average number of lies told per day was 1.65. They concluded that most participants were lying about the extent of their lying.

Illus – Do Christians lie? Well, not deceitful, demonic, pit of hell kinds of lies, at least we should hope not, no, they tell kindhearted lies; “I’ll pray for you,” or “How’re you doing?”, “I’m fine,” or “You look great, that outfit fits you perfectly.”

  • The Spirit of truth is sent by God to help us, first, by moving us to live in the truth. Jesus said it’s the truth that will set you free. Secondly, the Spirit of truth teaches us what’s right and leads us where God wants us to go.

John 16:8, 13, “When He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment… When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth.”

  • Sometimes people say, “I’m struggling with this or that.” Why are they struggling? Because it’s wrong, it’s poison to the soul, and the Spirit is wrestling.
  • Jesus also spoke of love for Him. “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” This is how to be victorious in a troubled world.
  • The Father loves you, but when you move away from His love, instead of the conviction of the Holy Spirit, you experience the condemnation of the enemy. Apply these things and be victorious.

John 14:1-17     NASB

1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 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. 4 And you know the way where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
 
7 If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” 8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. 12 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. 15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
 
16 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
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