Untitled Sermon (9)

Our Confidence

I want to start tonight with a question:

But as we do, go ahead and start turning/navigating to John Chapter 16 verse 25

So here’s the question: If you are a Christian, is that something that gives you confidence as you interact with the rest of the world?

Is it the first thing you want to tell people about yourself?

Or is something where you sometimes think it would be easier if you just kept that part of who you are to yourself?

Now this isn’t a trap question. Because I’m sure for most of us it can be both, depending on the situation.

But as we start out tonight, I want you to think about this:

When we fully understand what Christ’s sacrifice has accomplished for us, it moves us from living in fear, to living in confidence before God and before the world.

So with that thought bouncing around our heads,

Let’s read our passage for tonight.

Read

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

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.” 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. 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.”

We’ve been studying through Jesus’s last few hours with His disciples, as He has prepared them to face the tragedy of his betrayal, arrest, and execution. He’s been preparing them to weather that trial, and preparing them for what will come after he is resurrected, and ascends back to heaven, to the Father’s right hand.

And as he has revealed all these things to His disciples, their response has continually been the same thing:

HUH?

What, Jesus?

What do you mean?

Now our tendency sometimes when we read the Bible is to let our outside, after-the-fact perspective trick us into thinking that the disciples are just super thick-headed.

But here in verse 25, Jesus finally reveals to them (and us) why they haven’t been able to catch on: SLIDE

“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.

He’s been telling them the truth, but it’s been in “figures of speech”

And this “figures of speech” doesn’t just mean metaphors and word pictures.

It means that this revelation has been cryptic and veiled. It’s not that it’s useless or false, it’s that they don’t have all the pieces they need to put the puzzle together.

And here’s the great part: Look in verse 29 SLIDE

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.”

So all along the disciples have been saying “Huh? What?”

And now Jesus reveals that they don’t get it yet because they’re not meant to get it yet.

And that’s when they pull a “guy who wasn’t paying attention trying to answer the question in class”

“Oh Yeah, Jesus, I totally get it. Great point. We totally get it.”

But they aren’t fooling anyone. Jesus responds to them “Oh, you believe me now do you? Your constant “huh? What?” really had me confused.”

Actually, you guys are about to all abandon me the second the going gets rough.

Well that’s not good news Jesus!

So why’d you tell us all this then?

Verse 33

SLIDE

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 disciples don’t yet fully understand the magnitude of what Jesus came to do, and what his sacrifice would accomplish.

And because they didn’t get this yet, when this storm comes, they are going to respond in fear and try to disappear.

But Jesus, who knows all of this, is still preparing them, and teaching them the things they are going to need to know when all the pieces fall into place.

And when Jesus’s work is accomplished, and the disciples come to fully understand what that means, they are going to finally start moving out into the world with the boldness and confidence Christ intended for them to have.

And it’s not just them: and this is our bottom line for tonight: SLIDE

And it’s not just them: and this is our bottom line for tonight:

When we fully understand what Christ’s sacrifice has accomplished for us, it moves us from living in fear, to living in confidence before God and before the world.

Now before we can see how Christ is the solution to this life of fear, we need to ask why fear is a problem to begin with.

What do we have to be afraid of?

Well depending on what part of the world you live in, there are lots of different hazards, geopolitical and social issues and problems that can threaten you.

But there are a couple of universal issues that all humans have to face.

summarizes it nicely for us:

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it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.

Death and Judgment

Those are the two inescapable problems that face all of humanity.

Those are the two

Those are the two inescapable problems that face all of humanity.

Now here’s the interesting part.

Neither of those issues were intended to be a part of our world.

God created humanity in His image, to be in relationship with Him and to represent Him as His “image-bearers”

And He created this perfect garden for them to live in.

God created humanity in His image, to be in relationship with Him and to represent Him as His “image-bearers”

But then the fall happened.

And He created this perfect garden for them to live in.

But then the fall happened.

We betrayed God and our relationship with Him through sin.

And because of our treason, death entered the world, and that sin put us in a position as the enemies of God.

So from that moment, our biggest problems were death and judgment.

But in the midst of dealing with that betrayal, When God came and spoke with Adam and Eve,

He also spoke to the snake--to Satan: And he put a curse on that snake. In : God says

But in the midst of dealing with that betrayal, When God came and spoke with Adam and Eve,

He also spoke to the snake--to Satan: And he put a curse on that snake. In : God says

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I will put enmity between you and the woman,

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I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and her offspring;

he shall bruise your head,

and between your offspring and her offspring;

he shall bruise your head,

and you shall bruise his heel.”

In the midst of this tragedy, in the midst of cursing Satan who had caused all this mess,

God gives a promise:

In the midst of this tragedy, in the midst of cursing Satan who had caused all this mess,

The seed, the offspring of a woman, is going to come and crush the serpent’s head.

God gives a promise:

The seed, the offspring of a woman, is going to come and crush the serpent’s head.

The snake is going to bite his heel.

But the snake is going to die.

See the serpent’s treachery brought death into the world. The fall brought sin into the world, which meant all humanity was born into sin. They were born into the camp of the rebels who had declared their independence from God, and become his enemies.

But the snake is going to die.

See the serpent’s treachery brought death into the world. The fall brought sin into the world, which meant all humanity was born into sin. They were born into the camp of the rebels who had declared their independence from God, and become his enemies.

But from the moment it happened,

God promised to bring salvation.

A seed who was going to come crush the work of the serpent.

God promised to bring salvation.

A seed who was going to come crush the work of the serpent.

The serpent brought death and judgment,

Jesus came to conquer both of those things. We don’t have to be afraid of them anymore.

And that’s what’s gives us confidence.

Jesus came to conquer both of those things. We don’t have to be afraid of them anymore.

And that’s what’s gives us confidence.

So how did Jesus conquer judgment, and what effect does that have on us?

Now, if you have been around the church for any time at all, you probably already know the first half of this:

So how did Jesus conquer judgment, and what effect does that have on us?

Now, if you have been around the church for any time at all, you probably already know the first half of this:

Sin brings death.

And the just payment for sin is death.

Sin brings death.

If you sin, you owe your life.

And the just payment for sin is death.

Sin puts us on the wrong side of God’s perfect, righteous judgment.

If you sin, you owe your life.

Sin puts us on the wrong side of God’s perfect, righteous judgment.

When we sin, we thumb our noses at the almighty, loving, God of the universe, and say “Hey, I know you created all of this and know it’s intent and what’s best for it and me, but I’m going to do my own thing.

So at the end of our lives, if we stand before the righteous God of the universe, and we have to depend on our own goodness--we’re done.

When we sin, we thumb our noses at the almighty, loving, God of the universe, and say “Hey, I know you created all of this and know it’s intent and what’s best for it and me, but I’m going to do my own thing.

We have the plead guilty.

So at the end of our lives, if we stand before the righteous God of the universe, and we have to depend on our own goodness--we’re done.

We have the plead guilty.

And the sentence is an eternity apart from him.

But Jesus came and lived a perfect life, yet still chose to lay down his life, and sacrificially die for us.

So unlike us, Jesus’s life wasn’t needed to pay for his own sins. He never sinned.

But Jesus came and lived a perfect life, yet still chose to lay down his life, and sacrificially die for us.

So he’s got “life” left over to pay for someone else’s sins.

So unlike us, Jesus’s life wasn’t needed to pay for his own sins. He never sinned.

So he’s got “life” left over to pay for someone else’s sins.

And since He is perfect and flawless, and God himself, His life is of infinite worth.

Which just so happens to be the price of the infinite debt our sin has accrued.

So Jesus took the judgment that we deserved. We don’t have to worry about it anymore.

Which just so happens to be the price of the infinite debt our sin has accrued.

When we die and stand before God, because anyone who believes in Jesus is covered by his blood,

So Jesus took the judgment that we deserved. We don’t have to worry about it anymore.

The verdict will be “Innocent”!

When we die and stand before God, because anyone who believes in Jesus is covered by his blood,

But hold on for a second.

The verdict will be “Innocent”!

Because I think we all get that.

But hold on for a second.

Because I think we all get that.

But here’s the part we don’t get.

I want you to imagine you are standing in front of the judge. And you’re guilty. You owe a debt you can never repay.

And the gavel of the judge is ready to come down. GUILTY.

But into the courtroom comes Jesus, and He says “i’ve paid the debt. Let this one go free.”

So the gavel does not come down with a “guilty” verdict.

But into the courtroom comes Jesus, and He says “i’ve paid the debt. Let this one go free.”

So the gavel does not come down with a “guilty” verdict.

Instead, the judge proclaims “Innocent.” And let’s the gavel fall.

At this moment you’re going to feel pretty stoked about Jesus.

But how do you feel about the judge?

At this moment you’re going to feel pretty stoked about Jesus.

But how do you feel about the judge?

In our little story here, he was just about to lay down a guilty verdict on us!

Are you going to run over and hug him now?

See this is where our understanding of our relationship with God can be messed up sometimes.

Are you going to run over and hug him now?

See this is where our understanding of our relationship with God can be messed up sometimes.

Because we buy into a lesser gospel.

One that says God was really ticked at us,

But fortunately for us,

One that says God was really ticked at us,

Jesus went all “Pocahontas” on us and saved us from execution at the last minute.

But fortunately for us,

Jesus went all “Pocahontas” on us and saved us from execution at the last minute.

So even after we accept the free gift of eternal life purchased for us on the cross, in our minds, the Father stiiiill freaks us out a little bit.

But we’re missing the gospel here.

Yes, Jesus came to pay our debt, to accomplish our justification--to give us His righteousness.

But we’re missing the gospel here.

Yes, Jesus came to pay our debt, to accomplish our justification--to give us His righteousness.

But Jesus did more than that,

And John has actually already spoiled the surprise:

Because at the very beginning of this book, John says this about Christ’s work for us:

And John has actually already spoiled the surprise:

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Because at the very beginning of this book, John says this about Christ’s work for us:

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12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

Jesus earned this right for everyone who believes in him.

But keep reading: verse 13

Jesus earned this right for everyone who believes in him.

But keep reading: verse 13

13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

This birth into God’s family--we call it being born-again-- didn’t happen by natural causes. You aren’t just born in God’s family because your parents are too. This is the “not of blood”

And it didn’t happen because of something we did --”the will of man” here.

This birth into God’s family--we call it being born-again-- didn’t happen by natural causes. You aren’t just born in God’s family because your parents are too. This is the “not of blood”

And it didn’t happen because of something we did --”the will of man” here.

It was God’s plan.

So if we need a reminder, look who Jesus blames for this plan of salvation:

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So if we need a reminder, look who Jesus blames for this plan of salvation:

:

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

:

Jesus’s whole deal while He’s been here is “I’m here doing the will of my Father, carrying out the plan of my Father.”

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

Jesus’s whole deal while He’s been here is “I’m here doing the will of my Father, carrying out the plan of my Father.”

So for a lot of us, especially if we have a complicated relationship with our earthly Father, we may have an easy time interacting with Jesus, but a harder time not being afraid of the judge. Of the Father.

Because we take that one aspect of who He is, and we fixate on it.

So for a lot of us, especially if we have a complicated relationship with our earthly Father, we may have an easy time interacting with Jesus, but a harder time not being afraid of the judge. Of the Father.

But it was His plan all along.

Because we take that one aspect of who He is, and we fixate on it.

But it was His plan all along.

It was him in the courtroom who cried out before the gavel went down. Wait. My son Jesus is going to pay the penalty for this person’s sins.

Jesus secured us an innocent verdict. But He also gave us the right to be children of God.

It was him in the courtroom who cried out before the gavel went down. Wait. My son Jesus is going to pay the penalty for this person’s sins.

And here in his final moments before he goes to purchase that righteousness for us, Jesus reveals what this is going to mean for His disciples’ relationship with the Father.

Jesus secured us an innocent verdict. But He also gave us the right to be children of God.

And here in his final moments before he goes to purchase that righteousness for us, Jesus reveals what this is going to mean for His disciples’ relationship with the Father.

Look at verses 25b-27

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Look at verses 25b-27

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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.

Jesus has been telling them about the Father all along, through his words and his deeds. But as we found out in verse 25, He’s been speaking a lot of the time in figurative/veiled language.

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.

Jesus has been telling them about the Father all along, through his words and his deeds. But as we found out in verse 25, He’s been speaking a lot of the time in figurative/veiled language.

But here Jesus says “when that hour comes”, when the plan is accomplished,

I’ve been telling you that you’ll ask things “in my name.”

But here Jesus says “when that hour comes”, when the plan is accomplished,

I’ve been telling you that you’ll ask things “in my name.”

But I don’t mean that you’ll skulk into the room where the Father is and say “hey The Father, Jesus wants to know if we can have a snack.”

Cause that’s how we picture it.

Did you ever do that as a kid?

Cause that’s how we picture it.

Did you ever do that as a kid?

You figure out which kid tends to get the most positive response from mom or dad, or your friends parents, so you send them in with your request?

See we understood this principle as kids though. We sent the kid who couldn’t possibly receive a bad response in to do the asking.

You figure out which kid tends to get the most positive response from mom or dad, or your friends parents, so you send them in with your request?

I have first hand experience with this.

And now Jesus is clarifying for the disciples that this isn’t how things are going to work at all.

See we understood this principle as kids though. We sent the kid who couldn’t possibly receive a bad response in to do the asking.

He says “you’re going to ask in my name, but I won’t be asking for you.

And we had been stuffed into this double-wide trailer for a couple years, and the Ministry board had decided, hey you guys are a bigger family, so you can remodel and move into this bigger house on campus that had just opened up.

Why? Verse 27: “for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from Him.”

We had just gone through a major flood, and this house had been completely flooded. So there was a lot that needed to be fixed up.

See our confidence before the Father is through Jesus. We get that. When we pray to the Father, we’re asking “in Jesus name”

But sometimes we struggle with what that means, so we think how this works is whenever the Father enters the room, we have to dive behind Jesus to keep from getting zapped, and we need to get Jesus to ask for the things we need, cause otherwise we won’t get them.

So for about 6 months my dad spent every minute he had out of work fixing this place up, and us kids were there for most of that time. So we’d play outside and mess around,

but once it got dark outside, my dad had us come inside. Where there was nothing to do.

That’s not what the bible teaches. Just the opposite:

Jesus has given us the right to petition the Father from the Son’s place of favor.

So one night, whatever project it was in one part of the house was taking extra long, and we had been pestering my dad to go home for HOURS.

So he finally said “guys, we’re going to be here until this is done. Don’t ask again.”

As God’s son’s and daughters.

So naturally as kids, we were good as loooong as we could be. I think we made it a half-hour. It’s a miracle.

We don’t just approach the throne with “not-Fear”. We approach with boldness!

But finally we’re like “we can’t take it anymore. We gotta get out of here.”

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.

Now our old house was about a mile through the countryside from the new house, so even during the day we weren’t allowed to make that trip alone.

We approach with what? Confidence.

But we figured, hey, if all four of us kids go walk together, maybe it will be ok for us to walk home.

We don’t enter the presence of the Father with fear. We enter with confidence.

But dad had said don’t ask again or you’ll be in trouble.

So we have confidence in Heaven.

So what did we do?

But what about here on earth?

We took my brother Wesley, who was 2 years old at the time. Possibly the most adorable child alive, who could barely talk. And we told him to go ask dad if the four of us could all walk home together.

Why are we afraid of the world? Of what it can do to us?

Cause we figured look, if us older kids go in there, we’re dead. But adorable Wesley couldn’t possibly get in trouble.

So he goes in, comes back out, we ask if dad says yes. Wesley, who as I mentioned before, can barely talk, says yes.

Why do we have fear in this world?

Because the world can hurt you,

We all take off into the night.

And the world can kill you.

Come to find out later, Wesley hadn’t told dad the plan. He just said “When I go outside I take Valerie and Jensen with me.”

But Jesus has defeated death.

And my dad was like, “Nice work 2 year old wesley, that’s a great general principle.”

Now we got home ok, and after my Dad got over his heart attack, he drove home and found us safely there. And I think we got grounded.

Death, formerly the greatest weapon of the enemy, is actually the means of our salvation. The thing we feared, when applied to Jesus, has become an instrument of grace.

Satan tried to kill Jesus. And He succeeded. And it was that sacrifice of the perfect, spotless lamb of God that set us free.

See we understood this principle as kids though. We sent the kid who couldn’t possibly receive a bad response in to do the asking.

And now Jesus is clarifying for the disciples that this isn’t how things are going to work at all.

So we don’t have to be afraid of death anymore.

So what does that mean?

He says “you’re going to ask in my name, but I won’t be asking for you.

Why? Verse 27: “for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from Him.”

We don’t have the fear the world anymore because it is no longer able to hurt us in any lasting way.

See our confidence before the Father is through Jesus. We get that. When we pray to the Father, we’re asking “in Jesus name”

See when you have a problem with God, the world has a lot of power, because when the reality of judgment is waiting beyond that threshold, the world’s greatest weapon: death, is the ultimate threat to you.

But sometimes we struggle with what that means, so we think how this works is whenever the Father enters the room, we have to dive behind Jesus to keep from getting zapped, and we need to get Jesus to ask for the things we need, cause otherwise we won’t get them.

But if we have nothing to fear beyond the grave. If the only thing waiting for us is the fulfillment of all of our deepest hopes and dreams, the enemies greatest weapon has been snatched from his hand.

When we ask “in Jesus name” we are walking in the place that he has earned for us, and that place is as the sons and daughters of God.

And this should give us confidence as we live life here on earth.

This brings us back to our bottom line:

So when we pray to him, we don’t call him “Mr. God, sir”

We get to call him “Abba, Father” --Daddy.

When we fully understand what Christ’s sacrifice has accomplished for us, it moves us from living in fear, to living in confidence before God and before the world.

So if we have confidence on earth and on heaven, what’s stopping us?

Because we aren’t living in the confidence before God that Christ has promised us.

We live with a mindset that we have to earn God’s favor. That performance still dictates our place before God.

But Christ has already accomplished our righteousness and guaranteed our standing before God.

We don’t have to be afraid anymore.

How can we be sure? Look at verse 33

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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.”

Verse 33 is the close of this discussion we’ve been studying over the last few weeks.

His conclusion? I’m telling you all of this that you might have peace. And the enemy whispers “ As long as you don’t screw it up….”

FALSE!

Verse 33: I’m saying all this so you have peace.

Verse 32: Y’all think you get it, but you’re actually about to ALL abandon me in my time of need.

Jesus is promising His peace RIGHT after he predicts the disciples biggest failures.

It doesn’t depend on our works.

It depends on His works.

We don’t have to be afraid of God’s wrath anymore. It was justly satisfied on the cross.

Now we get to run up to the throne of Grace, like we talked about in

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Approach the throne of grace,

How? With confidence.

For what?

Grace and mercy.

When? When you need Grace and Mercy

When do you need grace and mercy?

When you’ve messed up. When you aren’t strong enough. When you’re hurt.

Are we starting to get this?

The enemy wants the threaten us with death. And in the short term he wants to keep us from asking God for what we need because we feel like we haven’t earned it.

But you don’t ask for stuff you don’t need when you don’t need it.

Jesus has given us the right to run to the throne of grace, hop on our Abba’s lap, and ask for what we need.

We don’t have to be afraid anymore.

Jesus has purchased not only our righteousness, but a place of Favor as God’s sons and daughters.

When we lose sight of that, the threats of the world get louder and scarier. But when we walk in that reality, we begin to see. The enemy can still hurt us. But not for long. And not permanently.

He’s already lost the war.

And that knowledge gives us the peace Jesus talked about in verse 33.

It’s not peace because of circumstances. It’s peace no matter what the circumstance.

When we fully understand what Christ’s sacrifice has accomplished for us, it moves us from living in fear, to living in confidence before God, and before the world.

What would it look like for you to live in that confidence this week?

Let’s pray