The Word Made Plain

Guest (Male): Welcome to the Word Made Plain with senior pastor Tony Clark of Calvary Chapel Newport News in Virginia. Currently, Pastor Tony is teaching in the book of John. Please open your Bible to John chapter 14 verses 1 through 6.

Tony Clark: Belief in God is the key to our hearts being trouble free because if we believe that he is the God of the Bible, surely we already said why are we troubled. But but the thing is is it that he's powerless to do something about our troubles? Is this why we feel we need to put that burden on ourselves to be troubled because the God we serve is powerless to do anything against it or do anything about it? If God is the God of the Bible, then why are we troubled? This is why he starts off by saying you believe in God.

Believe also in me. Jesus is about to give his disciples five reasons why they shouldn't be troubled and why we shouldn't be troubled when things are troubling our hearts. We're only going to look at one of them today. Look what it says there in verse two. Says in my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. I want to draw your attention to the first part of verse two. It says in my Father's house. This is the reason why we shouldn't be troubled.

It's because number one, we have a hope of heaven. We have the hope of heaven. Here's the key to keeping our hearts from being overwhelmed with depression. We have a home in heaven. Showing us that this is not our home. The Bible says our citizenship is in heaven. Jesus was telling them that their hearts can be at rest because their separation from him would not be a permanent one. He confirms this by the statement if it were not so, I would have told you. And notice he says in the second part of verse two says in my Father's house notice are many mansions.

So, when Jesus said I go to prepare a place for you, you know, I used to think when I first got saved, I used to think that Jesus was up in heaven building me a mansion, you know, like the like the ones in Hollywood or or Beverly Hills. No, this is referring to our new bodies. Oh, I say this because 1st Corinthians 15:50 says flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. In other words, our earthly bodies cannot dwell in heaven. Our bodies, these earthly bodies are made of the dirt, the same 17 elements that make up the dirt, the same 17 elements that make up our bodies.

Our bodies we see this in Genesis when God cre made Adam out of the dust of the ground. So, don't think you all that. You just dusty. Just some dirt, you know. That that's why the Bible says in in the book of Psalms it says God knows our frame that we are but dust. Because we came from the earth. So, we can dwell and relate to one another here on the earth. These bodies can dwell in heaven. So, there needs to be a change to take place with these particular bodies. And this is what the Lord is talking about.

And you say, well, how do you know that this is what he's talking about here that he's not really building us a big house? Uh some of you might be think I was planning on getting a big old house when I got to have. That's not what he's talking about. He's talking about our new bodies. How do I know this? Because you've heard me say many times the best commentary on the Bible is you guys have been taught well. In 2 Corinthians 5:1 it says for we know that if our earthly house, this tent, referring to our bodies, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands where, God?

Eternal in the heavens. Oh, I love when the Bible does that. The best commentary on the Bible is the Bible itself. See, some of y'all that verse went over your head. I got to read it again. It says for we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands where eternal in the heavens. Not talking about some big house that you saw in the lifestyles of the rich and famous that you saying that's the kind of house God I want. No. It's not what it's talking about.

So, the reason why we should not be troubled and depressed is because number one, we have a hope of heaven. Look what he says there in verse three because we're going to come back to the idea of the hope of heaven. Look what it says there in verse three. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am there you may be also. Now, in this verse, Jesus comforted them with the fact that he will come again. The return of Christ is as sure as his departure.

He said if I go, then I will come again. The question is did Jesus go? Yes. Is he coming again? Yes. I was talking to our staff not um this past week. The return of Jesus Christ is something that's not talked about much anymore. It's not talked about in the church. When I first got saved back in the '80s, that was all that we talked about was the imminent return of Christ, that Christ could return at any time. You know, you be on your your best behavior so to speak because Jesus can come back at any time.

You don't you don't want to get caught with them or doing this or going there because Jesus can come back and catch you there. That's all we talked about. You don't hear much talk about the return of Christ today. But as long as I'm here, as long as I'm teaching you from Genesis to Revelation, we going to talk about the return of Christ because Jesus said if I go, then I will come again. So, Jesus left. So, that means he's coming again. He is going to come. Now, yes, this is ultimately referring to the rapture of the church that time that Jesus will return in the air for his people.

That 1 Thessalonians 4 verses 13 through 18 refers to as well as 1 Corinthians 15 verses 51 to 57. And because there is nothing mentioned about judgment, this is not referring to the second coming of Christ when he comes back to the earth to establish his kingdom which follows is is judgment. Now, watch this. There is a major difference between the rapture of the church and the second coming of Christ. The rapture of the church, he comes in the air for his people. The second coming of Christ, he comes to the earth with his people.

In the rapture of the church, he comes in a moment in the twinkling of the eye at the sound of the last trumpet. He will come like a thief in the night. In the second coming, according to Revelation 1, every eye will see him. Major difference. In the second coming, the angels are going to gather God's people together. In the rapture of the church, Jesus himself said he was going to be the one to come. Well, we know the second coming that referenced where the angels um gathered the uh God's people is Matthew 24 verses 30 and 31.

And Jesus told his disciples here that he was going to be the one. He says I will come again and receive you unto myself. So, there's a clear distinction between the rapture of the church where he comes in the air and the second coming of Christ where he comes to the earth. The rapture of the church, he come in a moment in twinkling of the eye at the like a thief in the night. The second coming, every eye will see him. In the rapture, he comes for his saints. In the second coming, he comes with his saints.

Clear distinction that is made. Now, do you want to know what makes heaven so special? Why it's all streets of gold. You know that I heard about those streets of gold, you know, pearly gates, but especially the streets of gold. No. That's not what makes heaven special. I mean, how many of you had a conversation about the asphalt out out there in the parking lot or on Warwick or Jefferson? You talking about the asphalt. The streets of gold, that's just the asphalt. Asphalt of heaven is just it's just what the ground is the the streets are.

No one is talking about well, you know, that they paved that road really good out there at uh you know, out there on Warwick and you don't talk about the asphalt, nor would we be talking about hey, look at these streets of gold. No. What makes heaven so special is Jesus is going to be there. That's what makes heaven so special, being with the Lord. This is why he comforted his disciples with these words where I am there you may be also. It's all about being with Jesus. The disciples knew what it was like being with Jesus for three and a half years.

And the thought that Jesus was going to come back and take them to heaven and they will forever be with him brought them great comfort. Well, I wonder if the thought of being with Jesus brings comfort to your troubled heart. If you have never experienced the presence of Jesus in your life before, forever being with Jesus doesn't bring comfort to your troubled heart. But when you cultivate a relationship with Jesus on a daily basis and you sense his presence and and and the thought of being with Jesus forever brings you great comfort, oh, people like this love to sing I know my Redeemer lives.

And people say how do you know? Because I spoke to him this morning. You understand about the presence of God and what it means to experience his presence. It's it's sustaining to you. Peter was in the presence of God in Matthew 17. He said, you know what, let's just build three tabernacles. Let's just stay right here because he understood what it meant to be in the presence of God. Oh, we know Moses was in the presence of God for 40 days and 40 nights and in Exodus 34 verse 28 says that he ate nor drank anything.

Oh, we know that it's impossible to go 40 days without anything to drink, but the presence of God was what was sustaining him, being in his presence. Moses understood it. The Bible says Moses spoke to God face to face as a man speaks with his friend. He understood the presence of God to the point where he said, God, this is so good. Won't you won't you just show me your glory? And the Bible said the guy hid him in the cleft of the rock because he he hid him there and he allowed his glory to pass by.

And he just saw the afterglow of God and he wanted to be in God's presence so much that when he came down, he was glowing. Because God who is light that God that part of God rubbed off on Moses. Oh, we know 1950 Cecil D B DeMille Ten Commandments had him with a big old gray beard and they were trying to show him glowing, but 1950 didn't have the technology that we had today. So, they all of a sudden when I used to watch that, I said, man, did Moses age about 50 years up there?

No, they were trying to show him glowing, being in the presence of God. And he understood what it meant to be in his presence. Let me tell you something. If you hear it now and you've never experienced the presence of God before, then have being forever with Jesus doesn't comfort your heart. But for those of you who have experienced his presence, those of you who been in the presence of glory, in the presence of God, forever being with him brings you great comfort. You know that your troubled heart will not be troubled anymore because you've been in the presence of God.

And this is what we're talking about here. Look at verses four and five. And where I go, you know, and the way you know. And Thomas said to him, Lord, we we do not know where you are going and how can we know the way? Now, in these verses, we see that Jesus already told them that he was going back to the Father. He told him in chapter 7 verse 33. He told him in chapter 13 verse 1 and again in verse 3 that he was going back to the Father. But because their hearts were troubled, they were not sure of anything.

Oh, let this be a lesson to all of us. When we allow our hearts to be troubled, we will be unsure about a lot of things as well. So, don't make please don't miss this. Don't make decisions when your heart is troubled because nine out of 10 it will be the wrong decision. It will be an emotional decision, a decision you will kick yourself later and you will regret because there are many of you who have made emotional decisions because when things were crazy, things were hot, and it was the wrong decision. And ladies, this is something you have to pay very close attention to because you're in touch with your emotions more so than we are.

And you can easily because it you're in some emotional state that you make a decision, a major decision based upon some emotional state. And I'm telling you never make a decision when your when your heart is troubled and when you're in the midst of your feelings because it will be the wrong decision because the decision was birthed not out of prayer and seeking God, it was birthed out of your emotions. And this is why they were unsure because their hearts were troubled. They were unsure. Jesus told them that he had to go back to the Father, but because their hearts were troubled, they were they were confused.

Uh well, where you going? We don't we don't know where you going. And so, here it is. Thomas speaks up in verse five to voice their uncertainty and says, Lord, we do not know where you're going and how can we know the way? Oh, Thomas shows us what to do when our hearts are troubled. We go to Jesus in prayer and tell him how confused we are. Notice how Thomas and the other disciples didn't run out in their emotional confused state assuming that they knew the way. No, Thomas asked Jesus which was the right way to go.

How did Jesus respond? Look at verse six. Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Jesus responds to Thomas's questions with I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Jesus responds with the sixth of seven I am statements in John's Gospel. Jesus was saying that I am God in human flesh. I am the one, the great I am that spoke to Moses in the burning bush passage in the book of Exodus. I am that one.

This is the sixth of seven I am statements. The last one is in chapter 15. And Jesus was saying Jesus alone is the way to God because he alone is the truth about God. He alone possessed the life of God. This is one of the most profound statements ever made by Jesus. Why? Because the implications are powerful if they're believed and obeyed. Oh, the world the world they the world here is such a statement and says, well, that is exclusive and intolerant. Well, it's meant to be. You say, is it? Yeah, it's meant to be.

Why? Because God the Father in his infinite wisdom wanted to make it simple for us. He didn't want to make it confusing. If he had made 10 ways to get to heaven, there would be 10,000 counterfeits. And so, God wanted to make it simple, just one way. And Jesus is that way. Oh, Acts 4:12 says for nor is there salvation in any other. For there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Oh, John 3:36 says this. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life. And he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

1 Timothy 2:5 says for there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. And because the apostles taught that Jesus was the only way that Christianity became known as the way according to Acts 9 verse two, Acts 19 verse nine and verse 23. I mean, that was just a cool thing to be called. The the they used to see Christian that they they're followers of the way. What a cool that's a cool thing. It's biblical. But back in the '70s and the early '80s, there was a cult that came out and start calling themselves the way, the Way International.

So, they they blew it. They blew it for anybody else wouldn't be biblical and call himself the way because there was a cult out there called the way, the Way International. And you don't hear much about them today. I don't even know if they're still around. But the Christianity used to be called the way back in the book of Acts. So, the first reason why we should not allow our hearts to be troubled is number one, we have the hope of heaven. The second reason why we should not allow our hearts to be troubled is we will see next time.

That's how you do it. Keep you on the edge of your seat. Always want want to keep you wanting more. Not go so long and you know, you been been some sort of go so long you like you think you ever going to quit so it's always good to quit early. Quit early. Let me conclude with this. The reason why we should have hope when our hearts are troubled is because we have the hope of heaven. The question is do you have this hope today? Do you have the hope that one day you will go to heaven?

And I'm not talking about you know, when you stretched out horizontal in front of a church and and and everybody puts everybody in heaven. No, I'm not talking about that. Do you have the hope of heaven right now? The only way that you can have this hope is if you have put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone to save you. And watch this. Don't forget this part and that your life reflects that. See, because many people say yeah, yeah, I believe I believe in the Lord. You know, I the Lord so good. He just so good to me.

Hallelujah. And then you go out Monday through Saturday and you do you. That's that's not Christianity. That's some mess. Churchianity is what you have. You don't have Christianity. Because your life will reflect that Christ is in it. If any man be in Christ, he's the new creation. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things become new. Does that describe your life? See, that's what it means to be a believer, that your life will begin to reflect Jesus Christ. Oh, sure there's a process and there's there's things God is working and he's always working in us and we won't be totally like him till we get to be in heaven.

But notice it says all things are passed away. Behold, all things become new. Question is do you see a newness of Jesus in your life? That's how you can know whether what you said took. That's how you can know because everybody everybody said yeah, I said a prayer one time when I was eight. And I said a prayer. Okay, that's cool. But does your life reflect it? And you putting your faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone. No one comes to the Father except through him. If you're trusting in anything or anyone else to get you to heaven, you'll be lost for all eternity.

God made one way to get to heaven and he made it simple. That's why he only made one way. He only made he knows us. We're a mess. Look how we messed up one way. He only made one way. Question is will you accept Jesus and him alone to save you or will you continue to believe like the world that there are many ways to get to God? When people tell me that, I say yeah, you're right. You believe me? I say yeah. There's many ways to get to God for judgment. Yeah. But it's one only one way to get to heaven.

And that is through Jesus Christ. And the thing about it is we didn't make this up. This is this these are the words of Jesus. This is why never be ashamed to give people what Jesus said. So, these are the words of Jesus here. He said I didn't make this up. Well, that you know, that's that's kind of narrow-minded. And I say, well, Jesus said narrow is the way that leads to life and few there by will find it. So, thank you very much. I I I thank you for saying I'm I'm I'm being like Jesus.

It's narrow. The way is narrow. It is. And never be ashamed because we didn't make this up. We didn't make these words up. All we doing with they don't I tell don't shoot the messenger. I'm just giving you what the words said. Well, that's your interpretation. Is what other interpretation can you get? No man can come to the Father except through Jesus. How can you make that any other way? Then never be ashamed. Never back down. The question is are you trusting in Jesus alone to save you? Or are you trusting in some good works so that you came to church once a month or some other mess?

You know, you you turn into a smoke. You say, what's a smoke? Sunday morning only. And you it doesn't reflect your life at all. Hey, Jesus gives you an opportunity to get it right with him today. And this is your opportunity. There's going to be some people available to pray with you about these things so you can get things you can leave here with things right between you and God. Let's pray. Father, thank you again for this time in your word. We pray, Lord, that you would minister this word to our hearts. I pray for those who are here, Lord, who've never truly repented and accepted you as their Lord and Savior.

I pray, Lord, that they repent of their sin, believe that you died on the cross and was buried and rose again. Your word says that they confess and believe this, they shall be saved. Draw folks unto you today. Lord, I pray for those with a troubled heart today. I pray that they would look to you and believe in you. Lord, I pray that they would leave here with the hope of heaven in their hearts. Draw your people to you today in Jesus's name. Amen.

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