WEBVTT 00:00:11.566 --> 00:00:13.499 Amen. 00:00:13.499 --> 00:00:14.932 Well, it's good to be with you this morning. 00:00:14.932 --> 00:00:19.065 I've been looking forward to this day for a number of weeks now. 00:00:19.233 --> 00:00:29.798 At least I thought I was looking forward to it until every single person I talked to asked me how I was going to handle this hot chili that was coming up. 00:00:29.865 --> 00:00:31.533 I thought you had forgotten about that. 00:00:31.533 --> 00:00:33.798 But you keep reminding me. 00:00:33.798 --> 00:00:37.198 In fact, I got this very offensive email this morning, by the way. 00:00:37.232 --> 00:00:39.098 Go ahead and throw up this image. 00:00:39.098 --> 00:00:42.832 Some guy taunting with his pot of chili. 00:00:42.932 --> 00:00:44.298 In fact, there's a label on it. 00:00:44.298 --> 00:00:45.698 Here's what it says. 00:00:45.698 --> 00:00:51.865 Disclaimer Not legal in the state of California, but what is right? 00:00:51.865 --> 00:00:57.533 Nothings legal there. May cause rocket Man syndrome. 00:00:57.633 --> 00:00:58.533 I don't know what that is. 00:00:58.533 --> 00:01:00.865 I don't want to know. 00:01:00.932 --> 00:01:06.233 But then on the e-mail, he said, I'm praying for you, bro. 00:01:06.332 --> 00:01:08.332 That doesn't feel very sincere to me. 00:01:08.332 --> 00:01:09.198 All right. 00:01:09.198 --> 00:01:15.799 I'm hoping that the rest of you are praying for me instead, although I feel like maybe you probably aren't. 00:01:15.933 --> 00:01:18.198 I volunteered to taste the hot chili Today. 00:01:18.198 --> 00:01:24.733 We have our first festival and fall chili cook off after the service. 00:01:24.799 --> 00:01:27.198 And I'm excited about the time we get to connect together. 00:01:27.198 --> 00:01:42.165 That's just an important part of building community, building relationships, increasing the network, the connection between one another, and the stronger we are relationally, the more depth that gives us to pour out into others around us. 00:01:42.266 --> 00:01:46.465 And so that's what we're moving toward in everything we do. 00:01:46.533 --> 00:01:49.998 And as we go into today's passage, we're continuing through the book of John. 00:01:49.998 --> 00:01:51.433 We're in John chapter 14. 00:01:51.433 --> 00:01:54.198 We're going to wrap up that chapter today. 00:01:54.198 --> 00:01:57.865 And I thought back to that one friend everybody had. 00:01:57.933 --> 00:02:01.332 You had that friend's house that you just love to go over to. 00:02:01.399 --> 00:02:01.566 Okay. 00:02:01.566 --> 00:02:13.866 Maybe their family seemed a little cooler than yours, or maybe they had more fun stuff to play with for me, one of my neighbors, the reason why I love to sneak over to his house is because they had snacks laying everywhere in their house. 00:02:14.066 --> 00:02:14.832 Right. 00:02:14.832 --> 00:02:16.366 And I don't know about you. 00:02:16.366 --> 00:02:18.165 I was reflecting on this with my brothers. 00:02:18.165 --> 00:02:19.598 I asked him, Am I the only one? 00:02:19.598 --> 00:02:27.366 I was always constantly, forever starving throughout all my teen years. 00:02:23.665 --> 00:02:27.366 I could never get enough to eat. 00:02:27.366 --> 00:02:28.532 And they're like, Yep, that was me. 00:02:28.532 --> 00:02:34.566 And they went to list out all the different ways they found food, snuck it out, ate off everyone else's plate at lunch. 00:02:34.633 --> 00:02:36.966 Was anybody else feel that way during your teen years? 00:02:36.966 --> 00:02:43.432 I was just always starving, so any time I had a chance to go his house, I'm going to get a few of those snacks laying around. 00:02:43.432 --> 00:02:47.532 I later learned that his mom wasn't leaving those out for me, right? 00:02:47.598 --> 00:02:49.866 In fact, she started to hide them from me. 00:02:49.866 --> 00:02:51.733 Don't worry, I found them even in the oven. 00:02:51.733 --> 00:02:53.598 I found them. 00:02:53.699 --> 00:02:55.432 Maybe that's why she didn't like me so much. 00:02:55.432 --> 00:02:57.466 I don't know. 00:02:57.466 --> 00:03:00.032 But what I loved about going to his house, that was nice. 00:03:00.032 --> 00:03:11.133 He had just an awesome set up in the basement pool table, ping pong table, and we would play down there and have these just all out knock down drag out wars on the ping pong table. 00:03:11.165 --> 00:03:13.066 We'd have so much fun. 00:03:13.066 --> 00:03:16.299 And I remember this one time he he spikes the ball at me. 00:03:16.299 --> 00:03:20.165 It bounces off into the far recesses of the basement. 00:03:20.233 --> 00:03:22.498 So I've got to go tracking down this ball. 00:03:22.498 --> 00:03:26.598 And I come into this back corner room, part of this dark part of the basement I've never been in. 00:03:26.598 --> 00:03:27.832 And there's a curtain hang in there. 00:03:27.832 --> 00:03:31.332 The ball had rolled up under it. 00:03:27.832 --> 00:03:36.432 And so I pull back the curtain and there's this wall of canned goods, like the entire wall covered. 00:03:36.532 --> 00:03:39.165 And then I look over to the next wall and there's a curtain there. 00:03:39.165 --> 00:03:40.299 Pull it back. 00:03:40.299 --> 00:03:42.633 Can goods - the entire wall, okay? 00:03:42.633 --> 00:03:46.133 Every wall I turn to was covered floor to ceiling in canned goods. 00:03:46.133 --> 00:03:49.932 And they all look like they've been there like since the sixties. 00:03:49.998 --> 00:03:56.366 Not that I'm an expert on canned good label dating, but it just looked really old and faded. 00:03:56.432 --> 00:04:00.133 So I was like, Dude, what's the deal with all of the canned goods? 00:04:00.233 --> 00:04:02.133 This is weird. I've never seen this. 00:04:02.133 --> 00:04:06.098 So we're just my parents wanna be ready for something. 00:04:06.165 --> 00:04:06.733 Like, for what? 00:04:06.733 --> 00:04:10.265 A green being convention or what are you trying to get ready for? 00:04:10.332 --> 00:04:13.466 They know if there's a natural disaster or something like that. 00:04:13.633 --> 00:04:15.399 They'll be ready. We won't. 00:04:15.399 --> 00:04:21.466 We won’t have to scramble and find things, you know, they were the original preppers, I guess, is the word you would say. 00:04:19.132 --> 00:04:21.466 They were. 00:04:21.466 --> 00:04:28.598 They were all out getting ready for whatever, I don't know, had been 20 years and had nothing had come, by the way, that never would have worked at our house. 00:04:28.699 --> 00:04:30.565 We would have found that food. 00:04:30.565 --> 00:04:32.598 We would have eliminated it. 00:04:32.598 --> 00:04:34.999 The disaster would have come and nothing would have been there. 00:04:34.999 --> 00:04:37.833 My parents would have been very confused and frustrated. 00:04:37.833 --> 00:04:44.399 The point being, they were preparing in advance for a tragedy to come. 00:04:44.466 --> 00:04:47.432 They were getting ready in advance for what they didn't know what. 00:04:47.432 --> 00:04:51.733 But we want to be ready for what comes anticipating in advance. 00:04:51.798 --> 00:04:59.565 We're going to see some of that not on the food side, but on the spiritual side in this passage today. 00:04:59.665 --> 00:05:04.499 And this is an important counter balance to what we've already talked about in Luke chapter. 00:05:04.499 --> 00:05:05.333 I'm sorry, John. 00:05:05.333 --> 00:05:09.966 Chapter 11, when Lazarus died, we saw there. 00:05:10.098 --> 00:05:12.899 What do you do after tragedy? 00:05:12.899 --> 00:05:16.432 How do you move forward after tragedy has occurred? 00:05:16.499 --> 00:05:21.499 How do you move forward after the loss of a loved one, after something unexpected? 00:05:21.598 --> 00:05:23.632 But today we want to look at the other side of the corn.... 00:05:23.632 --> 00:05:23.932 Coin. 00:05:23.932 --> 00:05:27.899 How do you not just respond to bad things that happen, but how do you get ready? 00:05:27.899 --> 00:05:34.298 Prepare for those in advance, because really, that's a better way to live. 00:05:34.365 --> 00:05:36.565 We can't know everything that's going to come at us. 00:05:36.565 --> 00:05:41.565 But if you're only in reactionary mode in life, that's a that's a bad place to be. 00:05:41.665 --> 00:05:47.732 We want to be proactive, anticipating, getting ready, preparing ourselves as much as we can. 00:05:47.732 --> 00:05:50.732 Again, can't know everything that will come. 00:05:50.766 --> 00:06:00.199 But I think what we're going to see in today's passage and John, chapter 14, and we're covering the end of the chapter versus 22 through 31, that's on page 847 in a church Bible. 00:06:00.365 --> 00:06:03.065 If you need a Bible, we have those free in the connection corner. 00:06:03.065 --> 00:06:07.699 Those specific Bibles are tied to the page numbers on the screen. 00:06:07.798 --> 00:06:22.199 But what we're going to see in this passage today, I think as I look through this passage, I saw seven ways to prepare in advance for tragedy, to go full prepper now, to be ready for what may come so that when it comes, you're ready. 00:06:22.266 --> 00:06:38.365 So let's look at John chapter 14, and let's just start with verse 22, John 1422 Judas, not Iscariot, said to him, Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us and not to the world? 00:06:38.432 --> 00:06:41.331 So if you weren't here last week, a little bit of context. 00:06:41.331 --> 00:06:44.598 Just before this, Jesus had said, I'm going to show myself to the world. 00:06:44.598 --> 00:06:48.732 I'm going to reveal myself to you. 00:06:48.831 --> 00:06:53.499 And before this, prior to that, there's been a series of questions from the disciples. 00:06:53.499 --> 00:06:59.732 So we had Peter, we had Philip, we had Thomas, each of them asking a question, Where are you going, Lord? 00:06:59.732 --> 00:07:00.899 How will we follow you? 00:07:00.899 --> 00:07:03.798 How will we know the way? 00:07:00.899 --> 00:07:03.798 How do we see the Father? 00:07:03.798 --> 00:07:05.531 And the disciples are clearly confused. 00:07:05.531 --> 00:07:08.531 They're trying to figure out what's going to happen. 00:07:08.598 --> 00:07:11.899 And so here we have Judas asking a follow up question as well. 00:07:11.966 --> 00:07:17.331 How will you manifest yourself to us but not to the world? 00:07:17.331 --> 00:07:19.732 There were a couple of things to note about this question. 00:07:19.732 --> 00:07:26.865 First, notice the disclaimer here on his name Judas, not Iscariot. 00:07:26.966 --> 00:07:31.598 It's really interesting how a name can be retired in an instant, right? 00:07:31.665 --> 00:07:37.298 You know, if you named your baby Judas in 32 A.D., that was okay, That's cool. 00:07:37.298 --> 00:07:39.132 No problems. 00:07:39.132 --> 00:07:45.766 But if you did it in 34 A.D., you better start socking money away for family therapy in the coming years. 00:07:45.766 --> 00:07:48.232 That's not a good move. 00:07:48.232 --> 00:07:54.831 If you named your baby in 1936, Hitler, no big deal. 00:07:54.831 --> 00:07:57.632 Who cares? Not that common of a name. 00:07:57.632 --> 00:08:01.766 If you did it in 1946, you're a psychopath, right? 00:08:01.831 --> 00:08:04.098 That name is retired. 00:08:04.098 --> 00:08:06.899 We don't use it anymore. 00:08:06.899 --> 00:08:09.699 And so for Judas all the rest of his life. 00:08:09.699 --> 00:08:10.798 Oh, Judas. 00:08:10.798 --> 00:08:12.298 And you knew Jesus? 00:08:12.298 --> 00:08:14.365 Not that Judas, okay? 00:08:14.365 --> 00:08:15.932 Not Iscariot.. 00:08:15.932 --> 00:08:16.831 It's the other one. 00:08:16.831 --> 00:08:18.665 Yeah, I know they sound the same haha. 00:08:18.665 --> 00:08:22.298 I get it. Not Iscariot. 00:08:22.365 --> 00:08:26.932 The interesting part of that is application for us. 00:08:27.031 --> 00:08:31.331 Things are going to happen outside of your control. 00:08:31.432 --> 00:08:42.298 Neither Judas pick their name and then the good Judas didn't pick for someone else named Judas to become the most notorious notorious betrayer of all time. 00:08:42.365 --> 00:08:46.631 Things are going to happen to you outside of your control. 00:08:46.731 --> 00:08:55.265 And what's interesting is here we have two people named Judas, and they go two completely different paths. 00:08:55.331 --> 00:09:02.231 But all you can control is how you respond to whatever comes at you. 00:09:02.331 --> 00:09:10.365 Now, in this moment, Judas asks the question, How is it that you're going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world? 00:09:10.466 --> 00:09:13.932 Why is he asking that question that way? 00:09:13.999 --> 00:09:15.765 Why is he confused in that moment? 00:09:15.765 --> 00:09:18.399 What is he trying to understand? 00:09:18.466 --> 00:09:24.066 Well, Judas is asking something that goes to the core of how people viewed the Messiah at that time. 00:09:24.066 --> 00:09:25.532 Jesus is clearly all throughout. 00:09:25.532 --> 00:09:29.599 We pointed out he's clearly claiming to be Messiah. 00:09:29.698 --> 00:09:50.432 And the common understanding that time of the Messiah is that he would come in power and he would come and remove the oppressive rulers and reestablish a righteous rulership, a righteous throne under God, under God's reign, which would be a very public event. 00:09:50.499 --> 00:09:53.399 And so Judas is asking him, how come? 00:09:53.399 --> 00:10:06.099 How is it you could reveal yourself just to us, your core followers, but not to the rest of the world, because the rest of the world would see that there's no you're not a sneaky messiah, that's not a messiah, in their understanding. 00:10:06.166 --> 00:10:12.298 And so let's look at how Jesus responds to him, because Fair question, by the way. 00:10:12.298 --> 00:10:13.499 Let's look at how Jesus responds. 00:10:13.499 --> 00:10:14.532 Look at the next couple of verses. 00:10:14.532 --> 00:10:22.666 Verse 23, Jesus answered him, If anyone loves me, he will keep my word and my father will love him. 00:10:22.765 --> 00:10:26.532 We will come to him, make our home within him. 00:10:26.599 --> 00:10:30.399 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. 00:10:30.466 --> 00:10:32.231 And the word that you hear is not mine. 00:10:32.231 --> 00:10:35.831 But the father’s who sent me. 00:10:35.932 --> 00:10:41.566 If you're Judas, I think in this moment your first response to this is Who do you think I am here? 00:10:41.566 --> 00:10:43.331 Luke Skywalker. Yoda. 00:10:43.331 --> 00:10:52.731 Like I asked a clear question, and this is more of a riddle, more of an obscure response. I don't I don't know what to do with this in this moment. 00:10:52.731 --> 00:10:58.099 Are you clearly coming as the clear Messiah or not? 00:10:58.198 --> 00:10:59.331 This highlights something though. 00:10:59.331 --> 00:11:00.532 That's a dynamic. 00:11:00.532 --> 00:11:06.764 Before we get into what Jesus meant by this, this highlights a dynamic, a dynamic of our own lives, Right? 00:11:06.764 --> 00:11:20.798 There's there's plenty of things in life that are veiled when you first encounter them, that are later revealed to you that you don't see clearly, but maybe someone else does see clearly. 00:11:20.865 --> 00:11:25.999 If you've ever started to learn about a new sport, you've experienced this. 00:11:25.999 --> 00:11:38.331 When we lived in Fiji, we served there as missionaries for six months and the sport that's huge there is rugby and which you know, who cares here, right? 00:11:38.331 --> 00:11:39.298 Very few people do. 00:11:39.298 --> 00:11:41.198 I've met a couple of you, but very few. 00:11:41.198 --> 00:11:43.465 And so it's brand new to us. 00:11:43.465 --> 00:11:51.399 But imagine if we took all the professional sports in the US, combine them all together, made them one, and everybody had all their attention on that one sport. 00:11:51.399 --> 00:11:52.399 That's how it is there. 00:11:52.399 --> 00:11:55.399 People are nuts about rugby. 00:11:55.532 --> 00:11:59.231 Little old ladies are out in the street throwing a rugby ball to each other. 00:11:59.432 --> 00:12:09.032 Even though rugby is kind of like football in terms of its violence without pads, by the way, the tackling, the crashing, but it has more of the soccer element of it ongoing. 00:12:09.032 --> 00:12:11.698 I know neither of these words mean any sense to anyone here, right. 00:12:11.698 --> 00:12:15.565 But in terms of it's more ongoing, it continues play. 00:12:15.631 --> 00:12:20.164 In fact, here's a photo of one of the rugby games with the Fijians there. 00:12:20.231 --> 00:12:21.698 So they have touchdowns. 00:12:21.698 --> 00:12:23.131 Stay with me. I'm getting through it. 00:12:23.131 --> 00:12:27.231 I know you're like, please stop talking about these foreign sports. Who cares? 00:12:27.331 --> 00:12:31.099 Especially after yesterday, none of our teams did well yesterday, but that's okay. 00:12:31.099 --> 00:12:32.532 We're going to get through it. 00:12:32.532 --> 00:12:34.532 But the point being, they had touchdowns. 00:12:34.532 --> 00:12:37.331 You did have to try to score a touchdown. 00:12:37.331 --> 00:12:43.798 And I'm watching a game with some of these guys and the Fijian has the rugby ball and he's running towards the end zone, if that's what they call it. 00:12:43.798 --> 00:12:44.664 I don't even know. 00:12:44.664 --> 00:12:50.999 He crosses the line into the end zone and I jump up CHEERING Yes, we scored. 00:12:50.999 --> 00:12:55.565 All the rest of them are going, No! No! They're doing the complete opposite. 00:12:55.565 --> 00:12:57.698 They're in agony. 00:12:57.698 --> 00:12:58.565 What's the deal? 00:12:58.565 --> 00:13:00.065 He crossed the end zone. 00:13:00.065 --> 00:13:01.399 He got into the end zone. 00:13:01.399 --> 00:13:02.131 No, no, no. 00:13:02.131 --> 00:13:08.298 In rugby, you've got to actually take the ball and touch it to the ground for it to count as a touchdown. 00:13:08.399 --> 00:13:26.231 And so I don't understand that we're seeing the same game, but we're seeing it completely differently and I think each of us can say there have been seasons of life where there were spiritual realities veiled to you. 00:13:26.331 --> 00:13:30.099 Now, sometimes those get revealed in an instant, right? 00:13:30.164 --> 00:13:33.865 There are times we're in a moment, things that were veiled become clear. 00:13:33.965 --> 00:13:35.932 Maybe that's when you first came to know Christ. 00:13:35.932 --> 00:13:39.499 Maybe at some later understanding. 00:13:39.599 --> 00:13:55.465 But there's a whole bunch of our spiritual lives that is the slow, steady, plodding of day after day of following Christ, of obeying Him, of loving him. 00:13:55.465 --> 00:14:03.432 In fact, that, I think, is our first principle and how we prepare in advance for what is to come. 00:14:03.664 --> 00:14:07.465 How do we go full prep or get ready for what tragedy will come? 00:14:07.532 --> 00:14:22.731 In fact, what we saw here in this verse, what Jesus says to them, If you really want to see me, if you really want to know me, look back at verse 25 at what he says, If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. 00:14:22.831 --> 00:14:31.599 And so that's our first of seven ways that we prepare in advance for what may come look on the screen, keep his word from a place of love. 00:14:31.664 --> 00:14:32.631 That's the first one. 00:14:32.631 --> 00:14:34.965 Keep his word from a place of love. 00:14:34.965 --> 00:14:39.731 If you want to really know me, if you really want to see me revealed in your life. 00:14:39.731 --> 00:14:48.231 In fact, he says, If you want us to come and make a home with you, follow me. 00:14:48.231 --> 00:14:51.231 Keep my word. Love me, love others. 00:14:51.399 --> 00:14:56.731 Day after day, the long, slow, plodding process of following him. 00:14:56.731 --> 00:15:01.899 And he will more and more reveal himself to you over time. 00:15:01.965 --> 00:15:08.664 It's not a quick fix if you have to live your spiritual life by demanding quick fixes. 00:15:08.731 --> 00:15:12.798 It's a hard way to go, but go back to the basics. 00:15:12.798 --> 00:15:13.965 We love him. 00:15:13.965 --> 00:15:17.065 We trust him, and we watch him reveal himself over time. 00:15:17.065 --> 00:15:18.065 So that's the first one. 00:15:18.065 --> 00:15:20.131 Second look at the next group of verses. 00:15:20.131 --> 00:15:26.599 Jesus responded to Judas, but now he seems to maybe turn his attention to the whole group and continue to teach. 00:15:26.698 --> 00:15:47.698 Look at verse 25, these things I have spoken to you while I am still with you, but the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to remembrance all that I have said to you. 00:15:47.764 --> 00:15:51.131 The second way we prepare in advance for tragedy. 00:15:51.231 --> 00:15:57.264 We prepare in advance for what may come is we learn from the Holy Spirit. 00:15:57.331 --> 00:15:59.131 Lean on to the Holy Spirit. 00:15:59.131 --> 00:16:00.664 Learn from Him. 00:16:00.664 --> 00:16:04.798 We've already seen the phrase the Holy Spirit or the Word, the Holy Spirit. 00:16:04.798 --> 00:16:06.932 We've seen the word helper. 00:16:04.798 --> 00:16:06.932 We looked at that last week. 00:16:06.932 --> 00:16:13.532 We looked at all the different occurrences in the book of John, and we talked about how that word is translated a lot of different ways. 00:16:13.599 --> 00:16:21.032 What's interesting is that word behind that word, it's the Greek word paraclete, and that's broken into two parts. 00:16:21.032 --> 00:16:23.932 You have para kletos. Kletos means chosen. 00:16:23.932 --> 00:16:26.365 That's not as common of an English word, but para. 00:16:26.365 --> 00:16:27.499 You know that word? 00:16:27.499 --> 00:16:31.099 You might hear it like in para church or paramilitary. 00:16:31.099 --> 00:16:39.331 Maybe that refers to a group that isn't the church or isn't the military, but comes alongside the church or the military to help them. 00:16:39.399 --> 00:16:53.597 In fact, when we put para kletos together, it's one who is called out to come alongside to provide strength, to provide encouragement, to provide help, to provide insight, to be there with you along the way. 00:16:53.697 --> 00:17:00.432 A lot of that points to what the Holy Spirit does, and in particular here in this passage, two things are pointed out. 00:17:00.432 --> 00:17:03.164 Number one, he will teach you all things. 00:17:03.164 --> 00:17:09.164 And number two, he will bring to remembrance all that I have said to you. 00:17:09.164 --> 00:17:14.464 Now, what's important about that is there's often been misunderstandings about this verse. 00:17:14.632 --> 00:17:18.731 27 we'll put the reference up on the screen. 00:17:18.731 --> 00:17:24.998 You can look it up later that says you have no need, that anyone should teach you anything. 00:17:25.065 --> 00:17:37.498 Some have taken the combination of those two verses to mean well, really, then the purest form of spiritual growth, the purest form of Bible study is just me and Jesus all alone. 00:17:37.565 --> 00:17:42.565 No one else, no other input they call seminary cemetery. 00:17:42.632 --> 00:17:44.932 Right? 00:17:42.632 --> 00:17:44.932 That's the place where people go to die. 00:17:44.932 --> 00:17:48.632 Try to learn things that kills your spiritual life. 00:17:48.698 --> 00:17:52.231 But I don't think that's what's going on here. 00:17:52.231 --> 00:18:00.998 In fact, kind of the common understanding of what this passage is pointing at is what he's trying to say specifically to the disciples. 00:18:01.065 --> 00:18:05.065 And it goes into the theme we've seen all along, Guys, I'm about to leave. 00:18:05.132 --> 00:18:06.932 It's going to be okay. 00:18:06.932 --> 00:18:09.332 You won't understand it all. 00:18:09.332 --> 00:18:13.531 And when I'm gone, by the way, the Holy Spirit is going to come and help make sense. 00:18:13.531 --> 00:18:18.198 He's going to help you remember so that you can write it down for future generations. 00:18:18.298 --> 00:18:21.531 This can't mean no, no, no, just me and the Holy Spirit. 00:18:21.531 --> 00:18:23.231 I don't need any other input. 00:18:23.231 --> 00:18:26.765 It can't mean that partly because we have the New Testament. 00:18:26.832 --> 00:18:29.632 Paul writes to churches to say, Learn from me. 00:18:29.632 --> 00:18:33.164 He even says that follow my example as I follow Christ. 00:18:33.265 --> 00:18:35.065 I've written these things down for help. 00:18:35.065 --> 00:18:36.164 You understand? 00:18:36.164 --> 00:18:43.464 2 Timothy- 1 Timothy 2:7, Study the Scriptures and the Lord will help give you understanding. 00:18:43.531 --> 00:18:46.932 So all throughout the Scripture, the emphasis is study. 00:18:47.031 --> 00:18:51.365 Lean on others, learn from others. 00:18:51.432 --> 00:19:07.632 And look, I can look around this room and look at person after person after person who I'm standing on the shoulders of, who's invested in me, who sat with me and helped me memorize the scripture as a kid, or who led me in a choir song, or who just taught from the stage and poured in to my life. 00:19:07.698 --> 00:19:11.597 I'm standing on the shoulders of so many, and you are too. 00:19:11.698 --> 00:19:15.031 There is no spiritual growth in isolation. 00:19:15.097 --> 00:19:27.798 We've got to lean heavily on one another, but it starts by leaning on the Holy Spirit, because if you're not hearing from Him, you're not even going to be aware that people are talking about something of significance. 00:19:27.798 --> 00:19:33.132 So that's number two, lean on the Holy Spirit, learn from the Holy Spirit. 00:19:33.132 --> 00:19:34.798 How do we get prepared for what may come? 00:19:34.798 --> 00:19:36.365 Number two now, let's keep reading. 00:19:36.365 --> 00:19:49.132 Let's look at the next verse, verse 27, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give it to you. 00:19:49.132 --> 00:19:52.597 Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 00:19:52.664 --> 00:20:04.798 Peace, peace I leave for you. Peace I leave with you. The third way we prepare in advance for what may come is to pursue true peace. 00:20:04.865 --> 00:20:08.798 Pursue true peace. 00:20:08.798 --> 00:20:13.198 And Jesus makes it clear here there are different kinds of peace. 00:20:13.265 --> 00:20:16.964 There's a false peace that the world talks about. 00:20:17.065 --> 00:20:24.031 That's not a true lasting, abiding, enduring peace. 00:20:24.132 --> 00:20:28.332 I remember the story of John and Charles Wesley. 00:20:28.432 --> 00:20:34.198 In fact, if you've come to our Wednesday night supper, anybody make it to Wednesday night supper this last week, our first one. 00:20:34.265 --> 00:20:35.265 And we started back. 00:20:35.265 --> 00:20:42.397 In fact, here's a photo of the group there we have the kitchen workers in the top left corner. 00:20:42.464 --> 00:20:44.365 We have the whole group below that. 00:20:44.365 --> 00:20:48.998 And I thought it was fitting that the first people in line were the people the hall is named after. 00:20:48.998 --> 00:20:52.265 The Peercy's were the first in the Peercy Hall for our first meal. 00:20:52.265 --> 00:20:59.265 It was so great. Yeah, well, what we're doing there on Wednesday nights, we're trying something a little different. 00:20:59.265 --> 00:21:07.198 After the meal, I lead an open Bible study, like kind of our Wednesday night service, and we kick it off with a hymn each week and we do a little teaching about the background of the hymn. 00:21:07.298 --> 00:21:11.798 And two of the most well-known hymn writers of our age were John and Charles Wesley Brothers. 00:21:11.798 --> 00:21:14.798 John Wesley ended up being the founder of the Methodist Church. 00:21:14.897 --> 00:21:24.998 There's a fascinating story about him encountering true peace for the first time, even though he was already well-established as a well-known teacher and hymn writer. 00:21:25.231 --> 00:21:27.664 He is traveling to the U.S. 00:21:27.664 --> 00:21:29.298 He's going to be a missionary in the US. 00:21:29.298 --> 00:21:31.464 This is early 1700s. 00:21:31.464 --> 00:21:33.998 He's the chaplain on the boat that is sailing here. 00:21:33.998 --> 00:21:36.632 That's how spiritual he is. 00:21:36.698 --> 00:21:39.765 Storm hits and he is utterly distraught. 00:21:39.765 --> 00:21:45.132 He knows this is the end and completely unraveled by the storm. 00:21:45.198 --> 00:22:00.998 And in the midst of this storm raging in the midst of people shouting out in agony, he hears off in the distance singing, singing praises to God over the clatter of all the noise of the ship. 00:22:00.998 --> 00:22:03.865 He hears this singing. 00:22:03.865 --> 00:22:05.597 He goes, Who is that? 00:22:05.597 --> 00:22:10.265 Who is singing in this in the midst of this turmoil? 00:22:10.332 --> 00:22:12.097 And so he goes to the recesses of the boat. 00:22:12.097 --> 00:22:15.765 He finds these families who had come from the Czech Republic. 00:22:15.765 --> 00:22:20.164 They are called the Moravians, and they were also coming to be missionaries. 00:22:20.230 --> 00:22:25.431 And he said to them, Where do you find that kind of peace? 00:22:25.530 --> 00:22:30.030 How can you display that kind of peace in the midst of this chaos? 00:22:30.097 --> 00:22:35.397 Whatever you have, I want, because I don't have it. 00:22:35.464 --> 00:22:50.664 He knew there's a true peace, in fact, that began the journey of him, what he would say really coming to know the Lord, true, abiding, eternal peace. 00:22:50.730 --> 00:23:06.664 Let me tell you, this is especially important for us in our age, because there is a lot of turmoil on every channel, on every website, on every page of a newspaper, if you still get those. 00:23:06.664 --> 00:23:09.397 There is turmoil everywhere. 00:23:09.397 --> 00:23:20.565 And if your peace has to be rooted in the right political leader, whoever it is, and the right political system in the lack of wars, and we should hope for those things. 00:23:20.565 --> 00:23:21.998 By the way, that's good. 00:23:21.998 --> 00:23:27.631 But that's not where our true, abiding, eternal, lasting peace is found. 00:23:27.631 --> 00:23:30.897 Yes, we hope for those we long for those we want good leaders. 00:23:30.897 --> 00:23:34.830 We want good governments. 00:23:30.897 --> 00:23:40.730 We don't want there to be wars, but our peace comes in something much more lasting. And enduring. 00:23:40.730 --> 00:23:42.730 And so pursue true peace. 00:23:42.730 --> 00:23:48.431 We have to find that now when times are calm so that when the chaos comes will be ready. 00:23:48.530 --> 00:23:49.765 So that's number three. 00:23:49.765 --> 00:23:51.397 Now let's look at number four. 00:23:51.397 --> 00:24:02.131 Number four, look at the next couple of verses here, verse 28, You heard me say to you, I'm going away and I will come to you. 00:24:02.131 --> 00:24:09.730 If you loved me, you would have rejoiced because I am going to the father, for the father is greater than I. 00:24:09.798 --> 00:24:12.730 If you love me, you would have rejoiced. 00:24:12.730 --> 00:24:14.298 I'm going away. 00:24:14.298 --> 00:24:15.897 And if you really love me, you would rejoice. 00:24:15.897 --> 00:24:29.597 In fact, the fourth way for us to be prepared in advance for what might come is to rejoice in Christ's sovereignty or rejoice in his plan, or rejoice in his way of doing things. 00:24:29.698 --> 00:24:37.730 You know, when he first started to tell the disciples, I'm going away, things are not going to go the way you thought they were distraught. 00:24:37.830 --> 00:24:38.631 What do you mean? 00:24:38.631 --> 00:24:40.631 Where are you going? 00:24:38.631 --> 00:24:40.631 How you getting there? 00:24:40.631 --> 00:24:41.498 How can we follow? 00:24:41.498 --> 00:24:42.030 What do you mean? 00:24:42.030 --> 00:24:45.431 We don't know the way? Show us the father. 00:24:45.498 --> 00:24:46.131 What do you mean? 00:24:46.131 --> 00:24:47.365 We might deny you. 00:24:47.365 --> 00:24:51.365 I'll never leave you, no matter whatever. 00:24:51.431 --> 00:25:01.597 And Jesus says, Look, if you really trusted that I knew what was best, you would rejoice that this is happening because this is what's best for you. 00:25:01.664 --> 00:25:06.998 Now is the time to be cementing that reality in our hearts. 00:25:07.097 --> 00:25:17.931 That Jesus’s plan is best, even when it doesn't all make sense, especially when it doesn't all makes sense. 00:25:18.030 --> 00:25:23.565 Those are the times we more directly lean on him. 00:25:23.664 --> 00:25:26.664 In fact, the next point really builds on this. 00:25:26.730 --> 00:25:39.897 Look at verse 29 and now I have told you before it takes place so that when it does take place, you may believe that's the word. 00:25:39.897 --> 00:25:45.030 That is the central theme of the book of John that shows up 90 plus times in the Book of John. 00:25:45.030 --> 00:25:49.964 Everything he keeps driving to is believe, believe, believe. 00:25:50.131 --> 00:25:54.597 But here he's making the point I'm telling you this now, so you'll be prepared to believe. 00:25:54.597 --> 00:25:58.631 In fact, if you can believe in advance, be ready in advance. 00:25:58.698 --> 00:26:01.964 I remember hearing Kerry Jones, our youth pastor here when I was growing up. 00:26:02.097 --> 00:26:13.698 I also heard it all the time from Dennis Rainey, who has served under it family life, marriage and family ministry all the time, saying, Decide in advance what you're going to do. 00:26:13.798 --> 00:26:21.298 Don't wait till you're in that difficult situation to maybe decide then what you might do. 00:26:21.365 --> 00:26:24.365 You've already set yourself up for failure. 00:26:24.365 --> 00:26:34.164 If you're going into a situation where you know there's probably going to be temptation and you haven't already decided what you're going to do, that's a tough place to be in. 00:26:34.230 --> 00:26:41.631 And so we need to be in a place where we believe the gospel in advance believe the truth in advance of what comes. 00:26:41.730 --> 00:26:47.897 I experienced this with a friend of mine who I went to seminary with, and we graduated together. 00:26:47.897 --> 00:26:49.931 In fact, we had become study partners. 00:26:49.931 --> 00:26:52.931 We really loved studying the Greek language together. 00:26:53.097 --> 00:26:57.030 Lots of fun, many hours together, as you can imagine. 00:26:57.097 --> 00:27:00.065 Maybe not, but we had a great time. 00:27:00.065 --> 00:27:01.298 We graduated together. 00:27:01.298 --> 00:27:03.365 And this this guy is super sharp. 00:27:03.365 --> 00:27:11.597 I thought, man, he is going to go on to get a Ph.D., become a well-known professor, write really important books, be well known, very sharp. 00:27:11.698 --> 00:27:16.131 Six weeks later, his his wife leaves him and she says, I'm done. 00:27:16.365 --> 00:27:18.464 I'm not coming back. This is over. 00:27:18.464 --> 00:27:22.030 And it was completely, entirely in an instant. 00:27:22.097 --> 00:27:23.330 Of course, it's never an instant. 00:27:23.330 --> 00:27:26.530 There was probably a lot building to that. 00:27:26.631 --> 00:27:31.365 But in an instant for him, his ministry dreams and hopes are gone. 00:27:31.464 --> 00:27:34.030 All that's got to take a backseat now and should, by the way. 00:27:34.030 --> 00:27:37.030 That's right. 00:27:37.131 --> 00:27:41.765 So he comes over for lunch, we go to church together, comes to our home. 00:27:41.830 --> 00:27:43.565 We have lunch together. 00:27:43.565 --> 00:27:46.230 This is shortly after that. 00:27:46.230 --> 00:27:47.498 And we're sitting at the lunch table. 00:27:47.498 --> 00:27:50.864 And he says to me, I don't know where all this is going to go. 00:27:50.864 --> 00:27:52.431 I don't know what is going to happen. 00:27:52.431 --> 00:27:58.330 But I'm going to tell you right now, I'm believing in faith that Christ is in control and I'm going to lean on him through this. 00:27:58.397 --> 00:28:00.030 I'm not going to run from the faith. 00:28:00.030 --> 00:28:02.597 I'm not going to run from him. 00:28:00.030 --> 00:28:02.597 I'm going to run to him. 00:28:02.597 --> 00:28:03.463 In the midst of this. 00:28:03.463 --> 00:28:05.730 I'm believing in advance that he knows what's best. 00:28:05.730 --> 00:28:15.097 As hard as this is, as painful as this is, I'm leaning on him and it was awesome to watch God work in his life through that. 00:28:15.097 --> 00:28:22.230 And look, it was hard. It was messy, but he believed in advance. 00:28:22.230 --> 00:28:29.498 He was ready for the tragedy that came as ready as you can be for what comes like that. 00:28:29.564 --> 00:28:34.163 Believe in advance, number five and then number six. 00:28:34.163 --> 00:28:39.698 Look at the well, let me just say the number six is follow Jesus's example of obedience. 00:28:39.763 --> 00:28:42.864 Follow his example of obedience. 00:28:42.864 --> 00:28:56.131 In fact, all throughout this section, if we go even back further into chapter 14, we've seen verse after verse after verse that says, Follow Jesus, follow his commands, love him, love his commands. 00:28:56.131 --> 00:29:01.230 In fact, you can go back just a few verses, go to verse 15, If you love me, you'll keep my commandments. 00:29:01.498 --> 00:29:04.298 Then the Holy Spirit will give you that power. 00:29:04.298 --> 00:29:07.597 Verse 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them loves me. 00:29:07.663 --> 00:29:11.530 Verse 22 If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. 00:29:11.597 --> 00:29:15.663 Verse 26 Holy Spirit will be with you to teach you along the way. 00:29:15.730 --> 00:29:21.963 And then coming into verse 31, look at verse 31 at the end of this section today. 00:29:22.030 --> 00:29:28.263 But I do as the father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the father. 00:29:28.298 --> 00:29:31.230 Rise, let us go from here. 00:29:31.230 --> 00:29:35.463 I do what the father has commanded means so that the world will know that I love him. 00:29:35.463 --> 00:29:49.030 The reason why he can say over and over and over again, Follow my commandments, love me, and know that the two of those things are deeply connected is because it was true for him as well. 00:29:49.131 --> 00:29:50.830 So follow his example of obedience. 00:29:50.830 --> 00:30:04.397 And then lastly, number seven, verse 30 I will no longer talk much with you for the ruler of this world is coming and he has no claim on me. 00:30:04.498 --> 00:30:09.163 In fact, some would say he has no hold on me. 00:30:09.263 --> 00:30:14.631 And so for us, I take away for that he has no hold on Christ. 00:30:14.631 --> 00:30:19.498 And then number seven, remember, the enemy has no hold on. You. 00:30:19.564 --> 00:30:21.931 He has no hold on you. 00:30:21.931 --> 00:30:32.498 If you know him, if you trust him, if you follow him, if you've been forgiven by him, he's got no claim on your life. 00:30:32.498 --> 00:30:33.698 Yes, of course. 00:30:33.698 --> 00:30:35.663 He prowls around like a roaring lion. 00:30:35.663 --> 00:30:40.030 Of course he's trying to derail you, but he's got no claim on you. 00:30:40.097 --> 00:30:41.897 Romans eight talks about this one and two. 00:30:41.897 --> 00:30:51.498 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ. 00:30:51.498 --> 00:30:58.698 Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. 00:30:58.698 --> 00:31:02.364 Freedom, freedom in him. 00:31:02.364 --> 00:31:04.963 He has no hold on you. 00:31:04.963 --> 00:31:08.463 He wants you to think he does every day. 00:31:08.463 --> 00:31:10.330 He throws at you. 00:31:10.330 --> 00:31:11.698 He reminds you of shame. 00:31:11.698 --> 00:31:12.830 He reminds you of guilt. 00:31:12.830 --> 00:31:15.064 He reminds you of things you've done wrong. 00:31:15.064 --> 00:31:16.963 And you have. 00:31:16.963 --> 00:31:18.397 But he's got no claim on your life. 00:31:18.397 --> 00:31:23.730 He's got no right to you. 00:31:23.798 --> 00:31:30.030 But if you don't know him, he does. 00:31:30.097 --> 00:31:36.597 Today's the day to make it right with you, to make sure you are following him. 00:31:36.597 --> 00:31:52.730 To know that everlasting, abiding peace we are talking about, to know true forgiveness, to be ready in advance for what may come the starting place is to know him. 00:31:52.830 --> 00:31:53.830 Many of you know A.B. 00:31:53.830 --> 00:31:57.597 and Judy Deany, longtime members here at the church. 00:31:57.597 --> 00:32:05.097 If you've come in the front doors, you've met Judy, one of our key greeters here. 00:32:05.163 --> 00:32:09.663 A.B. and Judy were prepared in advance for a very difficult season. 00:32:09.663 --> 00:32:21.763 Recently, in the same week, they lost five year old great granddaughter, and he lost his best friend, Steve Lewis, longtime member here as well. 00:32:21.864 --> 00:32:24.564 In the same week. 00:32:24.564 --> 00:32:26.397 And that was a hard week. 00:32:26.397 --> 00:32:27.931 It was a devastating week. 00:32:27.931 --> 00:32:34.763 They were prepared in advance and they didn't start preparing the week before. 00:32:34.830 --> 00:32:39.463 In 1975, they came to a Wednesday night supper. 00:32:39.463 --> 00:32:44.263 He said It was a $1.35 turkey dressing meal. 00:32:44.364 --> 00:32:47.897 Very memorable. 00:32:47.998 --> 00:32:49.463 Someone had invited them. 00:32:49.463 --> 00:32:54.931 They come, come for the meal, but we're not going to stay for church. 00:32:54.931 --> 00:33:01.330 So they leave and they pull into the driveway and they look at each other and go, What are we doing? 00:33:01.397 --> 00:33:02.830 We're not doing anything else tonight. 00:33:02.830 --> 00:33:04.230 We're both looking for something. 00:33:04.230 --> 00:33:06.798 We both need something in our lives. 00:33:06.897 --> 00:33:08.463 So let's see what they have to say. 00:33:08.463 --> 00:33:10.931 It can't hurt anything. 00:33:10.931 --> 00:33:13.463 Come back for the service. 00:33:13.463 --> 00:33:23.196 A guy who's preaching, he said as he talked, I kept feeling smaller and smaller. 00:33:23.263 --> 00:33:25.564 He gets up at the end, he said, I want to know Christ. 00:33:25.564 --> 00:33:27.396 I want to follow him. 00:33:27.396 --> 00:33:29.030 He goes right to the pastor. 00:33:29.030 --> 00:33:31.396 They're praying and he's looking around for Judy. 00:33:31.396 --> 00:33:34.696 She's on the other side of the pulpit talking to Brother Dave. 00:33:34.797 --> 00:33:40.463 He's leading her to the Lord and the two of them cement their lives in Christ. 00:33:40.530 --> 00:33:44.396 And then not long after they lead their best, lead their best friends to Christ. 00:33:44.396 --> 00:33:54.931 Stephen, Portia Lewis in 1975, they start preparing in advance for tragedy to come. 00:33:55.030 --> 00:33:59.064 And if you don't know Christ, today is the day to follow him. 00:33:59.131 --> 00:34:01.364 Don't wait another day. 00:34:01.463 --> 00:34:08.664 Don't put off another day of walking in true joy and peace and being ready to encounter whatever comes.