Where Does Hope Come From? (John 16:33)--Notes For Hope 2021

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Where Does Hope Come From? (John 16:33)

Notes For Hope 2021

GIST: You’re not alone and hope isn’t hidden; pain is promised but peace is possible, and lasting hope comes from the ultimate overcomer.

When Casey contacted me about being part of this event, it wasn’t a hard decision. What we’re here today to do is stand with our community and point to hope where hurt abounds. Let me start by making this clear→ Mental illness is real. Suicidal thoughts and feelings of complete hopelessness and despair are real. Though the wounds they leave might not always be visible, they’re deep and lasting. Yet, even in the midst of deep suffering, there is hope, and that hope comes from Jesus.

And guys, that’s really the vision behind this whole service. We’re at an event called Notes For Hope, and we really want to make sure we put that hope on full display. When I was praying about what to share with you today, one of my favorite passages came to mind. Before we go there, however, let me just make sure I say this→ Jesus loves you. I don’t know what you’re facing right now. I don’t know what burdens you’re bearing or what heartbreak you’re carrying with you, but His love won’t ever run out. Yes, you’re a broken sinner. But, there is hope because He came and took on Hell in your place. If you come to Him and surrender your life, lay down that control you’re clinging to while you’re spinning out of control, He will rescue you— not because He has to, but because He loves you that much. I know this is still technically our introduction, but I couldn’t go any further without trying to make that clear.  

To break this down more, I want to dive into just one verse with you this morning. Let’s check out a verse I probably find myself quoting more than any other: John 16:33→ 

“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.”

When I preach, I like to lead into our points with a gist statement. I always tell Providence this is the “in-case-you-fall-asleep-after-this” statement. For today, our gist consists of three observations from the passage I don’t want us to miss → You’re not alone and hope isn’t hidden; pain is promised but peace is possible, and lasting hope comes from the ultimate overcomer. Let’s dive into those!

I. You’re Not Alone And Hope Isn’t Hidden

 “I have said these things to you…”

"These things" were spoken directly following the Last Supper. Jesus had just told His disciples of His nearing death and predicted His betrayal and denial. The mood was pretty somber to say the least. Then, He immediately follows with an admonition that they be known by their love for one another. His disciples had to have been on an emotional roller coaster here. So, He did what He always does (and what we should do too), He feeds their emotions truth and sets the stage for everything that is to follow and the reason why any of this matters— John 14:1-6 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

There’s hope, and it isn’t hiding behind some secret code we need to crack or some mystery we need to solve. Jesus came as hope and came proclaiming this hope. He’s told us “these things”. You might feel alone right now. If not, you probably have at some point and, truthfully, probably will again. Naturally, our sinful hearts will gravitate to feeling isolated. We tend to believe the lie that we’re the only ones suffering or the only ones who know what it feels like to… fill in the blank. But you’re not alone. Just like He was with His disciples, Jesus is still reaching into your brokenness. He is the way, the truth, and the life for you too. 

II. Pain Is Promised But Peace Is Possible

This next part is what always draws me back to the verse again and again because I see this truth everywhere→ 

“I have said these things to you that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation.”

Let’s start with the guarantee. In this world, you will have tribulation. He didn’t say “might”. He said messed up, painful things are going to happen. This life will stink sometimes. I know I started by saying we wanted to point to hope today, and that doesn’t sound particularly hopeful, but don’t worry, that’s coming ☺️! However, even in this there’s the encouragement not to be surprised when pain comes because none of that catches Him by surprise. 

At Providence, we’re going through the book of Revelation together right now, and we’re about to come to a passage where Jesus calls Himself “the Alpha and the Omega… who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8). As messed up as this world seems to us and as broken as we feel, we can trust that He’s still moving and working His beautiful purpose in the midst of it.

That’s why He says we may have peace. Pain is guaranteed, but peace isn’t. I think we get that, right? There are probably plenty of you reading this who have experienced the pain part without feeling any kind of peace. That’s because even though He’s offered peace, we might not take it. By nature, we actually don’t want to because, well look at what it says, that peace is possible in Him. We don’t like to feel like we need anyone else. We don’t want to admit we’re stuck in a situation we can’t somehow work our way out of. Nonetheless, I don’t want us to miss the most beautiful part of this promise→ 

III. Lasting Hope Comes From The Ultimate Overcomer

“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.”

Why can you have hope? Because Jesus has already won the battle. He’s defeated death. He’s conquered sin. He’s endured the Hell you deserve— because He loves you. I know that sounds great...and kind of churchy. BUT think about the implications here. Have you ever done anything really difficult before? I’m just going to assume the answer for most of you is yes ☺️. Now, how much easier are hard things when you’re doing them with someone who really knows what they’re doing? Right now, my wife and I are nearing the end of what has been a two month remodel journey ☺️. We started it all by ourselves...and learned a lot. We also learned a lot about what we don’t know. We drastically underestimated how long this would take. For the last month, my contractor friend Bruce has been helping us, and it’s changed everything. I haven’t had to pull up youtube every five seconds. And I didn’t need to worry about all the stuff I’d probably mess up because I trusted him. This wasn’t his first rodeo. He knew exactly what needed to be done. That gave me confidence to follow his lead and get things done.

Now, that’s just a tiny example because as awesome as Bruce is… He’s not God ☺️. He’s conquered the remodel beast, but he hasn’t overcome the world. Jesus has. He’s already won the victory in your place, and He wants you to walk through this life with Him. If you’re doing that, doesn’t it change how you face challenges. Sure, they’ll still come. Yes, they will still hurt. But there is hope in the midst of hardship knowing He has never left your or forsaken you...and He never will. In fact, even death does not separate you from His hope because if you’re His leaving this world means being wrapped in His arms!

TAKEAWAYS

1. You’re Not Alone And Hope Isn’t Hidden.

2. Pain Is Promised But Peace Is Possible.

3. And Lasting Hope Comes From The Ultimate Overcomer.

PONDERING... Truths Little Grandma Knew

I was blessed to be able to speak at my grandma's funeral yesterday.

Little Grandma's Funeral Sermon: Place, Path, and Peace

Opening Remarks: The first sermon I preached was at my little Grandma's church. We were in to visit when Grandpa got sick. She had heard I was called to preach, and made arrangements for me to come to County Line, where I preached to a tiny church overflowing with my family. I'm honored to preach at her funeral.

GIST: Grandma knew this truth. She knew that Jesus had prepared a place, provided a path, and procured a peace. She would want us to know this too.

SCRIPTURE: John 14:1-6, 27. John 16:33

John 14:1-6 "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going." 5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

CONTEXT- This is the night before Jesus was crucified. He had just told His disciples again of His impending death and resurrection... though they clung more to the death part. Judas, one of His 12 disciples, had just left to betray Him. Peter, the most outspoken and truly Upchurchain of the disciples, had just made a bold proclamation of his loyalty and devotion to Christ, only to be told he would soon deny Jesus three times. It wasn't a happy occasion. Immediately, however, Jesus tells His disciples not to be troubled. He then gives several reasons why and continues to encourage and instruct them for the next four chapters--which I will not hold you long enough to cover today. I'm just going to hit the first few. These are truths Grandma knew well. She knew that Jesus had prepared a place, provided a path, and procured a peace. She would want us to know this too--really know it--not just hear.

1. Place (v1-3)
First, Jesus tells His disciples to take heart because He has prepared a place for them. He starts by appealing to His trustworthiness--He's God. He does not lie. I love how He puts it in verse 2...If I say it, I mean it.

This promise of a place is a big deal. This life is hard. It comes with trials--guaranteed trials in fact. However, this life is not all there is. In April at my school, something magical happens. Toward the end of the month, they pass out contracts. If you get one, you have 30 days to sign and return it to the board building. I don't wait 30 days. I don't even trust inner school mail. I sign it immediately and run it over to the board building as soon as the bell rings... then hand it personally to the appropriate authority. Why? Because that secures my place. No matter how crazy things get, or how tempting I make it, I know it just became that much harder for them to fire me. I have a place.

But this kind of security is fickle. They might not like me next year, and my place is lost. That's not the kind of place Jesus is talking about. He died so that we could have this place. Not due to or contingent upon any merit of our own, but because He loves us: "3...I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also."

Grandma knew there was a much better place awaiting her. In her case, that's not a euphemism.

2. Path (v4-6)
But how did she know this for sure? Because she knew the path.

Every summer before we moved overseas, my parents would drop us off at Grandma's for extended periods of time... I don't know why, and they might not have really left. I was in Grandma-land. Everything else was secondary... One of the highlights of these trips was getting to see my cousins. We played together for hours (mostly nonsensical super-hero related games :D). One of our favorite places to play was this trail we had laid out down by the creek bed that we called "Cousin's Course". We ran all through those woods, but as long as we could find that path, we were never lost because we knew it so well.

There's a difference between this path and the path Jesus is talking about here though. There were other ways back to Grandma's. They might not have been as cool...but they were there. It doesn't work like that with Heaven. Jesus went to prepare a place, but there is only one way to get there. We see in this passage that Thomas, unlike Grandma, didn't get this, so Jesus clarified. John 14:6  6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus is again explaining the same truth He has been tell his disciples from the beginning, the same truth we all still need to hear. From birth, we are sinful. We don't learn that. We live it. We all have these standards we use to judge the world, but don't even live up to those, let alone God's standards. The Bible clearly teaches that we have sinned against the eternal god, and thus deserve eternal punishment--Hell. Nonetheless, based on no "earning" of our own, and out of no obligation, Jesus willing came, lived the perfect, sinless life, died in our place, and rose again, defeating sin. We could not have saved ourselves. But if we believe in Him and give Him control of our lives, we will be saved. He is the way--there are no others; He is the truth--apart from Him no truth is found; He is the life--to Him and through Him are all things. Grandma knew this. She would want nothing more than for everyone in this room to know HIM, too.

3. Peace (v27, 16:33)
She knew there was a prepared place. She traveled the provided path. So, she had the procured peace.

In John 14:27, Jesus tells His disciples: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

Similarly, in John 16:33 He says, "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."
This is the peace Grandma knew. But better yet, this is the peace she is experiencing first hand today. Jesus tells us the peace He gives isn't like the peace the world gives because the peace of the world is limited and temporary. My parents live in Ukraine. Putin has promised peace on several occasions lately...but that's the problem... he keeps having to come back and promise again. God's peace isn't like that. It's perfect peace. He has all power, so His peace isn't limited or effected by circumstances.

He is the source of His peace, so to know Him is to know His peace. Notice John 16:33 again. He doesn't say 'come here and I'll give you a little package of peace'. He says "IN ME you will have peace." You won't find it anywhere else. Grandma knew that. Grandma had peace because Grandmas had Jesus.

Final Thoughts: Do you know Jesus has a place prepared for you? Do you know that He's the only path, the only one who can cleanse you of your filth and cover you in His righteousness? Do you have His peace?