04-01-01 Victory - John 16.33 - Nsb - No C
Have any trials going on in your life?
Have you been in a battle recently?
Let’s all stand
Turn to John 16:33
In chapters 14 – 16 we have…
Jesus’ last discourse given to the apostles
Just prior to the awful events leading up to Calvary
A discourse given partly in the upper room
Where the Passover has been celebrated and the Lord’s Supper instituted.
Partly on the way to the Garden of Gethsemane
Recorded only by John
Let’s read in…
(John 16:33 KJV) These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Let’s pray
You may be seated
Evangelist Jamie Ragle’s daughter, Holly is very sick.
She is bedridden, unable to communicate in any way and can do nothing to care for herself.
That is why when Jamie announced at a conference in Atlanta two years ago that Holly was going to walk again the audience of 3,000 sat in stunned silence.
Because
Most of the people there knew the seriousness of Holly’s condition.
Then he went on to say, “It may not be in this life, but I know that one day, Holly will walk again.”
Jamie loves the Lord
Jamie is a man who sees victory even as a terrible battle rages on.
So,
Tonight I want to speak to you on the subject of:
“Seeing victory in the war even as the battle rages on.”
This is an appropriate message for the time of the season
Because as we come to this portion of scripture
Jesus is within just a few hours of going to the cross
But
This message is also appropriate for the time of our lives
Have you noticed how long the prayer request lists are?
Do you know anyone who is not under pressure?
Many of your brothers and sisters are carrying heavy burdens.
Anyone who has lived very long knows this to be true -
That…
We are not going to go through this world without sufferings
Maybe it’s serious illness
Maybe it’s unexpected death
Maybe it’s a marriage in trouble
Maybe it’s a wayward child
Maybe it’s a financial loss
Maybe it is difficulty at work
That was a pretty serious list
You know where I got that list from?
Those are but a few of the things that people have asked me to pray about in the last two weeks.
Read it again.
We are not going to go through this world without sufferings and tribulations
(Job 14:1 NIV) "Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.
Well, in the light of that depressing news…
“What kind of hope can I possibly have in the middle of these trials?”
That is exactly what John 14-16 deals with.
“What kind of hope can I possibly have in the middle of these trials?”
Christians, lean in close so I may convey a truth Jesus told His disciples in these three chapters.
This is not our home!
I am just passing through.
I am content to be here for a while and work for Jesus until Jesus comes or until I go to see Him, but this is not my home.
And
Jesus told His disciples that, at the beginning of this teaching in 14:1-3 and in 15:19
He told them that, for encouragement in light of their coming tribulation.
Some would say to me…
“Surely you don’t believe that there is actually a place waiting for you?”
You better believe I do
And I believe the streets are gold and the walls are jasper and the front gate is made of pearl.
Having hope for that life enables me to deal with this life.
Because
If this life was the only hope we had we would be miserable
(1 Cor 15:19 KJV) If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
See, I know what you know about this life…
That is…
Our battles, our trials, our tribulations present us with human needs
“Lord, I have problems!”
“Lord, I am going to lose this fight.”
“I don’t want that loved one to be ill.”
“Lord, are you even there?”
“God, I want out of this marriage.”
Human needs.
But Jesus’ statement provides us with a divine solution
Here, He gives a promise of victory in the war
And then…
In Joshua he gives a promise to never leave us or forsake us in our battles.
(Josh 1:5 NIV) No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
In Romans we have the assurance that He will be with us in our battles and that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
(Rom 8:35 NIV) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
(Rom 8:36 NIV) As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
(Rom 8:37 NIV) No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
We have the victory
How can it be?
Because Christ has overcome the world.
Jesus was speaking to the apostles that day but we have something in common with them.
Very soon after these words were spoken they would need the grace of God.
Just as we in our trials need the grace of God.
Let’s look at our verse in John
(John 16:33 KJV) These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
What things had been spoken?
Jesus has been trying to prepare His disciples for the time after He would leave them.
They are walking to the Garden of Gethsemane
It’s a full moon evening because it is Passover
There may have been enough light shining through the olive trees that they could make out each other’s faces.
The crucifixion and all of the events associated with that terrible ordeal are rapidly approaching for Jesus
UNDERSTAND
He knows what is coming
Yet, as you read John’s account you discover that Jesus’ concern was for His disciples.
And for me and you.
In the world
That is, in this world system that we live in, you will have tribulations.
Many of you know that first hand to be true
Riley’s, Ted and Sue, Bob and Judy, and others
There are tribulations in this world!
But we see some things in this verse that can help us.
What does this text reveal about the nature of Jesus?
He is a conqueror.
He has overcome the world.
What is revealed here about the nature of man?
He needs Jesus if he is going to overcome the world.
Where did Jesus conquer and overcome the world?
In the manger? NO
In the river Jordan? NO
On a hill with 5,000 men? NO
IT WAS AT CALVARY
The life of the Christian is dependant on the life – death – and life of Christ
Separated from Christ we could not enjoy spiritual life here or eternal joy in the hereafter.
But, because He defeated sin at Calvary, we are told to be of good cheer!
Now…
How can have assurance that the victory is won?
You have to be related to the conqueror.
He has power over all our spiritual foes, and he can deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and from all temptations and trials and pressures.
Do you know Him?
I don’t ever want to assume too much – I have made that mistake before.
Do you know Him?
His name is Jesus.
He is the Son of God.
About 2,000 years ago He came to this world and offered Himself as a sacrifice that you might have eternal life.
He went to a cross
He was placed in a guarded tomb
He arose from the grave
And this evening He is at the right hand of the Father
Praying for you in your trials
He has overcome the world
What Jesus is doing in these chapters is…
Revealing to the disciples a source of victory that they will soon need.
So they don’t try to overcome on their own as Peter did with his quick sword and his brash talk.
But it wasn’t Peter’s place to overcome the world.
Jesus is telling him ahead of time, that the world is overcome through The Savior.
Our problem is that:
We are much more like Peter than we are Jesus. We want to overcome on our own.
We try to win the war without Jesus
That is called living in the flesh.
We try everything we know to do on our own and finally we come to the point that we will say, “Well, I guess there is nothing left to do but pray.”
What a sad commentary that we try every way in the world to win the war except crying out to the One who has promised victory.
When the children of God were slaves in Egypt, the Bible says that He heard their cry and brought them out.
We are generally more concerned with…
“Why is all this happening to me?”
I will answer that for you.
The war and these battles are going on because the power of sin has entered into this world.
But you write this down:
God’s grace defeats the power of sin.
What Jesus Christ said in John 16:33 is a promise to us
- He has overcome this world.
It is a promise!
Someone asked Jamie Ragle what he was going to do
Holly is in such a bad way
And he answered
“What are we going to do when the problems come along?
We are going to praise God because the promise is still true.”
What is the catch?
Everyone is going to have these trials or these battles but not everyone is going to win the war.
It’s odd really
You may be in the doctor’s office receiving chemo right beside someone who is living like the devil and wouldn’t know Jesus if He sat down beside him.
That person may say, “Well, you maybe you are a Christian but it looks like we are in the same boat now.”
Oh, no my friend!
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Christians and non-Christians alike will have battles
And they may have the same battles.
But only those who know Jesus have assurance of victory.
It’s only because of Jesus that Jamie knows Holly will walk again.
Only Christians go into those battles with an unseen conqueror.
Joshua went into battle with an unseen conqueror.
A man appeared in the camp and Joshua asked are you for us or against us in this battle?
The man was Jesus and He answered that He did not come to take sides but He came to take over.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednigo walked around in the fire with an unseen conqueror.
It wasn’t the volume of the trumpets that made the walls of Jericho fall – There was an unseen conqueror.
It certainly wasn’t Daniel that held the mouths of those lions shut.
There was an unseen conqueror.
When that Dr. told our pastor that he had cancer, there was an unseen conqueror in the room.
When a Christian dies we know that death has had no sting because there is an unseen conqueror!
Human needs with divine solutions
What does that have to do with me?
You are fed up with your marriage!
You are ready to give up and quit!
Somebody has hurt your feelings and you are thinking about leaving the church!
Human needs
Needing a divine solution
God’s hearing has not grown slack
If you will cry out to God, He will hear you and send an unseen conqueror.
But, the catch is: Knowing Jesus
Earlier in this discourse Jesus used the vine and the branches to tell them that they had to be related to Him.
Same thing for you.
It is not our identification with a church or a denomination.
It’s not how many Bibles you own or how much you know about them.
We have to be identified with Christ!
After Jesus gives them these words of encouragement, He prays for them and for us.
(John 17:20 KJV) Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
This is written for us, Christians.
Jesus is praying for you – tonight
Rev 3:21 says that after He overcame, He sat down with the Father.
His passion and His death have purchased every possible blessing for us.
I have a word for two groups of people here tonight
Christian…
(Psa 30:5 KJV) “…: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
Jesus Christ’s farewell sermon was to tell His disciples that IN HIM, we might have peace within no matter what is going on without.
Lost Person
He has spoke these things that you might have peace.
But
Peace in Christ is the only true peace
And only those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior can have it.
(1 John 5:5 NIV) Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
You think about those things
As we sing.
(John 16:33 KJV) These things (depro 5023) I have spoken (pfi 2980) unto you (ppro 5213), that (2443) in (pre 1722) me (epn 1698) ye might have (psa 2192) peace (an,nn 1515). In (pre 1722) the (art 3588) world (nn 2889) ye shall have (ft 2192) tribulation: but (235) be of good cheer (pim 2293); I (epn 1473) have overcome (pfi 3528) the (art 3588) world (nn 2889).
These things - tauta
Depro – demonstrative pronoun (32; see 72)
32 – Used to distinguish one object (or person) from another object (or person)
72 – The pronoun is used in place of a noun
5023 – these things
Spoken – laleo
Pfi – Perfect tense, Active voice, Indicative Mood (63; see 1, 45, 61)
63 –
1 – Active voice – The action is being accomplished by the subject.
45 – Indicative Mood – Makes an assertion of fact
61 – Perfect Tense - Shows an action that took place in the past with results continuing into the present.
2980 – to talk
2980 –
you – humin
ppro – personal pronoun (73; see 72)
73 –
72 - The pronoun is used in place of a noun
5213 – to you
that – hina
2443 – in order that (denoting the purpose or the result.)
in – en
pre – preposition (78)
78 – Used to relate a noun or a pronoun with some other word in the sentence.
1722 – denoting a fixed position (in place, time, or state)
1722 -