“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.”
O GOD, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all
just works do proceed; Give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot
give; that our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by
thee, we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may pass our time in
rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.[1]
The verse you as a class selected way back in October
finds Jesus speaking to His disciples in the Upper Room. Right before His
arrest. Trial. Crucifixion. And death.
We find the Savior - at the end of His public ministry. It is the eve of
His betrayal. It is the edge of His suffering. Jesus is trying desperately to
give His disciples comfort and hope. in the light of the approaching storm of
the cross.
Tonight. I beg of you. I plead with you. I appeal to you.
Keep your focus on Christ. And not the vain things which can so easily be
misplaced. And soon gone. I trust that one of the lessons learned from this
past year is for you to set your priorities
on that one thing needful.
Keep Christ at the center of your attention. It’s easy to
become diverted. And soon sidetracked. When we become preoccupied by the cares
of this life, we can become distracted
and disjointed as a demented squirrel!
Heed the words of the Savior this night, “I have told you
these things that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have
tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33
Jesus presents to us two realities. Present sorrow – future
joy.
In this world, you will have trouble. I once tried a stick of
carefree gum. It didn’t work! That’s why Jesus came into this world. Entering
time and space. He came to be your Savior. He came that you might have peace.
Count on trouble and difficult days to come. That’s the
reality of living in a broken world outside of Eden. Yet take courage in
Christ’s victory for you. Such is the
essence of the Christian life. Your life is hidden in Christ.
This is what Paul teaches. “I have been crucified with
Christ. So, it is no longer I who live, but Christ who loved in me And the life
I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me an gave
himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
You do not have to live in fear and perpetual panic. You
don’t have to be in a constant state of freak out! Your Good Shepherd will
always be with you. Remember this – even if you’re walking through the valley
of the shadow of death - that shadow is cast by the light. The light of
Christ.
Remember Jesus’ word. “Take heart I have overcome the
world.” Whenever Jesus uttered the phrase, “take heart,” or “be
of good courage,” He always
backed it up with an assurance regarding His own work. This word “overcome”
comes from the word meaning “conquest,” or “victory.”
Unlike the Greek goddess of Victory, the Savior of the
Nations comes not to declare the winner of an athletic competition, but to be
the Victor in the battle against sin, death, and hell.
He does this not to win a wreath of laurels. But to willingly
bear a crown of thorns. So that he can bestow upon you - the crown of eternal
life.
The cross is not some mystic metaphor for the change you must
undergo before you come to self-realization. Rather. It is the earth-shattering event that changed
the course of eternity.
The entire weight of the world’s sin. Every evil action. Misplaced
thought. Careless words. Or selfish
ambition. Was placed upon Jesus the Christ. The result was not a broken wing on
a Grecian statue. But the broken body of the Son of God.
If you want to see what victory looks like, look at the
cross. If you want to see the weight of your sin, look at the cross.
And if you want to see the sin that your Father in heaven now
sees when he looks at you, look to the empty tomb. For there the dead body of the Son of God was
laid. And from there - He rose three days later.
Your sin is gone. Your guilt removed. As the flood waters
overcame the earth and brought death, so, the blood of Christ shed on Calvary’s
cross brings death to your sin and life to your soul. Because Jesus lives.
Because He overcame. You too. Will live forever.
Thanks be to God. Because
death could not stop Jesus, you can be
certain that it can’t stop you.
We, who were overcome by a tree in the Garden of Eden as our
first parents sinned, are also overcome by the tree of the cross. Because Jesus
has overcome the world, the devil, and
our own sinful nature, we can be confident that the words of Revelation2:7 are
clearly meant for you: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says
to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life,
which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” (NKJV)
Being justified by faith, we have peace with God. Through our
Lord Jesus Christ, a peace of mind, a serene temperament, and an undisturbed
tranquility. So that we might not be troubled and shaken by the events of the
earth or the turbulence of this broken world.
For, if we are in this world, as moral human beings, exposed
to both bodily and spiritual attacks, we are likely to meet with troubles, which
we will certainly come up against. Because the world is opposed to Christ as
the Savior and Redeemer. That’s why the old song sings, “I’m but a stranger
here, heaven is my home.”
But that’s the point. Heaven is your home. Your destiny. Your
future.
Do not be afraid to speak clearly and openly what Christ has
taught you. Be courageous to speak the truth of Scripture clearly and openly
for all to hear. Even if it appears unpopular or dangerous.
You abide in the care of Christ. Fear not. Your Father will
not let anything happen to you apart from His gracious care. You are of more
value than many sparrows. Not one of them will fall without your Father’s will.
No harm will befall you, but what your Father wills.
If the LORD has work for you to do, you cannot be undaunted.
The LORD has given you talents, abilities, and gifts. Use them. In praise to
your heavenly Father. And in service to your neighbor. So be a sermon in shoes.
So, I appeal to you. Do not yield to the spirit of this age.
Love the truth. What you learn of Christ - speak in the light of Christ’s truth.
What you hear in the Scriptures - proclaim from the housetop. You need not fear
the face of any man. You are in Christ.
Your Father loves you. You are His. He sustains. Directs. Supports
you. He leads you through troubled waters. He points you to His promises, which
will calm your fears and turn your anxieties into a quiet confidence. It is well
with your soul when Jesus guides and leads you.
Fare thee well child of God. Fare thee well. Godspeed and God
Bless!
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