Sorrow Turned to Joy

Intro:

Good morning.

Anybody have anything interesting happen this past week? :D

We’ve had an interesting week! A great week!

I’m not going to lie, a scary week there for a little bit …

But I’ll talk more about that in a minute.

I know that last Sunday was Mother’s Day, but in some ways I feel like for my family Mother’s Day came a week late for us this year. :)

My mother is here this morning with us (and my sister Lauren).

We were able to see Lindsey’s mother earlier this week …

And of course Lindsey is a Super Mother in my book, and I always have a tremendous amount of love and respect after she gives birth to one of my children.

Just proud as can be of her!

(Brief rundown of our experience).

Monday labor was kind of in “prep mode” all day, but not “go time” yet.

Monday night around 10 PM as we were lying down she started progressing quickly and I took one look at her and knew it was time.

So we jumped in the car and got down there as quickly as we could and ended up having a baby just a few hours later!

2:00 AM, 8 pounds 14 ounces, and 20 1/2 inches long, baby Olivia Lynn made her appearance!

She was doing pretty well, but there was a little bit of a breathing problem — nothing too severe, but she wasn’t thriving on her own — (gave her a little oxygen, tried to wean her off of it, but she kept needing it).

In baby’s best interest at that point we went ahead and called the “baby ambulance” which ended up taking her to Cook Children’s Hospital NICU in Ft. Worth.

There she got exceptional care — We were so impressed with the doctor and the nurses, and we knew she was in good hands.

I’ll just be completely honest with you — We were scared.

Of course I was trying to just be strong for Lindsey and her momma.

But I’ll tell you looking at a tiny little newborn hooked up to all those tubes and machinery is a helpless feeling.

BUT …

I will tell you this:

Although there was a part of me that was scared, there was another part of me that felt so bad for Lindsey and what she was feeling, there was another part of me that was in TOTAL PEACE.

It’s indescribable the overwhelming sense of peace that came over me in that moment.

I have no doubt in my mind that this was God at work.

The Bible talks about a “peace that surpasses understanding” that Christians have, and it was there in that moment!

I knew that God had this!

And so even though there was *some* fear, and *some* reservation, some exhaustion, and confusion, overall all that was far surpassed by the sense of peace that came over me in that moment and that helped us get past any reservation that we had.

God had it all the way!

Lindsey and I will have been married ten years this Wednesday! (I jokingly told Lindsey at the hospital — “Well, happy Babymoon!”) :D

I’ll tell you this, we’ve been through some ups and downs in those ten years.

Various hardships, moves, total change of life’s plans, health scares, etc.

Every one of them in our past helped prepare us for this moment.

I don’t know if I would have been able to bear this if something like this were to happen in year 1 of our marriage.

But year 10 — and now four babies in — We were prepared for this moment!

And how could I not mention the love and concern of our brethren during all of this which helps tremendously as well!

We appreciate the prayers, the texts and calls, the delicious meals (keep ‘em coming!), the help with our kids …

It really does help a lot, so thank you!

I’ve got just one main text we want to look at this morning … Our lesson title being, “Sorrow Turned to Joy.”

John 16:16-24:

This text is about comfort.

It’s about the realization that sorrows will come in life, trials will as well …

But through it all, we can still have joy, we can still have peace, we can still be confident in what God will do in our lives!

Before we get to this text, just for a moment I want you to think about some surrounding texts:

John 14:1 ““Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.” (Jesus goes on to talk about how in God’s house there are many mansions, and He is going to prepare a place for us) …

Walk about to John 13:21 though! - “When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.””

Do you think Jesus had a lot on His mind in all of these chapters? Absolutely!

More comforting verses in John 14 — John 14:12-14 ““Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works (miraculous) that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do (miraculous time period - first century), because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

John 14:15-18 — ““If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper (or “comforter,” paraklete, operated more directly in the first century, but still operating through God’s Word in our hearts), that He may abide with you forever — the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”

In John chapter 17, as Jesus was preparing to go to His cross, who was Jesus thinking about? (Himself? Well, He did a little — But primarily in this chapter He prays for His apostles, and for ALL Christians who would follow Jesus after their word!)

Alright, back to John 16:16-24:

V. 16 - In a world in turmoil (and a world that was in turmoil in Roman times, too, by the way), this is a comforting verse:

The Christians in Jesus’ time waited …

We wait …

But eventually, He will return just as He promised!

Will we be ready?

VS. 17-18 — There will always be those who misunderstand and misconstrue Jesus’ statements:

Always has been, and always will be!

They couldn’t understand — especially this phrase “a little while.”

What does “a little while” mean? (30 minutes, 30 days, 30 years, 3000 years, or much longer?)

No one knows the day or the hour!

Jesus (on earth) said He didn’t even know, but only the Father in heaven!

When WILL Jesus return?

We don’t know — But it WILL be just “a little while!”

Because whether it’s just a few more years, let’s say, or it’s 10,000 more years, either way, what’s that in the scheme of ETERNITY, but “a little while!”

VS. 19-20 — Jesus offers a little explanation!

The emphasis is NOT on TIMELINES!

The emphasis is on the fact that in the grand scheme of things — in the grand scheme of both our lives AND especially ETERNITY, what’s a little persecution? A little temptation? A few trials?

These are just temporary setbacks! Temporary difficulties! Temporary frustrations and temporary weeping and lamenting while the world rejoices …

Temporary sorrows, but our sorrows will be turned into JOY!

And THAT perspective is what gives Christians the “peace that surpasses all human understanding!”

V. 21 - This is one of my favorite verses, and I always take a look at it after witnessing the beautiful thing called childbirth!

Jesus uses this as a metaphor!

Childbirth — It’s tough!

But it’s so worth it!

Difficulities in the Christian life — They are tough, too!

But they are so worth it in the end!

V. 22 - John 16:22 “Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.”

That is a comforting verse!

Do you possess that kind of Joy?

V. 23 - This is about perspective!

Some of the trivial things we worry about, some of the trivial questions we have …

The fact that Jesus disciples were so confused with Jesus’ saying here …

Jesus says, “Look, when you get to heaven and just witness how great it truly is, all that stuff you worried about in life isn’t going to matter a bit!”

“While you are here, sure, ask for things you need in the My name (Jesus says), and the Father will give you what you need.”

But don’t become consumed with the things of this life!

Finally …

V. 24 - John 16:24 “Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your JOY may be full.” :)

Conclusion:

Do you want true peace? True comfort? True joy?

I’m here to tell you that you can have it!

You can have it this morning if you will become a true child of God!

Obey the Gospel this morning if you haven’t done so!

Resolve to be a faithful Christian all the days of your life!