Joy
Notes
Transcript
Pray
Pray
When I read this passage through earlier in the year,
I gave it the title ‘grief to joy.’
You can see why from
Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.
and
So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.
But as I’ve really thought about this passage further,
while this greif that will be replaced by joy is true for the disciples,
It’s not got the same application for us.
For us this passage leaves us with just one of those 2 emotions,
and it’s not greif!
So I’ve renamed the sermon.
You’ve guessed it:
Joy
Joy
If you were with us last week,
then Joy might not be the most expected promise to give to the disciples.
Jesus, at the end of chapter 15, was warning them,
that the world will hate them,
because they have been chosen by Jesus.
If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
He’s even just told them that ultimately most of them will be put to death because of their faith in Jesus;
They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.
Jesus is leaving them,
He’s going to die,
and yes he may have explained that the HS
will be given to them to enable them to believe in Jesus,
testify about Jesus, and remain in Jesus,
But Joy doesn’t seem to be on the cards for their lives,
given the world will hate them and their message,
and they will unltimately be martred,
killed for their faith!
Greif seems much more up their street!
But Jesus here is about to argue
- that greif is only for ‘a little while’,
Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”
The question is -
what is the period of ‘a little while’
Some argue that Jesus is referring to the time between his ascencsion to heaven
(so after his ressurection)
and his future return to this world.
That would land us today in the ‘day or age’ of greif.
But that’s not the natural reading of this section,
it doesn’t fit with what’s allready going on and being talked about.
The disicples are also confused
At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”
Jesus has been constantly talking of ‘leaving to be with the Father’ (his acension),
and at that moment - that is a good thing for the dsicples,
for it means they can then receive the HS.
And they have already been promised that once they receive the HS,
They will be able to pray to Jesus to continue his mission of bringing people to belief
- and Jesus will answer their prayers.
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
Clearly,
the age of prayer, for and to Jesus, to complete his mission through his disciples,
and by extention his church,
is related to his ascension to heaven.
And related to the age of the HS living in believers.
And so, this time of greif for the disciples will end and be replaced with joy, in this same age - of prayer and the HS
So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
That all sounds a bit complicated
- but I simply want to show us that this promise to the disicples that they will live in a time of Joy ‘that no-one will take away’,
Is the same day or age that we still live in today.
The little while of greif that Jesus is talking about is the 3 days of his death and burial.
Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.
The world is rejoicing, for they called for the death of Jesus, and the diicples will be mourning for the death of their friend and Lord.
They will be scattered, v32
“A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.
This is a tradgic and very heavy greif
- for the disicples still have not received the HS,
so they still struggle to believe or understand that Jesus will rise from the dead,
But!
Rise He did!
And it is the resurection of Jesus
- that begins this age of Joy for the disicples, that no-one can take away!
Keeping it simple -
1 - Jesus’ resurection = Joy!
1 - Jesus’ resurection = Joy!
And why wouldn’t it!
Everything Jesus had said and done,
that for 3 days,
they would have questioned and doubted,
Suddenly,
prooved,
confirmed beyond any doubt in their minds!
Jesus just rose form the dead!!!!
There is no question now,
there is no greif.
Not only is Jesus their friend alive again,
but it means everything about his promises of salvation,
light to a dark world,
forgiveness,
eternal life,
Him and the Father being one,
It’s all true!
And that is the first of several reasons we need only apply the emotion of Joy to ourselves,
not greif,
becasue Jesus has Risen!
Perhpas our greif is the moment we realise we are sinners before God and that JEsus had to die for us.
But for us,
He is not dead!
The resurection of the Lord Jesus is all the proof we ever need in fact.
It’s the only sign we’ll ever get we’re told in the other gospels.
The Ressurection is unbelievable in human terms,
but prooves everything once we believe it.
Jesus’ Resurection = Joy!
The question remians,
How can this be? - given what the disciples will face.
They will be hated says Jesus.
While historical accounts are a little sketchy about the disicples work and lives after the book of Acts,
it’s very liekly that 10 of them
were martyred - killed for their proclamation about Jesus.
BUt perhaps their willingness to be hated and die,
doesn’t disproove their joy,
but rather prooves it beyond doubt!
Surely it is the deep conviction of Joy
- knowing that they are saved and loved by the Lord Jesus,
King and God of all the universe,
(now prooved by his resurection)
Surely it can only be that deep joy that means they persevered,
faced the opposition,
kept on going,
Spread the Gospel,
even to death -
For they had Joy in knowing the resurection of Jesus prooved him to be all he says he is!
Pause
If we’re afraid to serve Jesus,
and obey him in everything,
as the last chapetrs have been reminding us to do?
- then we need a long hard look at the ressurection
- which prooves who Jesus
If you’re afraid, of simply unwilling, then Jesus might ask you the same question he asked the disicples - who still don’t get it yet,
“Do you now believe?” Jesus replied.
It’s a retorical question from Jesus to his didicples,
he just told them that they wont yet understand
- but a time is coming when they will
- in other words when they receive the HS, then they will undertstand all this.
But as if to avoid embarassing themselves, or offending Jesus, they reply by saying
Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”
They have spoke truth about Jesus,
but they don’t yet get it - how could they,
and Jesus responds,
“Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.
Don’t fake it, friends!
Believe, accept the HS,
And see the Joy of the Resurection!
If you do not beleive the truth of the ressurection,
and have the deep seated joy of belief -
Then, well then you should greive - as the disciples did for 3 days.
But if you do believe in the resurection
then do not greive at all.
Do not worry about this life,
Go out and testify of Jesus - even to your death.
For you have joy.
pause
We’ve said alot about the Joy of believeing in the resurection of Jesus.
But Joy doesn’t just stop at knowing something,
as we’ve been implying,
joy in knowing Jesus is God and Saviour,
Being indwelt by the HS.
and all this results in love for Jesus,
and therefore,
obedince and service to him.
And we already know from chap 15,
that that obedience will also result in joy.
And we also learnt that obedince is only and fully achieved through prayer.
And those same themes are repeated here.
2 - Prayer and Obedicene = Joy
2 - Prayer and Obedicene = Joy
In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
When you receive the HS
- you will no longer ask these questions of confusion, says Jesus,
- for you will know - you will believe!
And so now you believe - you have the joy of proof and belief thanks to the Spirit
and prooved by the resurection,
Now you can pray for anything in line with the name of Jesus - and you will recieve- he tells the disicples.
You cannot seperate all these ideas in these few chapters.
The resurection prooves it all,
The HS enables our eyes to be opened,
in turn we know the love of Jesus,
We have joy,
In responce we will pray to him for his will and name to be glorified,
He will answer,
and we will be obeident.
And,
as we pray and respond in and with obedince - we find, v24 -our joy will be complete.
This is why the disicples are able to go to their deaths for Jesus.
Perhpas you today have a deep rooted joy in your heart of belief,
but unless get up and obey Jesus all out,
all day everyday,
your joy will never be complete!
You’re missing out on joy!
So 2 steps to take today for us.
1 - believe the resurection happened! It changes everythign and removes all fear of folowing Jesus.
2 - pray that we wouldn’t just know Jesus, but we would be like Jesus. That we would respond in prayer and obedince that results in complete joy all day everyday.
For example,
I know I often hark on about people going on the mission field to reach the lost,
but the reason many don’t is becasue of fear or greif.
Well where is your joy?
Is it in comfort, security and this world?
Or is it in the resurection, prayer and obedience?
And here is a promise that the more we obey and pray, the more joy we will have!
And if for good reason the mission field isn’t an option for you,
then where is our obedicene and prayer to JEsus everyday here?,
testifying about Jesus,
giving ficncially to His work,
teaching our chidlren everyday about Jesus,
Loveing others as yourself.
Where is our joy?
Is it in comfort, security and this world?
Or is it in the resurection, prayer and obedience?
v33 sums it all up - and really ought to be a challenge ,and a great encouragement,
if we are fiidng ourselves fearful of being all out.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
JEsus has already won,
We already have peace,
So don’t let this hateful world trouble you,
take heart!
Choose Joy.
The disicpoles did..
An early legend says they cast lots and divided up the world,
to determine who would go where, so all could hear about Jesus.
So I thought I’d share a 2 line biography of each disicple, to end today,
These may not be completely accurate, it’s hard to know precise details,
but they on the whole will be close.
Perhpas their Joy filled exploits for Jesus,
will inspire us to find Joy in obeying Jesus more too.
Andrew
Andrew
went to the "land of the man-eaters," in what is now Russia.
Christians there claim him as the first to bring the gospel to their land.
He also preached in Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey,
and in Greece, where he is said to have been crucified.
Peter and Paul
Peter and Paul
Both martyred in Rome about 66 AD, during the persecution under Emperor Nero. Paul was beheaded. Peter was crucified, upside down at his request, since he did not feel he was worthy to die in the same manner as his Lord.
Thomas
Thomas
was probably most active in the area east of Syria.
Tradition has him preaching as far east as India,
where the ancient Marthoma Christians revere him as their founder.
They claim that he died there when pierced through with the spears of four soldiers.
Philip
Philip
seems to have had a powerful ministry in Carthage in North Africa and then in Asia Minor,
where he converted the wife of a Roman proconsul.
In retaliation the proconsul had Philip arrested and cruelly put to death.
Matthew
Matthew
the tax collector and writer of Matthew’s Gospel ministered in Persia and Ethiopia. Some of the oldest reports say he was not martyred, while others say he was stabbed to death in Ethiopia.
Bartholomew
Bartholomew
had widespread missionary travels attributed to him: to India with Thomas, back to Armenia, and also to Ethiopia and Southern Arabia. There are various accounts of how he met his death as a martyr for the gospel.
James
James
the son of Alpheus is reckoned to have ministered in Syria. The Jewish historian Josephus reported that he was stoned and then clubbed to death.
Simon the Zealot
Simon the Zealot
so the story goes, ministered in Persia and was killed after refusing to sacrifice to the sun god.
Matthais
Matthais
The apostle chosen to replace Judas. Well, Tradition sends him to Syria with Andrew and to death by burning.
John
John
The only one of the apostles generally thought to have died a natural death from old age. He was the leader of the church in the Ephesus area and is said to have taken care of Mary the mother of Jesus in his home - you’ll remmeber Jesus asking JOhn to do this as Jesus died on the cross.
In the middle '90s, he was exiled to the island of Patmos. There he is credited with writing the last book of the New Testament- Revelation. And of course he wrote the book we are going through.
Reports and legends abound and they are not always reliable,
but it is safe to say that the apostles went far and wide as heralds of the message of the risen Christ.
The world may have hated them -
But the JOY of the resurection, prayer and obedience was in their hearts.
They have now all gone to glory,
But we have not,
What will Joy enable us todo in our lives I wonder?
Pray