FWG 13 Sermon - Joy in Sorrow

Advent

The Advent season is a four week period before Christmas that celebrates the anticipation and coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

The origin of "advent" is from the Latin word adventus which simply translates "coming" or "arrival".

Not only is the Christian meaning for preparation and celebration of the coming of Jesus Christ, his birth at Christmas, but also to celebrate the new life when someone accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior, and lastly, the anticipation of Jesus returning again.

Hope/Promise Candle:

Preparation/Prophecy/Bethlehem Candle:

Joy/Shepherds’ Candle:

Peace Candle: David Hernandez & Stephanie Steigerwald

Advent Reading

John 3:16–19 (ESV)

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

Intro/Welcome

The Christmas is a Season of Hope — expectation and anticipation.

Some of you all are wonderful at decorating your houses inside and out.

We got our tree up and some partially working lights on the house

But I found myself the other moring putting on our tv a video of a christmas fireplace setting with nice music going.

It’s the image, the experience of joy, the lights, the presents— the warm feelings of Christmas

[SHOW IMAGE WHEN PROMPTED]

and so many joyful memories growing up.

It’s a sense of hope, of reprieve from the ‘troubles’ of this life.

The Promise of Christianity is that we can live with that kind of hope, joy, expectation an d anticipation the other 364 days of the year.

The Christmas season will come and go, but the promise of Christ is that abiding love, joy and peace.

Series

That’s what this whole series has been about — Friendship with God — we’ve called it.

The idea of an ongoing, meaningful, intimate relationship with the Creator God

that he would condescent to be with us, to talk with us, to enjoy our company.

Just as our lives our fraught with troubles, anxieties, loss and grief — there is still a hope and joy around the idea of Christmas

the promise of family, of gifts, of good meals.

A Picture of the Last Day

In many ways it is a picture of the last day

Where the glory of the Lord will shine out and light up the city of the New Jerusalem as our christmas trees light up our living rooms.

When we will all freely gather around enjoying our gifts

enjoying the finest wines and best foods.

And at last, there will be no more sin, suffering or sickness

That is the Christian Hope.

Today

Today we are closing out John 16 and thus will finish the main teaching section of John 13-17.

Jesus ends his teaching with one of the most comforting and disturbing verses in the Bible.

John 16:33 (ESV)

33 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.”

This is the promise of Jesus

joy, peace and love in the midst of tribluation and affliction

How can this be true?

How do we have joy in sorrow?

What is the source of that joy, peace and love?

Our relationship with Jesus Christ

Our Friendship with God.

The Resurrection

How do we maintain that hope? That peace and joy when the Christmas season is over?

When life hits you hard.

Let’s look at Jesus last words of his last teaching together and see.

Bible

We will be in John 16:16-33 today.

Go there in your Bibles

Let me pray for us.

Pray

Isa 61:1-3.

I. Stating the Problem

John 16:16–19 (ESV)

16 “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.”

17 So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.”

19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’?

Jesus is re-iterating again that somethign is about to happen.

His death and resurrection

Remember: We know the story, they did not

The do not understand what Jesus is saying.

They do not have categories that Jesus would die within 24 hours.

They could not comprehend that.

This is also true of us:

We often cannot comprehend what God is doing.

It’s confusing, even shocking

We fight against it.

Converse with Jesus

The first way to experience joy in sorrow:

is to talk to Jesus about it — Prayer

Confession of our Confusion will lead to Comfort

Jesus is going to answer us.

It may not be in a way we expected

It may not be the answer we thought it would be

This is the essence of a realtiomships — conversation.

He says “ask me” let’s talk

Let me give you some clairty.

This is his invitation to his friends

Let’s have the conversation

That’s his invitation to you.

Need Christian community to talk through our struggles

to carry each others burdens.

to not feel alone in this world.

He essentially answers them:

You still may not get it, but in time it will all become clear.

Jesus does answer.

He says, you are going to have sorrow and joy.

II. Resurrection: Sorrow and Joy

The Conversation

John 16:20 (ESV)

20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.

Jesus tells them the truth.

What is about to happen will be deeply distressing to you

You will weep, lemant, grieve, be sorrowful.

The World will rejoice b/c it thinks it has won.

But look what will happen — the GREAT REVERSAL

Their sorry will be turned/transformed into Joy

And one day the world’s rejoicing will be turned into great sorrow.

Jesus says, it just like giving birth to a baby.

John 16:21 (ESV)

21 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.

We can understand this.

Certainly in their day, where there was no moder anesthetics.

Great pain in labor, contractions, pushing

But then the joy of a new baby! of New Life.

I’ve been there 4 times now

A. The Point

There is purpose in the pain.

The pain is poingint to something

In this case — the birth of a new baby

But it means that pain and suffering in your life is pointing to something

to a new kind of life.

What is it pointing to?

II. Believe in the Resurrection

Jesus answers them.

John 16:22–23 (ESV)

22 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.

23 In that day you will ask nothing of me...

What will transform their sorrow?

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

What they could not have imagined

The Crucifixion and Resurrection

They will have SORROW

why? — b/c everything Jesus is about to go through.

But there is a purpose in the suffering of Jesus

namely the atoning sacrifice for all of our sin, that we might be reconciled to God.

But then they will have JOY

The labor pains they will go through over the next 3 days will give birth to joy

the joy of new life — the Resurrected life of Jesus.

REMEMBER:

We know the story, but this would have been unimaginable for them.

God does the impossible.

God brings clarity out of their confusion

God brings new life out of death

God transforms their sorrow to Joy.

A joy that no one or no thing can take from them.

this is the Joy that outlasts the Christmas Season.

This is the joy the each on of us can life in

b/c of the Resurrection.

The Point

Believing that Jesus rose from the dead is the key to having joy in the midst of sorrow.

The Resurrection transforms sorrow to joy.

A. Clarity out of Confusion

John 16:23 (ESV)

23 In that day you will ask nothing of me.

When the resurrection comes they will no longer ask these kinds of questions “a little while”

The resurrection makes sense of suffering

The resurrection of the messiah will make sense of the death of the messiah.

B. Sorrow to Joy

they will rejoice on that day

And no one can take away their joy.

You cannot undo - resurrection.

The 2nd way to have Joy in sorrow is to have your sorrow transformed by the hope of the resurrection.

The Resurrection makes sense of our suffering b/c it means suffering doesn’t have the final say.

C. Death to Life

The labor pains they went through were pointing to something — new life

It’s the same for us in Christ — our labor pains are pointing to something

new life — the glory to be revealed.

Rom 8:18 “18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

Resurrection redeems our suffering/sorrows.

Of course this will come fully true in the Final Resurrection

In the New Heavens and the New Earth

but the beauty of the resurrection for believes it that it starts now.

You and I begin to life in resurrection power right now.

The resurrection starts now.

III. Living a Resurrection Life

Look at John 14:19 where we see similar language.

John 14:19 (ESV)

19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.

Your resurrection life begins when you trust in Jesus.

B/c Jesus lives, you and I can live

to really live — to have Spiritual Life

That peace, love and joy that Jesus promises us.

Jesus tells us what resurrection life looks like:

He says three things here about resurrection life:

Resurrection Brings Clarity

Resurrection ignites your prayer life

Reurrection gives you direct access to God

Resurrection means faith over our failures

1. Greater Clarity

John 16:23–27 (ESV)

23 In that day you will ask nothing of me.

Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.

24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

2. Powerful Prayer

A. Two Words for Ask

You don’t see this in english, but there are actually two different words here used for ask in greek.

erwtaw and aitew

often they are used interchangable, but I think there is a significance here to using two different words.

The FIRST generally means to ‘ask for information’ (erwtaw)

The SECOND generally means to ‘make a request, to ask for something’ (aitew)

aitew us always used when Jesus says “ask in my name” — it’s prayer — making requests.

We just saw that the resurrection will make sense of the labor pains and death — they won’t have to ‘ask for information’ about that anymore

Now, we can pray in the name of Jesus

We can have effective prayer, knowing that God hears us

We said weeks ago that ‘praying in the name of Jesus mean praying by virtue of our union with Him.

that means we can pray powerfully and effectively b/c we are in Christ

—> Sorrow is transformed into Joy b/c God hears and answers our prayers.

2. Direct Access to God

John 16:26-27

25 “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father.

26 In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.

Secondly,

This is made possible b/c we now have direct access to God through Christ.

But we get a direct line to the Creator God

Holy Spirit is the phone

Jesus is the Phone line

God the Father is on the other end of the line.

Hebrews 4:16 (ESV)

16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

This is what the Resurrection accomlished

This is how the Resurrection transforms sorrow into Joy

The Resurrection restores our relationship to God — Friendship with God

Illustration?

1. It’s plugging that cord into the power socket — energizes us

2. It’s the gasoline that energizes the car

4. Faith over Failures

Even when we Fail in our faith and in our walk with God

The resurrection overcomes our failures.

B/C it was never about our ability — but His

Not about our success but His success

Not about our righteousness but His Righteousness

It’s not the STRENGTH of ouf Faith but the OBJECT of it.

John 16:28-32

28 I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

This is the Summary Statment for Jesus

29 His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! 30 Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.”

They did good rigth? True Statments

But Jesus says, even when you fail, have faith in me.

It’s not the strength of our faith but the object of it

John 16:31–32 (ESV)

31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?

32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone.

Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.

Jesus models for us what this look likes

When we fail now, in Christ, we are never alone

God will not forsake us.

He promised to always be with us.

Summary

So we will end where we began today.

Jesus’ summary of His entire teaching.

John 16:33

33 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.”

The Resurrection is the Key to this Verse

Jesus overcame the World by dying for Sin, and Resurrection to a New Life

That is how Jesus overcame the World

It is how we can have peace

It is how we can take heart of have courage.

The resurrection gives meaning to our suffeirng

The resurrection gives hope in despair

b/c death and suffeing are not the end of the story

The resurrection transforms our sorrow to Joy.

Personal Story

You can live this out every week

it begins by talking to Jesus

Last week was a rough week for our family.

We had lots of end of year events going on

And we had sickness going through out house

have four kids

and some other things going on

it it was just a really rough week

I found myself discouraged at differents.

But talking with my wife and talking to Jesus

about halway through something changed.

I saw her trusting in God even in the midst of hardship

And it encouraged me

and I remembered something that I had already learned

I can choose to thank and praise God no matter the circumstance.

So I started to verbalize that in my prayers and throughout the day.

and I had hope.

The hope of resurrection

the hope that there was good in this

That God could be praised even when it looks bleak

And then I realized this was the best way to fight against the enemy / witness to the World

To praise God in pain

To Thank God in affliction

It makes no sense to the World

The Lord brought me to the story of Job.

James 5:11 (ESV)

11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

He praised God when he lost much

After losing his kids and property to tragedy he said this:

Job 1:20–22 (ESV)

20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” 22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

After being afflicted with sickness and sores and having his wife tell him to curse God already

Here’s what he said

Job 2:10 (ESV)

10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

And then we get 35 chapters of confusion

Job just waiting, suffering, pleading

And then the Lord answers and reveals his Glory

And then the Lord blesses Job with twice as much as he had before

It’s a picture of our life.

For reasons we don’t understand we suffer

We wait for the Lord in confusion and distress

The Lord reveals his glory

And we will live in eternal joy

All b/c of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Closing Exhoration

John 16:33 (ESV)

33 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.”

Have you believed in the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus for you?

Do so today!

Embrace your freedom.

Are you experiencing the power of the resurrection in your life?

Joy, peace, love

It is found in your friendhsip with God

Your free access to God

Powerful prayer in connection to God

and trusting in Jesus over our failures.

It’s best done in community.

Take some time and confess and repent

and recieve for the Lord right now.

Closing Prayer

Adds:

personally

it was a tough week

sometimes your life writes the sermon, sometimes it’s study

sick kids, other things, tough week

Under Direct Access to God

This may not impress us

but that is only b/c we have so much

God comes to the oppressed

Think about the many millions of oppressed and poor all oer the world

The disciples/Israel in that day — under the yoke of Rome / Caesar

They now have direct access to the King of Kings

the One who has all power over every Caesar, Keiser, King and President.

God truly comes to the lowly, the downtrodden the oppresed

It’s amazing to really think about.

Eschatological Hope - picture of the birth pangs.

Matthew 24:7–8 ESV

7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

Romans 8:22 ESV

22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

Illustrations

Illustration:

1. Tapestry? —

Our life sometimes look like a mess — but on the other side is a beautiful design

One that could have only come about throughthe constant pricking and threading of a needle

2. Our Suffering can produce deeper relationship:

Ex) My Prayer Life