Comfort for a Troubled Heart John 14:1-14
Readings: Acts 6:1ā9; 7:2a, 51ā60; 1 Peter 2:2ā10; John 14:1ā14
Ā
In our Gospel today, Jesus gives comfort to troubled hearts. He says, Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me.
As in all things, faith in the One who overcame the troubles of the world is the answer; and he did that by rising from the greatest trouble for people, rising from death.Ā
In our first reading from Acts we see the early Christians beginning to have their troubles in the world.
This is the story of the first Christian martyr, Stephen.
Stephen was one of the original deacons in the early Church. The Deacons were chosen to help the apostles run the church in Jerusalem. We know that it was growing rapidly, and with rapid growth comes administrative problems, growing pains.
Some of the widows were being missed in the daily distribution of food, and it seemed like they were the Greek or Gentile widows, and not the Jewish widows.Ā Some suspected favoritism. But in reality it was because there was too much to do and not enough workers to do it.
The apostles understood that their first responsibility was to teach the people the Word of God and spread the good news of Jesusā resurrection. So they chose seven men āfull of the Spirit and wisdomā and delegated the daily affairs of the Church to them.
Two of them distinguished themselves: Philip and Stephen. Philip became a great missionary. Ā Stephen probably would have but he didnāt live enough.
Verse 8 says that Stephen was full of grace and power, and was doing wonders and signs, or miracles, like the apostles were; and he was eloquently proclaiming the gospel and proving from Scripture the Jesus had to be the Messiah.
This got the attention of Jesusā enemies. They had Stephen arrested, and brought before the Sanhedrin, the same people who had orchestrated Jesusā crucifixion.
So it didnāt look good for Stephen, and he knew that. He must have known that that he likely would not leave there alive. So he made the most of the opportunity and boldly told them about Jesus, and confronted their hardness of heart.
They were so enraged that they stoned him, and started a city wide, and country wide persecution of Jesusā followers. Before that they had been accepted and allowed to live peacefully, but from that time on they would persecuted.
And the persecution of Christās followers continues today with an estimated 100-200 million Christians in the world being persecuted for their faith.
In some places like North Korea, or places in the Middle East like Iraq, people risk their very lives to follow Christ. They have to live underground, so to speak.
Have you ever heard of the Underground Railroad? Network of hiding runaway slaves. (Call to southern Michiganā¦). Underground was that hiding of them.
The term underground came from the early Christians of the second and third centuries escaping to the catacombs, the underground network of burial caves.
Today they say itās pretty much impossible to be publically Christian in Iraq; it has to be underground. And thatās certainly the case in North Korea, where the people are required to say a prayer and pledge allegiance to Kim Jong-un.
Jesus has a word for His persecuted children in the world, and for all his followers. Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me.
Faith will bring you through the troubles of life, because God will bring you through.
Jesus knew the grief his leaving would cause for his disciples, so he sought to reassure them that they werenāt seeing him for the last time.
He said, In my fatherās house and many rooms. I go to prepare a place for you; and I will come back to you, to take you to where I am.
Donāt worry; youāll be with me in the end.
Philip said āLord, show us the Father, and thatāll be enough for us to believe.ā
Jesus said, āPhilip, if youāve seen me youāve seen the Fatherā¦ Believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.ā
I am just as much God as is the Father. The Father is true God; the Son is true God; and the Holy Spirit is true God.
Ā Soon, the Father and the Son would send the Holy Spirit to the disciples at Pentecost; and their hearts would go from afraid and uncertain to bold and sure.
That doesnāt mean they didnāt have their troubles and struggles; they did, but God brought them through.
We too have our troubles as we follow Christ, but he gives us faith to bring us through.
Concerning all our earthly troubles, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 says, 17Ā For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18Ā So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Paul isnāt making light of our troubles, or dismissing them or the pain we go through, but heās putting them into perspective for us, so that we can deal with them in a positive way.Ā Ā
In Christ thereās always a positive outcome. With faith in Him thereās the eternally positive outcome of heaven. Thatās means our suffering on earth is not in vain.
Itās hard to suffer, knowing that nothing good will ever come of it.
But believing that God will work good from it, not just for now, but forever; that it leads to something far better, forever, gives us the strength we need to face even the most difficult troubles.Ā Ā Ā
Faith is always what brings us through. As Jesus says, Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me.
Here are three times of trouble or challenge when faith will bring us throughā¦
1. Times of Persecutionā¦
Global Persecutionā¦
Jesus promises in Rev. 2:10 Ā says, Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer... Be faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.
For us itās more being ostracized or belittled or rejectedā¦
1 Peter 3: 14 If you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled.
2. Times of Illness ā¦
All the Illnesses we go through in this lifeā¦ There WILL BE healing, sometimes and often times is this life, but not always.
For sure, there is the perfect healing of our bodies and minds and emotions when weāre raised to live forever in the joy of heaven. Believing in that ultimate and eternal healing gives us the strength we need to deal with our illnesses now.
3. Faith will help us in our relationshipsā¦
Mothers Dayā¦ we rejoice give thanks for mothersā¦
But even mothers have their struggles and troublesā¦ It isnāt easy to be a godly motherā¦
Mothers need God, and we have God in our lives by believing in Himā¦ His grace and forgivenessā¦
His strength to not give up, but continue to be a Christian motherā¦ believe that is the only way to raise your childrenā¦ as be an example for adult children and grandchildrenā¦
Mothers also need support and encouragement from familiesā¦ pray for them. (Spend 5 times more on Mothers Day than Fathers Day)
Faith helps us to be more godly in all our relationships, and better to all those around us.
Jesus knows what it is to face the troubles of this world; he faced them all for us on the cross, the sum total of all grief and pain. And he overcame it all by rising to give us eternal glorious life, and to help us with the troubles of this life.
So let not your heart be troubled, whether through persecution or illness or troubled relationships or any of the troubles of this world. Through them all, have faith.
Believe in God, your helper, and the peace that passes understanding will guard your heart and mind, in Christ Jesus your Lord. Amen.
Comfort for a Troubled Heart John 14:1-14
Readings: Acts 6:1ā9; 7:2a, 51ā60; 1 Peter 2:2ā10; John 14:1ā14
Ā
In our Gospel today, Jesus gives comfort to troubled hearts. He says, Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me.
As in all things, faith in the One who overcame the troubles of the world is the answer; and he did that by rising from the greatest trouble for people, rising from death.Ā
In our first reading from Acts we see the early Christians beginning to have their troubles in the world.
This is the story of the first Christian martyr, Stephen.
Stephen was one of the original deacons in the early Church. The Deacons were chosen to help the apostles run the church in Jerusalem. We know that it was growing rapidly, and with rapid growth comes administrative problems, growing pains.
Some of the widows were being missed in the daily distribution of food, and it seemed like they were the Greek or Gentile widows, and not the Jewish widows.Ā Some suspected favoritism. But in reality it was because there was too much to do and not enough workers to do it.
The apostles understood that their first responsibility was to teach the people the Word of God and spread the good news of Jesusā resurrection. So they chose seven men āfull of the Spirit and wisdomā and delegated the daily affairs of the Church to them.
Two of them distinguished themselves: Philip and Stephen. Philip became a great missionary. Ā Stephen probably would have but he didnāt live enough.
Verse 8 says that Stephen was full of grace and power, and was doing wonders and signs, or miracles, like the apostles were; and he was eloquently proclaiming the gospel and proving from Scripture the Jesus had to be the Messiah.
This got the attention of Jesusā enemies. They had Stephen arrested, and brought before the Sanhedrin, the same people who had orchestrated Jesusā crucifixion.
So it didnāt look good for Stephen, and he knew that. He must have known that that he likely would not leave there alive. So he made the most of the opportunity and boldly told them about Jesus, and confronted their hardness of heart.
They were so enraged that they stoned him, and started a city wide, and country wide persecution of Jesusā followers. Before that they had been accepted and allowed to live peacefully, but from that time on they would persecuted.
And the persecution of Christās followers continues today with an estimated 100-200 million Christians in the world being persecuted for their faith.
In some places like North Korea, or places in the Middle East like Iraq, people risk their very lives to follow Christ. They have to live underground, so to speak.
Have you ever heard of the Underground Railroad? Network of hiding runaway slaves. (Call to southern Michiganā¦). Underground was that hiding of them.
The term underground came from the early Christians of the second and third centuries escaping to the catacombs, the underground network of burial caves.
Today they say itās pretty much impossible to be publically Christian in Iraq; it has to be underground. And thatās certainly the case in North Korea, where the people are required to say a prayer and pledge allegiance to Kim Jong-un.
Jesus has a word for His persecuted children in the world, and for all his followers. Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me.
Faith will bring you through the troubles of life, because God will bring you through.
Jesus knew the grief his leaving would cause for his disciples, so he sought to reassure them that they werenāt seeing him for the last time.
He said, In my fatherās house and many rooms. I go to prepare a place for you; and I will come back to you, to take you to where I am.
Donāt worry; youāll be with me in the end.
Philip said āLord, show us the Father, and thatāll be enough for us to believe.ā
Jesus said, āPhilip, if youāve seen me youāve seen the Fatherā¦ Believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.ā
I am just as much God as is the Father. The Father is true God; the Son is true God; and the Holy Spirit is true God.
Ā Soon, the Father and the Son would send the Holy Spirit to the disciples at Pentecost; and their hearts would go from afraid and uncertain to bold and sure.
That doesnāt mean they didnāt have their troubles and struggles; they did, but God brought them through.
We too have our troubles as we follow Christ, but he gives us faith to bring us through.
Concerning all our earthly troubles, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 says, 17Ā For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18Ā So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Paul isnāt making light of our troubles, or dismissing them or the pain we go through, but heās putting them into perspective for us, so that we can deal with them in a positive way.Ā Ā
In Christ thereās always a positive outcome. With faith in Him thereās the eternally positive outcome of heaven. Thatās means our suffering on earth is not in vain.
Itās hard to suffer, knowing that nothing good will ever come of it.
But believing that God will work good from it, not just for now, but forever; that it leads to something far better, forever, gives us the strength we need to face even the most difficult troubles.Ā Ā Ā
Faith is always what brings us through. As Jesus says, Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me.
Here are three times of trouble or challenge when faith will bring us throughā¦
1. Times of Persecutionā¦
Global Persecutionā¦
Jesus promises in Rev. 2:10 Ā says, Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer... Be faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.
For us itās more being ostracized or belittled or rejectedā¦
1 Peter 3: 14 If you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled.
2. Times of Illness ā¦
All the Illnesses we go through in this lifeā¦ There WILL BE healing, sometimes and often times is this life, but not always.
For sure, there is the perfect healing of our bodies and minds and emotions when weāre raised to live forever in the joy of heaven. Believing in that ultimate and eternal healing gives us the strength we need to deal with our illnesses now.
3. Faith will help us in our relationshipsā¦
Mothers Dayā¦ we rejoice give thanks for mothersā¦
But even mothers have their struggles and troublesā¦ It isnāt easy to be a godly motherā¦
Mothers need God, and we have God in our lives by believing in Himā¦ His grace and forgivenessā¦
They need His strength to not give up, but continue to be a Christian motherā¦ believe that is the only way to raise your childrenā¦ as be an example for adult children and grandchildrenā¦
Mothers also need support and encouragement from familiesā¦ (People spend 5 times more on Mothers Day than Fathers Day)
Pray for them... Faith helps us to be more godly in all our relationships, and better to all those around us.
Jesus knows what it is to face the troubles of this world; he faced them all for us on the cross, the sum total of all grief and pain. And he overcame it all by rising to give us eternal glorious life, and to help us with the troubles of this life.
So let not your heart be troubled, whether through persecution or illness or troubled relationships or any of the troubles of this world. Through them all, have faith.
Believe in God, your helper, and the peace that passes understanding will guard your heart and mind, in Christ Jesus your Lord. Amen.