John 16
John 16:16-23
Intro:
One guy was Watching a birds nest outside his room for hours. A storm came that night. The next morning he looked out his window to see if the nest was ok and it was not. He looks to the ground and saw the nest. Then he noticed the bird flying back and forth to the tree rebuilding his nest. That bird did not let the storm stop his life he just pick up (the pieces) and carried the broken nest to make a new one.
How Jesus prepares us for the storm:
1. He lets us see the clouds
John 16:4
The first thing Jesus does for his children when there is a storm approaching is let us see the gathering of the storm. He doesn’t allow the storm to just catch us unaware, where all of a sudden we’re out in the midst of it, getting battered and blown, with no clue what happened. He begins to prepare His people when they’re entering into what I call the "storm stage" of life.
Vs- 4
2. He assures us that he has our best interests in mind.
He assures us that when the storm comes in our life, He has our best interests in mind. Look at verse 6 and part of verse 7: "You are very sad from hearing all of this. But I tell you that," now underline this next phrase, "I’m going to do what is best for you." That’s why He said, "I’m going away. I want you to understand that this storm that you’re about to encounter is what’s best for you."
The Holy Spirit will:
A. Reveal truth about sin and God’s justice.
B. Guide the believer in full truth.
C. Glorify God during the midst of this storm.
In all four gospels, it’s recorded that Jesus told us believers that he would send the Holy Spirit to us to comfort us, to walk alongside of us and to minister to us.
D. He gives us enough light for today.
He reveals enough knowledge to help us get through the storm. He doesn’t let us see the end of the storm.
Would you look at that in verse 16? Jesus told His disciples, "You will see me for a little while and then for a little while you won’t see me. They said to each other, `What does Jesus mean by this?
What does He mean by saying that He’s going to the Father? What is this little while that He’s talking about? We don’t know what He means." Now, go up to
verse 12 with me. Jesus said, "I have much more to say to you, but right now, it would be more than you could understand." Look at verse 23, "When that time comes, you won’t have to ask me about anything." Right now, they’re full of questions. They’re about to enter the storm and they’re asking the typical question: "Why is this happening to me?" He says, "When that time comes, you won’t have to ask me about anything." Look over in verse 24. "Then it will be given to you so that you will be completely happy." Look at verse 25, "I have used examples to explain to you what I have been talking about, but the time will come when I will speak to you plainly about the Father and will no longer use examples like these." When he prepares us for the storm, He gives us just enough light.
Statements about storms:
1. Storms allow us to see ourselves.
Adversity has a way of introducing us to our real self. Folks, we live in a cosmetic world. People are bouncing through life, never willing to allow the storms to stop them long enough to get a real perspective of who they are and what they’re encountering.
2. Storms are times of restoration.
They are times, if I allow them to be, of renewal. They are times that allow me to draw real close to God. You know what I learned as a parent is that when your kids are sick, they’re dependent, they need you, they want you. You know what? When we go through the storms of life, we don’t walk around independently and arrogantly and just kind of flipping life off. When we’re really hurting in life, we want to get as close to God as possible. We want to sit at His feet..
3. Storms can bring spiritual growth in our life.
And I say, "can bring" because that’s your and my determination. They don’t automatically bring growth, but if we encounter the storm with the right mindset, we really grow from it.
A. They bring us into conformity with him.
B. They bring happiness in our Christian experience.
C. They yield the fruit of righteousness.
D. They glorify God.
E. They produce praise, glory, and honor to Him.
our storms will good harvest produce a
Hebrews 12:11Hebrews 12:11 (NIV)
11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
[1]
"All discipline, for the moment, seems not to be joyful..." Isn’t that the truth?”Yet to those who have been trained by it..."Underline the next word, "afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness."
I have never had any storms of life and said, I think I need a little more of that storm.
How about Jonah? Do you think he said, just leave me in the fish.
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[1] The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.