JOHN 14
18 Outlines
John 14:1-3 etc.
JESUS IS COMING!
Jesus is coming!
We don't know when, but he's coming!
JESUS IS COMING! - BE COMFORTED - John 14:1-3
No matter how bad things seem to be Jesus is coming
again! Things will then be better!
JESUS IS COMING! - BE COGNIZANT - Luke
We need to be aware that Jesus is coming and actively
watching for Him.
JESUS IS COMING! - BE CONVERSANT - 1 Peter 4:7, 1
Peter
We need to talk to God in behalf of others.
We need to talk to others in behalf of God.
JESUS IS COMING! - BE CLEAN - Titus 2:11-13
As we look for the blessed hope we should deny ungodly
and worldly lusts, and live
soberly,
righteously, and godly, in this present world.
JESUS IS COMING! - BE CHALLENGED - Matthew 25:13-29,
Romans 12:3-8
We don't know the day or the hour that Jesus will
come, but God has given each of us talents and abilities that need to be used
for his glory. We should be challenged to use what we have for His glory and
the furtherance of His kingdom.
***************************************************************************
John 14:1-6
A LOOK BEYOND THE CROSS
Jesus was leaving.
He was going to the cross to die for the sins of the world. He gives comfort that looks beyond the cross.
A GREAT PRINCIPLE Vs. 1 Trust God, trust Me
A GREAT PROMISE Vs. 3 He will return for us
A GREAT PROCLAMATION Vs. 4 The only way to the
Father in Heaven is through Him.
***************************************************************************
John 14:1-6
BE AT PEACE
(A funeral message)
INTRODUCTION - Vs. 1 - "Let not your heart be
troubled..."
A PREPARED PLACE - Vs. 2 - "I go to prepare a
place for you..."
Jesus is preparing a place for us in Heaven.
But, in a real sense He already prepared a place for
us by dying for our sins on the cross. Without the cross there would be no
forgiveness. Without forgiveness there would be no place in Heaven. 2
Corinthians 5:21, Romans 5:6-9
A PROMISED RETURN - Vss 3-4 - "I will come
again..."
Jesus will return for the resurrection of all
believers. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
But when a believer dies, his spirit enters into
Heaven. Therefore, in a sense, Jesus has already come for that individual.
Philippians
Jesus is personally the way to Heaven.
Each person must personally trust Christ as his
Savior. John 3:36
Note - This outline is offered in loving memory of my mentor,
Rev. George Headley Jr. who went home to be with the Lord a few years ago. I
adapted his notes to form this outline. Pastor Headley was a tremendous help
and encouragement to me down through the years.
***************************************************************************
John 14:1-6
HES (SHES) DEAD BUT
A FUNERAL MESSAGE
HES DEAD BUT JESUS CAN BE TRUSTED Vs. 1
The dead Christian has trusted Jesus as Savior
HES DEAD BUT JESUS PREPARED FOR HIS ARRIVAL IN HEAVEN
Vss. 2-3
HES DEAD BUT JESUS CAME AGAIN FOR HIM Vs. 3
HES DEAD BUT JESUS IS SUFFICIENT Vss. 4-6
***************************************************************************
John 14:1-6
WHEN THINGS LOOK BLEAK
Things did not look good
for the disciples.
Judas had betrayed
Jesus. John 13:21-30
Jesus was going to leave
them. John 13:33
Peter was going to deny
to Jesus 13:36-38
Things will often not
look good for us. Things will often look as bleak as a cloudy, rainy day. We will often have struggles and
troubles! For those bad days, let's
remember the encouraging words of Jesus to the Apostles when things looked
bleak.
A COMMAND - Vs. 1
We are to believe in
Jesus, even when things look the darkest!
A COMFORT - Vs. 2
There is a better place
called Heaven. Jesus has gone there to prepare a place for us!
A COMING - Vs. 3
Jesus will return for
us!
A CONDITION - Vss. 4-6
Our way to peace now and
heaven later is through faith in the Lord Jesus. He is the "way, truth and
life"!
***************************************************************************
GOOD NEWS FOR TROUBLED
HEARTS
John 14:1-6
In Vs. 1, Jesus told his
disciples not to be troubled. They trusted God, and they needed to trust
Him! There are three reasons for
trusting the Lord Jesus mentioned in this text.
1. "I GO" -
SPEAKS OF
2. "I WILL" -
SPEAKS OF A PROMISE Vs. 3
3. "I AM" -
SPEAKS OF A PROVISION Vs. 6
(For salvation and
sanctification)
***************************************************************************
John 14:1-11
TRUST HIM!
One of the most
important words for the Christian is "trust".
The Bible is full of
encouraging verses, telling us to put our trust in God. See Psalms
Our text is part of the
Upper Room Discourse, which was spoken the night before our Lord Jesus went to
the cross. It was a somber time. Jesus said he was leaving. Judas had left to
betray his Lord. Jesus had just assured Peter that before long he would deny he
even knew Jesus.
It is at this somber
time that Jesus gives the disciples a challenge about trust. Trust is not just something for people who
need to be saved, but continuing trust is a very vital part of our relationship
with God. Just as trust is a very
important part of human relationships, it is also essential for Spiritual
relationships.
Our Lord begins with
soothing words in verse 1. He tells the disciples to not let their hearts be
troubled. Yes, their problems were real.
Yes, things were difficult. But just as
they trusted God, they should trust the Lord Jesus. Or they should trust God
and the Lord Jesus. In other words, Jesus is saying "Trust Me".
This is something that
every blood-bought believer needs to realize.
Faith does not end at salvation. It begins at salvation.
In John 14:1-11, we want
to see that we are to trust Jesus. We are to:
TRUST HIM
Jesus was promising a
place in Heaven for each believer.
When Jesus said "I
go to prepare a place for you," I believe He was primarily referring to
the cross. It is there where Jesus made it possible for us to be accepted in
Heaven. Isaiah 53:3-5
TRUST HIS PROMISE - Vs.
3
Jesus promised to
return. We look forward to His coming
for us as promised in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
Even if we die before
the rapture, it means that the Lord has come for us to take us to Heaven. Psalm
116:15, 2 Corinthians 5:6-8, Philippians 1:21
TRUST HIS PREEMINENCE -
Vss. 4-6
Vs. 4 - Jesus said,
"You know where I'm going, and you know how to get there."
Vs. 5 - Thomas wasn't sure
he knew where Jesus was going or how to find him.
Vs. 6 - Jesus gives that
great answer which shows that he is preeminent over:
The Way to Heaven - He
is the way!
The Truth - If you have
Jesus, you have the truth.
The Life - If you have
Jesus, you have life.
We usually think of this
verse as a salvation verse.
But as Christians, this
verse tells us that we have all that we need right now.
Jesus is our way and
sees that we safely get through this life to the next.
Jesus is our truth,
therefore all that we need to know of truth we have in Jesus.
Jesus is our life, and
provides for us abundant living. John
10:10
TRUST HIS PERSONALITY -
Vss. 7-10
Vs. 7 - Why does Jesus
make this statement?
Jesus is God. The Father is God.
The person who has seen Jesus has
seen God. Colossians 1:15
Vs. 8 - Phillip didn't
get it. He wanted to see the Father.
"Just show us the Father, Lord,
and we'll be happy!"
Vs. 9 - Our Lord must
have been disappointed that Philip didn't get it! The one who has
seen Jesus has seen the Father.
They are both God!
Vs. 10 - The works and
words of Jesus proceed from the Father.
TRUST HIS POWER - Vs. 11
Jesus' miracles are
evidence that He can be trusted!
***************************************************************************
John 14:1-20
BLESSED ASSURANCE
In the Upper Room, just before his arrest, trial, and
crucifixion our Lord took time to give the troubled disciples some blessed
assurance.
ASSURANCE CONCERNING THE FUTURE Vss. 1-6
Jesus was going to Heaven to prepare a place for them
(and us).
He will return for his followers.
He alone is the way to Heaven.
ASSURANCE CONCERNING THE FATHER Vss. 8-11
Because the disciples had seen Jesus, they had seen
the Father.
Jesus is God in the flesh.
ASSURANCE CONCERNING OUR FAITHFULNESS Vss. 12-15
Productivity - Vs. 12
Prayer - Vss. 13-14
Practice - Vs. 15 (If we love Him, we will obey Him.)
ASSURANCE CONCERNING OUR FRIEND Vss. 16-20
God's Holy Spirit is the comforting friend who lives
inside of every believer.
***************************************************************************
John 14:6 etc.
THE WAY
(A Message for
Christians)
John 14:6 - "Jesus saith
unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father,
but by me."
We want to consider this
verse not only for what it means to the non-Christian, but we want to think
about this verse for what it means to us as Christians. If we take this verse strictly as a salvation
verse, I think we miss a whole lot of meaning.
Think of the
geographical goal of this verse. It is coming or getting to the Father. The Father mentioned here, of course, is God
the Father.
Think of how little
value life is, if a person hasn't found God!
They can be rich. They
can be super intelligent. They can be famous. They can be successful in a
profession. They can be happily married. But if they haven't found God, they
have missed the best part of this life, and will miss the best part of the next
life, which is life with God in Heaven.
Talking about getting to
the Father, Jesus says, I am the way...
Now, you and I as
Christians realize that
JESUS IS THE WAY TO
We know that we are
sinners. Isaiah 64:6, Romans
We know that Jesus died
for our sins. 2 Corinthians 5:21
We know that Jesus rose
from the dead. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
We know that the way to
the Father and to Heaven is through faith in Christ. Romans 10:9-10, 1 John
5:11-12
JESUS IS THE WAY TO GOD
THROUGH PRAYER
As sinners we have no
right to access God in prayer.
He is holy, we are not.
He is sinless we are
not.
Before Jesus came there
was a great, thick, curtain around the Holy of Holies, where the presence of God
was in the temple.
Only the priest was able
to enter there once a year with a blood sacrifice.
When Jesus died however,
a great thing happened. Mark
This meant that was now
access into the presence of God because the veil was torn.
So, now we have access
to God through our Lord Jesus Christ. John 14:13-14
Jesus says you can now
come to the Father in prayer in His name.
We have no merit in
ourselves to come to God in prayer.
Our merit is in the shed
blood of Christ.
We come to God in Jesus
name.
And Jesus promises that
when we come in Jesus' name, He will answer. John 14:13-14
Of course, if we are
praying in Jesus' name, it means that what we ask for should be in line with
things that are pleasing to Him.
But notice the broad
scope of prayer "whatsoever".
Very often we limit what
we pray about.
We'll pray for emergency
things.
We'll pray for those who
are sick.
We'll pray for our big
problems.
But that
"whatsoever" can cover a lot more than what we've just mentioned.
Whatever our cares, we
can bring them to the Lord! Philippians 4:6-7
We can ask God
concerning our Spiritual growth. If we
read something God wants us to do in the Bible, we can ask God for it. We read that we should be Spirit-filled. Ask
God for it. We read that we should be meek. Ask God for it. We read that we should always give thanks.
Ask God for it. It's a whatsoever.
We can also pray for the
Spiritual conditions of others.
We can pray for the
salvation of the lost.
We can pray for the
Spiritual growth of others.
There are four prayers
that Paul prayed for other believers that we can pray for other believers. They
are found in Colossians 1:9-14, Philippians 1:9-11, Ephesians 1: 15-23
Ephesians 3: 14-21
Please notice something
else about prayer in John 14:13-14.
The purpose of answered
prayer is to bring glory to God!
The reason God answers
prayer is so that God will be glorified.
A good question to ask
when we pray is, "If God answers this prayer, will it bring glory to His
name?"
And notice that Jesus
promises His involvement when we ask in His name. He says "I will do
it!" Also notice the promise found in John 16:24
JESUS IS THE WAY TO
PEACE
The Lord Jesus Christ is
the source of peace for the Christian. Philippians 4:6-7
He made peace when He
went to the cross. Psalm 85:10
We experienced this
peace initially when we came to Christ as Savior. Romans 5:1
Jesus gave His bequest
of peace for the believer in John 14:27.
Jesus provides His peace
through His Holy Spirit. John 14:16-18
Part of the Fruit of the
Spirit is peace. Galatians 5:22-23
JESUS IS THE WAY TO
POWER
One New Year's Day, in
the Tournament of Roses parade, a beautiful float suddenly sputtered and quit.
It was out of gas. The whole parade was held up until someone could get a can
of gas.
The amusing thing was
this float represented the Standard Oil Company. With its vast oil resources,
its truck was out of gas.
Steve Blankenship,
Source unknown http://www.bible.org/illus/p-q/p-q-77.htm#TopOfPage
We can chuckle about
this, but how often are we out of Spiritual Power when we don't need to be?
The Lord Jesus is the
source of our Spiritual Power. Philippians 4:13
Our trouble is we don't
rely on Christ. Galatians 2:20
***************************************************************************
John 14:12-14
THE CHRISTIAN AT WORK
HIS POTENTIAL - Vs. 12
HIS POWER - Vss. 13-14
HIS PRACTICE - Vs. 15
***************************************************************************
John 14:12-15
SUCCESS!
Has it ever occurred to
you that the Lord Jesus has planned for your life to be a success? I don't mean you'll become famous, or rich,
or a full time Christian Worker. I do
mean that Jesus has planned for your life to be successful in His eyes. He has equipped us with all we need to lead
such a Christian life that will end up in Him being able to say to us,
"Well done, thou good and faithful servant."
Today we are studying in
John 14, which is part of the Upper Room Discourse. In this message, our Lord
is preparing the disciples for His departure and sharing with them many
instructions for the future.
John 14:1-6 - Read
It is shortly after
these famous words that Jesus gives these instructions in John 14:12-15. (Read)
In these verses I see
three principles for success.
THE POTENTIAL FOR
SUCCESS Vs. 12
"Verily, verily, I
say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also;
and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."
In this passage I do see
a key word. The key word is believe.
Let's use another word
that means believe. Let's use the word "faith."
Faith is essential to
the Christian Life. When God wants to
emphasize something he repeats himself. Four times in the Bible God says,
"The just shall live by faith." Habakkuk 2:4, Romans
The Scriptures are very
clear. Anyone, who is going to be right with God, or just, must be a man or
woman of faith.
And we know that for
salvation. John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9
But faith in Jesus goes
further than salvation.
Faith in Jesus is a
daily requirement if we are going to be successful for His cause. Galatians
2:20, Hebrews 11:6 - Did you catch the words of this verse. If you are a man or
woman of faith you are going to seek God! You will want to have fellowship with
Him!
So the first ingredient
if we are going to reach our potential for success as Christians is faith.
Notice the promise that
follows: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works
that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I
go unto my Father.
Jesus promises that
those works that Jesus did his followers would do also.
Does that mean that
every follower will do every work that Jesus did?
I really don't think so!
But think for a minute. What were the greatest works that Jesus ever
did besides dying on the cross for our sins?
The greatest works He
ever did were to help people Spiritually!
He won the Woman at the
well to Himself.
He recruited Matthew,
the tax collector.
He saved Zachaeus,
another tax collector.
He instructed the
multitudes in general and the disciples in particular.
Think of Lazarus. What's
the greatest thing Jesus ever did for Lazarus? He won Him to himself. Being resurrected
from the dead and dying again later was not the biggest event in Lazarus' life.
The biggest event in
Lazarus' life was being saved! The greatest works Jesus did for people were
Spiritual in nature!
Jesus tells us that we
will do some of the same things He did.
We can do good works
that produce a positive testimony.
We can reach people with
the Gospel.
We can teach and
encourage other Christians.
These are the most
important works we can do.
But let's think for a
moment. Do Christians ever do physical great works?
Do Christians sometimes
heal? Technically, no.
Do Christians have
prayers for healing answered? Many times, they do.
Do Christians multiply 5
loaves and two fishes to feed 5,000?
No they don't. But often
they pray and God answers prayer so they can feed 5,000!
Do Christians control
the weather, like Jesus did.
No we don't. But often
God will answer our prayers and the weather is controlled.
So in a sense, because
of faith, Christians do some of the same works that Jesus did. Most of the things we do are Spiritual. But
some are physical like seeing food provided, a person healed or the weather
controlled.
But what about doing
greater works than Jesus did?
We can never do greater
things in quality than Jesus did.
He is God!
But through faith in
Him, we do greater things in quantity.
We go where Jesus never
went.
We can speak to crowds
Jesus never spoke to.
We can touch lives that
were not around when Jesus was.
Think of Peter, who as
far as we know, saw more conversions to Christ through one sermon that Jesus
did in one of His sermons.
Think of
Think of Billy Graham,
who has spoken to millions of people in person and through written articles,
the radio and television.
Yes, there is the
potential for doing more than Jesus did in His lifetime. But remember even when we do accomplish great
things, we can not do them without His help!
John 15:5, says in part,
for without me ye can do nothing.
THE POWER OF SUCCESS
Vss. 13-14
"And whatsoever ye
shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the
Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it."
What is the secret to
the power of a Christian's success. The secret is in his prayer life!
In these verses the Lord
Jesus shows what the power is behind a Christian's Spiritual and physical
works.
Notice the broad scope
of prayer "whatsoever".
Very often we limit what
we pray about.
We'll pray for emergency
things.
We'll pray for those who
are sick.
We'll pray for our big
problems.
But that
"whatsoever" can cover a lot more than what we've just mentioned.
Philippians 4:6-7
Whatever our cares, we
can bring them to the Lord!
We can ask God
concerning our Spiritual growth. If we
read something God wants us to do in the Bible, we can ask God for it. We read that we should be Spirit-filled. Ask
God for it. We read that we should be meek. Ask God for it. We read that we should always give thanks.
Ask God for it. It's a "whatsoever".
We can also pray for the
Spiritual conditions of others.
We can pray for the
salvation of the lost.
We can pray for the
Spiritual growth of others.
Four prayers which Paul
prayed for other believers: Colossians 1:9-14, Philippians 1:9-11, Ephesians 1:
15-23, Ephesians 3: 14-21
And when we ask we don't
ask in our own name, but in the name of Jesus.
We think of prayer as a blank check with Jesus' signature on it. We are his agents and can fill in those
checks.
However, because His name
is on the check, we are to only ask for those things that He would approve of.
1 John 5:14-15, James 4:2-3
Please notice something
else about prayer in this passage.
The purpose of answered
prayer is to bring glory to God! The reason God answers prayer is so that God
will be glorified. A good question to ask when we pray is, "If God answers
this prayer, will it bring glory to His name? And notice that Jesus promises
His involvement when we ask in His name. He says "I will do it!"
THE PRACTICE DURING SUCCESS
Vs. 15
"If ye love me,
keep my commandments"
We read this verse and
see a key habit we are to develop.
The key habit we are to
develop is obedience.
What should be the
motive for the habit of obedience?
The motive should be our
love for Christ.
***************************************************************************
John 14:12-21
THE WAY TO BE!
BE IMPRESSED WITH HIS PROMISE Vs. 12
BE INVOLVED IN HIS WORK Vss. 13-15
BE INSOLATED WITH HIS COMFORT Vss. 16-20
BE INCLUDED IN HIS LOVE Vs. 21
***************************************************************************
John 14:13-14
TIME TO PRAY
"And Jesus cried
with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent
in twain from the top to the bottom." Mark 15:37-38
In the
This veil surrounded the
"Holy of Holies", the place where God dwelled.
Only one person ever
went into the Holy of Holies. That was the high priest. He only went in once a
year, bringing a blood sacrifice for sin.
When Jesus Christ died
on the cross, the veil was rent, or torn, in two. The ultimate sacrifice for
sin has been paid. It is the blood of the Son of God. (Hebrews 11:24-28)
Now, anyone can come into
the presence of God through the blood of Jesus Christ. See Romans
5:1,9. Also, a person who knows Christ as His Savior
can come into God's presence any time, any place, anywhere. The veil has been
taken down. All we must do as believers is come before God in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
Based on these truths,
Jesus has given His followers some great verses on prayer. John 14:13-14 are
two of them.
WHAT A RANGE! -
"Whatsoever..."
WHAT A REQUIREMENT! -
"...ye shall ask in my name..."
WHAT A RESPONSE! -
"...that will I do..."
WHAT A REASON! -
"...that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
***************************************************************************
John 14:15
BECAUSE I LOVE HIM
Read Luke 23:33-46.
Why did Jesus, God the
Son, go to
Why did Jesus cry out to
God to forgive His persecutors.
Why did Jesus comfort
the thief on the cross?
Because He loved His
persecutors
Because He loved the
thief on the cross
Because He loves you
Because He loves me
1 John 4:10 - "Herein
is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be
the propitiation for our sins."
Sing with me please:
JESUS LOVES ME
So, how are we to
respond to love?
Because my Dad loves me,
I love him in return.
Because my Mom loves me,
I love her in return.
Because Jesus loves me,
I am to love Him in return.
Because God loves me, I
am to love Him in return.
So the question is, how
do I go about loving God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit?
According to Exodus
20:6, God is showing mercy unto thousands of them that love him, and keep his
commandments.
Jesus said in John 14:15
-" If ye love me, keep my commandments."
We love God when we obey
God the Father.
We love God when we obey
God the Son.
We love God when we obey
God the Holy Spirit.
So what I do every day
should be in response to God's love.
And the proper response
to God's love is to keep His commandments.
I want to center in on
Jesus statement in John
In what ways will I obey
his commandments, if I really love the Lord Jesus? I can't possibly cover all the ways in one
message, but I can give you some basic ideas.
BECAUSE I LOVE HIM -
CONVERSION
The first way I show my
love for God is by making sure that I have obeyed His plan for everlasting
life. God has the absolute right to
decide who is going to Heaven and who is not going to Heaven. God has proclaimed that entrance into Heaven
is based on what we would call a "conversion experience". (John 3:1-7) Jesus is dogmatic, in order to see eternal
life, you must be born again! That's conversion.
As Warren Wiersbe points
out, it takes two parents for a birth to take place. When one is "born
again", two parents have gotten together. One "parent" is the convicting,
saving work of the Holy Spirit. The other "parent" is the Word of
God. (Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, Copyright 1989 by SP
Publications Inc. Victor Books, Wheaton, Illonois, page 295)
1 Peter
My friend, you say you
love Jesus. That's great!
But you don't love Jesus
at all, if you have been stubborn about being born-again.
If you haven't trusted
Christ alone for salvation, you don't love Jesus. You are trying to get to
Heaven another way. Ephesians 2:8-9
My friend, have you
loved Jesus enough to be born again? If not now is the time to do so. Make sure
that you have been converted to Christ.
BECAUSE I LOVE HIM -
CONFIDENCE
Jesus says, "If you
love me, trust me."
We have many concerns.
Many of us worry about
many things.
Jesus says, to you and
I, "Don't worry. Trust me!"
The disciples were
worried the night of the Last Supper.
Jesus said to them in
John 14:1, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe
also in me."
The Lord Jesus explained
later in John 14 that the Holy Spirit was coming to live inside of the
Christian. Although Jesus was leaving
the earth, he was sending God the Holy Spirit as the "Comforter".
John 14:26
As a result of the work
of the Holy Spirit, Jesus would leave peace. John 14:27
If I love Jesus, I will
trust Jesus.
Even when things look
bleakest, I will place my trust, my confidence in Him.
BECAUSE I LOVE HIM -
COMMUNICATION
When you love someone, there
will be communication.
You will talk with that
person, and that person will talk to you.
Jesus says, if you love
me, talk!
Jesus says, if you love
me, listen! John 15:7
When you love someone,
you want them to be happy.
Often you will tell
someone you love what to do, knowing if they do it, they'll be happy.
My Dad insisted I go to
college. I did. And I'm happy I did.
I insisted Donna learn
to drive a car with a stick shift. She didn't like it, but she did.
While at college she got
a new roommate, Amber, who would let Donna use her car if Donna could pass
Amber's driving test. Donna passed. It was a stick. Donna was happy I insisted
she learn.
In John
Jesus is saying,
"Do you want to be happy, learn to ask in His name."
And if you are asking in
Jesus name, the thing that you are asking for must be something that Jesus
would approve of. 1 John
BECAUSE I LOVE HIM -
COOPERATION
When Dottie is
entertaining company, I cooperate.
I try to help her get
ready and help her serve.
Why? Because I love her.
When Dottie is getting
ready to go work, I cooperate.
I go out and start the
car on a cold day and scrape off the windows, if necessary.
Why? Because I love her.
My Lord Jesus is trying
to reach the world with the message of salvation. If I love Him, I will cooperate. His plans
should be my plans.
I show cooperation when
I obey what we call "The Great Commission". Matthew 28:18-20
If I truly love Jesus, I
will want people to come to know Him as Savior.
If I truly love Jesus, I
want to keep His commandments.
If I truly love Jesus, I
will fulfill the Great Commission.
***************************************************************************
John 14:16-18, 26, 27
MINISTRY OF THE COMFORTER
HIS IDENTITY Vss. 16-17a
HIS INDWELLING Vss. 17b-18
HIS IMPACT Vss. 26-27
As Teacher
Vs. 26
As Peace
Maker Vs. 27
***************************************************************************
John 14:23-27
REMAINING STABLE IN TROUBLING TIMES
A REQUIREMENT Vss. 23-24 KEEP
HIS WORDS
A RESIDENCE Vs. 23 GOD INDWELLING US
A RESOURCE Vss. 25-26 THE COMFORTER
A REASSURANCE Vs. 27 PEACE
***************************************************************************
John 14:27
THE PEACE THAT JESUS
GIVES
My grandfather was in
We look around the
country and see bombings (
(Mike Tyson), murder and
mayhem. There is no peace.
We look at peoples lives
and see unrest of all sorts, some caused by sin, others caused by
circumstances. There is no peace.
However, there is peace
available that will allow us to face and all circumstances. It is the peace that Jesus gives.
THE BEQUEST OF PEACE -
"Peace I leave with you."
This peace is peace with God. The Lord Jesus
left peace for us at the
cross.
Psalm 85:10, Isaiah 53:5, Colossians 1:20
THE GIFT OF PEACE -
"My peace I give unto you..."
This is the peace of God. It is His peace. It
is a peace that the world
cannot give.
THE APPROPRIATION OF
PEACE - "Let not your heart be troubled..."
How do we make this peace ours?
1. Stop and Hear. Follow the example of Mary. Luke 10:39
2. Stop and Stare. Isaiah 26:3-4 - A mind
focused on Him in trust.
3. Stop and Share. Philippians 4:6-7
***************************************************************************
John 14:27
PEACE!
There are times,
all too many times, when my mind has been reeling with anxiety. I am capable of an inordinate amount of
worry, or self-inflected stress and despair.
I can get my mind on something that is disturbing me and exhaust my mind
with unending concern. Perhaps, sometimes, you are the same way.
What is especially
disturbing about this state of mind is that it is not God's plan for my
life. If I am anxious, worried, and bent
out of shape when God doesn't want me to be anxious, worried and bent out of
shape, I am sinning!
Our text is the
answer for needless anxiety and worry.
The Lord is having me apply it to my own life.
John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world
giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be
afraid.
Notice first of
all that there is
PARTING PEACE - Peace I leave with you
This was a very
stressful time for the disciples.
They knew Jesus
was leaving.
They knew the
Jewish authorities wanted to kill Him.
They knew that
probably their own lives were in jeopardy.
And Jesus leaves
them with a bequest. He is leaving them peace!
This word
"peace" or "shalom", was the common word Jews used as a
greeting and as a benediction when departing from one's company.
When Jesus uses
the word, however, it takes on a whole new meaning because of who Jesus is.
We know that Jesus
is the Son of God, God in the flesh.
We know that Jesus
is the Savior, dying for our sins.
We know that Jesus
is the "Lily of the Valley", the "Rose of Sharon" and the
"Bright and Morning Star".
We know that He is
the "Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending".
But Jesus is also
the "Prince of Peace". Isaiah 9:6
Now think of this
- The Prince of Peace wants me to have peace!
And think of this
- The Prince of Peace has left me peace in His will! - Peace I leave with you
How could Jesus
leave me peace? I mean that's not like
leaving a person some money or property.
Money or land is tangible. How
could Jesus leave me such an intangible item as peace?
The answer is
found right here in this chapter. John 14:16-18
Jesus bequests the
Holy Spirit to us. He comes and comforts us through the work of the Holy
Spirit.
PERSONAL PEACE - my peace
Jesus gives His
personal peace. It is the peace that
Jesus has Himself.
Jesus often
demonstrated this peace in his lifetime.
Whenever the
disciples were in a panic, He was at peace and in control.
Whenever his
enemies were fighting Him, He was at peace and in control.
Whenever Satan
gave Jesus his best shot, Jesus was the one at peace and in control.
When I think of
the peace of Jesus, I think of him quietly sleeping in a boat in the midst of a
terrible storm on the
Why can Jesus have
so much peace?
I believe that the
answer is really very simple. He is God!
As God, He has
everything under control.
Colossians 1:17 - And he is before all things, and
by him all things consist.
Jesus is holding
everything together!
And if am a
Christian, Jesus, through His Spirit is living inside of me!
Inside of me
dwells the One who has total control.
Inside of me
dwells the One who is in my corner and on my team!
Psalm 118:6 - The Lord is on my side; I will
not fear: what can man do unto me?
Romans
Jesus has left us
His peace. It's His personal peace of total control in every situation. When things seem out of control, I must
remember that Jesus is in control and right here inside of us!
PRESENTED PEACE - my peace I give unto you:
People make the
mistake of thinking that peace is something they must earn. If they try hard to get things personally under
control, they will have peace. Well
that's just not true, because there are so many things that we can not control.
Peace is a gift
from God. Jesus, being God, presents
this gift of peace to us.
We must realize
that peace is a problem for us, because we are actually God's enemies because
of our sin. Isaiah 59:2
Why do I say we
are God's enemies?
When we fail to do
as God says, we have broken His law!
Romans
Ezekiel 18:4 -
the soul that sinneth, it shall
die.
Jesus says in this
verse, my peace I give unto you:
Because we are
sinners we were the enemies of God.
We had no peace
with God.
Jesus died on the
cross to pay for our sins as a sinless sacrifice.
He took the enmity
between God and me and nailed it to his cross! Romans 5:6-8
Jesus now presents
us with peace with God as a free gift! Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 5:1
Peace with God is
a free Gift!
Like all gifts it
must be accepted.
If you have not
accepted this free gift please do so this morning.
When Jesus said, my peace I give unto you, He was talking
to His disciples, those who already believed on Him. Jesus was giving more to them that just peace
with God, He was giving them the peace of God.
It is the peace of
God that rules in our hearts in spite of all the troublesome things happening
in our lives.
Just as peace with
God was a gift, the peace of God is also a gift.
Just as you need
to accept the gift of God for peace with God and eternal life, you must also accept
the gift of God's peace ruling in your life.
We accepted peace
with God through faith in Christ.
We experience the
peace of God also through faith.
Isaiah 26:3 - As
we, by faith, focus our thoughts on Christ, He will give us peace.
Philippians 4:6-7
- As we, by faith, bring our prayers and supplications with thanksgiving before
God in the name of Christ, we will experience the peace of God.
As we by faith,
walk in the Spirit, allowing Him to control our lives, we will experience the
fruit of the Spirit, which includes peace! Galatians 5:16, Galatians 5:22-23
Our friend Jesus
presents us with peace.
He offers the gift
of peace with God.
He offers to the
Christian the peace of God.
Have you accepted
both gifts?
PERFECT PEACE - not as the world giveth, give I unto you.
Whatever the world
gives is not perfect.
And the world
knows nothing about peace!
Jesus does not
give the way the world gives.
Jesus gives with
the proper motive - He is God!
Jesus gives out of
sincerity - He is God!
Jesus gives
effectively and He always gives the right gift at the right time to the right
people. He is God!
Jesus gives
generously - He is God!
James
When Jesus gives us
peace, it is not at all like the world's gift of peace.
The peace of Jesus
is powerful - It rules in our hearts no matter what the circumstances.
The peace of Jesus
is permanent - We have peace as long as we keep our faith in Him. And when we
die, we will continue in His peace!
The peace of Jesus
is personal - It takes place inside of each heart that will claim it!
PREVAILING PEACE -
Let not your heart be troubled, neither
let it be afraid.
It is our
responsibility to allow the peace of Jesus to prevail in our lives.
We chose to accept
or reject the gift of peace with God for salvation.
We, as Christians,
choose to accept or reject the gift of the peace of God. When we reject the gift of peace, we are
failing to focus on the Lord, we are failing to pray, and we are failing to be
filled with the Spirit.
Whether to be at
peace or whether to be disturbed is a decision we make several times a day.
Jesus offers peace
with God - Have you accepted it?
Jesus offers the
peace of God - Have you accepted it?