Navigating the Chaos

If I had to give a word for 2020, I would say “chaos.” To follow it up, so far if I would have to give a word for 2021 going into it, I would say “fear.” That’s the feeling that I’m hearing from a lot of our church members.

*I called to check on one of our church members this week who is 90 years old. And, he said to me, “I’ve never seen our nation more divided than it is right now.” I told him that says volumes because he has seen a lot.

*I had lunch with a group of our senior adults this week and they asked me, “What is going to happen to our nation? What is going to happen to the church? What do we need to do to get ready?”

All good questions. After all, 2020 gave us Black Lives Matter riots where cities burned, stores were looted, people were killed, and portions of cities and government building taken over in the name of racial equality. We just witnessed the Capitol Hill riots where people entered the Capitol Building, defaced the Capitol, while our government was trying to verify the electors, people were hurt and a few killed. Over people feeling as if the government had become lawless. (We should denounce all of these riots and lawlessness).

We’ve seen the government take a kind of power like never before in overstepping bounds of religious liberty. In 2020, we actually saw people given tickets for driving to church and remaining in their cars while they listened to the preacher preach. We’ve seen laws passed the support LGBTQ+ invented rights at the expense of constitutional 1st amendment religious liberty rights. We’ve seen the President of the United States impeached, twice. We’ve seen double standards in social media allowing some view, “fact checking” others, and outright banning the President’s voice.

Now we have the most secular Presidential administration of our lifetime about to be inaguarated.

*Someone said, “I’ve finished my free trail of 2021 and I want to cancel the subscription.

Question: Where is all of this chaos coming from? It’s coming straight from the enemy of peace and truth. It’s coming from the Devil. He’s laughing at all of this. And if it teaches us anything, it should teach us that we live in a depraved and fallen world. It should shake us into some sense of reality.

We as Christians in America have lived a bit of an entitled life. We’ve enjoyed a Christian bubble because our nation was founded on a Judeo-Christian ethic and religious freedom. We’ve have come to believe that it is the normal thing for us to enjoy a persecution free life.

That reality really impacted me as I was quarentined at home due to COVID for 10 days. I read through the gospel of John. And, as I was feeling a bit sorry for myself with what is going on in the world and the world that were going to be handing off to our kids. Through reading John, I could hear Jesus say to my soul, “Where did you ever hear me say that you are owed a persecution free life? If you got that through from what I said, you need to read it again.”

Church, the days of expecting the church not to be persecuted by the state and Christians not to have God given rights trampled on are over. It was nice while it lasted, but that existance never has been the normal existence throughout history for believers.

As I recovered from COVID the laid on my heart that it was time to preach through the book of John. So we will start in the beginning next week. But, specifically he has given me a word from John 16-17 that I am to share with you this morning.

From this, I’m convinced that we have become far to earthly minded. That’s easy to do we are are comfortable and complacent. We need to become far more heavenly minded in our everyday life.

We need to realize we were not made for this world, but we were made for an eternal home through a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We need to live this life with that reality in mind. We need to cling to Christ.

I. Our Fear Comes from Separation

John 16:4–5 ESV

4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’

John 16:16–19 ESV

16 “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” 17 So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” 19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’?

So, the disciples are confused. Wait, what do you mean we won’t see you for “a little while.” Just how long is a little while, Jesus?

*It’s like when I tell my kids to do a chore. They are like, “OK, in a little while. I need to know how long a little while is.”

This is a little while without Christ. A little while of separation from Christ. That’s a fearful thing for them.

Jesus says, “In that separation, sorrow is coming.”

John 16:20 ESV

20 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.

Our time on this earth is not supposed to be the time of rejoicing and lament. We are not suppose to live our best life now. For believers, this life is suppose to cause us to feel the separation and created a deeper longing to be with Christ. It reminds me of Paul saying:

Philippians 1:23–24 ESV

23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

We read that and say, “Wait a minute, to be with Christ, you have to die.” Paul says, I’d rather be with Christ, but he’s still got me here for a reason. The persecution and sorrow of this world has created in him and deep longing to be with Christ.

We are not living in a time where are joy culminates. This is a time that the world rejoices. It rejoices in its sin. It rejoices in its rebellion. But the world will not rejoice forever. And, Christians will not weep forever.

In v. 28, Jesus tells the disciples plainly what he means.

John 16:28 ESV

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

No wonder they are going to mourn and lament. They are going to be without Christ and they are going to be persecuted for their faith in Christ. Notice some of the persecution mentioned in this chapter as the world rejoices.

John 16:1–4 ESV

1 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.

They are going to persecute you and kill you and think that they are serving God. The church is going to be persecuted in days to come and the people doing the persecuting will think that they are doing right things. Those defending abortion right now and pushing LGBT values think that they are doing right. Don’t be surprised that the sinful world lacks basic morality.

John 16:32–33 ESV

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.”

II. Joy Comes from Reunion

He can say take heart because he knows how the story ends. Jesus is the victor. We may be separated from Christ for now, but it is not forever.

He gives this great illustration of our leaving this earth and going to heaven will be like the process of a woman given birth.

John 16:20–22 ESV

20 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.

How do we face the persecution of this life? Remember we are just a vapor. The persecution of our day is just a moment. These are birth pains. But Jesus says, when they place that baby in it’s momma’s arms, she forgets about they pain. I know she does because if she didn’t she would never have another child.

No matter how bad it’s gets for Christians on this earth, when we see Jesus the joy of reunion will overshadow a lifetime of joy and pain.

And what is more, Jesus says though I’m leaving, I’m not leaving you alone. You can be united with God to some extent even here.

John 16:7 ESV

7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

John 16:13–15 ESV

13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

He has not left us alone. He has given us the Holy Spirit to comfort us. He has given us his word to guide us.

What sustains you in this world? If it is worldly things like, money, jobs, politics, you will be left empty. Jesus doesn’t leave us alone. He sustains us through his Spirit. His Spirit glorifies God by giving us the things of God. Spend time daily with God. You are going to need it.

III. Rest Comes from Knowing Whose You Are

John 17:6–11 ESV

6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.

Jesus focus’s his prayer on you, his people. Not the world, but you.

Jesus died for you. Jesus redeemed you. Jesus is praying for you. Rest in the fact that we are Christ’s. Our eternity is secure.