The Way, The Truth, The life

Let's pray. Let's pray. Good morning. We are excited to worship together this morning. Just a couple of things. If you would like to follow along with our service, there's an order of worship. On these little bulletins in the back and inside of there, there are sort of sermon notes to give kind of an outline through our message this morning. There are also communion elements on the back table. If you would like to partake during the Lord's Supper, you are able to do that. There are also, in the entryway, there are some clipboards with some kids' activities that go along with our message this morning as well. I want to start off by wishing a happy Mother's Day to those moms and grandmas and people who have chosen to be moms and who have acted like moms and have had such a great impact on our life.

I saw a statistic this week. I don't know if it's a real statistic. It might be an internet statistic that says crime is lowest on Mother's Day, which is good because moms are all at brunch and they're not all out committing crime. If it's more, crime would be less. Yes, exactly. So we celebrate and are thankful for moms and for mothers and for all of those who have helped us and served us in that way. I mean, like everything in life, there is a complexity to thinking about and experiencing Mother's Day. In some cases, there is on this day a sadness of loss sometimes greater, sometimes less. I was thinking a lot this morning as I was getting ready about my grandmas and their impact on my life. And so sometimes there's sadness in this day as well. There is also sometimes the brokenness of relationships that have been fractured and maybe haven't been restored or aren't restored as deeply as we would like.

There is sometimes loss and brokenness as well. And so we come celebrating, but also aware that there is also sometimes sadness and struggle today as well. There's two ladies in the Bible, and I don't know if they were moms or not, but Martha and Mary. And I like them because you have Martha, who I imagine is the firstborn, because she's responsible, and she's the rule follower, and she's getting stuff ready for everybody. And then you have Mary, who I imagine probably was the middle child, because she kind of just goes and does what she wants. And in this particular day, there's an argument between Mary and Martha because Mary is listening to Jesus, and Martha is trying to serve Jesus by taking care of everything. And Martha, and I relate very well to Martha, is frustrated because Mary is not doing what Mary is supposed to be doing.

And they take it to Jesus, and Jesus reminds Martha in her busyness that we need to sometimes realize that our priorities are looking at Jesus and listening to Jesus. So like Mary and Martha, I want us, as we worship this morning, to turn our eyes to the goodness of God in the midst of the distractions and the joy and the sorrows and the brokenness of the world in which we live. I want us to lift our eyes to the goodness of God. So we're going to stand, and I'm going to pray, and then we're going to read from the 121st Psalm. Let's go ahead and be standing as we pray. Father in heaven, I thank you for Jesus and grace, and I thank you for the blessings that you have given us. I thank you for this time of worship together, and I ask that you would fix our eyes on you during this. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Let's read the 121st Psalm together this morning, just the first two verses. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. And that verse continues to talk about how he keeps us and he watches over us during the days and during the nights. And so as we worship, we want to focus our eyes on where our help comes from. We're going to start by singing "The Lion and the Lamb" from Revelation chapter 5.

"He's coming on the clouds, kings and kingdoms will bow down." "Every chain will break, as broken hearts declare His praise." "Who can stop the Lord Almighty?" "Our God is the Lion, the Lion of Judah." "He's roaring with power and fighting our battles." "Every knee will bow before Him." "Our God is the Lamb, the Lamb that was slain." "For the sins of the world, His blood breaks the chains." "Every knee will bow before the Lion and the Lamb." "Every knee will bow before Him." "Open up the gates. Make way before the King of Kings."

"The God who comes to save us is here to set the captives free." "But who can stop the Lord Almighty?" "Our God is the Lion, the Lion of Judah." "He's roaring with power and fighting our battles." "Every knee will bow before Him." "Our God is the Lamb, the Lamb that was slain." "For the sins of the world, His blood breaks the chains." "Every knee will bow before the Lion and the Lamb." "Every knee will bow before Him." "Our God is the Lion, the Lion of Judah." "He is roaring with power and fighting our battles." "Every knee will bow before Him." "Our God is the Lamb, the Lamb that was slain." "For the sins of the world, His blood breaks the chains." "Every knee will bow before the Lion and the Lamb." "Every knee will bow before Him."

"When all I see is the battle, you see my victory." "When all I see is the mountain, you see a mountain moved." "And as I walk through the shadow, your love surrounds me." "There's nothing to fear now, for now I'll be there." "There's nothing to fear now, for I'm safe with you." "So when I fight, I'll fight on my knees, with my hands lifted high." "Oh God, the battle belongs to you." "And every fear I lay at your feet, I'll sing through the night." "Oh God, the battle belongs to you." "And if you are for me, who can be against me?" "For Jesus, there's nothing impossible for you." "When all I see are the cross, God, you see the empty tomb." "So when I fight, I'll fight on my knees, with my hands on my feet."

"When all I see are the cross, God, you see the empty tomb." "So when I fight, I'll fight on my knees, with my hands on my knees." "I'll fight on my knees, with my hands on my knees." "I'll fight on my knees, with my hands lifted high." "Oh God, the battle belongs to you." "And every field I lay at your feet, I'll sing through the night."

Almighty fortress, you go before us. Nothing can stand against the power of our God. You shine in the shadow, you win every battle. Nothing can stand against the power of our God. Almighty fortress, you go before us. Nothing can stand against the power of our God. You shine in the shadow, you win every battle. Nothing can stand against the power of our God. So when I fight, I'll fight on my knees with my hands lifted high. Oh God, the battle belongs to you. In every field I lay at your feet, I'll sing through the night. Oh God, the battle belongs to you. Oh God, the battle belongs to you. Let's pray. Let's pray. Let's pray. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. For more information, visit www.fema.org/webcast.org/webcast www.fema.org/webcast www.fema.org/webcast www.fema.org/webcast For more information, visit www.fema.org/webcast www.fema.org/webcast www.fema.org/webcast

We were thinking about Abigail's birthday. A couple other birthdays, one I won't mention, but one, Rachel's birthday is tomorrow. So she turns, carry the wire, anyway, she has a birthday tomorrow, so wish her happy birthday when you get a chance. Sing as we prepare to come to celebrate the Lord's Supper, to be nourished by the heart of the gospel. We're going to sing at the cross. "There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies." "There's a place where streams of grace flow deep and wide." "Where all the love I've ever found comes like a flood, comes flowing down." At the cross, at the cross, I surrender my life. I'm in awe of you. I'm in awe of you. Where your love ran red and my sin washed white. I owe all to you. I owe all to you.

I owe all to you, Jesus. There's a place where sin and shame are powerless. Where my heart has peace with God. I owe all to you, Jesus. Where all the love I've ever found. Comes like a flood. Comes flowing down. At the cross, at the cross. I serve you, Jesus. At the cross, I surrender my life. I'm in awe of you. I'm in awe of you. Where your love ran red. And my sin washed white. I owe all to you. I owe all to you. Here, my hope is found. Here, on holy ground. Here, I bow down. Here, I bow down. Here, arms open wide. Here, you saved my life. Here, I bow down. Here, I bow. At the cross, at the cross, I surrender my life. I'm in awe of you. I'm in all of you

Where your love ran, ran And my sin washed white I owe all to you I owe all to you I owe all to you Jesus

Now, I've been told by some people who are very close to me that when I am hungry, I also tend to be grumpy. Now, I don't think that there is any truth in this, but sometimes I will come home and I'll be grumpy and somebody maybe wiser than me in our house will say, "When was the last time you ate anything?" I'm a man. I didn't need anything. I've been busy. I've been doing important things. It's like, "Well, here, eat a cheeseburger and see how you feel." And then there is this moment where you're like, "Oh, maybe all of those things that I was struggling with and I was mad about, like really the solution was some nourishment." This is not simply true of us physically. Oftentimes the struggles that we face is because we are not seeking nourishment from the one who doesn't simply nourish our bodies with good food, but who nourishes our souls with good food.

souls with hope and forgiveness and life. You see, we must be nourished by the gospel. It's very easy as we get older and we're used to things in our world, we grow out of things, right? Our kids grow out of clothes almost as fast as we can put them in. Our animals grow and get bigger. We begin a hobby and we get good and we sort of grow out of those beginner stages, moving into advanced stages. And there is a tendency with those of us who have been in the church for a while to think that we can somehow outgrow the good news of the gospel. That the gospel, the good news that Jesus died in our place for our sins, rose again for our victory. The good news of who he is and what he has done. We say, yes, that's great for those who are coming new. But for me, I have grown into more advanced things.

And what happens, I think, many times when we take our eyes off the gospel, we find ourselves spiritually malnourished. In Romans 8:32, Paul will say this, "He who did not spare his own son, but delivered him over for us all, how will he not also with him freely give us all things?" That when we see the gift of Jesus given for us, for our salvation on the cross, those other things that our soul longs for, the forgiveness, the ability to triumph over temptation, the hope in the midst of despair, humility in the midst of our pride, victory in our struggles, in our difficulties, patience when we need it. In fact, what you find is that it comes from the good news of the gospel. Paul in Ephesians will say that if you want to forgive, you've got to look to Jesus's forgiveness of you. And again, in 2 Corinthians, he'll say, if you seek to be generous, you need to first of all, see Jesus's generosity to you. And what we find is the nourishment that we need, not just at the beginning of our faith, but as Christians moving through this life is found in the good news of the gospel. It's why Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 says this, "Now I will remind you, brothers, of the gospel that I

preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word that I preached to you, unless you believed in vain." And Paul says to Christians who know the gospel, have been saved by the gospel, he calls them to hold on to the gospel. Let's pray. Father in heaven, as we remember the gospel, as we are nourished by the good news that in Jesus, we are forgiven and have hope that in the resurrection, sin and death have been defeated. May you, where we are weary, give us strength, where we are proud. May you humble us where we're in despair. May you encourage us. Where we're struggling in sin, may you help us to escape through the power of your spirit. May you help us to share this good news. I ask that you bless this bread and this cup, and that you would nourish our souls with the good news of Jesus.

In your name we pray. Amen. Jesus, in a picture of the gospel, takes bread and a cup, and he breaks the bread and gives it to his disciples and says, "Do this in remembrance of me." Let's remember Jesus together. And in the same way, he takes the cup. The cup after supper in Passover is the cup of redemption. And in directing us to redemption that happens in him, we remember Jesus as we partake together. We don't just partake of the gospel through the Lord's Supper and through the Word and through singing so that we might personally be encouraged, although we are, but also that we could be shining lights and beacons of the gospel in this world, as Paul says, proclaiming Jesus until he comes again. So before we dive into John, the 14th chapter, just these first six verses here in a minute, we're going to take a minute and we're going to stand up.

There's a kid's song that we've learned, and if you haven't heard it, this is a good time to learn it. We're going to stand up, get our wiggles out. If you would like to learn the motions, I think Evelyn, Penelope, and Tiffany know the motions. So let's stand up and we're going to go ahead and sing the hippo song.

We're going to go ahead and sing the hippo song and sing the hippo song. We're going to go ahead and sing the hippo song. Let's sing the hippo song. I'm going to go ahead and sing the hippo song. Let's sing the hippo song. Let's sing the hippo song. Let's sing the hippo song. We're going to sing the hippo song. Let's sing the hippo song. We're going to sing the hippo song. Let's sing the hippo song. We're going to sing the hippo song. Let's sing the hippo song. Let's sing the hippo song. Let's sing the hippo song. Let's sing the hippo song. Let's sing the hippo song. Let's sing the hippo song. Let's sing the hippo song. Let's sing the hippo song. Let's sing the hippo song. Let's sing the hippo song.

All right, you may be seated. All right, you may be seated. I'm going to begin this morning with a word of prayer, and then we'll read from the John the 14th chapter. Father in heaven, I thank you for Jesus and for grace, and I thank you for your word. And I ask that it may encourage us, that it may convict us, that it would be at work in our lives through the power of your spirit. We thank you for Jesus, and it's in his name we pray. Amen. I'm going to begin by reading from John the 14th chapter, beginning in verse 1. And it says this, "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and I will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going." And Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" And Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." This is the word of the Lord. All right, as we dive into John 14, we begin with a group of people who are struggling in the heart of their hearts. And so when I was a kid, and I don't know if I should admit this, although I think the statute of limitations has probably expired.

We would be at like a family camp out or a family cookout. And like most family camp outs and cookouts, there would be like a cooler, oftentimes full of soda. And so you go to your cousin, and you go, "Hey, you want a drink?" And you go over, and you grab a can of Coke out of the cooler, and anybody who's sitting in the first row, don't listen to this. You take that can, and you shake it up, like as long and as hard as you can, for like, you know, several minutes. And you go over to your friend, and you're like, "Hey, you want a can of soda?" And they're like, you know, most of the time after we get it, right, you pop the top of that soda, and it goes everywhere. And so you start coming up with tricks, like, oh, you tap the top to hopefully release the bubbles. But we all know that if you shake

that can of carbonated beverage, it's going to explode. Our text this morning begins with these words, "Let not your hearts be troubled." And this word "trouble" literally means to be stirred up, or to be disturbed. And I think as we think about this, this is my idea and a description that we can relate to in our heart of hearts, right? That our heart is stirred up, or it's shaken, or it's disturbed. And what happens to our heart when it's shaken long enough, shaken through sorrow or brokenness or conflict or loss or through sin? What happens to our hearts? Hearts that are troubled or are shaken tend to explode. And right, we've seen it happen, right? And we've seen it happen in anger, where it finally gets to the point where it just explodes out of us.

And we may not even be angry, we may be hurt, we may be sad, but it just explodes out of us in anger. Or maybe sometimes it explodes out of us in sorrow or in brokenness. So you might say, "Why do they react like that?" Well, it's because for the longest time that heart has been shaken and agitated. There's so many reactions to troubled hearts, stirred up hearts, and very few of them end well. I want to see you this morning how Jesus addresses troubled hearts. For the disciples, it's been a wild week. They began on Sunday walking with Jesus as He's welcomed into Jerusalem as a king. On Monday, He cleanses the temple. On Tuesday, He teaches and goes head-to-head with the religious leaders. He's defended the songs of children. He's argued in one argument.

He's taught and is now celebrating the Passover meal with the disciples. But they know that something has changed. Jesus has said that there is one who would betray Him. He's going in John 13 to a place where they cannot come, and their hearts are troubled. Something has changed in Jesus' demeanor and in what is happening, and they're upset. Their hearts are shaken up. Their hearts are stirred up. I want you to see how Jesus addresses this. First of all, Jesus does not simply pretend that everything is okay. He doesn't hope that all of these problems go away. He doesn't act extra nice because He knows that they're struggling. Like if you ever have bought yourself a grill on Mother's Day two consecutive years in a row, and you're like, "Hey, I got you a coffee," and you try to be really nice to cover up the problem.

Jesus doesn't do any of that. Jesus is not talking in code. Do you know what Jesus does with the troubled hearts of the disciples? He says this, "Let not your hearts be troubled." This is an imperative. It is a command. Jesus looks them in the eye, and He doesn't go, "Everything's going to be okay." He looks them in the eye, and He goes, "Let not your hearts be troubled." He's commanding them to do that. Now, if you're like me, you might say, "Good luck with that." My heart is stormy with struggles and worries and hurts, and maybe they're not even mine. Maybe they're worries and hurts we're carrying for others. Here's the thing. We go, "There's not a chance that my heart can't be troubled." And here's Jesus going, "I'm not asking." Right? I say this to my kids all the time.

"Look me in the eyes and understand I'm not asking you. I'm telling you." So Jesus comes to you with your troubled heart that feels like it's about to explode, and He goes, "Look at me. Don't be troubled." And you go, "Good luck." And He goes, "I'm not asking you. I'm telling you." But with Jesus, He does this so wonderfully, and so gracefully, and so gently, in words that we're going to see that are filled with grace. Jesus looks us in the eyes, directly addresses our troubled hearts with hope, with love, and with strength. He's not being rude. He is filled with grace. And so first we see Jesus addressing our troubled hearts with grace. So I had, in like the second or third year of marriage, Evelyn was little, I had a truck, and many of you may have had experience with a truck like this when you're very young.

It was really more of half a truck, because it really only had like the front part, and then the back part was a piece of plywood. And it was like 40 years old when I got it, and I loved that little truck so much. And it was a bunch of colors when we got it, so I went and got green spray paint and spray painted the whole thing. And I loved it, and I was over at the gas station, and there was a problem with the starter. And so I'm sitting, I've been working outside, so I'm dressed like it. I'm in a truck that's really like only a truck in the loosest definition of a truck, and it won't start. The hood's up. I'm in there like trying to hit the starter with a stick.

I'm on the phone to Rachel, and this guy pulls up next to me, and he is in a brand new car. Still has dealer tags on it. He's like, "Hey man, can I get some money for gas?" And I just looked at him, and I went, "Look at my truck!" Right? It's not even a truck. It doesn't run. And you have a car with dealer tags on it, like brand new, off the lot, and you want me to help you with your problems? Like, my problems are significantly bigger than your problems. Why would I help you with yours? I want you to understand, when Jesus addresses their troubled hearts, this is exactly what is going on. John 13:1 says this, "Now before the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart, out of this world and to the Father,

having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them till the end." Jesus knows that he is about to die, and a few verses later it will say, "After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in the spirit." Same exact word, his heart is stirred up and shaken up, because one of the men who have spent the last three years with Jesus is about to betray him, and Jesus is about to go to the cross. The struggles that Jesus is going through in this moment is far bigger. In fact, it's infinitely bigger than the discomfort of the disciples. He should have been the one who is being comforted. But notice the grace of Jesus, the one who is struggling deeper than any of them. No, he doesn't look at their struggles in their heart and go, "Your problem is too small for me. Your problem is too little.

Your discomfort, your troubled heart is too insignificant to me." Rather, Jesus comes to them in grace, and he begins to teach, and he comforts them directly and gracefully. These words of Jesus, he says, "Let not your hearts be troubled," as he's commanding them. He's not commanding it in a vacuum. He's going to tell them how their hearts cannot be troubled, not by their strength, but by the goodness of God. And so Jesus addresses the heart of their troubled hearts, and he does so by redirecting their troubled hearts and our troubled hearts. Look at what it says. "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, but believe also in me." Notice the antidote to a troubled heart here is belief. And Jesus, what he is saying is, "You believe in God. Believe in me, because I and the Father and one." He's just got done saying that.

You see, when our hearts are troubled, we often take action, right? Maybe we distract ourselves. If we ever dealt with a little baby, I remember sitting with one of our kids like jingling keys in front of them. Like we've all been there. And sometimes we do that to our heart, although maybe we're not jingling keys, we're watching Netflix. We try to distract our troubled hearts. Sometimes we cover it up, right? I'm great. Everything's great. Everything is fine. Sometimes we try to explain it away. Oh, it could be so much worse. Sometimes we just try to work through it. Jesus doesn't do any of these, right? He doesn't deny our struggles. He doesn't distract from them. He doesn't pretend it's fine. He doesn't go work hard. He doesn't even say it gets worse before it gets better. What does Jesus say?

In the midst of your troubled heart, look to me. And when we turn our eyes toward Jesus, the struggles of our hearts are displaced by the greatness and the goodness of God. And it's not that our troubles change, right? It is that our hearts are changed. Believe in God. Believe also in His Son. Jesus here is saying that He is God. Emmanuel means God with me, that God is not driving me, watching me from a distance, but Jesus, Emmanuel, is walking with His disciples. He understands their hurts and their struggles and their difficulties. And our hearts can be drawn in two different ways. Our hearts can be drawn to the struggles and difficulties and the hurts, or they can be drawn to God. That's why we began this morning like this. I lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord who makes heaven and earth. And the psalmist understands our struggle. Because if you're like me, you know what I do? I pile up all of my troubles in front of me. And I stack them up. And I'm tired. And I'm busy. And this didn't work. And the coffee spilled. And I just look at this pile of troubles. And I go, "It's insurmountable." And the psalmist says, "We lift our eyes to the hills." Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. Here is a God who is greater than our struggle. And what's interesting, in our lives and in Scripture, we simply do the opposite. Rather than lifting our eyes to the hills, we look to what is directly in front of us. Think about it like this. What is at the heart of Adam and Eve's sin?

It's that they turn their eyes from the goodness and greatness of God and put it on themselves. What about me? This fruit looks good to me. It tastes good to me. It has a benefit of wisdom to me. What about Abraham when the famine comes? And rather than looking to the goodness of God, he heads to Egypt and gives away his wife. What about the discouragement of Elijah as he's under this tree, and he goes, "Man, I've worked so hard, and I haven't made a difference, and I'm the only one left." What about Peter, who in faith jumps out of the boat, one of the only apostles, the only apostle to do so in this beautiful display of faith, but then he sees the wind and the waves. He goes, "That's too big," and he takes his eyes off Jesus.

Or Paul, when he struggles with his thorn in the flesh, and he's begging and bleeding with God to take it away. What does God say? "My grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in weakness." What we tend to do so many times is rather than lifting our eyes to the goodness and greatness of God, we put it on our struggles. And so the first thing that Jesus says is, "Let not your hearts be troubled," this grace-filled command. And he says, "The antidote to that trouble is to fix your eyes on me." And then Jesus directs our hearts to hope. In John chapter 12, he says this: "In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you. Would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, that where I am, you may be also, and you know the way to where I am going." The hope that Jesus directs the disciples to is there is a place with Jesus. And that this uncertainty and this darkness that they are walking through, something wonderful is happening. There is going to be a place with Jesus. Just start with that. There is a place. I don't know if you've ever tried to look for a place and been unable to find one. When I was driving my very first time to college, graduated high school, made it through the summer, packed up my car to go to college. I did it by myself because my family went on vacation without me.

They're like, "Oh, we'll just meet you at school." And that first day I drove and I was so exhausted because I had to pack everything by myself. I pull in at the first hotel and they go, "Sorry, we're full." Big race in town. I drive another 10 miles. "Sorry, you know, there's all this stuff going on, we're full." Drive a little bit further, they go, "Oh, you're only 18?" We don't rent to 18 year olds, right? At this point, like my place is going to be like on the side of like Interstate 70 going across toward Missouri. No vacancy. You're not allowed to stay. But here's what I found. If you lower your standards enough, you can find a place to stay, right? Like, if you don't mind, like a door that doesn't close all the way and the carpet kind of wriggles, you can find a place to stay.

That's not what Jesus is saying, right? He's not saying, "I can find you a place where you don't even have to look." Right? I am going to provide for those who are trusting and hoping in me a place that you don't have to worry about no vacancy. You don't have to settle for the place with bed bugs. And notice what he says, "There are many rooms." And notice it's not just a place, but it is a place for you. Right? Not just a random room that you get assigned a number at the desk when you check in, but this is a place for you. And notice where it is. He says, "In my Father's house." The implication here is that you are a child of God. And Jesus is saying, "In the midst of this darkness, of your heart being shaken up."

He says, "Put your trust in me." And through these grace-filled words, he is saying, "There is something wonderful happening." But there is a problem, right? This place for us, Jesus says, "What? I go to prepare a place for you." This place needs to be prepared. And so next, Jesus, addresses our troubled hearts with love. Let's pick it up again. We've read this a couple times. We're going to keep reading it until it sticks. "In my Father's house there are many rooms. If it were not so, would I told you that I go to prepare a place? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, that where I am, you may be also." Why does this place need to be prepared? Is there an issue with the room?

We were staying after going to the aquarium one time in Baltimore, and an alarm started going off in our room in the middle of the night. And I went down, and the guy was like, "Oh, well, you know, it kind of happens." I was like, "Yeah, but we're trying to sleep." He goes, "We'll switch you to a new room. Here's the key." So we pack up our three kids, or our two kids, one extra kid that came with us, and we moved to a room. We opened the door, and obviously somebody had stayed there for like a week, and they hadn't even gone in and taken the sheets off the bed. And I went down and said, "Hey, that room is super dirty." And he's like, "I don't know what to tell you." I said, "Can I get a refund? I can't authorize that. I'm not the manager." And I said, "All right, well, we're going to go to the car."

And we drove back at like one in the morning, because there was an issue. That's not what Jesus is saying. He's not saying there is a struggle that in God's house, it has to go get cleaned up, fixed up, and make sure that there is a spot. The issue is how are we able to dwell in this house? You see, we are separated from God. It's a pattern that goes all the way back to Adam and Eve, right? When sin comes, we immediately try to fix it, right? We grab our fig leaves and sew them together to fix it. And then we try to hide from it. And then we make excuses and blame other people for it. It's a pattern that goes all the way back to Genesis, and we just keep repeating it.

And sin breaks relationships. And we are separated from God. There must be a way to bring us out of hiding, take us away from our efforts, and remove our excuses. But not only is there this struggle where we are separated from God, but we're also slaves to sin. We believe the lies of the devil, and we believe the lies of the devil. Captives to sin ultimately leads us to death. So not only are we separated in our relationship, but we're captives and slaves to sin, and we are spiritually dead. All the directness in the world, all the grace of God, it would be no good if I am separated from God, trapped in my sin, believing the lies of the devil, and spiritually dead. And when Jesus says, "I go to prepare a place for me," my response is, "Well, I can't get there."

What does Jesus mean when he says, "I go to prepare a place for you?" Then Pilate, this is John 19, took Jesus and flogged him. And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and arrayed him in a purple robe. And they came up to him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews," and struck him with their hands. And in John 19, verse 16, "So he delivered him over to be crucified." And they took Jesus, and he went out bearing his own cross to the place of the skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. And there they crucified him with two others on either side, Jesus between them. And in verse 28, "After Christ,

knowing that it was now finished, knowing that it was now finished, and in John 19, when Jesus left the Sabbath, Jesus said, "We are broken. John doesn't end in John 19. It's Sunday, the tomb is empty, there's confusion, and then Mary shows up and says, "I've seen the Lord." And that evening at dinner, Jesus stands among them. You have the cross, which deals with our brokenness and our separation from God, those sins that stood, not in part, but the whole, have been nailed to the cross. And no longer is it on our shoulders, but it is on the shoulders of Jesus at the cross. But then, it breaks the chains of sin and defeats death, that no longer are we slaves to sin, no longer are we slaves to death. In His love, Jesus saves us.

And in the midst of all of this foreshadowing of the love of Jesus, that He's going to prepare a place for us, and that means He's going to the cross, and He's going to rise again. Thomas pipes up, and right, there's always one in every class, isn't there? And Thomas just wants to be with Jesus. And he wants the answer to this question, and he says, "How do I know where you are going?" And Jesus simply says this, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes from you." Insurmountable obstacles. That there was no way for you to get to be in the presence of God because your sin, Jesus in the cross, has made a way. That the curtain in the temple has been torn in two showing that you can now be in the presence of God.

Jesus in his flesh has made a way for us. Those lies of the devil that held us captive are shown in the truth of who Jesus is, what he has done and his goodness. And Jesus says, "I am the way, the one. I am the truth and I am the life." There's nobody else. It's only Jesus. Those insurmountable obstacles, your separation, your enslavement, the way, the truth, and the life. And that's good. And it's wonderful. And we take joy in that. But for some of us, there's a part saying, my heart's troubled. And I know that my future is in heaven and I know Jesus has made a way. But what about right now? Jesus addresses our troubled hearts with strength. Look at what he says. In fact, he uses some of the same phrasing.

"These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you, the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name. He will teach you all things. Bring to your remembrance that what I have said to you. Peace I leave with you. Peace I give to you. Not as the world gives to you. Let not your hearts be troubled. Neither let them be afraid." Jesus says, "Both your future and your present." Those troubled hearts that are shaking and are about to explode. He says, "With grace, look to the goodness of God and to see His provision. That a way has been made to a place that is prepared for you. And that your sin and the lives of Satan pale when you see the truth of Jesus and your death has been made possible

for you to be brought to life. And in addition to that, you have the strength through the power of Jesus. Jesus comes again. When He comes as He promises to take us to Himself. Let's pray. Father in Heaven, I thank you for grace and for being direct with us. We're not very good sometimes at hints. We're not very good at figuring it out on ourselves. So thank you for coming to us and saying, "Let not your hearts be troubled." Help us to see your grace. You've made a way that there is truth and there is life and that you have empowered us with the Spirit. Help us not just to know this, but help us to live it. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. We're going to stand and sing "Living Hope."

Read the chasm that lay between us. How high the mountain I could not climb. In desperation, I turned to heaven and spoke your name into the night. Thank you. Let's pray. I am forgiven. The King of kings calls me His own. Beautiful Savior, I'm Yours forever. Jesus Christ, my living hope. Hallelujah. Praise the one who set me free. Hallelujah. Death has lost its grip on me. You have broken every chain. There's salvation in Your name. Jesus Christ, my living hope.

Then came the morning that sealed the promise. Your buried body began to breathe. Out of the silence, the roaring lion declared the grave has no claim on me. Then came the morning that sealed the promise. Your buried body began to breathe. Your grave has no claim on me. Jesus, yours is the victory. Hallelujah. Praise the one who set me free. Hallelujah. Death has lost its grip on me. You have broken every chain. There's salvation in your name. Jesus Christ, my living hope. Hallelujah. Praise the one who set me free. Hallelujah. Death has lost its grip on me. There's salvation in your name, Jesus.

Jesus said, "Follow me." Let's pray. Jesus said, "Follow me." Let's pray. Jesus said, "Follow me." Let's pray. Let's pray. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below. Praise Him, above ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Praise God from you, Lord. Praise God from you, Lord. Praise God, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. Amen. Amen.