Joy in Christ

Introduction.

Today we are going to look at the conclusion of the Upper Room Discourse where Jesus is going to primarily deal with the emotions of the disciples.

These 11 men were sorrowing. They were confused at what Jesus was teaching them, and they were afraid because they finally realized that the end of walking physically with Jesus was near.

Four times in this chapter Jesus uses the greek verb “ lupē meaning inward grief or Sorrow to describe the emotional state of the disciples.

This word was used to describes an inner pain that cuts so deep, it hurts too much to cry.

I’ve shared this story before, but i cant think of better illustration from my life that the phone call I got from Amy’s dad when he told us he had pancreatic cancer and that it didn’t look good. Our emotional state instantly sunk into sorrow, trying to comprehend the news that we were just given.

We were internally grieved to the point it just left us numb.

This is where these 11 followers of Jesus are at. The news that Jesus was leaving has left them emotionally drained, and the thought of serving a world who will hate them has left them in a state of emotional Sorrow.

And now Jesus tenderly explains to his followers how they can have Joy in the midst of their sorrow.

Look with me at verses 20-21 ....

John 16:20–21 (ESV)

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.

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 joy that a human being has been born into the world.

Jesus starts out his words of encourage by making their sorrow seem even worse.

look at what he said ‘you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice’

So those who oppose God and reject Jesus as Messiah are going to experience happiness, while the disciples will be weeping and lamenting over the death of Jesus.

But that was not the end of the story, The joy of the world and the sorrow of the disciples will quickly change places when Jesus rises from the dead.

and their sorrow will quickly be turned into Joy!

The first point jesus is teaching His disciples is that...

Joy isProduced in times of Sorrow(20-21)

Sorrow and joy are connect!

We cannot have Joy without sorrow, they are eternally linked together.

Our greatest joys often arise out of our deepest moments of sadness.

David in Psalms 30:1-5

Psalm 30:1–5 (ESV)

I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me.

O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.

O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name.

For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

Sorrow may linger through the night But Joy comes in the morning.

The sorrow must take place if the joy is going to come.

Simply Put- There’s no skipping sorrow to get to the joy.

Jesus uses a very understood illustration to teach this truth to his disciples

John 16:21 ESV

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 joy that a human being has been born into the world.

I am sure that Most ladies would love to skip the excruciating pain of labor and just hold their newborn baby in their arms (v. 21), but it doesn’t work that way, does it ladies?

You don’t get the newborn without the labour, You don’t get the joy of a new baby without going through a time of anguish and pain.

Jesus lovingly tells the disciples they can’t get the joy he is speaking of without experiencing the sorrow first in their lives.

Their sorrow was watching as the world’s hatred for their Messiah came to a climax, where they stood helplessly by as Jesus was arrested, tried, convicted , beaten and murdered on the cross.

This is why Jesus said you will weep and lament while the world rejoices.

But Their sorrow from his death is necessary because his death is the only way for mankind to be saved.

Without this sorrow, there can be no life for mankind.

The sorrow of Christ’s death is necessary, but it will be short-lived. It only will last for “A little while”, Three days later Jesus will rise again bringing Joy to the World.

Their lamenting will turn to shouting, their crying to cheering, and their mourning to joy.

Moms After your baby is born, it’s not that the pain of giving birth has gone; it’s just that it no longer matters.

It becomes a distant memory Because you now have the joy of a baby in your arms.

The disciples’ sorrow is going to be real, but it will become a distant memory the moment Jesus appears to them having conquered death and Bringing Joy to the world.

Transition:Jesus goes on in verse 22

John 16:22 (ESV)

“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.”

Men- its going to get tough-Sorrows is coming, but it will only last a little while, and after it is gone there will be joy in the morning and this joy will not be temporary like the sorrow but it will never be able to be taken away.

Joy is Protected for all Eternity (22)

Jesus says the joy he brings can never be taken away.

Think about all the things we put into our lives to try and bring us happiness and great pleasure.

ILLUSTRATON OF BIKE STOLEN

When I was a 11 years old I really wanted a new mountain and I knew that if I got a new mountain bike I could ride that thing anywhere i wanted to go. I believed that a new bike would make me happy I believed that anew bike would bring me great pleasure as a kid.

But the problem was our family didn’t have any money to buy me a bike. One after noon I went to Hy-Vee with my mom and right in the entry of Hy-Vee was the most amazing mountain bike I had ever seen - and it was a prize for an art competition for kids.

I went home that day and started working on my art work to submit so that i could win the bike of my dreams.

On a Tuesday, A month later We got a phone call at home and they said we wanted to let you know that Jason won the grand prize and we could come pick up my new 10 speed mountain bike, I WON

When we got home I took that bike all over the neighbor- I was so proud of my new mountain, It was so cool. It brought me happiness.

The next day I begged my mom to let me ride it the two blocks to church so I could show all of my friends my new Bike

I rode to church- parked it by the bushes right next to the front door and after church Me and all my friends ran outside so I could show them my brand new Bike.

and guess what? MY BIKE WASN’T THERE someone came and stole my brand new bike. I was devastated

My bike only brought me temporary joy because it was taken away.

Possessions can be stolen, they become broken, decayed and rusted

Our health can be taken away by disease,

Our relationships can end in an instance

Things in this world will disappoint you if they are what you rely on for your happiness, . They may bring you pleasure for a little while but in the end they will not last.

Jesus is telling his discipels that the joy they will have in him, will never be able to be taken away.

Why- Because their joy comes from seeing jesus risen again- conquering death and sin. And no amount of torture or persecution will ever be able to rob them of that joy.

You see, Their joy is protected because they know Jesus wins in the end.

When we as Believer’s find our joy in the risen Jesus it cannot be taken away.

If we find our joy in anything other than Jesus, Satan will do whatever He can to steal it away..

Author Matt Carter Said this”

The devil longs to steal our joy, and it’s not usually too hard. Placing our joy in things like relationships, work, events, security, and health is like putting your life savings in a piggy bank, leaving it in a high-crime district at night with a hammer, and adding a note asking people to leave it alone because it’s really valuable.

`You’re a fool if you think it will be safe. But if our joy is in Jesus, we trade the piggy bank for Fort Knox, and the devil gets a plastic spoon instead of a hammer. You’re a fool if you think he can touch it.

Jesus told The disciple’s that their sorrow would turn into joy because of the resurrection of Jesus, and Because of what Jesus did was eternal our Joy is also

eternally ours.

As believers today Jesus has made us this same guarantee

and Jesus’s resurrection guarantees he can never die again, and those who follow him will never experience separation from him in death. We may leave our physical bodies, but Jesus will never leave us

Transition: He goes On in verse 23-24 to say that...

Joy is made Plentiful through Answered Prayer (23-24)

John 16:23–24 (ESV)

Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

up to this point whenever the disciples had a question they didn’t need to go to God the Father because Jesus was there with them.

This was the promise that they desperately needed to believe: that the Father loved them and would hear their requests and meet their needs.

Up until 2 months ago Amy and I took care of our daughter Hadley. We met all of her needs. If she needed something She could come right to us and ask because she lived with us in our home. But when we dropped her off at College we were no longer right there with. She couldn’t just come into our bedroom at night and ask us for help with her problems, She couldn’t pop into my office to get help with her homework. But before we left her and drove away , i said Hadley I love and I am only a phone call away, All you have to do is pick up the phone and give me a call and I will answer you, and help you with your problems.

While Jesus was on earth, He met all the needs of His disciples. Now He would return to the Father, but the Father would meet their needs.

This is the wonderful promise and privilege of prayer.

Instead of going to Jesu physically, the disciples will now have direct access to the Father through Prayer. They will be able to go straight to the throne of God and ask him to do whatever they need, and He promises to answer.

When God answers his children’s prayers in a way that seems impossible our joy fills up and overflows to other people around.

When we prayed for Keith’s brother to be healed, even when the doctors said that his lungs could never work again and there was no hope . God miraculous answered our prayers and He walked out of the Hospital. The joy from Keith’s answer prayer spread all over this church.

When We prayed for Jeff and Jessica’s Salvation and God saved them in a miraculous way they Joy spread through out the church.

We don’t need Jesus walking here in our midst for God to hear our request. We can go straight to the throne of God and He hears us. and when He answers it brings us overflowing joy that spreads to the world around us and points [people back to Jesus.

In the remaining verses Jesus reminds his disciples that they now will have direct access to the Father.

In fact, He uses the title Father six times in these last few verses.

Understand church, Sin is what destroyed Man’s relationship with God, but Jesus came to earth as the perfect sacrifice and when He died on that cross in man’s place He took away the sin of the world and separated mankind from God.

And Everyone who believes in Him through faith in Jesus will now experience the love of God in their lives.

The sin-bearing sacrifice of Jesus opened the way to God.

And Jesus in His final words in verse 33 speaks of the joy that comes for those who are now in Christ.

Listen to what he says.

John 16:33 ESV

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Joy isPossiblebecause Jesus was Victorious (33)

Verse 33 is the summary and climax of Jesus’s final discourse to his disciples.

He tells them that the reason He just told them all these things, is So that they might have peace in a world of tribulation.

These men are headed into the storm, The worlds hatred is about to be upon them, and Jesus is saying that even when it gets tough just remember I have already overcome the world. The victory is already Won.

Dont let the tribulations of this world overcome you but instead rest in my peice.

In Christ there is peace;

If you are a born again believer in Jesus than you are in Christ, and this brings peace into your life.

Simply put No matter how hard this world may get, We can find peace because we know that jesus has already won the victory over sin in our lives..

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

We are New in christ- we no longer are captive to the fear and anxiety of this world, We now can have peace no matter the storm

Romans 8:1 ESV

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Without Christ the world will have eternal torment in the lake of Fire, there will be no peace, there will be unending sorrow, But in Christ there is now no condemnation and in its place we will have eternal peace with Jesus for ever.

Jesus says “Take Heart - Literally meaning “Cheer Up men! because even though it may look like I will lose the battle, I will be victorious.

Death and the grave will not be able to hold me. I will rise again with victory over sin and this world.

Christians “When this world tries to overtake us we can take heart we can cheer up! because Jesus has already won the war over the sin that wants to overcome us.

Remember what jesus said in our text last week?

The world Hates You and they will do everything they can to rob you from the joy you have in Christ,

If your a follower of Jesus than The world wants to overcome you; this is why Satan uses the world to persecute and pressure believers. He wants you to get discouraged and fail at following Jesus. He wants to rob the joy from your life.

The world wants you to conform; it does not want you to be different. This is why it hates you.

But understand Christian, When you yield yourself to Christ and trust Him, He enables you to be an overcomer and this bring the peace of Christ into your life and fills your heart with joy.

BRING IT HOME

Are you in the middle of storm engulfed with sorrow in your life?

Lay your Burden on the Lord so that he can turn your sadness into Joy.

Are you seeking worldly pleasures trying to bring some sort of happiness into your lifeless life?

Stop seeking those things that will not last- And cling to the promised joy thats yours because of the resurrection of Jesus

Are your prayers selfish , are you praying for your own comforts and pleasures? Do you have a lack of answered prayers in your life and wonder why God hasnt answered your prayers?

Stop praying for your comfort and start praying for God’s glory to be seen in your life. Start praying for God to do immeasurable more than you could ever ask or imaging for His own glory.

Are you being overcome by the world? Does the world have you in it’s shackles? Has Satan made you ineffective for the gospel in your community? Remember He is a roaring Lion Seeking whom He may devour. But in Christ We have the victory.

Stop letting Satan & the world overcome you, Cheer up stand firm, and claim the victory because Jesus has already overcome the World.

Pray