You Get It

John 16:16-20 | October 18, 2020

Have you ever been miserable about something?

• Unhappy
• Uncomfortable
• Uneasy
• Discouraged
• Downcast
• Depressed

Like when you discovered that Tacos 4 Life no longer had crab cake tacos on their menu. 

Or when the cancelled New Coke. 

Or when the waitress came to the table and said they were all out of red velvet cheesecake.

I saw where a support group was either trying to strike advertising gold or completely strike out with potential clients by posting a sign on their door that said, “Remember to get your free ‘Misery Loves Company’ bumper sticker.”

But when misery is in full gear, it is exhausting, because there seems to be no sense of…

• Hope
• Confidence
• Peace
• Joy

And at its peak misery will do everything it can to keep us from smiling or laughing or even smirking. 

But is that how life is intended to be lived – in misery?

Or is there something else?

Something that can pull us out of our misery over and over and over again and set us back on our feet with a new puffy flour taco in our hand?

Yes, there is something just like that and Jesus is going to help us find it.

Listen to what he says in John 16 beginning with verse 16…

16 "A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me."

Jesus is talking to his closest friends, the disciples. 

And Jesus had been giving them a pretty consistent message, and it wasn’t a message of misery. 

Jesus called the disciples to follow him and they did.

And Jesus is calling you to follow him – have you ever taken that first step?

If not, it is important for you to know that Jesus designed life with him to be perfect and fun and comfortable so that there would never be any problems.

That’s exactly what the Bible says in 2 Hallucinations 4:10.

No, Jesus did not design life with him to be fluffy and easy and comfortable and fun – but he did design life with him to be with him.

• Not apart from him
• Not away from him
• Not distant from him

But with him. 

• Fixed on him
• Near him
• Close to him

Why?

So that in the snarls and snares and troubles of life, our salvation will not just be real, but will feel real. 

The disciples of Jesus experienced all of that.

The spent three years walking and talking and eating and serving with Jesus.

But now, in just a few hours, Jesus was about to leave them. 

They were…

• Worried
• Afraid
• Confused
• And walking on the edge of doubt

Ever felt that way?

So, what does Jesus do?

Like a good friend and a wonderful Savior, Jesus is going to help them. 

And how does he help them?

He tells them this…

• “In a little while, you will never see me again.”
• “A little while after that you will see me again.”

Well, sure, there ya go – there is absolutely nothing confusing about that, right?

How did they respond to this “so-called” help?

Listen to verses 17 and 18:

17 Some of His disciples then said to one another, "What is this thing He is telling us, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'; and, 'because I go to the Father'?"

 

18 So they were saying, "What is this that He says, 'A little while'? We do not know what He is talking about."

They didn’t have a clue what was going on.

And they didn’t turn to Jesus with their doubts – they turned to each other with their doubts.

Which is always wise, right?

If you find yourself part of a group of people that have no clue what’s going on, turn to each other for advice – that’s always a good move. 

Never look outside of the confused people and find a wise person to give good counsel.

That would never work, right?

The disciples turn to each other and say:

• “What’s he talking about?”
• “That makes no sense!”
• “Is this a trick question?”
• “Hey, are we on candid camera?”
• “Is this going viral?”

For almost three years they had been in close relationship with Jesus and yet they still seemed to not know him. 

He had explained to them many times:

• Who he was
• Why he was there
• What he was going to do
• Where he was going to go

But things just didn’t click. 

And Jesus knew that things weren’t clicking, so, he responded to them.

Listen to verse 19:

19 Jesus knew that they wished to question Him, and He said to them, "Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, 'A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me'?

Jesus knew what they were thinking.

But you have to imagine he saw it on their faces, too.

We’ve all been in that moment when someone was explaining something, or we were explaining something and someone in the conversation gets “that” look on their face.

You know, they get that look that says:

“I think I got it but just in case tell me the whole thing again.”

So, the disciples were confused. 

And to be fair, it does sound a bit strange. 

“You won’t see me in a little while and then in a little while you will see me.”

So, what was Jesus saying?

Maybe he was talking about being arrested and taken away into the inner courtrooms of religious law and Roman law and then later appearing again to be beaten and crucified. 

They wouldn’t see him and then they would see him.

Or maybe he was talking about dying and being placed in the tomb and then later rising from the dead. 

They wouldn’t see him and then they would see him. 

Or maybe he was talking about leaving this world and one day coming back again to take his true followers to heaven.

They wouldn’t see him and then they would see him. 

Over the centuries, good cases have been made for all of those views.

And I think we could argue that a little bit of each could be seen in these words from Jesus.

But what he says next sure seems to give a little more of a pinpoint. 

Listen to verse 20:

20 "Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy.

Jesus tells them that their pain and their sadness and their grief are going to be very real and very deep.   

• They might cry like babies
• They might feel like they are going to throw up
• They might ball themselves up in dark corner
• They might wail out loud at the funeral service

They were going to be severely down and extremely sad.

And when they were sad and grieving, the world was going to be happy and excited. 

• “Great news!”
• “Jesus is gone!”
• “No more of his intolerant teaching!”
• “No more of his demands that he is the only way to God!”
• “No more hearing that we are trespassers dead in our sin!”

The world hated Jesus and they were going to be happy he was gone. 

Sadly, but truly, the world still hates Jesus.

And the world is happy to deny his return. 

The world is happy to make him just a weak hippie teacher with long hair and sandals who gives candy out to children and visits people in the hospital.

But the Bible does not give us that option when it comes to Jesus. 

John gave us this description of Jesus when he returns:

Revelation 19:11-16

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Yea, I’m just not seeing a lot of hippie teacher passing out peppermints in that scene.

And his army doesn’t sound like a bunch of hippies either. 

I heard someone say that if you show up to fight a bunch of guys and they are all wearing white, you are going to lose.

They are not planning on getting dirty. 

One day, the people who gloated over the killing of Jesus will stand before him.

And it won’t be hippie Jesus – it will be sword coming out of the mouth Jesus. 

The gospel is the good and great news about how Jesus:

• Has died for our sins
• Has loved us and given himself up for us
• Desires to rescue all who put their faith in him

Most people of the world, but not all, have heard the gospel and keep rejecting that gospel and those that keep rejecting the gospel will not face hippie Jesus. 

They will face the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. 

And they will not be gleefully gloating when they do. 

Not long after Jesus had this conversation, the non-saved church people and the Romans and the other people that didn’t follow Jesus were going to be glad.

And the disciples were going to be sad. 

But Jesus tells them their sadness was going to be temporary.

It wasn’t going away, but it would not last forever. 

Jesus tells them that their weeping will turn into joy.

Don’t miss that wording – their weeping won’t be replaced with joy – it will turn into joy. 

The very thing that caused them sorrow was going to eventually bring them joy. 

Eating a salad might be something that makes you sad.

But if I tossed a ton of crumbled up, fresh-cooked bacon in that salad your sadness might turn to joy, right?

Most of the time we want God to take the bad stuff away. 

But the bad stuff is sometimes exactly what he uses to bring us deeper into the everlasting joy that can only be found in Jesus. 

It’s been 4 years since my friend Elton died.

About 6 months after I met him, Elton lost both of his legs in an accident on his chicken farm. 

But for the next 15 years after that he stood on his prosthetic legs and told the world with no reservation that God meant it for good. 

That the sorrow and pain that he endured for 40 straight days in the hospital and suffered through for the rest of his life God has turned into joy because the gospel had exploded in his family. 

He and his wife and both of his children have spent massive amounts of their lives over the last 20 years on the mission field serving people and telling people about the gospel. 

From Argentina to Haiti to Canada to Scotland, they have been making much of Jesus – and all of that happened after his accident. 

In fact, 13 years before his accident, they barely attended church.

Their sadness and pain did not go away, but their sadness and pain turned into joy. 

Joy in knowing and being known by Jesus.

Joy in loving and being loved by Jesus.

The disciples were going to be sad. 

They were going to hurt deep, deep down. 

But their sorrow was going to turn into joy. 

And that’s why I don’t think Jesus meant they wouldn’t see him because he was going to be in a courtroom. 

What kind of joy and hope would it bring the disciples if Jesus disappeared into some big building and then appeared again a little while later only to be publicly beaten and brutally killed?

I just don’t see that giving them any joy. 

Nor do I see Jesus primarily referring to his second coming. 

What kind of joy would it be for them to have this vague promise that Jesus was coming back “someday…over the rainbow”?

But the resurrection is different – because the resurrection sounds just like the kind of thing that could bring some real, immediate and even permanent joy. 

They watched Jesus get brutally killed. 

He body was buried in a tomb. 

They were down and depressed and sad and miserable. 

A vague promise of a return would not have helped their hearts and given them joy. 

But what about a guaranteed promise?

What about a sure thing?

• That would help a broken heart
• That would give joy to a sad soul

Jesus rose from the grave. 

For 72 hours he was dead, and then he wasn’t dead anymore. 

He came back to life.

He was gone for a little while. 

And they thought he was gone for good. 

But a little while later and they saw him again – alive!

Imagine you were kind of skeptically following Jesus around:

• “How do I know what you say is true?”
• “What if all of this is just some religious sham?”
  
  

And Jesus says:

“What if I get brutally and publically murdered for your sin and then three days later come back to life and appear in front of more than 500 people who can verify that it’s me.  Will that work?”

You say:

“Yea, that would probably work.”

Jesus continues:

“Would that then also be a good reason for you not to doubt the other promises I make to you, including that I am coming again one more final time to take my followers home to heaven.”

And you say:

“Yea, that coming back from the dead thing would pretty much cover the rest.”

Jesus continues:

“And what if before I come back the second time, I leave you a Helper to guide you and be your friend and encourage you and remind you that my promises all come true. What if I send the Holy Spirit to help you, too.”

And you say:

“Yea, I’m okay with that.”

You see, the resurrection is the gift that keeps on giving because for whatever promises you still have questions about the resurrection promises more of Jesus. 

And more of Jesus means that we will not be left alone forever.

Never being left alone matters for your misery today.

And never being left alone also matters for next Sunday.

Next Sunday we will be observing the Lord’s Supper. 

John Blanchard has said that the Lord’s Supper is the whole Bible in one meal. 

What does that mean?

It means that every aspect of everything that Jesus has done for you – birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension, guaranteed return – and reveals and reminds you of those amazing, stunning realities all in a piece of bread and a cup.

The Lord’s Supper is an immense picture of sorrow, but it is a picture of sorrow that turns into joy.

The Lord’s Supper reminds believers that they get joy.

And if you are not a Christian, please know that the Lord’s Supper is a reminder to you that without Christ your misery can’t be turned into hope and your sorry can’t be turned into joy – so please repent and come to Jesus.

This week I want to challenge and encourage you to approach next Sunday with purpose.

If you will be on campus with us, you will pick up your bread and your cup in the back hallway as you enter campus next week.

If you are watching online, then head to the store and make sure you have your own bread and cup ready at home.

In other words, prepare…to remember.

Remember what?

John Piper

The Lord’s Supper is a commemoration and an emblematic demonstration of the most painful, the most sinful, the most sorrowful act in the history of the world.

John Piper

And it is aiming to produce in us a kind of joy in the gospel and in Christ that is greater than any joy in the world, but that joy is not chipper, it’s not glib, it’s not superficial, it’s not silly, it’s not bouncy.

It’s not glib, but it is full of joy.

About 6 years ago, I was in a grocery store and I heard a little boy calling for his mom. 

He called her a couple of times just loud enough for me to hear him from an aisle or two over, and then he got a little louder the next couple of times. 

And then his louder voice turned to panic and crying out, “MOMMMMMY!” 

I walked toward his voice until I found him, and he was completely distraught. 

He was probably about 6 or 7 years old and I asked him if he could remember what his mommy was wearing. 

He was crying so much now that I couldn’t understand a word he was saying. 

I said:

“It’s okay, let’s start walking to the front of the store together and we can look down each row and see if we see her.”

That seemed to help him a little bit and just a few steps later I saw his face light up – all the way down the other side of the store his mom stepped out from the frozen food aisle. 

He smiled and took off running toward her – I will never forget that kid’s smile. 

I watched his sorrow over losing his mom turn into joy over finding his mom – the thing that was making him miserable ended up producing greater joy.

I turned to shop again and the first thing in my mind was…

“I once was lost, but now I’m found.”

I must have said that over and over in my mind for the next five minutes. 

There is no greater joy to be found in the universe than the joy of knowing Jesus Christ.

The joy of being saved.

And what’s the greatest part of knowing Jesus?

Knowing that in a little while, we will have joy forever.

Message by Dow Welsh |

October 18, 2020 © Holland Avenue Baptist Church

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Above are pre-sermon manuscript notes, not sermon transcript

Sermon scriptures NASB unless otherwise noted

Lots of help from many pastors and theologians

Weekly help from Bruce Hurt at www.preceptaustin.org

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-whole-bible-in-one-meal

https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/the-lords-supper-somber-or-cheerful

So, have you ever been miserable about something? I mean, just miserable, unhappy unease e uncomfortable, discouraged, downcast and depressed. You know, like when you realize that tacos for life had taken the crab cake taco off of the menu, you know, it was just just miserable, you know? Or maybe when you heard that they were canceling new Coke. I mean, I know that was terrible moment for a lot of people, right? Or maybe when the waitress comes back over to the table and says, Hey, I'm really sorry, but we're out of red velvet Jesuscake. You know, we've We've had moments in life where misery came our way. I saw some interest in the other day. It's a support group that was either trying to strike advertising gold or they were trying to strike out with all of their potential clients because on the door of their office, it said, be sure to ask about our free bumper sticker. Misery loves company. Now they'll probably get some people to come. Misery loves company. Here's the thing about misery, though. When misery cranks up, it is exhausting. Most of us can remember that moment or those moments We've been miserable and it's exhausting. It's exhausting in this way. It does everything it can to pull us away from hope, from confidence, from comfort, from joy, from peace just pulls us away from that. And and when misery really hits its peak, it does everything it can to keep us from laughing or smiling or even smirking. But is that how life has been designed? Has life been designed for us just to be miserable? Or is there something else? Is there something else that over and over again can pull us out of misery and set us back on our feet with a nice crab cake taco or some red velvet Jesuscake in our hands, something that makes life different? Something that changes the course of what's happened? There is something just like and Jesus is going to tell us about. Listen what he says in John 16 beginning with Verse 16 a little while longer, and you will no longer see me and again a little while and you will see me. Jesus is talking to his closest friends, his disciples, and his message has always been very consistent. It's a message, not of misery. It's a message of mercy and message of hope. It's not a miserable message. Jesus called his disciples to follow after him, and they did. And Jesus is calling you today to follow after him. So have you taken that first step and following Jesus? If you haven't, then it would be important for you to know that Jesus has designed life with him to be fun and happy and easy and comfortable. That's what the Bible says in second hallucinations. Chapter three, Verse two. Not not the life that Jesus designed. It's not a fluffy life. ItT's not one that's just easy and fun and full of comfort. But it is a life with him. It's a life with Jesus. Jesus did not design life with him, for you to be away from him, for you to be distant from him, for you to be disconnected from him, even though sometimes that's exactly how we feel. But Jesus didn't plan it that way. Jesus has designed life with him to be with him, to be fixed on him, to be close to him, to be near him. This is how he is designed, and why did he do that? So then all the snarls and snares and troubles of life that we've experienced this week that our salvation wouldn't just be riel. But our salvation would feel really that z difference. See the disciples of Jesus. They experienced all of that. They have been for three years at this point, walking and talking and eating and serving. They had been around Jesus all the time. They experience what it means to be close to Jesus, what it means to be near to him. But in just a few hours from this conversation, things were about to change. Jesus was going to leave them, and so Jesus was starting to talk in a way that was making them feel awkward. They were a little confused. They were a little afraid. They were a little worried. They kind of felt like they were right there on the edge of doubt. What's what's really happening? Have you ever felt any of those things in life ever, ever felt confused or awkward or worried or afraid or frustrated or just kind of sitting right there on the edge of doubt, wondering how all of this is going to work out wondering how this situation is going to work out, and this situation is going to work out House, um, bigger situation is going to work out. Have you ever been there? And what does Jesus do to help his friends in this moment of confusion and kind of hanging on the edge of doubt? Well, he does what any good friend and any wonderful savior would do. He's he's going to help him. And how does he help him? We help them by telling them this and a little while you'll never see me again. And then a little while you'll see me again. Well, that's helpful, right? Nothing confusing about that at all. So how did they respond to this so called help from Jesus? Listen to Verse 17 and 18. Some of his disciples then said to one another, What is this thing? He's telling us a little while and you will not see me and again a little while and you will see me and because I go to the father. So they were saying, What is this that he says a little while? We do not know what he is talking about. They have clue. They have had no clue what was going on. they didn't know what Jesus was talking about. And in their doubts, they turn to each other, which makes total sense. Right. If you ever find yourself in a group of people that are very confused, by all means, turn to each other. Don't look for someone wise outside of the confusion to help. That would make any sense, right? Yeah. The disciples were confused. They were frustrated, and so they decided to turn to each other. But they were all confused and they were all frustrated. What they didn't do was turned to Jesus. They turned to each other instead of turning to Jesus. We do that every now and then. Don't want. So they look at one another and they're like, What is he talking about? Things makes no sense. Is this Is this a trick question or we on candid camera? Is this thing going to go viral with what is happening? I don't understand what Jesus is talking. For almost three years, they had been in a relationship with Jesus, and yet they still didn't know him. Jesus, over and over again. Sit. This is who I am. This is what I'm here to do. This is where I'm going, here's what's happening, but it just didn't click. It just didn't click. And Jesus knew it wasn't clicking with, um so he's going to help him. He's going to respond. Like what he says in verse 19. Jesus knew that they wish to question him and he said to them, Are you deliberating together about this? That I said a little while and you will not see me and again a little while and you will see me See, Jesus knew what they were thinking, and you can almost sense he could see it on their face. Right, E, how many times have you been explaining something to someone? Or? Or maybe someone was explaining something to you and someone in that conversation all of a sudden got that look, you know that look like, uh, I think I understood. But just in case, tell me the whole thing again. You know, we don't understand. We're confused. What exactly is going on? The disciples were confused. And to be fair, I mean, it was a little strange, right? Hey, you're not going to see me. And then you are going to see me again. I mean, at the very least, it's a little confusing. So what's he talking about? Why would used to say that you're not going to see me, and then you're going to see me again. Well, maybe he's talking about the fact that he's getting ready. Good Arrested. He's going to be arrested. He's going to be taken into the religious courtrooms, the church courtrooms, and he's going to be taken into the Roman courtrooms and he's going to be in there for a while. And then eventually he's going to come out and he's going to be beaten. He's going to be crucified. And so so maybe Jesus saying Hey, a little while, You know you won't see me because I'll be in the courtrooms and then a little while later, you'll see me because I'll be outside the courtrooms. Or maybe Jesus is talking about dying and being put in the tomb and then rising from the dead. Maybe he's just trying to say, Hey, little while you're not going to see me because I'm going to be dead. But a while later you'll see me because I'll be alive. Or maybe he's talking about a second coming. Maybe he's saying, Hey, you know there's going to be a time that you're not going to see him anymore because I'm going to be ascending to heaven. But I'm coming back again to take all the true followers of the gospel back home to heaven with me. You won't see me for a little while, but then you will see me again. You know, over the years, good arguments have been made for for all three of those. And we can see a little bit of that in what Jesus is saying. A little of all of those are here. But what Jesus says next gives a little more pinpoint. Look at verse 20 Truly, truly. I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy. So Jesus tells him Look, your sadness is going to be really Your sadness is going to be deep. You're going to grieve. You're going to mourn. You might find yourself bawling like a baby somewhere. You might find yourself feeling like you're going to throw up. You're so upset you might find yourself over in the corner of a dark room Just just balled up. You might sit out on the back porch and stare at the trees for hours and hours, you might scream and wail and moan at the funeral service, but it's going to be really Jesus is not doing anything but being truthful with them. Their grief was going to be, really they were going to be extremely sad. And while they were grieving, the world was going to be rejoicing. The world was going to say, Jesus is dead great. Finally, we don't have toe listen to his intolerant teaching anymore. We don't have to listen to him saying that he is the Onley way to God, the only way to heaven. We don't have to hear him keep telling us that we're dead in our sins. In our trespasses. The world hated Jesus, and they were going to be perfectly happy for Jesus to be gone. And sadly, but truly, the world still hates Jesus, and they're happy to deny that his return is anything but a fairy tale. The world is happy toe look, A Jesus is just kind of a nice but weak hippie teacher kind of guy wore sandals and a robe, passed out jolly ranchers to kids and went visited people in the hospital. The problem with that view though, is the Bible never gives us that view of Jesus. John was describing by revelation and vision from God what it's going to look like when Jesus returns. He was just a portion of that description from Revelation Chapter 19. Then I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse. The one sitting on it is called faithful and true. And in righteousness, he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire and on his head are many dia dims and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood and the name by which he is called is the word of God. And the armies of heaven arrayed and fine linen, white and pure were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God. The Almighty own his robe and on his thigh he has a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I just don't hear a lot of hippie teacher in that, like not at all. And can I also just comfort your soul and your mind for the next few weeks and the next four years? No matter who is inaugurated as president of the United States, United States Revelation 19 will always stand. There will never be a time that Jesus is not the king of kings and the Lord of Lords. So we go vote with confidence for our candidate. We do not go vote with fear. We do not go vote with anger. We do not go vote with trepidation. We vote with confidence that our God is the king of kings and Lord of Lords and that will never change. It has never changed. It won't change in 20 years or 20,000 years. We have every reason to be excited, faithful, prayerful, bold Americans Because Jesus is okay and he always will be. And no one will change that. That's a reason to have joy. That's a reason to enjoy our faith. He's the king of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He is not a hippie teacher and you know his army doesn't sound like a bunch of hippies either, right? I heard somebody say one time. If you go to fight some people and they all show up wearing white, you're going to lose because they aren't planning on getting dirty. There's no hippie teacher in this scene. There's no weak guy passing out candy. But a few hours after Jesus was talking to his disciples, there was kind of a thing. There were people. They were gloating over Jesus being killed. They were gloating that he was being arrested and beaten and crucified. They were gloating in his death. And there will be a day that those people will stand before Jesus. And it won't be a hippie. Jesus. It will be the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. It won't be a hippie. Jesus, it'll be sore coming out of the mouth. Jesus! You see the gospel? The great news of Jesus Christ is this that Jesus came to rescue sinners from sin, that he came, that he died, that he loved you, that he gave himself up for you. And it is his desire to save and rescue all who put their faith in him. That's the great news of the gospel and the majority of the world, not all over the world. There's a small number in a t least in the bigger number of things. There's a small number of people groups, maybe around 6500 now that have never heard the gospel people own the planet that have never heard anything that we talk about every single Sunday. But the majority of the world has heard the gospel, and many of the people that have heard the gospel keep rejecting the gospel and those that keep rejecting The gospel will stand before Jesus one day and he won't be happy. He'll be the word of God. He'll be the one that's faithful and true. He'll be the king of Kings and the Lord of Lawrence, and they will not be gleefully gloating. See, a few days after all of this transpired with Jesus, the people who went to church. But we're not Christians, so to speak, the Romans and anybody else that wasn't following Jesus. They were going to be glad, but they were going to be happy. But the followers of Jesus, they were going to be sad. But Jesus tells them their sadness was going to be temporary. it was going to be, Really they were going to be sad, but then things were going to change. Jesus says that their grief, they're mourning their sadness was going to be turned into joy. Don't miss the wording. He didn't say it was going to be replaced. He didn't say that their grief was going to be replaced with joy. He said it was going to turn into joy the very thing that was causing them pain that was causing them sadness that was causing them. Grief was going to be turned into joy. Look, eating a salad might make you sad. I don't know. Maybe that's just the thing. But if I were toe sprinkled some fresh cooked crumble pecan wood, smoked bacon all over that salad, your sadness might turn to joy, right? I mean, things would change the thing that was causing you. Sadness might turn. See, we're tempted mawr often than not to say God, I don't want the bad stuff to get rid of the bad stuff. Take the bad stuff away. I don't want any of this to happen. And yet often it is in the bad stuff that God actually helps us moves us into the deepest joy that Jesus has purchased for us. My friend Elton died four years ago. He's in a car accident. About six months after I met Elton, he was in an accident on his farm. He lost both of the lower parts of his legs. For the next 15 years, Elton would stand on his prosthetic legs and he would tell anybody that would listen that God meant it all for good. That his 40 days in the hospital suffering immense pain in Greenville, North Carolina, that the next 15 years of ongoing pain and suffering that he experienced was all meant for good. Because the gospel captured the life of his family, you see, was after his accident. But he and his wife and his two kids started going all over the world to help people hear about Jesus and to serve them from Argentina to Haiti, to Canada to Scotland. They just kept going and kept serving and kept going and kept serving. In fact, 13 years before his accident, they weren't even going to church, and after his accident, the pain didn't disappear. Suffering didn't disappear, but that pain was turned into joy. Their lives were completely changed after the accident. The accident increased their joy because they began to see what it meant to be saved. What it meant to know Jesus and be known by Jesus what it meant toe love, Jesus and beloved by Jesus. And it happened through their grief. It happened through their pain. It happened through their problems. Jesus was honest with his disciples. Hey, this is going to hurt. It's going to be hard. You're going to be sad. You're going to be upset. But that difficulty is going to be turned into joy. That sorrow is going to be turned into joy. And that's why I think Jesus is not talking about the courtroom, because how would that be hopeful, You know, if he was just talking about the courtroom, it's like they would watch him go into some big building with columns and he'd been there for a few hours and he'd come out and get beaten. He get crucified. I mean, that doesn't sound like it would give him much hope. And it also seems like he's not talking about his second coming, because what kind of hope would it give them if he just gives them kind of a vague promise that one day he's coming back somewhere over the rainbow. But to come back from the dead Now, that song see, resurrection is something that would actually immediately impact their lives. It would give them really hope in that moment, immediate hope. But really it would be giving them permanent hope as well. They watched Jesus get brutally killed. He was buried in a tomb. They were down. They were depressed. They were afraid. They were confused and they were miserable. But they were miserable. So vague. Promise of maybe returning later on. I wasn't going to do a lot for them. But what if it was a guaranteed promise? What if it was a sure thing? What if it wasn't just a promise, but it was a promise with an ironclad guarantee? Because that's what Jesus gave so ah, guaranteed promise that might help a broken heart. A guaranteed promise might give joy to a miserable soul. And that's what Jesus is offering. Jesus Rose from the grave. He was dead 72 hours, and then he was not death. See, he came back to life. He was gone for a little while, but then a while later, they saw him and he was alive. Imagine you were around during that time, and you're kind of Ah, you know, a little bit of a skeptic. But you're hanging around with Jesus. You know, he seems kind of cool. You kind of like the vibe that he's given off. And he seems to be doing some neat things. People are getting hell, there's some miracles. So you you hang out for a little bit, you attend his church. You know, you kind of like you like the music, and you like, like preaching. And the people are nice. You gotta hang out with Jesus for a little while. But you're skeptical, and you're talking to Jesus one day, and you're like, I don't know. I mean, it all sounds good, but how do I know if all this is Really? I mean, what if this is just a big religious PR stunt? You know what? If you just wanna build a bunch of buildings and, you know, have a little have a little mega campus here, you know, I don't know. I don't know What if this is all just a sham and Jesus responds and he says Well, what if I were to be arrested and publicly beaten and publicly executed for the penalty of your sin and rebellion against God? And then three days later, I come back from the dead and I appear myself to more than 500 people, and they all verify that it's really me. Would that help some of your skepticism? You might say. Yeah, I don't know. Coming back from the dead, my work, you know, that might be pretty good. Jesus said okay, So if that were to happen, don't you think that it would make sense that you could believe all the other promises that the lesser promises, so to speak that I've given, like one of them saying that I'm coming back again to take all my true followers back toe heaven with me? Don't you think you should be ableto count all my promises? If you could count on that promise that I come back from the dead, you're like, Yeah, I rising from the dead thing is has got some legs, you know? I mean, it could kind of cover a lot of things, and Jesus goes on Well, what if before I come back the second time I give you a helper. Ah, friend. A guide. Someone to encourage you, someone to stay in your heart and your mind reminding you over and over again that all of these promises of mind are true and will be guaranteed overtime. Yeah, I'd be okay with a helper like that. You see, the beauty of the resurrection is this Whatever promise you're struggling with right now. Okay, Let's just be honest. We all are. There's some promise in the Bible that we struggle with. So whatever promise or promises that you may be struggling with today that you're kind of wondering. I don't know. God is that. Is that for Riel? The resurrection does something amazing. While we're trying to sort through promises, it keeps giving us Jesus over and over and over again. Mawr of Jesus, Mawr of Jesus. That's what the resurrection does because Jesus didn't stay dead. Jesus rose from the grave. So in rising from the grave in his resurrection, it's constantly getting mawr and Mawr and mawr of Jesus and ultimately, Jesus coming again and see if you're getting Mawr and Mawr and Mawr of Jesus as the promise, then that means this. You will never be let alone forever. You won't be alone forever. And listen sometimes in life. But we just feel alone. We do. Goodness gracious. I mean, I can speak for some of you because I know some of your stories, you know? And I can say for pretty much every pastor in the world in America 2020 has been the loneliest year of ministry ever. Because you have to make impossible decisions for hundreds of people. And most of them don't like it. And you know what? That's the same for your doctor and your politicians and your parents and your grand parents and your teachers and your principles and everybody else. This is a world of impossible decisions. Right now, everyone feels so alone. And yet in Christ it is impossible for us to truly be alone because Jesus is risen from the grave. So over and over again, the resurrection promise us. You'll just keep getting more Jesus. You'll just keep getting mawr of Jesus, and ultimately he'll be with you and see that means that for your misery today, the resurrection matters. See the resurrection, Kenbrell joy to your misery. Whatever your misery. Maybe the resurrection brings joy because the resurrection is guaranteed hope. The resurrection matters for your misery today, and the resurrection matters for next Sunday next Sunday will be observing the Lord's Supper. John Blanchard said. The Lord's Supper is the whole Bible in one meal. I just love that. What does that mean? It means that everything that Jesus has done for you, his birth, his life, his death, his resurrection, his ascension, his guaranteed promised return, all of those realities. All of those amazing, stunning realities. We can see and know an experience in a piece of bread and in a cup. It's amazing that Jesus would be this kind to us to remind us in the middle of 2020 at any given moment. Oh, yeah, the bread and cup is that reminder that all of these amazing grace realities are true? They're all true. The Lord's Supper is an immense picture of sorrow. It iss Jesus is sharing the bread and the cup before he's about to be arrested and beaten and crucified. So there's lots of sorrow, but the Lord's supper is sorrow that turns into joy. See, for Christians, the Lord's Supper is a reminder that we get joy, We get it, It Z there it's It's not like a promise thing. It's like a guarantee thing. We get joy, and if you're not a Christian, then we would also just say that without Christ, you can't get joy like you can't get it You might be able to get some happiness, but you can't get any joy so your misery can't be turned in the hope your sorrow can't be turned into joy without Christ. And so we plead with you to come to Jesus, repent and find freedom, the Onley freedom that lasts forever in Christ. So I want you to approach next Sunday with purpose. If you're going to be here in personal campus, you'll be picking up your bread and your cup as you come into the service and just keeping it with you until the end of the service. And if you're at home watching online, then head to the store. Okay, go get you some some bread and juice and you be ready next Sunday. In other words, let's prepare for next Sunday. Let's prepare hearts. Let's prepare our minds and let's prepare practically prepare to what prepared to remember to remember what I saw it put this way a couple weeks ago. The Lord's Supper is a commemoration and an emblematic demonstration of the most painful, the most sinful, the most sorrowful act in the history of the world. And it is aiming to produce in us a kind of joy in the Gospel and in Christ that is greater than any joy in the world. But that joy is not chipper. It's not glib. It's not superficial. It's not silly. It's not bouncy. It's not bouncing. It's not glib. So what we do next week is is not bouncy and glib, but it is joyful. So we come seriously. We come with a sense of sorrow that Jesus has died for us. But that sorrow is turned into joy because he has risen from but there. So we come with purpose to remember about six or seven years ago I was in a grocery store and I heard this kid start calling for his mom, and it wouldn't super loud, you know, maybe he sounds like he's maybe a mile or two over from him, but it was like Mommy and so, you know, still looking from a mustard or whatever is looking for then is like Mommy. And then a few seconds later Mommy, Mommy, Mommy! I mean, it just kept getting louder. So I was like, Alright, Cruz toward this kid. So I started falling his voice, and by time I got there, you know, I was like, Hey, buddy, I said, uh, you know, do you remember what your mom had on E? It's like, Okay, let's Z What? Why don't we walk to the front of the store? Let's go find the person in charge of the story and maybe they can help us find your mom and and we'll look for your mom as we walk, and that seemed coming down a little bit. So, you know, we start walking along and I'm kind of keeping my island and watching him, and I mean, his face is just And then all of a sudden we turn the corner of the aisle and everything about his face changes. I mean, his eyebrows shoot up and he hits the whole scrunched up face. Just, you know, excitement. And he's smiling and he takes off running away from May because about three hours down his mom came out from the frozen food and he saw her. You know, just a moment. Everything changed his whole face. His whole life changed because of one look at one person. I turned and went back toe do my shopping. And almost immediately as I turned, the first thing that popped into my head was I once was lost. But now I'm found. And I think for the next five minutes I walked through the store just saying that to myself over and over again. Dow you once were lost. But now you're fat. You once were lost. But now you're found. What makes you happy in life? Food, family, friends, vacation, whatever it may be. Think of those things that make you happy and love them. Enjoy them. Fantastic. But please know this the greatest joy in the universe can on Lee be found in being found by Jesus being saved by Jesus being known by Jesus. And you know what? The greatest part of being known by Jesus is what the greatest part of knowing Jesus is is that in a little while we will have joy forever, forever