Trusting What You Can't See

INTRODUCTION

OPENING CONTEXT (2–3 minutes)

Read: John 16:16-24

John 16:16–24 KJV 1900

16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. 17 Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? 18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith. 19 Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye inquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me? 20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. 21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. 22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. 23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

"This morning, we continue our series in John 16."

Context: Christ preparing disciples for what's coming—arrest, trial, crucifixion.

“The evidence of their lack of knowledge stands at the center of today's text."

THE PROBLEM (Pause here—let this land)

"We choose to believe only what we see."

Examples (deliver with conviction):

  • Witnessing: "We expect immediate, physical results... when they don't, we consider our witness a failure."

  • Prayer: "When nothing happens, we feel our prayers were not heard."

  • Suffering: "We even grieve as if Christ has abandoned us."

The Fatal Error: "We have committed the fatal spiritual error of building our hope on what we can see."

THE REFRAMING (Shift tone—invitation, not accusation)

"What if our suffering is not about Christ abandoning us?"

Pause. Let hearers lean in.

"What if it's more about Him working and laboring unseen to us?"

"The invisible work of His Spirit... the seed growing in secret... the Spirit drawing a person to Himself."

Climax: "What if all that is real even though you and I can't see it yet?"

THE PROMISE (Settle the congregation)

"Jesus teaches His disciples and us to reframe our sorrow."

"Yes, we will grieve. Life is not easy. Life is hard. There will be times of sorrow and grief. But He desires that we reimagine our grief as labor."

The Payoff: "A labor that is working unbeknownst to us, yet is producing new and spiritual life."

Along with that labor, comes the joy of knowing you have been faithful to Him... the joy rooted in His resurrection and not in your circumstances... a joy that He promises no one will ever steal from you."

"Here is the main thought that I believe our text is teaching us this morning."

THE BIG IDEA (State it three times)

Our suffering as faithful witnesses is labor, not waste—and our joy must be rooted in Christ, not in results.

We must stop walking by sight and start living by faith, trusting what cannot be seen instead of always looking for visible results.

Your life should not depend on the results, but on the Person who gives the results.

SERMON BODY

YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND

John 16:16–18 KJV 1900

16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. 17 Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? 18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.

Setup (Establish the confusion):

"Christ told them that He would be gone for a little while, then return for a little while, and then be gone again."

"These men were having a hard time wrapping their minds around this."

Pause: Let them feel the disciples' bewilderment.

Key Point: "Christ demonstrated His sovereignty once again. He knew their thoughts."

The Text (Read slowly):

John 16:18 KJV 1900

18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.

Application: "We, too, cannot see how our suffering has purpose."

Transition (Move to the reframing):

Verbatim: "Christ didn't pull any punches."

YOUR SORROW HAS PURPOSE (John 16:19–21)

John 16:19–21 KJV 1900

19 Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye inquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me? 20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. 21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

The Promise (State it clearly):

"Your sorrow shall be turned into joy."

Pause and emphasize: "Not negated. Not suppressed. *Turned into* joy."

The Metaphor (The heart of the sermon):

John 16:21 KJV 1900

21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

Pause after reading. Breathe.

Personal Illustration (vulnerability here):

  "As a father who stood by my wife through the birth of five children, I know this: there is much pain. It is terrible."

  "After the birth of our last son, I told my wife that we were done."

  "But as we know, there was nothing more joyful than holding our boys in our arms."

  "The anguish became joy. That pain brought about new life. The pain was not futile."

  "The moment we hold a precious baby, the anguish is forgotten. All the sorrow was simply a means to a joyful end."

Application (Drive it home):

  "Christ is saying to the disciples—and to us: it will be very similar for you."

What Changed (The disciples' actual experience):

"And did they rejoice?"

Narrative: "After the pain of seeing Him crucified and the sorrow of seeing Him buried, they gathered in fear."

The Pivot: "Suddenly, in their midst, Christ appeared."

John 20:20–21 KJV 1900

20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

Conclusion: "Their sorrow turned to gladness, joy!"

The Big Theological Point:

“Spiritual transformation often happens not through our circumstances and how quickly they can change, but when we reinterpret our sorrow in light of His promises."

THREE REASONS WHY THIS MATTERS (Conviction section)

It Overcomes Despair

Setup: "There will be times when there are no visible results."

Example: "A pastor can labor for years without any conversions. Many have."

Historical: "Adoniram Judson labored six long years before seeing the first indigenous Burmese person come to Christ."

Personal Reference: "In my personal devotions, I've been reading Job. Job was tempted to despair."

Quote Job: "Look, I go forward, but He is not there, and backward, but I cannot perceive Him."

The Answer: "When we learn to lean on the promises of God despite the circumstances, we are people who walk by faith, not by sight."

Payoff: "We return to focusing on Him, and with it come the joy and freedom of serving Him regardless of any visible or invisible activity."

BENEFIT 2: It Protects Against Idolatry

Stark Truth: "Whenever we measure God's word by visible results, we are effectively worshipping the results rather than God."

The Problem: "Our joy and trust in God's presence are dictated by visible proof, not faith."

The Cycle: "When God is working, we rejoice. When God is not working, we doubt."

The Confession: "In a very strange way, we are truly worshipping the false idol of visible results, not the unseen God."

The Contrast: "Living by sight is a life of up-and-down joy depending on what we see."

The Solution: "Christ desires that we place our belief and joy in who He is, not in visible things such as conversions, healings, or success."

The Foundation: "When we learn to live by faith, we have a foundation that cannot be shaken no matter what comes our way."

BENEFIT 3: It Demands Obedience Over Outcome

What Christ Is Saying: "Do your work. As you do, you will suffer. Recognize that it is your labor. But don't trust what you see. Trust what you cannot see."

Challenge Them: "What if you were interviewing for a job and that was promised? Work, suffer, labor, but don't take stock in visible rewards. How many of you would sign up for that?"

The Answer: "Yet Christ is saying the same to us."

The Commission: "He tells us to faithfully obey Him, trusting in the invisible work of an invisible God."

The Picture: "Do the work of a sower. Sow seed. Don't worry about the field, the sun, or the harvest."

Definition: "That is obedience. The life of a believer demands obedience."

YOUR JOY ROOTED IN CHRIST (John 16:22)

John 16:22 KJV 1900

22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

The Question (Probe their understanding):

"Did you catch the last part of that promise?"

"He promised that no one could take our joy, His joy, from us."

The Conviction (Call out the problem):

Harsh Truth: "If you are unhappy or even trending toward bitterness this morning over your circumstances, it is not because you don't have joy. You do."

“As a believer, it is there."

Accountability: "Your unhappiness and bitterness are present because you are living by sight, not by faith."

Direct: "That is on you! You made the choice to live that way."

Pastoral: "I am here today to tell you, according to Scripture, that is not who you are in Christ."

The Definition (Clarify what joy is):

"Our joy is not about being happy. That is an emotion."

"Our joy is based in the risen Christ."

The Reality: "A believer's joy can coexist with sorrow."

Picture This: "A believer can grieve over loss while simultaneously possessing an inviolable joy rooted in Christ."

YOUR PRAYERS HAVE POWER (John 16:23–24)

John 16:23–24 KJV 1900

23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

The Shift (New era beginning):

"In that day ye shall ask me nothing."

Explanation: "The disciples will not petition Christ directly (He has ascended)."

The Promise: "But they will petition the Father in Christ's name."

The Authority (What this means):

What It Is Not: "It is not a magical formula."

What It Is: "You are standing before the Father as one united with Christ, speaking with His authority."

The Ground: "Your prayers are heard not because you are worthy, but because Christ is."

The Call: "Pray therefore with boldness. Expect answers."

The Outcome: "Your joy is made full through answered prayer."

The Assurance (Quote Paul):

Reference: "I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 15:58."

1 Corinthians 15:58 KJV 1900

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Read: "Your labour is not in vain in the Lord."

Explanation: "Labor for Christ is real. It cannot be denied. It is often unseen, but it is never in vain."

The Truth: "What we do for Him counts. How we live our lives for Him matters."

The Reality: "As long as we remain in the Vine, fruit will come."

The Command: "We must simply trust and obey."

CONCLUSION & ALTAR CALL

CLARITY STATEMENT (Restate the demand)

"Christ is telling us: Stop measuring My work by what you can see."

"Stop judging faithfulness by visible results."

"Stop building your joy on circumstances that shift and change."

"Instead, trust what you cannot see."

TO BELIEVERS (Dual application—direct and convicting)

"Where is your joy rooted?"

Possibilities: "Is it in visible results such as the conversions you can see, the prayers that are answered the way you want, and the successes you can applaud?"

Truth: "If so, those foundations will ultimately fail."

The Call: "Instead, relocate your joy."

The Action: "Move it from the visible to the invisible."

Anchor It: "Root it in Christ's resurrection. Root it in His intercession at the right hand of God."

Promise: "Root it in His promise that He will never leave or forsake you."

The Consequence: "When your joy rests there—not on what you can see but on who Christ is—nothing can take it from you."

Faithfulness: "Faithfulness, not success, is your calling. Do your work. Witness. Pray. Serve. Labor. Obey."

Measure: "Don't measure yourself by the results. Measure yourself by your faithfulness."

Hope: "When despair tempts you to believe that your labor is waste, remember this: the woman in childbirth experiences pain, but that pain produces joy."

TO UNBELIEVERS (Exposure + invitation)

Context: "You've heard me talk about trusting what you cannot see. This may feel impossible to you."

Expose the Lie: "Many have climbed the ladder of worldly success, achieving everything the world says should bring happiness. Yet once they reach the top, they find emptiness."

The Offer: "Christ offers something different. He offers true joy, and He extends it to you this morning."

The Catch: "Here's the catch: you have to trust what you cannot see."

The Belief: "You must believe that He rose from the dead. You must believe that He loves you. You must believe that belonging to Him is worth more than all the visible success the world offers."

The Step: "It is a step of faith. It is not easy, but it is the most real thing you will ever do."

The Invitation: "So, if you are ready to stop trusting sight and start trusting Christ, if you are ready to move your joy from results to Him, I invite you to come."

The Action: "Come to the front and tell me, tell this church, that you want to follow Jesus. You want to trust what you cannot see."

FINAL INVITATION (Clear and direct)

Verbatim: "If you're making that commitment this morning—if you're saying yes to Christ, or if you're saying yes to relocating your joy from results to Him—I want to see you at the front."

Verbatim: "Come now, while we sing."