From Sorrow to Joy 1

Pastor Mike will be speaking on From Sorrow to Joy 1. He will be in John 16:16-24.

That it may seem like forever but I promise you in a little while Jesus is coming again and we hold on to that hope and we believe in that truth and we rejoice in that truth and it’s that hope that motivates us every day to stay at it for Jesus Christ.

What does joy look like? Well that’s a great question. You know some people express happiness and they think that is joy but joy is found as we are in the presence of God and as we come to John chapter 16 verse 16 through 24 our text today we’re learning about how to go from sorrow to joy in your life understanding what joy is and how God uses joy in our life to continue to reflect the very image of the Lord Jesus Christ.

So I hope you have your Bible and let’s get to studying in John chapter 16. If you have your Bible this morning I want you to join me in the Gospel of John chapter 16 and we’re gonna be covering verses 16 through 24 and I want to talk to you about from sorrow to joy.

Now when we think about joy what does joy look like? The psalmist says you will show me the path of life in your presence is fullness of joy and at your right hand there are pleasures forevermore. Think about that that being in the presence of God is the fullness of joy that’s why when our loved ones leave this world and they fly to Jesus as they just sang and they are in the presence the constant presence of God,

fellowshiping with him that their heart is filled with joy. joy. There is a fullness of joy in the presence of God and even in these moments as you and I walk in this journey of faith that God manifests his presence in our life in different times and different seasons and we sense and experience the fullness and the presence of Jesus Christ in our life and the feeling of the Spirit of God in our life that there is a fullness of joy as we walk this journey of faith and we know that joy is found in God’s presence but joy is also found in God’s truth.

God’s truth brings joy to our hearts. John said in first John chapter 1 in verse 4, these things write we unto you that your joy may be full every time you open God’s Word. and that you read the word of god not only are we promised a blessing and that we would be blessed by reading the word of god if you’re in need of a blessing this morning i’d encourage you to open your bible and read it because god promises that we will be blessed when we read his word but also we will find joy for our hearts the bible teaches us that the word of god has given us that our joy may be complete that it may be full and if your joy is being sapped by the problems of this world if your joy is being sapped by the people of this world then i want to encourage you to get back into the bible and i want you to see that god’s truth will bring joy to your heart just back up in john chapter 15 and look at verse 10 jesus christ teaches us another truth about what joy looks like joy not only looks like being in the presence of god and as we experience the truth of god but in the obedience to god verse 10 notice what the scripture says jesus said if you keep my commandments you shall abide in my love even as i have kept my father’s commandments and abide in his love these things have i spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full his joy in our hearts and his joy being our joy that we are filled with the joy of god in our lives as we strive to obey god that is what brings joy in the heart of the believer that as you and i are obeying him following his path his will for our life then god fills us with His joy.

Again, there are many times in this life that we wrestle with the struggles and the trials of life, and these things can drain our life, and they can drain the joy that is within us, and that is why we come back striving to obey God.

Now I’m sure there’s many times in your life as a Christian that you have been very tired serving God, that you have given your best for God physically, spiritually, emotionally, and even though you might be physically tired, you find that your heart is swelling with joy, because you know that you are obeying God, that you are using your talents, your gifts, and your abilities for Him, because when we obey God,

it brings joy in our life. Now when we come to our text this morning in John chapter 16, in verse 16 through 24 the disciples again are filled with sorrow. They are struggling because they are beginning to grasp what Jesus is teaching them that he is about to die on a cross and the disciples were experiencing profound grief in their heart and Jesus is letting them know that they’re going to even experience more grief and they are really trying to work through this and we all know that as we go through life that there is grief,

there is sorrow, there are struggles but what I want you to see in this text is Jesus takes his disciples from sorrow to joy and how does God do that because I will tell you that God can do the same in your life is that he can turn all of our sorrows into the joy of the Lord.

The Bible teaches us that the joy of the Lord is my what? It is our strength to keep serving God. The joy of the Lord is our strength to stay faithful to God. The joy of the Lord is our strength that we can stay true to God and stay on task and on mission to what he has called us to do.

So let’s look at this text. The first thing I want you to notice about this text is we have a prediction from Jesus. Look at verse 16 Jesus said a little while and you will not see me again a little while and you shall see me because I go to the Father.

Jesus said a little while you’re going to not see me and a little while you’re going to see me. This so confused the disciples look at verse 17 and how they responded then said some of his disciples among themselves what is this that he sayeth unto us a little while and you shall not see me and again a little while you shall see me and because I go to the Father.

They said therefore what is this? that he saith a little while, we cannot tell what he saith. Verse 19, Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him and said unto them, do you inquire among yourselves of that I said a little while and you shall not see me?

And again, a little while, you shall see me? Jesus here, when he uses this phrase, a little while, is talking about that it’s not gonna be long before you’re not gonna see me anymore. So again, he’s helping them to deal with their reality, the reality that Christ is leaving them.

Now he’s been teaching, we’ve been following from chapter 14, chapter 15, now into chapter 16, Jesus is preparing them for his departure. As part of preparing them, he reminds them that he will send the comforter, he will send the Pericleus.

the Helper, the Holy Spirit of God who will dwell within them, and that He will empower them, encourage them, and strengthen them to do all that God has called them. But Jesus says in a little while, I’m going to be gone.

You’re not going to see me anymore. In a little while, I will be absent. And what His point is that He’s going to the cross. He’s going to be crucified. He’s going to give His life as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind.

But He says a little while, you will see me. A little while, you will see me. Now think through this a little bit, because what did Jesus mean? Did He mean that in a little while after the crucifixion, after the resurrection, they would see Him?

We know that Jesus walked for 40 days with the apostles. We know the Bible says that after His resurrection that over 500 people saw Him and witnessed His resurrection. And so Jesus did present Himself to the disciples.

But is this what Jesus means? No, I think it’s even further, because Jesus is telling them a little while, you will see me. And I believe He’s referring to the power of the Spirit of God, and that the Spirit of God would come upon them, and that the person of the Trinity would dwell with them, walk with them, live with them, and guide them, and encourage them, and strengthen them.

But I also think that Jesus is not only talking about the coming of the Spirit that would fall on the day of Pentecost 50 days after the resurrection of Christ, that as they waited up in that little room that Jesus told them to wait until the Spirit comes upon them, that they would experience the presence of God in their life.

But I think Jesus is also referring to His coming, His second coming, that He is reminding them that as they are laboring for the Lord, as they are serving for Christ, there’s gonna be a lot of sorrow, there’s gonna be a lot of grief, there’s gonna be a lot of struggles, but be encouraged because in a little while, Jesus is coming again.

Jesus will split the eastern skies and Jesus will come for his people and Jesus will call us to be with him forever and one day he’ll establish his kingdom on this earth and there’ll be no more sadness, no sorrow, no suffering, there’ll be no more death.

Can God’s people say amen? Jesus is reminding them that the full scope of the joy that is available to them is not to look at the moment of their grief, the moment of what they are experiencing in the struggles of life, but for them to experience the full joy that God has for them, they must have the perspective of God.

that they must see the big picture. This is why it’s so important for us as believers that we not only read the word of God, but that we read the entire book of God’s word because we see from beginning to end.

And guess what? When you get to the last chapter, you’re gonna find out that we as Christians, we are on the winning side and that Jesus Christ is the victor. And not only did he win at the cross and at the resurrection, but he will win again at the second coming as he will destroy all those who despise him and all the rulers of this world who try to destroy the name of God and the people of God.

Jesus Christ will eventually rule and reign and we will live in this kingdom with him forever and ever. Jesus says a little while. Sometimes we feel like it’s taken forever, but Jesus said a little while.

The apostle Peter taught us that a day with the Lord is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day. Some of you are saying, man, what’s the holdup God? I mean, let’s just expedite this and let’s make things happen and let’s do it quickly.

Let me tell you what’s the holdup. God’s grace and mercy and compassion for lost sinners. That is the holdup is God is still working and we are living in the age of grace and he is still calling sinners to salvation.

He is still calling people to come and to have a relationship with him. And even though it may seem long to us, in God’s perspective, it’s just a little while. And one day when we are all together in heaven, rejoicing with our loved ones, living with our loved ones, fellowshipping with them and enjoying all that God has for us, we’re gonna look back at our life and we’re gonna say, it’s just a little while.

It wasn’t that long. It really wasn’t in my friends. I want you to know that it may seem like forever, but I promise you in a… for a little while, Jesus is coming again, and we hold on to that hope, and we believe in that truth, and we rejoice in that truth, and it’s that hope that motivates us every day to stay at it for Jesus Christ.

Vance Havner was a great preacher from North Carolina, and he said this, that it’s the hope of heaven that helps him to make it through the sorrows of earth. And how true that is, friends, that’s the hope that God has for us.

Jesus not only gives a prediction, but he gives us a principle. He helps us to understand what he’s trying to say here as the disciples were confused about what Jesus was saying when he kept saying, a little while, a little while.

Look at verse 20. Jesus said, verily, verily, I say unto you that you shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice. You shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. Now, I want you to underscore that last phrase, your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

Jesus didn’t say he would replace your sorrow, he said he would turn your sorrow. He did not say that he would somehow give you something that’s better than your sorrow, but he said he would take your sorrow and he would turn it into joy.

And the point is that Jesus is gonna transform our sorrow into joy. Then he comes to verse 21 and he illustrates it. He helps us understand what he’s trying to say. A woman when she is in travail has sorrow because her hour has come.

But as soon as she has delivered the child, she remembereth no more the anguish for the joy that a man is born into the world. Verse 22, and you now therefore, you have sorrow, but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice and your joy no man taketh away.

The impending death of Jesus Christ would bring great grief and sorrow to the disciples. But Jesus wanted them to know that he was gonna take their grief and their sorrow and turn it into joy. And what is it that took this sorrow of the death of their savior and transform it into joy?

The resurrection of Christ. And think about this, the thing that they grieved, the thing that they sorrowed, the thing that broke their heart, the thing that they were devastated about, the death of the Lord Jesus Christ that took him away from them is the very thing that brought salvation to all who believe in Jesus Christ.

You see, what I’m trying to say to you is that he took that tragic event of the crucifixion. and he was trying to help the disciples to see that even though in this moment, even in this small perspective that we have as humans, we see this as tragic and devastating, Jesus said he was going to turn that grief into joy.

He was gonna turn that sorrow into joy. He was gonna take that event and make it into something that they would all rejoice that took place. Now let’s think through that. Because the Apostle Paul said this in Galatians 6 .14, God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world.

The hope of every Christian is grounded in the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And the reason that our sorrow can be turned into joy today is because of what Christ did on the cross for us even though it was cruel even though it was mean my friends from a man’s perspective and it was hateful and it seemed to be so devastating from God’s perspective God himself on the cross was bearing the sins of mankind and thus all who believe in Jesus would now be set free from the bondage of sin and Jesus said the truth will set you free free from sin and now people would enjoy the forgiveness of Jesus Christ because of what Christ did on the cross for them and because of what Christ did on the cross for them he not only can take care of the past sins and the present sins and the future sins but because of what Christ did on the cross he would now rise from the grave and he would take care of our future as believers and he would remind us that his resurrection is our resurrection if you’re fascinated with the resurrection of Christ you should be because that is going to be your resurrection for the Bible teaches us one day that the dead in Christ shall what they’re going to rise again that’s you my friends that’s me if we die in this world and we’re not raptured before our death on this earth then we will rise again and his resurrection is my resurrection but also for my loved ones some of you have children in heaven some of you have spouses in heaven some of you have parents in heaven some of you have deep close friends that are in heaven today I want you to know for a little while you sorrow and grieve but I want you also to know that in a little while you’re going to be reconnected to them and you’ll never be separated from them again and the dead in Christ shall rise and we which remain shall be up together with them.

My friends, we will be with them forever and ever, not only with the Lord, but we will be with them. That’s why Jesus can take our sorrow and turn it into joy, not just replace our sorrow, not just give us a substitute for our sorrow, but he takes our sorrow.

What we grieve over, the event, the activity, that whatever the situation might be, the sorrow that comes into our life is eventually turned into joy because of the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In Acts 13, verse 52, remember Jesus told his disciples that they grieve now. Again, look at verse 20, I say unto you that you shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice, and you shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

Did that ever happen? In Acts 13, verse 52, after the disciples had already been through a season of suffering and opposition and persecution, the Bible says that the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Why were they like this? Because the event that broke their heart seeing their Savior die on the cross led to the salvation of souls and it led to the coming of the Spirit in their heart and it led to the promise of one day being reunited forever and ever with Jesus Christ and their loved ones and so it was with great joy that they preached the gospel message.

That’s why the message is good news. Oh friends, it’s good news to know that Jesus can forgive us our sins. It’s good news to know that Jesus Christ has conquered death and that he has conquered the grave and that even though death may sting and even though death may hurt and even though death may bring sorrow to us, we know that that sorrow is gonna be turned into joy when we are reunited forever and ever.

I know you don’t like death. I mean, I don’t meet a lot of people who are really excited about death. Sometimes I do meet some people like that but think about death in light of your loved one, what it means to them.

The Bible says precious in the sight of the Lord are the death of his saints. Have you ever considered that? Have you ever thought about how could that be precious to you and I? We see death as loss, we see death as suffering, we see death as sorrowful but the Bible says that when God looks on the death of his children, the death of his saints, it is precious in his sight.

Friends, death is precious to God because it is the home going and the homecoming of his child. I mean, you know how excited you get when the kids are coming home, right? You know how excited you get when the grandkids are coming over, right?

And that’s the way our heavenly Father looks at it. He sees it as a precious moment, a precious time that this person is leaving this world and now they’re coming into the pearly gates and enjoying all the pleasures and all the joy and all of the rewards that God has for them.

We see it from our perspective, but have you ever looked at death from God’s perspective? Because when you look at death from God’s perspective, you’ll say, as the apostle Paul said, to live is Christ, but to die is gain.

That’s right, to die is gain. Your body and my body is not fit for heaven. Did you know that? You say, pastor, I run every day and every week. I don’t care how much you run and how many diets you’re on.

Your body’s never gonna be fit for heaven because these bodies are corruptible. These bodies are mortal. and flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, the scripture says. And so the only way that you can inherit the kingdom of God is you gotta lay down this old body.

You gotta lay down this body of suffering and sorrow and sadness and you have to receive what God has for you. I compare it to this. Someone’s saying I would rather stay in my tent than to live in the nice mansion on the hillside.

Who thinks like that? Friends, I want you to know if somebody said, look, we wanna take you out of this tent and put you in a nice big mansion and we want you to enjoy everything that’s in this beautiful mansion house, most people would say, yeah, let me go.

But yet so many people are sad that their loved ones got to leave their tent and they got to inherit their mansion. Oh friends, I want you to know precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints and God will take our sorrow and he will turn it into joy.

Yes, our health fails. Our children sometimes disappoint us and tragedy strikes our life. But God takes the tragedy and he takes the deepest pains of our lives and he turns them into triumph because our savior is a living savior who has conquered sin and he has conquered death and he has conquered hell.

And there seems to be nothing that is stable in this world. But the joy of Christ is something that is continual. It is never ending. It is absolutely constant in our lives if we will just tap into the joy of the Lord.

When we follow the principles of scriptures, when we follow what God has for us, we can enjoy the joy of the Lord. And this joy will survive and this joy can even thrive even as we walk through difficult times in our life.

Our joy. cannot be hinged on our experiences. Our joy cannot be hinged on our circumstances. Our joy cannot be hinged on the people of this world. But our joy must be rooted and solidified in our relationship with Jesus Christ.

I don’t know how many of you have ever been to a funeral service of someone that doesn’t know Christ. And you know, I have truly seen people’s sorrow with no hope. But it’s such a blessing to go to a funeral service where you know the person believed in Christ, is living with Christ, and there’s so much hope and joy as you interact with the family and the friends of that person, right?

That’s the difference, friends. That’s how God turns our sorrow into joy. Jesus not only made a prediction and He not only taught us a principle. But finally, he gave us a promise in verse 23 through 24.

And I want you to note this promise, I want you to highlight this promise in your Bible because there’s many times, if you’re like me, you have to keep coming back to the promises of God because we are flesh people, we are human and we are flawed and so many times we need to come back to God’s word so that the promises can infuse joy into our hearts.

Look at verse 24, hitherto, have you asked nothing in my name, ask and you shall receive. In my name, ask and you shall receive that your joy may be what? Full. Now, Jesus is teaching us a promise and this is the third time that Jesus makes this promise to his disciples in this text.

Let’s just back up a little bit. Chapter 14, look at verse 13. Jesus says, whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Chapter 15, verse 16, Jesus says you’ve not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain and that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name,

he may give it to you. There are many things that bring joy to our life, but I think for a believer, nothing brings more joy than to be able to obey God because obedience brings joy, the joy of God in our life.

And so when we are living obedient to him, we’re gonna face some challenges in life and we’re gonna face sorrow, but how do we triumph over that sorrow and turn our joy into victory over grief? Well, we’ve been learning about that and we want to continue to study that.

We’ll pick that up next week as well, but make sure that you are taking advantage of our truths that are being taught to you and applying them to your life. Now, I don’t know if you’ve checked out our app yet or not, but we have an app.

It’s called the Open Door Church app, and you can go to your Play Store, you can go to your App Store, and you just type in the Open Door Church, download the app, and go to the Hopeworth having side of the app.

There’s three different features in the app. You want to go to the Hopeworth having side of it, and you’re going to be able to follow along on all these sermons that we’re teaching you, and the notes are already going to be there, and you’re going to be able to be a part of Hopeworth having in a greater and bigger way as you learn more and more of the tools that are available to you so that you can faithfully live for Christ.

So make sure you check that out, the Open Door Church app, and then go to the Hopeworth having side after you make your profile. and then you’ll be able to be a part. It’s going to be a blessing to you.

This is Pastor Mike Sanders reminding you that in Christ there is hope worth having.