Sermon Tone Analysis

You Wont Have Bad Days

I heard a story this week about a guy that went to the gym and looked for opportunities everywhere he went to share Christ with others.

He is working out with another guy and had been doing so for a couple of months.

The Christian felt like it was time to share his faith in Christ with this guy in a non-weird, non-awkward way and the guy interrupts him.

He said, “please don’t talk to me about any of that Jesus stuff.

I did the Jesus thing and it didn’t work for me.

The guy asked, didn’t work for you, what do you mean?

The guy said, “I went to church for 2 months straight!

My girlfriend broke up with me, I lost my job and my plumbing backed up! Sounds a little like an old country song doesn’t it?

He said, The Jesus thing just didn’t work out for me.

This is week 3 in our 4 part series, The Things Jesus Never Said.

And we talk about this to look at the words that Jesus didn’t say because it might help us if we were to ponder what Jesus didn’t say, what He could have said, or what you or I might say.

One of the things that Jesus didn’t say was that we wouldn’t have bad days.

If we look at the words of Jesus we see that there certainly are some misconceptions out there.

Let’s have a little bit of fun...

Whoever does the will of my father will get the best parking spots.

Whoever calls on my name will not lose their hair.

If you lose your life for me you will always look good in a bathing suit.

Whoever does the will of my father will be fit, trim, they will have enough money and they will not get sick right before vacation, all of their relationships will work out, they will never have to go to the car mechanic or get a root canal!

Those are some of the things Jesus didn’t say.

And for some reason, particularly in this country and countries like ours, we tend to think that when we do things to please God, God in turn owes us.

He owes us tires that never go flat, He owes us engines that never break down or shoes that never wear out.

That may be where some of this comes from.

There is an obscure verse in the bible

The thinking goes that if you are in good graces with God that you wont need new shoes for 40 years.

And because of this verse you see that God can in fact provide this way but it isn’t because of any action on the part of people.

Remember those people were wandering in the desert because they were disobedient to God.

God doesn’t reward us for disobedience.

But we have this idea that if we do something for God, then He owes us.

God is obligated, or obliged to shower a blessing on us when we obey, or when we make a decision for Him.

Like how you train a dog to ring that little bell when they have to go to the bathroom.

Oh, God, I did my thing now do your thing.

I obeyed not shower me with your blessings!

We would never say it that way, but that is what many people think when their expectations of Gods involvement in their lives aren’t met.

We are going to look at some of the Scriptures that talk about this.

Especially what Jesus said about this.

are the chapters of Jesus’ last words with His disciples while we was still alive on the earth.

He is spending this last night with them his last hours on earth and what does He feel the need to tell them?

What nuggets of wisdom is Jesus going to pour out on these guys?

What words of sentiment and encouragement will Jesus give to these men who are expected to live for Him after He dies?

Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice...

You would think that at this point, these disciples, who have given up everything, given up their jobs, their livelihoods, their futures as they had planned it out.

They give all that up for Jesus to say, (ham it up) you will get riches and blessings for all you did and you will never have a bad day????

No, he says, You will weep, you will lament and everybody will be happy about your poor fortune.

The world will rejoice over your weeping.

This is the point.

We get get right to it.

We cannot expect our blessings to come from this world, from this lifetime.

Our blessings, our accomplishments belong in another world.

There is a story about a missionary and his wife who served overseas for many many years.

Jesus actually prays for the disciples in the next chapter, chapter 17 and He prays for future believers and when Jesus prays, he reminds us of where we belong.

He reminds us that our days will not always be good.

Jesus keeps talking about the world in this scripture.

The world is not us, the world, the way Jesus is using that word is those who are not in Christ.

33

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.

In the world you will have tribulation.

thlipsin, it means affliction, it means distress.

Jesus isn’t promising peace and harmony, he is promising affliction.

John 15:18-19

If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.

19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

See how when Jesus talks to them on that last night, those last precious few hours together Jesus tells them.

You are going to have bad days, and that should make sense because you don’t belong here.

You are not of this world.

Then Jesus prays for them in and listen to what Jesus prays for them.

Does he say, “God, give them peace, give them tranquility, give them a great nights sleep?”

No, here is Jesus praying to His heavenly father, he has a direct line to the father and what does he ask for?

John 17:14-19

I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.

19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.

19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.

19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

He says in I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

Jesus specifically prays that we won’t be taken out of the world.

That means that we suffer along with the worlds problems.

That means that we will have bad days.

That means that we WILL get sick, that means that some WILL die.

I did’t read the rest of verse 20 in chapter 16 but I would like to read it now.

Because even though we will have bad days we can still have joy, we can still have joy.

20-22

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.

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.

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

You are going to have bad days but you are also going to rejoice.

You will have joy and verse 22 says, No one will take your joy from you!

We aren’t saying that you will never lose your wifi connection in the middle of your netflix binge.