12/18 John 14

JOHN 14

DO YOU HAVE HEART TROUBLE???

We have brave, bold Peter denying Christ…what then would happen to the rest of the disciples???  Then in chapter 14, we have Jesus giving a message to calm their troubled hearts. 

Heaven is a real place – it is not a figment of man’s religious imagination … God dwells there and Jesus sits today at the right hand of the Father.  In I Peter, 1: 11, 4 heaven is described as a kingdom and an inheritance.  In Heb. 11:16…a country, a city and in John 14:2 a HOME!

In chapters 13 – 17 Father is used 52 times … Heaven is “My Father’s house” is God’s children’s home.  The Greek word MONE is translated “mansions in v. 2, 23.  It simply means room, abiding places. 

In v. 3 we have a clear promise of the Lord’s return for His people.  Some will go through the valley and some will never see death…will be changed to be like Christ and will go to heaven I Thes. 4:13-18. 

John describes heaven in Rev. and runs out of words…then he tells us what heaven is NOT…no death, sorrow, crying, pain, night, etc.  What a wonderful home it will be – and we will enjoy it forever.

The LORD made it clear that He was going to the Father, and that He was the only way to the Father.  Heaven is a real place, an exclusive place, a loving place – not everyone is going to heaven…ONLY those who have received the LORD JESUS.

The Lord wipes out any other way to heaven when He states: “No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me!”  Leaves out any other way:  works, religious ceremonies, costly gifts, etc. 

The assurance of a heavenly home at the end of the road enables us to bear joyfully with the obstacles and battles along the way.  The Lord knew: “Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross.”  Heb. 12:2  Paul said, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”  Rom 8:18

We can KNOW the Father right now! v. 7 – 11 The word KNOW is used 141 times in John.  There are four levels of KNOWing:  1. KNOWing a fact 2. To understand the truth behind that fact.  (still lost) 3. Introduces relationships…to know means to believe in a person and become related to him/her 4. Know means to have a deeper relationship with a person, a deeper communion.  It is this fourth level that Paul is using in Phil. 3:10.  (v. 19-23)

Jesus is explaining to His disciples that knowing Him and seeing Him was the same as knowing and seeing the Father.  He is GOD!!!!

The burning desire of every Christian ought to be to know God better.  The purpose in Bible study is so that we might better know the God of the Word. 

The Lord Jesus indicates in the conversation with Philip that Philip did believe that He was in the Father and Father in Him, therefore Philip should have realized that the words of Jesus as well as His works came from the Father and revealed the Father.  We cannot separate Christ’s words and works, for both come from the Father and reveal HIM.

We CAN know the Father and Maker of the universe, for Jesus Christ revealed HIM to us.  Why should our hearts be troubled when the Creator and Governor of the universe is OUR OWN FATHER?  There is no need for us to have troubled hearts, for He is in control. 

Have the privilege of Prayer v. 12-15 “Why pray when you can worry?”  The best remedies for a troubled heart is PRAYER.  * Pray in faith v. 12.  * Pray in Christ’s name 13-14.  The whatsoever in v. 13 is qualified by all that God has revealed in His Word about prayer.  ‘In My name’ is the controlling element.  To know His name means to know His nature, what He is, and what He wants to do.  God answers prayer in order to honor His name; therefore, prayer must be in His will.  Any request that does not glorify God’s name should not be asked in His name.  * pray in loving obedience v. 15

Have the Holy Spirit v. 16-18 Apart from the Holy Spirit we cannot live the Christ life as God designs.  He is our Comforter – called alongside to assist.  The Holy Spirit does not work instead of us, or in spite of us, but IN us and THROUGH us.  True comfort strengthens us to face life bravely and keep on going.  It does not rob us of responsibility or make it easy for us to give up.  If we want the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, we must seek to glorify Christ and we must make much of the Word.  To be filled with the Spirit is the same as to be controlled by the Word.  The Spirit of Truth used the Word of truth to guide us into the will and work of God. 

The Holy Spirit abides I the believer.  He dwells in the believer as a Gift from the Father in answer to the prayer of the Son…Another Comforter.  The Spirit of God is not different from the Son of God for both are God.  The Spirit of God had dwelt WITH the disciples in the Person of Jesus…Now, He would dwell IN them.  The believer’s body is the temple of God, the Holy Spirit.  Even when we grieve Him, He never leaves us.  The Spirit wrote the Word and the way we treat the Bible is the way we treat the Spirit and the Son of God. 

Enjoy the Father’s Love v. 19-24 The Father shares His love with us as Jesus explained 3 manisfestations of that love:  *  v. 19, 20 the past…His death and resurrection (the world will not see Me … but you will know).  *  LOVE … treasure the Word and obey it…When we trust and receive the Lord, we are born again and the Spirit immediately enters and bears witness that we are a child of God.  The Spirit is resident and will not depart.  But as the believe yields to the Father, loves the Word, prays and obeys, there is a deeper relationship with the Father, the Son and the Spirit.  Salvation means we are going to heaven, but submission means that heaven comes to us.  *  there will be a future manifestation when Jesus Christ returns.  Jesus had been rejected by His own people, so He could not manifest Himself to them.  He revealed Himself to His church and left the church in the world to be a witness of God’s love.  He is patiently waiting still giving lost sinners opportunity to repent and be saved.  One day He will return and the world will behold Him.  Your heart will become a ‘heaven on earth’ as you commune with the Word and worship Him NOW. 

You have His Gift of Peace v. 25 – 31 Shalom means wholeness, completeness, health, security, even prosperity in the best sense.  The world places its peace on its resources. While God’s peace depends on RELATIONSHIPS.  To be right with God means to enjoy the peace of God.  The world depends on personal ability, but the Christian depends on spiritual adequacy in Christ.  Peace (world) is something you hope for or work for, but Christian peace is God’s wonderful Gift…received by faith.  Unsaved people enjoy peace when there is an absence of trouble.  Christians enjoy peace in spite of trials because of the Presence of power…the Holy Spirit. 

The Lord assured the disciples that they would see Him again…but we should rejoice because He returned to the Father…Because His return made possible His wonderful intercessory ministry on our behalf, our great High Priest in heaven.  We have the Spirit within us, the Savior above us and the Word before us!!!  Two greatest enemies, the world and the devil.  Jesus overcame both!.  Since we are IN CHRIST, Satan can get no foothold in our lives.  Satan can get no foothold in my life, unless I permit it.  “My Father is greater than I v. 18…was not denying His own deity or equality with God…he was on earth and necessarily limited by having a human body.  He willingly laid aside to go to the cross.  The Lord’s own perfect Peace assures us that He alone can give true Peace.  Jesus was always the Master of the situation and He enables us to take control of our lives as we surrender to Him and receive His legacy of Peace