The Word Made Plain

Guest (Male): Welcome to the Word Made Playing 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 16 verses 16 through 33.

Tony Clark: All right, let's dive into the word of God together. Turn with me in your Bibles to John chapter 16. We're going to be looking at verses 16 to 33 or we're going to finish up this chapter. Father, thank you again for this great word that you have given us. Continue to bless. Continue to give us ears to hear. Continue to reveal the secrets of our hearts. And Lord, we just pray that we will give you the glory and honor that you're worthy of because we know that you're God who sees, a God who hears, a God who knows what's going on.

So speak into these situations we are going through today in Jesus name. Amen. John 16 looking at verses 16 to 33. The title of this message is turning sorrow into joy. Turning sorrow into joy. Oh, this is such an important message because all of us are experiencing, will experience, or have recently experienced some kind of sorrow, disappointment, or discouragement. So how can we turn our sorrows into joy? I believe that Jesus teaches us how in these verses. Now the last time we were together, Jesus taught us some of the characteristics of the Holy Spirit in verses 5 through 15.

He said that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment in verses 8 through 11. Then he said in verse 13 that the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth, uh tell us things to come and glorifies Jesus Christ. Now Jesus continues to instruct his disciples in verses 16 through 19. Look what it says there on 16 through 18. A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me because I go to the Father. Then some of the disciples said among themselves, hey, what is this he's saying?

A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me because I go to the Father. Therefore they said, what is this that he says a little while? We don't know what he's saying. Let me just stop right there. Now in these verses, Jesus continues his discussion with his disciples by saying in verse 16, a little while and you will not see me, which is a reference to Jesus going to die on the cross. And again a little while and you will see me because I go to the Father.

Now there's two possible answers to this part of the verse. It could be a reference to the time of his resurrection and his 40 days he spent with the disciples before he ascended back into heaven. Or it could be a reference to the time Jesus would be with them through the Holy Spirit similar to how he is with us today through his spirit. Either way, the disciples began to discuss this amongst themselves in verse 17. And and we uh had not heard from them. We have to understand we haven't heard from the disciples since chapter 14 verse 22 when Judas, not Iscariot, asked a question.

But what Jesus said shocked them out of their silence. And as we will see, they were unwilling to question Jesus openly. Why? Maybe because of what he said to them in verse 12. I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. So here are the disciples discussing things about Jesus while he was still in the room with them. They were talking about him when they should have been talking to him. And how often we have found ourselves doing the same thing. We say, what is going on with my life?

What's happening in the world? Why is this happening to me? And we ask each other rather than talking directly to the Lord. Well, I'm blown away how ready I am to talk to other people when it is the Lord alone who has the answers or solutions to my problems. And so as the disciples were so perplexed at what Jesus said, he continues in verses 19 to 21. Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask him and said to them, are you inquiring among yourselves what I said a little while and you will not see me?

And again a little while and you will see me. Most surely I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. A woman when she is in labor has sorrow because her hour has come. But as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish for the joy that a human being has been born into the world. Now in verse 19 it says, now Jesus knew that they desire to ask him. The Greek word for knew is ginosko, and it means to know experientially, to perceive, to be acquainted with a person.

And by Jesus knowing his disciples, he knew that they desired to ask him what he meant by the statement, a little while and you will not see me and a little while and you will see me. So Jesus jumps in at the end of verse 19 to explain what he meant. Uh we know what he is about to say to them is very important because he starts off verse 20 with the phrase, most surely I say to you. And we have seen that every time Jesus starts off with this particular phrase, he is about to introduce an important truth.

He's about to give them three ways on how to turn their sorrow into joy. Number one for you note takers. He gives them a principle to hold on to, a principle to hold on to. The principle is the object of your pain presently will produce great joy in you eventually. Then he uses the illustration of a woman going through labor in verse 21. And there is pain and struggle and perspiration and and anguish. Yet the very thing which caused the pain provides the joy when the baby is finally born. Oh, it has been rightfully said that the labor pains of having a baby are the hardest pains to bear, but the easiest to forget.

And Hebrews 12 verse 2 says that Jesus endured the cross despising the shame. Why? Because he saw you and he saw me in him. And that enabled him to endure the cross despising the shame of it. And moms, you're able to endure the pain of having a baby because you could see the finish line of holding that little one in your arms. See, here's my point. When we go through pain, the Lord does not take away that which caused the pain and replace it with something else to bring joy. No, he takes the very thing that caused the pain and uses it to produce the joy.

Oh, let me illustrate this. Do you remember what happened to Joseph in the book of Genesis? In Genesis chapters 37 to 42 how his brothers were jealous of him and threw him into a pit, then sold him as a slave to Potiphar. And after working his way up the ladder, Potiphar's wife wrongfully accuses Joseph of sexual assault. He was thrown into prison and left there day after day, week after week, month after month for two whole years. It wasn't until a series of events took place that he was released and made second in command in Egypt after he interpreted Pharaoh's dream.

So the very thing that brought the pain, the rejection by his brothers, sold as a slave, lied upon, thrown into prison, it worked to transform Joseph into the leader he became second in command in all of Egypt. And also that position enabled him to save his family during the time of a famine that was in the land. So look at your life and what you're going through presently. Whether that is your marriage, whether that is wayward children, whether it is a difficult job, God is going to use that which causes you pain to be the thing that brings you joy if you allow him to.

Oh, I have to add that little caveat there if you allow him to because there's many people who allow their pain to make them bitter instead of better. Oh, and if it's the pain of a marriage, let me tell you something. If you don't allow God to bring the joy out of that situation, you'll be bitter and you will infect every relationship around you. You will turn that into bitterness as well. And any future relationships, you would sabotage that as well. You will sabotage it. And you just you you have to see this. So that's why I had to add if you allow him to.

So Jesus gives number one a principle to hold on to. A principle to hold on to. Number two is seen in verses 22 to 24. Says therefore you now have sorrow, but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice and your joy no one will take from you. And in that day you will ask me nothing. Most surely I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. Until now you've asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive that your joy may be full. The second principle Jesus gives is Jesus gives us a power to plug into.

A power to plug into. The power to transform our sorrow into joy is the power of prayer. These verses are now applying what he said in verse 21 about the woman being in labor, forgets about the pain as soon as the baby is born. He is now about to apply this a concept to his disciples. This is the way Jesus will always do things. He will always teach a principle and then he will illustrate that principle. So he's doing this with the disciples. He said in verse 22, you have sorrow because I told you that I was leaving, but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice and your joy no one will take from you.

Then Jesus gives them the power source that will turn their sorrow into joy, which is prayer, in verses 23 and 24. Jesus said in verse 24, until now you've asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive that your joy may be full. Oh, there is joy in asking and receiving in prayer. God wants us to receive the joy of asking him for things when our hearts are filled with sorrow and pain. Now what does it mean to ask the Father for something in Jesus name? You heard me say many times so often to know what a verse means, you have to know what it doesn't mean.

What it does not mean is we we come to God, the Father, and say Father, based upon how good I have been lately, give me my requests based upon my goodness. No, we come to God based upon how good he is, not based upon how good we are. And we came based upon uh what he has done for us, not what we can do for God. Oh, Isaiah 64:6 says all of our righteousness are as filthy rags. Or to get more graphic, the filthy rags it describes the menstrual cloth that we use for a woman's monthly cycle.

He said that's what our righteousness are as filthy rags. This is why Paul said being found in him, not having my own righteousness which is from the law, but the righteousness was given to me by faith in Christ Jesus because our righteousness are as filthy rags. So the praying Jesus name means you're asking for things based upon the nature and the character of God. And so often we ask for things that are out of harmony with the nature and character of God, and we wonder why our prayers aren't being answered. For example, Lord, I pray in Jesus name that he divorces his wife and marries me.

Now that is a prayer that will not be answered. Why? Because it is out of line with the character and nature of God for several reasons. I'm just going to give you a couple. A Malachi 2:16 says, I'm the Lord thy God. I hate divorce. That verse goes on to say because it splatters its victim with violence. Oh, let me give you a graphic picture of what's being said here. It's like a murderer who has the blood of his victim on his hands and on his clothes. In other words, God is saying, I hate divorce because what it does is splatters the blood of the victim on your clothes.

No one gets out innocent through a divorce. That there's blood on both hands as a result. And God said because the blood that 's on your garments, the blood of the victim of your spouse is on your clothes. This why I hate it because of how it kills. And no hands down, it always will trickle down to the children. And this is why God said, I hate divorce. It splatters his victims with violence. And the violence and the bloodshed that occurs during divorce and the and the victims so often are the kids, but nobody is innocent.

The man and the woman both have blood on their hands. And so this is why that prayer will not be answered. That request is out of line with the character and the nature of God. Or be the second reason why that prayer is out to lunch. It's just like John the Baptist told uh Herod in uh Matthew 14 verse 4. He says He said, Herod, it is not lawful for you to have her. She is your brother Philip's wife. Oh, you have to understand the drama behind that is is that Herod seduced Herodias from his brother Philip.

Brother Philip and Herodias came over to visit their brother Herod. He seduced her. She left him, left Philip and became his wife. Oh, but in God's eyes she was still his brother Philip's wife. That 's why he addressed her like that and said, it's not lawful for you to have her. She is your brother Philip's wife. And so the same is true in your situation. It's not lawful for you to have her or to have him. She is someone else's wife and he is someone else's husband. Oh, this is why the Bible makes very clear about having a certificate of divorce.

And many folks don't have that certificate of divorce and just dating around and as if they're free as a bird. You're not free. Oh, that's for somebody here. You're not free. You're not free. So your request is out of harmony with the character and nature of God. Well, you don't understand pastor Tony. He said he said he's he's going He's going to leave her and be with me. Oh, let me tell you something. He's only telling you that so he can continue to have sex with you. He is not leaving his wife. I'm going to tell you that right now, he's not leaving.

Stop believing that lie. He is not leaving. He's not And then let's just say he does. If he if he does, so how can you trust him? How can you trust that he won't do the same thing to you that he's doing with somebody he did to somebody else? Oh boy, I tell you there's some there's some good teaching going on in here right now. Yeah, all right, there's some good stuff going on here. And this is why it is so important to be in the word of God, the Bible constantly, studying the life of Jesus consistently so that you can know what is the nature and the character of God.

You can know what its nature is like. And when you do, watch and see how different your prayers become. Look at verses 25 to 28. These things I've spoken to you in figurative language, but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name and I will And I do not say that I shall pray the Father for you, for the Father himself loves you because you have loved me. And I believe and have believed that I came forth from God.

Says I came forth from the Father and have come into this world again. I leave the world and go to the Father. Now in these verses, Jesus is saying that previously He has been speaking to them in figurative language. Now the Greek word used here is paramea, and it means proverbs. It means hidden or obscure speech with which uh stands in need of interpretation. See, throughout the ministry of Jesus, he spoke to them about the kingdom of God in parables or figures of speech. And now the disciples understood that Jesus is now going to talk plainly to them about the Father.

See, the difficulty was not in the teachings of Jesus, but in the minds of the disciples to comprehend what Jesus was saying. Then then then Jesus said in verse 26, in that day, referring to the time when he goes back to the Father, they will ask for something in his name. But don't think that you can't go directly to the Father because you can. For the Father himself loves you because you have loved me. Oh, let this sink down in our hearts and our souls. The Father loves you too. And it is not He only loves us when we're good little boys and good little girls.

No, that's not true. Romans 5:8 says, God demonstrated his love toward us and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. And so if Christ died for us while we were sinners and he showed his love and demonstrated while we were sinners, how much you think he loves us now that we are his children? See, this is why John 3:16 says, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. Look at verses 29 to 33. His disciples said to him, see now you're speaking plainly and using no figures of speech.

Now we are sure that you know all things and have no need that anyone should question you. By this we believe that you came forth from God. And Jesus answered them, do you now believe? Indeed the hour is coming. Yes, has now come that you will be scattered each to his own and will leave me alone. And yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken to you that in me you may have peace. In this world you would have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.

Now in verse 29 the disciples said, you're speaking plainly now and not using figures of speech. Then in verse 30 they said, now we are sure that you know all things and that you came from God. We get it now. We understand. And Jesus answered them verse 31. Do you believe now? Do you think you get it? Are you really understanding what I am saying? Then Jesus tells them what is going to happen to them in the near future in verse 32, how they will be scattered and leave him alone. But he is not alone because the Father is with him.

Then Jesus gives them in verse 33 the third way to turn their sorrow into joy. Number three, a position to lay claim to, a position to lay claim to. Jesus said, even though tribulation will come your way by the world, be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. And guess what? Because you're in me and I am in you, you will be an overcomer as well. See, every believer, don't miss this point, every believer is either overcome or an overcomer. And see, the world wants to overcome and overwhelm us. And this is why Satan uses the world to persecute and pressure us.

The world wants us to conform to it like Romans 12:2 says, be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Oh, that Greek word for conform and is amazing Greek word And that the amazing word it means to fashion. It means to conform into a pattern. It is where we get our English word schematic from. And I I'm just reminded as I think of this that we're conformed. I'm reminded with the JB Phillips translation how he puts it. He says, do not allow the world to squeeze you into its mold.

So Jesus tells us to be of good cheer or he is saying, cheer up. As believers, we're overcomers. Jesus overcame the world by going to the cross and now he lives in us. So cheer up. We can overcome this evil world as well with all of this temptations, its attractions, and subtle ways it tries to conform us into its mold through its entertainment, its music, through its culture, through its political correctness, and through all this kind of stuff to try to squeeze us into its mold. And so this week as the world tries to conform us according to its schematic, according to its mold, remember that you are an overcomer through Jesus Christ who overcame the world on Calvary's cross.

Oh, let me conclude with this. Three ways to turn your sorrow into joy. Number one, a principle to hold on to. A principle to hold on to. The object of your pain will be the source of your joy. Number two, a power to plug into which is prayer. A power to plug into which is prayer. See, prayer is something very simplistic and we can almost kind of let this go in one ear and out the other. But you'll be surprised at how many times we go through sorrow, we go through disappointment, and the last thing we do is pray.

You Do you want to know why you know why that's the last thing we do? Because subtly in our heart we're a little bit ticked off at God for allowing this to happen in our lives. So therefore the last person we want to pray to or talk to is him. And this is why when we're going through difficulties we our prayer life goes down because we're a little bit ticked at God. But it's the thing we need to plug into. It's the power to overcome is prayer.

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