John 16:16-33

[0:00] Let's see where we'll pick it up. I think we quit at verse 15. The last time we were together.

[0:10] So we'll pick it up in verse...! We'll just back up a little bit and come through. In verse 13, I'll point this out to you that the Bible says, how be it when He, the Spirit of truth, is come and identifies the Holy Spirit of God, the Comforter, He's called.

[0:31] Identifies Him as the Spirit of truth. This is the third time. It's in chapter 14 and in chapter 15, and then here for the final time in chapter 16 that He's identified as the Spirit of truth.

[0:43] And each time He's called this, it comes after a mention of being called the Comforter, for what it's worth. It may not mean anything at all, but He's called the Comforter, and then shortly thereafter called the Spirit of truth.

[0:55] And it's a designation to Him that is worthy of Him and befitting of the Holy Spirit of God. Consider that the Lord Jesus Christ is called the truth, the way, the truth, and the life.

[1:06] And if the Spirit of God is going to come and be manifest in any form, He's definitely going to be the Spirit of truth. There will be no unrighteousness in Him as there's no unrighteousness in God or in the Lord Jesus Christ.

[1:20] And so He's the Spirit of truth. And it's important. It says in verse 13, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth. And that's where you can count on.

[1:32] If it's the Spirit of God guiding and leading, it's going to be in the truth. It's going to be in the righteousness. It's never going to be into any form of unrighteousness. The Spirit of truth will not lead you that way.

[1:43] And if you have an innocent heart before God and an honest heart before God where you're seeking help and seeking truth, He'll lead you into the truth. If God has a plan for your life, if He has a will for you, something for you to accomplish, He's not going to hide it from you.

[1:58] He'll lead you to that. He wants you to get there. And it's His Spirit that will guide you there. You just have to be careful that you're not seeking something else and that your heart is not deceiving you and taking you into something that would be wrong.

[2:10] Now, let me compare this to something else. Go to Keep Your Place, but find 1 John chapter number 4. All the way back, the same author, but one of his smaller epistles near the end of your Bible.

[2:24] 1 John chapter number 4. And let's compare this here, 1 John 4, with something we just read here. The Spirit of God is called the Spirit of Truth.

[2:38] And let's just start in verse number 1. 1 John 4, in verse number 1.

[2:51] Beloved, believe not every spirit. Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

[3:03] Now, before you get worried about this and get thinking, oh, I have to start trying spirits out there in the world, notice it's about false prophets. Those are people.

[3:15] Those are men. So these are men that are misleading by the wrong spirit. And so when He tells you to try the spirits, He's not telling you to get open a Ouija board or start fooling around with some paranormal stuff.

[3:28] It's men, and it's their preaching, and it's their ministries, and it's what they say. And you try that, whether this is of the Lord, whether it's of the Holy Spirit, or another spirit that would be deceiving, and would be confusing, and would be lying.

[3:43] All right, so verse number 2. Hereby know we the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.

[3:56] And this is that spirit of Antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come, and even now already is it in the world. And that's quite a few years back. Now verse 4.

[4:07] Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they... Who's the they? It's the false prophets that are against the Word of God, against truth, and they have a different spirit in them.

[4:24] They are of the world. Therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God. He that knoweth God heareth us. He that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

[4:39] And so there's a spirit of truth, and the Holy Spirit of God is identified as that spirit of truth by name. But there are other spirits in the world, and we're not to believe every spirit.

[4:51] We're to try the spirits, and we try them by the Word of God, the standard of truth. What's this book called? In John 17, 17, Christ said, Thy Word is truth.

[5:04] And if it's going to be from the spirit of truth, it will align itself with the Word of God. If it's not going to align with the Word of God, if it's going to be 50% scripture, but 50% something else, it's not coming from the spirit of truth.

[5:18] And hereby you know the spirit of truth. There's other spirits that are out there. There's other men that are out there teaching things of the world. Verse number 5. They speak of the world.

[5:29] They speak of wealth. They speak of happiness. They speak of success. That is of the world. Your best life now, of the world, not of the Word of God.

[5:40] You can mark them, and they're going to look like, they're going to be deceivers. They're going to look like Christians. They're going to carry a book in their hand. They're going to dress nice. They're going to, if the Bible tells you not to believe them, then they must be believable.

[5:57] They must be capable of deceiving you and saying things that you like to hear and want to hear. But they're not of God. And so it's our job to know the Word of God, number one. And when you know the truth, the truth will make you free.

[6:10] You'll see the deception. Come back to John chapter 16. And all of that just to point out that His name and title is the Spirit of Truth, and He will guide you into all truth.

[6:22] All right, I know we covered these verses, so I'll just read through them quickly and then move forward. Verse 13 again, How be it when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth, for He shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear that shall He speak, and He will show you things to come.

[6:41] Now remember, these are the disciples of Christ. Judas has left the building. There's the eleven still there with Him, and He's informing them of things to come, the Spirit of God to descend.

[6:52] This is the night just before the early day of His crucifixion, and He knows that He's about to leave them. And so He's giving them these last few chapters of instructions on His way out the door, telling them that the Comforter's going to come, the Father's going to send His Spirit, and He's going to be in you, and He's going to be with you, and He's going to teach you and guide you, and He's going to glorify Me.

[7:15] And He says He'll show you things to come. Let's see, was that verse here? Yeah, verse 12, I didn't read it yet earlier. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. There is so much change coming, you're not prepared for.

[7:28] I can't dump this dump truck load of truth upon you men right now. So I'm going to leave, and God's going to send the Comforter, and He's going to lead you into all truth.

[7:39] There's a lot of transition coming for these men. These men that have been handpicked and chosen and ordained and sent forth with miracles in their hands, and a power given unto them to work works and to show mighty signs among all these tribes of Israel.

[7:56] In that day, these men are going to find that those off-limits Gentiles that we despise, and the truth is not for them, they're going to find that God's going to have them working with the Gentiles, and fellowshipping with Gentiles, and that's like, they can't handle that now.

[8:17] There's a big transition coming, and so the Spirit of Truth will show you things to come. He's going to reveal truth as it unfolds, as it transitions in the future days to these men.

[8:30] All right, verse 14, He shall glorify me, for He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine, therefore said I, that He shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.

[8:42] And I feel like that's probably where we stopped last time we came through here. So, verse 16, moving on, a little while, and ye shall not see me. And again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.

[8:57] So that little statement in verse 16 throws them off. Like, what is He talking about? Let me back up a little bit first. Come back to chapter 12, or no, chapter 13, John 13, and verse 33.

[9:25] Verse 33, little children, yet a little while, I am with you. Ye shall seek me, as I said to the Jews, which, where do you say that to the Jews?

[9:35] Back in chapter 8, I think. As I said to the Jews, whither I go, ye cannot come. I'm just curious if that's the spot. You don't have to find that.

[9:46] But, yeah, if you want the reference, it's 822. Or rather, it's 821. Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins.

[9:58] Whither I go, ye cannot come. And then the Jews said, will he kill himself? Whither I go, ye cannot come. And he continued, but anyway. So he did say that to the Jews, earlier, and now he's telling his disciples that, a little while, I'm with you.

[10:12] You're going to seek me, and you can't see me. And a little bit later, verse 36, Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, whither I go, thou canst not follow me now, but thou shalt follow me afterwards.

[10:24] So, coming back into chapter 16, he says, a little while, ye shall not see me, and again, a little while, ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. So there's a time that he's going to be away.

[10:35] Now, let's just follow them being confused for a minute. Verse 17, then said some of his disciples among themselves, what is this that he saith unto us, a little while, and ye shall not see me, and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, and because I go to the Father.

[10:49] So that and there is a separate saying. He said both of these in one, verse 16, but both statements are confusing to them, a little while, a little while, and then, what is that? Also that second saying of, I go to the Father, what's that mean?

[11:01] Verse 18, then said, they said therefore, what is this that he saith, a little while, we cannot tell what he saith. Now Jesus knew, that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, do ye inquire among yourselves, of that I said, a little while, and ye shall not see me, and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?

[11:19] So that's a question. Do you want to know what this is about? And now he's going to give them an answer, and it's going to be, look at verse 25, it's going to be in a proverb. Verse 25 says, these things have I spoken unto you in Proverbs.

[11:32] So he's going to give it to them in a way, that's like an illustration. It's a common thing for Christ, to give these kind of object lessons, of salt, and light, and birds, and flowers, and here he's going to talk about, a pregnant woman delivering a baby.

[11:49] And so verse 20, verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice, and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

[12:01] A woman, when she's in travail, hath sorrow, because her hour has come. But as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy than a man is born into the world. And ye now, therefore, have sorrow.

[12:14] But I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy, no man taketh from you. And in that day, ye shall ask me nothing.

[12:27] Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name, ask, and ye shall receive, and your joy may be full.

[12:41] Oh boy. So, there's a, there's a, an immediate application of this, with the thought of his death, burial, and resurrection.

[12:52] That he's going to die, he'll be gone three days and three nights, they'll sorrow, and then, their sorrow is turned into joy. He returns, he resurrects from the dead, as if being born again, or born, born of the earth, coming up out of the grave.

[13:08] And so there's an immediate interpretation, or application, of that statement, that they are going to be sorrowful, and a little while he goes to the Father, but then he comes back, and they see him again.

[13:19] But, is that really what he's teaching them, that I'm just going to be gone for three days, and three nights, and I'll be back, and it's all going to be good, because 40 days after that, he's gone again, for a much longer period of time.

[13:33] And, to, there's some prophetic thought here, beyond just this immediate resurrection, crucifixion scene, that's about to unfold, because of some of the language that he uses, sounds very much like the prophets.

[13:48] Talking about a woman, when she's in travail, having sorrow, and that sorrow then being turned into joy, and talking, saying that phrase in verse 23, and in that day, and verse 26, at that day, like those statements there, those are, that's prophetic stuff, whether you know your Bible or not, if you do, if you get into that book and study, you're going to, those things are going to start popping off the page, and saying, I think he's talking about something, a little bit more than just, I'm going to die, be buried, and then raised again.

[14:17] And, let me show you a few of these thoughts here, let's, let's run the, a few references, where he says some things about, in that day, in that day. Come back to Isaiah, chapter number 10. And, this is the best book to go to, to, to, they would be so familiar with this book of Isaiah.

[14:39] A very, commonly taught book, to Jews, in their synagogues. They're very, they're very familiar with it, and studied in this book, because, it's such a positive book.

[14:52] It's one that, elevates Israel, all the way to the top, the kingdom. It's all about these future, it's all about destruction, to their Gentile enemies. So, they love them some Isaiah.

[15:03] Isaiah can do no wrong, and they're all about reading that one. And so, you can count on, when he starts throwing out some language, they, it'll be catching them, they'll be hearing it. Okay, so Isaiah, oh, there's so much in here.

[15:16] Chapter 10, I said, is that what I said? Okay, okay, let's look at verse 20. And I'll just run through some verses here, just stay with me, and, and just watch what, that, the things that ought to be standing out to them.

[15:31] Verse 20 says, it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them, but they shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

[15:46] The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God. That's Israel being restored into their land. And notice, the mighty God, who would that be?

[15:58] Do you remember chapter 9, in verse 6? The child is born unto us, a son is given, the government shall be upon his shoulders, name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

[16:11] That son that's given, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the mighty God, and he's back. He went away, and he came back. And Isaiah prophesied, that when he comes back, there's a remnant of Israel, that's going to come to him, they're going to return to him, and it's going to be protected, and provided for.

[16:29] Look at verse 27. Isaiah 10, 27. It shall come to pass, in that day, that his burden, that shall be taken away, from off his shoulder, and his yoke, from off his neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed, because of the anointing.

[16:43] And so Israel, no more will be a slave, to the Assyrian, no more to the Egyptian. They'll be redeemed, and brought out as a servant, brought back to Jehovah, their God.

[16:54] Look at chapter 11. Isaiah 11, and verse number 10. And in that day, there shall be a root of Jesse. Who's Jesse?

[17:06] That's the father of King David. And Jesus Christ is called, the son of David. The root of Jesse, shall stand for an ensign of the people. To it shall the Gentiles seek, and his rest shall be glorious, and it shall come to pass, in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again, the second time, to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathos, from Cush, and all these lands all around, bringing them back into Israel.

[17:31] And there's destruction. God's taking care of his people again. Look at chapter 12. And in that day, thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee, though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me.

[17:44] So there was sorrow. We can read into that. And notice verse 3. Therefore with joy, shall we draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day, shall you say, Praise the Lord.

[17:55] Call upon his name. Declare his doings. Verse 6 says, Cry out and shout, Thou inhabitant of Zion, for great is the Holy One in the midst of thee. That's the Lord Jesus Christ is back on the ground with his people, brought them back into their land, restored it all.

[18:10] This is all, of course they studied Isaiah. This is wonderful stuff to them to look forward to and to believe and to anticipate. And so Christ starts throwing out some things about that day and that trips their mind and there's a whole lot more than that.

[18:26] Look at, oh man, look at, skip ahead a few to chapter 24. If you're in Isaiah, look at 24. And notice that day is quite an accomplishment takes place.

[18:42] It's more so than just here on earth. In verse 21, 24, 21, And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high and the kings of the earth upon the earth.

[18:57] So there's a reckoning in the heavenlies as well. And you remember in Isaiah, I'm sorry, in Ephesians chapter 6 that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness and high places, all of that's going to be reckoned back under Christ.

[19:15] In verse 21, the punished, the high ones that are on high. Verse 22, And they shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit and they shall shut in the prison and after many days shall they be visited and the moon shall be confounded, the sun ashamed when the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem.

[19:33] He's coming back and he's going to come back and set up a kingdom. Look at chapter 26, verse 1. Ah, I see another one. 25, verse 9.

[19:44] It shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God. We have waited for him. He will save us. This is the Lord. We have waited for him. We will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

[19:57] And so the sorrow that they experience gets turned into joy at the return of the Lord. Chapter 26, verse 1. In that day, shall this song be sung in the land of Judah. We have a strong city.

[20:07] Salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. On and on and on. Trust in the Lord forever. Verse 4. Here's tying this together. Look at verse 16.

[20:19] 26, 16 and 17 and 18. Look at this. Lord, in trouble have they visited thee. They poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.

[20:31] Thy chastening was upon them. Sorrow upon his people. Like as a woman with child that draweth near the time of her delivery is in pain and crieth out in her pangs. So have we been in thy sight, O Lord.

[20:43] Looks like that woman is Israel. That woman that's in pain. And she's crying out for her God to come and deliver her and save her.

[20:54] Verse 18. We have been with child. We have been in pain. We have, as it were, brought forth wind. We have not wrought any deliverance in the earth. Neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.

[21:06] And the reply is, Thy dead men shall live. There's a resurrection coming. And the Lord comes. And in verse 21. Behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity.

[21:18] Verse chapter 27. In that day, the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish Leviathan, the piercing serpent. There's a reckoning with the devil, with the spiritual wickedness in high places.

[21:30] Look at verse 12. It shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall beat off from the channel of the river and the stream of Egypt and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel. And there's that day in verse 13.

[21:43] And this just keeps going throughout the book of Isaiah. And I feel like we could just go and go and go and go and go. But we don't need to keep going.

[21:55] Oh, here's one more. Chapter 29. Let's just tie this all the way back together with John. I know this is a lot, but just stay with me. Chapter 29. And what do you know?

[22:06] Verse 17. Is it not yet a very little while? And Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field. And the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest.

[22:18] And in that day shall the deaf hear in the words of the book. The eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord. And the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

[22:32] For the terrible one is brought to naught. And the scorn and reproach and God just fixes the whole thing. So, I'm going to flip back to John 16. Does that language of John 16 a little while?

[22:46] A woman travailing in birth and then joy being on the backside of that. And in that day, does not that language just point every single one of them back to the prophet Isaiah and to his preaching that the Lord Jesus Christ will return to this earth and establish Israel back on top the way they ought to be, the way they were supposed to be, the people of God beloved and exalted.

[23:11] A covenant has been made with them that will not be disannulled. And this is coming to pass. And so the Lord, when He says, a little while ye shall not see me, there's more than just three days and three nights in a tomb that He's referring to.

[23:26] But rather, there's a prophetic application to that statement to say that I'm going to go away and I'm going to come back. Look at Acts chapter 1. After He resurrects from the dead.

[23:39] Acts chapter 1. I'll just catch this statement. Verse 3. I'll start in verse 2. Acts chapter 1. And this is Luke writing of all that Jesus began both to do and teach.

[23:59] And in verse 2, until the day in which He was taken up. After that, He through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom also He showed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

[24:19] And so He resurrected and He met with His disciples and He spake with them things. And then, in verse number 9, when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up.

[24:33] And a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel which also said, ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?

[24:45] This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven. And so there's a promise of His return.

[24:57] He goes to the Father is what He said in John 16 and verse 16. A little while you shall not see me and again a little while you shall see me because I go to the Father. And so while that took place in truth and just three days and three nights after His crucifixion, there's a far greater application to what He's saying here which takes place in His return to God and then future return to this earth which is yet future and will happen.

[25:24] His feet will touch down on this planet that He made with His hands and He will be exalted as God. And men are going to cry out in fear and some are going to cry out in joy.

[25:36] Alright, so coming down back in John 16, let's... Verse 25, These things have I spoken unto you in Proverbs, but the time cometh when I shall no more speak unto you in Proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the Father.

[25:56] At that day ye shall ask in my name and I say not unto you that I will pray and pray the Father for you, for the Father Himself loveth you because you've loved me and have believed that I came out from God.

[26:07] Now in that day, is going to be when He's on this earth and He will... Where does He say? 25 at the end, I shall show you plainly of the Father.

[26:19] Now this is a statement that we've studied already and we've looked at and there is confusion among His disciples where Philip said in chapter 14, verse 8, Lord, show us the Father and it sufficeth us.

[26:30] Show us the Father. And His reply was like, Have I been with you this long and you don't believe me? If you've seen me, you've seen the Father. And I'm in the Father and the Father's in me.

[26:42] And they're looking at a human being. They're looking at a man that's just the same makeup as them and it just doesn't resonate with them that this is the Father. God the Father embodied in flesh in a person of a man.

[26:56] And so He says, in the future, He says, I shall show you plainly of the Father. When I return, I'm coming back in power and in glory. There'll be no mistaking of who I am.

[27:08] I'm not going to look like this Galilean or this boy, man born in Nazareth that speaks this language and has this kind of hair and this color of skin and I'm not going to have that.

[27:24] I'm going to come back in power and glory. And that's the second coming of Jesus Christ and He'll show them plainly. So, alright, verse number 28, I came forth from the Father and I am come into the world.

[27:40] Again, I leave the world and go to the Father. And so that's still cleaning up what He said to them earlier that they were confused about. His disciples said unto Him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly and speakest no proverb.

[27:56] So all the other stuff was just kind of over their heads which is pretty normal for these disciples. His disciples, no proverb. Verse 30, Now are we sure that thou knowest all things and needest not that any man should ask thee?

[28:09] By this we believe that thou camest forth from God. Jesus answered them, Do you now believe? I find, I've pointed this out to you in maybe years past that I find a sarcastic tone from our Savior, not in a bad way, not necessarily in a demeaning way like we might consider it, like you think you're better than me or smart aleck, but a sarcasm that is just, are you kidding me?

[28:38] Now you believe? You've been with me all this time? You've done all this? You've seen all this? You've heard all this? Do you now believe? He says, I hear a little tone in that reply to them by them saying, By this we believe that thou camest forth from God.

[28:54] He's like, Oh really? Now, finally? This is what it took? Me just saying these things? Behold, the hour cometh, yea, and now is, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone.

[29:09] And yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. These things have I spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace in the world. Ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.

[29:21] Now that's not good news for them to hear that they're going to be scattered and that's going to come pretty quickly actually. Look back at Mark chapter 14, Mark's gospel, and just a few hours from now they're going to find a fulfillment of that statement that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own.

[29:43] And while that's a, there's an immediate fulfillment of that, there's also a prophetic fulfillment of that, of this nation's going to get dispersed, and we read it in Isaiah how he's going to bring them back from all those surrounding nations back to their land.

[29:57] Now in Mark chapter 14, verse, I don't know where to start here, verse 43, immediately while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves from the chief priests and scribes and elders.

[30:22] And so Judas shows up with all this, soldiers and all this, and they come up to take him. And Christ says in verse 49, I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you took me not, but the scriptures must be fulfilled.

[30:36] And they, the disciples, they all forsook him and fled. They all took off. Now they all, they also, by the way, promised that they wouldn't do that.

[30:48] Look earlier in the chapter at Peter, for instance, verse 29, and Peter said unto him, although all shall be offended, yet not, or yet will not I, Jesus said unto him, verily I say unto thee, that this day, even this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.

[31:08] But he spake the more vehemently, if I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all. Wow. All of them.

[31:19] And just a few verses later, and they all forsook him and fled. I believe their intentions were real while they stood there in the context of John 16 where we're reading, it was in that room, in that night, as he's foretelling what's going to take place.

[31:35] They're like, no way. And they're banded together. They're strong, tight-knit group that's been together for three and a half years and traveled and just nothing coming between them.

[31:46] We will definitely stand for you, Jesus. And then, up shows a few soldiers with a few swords and a few staves, and that's enough of that. We're gone.

[31:58] And they took off. And they fled. And he told them earlier that night, ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone. And just on a side note, I've said this to you, I feel this way.

[32:10] I don't know how you feel, if you ever think about this or not. But men, if you've read anything in history, in church history, men and women that have believed on Jesus Christ and took a public stand for him and for his word against the major religions of their land or of their day or of a king, they've been persecuted, they've been tormented and tortured.

[32:32] This is history. They've been put on racks and ran the rack as it stretched them out, their hands from their ankles. They've been hung upside down.

[32:44] They've been fire kindled underneath their feet. And it goes on and on. Mothers have watched their babies murdered in front of their eyes and then turned to the mother and say, will you recant the name of Jesus Christ?

[32:58] And some of those women had something in them. They would say some words that were just as blessed as you've ever heard in your life about the lovely name of Jesus. They would never do that.

[33:09] And what a horrible, horrible thing. And yet these grown men, there's a sword. They're not ready to die for him. They thought they were. They meant well when they were all together holding hands and like, yeah, we got this.

[33:22] Until they saw the sword. And man, did that ever change their tune. And I read that stuff. I see them. And I wonder, where do I fall?

[33:34] Where do I fall? Because if I'm honest, there's times where there's just a couple people that are against Jesus Christ and I just want to kind of turn the other way and act like I'm not going to say anything.

[33:49] or I, you know, if I remember being at work where some guys where they'd mock the Lord and I'd think, man, I know the truth. These guys are on their way to hell.

[34:00] They don't know Jesus Christ. Their sins aren't forgiven. They think they're good enough and they're not. And they just mock it and I wouldn't say a word because I was scared. I can remember being a 16-year-old kid working at a job at a fast food restaurant and thinking, I'm probably one of, maybe the only saved Christian in this building just because I grew up in the truth.

[34:22] I knew the truth. I was a born-again child of God and thinking, man, I sure ain't, I'm not living like it but I might be the only saved one in here and I'm not telling any of them.

[34:32] I was convicted about that. Why wouldn't I tell them? Well, they would have made fun of me. They wouldn't have thought I was, they wouldn't have accepted me. All I wanted to be was accepted among them and fit in with them and have them laugh at my jokes and laugh with them and be, you know, one of them.

[34:50] I didn't want to be the weirdo. I didn't want to be the Christian that they made fun of or didn't talk to or sat by myself at break time. The one that's always putting tracks in their hands and reading the Bible. I didn't want to be that kid.

[35:00] I was ashamed of the Lord. And I remember those times in my life. Now I look at it and think, boy, if I ever saw the authorities show up and say, we listened to your website at your church and you said this.

[35:14] Do you believe that? Do you stand by that? Oh, I might have misspoke. Maybe they edited it. What would I say?

[35:25] Would I stand and say, yes, I stand with the Word of God. I stand and I believe this. It makes me nervous. I wonder if you ever think that way.

[35:36] Of what will you do when push comes to shove? How far will you go for Jesus Christ? Will you take a stand? Will we get an opportunity in our lifetime to show Christ the level of our love for Him like others have?

[35:53] I know it's not a pleasant thought. I'm not trying to end on such a sour, ugly note of persecution and torture, but it's a reality in this, it's a reality today in this world today.

[36:04] You may not realize it. It's out there and you can get on some websites and if you want to research this, there's certain Christian websites that keep it up to date as much as possible to the persecutions going on in the Muslim countries of Africa, in some of the Islamic countries of Syria and Iraq and there's born again Christians that just like you and me that have called out to Jesus Christ, that have Him inside of their heart, that believe His Word and that they want to see their family saved and they want to obey the Word of God and be a witness for the Lord and they're threatened with a sword or they burn their house or they take their kids and their wives outside in the front yard and beat them.

[36:48] They wake them up at night and do that. That's happening. You don't hear about it because your news cycle is not going to talk about that stuff. They don't care about that stuff but it's happening. It's still happening.

[36:59] It doesn't take long to find some of this stuff to be true and now I'm just bringing it back to Christ told His disciples you're going to be scattered, you're going to take off, I'm going to be left alone, you're going to forsake me and they said, no we won't and it just makes me put myself in the room and think, would I have said what they said?

[37:19] Would I have sat back and thought, oh, so something's going to happen tonight? things in the future are going to get bad? Do I want to keep walking with Him? Or do I want to just back up a little bit so that I can stay comfortable and cozy and not ever be alarmed?

[37:34] It's something you have to consider. It is worth putting it in front of you. It's worth me saying a few of these words just so you hear it again. That some people have given their very lives for the Lord Jesus Christ and there be rewarded accordingly with a crown of righteousness or a crown of life.

[37:53] And it convicts me. And so, by the grace of God, we haven't had to deal with anything ugly but that doesn't mean it won't happen.

[38:04] So be alarmed or be aware. And verse 33, these things have I spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation.

[38:16] but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. Now those, that last, that verse there is heavy to this thought of being scattered and having persecution come, having the world hate you.

[38:33] He said that back in chapter 16, I think it was. Or, verse, chapter 15. If the world hate you, you know that it hated me and the world's going to hate you and they're not going to treat you better than they treated me.

[38:47] But even in this context, ye shall have peace. So if you're, if you've made your mind up that you're going to stand with Christ, you will have peace.

[38:58] You will not have tribulation inside of your heart. You'll have peace. God will put that in you. Paul calls it the peace which passeth all understanding. And then on top of that, you can be of good cheer.

[39:10] Even when it's ugly, even when it hurts, even when you're tortured, you can be of good comfort because Christ said, I have overcome the world. And so your mind will be on Him and on what He's promised for your future and on that He's going to make this right.

[39:26] and as we read in Isaiah, in that day, your sorrow is going to be turned into joy and anything you do for Jesus Christ, you will be rewarded with. And anything that you give up for Him, He'll make it a hundredfold.

[39:40] You don't have to think that if I give in, if I stand for Him now, it's going to be like, I'll suffer the consequences of it.

[39:51] It's going to be bad news. You have faith in the Word of God. And faith in the Word of God helps you to stand and gives you the cheer and the peace and the hope that this is the right thing to do.

[40:04] And He sees it and He knows it and He will reward it and He will recompense the evil and He'll take care of it. Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord. I will repay. So that is kind of an ugly note to end on, but it's what was coming for these men.

[40:19] They needed to be aware of it. And I reckon so do we. We need to have the mindset that stand for Jesus Christ no matter what. Stand for Christ.

[40:31] He stood for you and He took your sin and He didn't back down. And He said that you'll leave me alone in verse 32, but He also promised I'll never leave you alone.

[40:42] Ever. So wow, He's so much better than we are, huh? All right, so we'll pick it up in chapter 17 when it turns to a prayer where He's going to lift His eyes up to heaven and start talking to God out loud, start praying to the Father out loud.

[40:57] And people say there's the Lord's prayer back in Matthew chapter 6, our Father, which that's not the Lord's prayer. This is actually the Lord praying. And so we'll begin studying that next Sunday, Lord willing.

[41:09] So let's take a break right there until the top of the hour, about 30.