Asssurance

[0:00] Good, the recorder is on. Let me now introduce our speaker today. Our speaker today is a good friend of mine for, I guess, about the last 10 years or so.

[0:11] When he first came to pastor in our association, he came to Friendship Baptist Church, which is just, isn't that the right name of it? Fellowship Baptist, which is just north of Sider City.

[0:25] And when I first saw him, I thought he was about 16. But he's grown up a little. And he now, just recently, starting in January, became the new director of our association of churches.

[0:41] And so we're real pleased to have him for the first time. Is this the first church you've come to since you have become the church? We've visited a different association church every Sunday.

[0:52] Is it the first time you've been able to preach in one since? I've preached a couple times, yeah. We wanted to be the first. Sorry. We tried. You know, but other folks beat us to it.

[1:03] Okay. So anyway, we're just so glad to have our brother, Jason Golden, as our new... Actually, I still use the old title, Director of Missions.

[1:13] He's now called the Associational Missionary. That's been the title for probably 10 years or 15. But I'll catch on to it one day. So God bless you, brother Jason.

[1:25] Come and share as the Lord leads. Thank you, man. Appreciate it, brother. Amen. Yeah, that title is Director of Missions, Associational Missionary.

[1:35] The newfangled name is Associational Mission Strategist. We'll just stick with Associational Missionary. That's what I like and what has been around here for a while. But it's great to be here.

[1:46] Good to see some friends. Anna, my wife, has become the administrative assistant for the association, taking Jordan's spot. And she and Jordan have become fast friends through that.

[1:58] And that's been wonderful to watch. And Stephen as well. And you guys have some great pastors that have been here for a lot of years now. God bless you, brothers. And it's just... They've been trying to run us off.

[2:09] Way to stick it out. Way to stick it out. So it is good to be here. And I praise the Lord for Matt and for John and just for their example.

[2:21] Their missions hearts here is a great thing to behold. You guys really have a gift in these men. And so I praise the Lord for them. And I want to say thank you for supporting the Sandy Creek Baptist Association.

[2:33] We have over 265 years of history behind us. And I believe we have a bright future ahead of us. The association exists to serve you, to help you advance God's kingdom here in your own community and in your own backyard.

[2:48] And as Pastor Matt said, it started in January. And I'm working on building those connections and getting into churches. There's 49 association churches. So it'll take a while to get around to everybody. But we're working on trying to communicate a little better.

[3:01] And I actually just asked John if I could put a clipboard for you guys to sign up to receive the link. And I've just learned from him a model of what I should encourage all churches to do.

[3:12] He emails the link to you guys. He forwards it along. And so praise the Lord for that. You guys already have opportunity to be abreast of what's going on in our association. And so take advantage of the opportunities that you see in there.

[3:27] We hope to be able to help resource churches and help the churches to equip you for the work of the ministry, equip the saints for the work of the ministry through trainings and resourcing.

[3:39] For example, on March 1st at Jonesboro Heights Baptist, there's a North Carolina Baptist training. That would be great for any children's leader, any pastor, any church leader to come and take part in.

[3:51] Because it's helping you see how you can equip parents well to disciple children and how you can do a great job as a church discipling the children that you have. And so I'd encourage you to take part in opportunities like that.

[4:05] That particular parent scorecard event is actually highlighted on the association's Facebook page. If you've never been to that page in your own Facebook, come check us out. But we have three teams, the missions team, church strengthening team, and church leadership team.

[4:22] And I'll work through those to serve the association. And there's several areas of ministry that would operate under those as well, like disaster relief, for instance.

[4:35] So there's opportunities like that, trainings and things that you can be involved in. And so I'd encourage you, pray for our association, pray for your sister churches. I never realized when I drove up, I actually pulled in the wrong church parking lot first.

[4:49] And there's no doubt that the other one around the corner here. Wow, that's such a unique thing to have three churches right here together. I'd love to talk to you more, Pastor Matt, and know a little bit more about that history.

[5:02] But that's a really cool thing. But pray for your association churches. There's 49 of you in Chatham and Lee County. And I really hope to emphasize prayer as a real strategy for our association.

[5:14] And I'll be praying over this year that God would open our eyes to see clearly the vision that he has for us, to see where he's at work and where he might have us to join in. Because the Lord is always working.

[5:27] And our Lord Jesus especially knew that on the night that he was heading to be arrested. If you'll turn with me to John chapter 14, we're going to see that Jesus is there for us in the face of our troubles.

[5:44] And we just heard about the brother that passed away right after preaching. You know, I feel like his church is probably feeling troubled today. They've lost their pastor that they loved.

[5:55] They're probably wondering what are they going to do next. Our brother here that his church got taken. He's troubled. You have troubles of your own.

[6:07] Maybe things that only the Lord knows about. Maybe sicknesses, disease, circumstances. Things that you find yourself in the midst of. I want to tell you this morning, Jesus is there for you in the face of your troubles.

[6:19] So let's bow and turn to him together as we open his word to John 14. Father, you're so good to us. Lord, we thank you that you never leave us nor forsake us and that you're with us. Lord, we lift up those that were named especially, Lord, that grieving loss, that need your special touch.

[6:36] Father, we pray that you'd meet us where we are in the face of our troubles and give that which we need this morning. Father, help me in sharing. In Jesus' name I ask it. Amen. Amen. Well, you know, one of Job's friends lamented that man is born into trouble as surely as the sparks fly upward.

[6:58] And old Job, he knew trouble after losing his children and his livelihood and losing his health and then even having his wife give up on him as well. And then his own friends came to grieve with him.

[7:09] And instead of being a help, they instead grumbled that Job was getting what he deserved, that God was out to get Job for some wrong he had done. Job had not sinned in any grievous way, but he knew trouble.

[7:22] And in the end, he found that God is good and faithful and much bigger than what he realized before. You see, Job's faith in God grew through his trouble.

[7:36] And God allows the troubles of our lives in order to purify and grow your faith in him. This is why James says in chapter 1, verses 2 and 3 there and 4, My brethren, count it all joy when you fall or face various trials.

[7:55] What? Joy with a trial? What a paradox! But that's what God enables us to have in the face of our trials because we know that they are working for us a greater weight of glory.

[8:12] And so count it all joy when you face those various trials, knowing the testing of your faith produces patience. But let that patience have his perfect work. That you may be perfect or mature or complete, lacking nothing.

[8:24] You've got to let the trial do its job. What if Job had done what his wife said and cursed God and just died? The trial wouldn't have done its good work.

[8:37] And so we've got to let it have its way. We've got to let God have its way and let it do its work. So from John chapter 14, I want to challenge us to believe in Jesus and trust him in the face of troubles.

[8:51] Because trust in Jesus triumphs over trouble. He says in John 14, verse 1, let not your heart be troubled.

[9:05] Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. Now Jesus, here in this context, is about to face trouble. They have just been, they're still actually in the upper room here in this text.

[9:17] And they've just had the Lord's Supper. He washed their feet. They had the Lord's, the Passover, the last supper there. And Jesus is sharing some words with them here. At the end of this chapter, he says, let's leave this place.

[9:30] And they head towards the Garden of Gethsemane. He's still teaching them through John chapter 15 and on. And they go to the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus prays there, Lord, let this cup pass from me.

[9:42] May not my will, yours be done. Praises three times. And then Judas comes with a mob. And our Lord is arrested, tried, and crucified for our sins the next day.

[9:55] For as Jesus is about to face trouble, yet he's telling his disciples, don't let your hearts be troubled. You think they're going to be troubled when they see their Lord arrested? Well, yes, indeed. And even some of their trouble is going to be trouble brought upon themselves.

[10:10] Just previous to chapter 14 here and at the end of chapter 13, Jesus just warned Peter, Peter, you're about to deny me three times before the rooster crows.

[10:23] Before the rooster crows, you're going to deny me three times. So this is a failure that Peter's about to bring on his own self.

[10:35] And yet in the wake of that, Jesus is saying, don't let your hearts be troubled. Even in your own mess up, failure, and blunder, God is gracious and says, I win even over that.

[10:47] And so he tells his disciples, don't let your heart be troubled. Because with God on our side, there's ultimate victory.

[10:58] I mean, what can the world actually do to us? Kill us? Send us to heaven faster? Not too bad, right? You know that you know Jesus as your Savior.

[11:09] That's not awful. Well, you know, we don't want to, we'd like to stick around here a while and see what happens, you know, with each other. But if you're ready to go, you know, not a big deal if you go a little quicker.

[11:26] So let not your heart be troubled. And Jesus tells us what to do instead. He says, you believe in God, believe also in me. He tells us to believe, to have faith. In 1 John 5, 4 and 5, it says, for whatever is born of God overcomes the world.

[11:40] And this is the victory that overcomes the world. Our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world? But he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

[11:52] 1 John 4, excuse me, 1 John 5, 4 and 5. And so Jesus says, don't let your, don't let trouble overcome your heart. Instead, have faith. Faith is the victory that overcomes.

[12:04] Believe in God the Father and believe in me, the Son. And then the rest of the text goes on to give us several reasons to believe in Jesus. Several reasons that we can, that trust in Jesus triumphs over trouble.

[12:19] One reason that trust in Jesus triumphs over trouble is because Jesus promises a good future. If you look at verses 2 and 3 as we continue in our text, Jesus says, in my Father's house are many mansions.

[12:32] Dwelling places, the word means. Any heavenly dwelling place is going to be better than any mansion here on earth, by the way. He says, if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

[12:42] And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself. That where I am, there you may be also. Friends, going to heaven when we die or when Jesus returns again, this is our blessed hope.

[12:55] And knowing you're going will keep your faith growing. So believe on Jesus, your Savior, from your sins, knowing that through Him you win in the end. Friends, trust in Jesus triumphs over trouble because Jesus has a good future, a blessed hope for us.

[13:13] If you don't know Him, what are you waiting on? Repent and believe in Jesus as your Savior. There are many religions in the world, but only there's one that can take us to heaven.

[13:27] And that's what Jesus talks about next. And the next reason that trust in Jesus triumphs over trouble is because Jesus is the only way to that good heavenly future.

[13:37] He says in verses 4 through 6, And where you go, excuse me, and where I go, you know. And the way, you know. Well, Thomas, one of the disciples said to him, it's kind of scratchy, he said, Lord, we don't know where you're going.

[13:53] How can we know the way? Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

[14:07] So we better believe in Jesus if we want to go to God's heaven because Jesus is the only way to get there. There's many religions in the world, but only one has a Savior and Creator who came to live as one of His creation.

[14:21] Came to His own creation through the virgin's womb. He lived without sins and then He died for our sins. And then He conquered death through His own resurrection in order to redeem the very people who had sinned against Him.

[14:34] Only Christ Jesus is such a sufficient Savior. Every other religion tells us that we must do enough good to overcome our bad. We must work hard enough, but God knows that all that we do that is good is already tainted by our sins and our bad and our evil.

[14:51] And our bad cannot possibly be undone by ourselves. God had to come to us, had to sacrificially pay the penalty that our sins deserved in order to rescue us and redeem us from our sins.

[15:04] As 1 John 4.14 says, The Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Friends, Jesus is the only way to get to the Father. He is the way. He is the truth.

[15:16] Revealing God and His salvation. And to know Jesus is eternal life. He is the life. Every other religion has some dead guru. Only Christianity has a risen Savior.

[15:29] And His name is Jesus Christ. Trust in Jesus triumphs over trouble because Jesus is the only way to that heavenly future with God. Trust in Jesus triumphs over trouble also because Jesus is God.

[15:44] Jesus is one with the Father. We see it in verses 7 and 8 here. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. And from now on you know Him and have seen Him. Philip, another disciple, said to Him, Lord, show us the Father.

[15:57] And it's sufficient. And it is sufficient for us. Also note in John 10, 30 that Jesus said, I and my Father are one. And the Pharisees understood why Jesus was staying there.

[16:10] They took up stones to stone Him because they took it as blasphemy that He was claiming to be equal with God. But friends, it's not blasphemy if it's true. Jesus is God.

[16:20] To see Jesus is to see the Father. He continues in verse 9 saying, Jesus said to him, Have I been with you so long? And yet you have not known me, Philip?

[16:31] He who has seen me has seen the Father. So how can you say, Show us the Father. Friends, to see Jesus was to see God. And to hear Jesus was to hear the Father.

[16:45] He says in continuing in verse 10, Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I speak to you, I do not speak on my own authority. But the Father who dwells in me does the works.

[16:59] And so friends, when you heard from Jesus, you were hearing from God the Father. John the Baptist gave a great testimony to the words of Christ being the words of God. In John 3, 34, he says, Therefore, he whom God has said, Speaking of Jesus, Speaks the words of God.

[17:16] For God gives the Spirit without measure. Jesus speaks the word of God. To hear from Jesus is to hear from God. To see Jesus was to see God. And to experience the miraculous works of Jesus was to see the working of the Father.

[17:31] He says at the end of verse 10 again, But the Father who dwells in me does the works. Verse 11, Believe in me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me, or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves.

[17:43] Friends, when Jesus did a miracle, you were seeing God work a miracle. The miracles were signs that sealed and delivered the fact that Jesus was of God.

[17:53] Even Nicodemus recognized that and said as much regarding Jesus' miracles. We know that you're of God because no man can do such things unless he were of God. And so realize that your troubles are nothing when you bring them to Jesus.

[18:09] He's God the Son, the second person of the Trinity, the triunity of God. We don't see the Word in Scripture, but we see it taught. Jesus is the ordained and perfect manifestation of the Father.

[18:22] John 1.18 says, No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. Hebrews 1.3 speaks of Jesus being the brightness of God's glory and the express image of His person and upholding all things by the word of His power when He had by Himself purged our sins, set down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

[18:47] Colossians 1.19 and 20, For it pleased the Father that in Him, in Jesus, all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

[19:01] Friends, I'm here to tell you that trust in Jesus triumphs over trouble because Jesus is God, one with the Father in heaven and one with the Spirit given to Jesus beyond measure.

[19:13] To know Jesus and be reconciled to God the Father through faith in Jesus is complete and total and eternal triumph. So what do we have to be worried about?

[19:25] What do we have that's in this world or in our lives that can trouble God? Not a thing. Trust in Jesus triumphs over trouble also because Jesus answers our prayers.

[19:40] When you have trouble, He's just a breath away to carry it before His throne and say, Lord, I don't know how to do something about this, but I know you do. If it's not enough that your salvation in Jesus is triumph and victory, He answers our prayers.

[19:55] Look with me in verses 12 through 14 where Jesus says, Truly, truly, I say to you, He who believes in me, the works that I do, He will do also and greater works than these will He do because I go to the Father.

[20:10] Whatever you ask in my name, that will I do so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me, if you ask me anything in my name, I will do it, verse 14 ends.

[20:26] He talks about greater works. These greater works that we will do are works that He does through answered prayer. Kind of see that same theme as you read on into John 15.

[20:37] That's how we become fruitful. We pray and He answers, making us His fruitful disciples. If we believe in Jesus and we ask in faith for things that please the Father, then Jesus will do it.

[20:50] And so what can, what trouble can we possibly face that we can't carry to God in the name of Jesus? We can carry anything to God in prayer. And faith in Jesus triumphs over trouble because believing prayer brings the power of God to bear on all of our problems.

[21:11] So what do we have to worry about? Let not your hearts be troubled. You have a big God. Believe in Jesus in the face of trouble because Jesus promises a good future.

[21:25] He is the way to that heavenly future. Jesus is God in flesh, one with the Father, and He answers our prayer. And He is with us. He continues in verse 15, If you love me, keep my commandments, and I will pray the Father and He will give you another helper that He may abide with you forever, the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him.

[21:54] But you know Him for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you, He promises His disciples.

[22:05] And after that, the day of Pentecost came and the Holy Spirit came upon the believing church. And ever since that day, with the moment a person trusts in Jesus as Savior, the Holy Spirit of God moves in and regenerates them, making them a new creature in Christ Jesus, renews them with the washing of regeneration as Titus speaks of.

[22:26] And the Spirit indwells every believer. If you have not the Spirit of Christ, you are none of His, Scripture tells us. So God gives His Spirit to every believer in Jesus. But note that Jesus asks for love here, expressed through obedience.

[22:40] If you love me, keep my commandments, He said in verse 15. Now this is, I think, similar to James saying, if you draw near to the Father, He will draw nigh unto you.

[22:53] God's Spirit is with and in every Christian, but nearness to God will only be experienced through an abiding love relationship with God, which you express through obedience to His ways and commands.

[23:07] In other words, you can't expect to live like the world and experience nearness to God. It doesn't work that way. So if you know Christ as Savior, He says, love me in your obedience.

[23:21] Dwell in nearness to God through loving obedience and trust. God is with us. He's indwelling us. And if when we walk near to Him, we especially know His nearness.

[23:35] If you know Christ as Savior, dwell in that nearness to Him through loving obedience and trust. And you will find that He will indeed be with you, near to you in the face of your troubles.

[23:48] And we know that He and faith, we know that trust in Jesus triumphs over troubles because Jesus triumphed over death.

[24:00] The next verse 19, a little while longer and the world will see me no more, but you disciples, you'll see me because I live, you will live also. At that day, you will know that I am in the Father and you in me and I in you.

[24:13] These verses speak of the resurrection, but I think with dual meaning also that future time when Jesus is coming again to receive the redeemed and to Himself. He'd already said in verse 3, if I go to prepare a place for you, I'll come again and receive you to Myself that where I am there you may be also.

[24:29] So Jesus has said, I'm coming again. But He's also telling His disciples, I'm going to go away. But just three days later, I'm coming back. Resurrection is going to happen. They don't quite get it yet.

[24:40] He hasn't yet been crucified, but it's going to happen and they'll remember these words. Friends, you serve a risen Savior. He's not still in a grave. He's alive. He's at the Father's right hand and when you need Him, He's just a prayer away.

[24:55] He's a risen triumphant Savior who gives us peace. Jump ahead to verse 27 where He says, Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you.

[25:06] Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled. Neither let it be afraid. Friends, only faith in Jesus can give a person this kind of peace that passes understanding.

[25:22] These are the kinds of soul comforts that the disciples needed to hear in these moments because their Lord and Master, their Savior, the one who they had put all their hope in lock, stock, and barrel was about to be arrested, crucified, and the disciples would feel utterly lost.

[25:40] But Jesus had prepared their hearts and He had told them essentially this, trust in Me will triumph over your trouble.

[25:54] Even those troubles that might be at times caused by your own doing like Peter who would deny the Lord in just a few moments from here and he would go away sorry of heart but after the resurrection, Jesus would have some moments of restoration with Peter and Peter would repent three times.

[26:15] He denied the Lord three times. He would confess, Lord, I love you. I'm a friend to you. I love you. There's a whole different words there for love and friendship used there but Jesus restores Peter.

[26:32] Friends, even your blood blunders Jesus is able to overcome. Now He may not erase your troubles. He may not erase the consequences of your blunders but He'll be ever present as you face them His way with obedience and faith.

[26:52] And so we can believe in and love Jesus in the face of trouble even when we don't know where to go. He's the way. You know, in the early days of Christianity they called following Jesus walking in the way.

[27:06] He's the way. Let Jesus be your way of living. And you'll find troubles aren't as big as you once thought they were.

[27:17] Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. When troubled because you don't know where to go, go to Jesus, your God, your Savior. Even if you don't feel like you're hearing from heaven, if it feels like your prayers are going nowhere, if heaven feels brass to you, you don't feel like you're hearing from God or seeing Him work, you can keep trusting Him.

[27:42] I think probably Job felt that way. Where is God? You can trust Him because you know He's there. His Spirit is in you. He's ever present.

[27:53] You know He's listening. He's hearing our prayers and so rest in Him. Walk in that loving obedience with Him. He is always there and He promises peace, peace that passes understanding.

[28:08] Know that trust in Jesus triumphs over trouble because only the Christian can face a tsunami of trouble without worry or grimace. Only the Christian can tap into the promises and realities of a good future in a heavenly home because of our wonderful Savior, our all-powerful God who hears our prayers, who is the way to that heavenly home, who is ever with us through His Spirit, who died for our sins and resurrected to life and is coming again and who gives us peace in the face of troubles.

[28:40] So trust in Jesus as your Savior if you have not. He died for your sins so you can be forgiven and redeemed to everlasting life when you deserve an eternity in hell.

[28:56] That's how much He loves you and He wants to save you. Turn to Him and grasp hold of that forgiveness through faith in what He did on the cross of Calvary and His resurrection. And Christian, with faith-filled, loving obedience, lean into Jesus and abide in trusting fellowship with your Lord and find His peace as a salve to your very soul whenever you face any trouble.

[29:22] Friends, let us not have our hearts being troubled because we have a big and a good, good God. Amen. Let's bow together in prayer.

[29:35] Gracious Lord, we thank You for being so kind to give us just what we need when we need it. Lord, You know what troubles are on our hearts and on our community and Lord, You are the answer to our troubles.

[29:48] You are there for us. You promised us a good future. You're a wonderful Savior. You're the way to that good future. Lord, You hear our prayers and Your Spirit is with us.

[30:01] And You are victorious. And You alone can give us peace. And so Lord, we come to You to receive that which only You can give. Father, if there's any here in our hearing that doesn't have Christ as Savior, I pray for them today that they would turn to You and believe unto salvation.

[30:18] And Lord, for the Christian that we would easily and simply just in faith and obedience lay our troubles before Your feet and walk in obedience to Your good will knowing that You will guide us along and ease our troubles and help us through them and make us better in the end.

[30:37] In Your name, Jesus. Amen. Amen. Can we stand and sing this last song? Pastor John.