Live This Life In Light Of Our Next Life

<John 14:1-4,15-17,27>:

1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”

15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will bein you.

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

<John 16:33>:

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

• Essential to understand the reality of this troubled life.
• Yet, the “here and now” gospel draws us away from that reality.
• There will be trouble, YET do not let your hearts be troubled.
• The World offers no real and ultimate solutions.
• The world and all its desires pass away… <1 Jn 2:17>.

The key to have a quiet and peaceful heart
– Relationship with God.

* Jesus said: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me”. <Jn 14:1>

* God must be in the picture of this troubled life.

* Trust connotates a personal relationship.

* Look at life in the light of eternity.

* See your life as a whole rather than a piecemeal of it.

* Yet, the world (sometimes the church) is offering shorter forms of solutions.

* Trust in God – Rest upon His faithfulness, not our ability to believe.  

Consider <Romans 8> – Climax of the Gospel.

* He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? <Ro 8:32>

* Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. <Ro 8:34>

How about the external trouble we face or will come to face in life?

* Jesus said: “In this world, you will have trouble”.

* Life ➜ uncertainty ➜ fear

* Martyn Lloyd-Jones analogy – Confronting a great hurdle.

* When confronted with the unknown, start with the known.

* Jesus spoke to the disciples about the known. (Jn 14:1-4)

1) God is known. Christ is known.

2) Your eternity is known.

3) Jesus’ coming again is known.

* For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all <2 Cor 4:17>.

* The modern man rejects such a message to only meet with more suffering.

* Yet, its time for the church to preach the old gospel and for us to live as strangers and foreigners in this world.