In this sermon, titled 'Trading Sorrow for Joy', speaker Scott Brown explores the Gospel of John, specifically focusing on John 16:16-33. Jesus addresses His disciples and explains that although they will experience sorrow and tribulation, their sorrow will be turned into joy through His death, resurrection, and the power of the Holy Spirit. He emphasizes the importance of prayer in experiencing joy and encourages them to have peace in the midst of tribulation. Jesus promises that their joy cannot be taken away and assures them of His victory over the world.

As we continue our sequential studies in the Gospel of John, please open your Bibles to John 16 and find verse 16, and we'll read from there to the end of the chapter. 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 his disciples said among themselves What is this that he says to us a little while and you will not see Me, and again a little while and you will see Me.' And because I go to the Father?" They said, therefore, "'What is this?' He says, "'A little while.' we do not know what he is saying. Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask him, and he said to them, Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, a little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me. Most assuredly I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice and 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 joy that a human being has been born into the world. 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 assuredly I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name.

Ask and you will receive that your joy may be full. These things I have 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 do not say that I shall pray to the Father for you, for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from God. I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father." His disciples said to him, See, now you are speaking plainly and using no figurative 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 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 the world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world let's pray Lord we are so thankful that you pull us out of our despondencies and our trials to see you face to face, to know your joy. Thank you, O Lord, for sending your Son for such happiness.

Pray that we would have it today Amen Please be seated Is there anything or anyone stealing your joy? Today In July of 1897 Charles Spurgeon was preaching on the Text that I just read and he said joy is the normal condition of a believer His proper state his healthy state is that of happiness and gladness? Rejoice in the Lord is the precept given to us over and over again Broadly speaking the general condition of God's people is one of joy Happy are you o Israel true Christians are the happiest people under heaven? They have many sorrows but they are sorrowful yet rejoicing So here the Lord Jesus Christ in these words has designed to lift His people out of their sorrows through their tribulations and into His joy. I was telling my wife, Deborah, about what I was going to say today.

She said, easier preached than lived. So true. We live in an unhappy world. Why are the mood calming, mood altering, painkiller drugs on such a dramatic rise everywhere in our land people are on a quest for Eluding joy, and they try to find it and accepting themselves traveling goals yoga Whatever it might be college students today. Just Google.

This are the most unhappy in all of history. All the administrations know this, and their counseling services are flooded because of unhappiness. They've rejected the kingdom of happiness. Why would the psychotropics be so often used, particularly among women, but with the general population. Let me reduce it down.

They have rejected the happiness of the kingdom of Jesus Christ and They've rejected his gifts to bring them out of their sorrows They grieve the Holy Spirit the spirit of joy They reject the truth Which brings joy The Word of God, which is like honey, they don't accept the peace of knowing who you are and how God made you. And many of them are trying to figure out whether they're male or female, even though It's very, very, very, very clear by the testimony of trillions of cells in their bodies that they are either male or female. They don't accept the peace of knowing who you are and why God made you. They're robbed of the celebration of manhood. They're robbed of the celebration of womanhood.

And when you live in a world where there are no prayers, no promises, no comforter, no guide, no truth, no sense of history, and no church to keep you, joy is going to elude you. So it's no surprise that the world is not very happy. In the Upper Room Discourse, Jesus is giving reason after reason, promise after promise, truth after truth, help after help, reality after reality. I'm trying to summarize the upper room discourse to deliver us from this unhappy world And To see us through So I've broken this text down into three sections. I hope you have an outline in front of you You can see it if you need it and These are the ways that Jesus is Delivering his children out of their hopelessness first sorrow turns to joy That's verses 16 through 18 But I want to say we're gonna dial in on verse 20 Most assuredly I Say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice and you will be sorrowful But your sorrow will be turned into joy, and then secondly prayer fills our lives with joy That's verses 24 to 28 verse 24 nails it asking you will receive that your joy may be full.

Third, we have peace in a world of tribulation. Verses 29 to 33, dialing in particularly on verse 33, These things I have spoken to you that in me you may have peace in the world you have you will have tribulation But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world Is there anything Or anyone stealing your joy The Lord Jesus Christ is speaking to his disciples about this matter and in the upper room discourse Which stretches as you know if you've been tracking with us over the weeks? Stretches from chapter 13 to the very end of chapter 16 and then Jesus goes into a prayer and then they leave the upper room at the end of chapter 17 at the end of that prayer and Jesus is making it very plain in the upper room discourse And I'll illustrate this in a minute that there is plenty of material to keep a Christian happy and Jesus is making it very very clear that a Christian is never short of reasons justifications motivations to be happy never short of conditions to make us happy, never short of stories, narratives in the Bible, never short of arguments, never short of promises, never short of doctrines, never short of examples, never short of melodies that we sing in the church over and over again, never short of the resources to be happy, including the power of the Holy Spirit, whose fruit is joy.

So My prayer this morning is that I'm coming to you like the Lord Jesus Christ came to his disciples to increase their joy. This is the same thing the apostles did in the churches that they visited. I hope that somehow I can be like the apostles who worked for the joy of the church they visited. Second Corinthians 1, 24, the apostle is speaking to that church and he says, Not that we have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy, for by faith you stand." What a blessing it is to have fellow workers for joy. That's what Christians are, and that's what I hope to be today by repeating these words.

So the context here, though, is a really bleak situation. Jesus has announced that he's going away The disciples are so shell-shocked about it that they will that they talk about it among themselves but they will not ask Jesus the specifics and This comes up a number of times in our text here You know the whole narrative is about he keeps saying this. What did he mean a little in a little while? What does that mean and then finally Jesus says okay? Let's talk about it But He doesn't give them everything about it.

We know this, sorrow has filled your heart. We learned that earlier in the Upper Room Discourse. In other words, sorrow has taken over. Sorrow has pushed out their joy. It's been squeezed out by some news the news that Jesus was Giving them so in John 16 Jesus Continues to encourage his disciples.

He's going away, and he continues to explain the advantage that it is that he goes away, that he will leave, but he will come to them again. It's Thursday night, and interestingly enough, by morning, maybe in an hour or two, maybe three hours, Jesus will be arrested, and then that day he'll be tried and he'll be crucified and he'd be put in a grave and Then three days later. They'll see him again, And it's interesting that Jesus is telling them your sorrow is going to turn to joy But he has compassion on them. He knows they'll be sorrowful and he enters into their sorrows and He encourages them to make it through the sorrowful time. So when we see Jesus here in this passage, We see who we're dealing with when we speak of Jesus.

What does it mean to become his disciple? And the first thing we really learn from Jesus in the upper room is that he's a compassionate high priest and he is seeking the joy of his disciples. And so throughout the entire upper room discourse, Jesus is seeking the joy of his disciples in many, many ways. And he lays one promise after another to encourage them, because they're experiencing this loss of joy. He's already told them in 1511 these things I've spoken to you that my joy may remain in you and that your joy May be full now.

I Want us since we're right at the end of this? Discourse the the message of Jesus to his disciples You know from 13 to 16 and then the prayer in chapter 17 but he's just finishing this Discourse here, and I want us to look back and and and just see How Jesus Christ has been encouraging his disciples, and I want to take you back through the upper room discourse Very quickly I Counted 35 ways that Jesus encouraged his disciples in This discourse by one phrase after another in chapter 13 verse 1 we find. What's really the summary of it all He loved them to the end He loved them and so he's encouraging them. That's what that's what you do when you love somebody you encourage them and in 13 6 He washes their feet, and he says if I don't wash you you have no part with me In other words you have a part with me and in 13 10. He says you are clean speaking to the 11 and then he says but not all of you speaking of Judas in 1317 he says if you know these things blessed are you if you do them in?

13 13 18 he says I have chosen you in 1319 he says now I tell you before it comes that when it does come to pass you may believe that I am he in 14 1 he says let not your heart be troubled He says in my father's house there are many mansions. In 14.3, he says, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also. He's constantly encouraging his disciples In section after section after section of the upper room discourse you cannot miss the promises and the encouragements that exist here In 1440 says where I am going you cannot follow me, but You shall follow me afterward You will follow me afterward In 14 6 he says I am the way the truth in the life No one comes to the Father except through me in 14 16 he says I will pray to the Father and he Will give you another helper that he may abide with you forever these are the promises that Jesus wants his disciples to know and I want us all to know them this with them this morning to be a fellow worker for your joy In 1418 he says I will not leave you as orphans.

I will come to you in 1419 He says you will see me because I live you also will live in 1420 he says I am in my father, and you are in me, and I am in you in 1421 he says he who loves me will be loved by my father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him What an encourager In 1423 he says we will come to him and make our home with him in 1426 he says but the helper the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name He will teach you all things and bring to you remembrance all Things that I said to you in 1427. He says peace. I leave with you my peace I give to you not as the world gives give that I to you and then he says do not be afraid in 15 to he says Every branch in me that bears fruit he prunes that it might bear more fruit. You're gonna bear more fruit in 15 5 he says without me you can do nothing in 15 7 He says if you abide in me and my words Abide in you you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you In 59 he says as my father loved me.

I also have loved you abide in my love in 1512 he says this is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this than to lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends." Of course, he said, you are my friends if you do whatever I command you. In 1515, he said, all things that I heard from my father. I have made known to you in 1516 he said you did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and That your fruit should remain and that whatever you ask your the father in my name he may give you in 1519 he says I chose you out of the world though therefore the world hates you and 1520 he said if they persecuted me they will also persecute you in 1526 he says when the helper comes whom I shall send to you from the Father the spirit of truth Who proceeds from the Father he will testify of me and you will bear witness because you have been with me from the beginning." In 16 1, he says, these things I have spoken to you that you should not be made to stumble.

In 16 4, he says, these things I have told you that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them." In 16 7, he says, I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away. If I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. If I depart, I will send him to you. In 16 13, He says, When the Spirit of truth has come, He will guide you into all truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears, He will speak, and He will tell you things to come. In 1614, He said to his disciples, He will glorify me, this is the Holy Spirit, for he will take of what is mine and declare it to you.

In 1615 he says, All things that the Father has are mine. Therefore I said that He will take of mine and declare it to you. One promise after another, for one purpose, to encourage His disciples to be found in the place of joy. So again, is there anything or anyone stealing your joy? Hopefully it's not any bigger than these things.

Hopefully these things would balance out. These are predictions of his death and resurrection and the value and the result of The resurrection in their lives. This is the very practical Everyday result of the power of the resurrection that your joy might be made full That's why Spurgeon said the chief Mark of a Christian is joy lots of lots of great theologians say that Well, what is Jesus doing he's shaping their thinking about their lives And It's very important that we understand that the way we think About the Lord Jesus Christ and the purpose of our lives is the chief matter As to whether you are experiencing joy or not and so Jesus is wanting to shape their thinking Because it all begins in the in in the way that you think about life About yourself and about who Jesus Christ is And so Jesus is piling up these promises and assurances to help them. Okay, so let's dive into the text. I hope you're encouraged.

I thought maybe we should just stop the sermon right there and continue to rejoice. But here we go. Sorrow is turned to joy. This is what Jesus is telling them This is the first of three that I want to identify this morning that Jesus is telling His disciples to increase their joy their sorrow will be turned to joy that's verses 16 to 22 and you have this phrase 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 So when is that time when they will see him well there are you know probably three possibilities? His after his death and resurrection after his sending the Holy Spirit at Pentecost or the second coming Let's have a little hermeneutics lesson The simplest interpretation is usually the right one.

So the most immediate is his death and resurrection. In three days after his resurrection, he will appear to some of them at the tomb, and then he will knock on the door where they are meeting." I think that's what he's talking about. That's the next time they will see. And it means that they will see him soon. In an hour or two, Jesus will be arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane and he will be taken away put in a tomb and in three days He will appear to them again And I think that's the primary Interpretation of these words There is an application.

I think for all of us who are on the north side of the resurrection Well the disciples will wait three days and see Jesus again You know we in the New Covenant can behold the face of Jesus Christ by peering into his word and We will see him again physically upon his return And The judgment of God will begin so we are who are waiting will pass through sorrows, through the valley of the shadow of death. We'll experience sickness and sorrows and slanders and rejections and losses and trials in your family and difficulties in churches and you'll experience all these things and Yet God has sent his Holy Spirit to sustain us in the midst of These trials we will have sorrow in joy And our life will be like what the Apostle Paul spoke, that we are sorrowful yet rejoicing. Isn't that interesting? We're sorrowful yet rejoicing. We're not blind to reality.

There are many things to grieve over, but these things don't destroy us. Christianity is a religion of reality. It acknowledges the way things really are, and it acknowledges true sorrow and heartbreak. But then the Lord takes you through the sorrows and the heartbreaks. Now they still did not understand verses 17 through 18.

Then some of his disciples said, what is this that he says to us? Well, why why the misunderstanding there for most likely they're expecting a different kind of Savior thinking he was a political leader that they always wanted and There they were confused about what scripture had taught. The also they were too timid to ask the details. Verse 19, now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him and He said to them, are you inquiring among yourselves? They're talking, talking, talking, talking to one another, but they don't ask the one who really knows.

How about that? Does that sound familiar? We talk to our friends more than we talk to Jesus, and that's what they're doing. And I just suspect they were afraid to ask because they maybe didn't want to hear the answer, and that's how we are often. We are afraid to ask detailed questions because we don't want to appear ignorant, and We might not actually want to hear the answer, so we don't ask.

Men are particularly that way. Women are less that way, praise God, most of the time. And then he tells them that their sorrow will turn to joy, verse 20. That's the heart of this section most assuredly. I say to you you will weep and lament But the world will rejoice and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy And he's talking about the crucifixion he's talking about the power of the cross and the resurrection, and what is the result of that power.

And that power is joy. The centrality of the cross and the joy of The Christian cannot be understated from this text. The cross in this passage is the center point of joy. And the cross, the resurrection, the ascension, the seating of Christ at His Father's right hand and His intercession is our joy, making His death and resurrection our chief joy. So we can be thankful for the death of Christ.

The death of Christ? Yes. He conquered death by his death. And we were redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. That's why in Revelation chapter 5 verse 9, you know, there are multitudes saying, worthy is the Lamb who was slain.

And why Paul said, God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ You know when you're boasting in something you're typically happy about it, and That's what Paul did he was happy about the cross in that sense That his Savior suffered for him because God put it into death we have joy In everlasting life because God atoned for our sins We have joy being washed in his blood because God sent his spirit to dwell in us. We have fruit of joy God gave us all we need that's why Paul said my grace is sufficient for you The grace is the grace that flows from the power of the cross of Jesus Christ our chief celebration well this did happen in John 20 verse 20 we'll get there in a while the disciples saw him after the resurrection he showed them his hands and his side And then we read then the John says the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord John is writing. Oh the disciples were glad he was one of them and The most visible and the most helpful thing that Jesus does for the human personality is that he turns your sorrow into joy.

David spoke of it, you turn my mourning into dancing, you give me a garment of praise. Jesus said, blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. This is a chief mark of the gospel and its power. The commentator Linsky says, the very thing that plunged them into grief will turn to joy. I want to read that again.

Somebody sent that to me this week the very thing that plunged them into grief will turn to joy the identical event will plunge them The identical event will plunge them into grief and then lift them to joy Isn't that so true? The hardest most difficult things that happen in your life end up actually to be the most useful and helpful and happifying in your life. They're sure hard at the moment, just like discipline. It doesn't seem joyful for the moment, but boy, it sure pays off well in time if your heart is toward the Lord. God works all things together for good, for the called according to his purpose.

Your worst nightmares most of the time turn to your greatest blessings. Isn't that amazing? Don't prejudge disasters. Weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Our light affliction, which Paul calls it, is short-lived.

He says this in 2 Corinthians 4, For our light affliction is but for a moment, working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. He says these things are temporary. Unbelievers are different. They experience life differently. Jesus said, Woe to you who laugh now, you will mourn and weep." The opposite for the Christian.

Sorrow turns to joy for the Christian. Then he says this, no one will take your joy from you. Oh my, why did he have to say that? All of us know how fleeting joy can be because of our flesh. We set our minds on things not above, but on the things on the earth.

Is anyone taking your joy from you? Is some situation taking your joy? Some fear, someone in this room taking your joy from you. Someone at work stealing your joy. Someone in your family stealing your joy.

And then Jesus gives them an example of how sorrow turns to joy in verses 21 and 22. A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hours come. And then He Tells us exactly what happens with a woman who's in labor the pain of childbirth always results in joy And the Bible is filled with analogies for nature just like this the message of God's ways and here the message of the power of the resurrection is actually coded in the birthing experience of a woman God coded and Created childbirth to tell a story about what happens With those whose sorrow is turned into joy She experiences excruciating pain, but the joy is coming. Jesus experienced the excruciating pain on the cross. Why?

For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame. If you get a chance sometime today, read Romans 8, 18-24. Paul gives an example of the whole creation groaning yet with hope. Is there anything or anyone stealing your joy? As was the case with the disciples, as is often the case with disciples of Jesus, who love him, but they fall into these holes, we fall into these holes.

So he speaks of sorrow turning to joy. And then, the joy of prayer. This is verses 23 to 31. Jesus makes an astonishing promise again. Have you counted how many times he's made this promise?

This isn't the first time In verse 23 and in that day you will ask me nothing. What does that mean? I think that he's saying there will be no need. He will already be risen. They will ask, but not like they've been asking now in the upper room.

They will know his plan to save by death and resurrection. Everything will be changed, and they will have no need to ask those questions again out of ignorance. They'll have no need to discuss among themselves. Why did he say it like that a little while but then he makes this promise whatever you ask the father in my name he will give you ask and you will receive that your joy may be full this is such an amazing promise We've talked about it before at some length. Whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give you.

The word ask appears five times in verses 19, 23, 24, and 26. And Jesus keeps repeating to encourage us to pray. How is prayer such a pathway to joy? You experience intimacy with God. That's one way.

You experience the mediation of Christ. You experience the joys of dependence upon God and resting in His sovereign hand. You experience the receptivity of God. You experience waiting on God. You experience seeing the victory of God You know the sovereignty of God you will know the comfort of leaning on God after all He is God and you're praying To God you will know God's love as he only answers for our good there are many ways That prayer increases our joy, so we should pray a lot You know one of the most important things we do on the Lord's Day is to pray we are coming before God for our joy.

We should do it for many reasons, but He tells us to do it for our joy. When we pray little, It's quite likely we see little of God's faithfulness You do not have because you do not ask that's what James says Pray much and receive his assurances that he hears much There's there's just nothing more comforting in the world than to looking to God and trusting in him to give the answer Knowing that he is God and he is good. There's nothing more comforting than that that you've laid your cares down before God and you can let them rest there. That's why he says to the church in Thessalonica, Paul, Rejoice always, pray without ceasing. Unceasing prayer has a friend, unceasing joy.

The peace of God will guard your hearts. That's what Paul said. I'm going to give you two examples from the Old Testament of how prayer can be such a joy. The first is in Genesis 24. Abraham Needs to find a wife for Isaac, so he sends out the man who controls all of his wealth, and he's wealthy To find a wife for Isaac.

He gives him very specific instructions This man is so dependent on God. I love this narrative in Genesis chapter 24 he is crying out to God every moment of the way Here's what he says oh Lord God of my master Abraham pre Please give me success this day and show kindness to my master Abraham Behold here. I stand by the well of water and the daughters of men of the city are coming out to draw water Now if you read this narrative you notice he's constantly Lifting of his eyes to God in prayer for success for his master. He's not doing his own business He's doing the business of his master. That's what prayer is doing the business of your master.

That's what praying in Jesus name is It's praying things that are consistent with his will the will of your master that's what this man is doing and then he says They're coming out of the city now let it be that the young woman to whom I say please let down your pitcher that I may drink and she says drink and I will also give your camels to drink very specific let her be the one you have appointed for your servant Isaac and By this I will Know that you have shown kindness to my master, so he's praying this he's crying out to God all throughout the trip he's got all these camels this whole entourage with him and then We read and it happened just before he finished speaking and Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord and he said blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham Who has not forgotten his mercy and his truth toward my master? The joy of prayer the joy of crying out specifically for particular things that you know glorify your master. And then by the way, if you read the narrative, he can't Quit telling this story.

He's so happy about it Here's another one Genesis 32 to 33. This is the reconciliation of Jacob and Esau. I just read these things this week Jacob of course was the imposter who collaborated with his mother to deceive his brother and his father he was a deceiver and He long to make a long story short after 20 years after this deception God tells him to go make his way back to the Promised Land. So he goes with a huge entourage and animals, all of his wealth. He was very wealthy.

And he's on his way, and he sends a message ahead and finds out that his brother, who threatened to kill him 20 years ago, put out a vendetta, was coming. He gets the message, your brother Esau is coming with 400 men. Jacob is shaking in his boots. The biblical word is distressed in the text. In 3211 he says, deliver me from the hand of my brother.

And then he claims God's promise that God made to him earlier, I will deal well with you. So he sends these waves of gifts 220 goats then another wave of 820 sheep then another wave of 30 milk camels And then another wave of 40 cows and another wave of 20 Donkeys and in order to hold out love toward his brother He wanted to be reconciled with his brother And he wrestled with God all night And he said to the one wrestling with him. I will not let you go until you bless me That's prayer And in the next chapter in chapter 33 Jacob bows down to the ground before his brother seven times And I'm gonna read the text and Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him and they wept answered prayer praise God the joy Of prayer what a Joy it is to pray for reconciliation. Even after years, have you stopped praying for reconciliation that you want, that your heart is wide open for? But it's taken years.

Don't lose hope. Pray. Continue to pray. I've experienced this. It's such a joy.

Pray that your joy may be made full. Ask and you will receive that your joy may be full. Prayer is a joy. Well, the first prayer of a Christian opens up the door to all the joy. The first prayer is, Lord Jesus Christ, forgive me of my sins.

I want to follow you. I don't want to follow the world anymore, I want to follow you. And God gives you a new heart, which is a gateway to that joy. Is there anything or anyone stealing your joy? And then finally, or secondly, the joy, or finally the joy of peace in the midst of tribulation, verses 32 and 33.

They are going to be scattered, and tremendous pressure will be exerted upon them just very, very quickly. He said, indeed, the hour is coming. It's right around the corner, and has now come. It's that close that you will be scattered each to his own and will leave me alone. And yet I'm not alone because my Father is with me.

These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace." Now, when Jesus says, these things I have spoken to you that in me you may have peace I believe that he's talking about all of what he has just said in the upper room discourse He's summarizing it all I've said all these things that in me you might have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world." In three days, the resurrected Jesus Christ will meet His disciples. And you remember what He'll say to them? Peace be to you.

Shalom. Peace be to you Shalom Paul said now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace always in every way the Lord be with you all He said the Colossian Church and let the peace of God rule in your hearts to which you are called in one body and be thankful. One body of people who are at peace and thankful." He's talking about the church. To the Galatian church he said, but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds through Christ.

Now we are made very well aware that we're not kept from the storms and the slanders and the losses in this world. Solomon told us in Ecclesiastes that the same thing happens to everyone. Trouble happens to everyone. And this is not the peace that diplomats achieve by their appeasement. It's not the peace that comes from compromise, it's the peace that comes in the midst of the most difficult trial you've ever experienced, which is why James says, consider it all joy when you encounter trials, because your faith is being tested.

Isaiah said, You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind has stayed on you because he trusts in you. A mind stayed on him is the gateway to peace. You know the song, Yet you know the song, Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blessed. That line speaks of a mind settled on the Lord, leaning on Him, counting on His promises, comforted by His words, and contented in His commands. Offenses are the greatest destroyers of peace, it seems to me.

You know that song. Stayed upon offenses, hearts are fully stressed. Fulfill the devil's perfect purpose. Unsettledness. That's the devil.

But God is different. Jesus promises, joy in the tribulation, be of good cheer, I have overcome the world, because the world will be permanently hostile to Christ. The Christian life will permanently be a life of tribulation. The fire and the flood is coming upon the disciples, and it will continue to come upon them all their life long. All of them except John will be martyred." Well, the disciples' world was falling apart, but these verses explain one of the most helpful aspects of the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, that his children can know joy and sorrow and peace and tribulation.

He gives us the thrilling joy of prayer and the knowledge that He's overcome the world. And so Jesus is the only true source of peace. He is the only one that can give true peace and true joy in the midst of tribulation. And all of your distractions and helps from anything in this world really are no help, but Jesus Christ and Him crucified is help from heaven. Let's pray.

Lord, we thank you that you have given us such wonderful promises that you are so kind to lead us out of our sorrows and into your joy, to protect us in the midst of the fire and amidst the flood. Through these things, you support us. We pray, oh Lord, that you would help us even today to repent of anything that has gotten in the way of this peace and this joy that you promised. We thank you for your Son Jesus, who so carefully, with so much detail, explained why His disciples should be full of joy, and why we should be as well.