Let’s pray.

Father in heaven. You know every veteran by name. You know their deeds, their hard work, and their perseverance. You know their needs. Please draw each one closer to you and grant them all the peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7), the peace of Christ to rule in their hearts (Colossians 3:15), and ‘joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand’ forevermore (Psalm 16:11).”

I want to ask for that same joy in your presence for all of our lives. We sing to you because we want our joy in you to be full. Lord, we need it in our lives. There is so much darkness in our lives, so much sorrow. The opposition is immense. You created us for a better place. Father, what we need is your joy to overflow and pervade those dark places and thoughts in our lives. We want to be joyful. Let the supernatural joy you give us be a witness and a testimony to our king.

As we consider the immense sorrow you endured to give us joy found only on the cross, we are humbled and blown away. You, endured hostility from your creation. You did not resist those who hated you. You shed your blood for us. You called us son and daughter and what a joy it is to be your child. We lift up our hands because we are filled with joy, so strengthen our weak knees so that we can inherit the blessings of our father in heaven. Give us that sole affection and desire. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.  

Today, we’re going to dig deep into this idea:

Big Idea: The Way of Jesus Leads to Fullness of Joy

John 16:16-24.

¹⁶ “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” ¹⁷ So some of his disciples said to one another, “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 am going to the Father’?” ¹⁸ So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” ¹⁹ Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? ²⁰ Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. ²¹ When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. ²² So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. ²³ In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. ²⁴ Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:16-24 ESV)

I wrestled with this passage for a long while this week. I wrestled because joy is not a natural for me. Joy is hard. There aren’t many things that make me joyful. More than that, there are just too many things that take my joy away. Joy, regularly slips through my fingers because there is so much else that’s going on. So, if I’m not careful, I will overlook the gift of God’s joy to me in my everyday.

So, when Jesus says to his disciples that we will lament, weep and be sorrowful, but that sorrow will turn into joy, I have a hard time believing that. And if you’re anything like me, you have a hard time believing that.

Is it just me? Or does anybody else have a hard time believing there God will give us joy in our sorrow?

But this is what Jesus says. In fact, he says if you follow me you will have fullness of joy even if you are in the middle of sorrow.

A few nights ago, Michelle and I were just getting ready to go to bed around midnight. The house was finally clean. The dishes done, the laundry was being folded. We were joyful that silence was in the air. What a great sound that is! Then all of a sudden crying and yelling from both the girls’ rooms. Our joy was taken away quickly.

• 1am, there is confusion.
• 2am, anger.
• By 3am, sorrow.

Nowhere was there joy.

So, at 3am, I’m looking around at the newly formed disaster in the living room and I’m on the couch, contemplating if I just close my eyes, I’ll wake up the next morning and this will be fine. I think Clara saw me contemplating this and crawls right up to me and smiles real big with her buck teeth with her arms up, asking to be held. So I pick her up, she yawns and places her head down on me. Joy.

Anybody experience joy like that? Your kids giving you a break! That’s a gift from God at 3am.  

If you are in the middle of some sorrow or if you’re pessimistic about the potential of having the fullness of joyful in your life, then Jesus says, “follow me because my way leads to the fullness of joy.” Wrestle with me today because there is so much to unpack.

Let’s go to verse 16.

¹⁶ “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” 

Two things I want us to notice.

• First, when Jesus says the “a little while…” He says that twice. Jesus has been trying to prepare his disciples for the reality that’s about to come.
  • The first time, he is talking about how he’s going to go die on the cross very soon. When he dies, the disciples will not see Jesus because he would be buried, and his tomb sealed. There was going to be an incredible sorrow that would fill the disciples lives in the coming hours and days.
  • The second “a little while” references to how the disciples will encounter Jesus and see him in his resurrected form, and witness the unsealed, empty tomb.
  • Essentially what he is saying without actually saying it is, “you followed me until this point, and as you continue to follow me, there will be sorrow. But your lives don’t end with sorrow. You’re going to hurt like you’ve never been hurt before. But that sorrow, those tears, those cries, they’re going to turn into joy.”

• The second thing we need to notice is the verb, “to see.” We’re going to see this in more detail in verse 20 when Jesus completes the thought for the disciples, but just so you recognize it later: It’s our seeing or not seeing Jesus in our sorrow that dictates whether we continue in sorrow or if that sorrow transforms into joy.

There is something psychological that happens through our sense of sight that facilitates our experience of joy. In fact there are whole sub-industries dedicated to evoking the experience of joy through visualization. Participate in this experiment with me because I’m going to show you how sight facilitates our experience of joy.

1. Googly eyes – yes for you kids and creatives, something about googly eyes makes people joyful
2. Bubbles – I don’t know what it is, I hate blowing them, but when they’re flying, they’re so joyful
3. Balloons – who doesn’t get filled with joy at the sight of balloons flying in the air?
4. Ice cream
5. Swimming pools
6. Christmas lights and trees

How many of us have experienced joy in our sorrows just by encountering these things in real life when we were sorrowful?

We experience the abundant joy of God in our sorrows similarly… when we see Jesus. That’s the work of the Holy Spirit living in each believer. We talked about it last week, the Holy Spirit will glorify the Son. He will take what is the Son’s and declare it to whom he calls his own (v15). Joy is the Son’s to give because it was set before him as he bore the sorrow of the cross. Verse 17.

¹⁷ So some of his disciples said to one another, “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 am going to the Father’?” ¹⁸ So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” 

This is the first time the disciples utter a word since chapter 14. I’m pointing this out because I know some of us, we come to church, go to Life Group, or Bible Study and we have no idea why we’re doing or saying some of the things that we do at these places. And we’re too embarrassed or timid to ask. I know that’s how some of us feel when we read the Bible also. So instead of asking we choose not knowing. See no evil, hear no evil, right?

John makes it clear that the disciples are themselves very confused and they don’t want to ask the source directly. If that’s how you feel or felt in Christian bubbles, then it just means you belong here because even Jesus’ 12 disciples were clueless and ashamed to ask. So lesson here is: ask, there is no shame in it. Verse 19.

¹⁹ Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’?  ²⁰ Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 

Jesus gives us two theological truths about following him:

Point 1: Following Jesus leads to perplexing sorrow

But also

Point 2: Following Jesus leads to an abundant joy

As we follow Jesus, you will realize that the world does not share in your sorrows. In fact, the world rejoices because of the pain you’re in. And it has everything to do with the cross of Jesus on calvary. When the disciples followed Jesus as he took his cross to calvary to hang and die, they wept and lamented. At the cross, the disciples:

• lost their Master.
• their enemies seemingly had victory over their Messiah.
• all they hoped for in a king was taken away.

The world rejoices because when Jesus dies on the cross, the sins he exposed with his love, are no longer in the open. Their sins can return to the darkness in which they hid. So in the misery of Jesus’ disciples, the world celebrates. Even though it looks like only sorrow can abound on the bloodied cross of Jesus, its actually the source of his disciples joy.

John Stott, a British theologian, writes this about the cross of Jesus:

“Overcome, he was himself overcoming. Crushed by the ruthless power of Rome, he was himself crushing the serpent’s head. The victim was the victor, and the cross is still the throne from which he rules the world.”

What a powerful image our cross is for us to behold in our hearts. It is the throne from which our savior rules the world!

Our sorrows turn into joy on the cross because our king overthrows the dominion of evil to reign supreme over death and sin. Death on the cross could not hold back our Christ. He is resurrected to life, vindicated from the false accusations against him. The curse of God not on him. Rather, upon him is the fulfillment of God’s love and blessing. Jesus’ sacrifice pleased God and subsequently made us children of God.

Hear me if you’re wallowing in sorrow or simply if you can’t seem to keep joy in your life: believe that the cross of Jesus is still his throne and he is alive and rules from it. You are a child of the most high God, adopted by the blood of Jesus. He died so that we could live. He became sin, who knew no sin, so we could become heirs with him in eternal life. That’s the ultimate reason to be joyful. We have an everlasting eternity to look forward to.

Some of you are still not sold yet. I get it. Verse 21.

²¹ When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. (John 16:21 ESV)

The illustration Jesus gives his disciples is important for us to understand. Jesus is saying that joy is the gift birthed from suffering. So it is with following Jesus to the cross. When we follow Jesus and he leads us to his cross. We are convicted of our sins. We face our own inability. So we humble ourselves and ask God to save us.

Isn’t this how many of us came to face the reality of needing a savior? We were confronted by our sinfulness and looked to God, who gave us his son, as our redeemer. So we placed our trust in him.

That’s how came confronted by the gospel. I was made aware of my sinfulness and I begged God to save me. And he did.

If you’re not a believer, and never believed your sorrow can be turned to joy, then today, place your trust in following Jesus. Yes, there is a perplexing sorrow when we look at the cross. We are confronted with our own inequities, our shame, our sins. But when you place your trust in Jesus, you will know his love and receive his joy.

Verse 22

²² So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. (John 16:22 ESV)

This idea of seeing Jesus comes up again. This is important. If you are a disciple of Jesus, you need to be able to see him. You have to see him so your heart can rejoice in your sorrows.

• If we’re not seeing Jesus, we’re not actually following Jesus and our hearts are not rejoicing in him. It’s clear that when we do see him, our joy cannot be taken away.
• If you need to see Jesus so your sorrow will become joy, then ask the Holy Spirit in you to open your spiritual eyes to see him in your life. You will see and witness Jesus’ love for you and experience God’s joy.

I’m not talking about a physical seeing. I hope you all caught that. I’m talking about a spiritual seeing. Spiritual seeing is an acute awareness of Jesus actively doing his work in our lives and then us, as his disciples, through the Holy Spirit, responding to his work.

Let me tell you why seeing Jesus is so hard for us. We don’t see him working in our lives because we’re so distracted by our sorrows, by our sins, by things that pretend to be God but aren’t.

Is this just a problem that I have?

Church, we cannot forget that the resurrection of Jesus means that we don’t wait around until we reach heaven to see Jesus and experience joy. The resurrection of Jesus means that God isn’t dead and is actively working in our lives. It’s because we see Jesus again that we are invited to follow him to have a meaningful life as his disciple.

The Holy Spirit empowers us to see Jesus and gives us the confidence to follow Jesus! That’s why Jesus sent us his Spirit. So that the third person of the trinity can continue to point us to the Son who is glorifying his father.

So, see the resurrected Jesus in your life. He is alive and telling us to follow him, so frame your life and prayers as if he is alive, resurrected, and working in the world we live in. Don’t be distracted from seeing him for anything else.

Tuesday is election day. I have to address very dangerous idol in our Christian pop culture that has subtly replaced following our savior with following donkeys and elephants. This isn’t something new. When the Israelites were in the wilderness of Midian after fleeing Egypt, they replaced God with a golden calf because they were distracted by their sorrows and did not see his presence.

Don’t fall into the trap of following politicians or ideologies because it’s not the same as following Jesus as our Lord! See Jesus and follow him only. He is the source of joy. Nobody else can impact your eternity.

Don’t erroneously place your hopes and salvation on the American political system or political candidates. They are not and do not represent our resurrected Christ.  If that’s not your idol because you know it will fail and that candidates will fail and your idol is really comfortable status quo, I’m telling you not to close your eyes to the work of Jesus in the world by hunkering down in nice evangelical bubbles to protect your “values” and “convictions.” Our values and convictions mean nothing if we’re not following the command of Jesus to love others so that the world will know who we follow!

Don’t lose your joy because our culture attacks our faith. In fact, we need to rejoice that the culture is desperately attacking our faith. It means the culture is spiraling in defeat. Historically speaking, when our faith is attacked viciously by the culture and  oppressed, the disciples of Christ rejoice; accepting the rejection of the world and clinging that much harder to our Christ.

In fact, we should rejoice our culture is becoming less visibly “Christian,” because it makes it easier to see the work of our resurrected Jesus manifesting in it.

Jesus calls his disciples to follow him by loving the same way Jesus did on the cross.

• There is no Christian political conquest.
• There is no Christian military coup.
• There’s a spiritual war but the war was won on the cross two millenia ago.

I’m going to give you some political advice, its what all of you wanted or didn’t want: go exercise your political rights by loving people the way Jesus commands us to love people and follow Jesus by getting educated on the issues and platforms and then acting in love not in hate. The world may hate God, but God does not hate the world.

If you want to see a world and culture changed, see Jesus working and do as he commands. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you where Jesus is working, who he is working on.

Jesus’ disciples did just that. It’s documented in the book of Acts. Luke says that the disciples of Jesus were meeting in homes daily, worshipping God in joyfulness, and loving one another so that none would have need . The disciples of Jesus loved those around them using the gifts and resources they had and it changed everything. In the history of the world, we see this same pattern of disciples seeing Jesus work and then obediently following him.  

• That’s how people became literate.
• That’s how the first hospitals opened.
• That’s how public schools started.
• That’s how slavery was abolished.
• That’s how humans received rights.

Forget griping about the brokenness in the world and go invest in people of peace in your life with your spiritual gifts. Love them systematically, intentionally, and purposefully. Tell them about the joy of Jesus. We are witnesses of God’s love to this broken world and in our faithfulness, God will get his glory. He will transform the culture through you and me and our joy will be full because of it.

Point 3: So Follow Jesus in confident boldness

Verse 23.

²³ In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. ²⁴ Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:16-24 ESV)

The reason we pray in Jesus name is because of this verse. When we ask the Father in Jesus name, he will give it to you. For the last few weeks, we’ve been pressing that the fruits of following Jesus would change our prayers so that they would go from me-centered to God-centered. That in our prayers, in our living, in our following Jesus, we would ask God to change the world, to bring glory upon himself. In chapter 15, verse 7, we read this a few weeks ago, as well, he says:

⁷ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. ⁹ As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹ These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. (John 15:7-11 ESV)

Jesus clearly tells the disciples to pray this way. Because when we pray this way, our joy will be full.

Are you praying in Jesus’ name for the glory of God?

When we are praying God glorified and as God accomplishes his will on this earth as it is in heaven, because we’re praying those things, our joy continues to be full and we can be confident as his follower.

But praying this way is not easy. It’s hard. If you’re not boldly confident in praying this way or living this way, full of joy because you see Jesus in your life, then let me help you get.

To be confidently bold with our faith, we have to make 4 small, everyday, decisions in following Jesus:

1. First, decide to see Jesus at work in your life
   1. walk around with our eyes open to what God is doing. Don’t let life fly by without you seeing what he is doing.
   1. It isn’t a coincidence that your car broke down where it did on that street in the middle of the day. Did you see God at work? Decide to see God at work in your life.

• Second, decide to want Jesus to work in your life
  • some of us are actually afraid of what God might do if we really ask him to. we don’t actually want him to be working in our lives.
  • Take a risk. It’s scary, but it’ll be worth it when he actually shows you his glory.

• Third, decide to need Jesus to work in your life
  • Yes, I know you need God to help you win the $1.9b powerball, but really, everyday, put yourself in a position to need Jesus to work in your life.
  • Get out of your safe spaces and engage the world. Get off autopilot in your life. Stop being so distracted with busy.
  • Ask him to fulfill your needs and he will bring glory to himself in your life.

• Fourth, decide to commit to one action of faith everyday.
  • It could be to love a person of peace: a co-worker, it could be your barista, it could be your neigbhor, it could be the guy you see at the gym.
  • It could be committing to praying for one non-believer in your life, that God would open a door for you to share the gospel with him or her. See where that leads you.
  • Maybe you’re one thing in faith is to read the Bible every day. Commit to it.

If you want the fullness of joy in your life and be confidently bold in following Jesus, then open your eyes to him working in your life and make these small mini-decisions everyday.

Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, you give us abundant joy as we follow your son in this broken world. When we know you, when we experience your glory because we decide to intentionally open our eyes to you, you make  our experience resonate with a love that brightens and heightens all of our senses. We thank you for that. We know by this you are working in our lives to glorify yourself and fill us with a joy that cannot be taken away.

Today, we take part in communion, to remind ourselves of not just the perplexing sorrow of the cross, but also of the abundant victory of the cross. I ask that as we eat this spiritual meal together, you will move us to trust you fully with our lives in faith. I pray your glory be upon us and that your spirit overflow through us. In Jesus name. Amen.