Peace For Troubled Hearts

Introduction

John the 14th chapter. It’s good to see those who have been able to come back to worship tonight as we come together to praise our God, to magnify his name, and to study a portion of his word. We do have some visitors, and so for your benefit, just to let you know what we’re doing. On Sunday evenings, we’ve been looking at a passage from our weekly Bible reading in this past week. You should have been reading John chapter 11 through John chapter 15. And I tell you, it was tempting. Day one, read John chapter 11 and the case in which Jesus raised Lazarus. That’ll preach, as they put it. It was tempting just to say, well, we’ve got a sermon right there. We can just go with John chapter 11, and it would have been fine, I have no doubt.

But in reading through the week, when I came to John the 14th chapter, and certainly there’s some passages out of John 14 that we look at many times. But I won’t look at the chapter as a whole. We read beginning in the first verse of John chapter 14, where Jesus says, Do not let your heart be troubled. Now we will typically go on from there and to read uh the first six verses especially about Jesus preparing a place for them and how he was the way to the Father. And truly that is the answer for a troubled heart. But I want you to note what we read later in the chapter, and in verse 27. We’ve read in verse 1, Jesus said, Let not your heart be troubled.

You come down to verse 27, which is toward the end of the chapter, and this is one of the occasions where a chapter does make a pretty good breaking point. Again, the chapters and the verses were inserted at a later time, but you see at the end of chapter 14 where he says, Get up, let us go from here. And so as Jesus had been discussing these things with his disciples in the upper room after having uh uh partaken of the Passover, Jesus instituting the Lord’s Supper, he has been talking to them. He’s given this wonderful example back in the 13th chapter of humility and service. And so he’s been talking to them about many things. He’ll continue talking to them in the 15th chapter, but at least in that case, uh a change of scenery has taken place, a new scene, a new set.

And so Jesus is completing some ideas here in the 14th chapter. Well, look at verse 27. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you, but I’m sorry. Let’s just read that over. 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. I leave my peace with you, Jesus says. And so don’t let your heart be troubled, don’t be fearful. You see, you have bookends there. Verse 1, let not your heart be troubled. Verse 27, at the conclusion of some things that Jesus has to say, he can now say, My peace I leave with you.

Therefore, don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful. What we have in between are reasons why we ought not to be troubled. Now, to be fair with the context, there’s a certain reason as to why Jesus’ disciples were troubled on this occasion to begin with. You go back to the 13th chapter, and notice what he says in verses 33 and verse 36 in particular. Something that Jesus had been saying to his disciples. Little children, verse 33, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek me, and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, where I am going, you cannot come. That’s the source of their trouble. They have seen Jesus as the chosen one. They have confessed Jesus as the Christ.

They have seen Jesus enter into Jerusalem with the Hosanna’s on the lips of the people and crying out, truly, this must be the Son of David. And their hopes and their heart are set on him too. And here’s Jesus saying, I’m about to leave you. I’m not here in Jerusalem to set up a kingdom. I’m not here to be to be heralded and proclaimed earthly king. I’m not here to overthrow the Romans. I’m going to leave you. And not only am I going to leave you, but right now you can’t come where I am. Later on, Peter says in verse 36, Lord, where are you going? And Jesus answered, Where I go, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow later. And this sets the stage in John’s account for Jesus’, I’m sorry, Peter’s statement that, Lord, why can I not follow you right now?

I will lay down my life for you. And Jesus foretelling that Peter will indeed deny him three times. But you see there on the lips of Peter the concern of the disciples. Where are you going? Why can’t we follow you? You can’t follow me now. You will follow me later, though. That’s the case of their trouble here. And so chapter 14 fits a context of why they were troubled and how Jesus seeks to give them peace. Certainly, our troubles in life are not the exact same ones as the disciples, the apostles here. We have not been in the physical presence of Jesus. We have not seen him depart from us, and certainly not in the means of which Jesus would do. When we read about Jesus leaving the disciples in the book of John, he’s not just talking about the glorious ascension.

He’s talking about the crucifixion as well. The crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus all kind of being taken in one part of his leaving them. That would be very troubling to them. But certainly we recognize that we have many troubles in this life. We are troubled by economic circumstances. We are troubled by political circumstances. We are troubled by the moral decline in which we see in society. We are troubled by physical ailments. We are troubled by spiritual concerns and emotional failures. We are troubled by many, many things.

Even the peace that Jesus promised to leave with his apostles.

Six things that Jesus said to his apostles on this occasion that was meant to give them peace, to ease their minds so that they would not be troubled.

1. I Go to Prepare a Place; I Am the Way

As he says there, beginning in verse 1, do not let your heart be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. Your translation may read there, you believe in God, so believe also in me, and I think that’s the right idea here. You already believe in the Father, you trust in him, and so you need to have that kind of faith, that kind of trust in me. Well, why? 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. 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. And you know the way where I am going.

In my father’s house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you. You see right there how Jesus is seeking to ease their minds. I am leaving, he’s already said. Where I’m going, you cannot follow. And so they’re troubled. But where is he going? He’s going back to the Father. He’s going to prepare a place. We’ll talk about preparing here in just a minute. If you’re reading from the King James, of course, it will read or translate here there are many mansions. Now that is a translation that dates back really all the way back to Erasmus. The idea of mansions of that time is not what you and I typically think of mansion. We think of mansion, we think of, well, uh, that’s something that the Orlando Magic basketball players live in over in a side of town that I can’t afford.

You know, this is a palatial estate. No. It’s that idea of a dwelling place. The emphasis is not on, oh, look at the glory and the grandeur and the living arrangements that God’s made for me. No, it’s a dwelling place with God. That is the glory and the grandeur. You’ll be with God. There’s a dwelling place in the Father’s house. But you’ll note what Jesus emphasizes in that. In my Father’s house are two dwelling places. Three.

You know, I’ve got uh, well, by this time, Jesus is talking to eleven apostles. You know, I’ve got ten dwelling places, so ten of you are going to make it, and the other one, well, you know, you guys better really shape up because you’re in a competition here. No, there are many dwelling places. There are enough dwelling places in the Father’s house that whosoever will come, you will have a place in my Father’s home. I go to prepare a place for you. What does that mean? Was heaven non existent? If my idea of heaven is the right one, and I think it is, or else I wouldn’t hold to it, heaven is simply the idea of being where God is. Okay, so God has always been, and so heaven has always been there.

So why does it mean that Jesus is preparing a place? Go back with me a few earlier passages out of John. Go back to the third chapter in Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus. You have in the book of John a few times where Jesus talks about being lifted up.

But in that lifting up, and that’s again this idea of the crucifixion, resurrection, and then ascension all being kind of combined in one, that lifting up, he is going to the Father. John chapter 3 and verse 14. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whoever believes will in him have eternal life. Certainly we see in that the crucifixion. The serpent in the wilderness was lifted up, I too am going to be lifted up. So we even get that visual imagery of Jesus suspended in the air on a cross. Why? So that whoever believes in me may have eternal life. Now skip over, if you would, to the twelfth chapter. And this is just two of the occasions where you read about this idea of being lifted up.

John chapter twelve and verse thirty one and 32. Now judgment is upon this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself. Now we can certainly see again the idea of the crucifixion, but well, when was it that all men were really drawn to Jesus? It wasn’t just at the cross, it was after Jesus ascended into heaven in the giving of the Holy Spirit. And in fact, you read further down, verse 34, the crowd answered, We have heard out of the law that the Christ is to remain forever. How can you say the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is the Son of Man? Jesus said to them, For a little while longer, the light is among you.

Walk while you had the light, so that darkness will not overtake you. He who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the light, believe in the light, so you may become sons of light. Why was the light only going to be there a little while longer? Because the light was going back to the Father. How did Jesus prepare the many dwelling places? He provided the way. That’s how he prepared the dwelling places. God’s abode has always been there. To be in the presence of God, well, God’s always been. But man could not be in the presence of God because of man’s sin. And so Jesus, in being lifted up, and then ultimately going back to the Father, what did he do?

He prepared the way. The places, the dwelling places of God are now prepared. And that actually brings us then to the idea of his coming back. You know, I’ll return again, receive into myself. Then he says, and you know the way. Of course, Thomas is the one that asks, we do not know where you’re going. How can we know the way? I am the way, the truth, and the life, Jesus says, no one comes to the Father except through me. You see again that idea of this is the preparation. You can’t come to the Father unless you come through me. I’ll get those in a minute. I’m the way. So here’s the comfort for your troubled heart. Here’s why I’m leaving you. I’m preparing the way.

2. He Who Has Seen Me Has Seen the Father

I’m making the preparations for the many dwelling places in my Father’s house. And I’m going to return and receive you to myself. I am the way. Okay, now he has said there, no one comes to the Father except through me, which then brings us to verse 7. Here’s our second way in which our Lord sought to comfort their troubled hearts. If you had known me, if you had known me, they’ve been living with Jesus for close to three years now. They’ve confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Peter’s already said, I’ll die for you. If you had known me, certainly we understand when we read the gospel accounts that they did not fully know Jesus. They did not truly appreciate who he was, in spite of all the things that he said and all the works that he did.

So he says, If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on, you know him and have seen him. And here’s where Philip said, Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us. And so what does Jesus respond? Oh, Philip. Philip, Philip, Philip, Philip. I’m paraphrasing here, you understand. How could you have been with me and not known? What does he say? He who has seen me, verse 9, has seen the Father. How can you say, show us the Father? 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.

Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me. Otherwise, believe because of the works themselves. How is Jesus seeking to comfort their troubled hearts here? You are wanting to go to the Father. And Jesus is saying to them, I am your avenue to the Father. Why should they trust that? Why should they really believe that? Because if you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father. Now, we could spend some time here about, well, what does how does this all work out? You know, the Father’s in me, I am him, I am in him. He’ll come back to that later on and talking about how the disciples share in that oneness. But yet Jesus already said, I am going to the Father, so you have a distinction in personalities there.

The point is simple. John 1 and verse 18. The Son, Jesus, the Word, He has explained Him or He has revealed Him. You want to see the Father? Well, you look to Jesus. You want to hear the words of the Father? Then you hear Jesus. You want to see the works of the Father? Then you see the works of Jesus. They’re entwined, they are one. Jesus has come to do the Father’s will. He’s not claiming that to be the Father. But he has come from the Father. He’s come to do the work of the Father. He’s come to speak the words of the Father. So he and the Father are one. And he said, if you’ve seen me, then you’ve seen the Father. And again, this is the idea of comforting them, easing their troubled minds.

I’m telling you, I am preparing the way for you to go to the Father. And if you doubt that, then all you have to do is look at me because when you see me, you are seeing the Father. But not only that, this provides a transition for what he talks about in the next few verses about the greater works that they’re going to do. Now, you and I might read that and we say, how did the apostles ever do greater works than Jesus? Jesus is raising the dead, Jesus is causing the blind to see, he’s causing the lame to walk. He’s doing all these marvelous works. Are we to have the impression that the apostles went out and did greater miracles than Jesus did? Now we’ll read about in the book of Acts how they did some of the very same miracles that Jesus did.

But greater. How many people did Jesus walk amongst while he was here on the earth? Well, don’t give me an exact number because no one knows an exact number. He was working in a fairly limited area. He was doing the work of the Father. He was speaking the words of the Father, and many were coming and believing in him. Many more would come and believe in him through the work of the apostles. And Jesus says, Because I’m going to my Father, you’re going to be able to go out and do greater works. I don’t think he’s talking about miracles there. He’s talking about you can go out now because I’m going to go to the Father. You’ll be able to go out and do greater works, and that they would take the gospel, the message of Jesus to the whole world.

3. I’m Going to Be With You: Another Helper

And by the way, that actually brings us to the third way in which he sought to comfort them. Because you’re going out and doing this, I’m going to be with you. I’m going to be helping you. Now, Jesus has already said, I’m going away. I’m going to the Father. So how is it that they’re going to be helped? We’re going to look at two passages out of order here.

When Jesus is gone back to the Father, what does he say? I will ask the Father, and he will give you another helper, that he may be with you forever. 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. Then again, verses 25 and 26, these things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. But the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. Don’t let your hearts be troubled. I’m going to the Father. And you’re going to go out and you’re going to do greater works, but I’m going to be with you.

I am going to be helping you. How? Because I’m going to ask the Father. You’ll note the different names given here: the helper, the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, all designating different aspects. The Holy Spirit being a helper to the apostles, the Holy Spirit being the Spirit of truth because what he reveals is truth. And of course, the Holy Spirit being holy because it is holy. Why is he coming? He is coming. And he would be with them forever. You’ll note the differentiation. Jesus is only going to be with them a short time. But the Holy Spirit would be with them forever. He wouldn’t leave them. In fact, he says he’s going to abide with you and will be in you.

Yes, the Holy Spirit did come among them and dwelt in them. Then we come to verses 25 and 26. They certainly heard many things from Jesus. Jesus is going to lead them. And you can imagine, you know, what if you and I were given this task, given this work? You know, he says to us, uh, Josh, you, Cody, and Lindy, you guys, you’re going to go out and you’re going to preach the gospel to all Orlando. I want you to go and tell them my words. And you can imagine how I might start sweating and thinking, what if I forget some of them? You don’t have to worry about that. He’s going to bring all these things to your remembrance. Don’t be troubled. Now, let’s just pause here a moment.

How do these three things allow us to be alleviated from our troubles? Well, the first one’s pretty simple. The same way it would have alleviated the troubles of the apostles. Why is Jesus not here among us today? Because he went. He went preparing the place for us. And we still have that same promise that he made to his apostles. I’m going to return. That where I am, there you may be also. Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Here’s why I’m not here among you anymore. We can still have the same comfort in knowing that, yes, Jesus is the one who could prepare that way. He is the one through whom we can have access to the Father, and the only one we must add that we can have access to the Father in.

It will not be through Muhammad. It will not be through Joseph Smith or any other modern day prophet. It will only be through Jesus. You can have access to the Father, and you can know this because anyone who saw me has seen the Father. My words and my works testify that I have come from the Father and that I’m going to the Father. And then what about what he says to the apostles? Again, we must respect the context, and some of this is what Jesus is saying is tailor-made for the apostles. When he’s talking about sending the Holy Spirit to them, the Spirit of truth, that he was going to abide with them forever, he’ll be abiding in them, he’ll bring all to the remembrance. I wish I shared in that.

Not to say that I don’t necessarily think the apostles didn’t continue in their studies. I think they did. But I wish I had. I don’t. But where’s the comfort for us? How do we know we didn’t believe a lie? How do we know this is what we needed in the first place? How do we know that Peter wasn’t wrong? Or John wasn’t wrong. Or Paul wasn’t wrong. Because the helper came. And the helper revealed in Acts chapter 2. We say it’s Peter’s sermon. Well, okay, Peter’s the one who’s speaking. It’s not Peter’s sermon. It’s God’s sermon. It’s the Holy Spirit speaking through Peter and saying, here’s how you have access to God. It’s the Holy Spirit throughout, the Holy Spirit throughout Ephesians chapter 2, which we studied this morning.

4. Because I Live, You Will Live Also

And making this plain to us, showing us how, yes, now there is no longer this division that we can all be one in Christ, and yes, we are even God’s temple if we are in Christ. It’s the Holy Spirit that revealed that. Let not your heart be troubled. You didn’t believe a lie. You’re following what you need to follow if you’re following the words that God left. The Holy Spirit revealed. Let not your heart be troubled. Very quickly, three more things that we just kind of see in this passage of why our hearts shouldn’t be troubled. Notice what he says in verses 18 and 19. I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you. After a little while, the world will no longer see me, but you will see me.

Because I live, you will live also. There are some debates on this passage. Is he saying this is about the helper again? A little while you’ll, you know, you’ll not see me, but then you’ll see me. There are some who think he’s talking about the Holy Spirit here, and I don’t think that’s the case. And I think the word and the language reveal it since I’m alive, you too will be alive. I think he’s talking about his post-resurrection appearances. You’re not going to see me. The world’s not going to see me, and the world did not see him after he died. But you will see me. And they did. They didn’t see him for long. Our chronology is right. They saw him for about 40 days after his resurrection before he ascended into heaven.

They did not see him long. But they saw him. Why was that important? Notice why he says there at the end of verse 19. Because I live, you will live also. He’s speaking to the apostles who are going to go and die for him. They’re all going to die before the Lord returns. But Jesus, in revealing himself to them, and coming to them, even though for a short while, gives them the assurance of, because I live, you will live also. You read 1 Corinthians chapter 15, that’s Paul’s argument. Christ is the first fruits. How do we know that there is a resurrection? Because Christ arose, Paul says.

5. The Love of the Father and of the Son

Are your hearts troubled? Does life seem so uncertain? And age and illness so devastating? And so many loved ones have gone on before, and yes, we too, we face our ultimate death. But not your hearts be troubled. Jesus says, Because I live, and he revealed himself to the apostles, you too live. Two more very quickly. The love of the Father and the love of the Son. In that day, verse 20, you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. He who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me, and he who loves me will be beloved by my Father. And I’ll love him and will disclose myself to him. Judas, not Iscariot, said to him, Lord, what then has happened that you are going to disclose yourself to us and not to the world?

Jesus answered and said to him, If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. And my father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him. He does not love me, does not keep my words, and the word which you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me. What’s the comfort here? Jesus began the passage by saying, I am going. And you can have access to the Father through me, but this separates the disciples from the Father and the Son. I am going to prepare a place for you, but ultimately I’ll come back and receive you, and then we can all be with the Father. But what does that do for us in the meantime? You look at the disciples, and okay, granted, you said the helper’s going to come, and we’ll have the Holy Spirit, but the Father and the Son, they’re still over here, and we’re over here.

6. My Peace I Give to You

Don’t be troubled. Don’t be troubled. If you love me, and if you’ll keep my commandments, and as I am in the Father, you will be in me, and I in you. And you’ll have the love of the Father, and the Father will abide with you. Is this heaven? No. That’s still something he’s talking about in the future. He’ll come again. I’ll receive you to myself. But for now, here’s what you know. God is with you. You follow God, God is with you. You are loved by Him. Let not your hearts be troubled. And so, that’s when we come to the final means of not being troubled. It says, 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. If you really believe, Jesus is saying to the disciples, that I’m going for this purpose. That I’m going to prepare the way and to prepare the dwelling places. And that I’m going to return. And if you really believe that when you see me, you do see the Father. Henceforth, what I’m saying to you, I’ll deliver on. And that you’re going to go out and you’re going to do these greater works, but because I’m helping you. And the Holy Spirit is coming to you. And when you see me again, you’ll know that I live, and you too will live. And if you know that if you’ll follow my Father, then you have his love. And he is with you even now.

And there’s your peace. That’s why you don’t have to be troubled or fearful anymore. You get to the 15th chapter in verse 18, passage many of you read this week. If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Here are people who need peace. But Jesus said, My peace I leave to you. It’s not the peace of the world. Don’t think because I’m leaving that the world is going to love you, they’re going to hate you, they’re going to despise you. Yet you can still have peace.

Not because of what you will have in this life, but because of what I have prepared for you. And so there’s the message for us. Is there still peace available for us? Can we wake up every day and regardless of what happens in the circumstances around us? Christians, brethren, let’s not be controlled by our circumstances. You know, I really do, and please don’t, I’m not trying to be rude to anybody. You know I’m a fan of Alabama football. I don’t care that we lost last night. I really don’t. I appreciate many people giving me condolences today. I don’t care. I really don’t. I mean, it would have been great if we won. Don’t get me wrong. Okay. We can’t allow this world to control us. We can allow elections to control us about how we’re going to go about our lives.

We can allow what happens in the news tomorrow to control us. We just can’t. You know, I read on Facebook on Wednesday morning, just post after post about, well, God’s in control, God’s in control, God’s in control, God’s in control. And it was as if the Christians were resigning themselves. Well, okay, you know, I’ve been kind of worked up for weeks and weeks and weeks and weeks, and now that it’s over, well, God’s in control. He’s always been in control. That never changed. And it was almost as if we had to resign ourselves to what’s happened in our lives, and so, okay, I can have peace. Just have peace. Know what God’s done for you. Know that whatever happens in this life, God is still with you.

Conclusion

And our Lord will still return for you. Now, before we end, how can you and I have this peace? Well, you’ll notice there’s a couple of keys in this passage. Starting in verse 1. Do not let your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. You want this kind of peace? Doesn’t come to everybody. You’ve really got to believe. You really have to trust. You really have to put your faith not only in the Father, but in the Son. And when the Son has said, I am going, I am preparing, I’m coming back again. You and I have got to believe that every day. We have to put our faith in that. That yes, he’s doing that for me. He’s done that for me.

So I believe him. And he told us beforehand, things won’t be easy. But I believe him anyway. And I believe him that he loves me and the Father loves me, and they’re with me. So you’ve got to believe that. You really got to put your faith and your trust in him. Secondly, love them. He says that a few times in this passage as well in the 14th chapter. Verse 21. He who loves me will be loved by my Father again in verse 23. If anyone loves me, this idea of loving him, why wouldn’t you love him? If you recognize, here’s what he’s done for me, here’s what he’s offered me, and he can give me peace in this life, and I can live life without a troubled and fearful heart, and I can serve him and I can be with him, then you’ll love him.

But you’ll note what he connects with that each and every time. Back in the 15th verse, if you love me, you’ll keep my commandments. Verse 21, he who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me. Verse 23. If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. Verse 24, he who does not love me does not keep my words. And the word which you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me.

Believe him. Trust him. Put your faith in him. And you’ll love him because of it. And if you really love him, then you’ll follow him. We might say sometimes in talking about a husband and wife, a wife would follow her husband to the end of the world. I’m not trying to follow my Savior to the end of the world. I’m trying to follow my Savior out of this world. Trust Him. Love Him. Follow Him. Keep His Word. Keep His commandments. Again, you respect the context of what He’s saying here. He’s talking to His apostles who he’s going to charge with spreading the gospel to the world and being pariahs in the world because of it. Follow me that far. And you’ll have peace. You can go to sleep every night with peace.

Wake up every morning with peace. Have your greatest trials and suffer and yet still have peace. Lie on your deathbed and have peace. Would you like to have peace? Then we extend an invitation. Trust and obey is the invitation song. Cody, what number is that? 326? 326, trust and obey. You want the peace that God offers, you want the peace that Christ offers, trust him, obey him. We extend an invitation to you, the opportunity that you can repent of your wrongdoing, your sin, obey him, be immersed in baptism for the forgiveness of your sins, have them washed away, and have peace, knowing that God is with you and that you are in the love of God. Can we aid you in some way? Won’t you come as we stand and as we sing?