John chapter 16 verse 22 will
be our text. And the title of my message is
this. No more sorrow. No more sorrow. That's what our Lord told the
disciples. I declare my message could almost
be entitled part two of John's Bible lesson this morning. Because
it seems like his thoughts and mine have been traveling in the
same direction. In verse 20, we'll come to our
text in verse 22, but in verse 20, our Lord told the disciples
this as well. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice.
And ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into
joy. Our Lord says, as we use the
expressions, very soon the tables are going to turn. It's not always
going to be like it is now. You will be sorrowful, but not
all the time. The world will rejoice, but they'll
soon be sorrowful. The tables will be turned because
in heaven, there'll be no place for sorrow. There'll be no reason
to be sorrowful. No reason to be sorrowful. Now
think about that. Think about it. In heaven, When
we shall see Him who loved us, we'll see Him who laid down His
life for us. We'll see Him who desires, who
wills, that all those He redeemed be with Him where He is. That's
why He went to the Father's house anyway, to prepare a place for
His people. And there'll be no empty mansions
in heaven. Oh no, they'll all be occupied,
as John again taught this morning, From Revelation chapter 5, all
the redeemed shall cast their crowns at the feet of their glorious
Redeemer, that one who bought them with his own precious blood,
and they'll in one united voice, not one note of discord, they'll
sing in that heavenly choir of glory, worthy is the Lamb. There'll be no reason to be sorrowful
in heaven. We'll come back here to our text,
but look, for just a moment at Revelation chapter 21. Revelation chapter 21, verse 1. Now this is among those
things that the elder told John must shortly come to pass. Remember
in chapter 4, come up hither John and I'll show you things
that must shortly, not might happen, could happen, should
happen. Oh no, I'll show you things that
must shortly come to pass. It won't be long. Verse 1, And
I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and
the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. And
I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God
out of heaven, prepared as a bride, adorned for her husband. And
I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle
of God is with men, and he will dwell with them. And they shall
be his people, and God himself shall be with them and be their
God. And God shall wipe away all tears,
all tears from their eyes. There shall be no more death,
neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain,
for the former things are passed away. You now have sorrow, our
Lord said, but it's not going to be forever. It's not going
to be much longer. And he that sat upon the throne
said, Behold. He that sat upon the throne said,
Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write, for
these words are true and faithful. The purpose of the message, my
intent this morning, if God enables me to do it, otherwise I can't.
But it is to comfort God's people. You now have sorrow. And is anybody exempt from that? Anybody here this morning that
doesn't for one reason or another have sorrow? Some have much more
than others. And I hope God will allow me
to so preach from the words of that one, these words that he
spoke, that one who spoke, even the Lord's enemies had to confess,
he speaketh as no man ever did. No man ever speaks as he speaks. He speaks as one having authority. He speaks as one that has authority,
not like the scribes. He speaks as one who knows exactly
what he's talking about. Our Lord never spoke in such
words as, well, perhaps, perchance, maybe, perhaps, no, no, no. These things must be. And our great and faithful shepherd
said, in verse 22, you now therefore have sorrow. There's no question
about that. But as I said, it will not always
be so. Let me share an article I read
the other day along this very line. It's written by our dear
friend, Brother Henry Mahan. Paul told us there during his
message Friday night, his mama Doris is 92, Henry's 92. and that they hope every night
when they go to bed. Henry told me this himself years
ago, but Paul said, every night when they go to bed, they hope
they don't wake up here. Every night. apparently sees
them every day and he says he often thinks, usually every time
he goes over he thinks one of them is going to be gone. They're
going to be gone. And they're just, they're waiting
for that time. They're looking forward to that
time. Our dear friend Henry wrote this. The article is a heart,
a heart of thanksgiving. He said, I recently read that
somewhere years ago in New England, there was a day of fasting each
month to mourn over the sins of the land. At last, some public
official suggested that instead of the day of mourning each month,
they should appoint a feast and thank God. Thank God for the
mercies and blessings which he had given. Henry wrote, I was
deeply convicted and strongly impressed by this article. Do
we dwell on our troubles and trials so much that we forget
to give thanks for the blessings? Instead of counting our blessings,
we exaggerate our misfortunes. The wise man in Proverbs said,
a merry heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit
dryeth the bones. Henry went on to write, I plan
to take this exhortation seriously. and to lift my heart and voice
to him who is the fountain of all mercies. His mercies far
outweigh his chastisements." I printed that sentence in bold
print. His mercies far outweigh his
chastisements. Now, every believer confesses
that that's so. His mercies endureth forever. Weeping is just through the night. Oh, but in the morning everlasting
joy shall be upon our heads. David said many, O Lord my God,
are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts
which are to usward. They cannot be reckoned up in
order unto thee. If I would declare and speak
of them, they are more than can be numbered. Today, Henry wrote,
is a good day to love him, to thank Him, to praise Him, and
to rejoice in Him. Let this be that day. Serve the Lord with gladness,
the psalmist said. Serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before His presence with singing. Why are we so attracted
to the psalms? Paul spoke from Psalms 1, Friday
night. God's people, perhaps more than
any book, seem to be drawn to the Psalms. They are quoted more
than any other book of the Old Testament in the New Testament.
Why is that? Because the Psalms contain the
biography, as I said in the article in today's bulletin. They contain
the biography of every true believer. We identify with them. They record
the highs and the lows, the ups and the downs, his times on the
mountaintop, and the pilgrim's times in the deep valleys. We
experience all those things. No believer is exempt from sorrow. You now, therefore, have sorrow. But, throughout them all, the
valleys, the tears, the anguish, the trials, the burdens, throughout
them all, there is found the reality, the sweet, sweet reality
The assurance of God's amazing grace. Another psalm says, Psalm
84, they go, that is the pilgrims, though they may travel, they
do travel through the valley of weeping, they go from strength
to strength. And that sweet assurance gives
them joy in believing, does it not? First notice here in verse
22, An undeniable fact. Ye now therefore have sorrow. But I want you to notice, there's
not a period at the end of those words. That's not the complete
sentence. That's not the whole story. Their
sorrow is not final. That's not the last word of Christ
to you and I. The last word is this, your heart
shall rejoice. Your heart shall rejoice. My
soul. John, again, spoke about this
this morning. We can only imagine. I remember several years ago, Brother Lloyd
Rogers sat with me on the patio out back at the house. And he
said, you know, Larry, I can't hardly imagine what it's going
to be like to see Jesus Christ. He said, I just can't imagine.
He said, can you? And I said, no, no. And we just
sat there and thought about it and finally concluded, no, we
just can't imagine the overwhelming, everlasting, complete joy of
seeing that one That one, as Job said, with mine own eyes,
to see him. Revelation chapter 22, they,
they that came out of great tribulation. They who wash their robes in
the blood of the Lamb, they who are therefore before the throne
of God, they shall see his face. Is that not the very heaven of
heaven? The last word here is, your heart
shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. Now, that's where the period
is. That's final. That's how believers' race will
end. We shall mount up to Zion. Child of God, this world is not
our home. I mean, it's just not our home. Christ said, you're not of the
world. You used to be. Children of wrath,
even as others, walked according to the course of this world by
nature. But you're not of the world any
longer? Why? Because I. Not because you. No, no, no. Because I chose you
out of the world. I brought you out. That's what
he told them in John chapter 15. I think it is. In Isaiah
chapter 51, listen to these words. Isaiah 51 verse 11. Therefore, the redeemed of the
Lord shall return, and everlasting joy shall be upon their head.
They shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and mourning
shall flee away. It's going to be gone, never
to be seen or experienced again. I, even I, am he that comforted
you. Who art thou that thou shouldest
be afraid of a man that shall die? and of the Son of Man which
will be made as grass, and forget us the Lord thy maker. Oh, for grace to imitate him,
our master, the captain of our salvation, who we read, for the
joy that was set before him endured the cross. For the joy that was
set before Him, He endured the cross, the joy of obtaining. I just love the language of Scripture,
don't you? I just love the language of Scripture.
No doubts, no frustrated Redeemer, no, the joy set before Him included
this, the joy of obtaining eternal redemption for us. The joy of
atoning for all the sins of all his people. The joy of satisfying
divine justice. The joy of exclaiming after doing
so in words that only he could, it is finished. That's the joy
that was set before him. The joy of bringing many sons
to glory. Without a doubt. The joy of the
captain of our salvation gathering all his sheep. and presenting
them to God. Can you imagine that? Can you
imagine that? A multitude that no man can number
gathered before the throne of God Almighty, being led there
by the faithful shepherd of the sheep, and him saying these words
in absolute victory, in absolute triumph, Father, and father I will that those
whom you have given me be with me where I am that they may what
behold my glory and father here they are I and the children that
thou has given me And he shall say, I've lost none. Can we not even at this very
moment, child of God, even though we may do so with tears in our
eyes, yet rejoice in the blessed prospect of that sure and certain
hope? Yes, we sorrow, but not as others
who have no hope. Like Brother Henry and his dear
wife. He wrote several years ago, I
remember, I've got a letter he'd sent me. And some of you have
told me he said the same thing in correspondence to you. Larry,
I hope when I lie down tonight, I don't wake up. I don't wake
up here. I hope I'll wake up with that
one, that one I long to see. And brothers and sisters in Christ,
God's grace gives us a good hope of that very thing. Bobby sometimes
sings the hymn, Christ is all. Christ is all. That's one of
my favorites. And I've had the sweet experience
of being beside the bedside of some who speaks almost the very
words of this hymn. When they're leaving this world,
Christ is all. Dying with a good hope, dying
in grace, dying with the sweet assurance that he who bought
me with his own blood shall lead me to glory, to be with him forever. That's not a fairy tale. That's
not a fable. That's the reality. God's grace
is a reality. And that grace that prepares
us and entitles us to glory, that also is a reality. The hymn
says, I'd stood beside a dying bed, where lay a man with aching
head, waiting for Jesus' call. Waiting for Jesus' call. I marked
his smile with sweet as may. And as his spirit passed away,
he whispered, Christ is all. Christ is all. Absent from the
body. and present with the Lord. Christ
is all, the refrain says, Christ is all. Yes, Christ is all in
all. Christ is all, all in all. Christ is all in all. What a blessed, blessed prospect,
even though now we have sorrow. Stars shine brightest in the
darkest night, don't they? And grapes don't become wine.
until they go through the wine press. Spices smell sweetest
when they're pounded. Young trees root the faster for
shaking, and vines are the better for bleeding. Gold looks the
brightest for passing through the furnace. Such is the condition
of God's children. They are the most triumphant
when most distressed, most glorious when most afflicted, As their
conflicts are, so are their conquest. As their tribulation is, so are
their triumphs. In their sorrows, God proves
to them the sufficiency of his grace. The reality of His grace,
the sweetness of the promise of that one who says, I will
never leave you, I will never forsake you. Now you have sorrow,
but it's not always going to be so. Look again at our text. He speaks of the end of sorrow,
but I will see you again. I will see you again. Every word
is precious, is it not? But, but, man I tell you what,
you could have a very blessed study just going through God's
word and finding every place that you used for God's children. But, ye were children of wrath,
but God. Paul said I was a blasphemer
and joyous, but God called me by his grace. I was those things,
but now I am what I am by the grace of God. You now have sorrow,
but, but that's not the end of the story. Thank God there's
a blessed intervention of His grace for every trial we endure. But God, but God, that gives
every weary pilgrim a blessed hope, does it not? Because from
that blessed intervention but God comes blessed grace and the
blessed promise of glory hereafter. In Psalms 73, here's an example
of this. The sweet singer himself, David,
confesses, so foolish was I. Why, David? Because I was envious
at the wicked. I was jealous at the wicked.
So foolish was I and ignorant, I was as a beast before thee."
What happened, David? Did God say, well, that's it.
That's it. After all I've done for him,
he's that ungrateful. I'm done with him. I've washed
my hands of him. No, no. Nevertheless, but God. Nevertheless, I am continually
with thee. Thou has holded me. It's not
my grip, it's His grip that was holding me by my right hand.
And He'll hold to my hand. Oh, glory to His name. I tell you, I hope I'm serious. I hope I'm sincere. I feel like
I am. If God has given me a good hope,
and He has, If I've tasted of the Lord's grace, and I think
I have, I believe I have. If I know whom I have believed,
and I do, I think I can honestly say, Lester, I'm looking forward
to it. I'm looking forward to it. Oh,
that day, that moment. When I'm crossing over, when
I'm leaving this world, and He'll hold to my hand as over that
river I go, He'll take me safely over the beautiful heaven I know. David says, nevertheless, I'm
continually with Thee. Thou hast holding me by my right
hand. He's holding me by my right hand. and he's never let me go. He's
never let me go. Oh, I felt that he has, but it
wasn't true. It was my false feelings. No, he's promised, Larry, I'll
hold to your hand. My hand is that hand that reached
down for you and brought you up out of that horrible pit.
Mine's the hand that When you were near to despair, remember? It was my hand that reached down
for you. And you're in my hand. And I'm
never gonna let you go. I'm never gonna lose my grip
on you. You'll never, ever be plucked
out. No matter what you feel. No matter
what you experience. No matter how Many tears may
fall from your eyes. I'll never lose my grip on you
until that day I take you by the hand and escort you through the promised
land. Oh, what a glorious, glorious
day that's going to be. Thou shalt guide me, David said,
with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Another of the Psalms, we quoted
a portion of it a minute ago, Psalm 84. They go from strength
to strength. Every one of them in Zion appeareth
before God. For the Lord God is a sun and
a shield. The Lord will give grace and
glory. There's no such thing, no possibility
of anyone who has ever experienced God's grace not inheriting glory. It's impossible. No good thing
will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Our Lord told
his sorrowing disciples, I will see you again. Yes, I. I who redeemed you. I who loved
you and gave myself for you. I who called you by my grace. I who have kept you in my hand
and in my heart. I will see you again. In chapter 20 here in John's
Gospel, we're told this concerning the disciples in verse 9. For as yet, chapter 20 verse
9, for as yet they knew not the scripture that he must rise again
from the dead. They didn't know that. Mark tells
us when the ladies went to them and found the disciples hiding
in that upper room for fear of the Jews and told them the good
news, that their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they
believed them not. They found them, we read there,
as they wept and mourned." Oh, what's going to happen to us? Their hopes died when he died. Remember what one of those on
the road to Emmaus told him when he appeared to them but they
didn't know who he was, the risen Savior? They said, we had hoped,
we had hoped that he, that is Jesus of Nazareth, was he that
should have redeemed Israel. That was our hope. We don't know. We don't know. We don't know
what happened. Blessed God, their misconception of things didn't
change the truth, did it? Jesus had already saved his people
from their sin. He had already laid down his
life for them. He had already obtained their
everlasting redemption. He had already brought in everlasting
righteousness. He had already been made sin. that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. Luke also describes when our
Lord appeared to them again, and they were scared. That's a ghost. That just can't
be him. That's a spirit. That's an abortion.
We saw him die. That just can't be him. He said,
you got anything to eat here? You got anything? Give it to
me. He ate it. A spirit doesn't have
flesh. A ghost doesn't have flesh and
blood like you see me have. Then we read where the disciples
glad. They believed not for joy. They
said, man, can it be? This is too good to be true.
They believed not for joy when they saw the Lord. Our Lord said,
your sorrow shall be turned into joy. It won't be for long. The
morning is coming. Isn't that what the psalmist
said? We have a good hope. Hebrews chapter 6, which hope
we have is an anchor for the soul. Oh, when the storms of
life are raging, I have an anchor, and I can't be led adrift. Both sure and steadfast, which
entereth into that within the veil. Whether the forerunner
is for us entered, Jesus made a high priest forever after the
order of Melchizedek. Their sorrow, our Lord said,
like a woman giving birth, though sure and sharp, would not be
long. Yes, we sorrow, but not without
hope. A good hope. How good? How good is the hope of a child
of God, as good as a faithful God is? as sure as God is, as
good as an ever-loving Savior is, for His anger endureth but
a moment, and His favor is life. Weeping may endure for a night,
but joy cometh in the morning. Thou hast turned for me my mourning
into dancing. Thou hast put off my sackcloth
and girded me with gladness. One hymn writer expressed it
like this, It is my sweetest comfort, Lord, and will forever
be. to think upon that glorious truth of your humanity. This
day there saith in our flesh upon the throne of light, one
of human mother born in perfect Godhead bright. For us poor fallen
sinful men, he put his glory by, first in our mortal flesh
to serve and then in that flesh to die. Forever God, forever
man, our Savior shall endure. And fixed on him, my hope remains
eternally secure. I will see you again." When he
comes again, or when he calls us home, Turn, if you will, to
Luke's Gospel, chapter 23. We know this by heart. We're very familiar with it,
but oh, what a blessed portion. The great shepherd is at this
very moment laying down his life for his sheep. And in the very
act of doing that, he proves the omnipotence of his grace.
He proves that he's able to save unto the uttermost, even in that
hour, concerning that dying thief upon the cross. Look at Luke
23, verse 42. The thief, the dying thief. He
said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me, remember me, when thou comest
into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily
I say unto thee, Today thou shalt be with me in paradise." Today. Today. Because he had been bought
with a price. That was one of God's chosen.
That thief was one that God had entrusted into the hands of his
son before the world ever began. that His Son came to call by
His grace, and He shall be with me in paradise. Thou shalt be
with me. Is that not heaven? Is that not
glory to be with Him? Paul said in 2 Corinthians 9,
verse 8, And God is able to make all grace abound toward you,
that ye always having all sufficiency in all things may abound unto
every good work." All sufficiency in all things. Grace is not a
scanty thing. God's not stingy with grace. No, he giveth and he giveth and
he giveth more grace. His glorious treasury is never
empty. It's a fountain, full, flowing,
always flowing and overflowing. Mark those three alls we just
read there in 2 Corinthians 9 and 8. All grace, all sufficiency
in all things. Is that not a comforting thought?
My need, your need, can never be more than God's treasury of
grace can meet. It can happen. It can happen. His grace always abounds. Multitudes are hourly at this
very moment drawing from that treasury of grace, and yet it's
never ever diminished. Do you not love to dwell? on
his all-abounding grace, your own insufficiency in everything
met with an all-sufficiency in all things, grace in all circumstances,
situations, in all the changes you may go through, in all the
very phases of the Christian life, grace in the sunshine,
grace in the storm. in health, in sickness, in life,
in death. Grace for the old believer and
grace for the young believer, the tried believer, the tempted
believer. Grace to carry the joyous cup
with a steady hand and grace to drink the bitter cup with
an unmurmuring heart. saying, if need be through tears,
thy will be done. Last of all, look at what our
Lord says here in our text. In your joy, no man taketh from
you. Your joy, no man taketh from
you. Oh, even in this life, how indescribable. How blessed is the joy of the
pardon of all of our sins. That can't be taken away. The
joy of peace with God. Christ is our peace. The joy
of unspeakable joy of sins forgiven now. Now. I know still, in this
life, now we see through a glass darkly, but it's not always going
to be so. Then, then, the veil's going
to be taken away. The scales are going to all be
removed, and it will no longer be looking through a glass darkly,
but face to face, we shall see him as he is. Job asked this question, if a
man die, will he live again? All the days of my appointed
time will I wait till my change come." Until my change comes,
John. You mentioned that in your lesson
as well. As we have borne the image of
the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Behold,
I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we
shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling
of an eye at the last trump, For the trumpet shall sound,
and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be
changed. We shall be changed. Oh, my soul. I shall be changed. I will be changed to where I
will never again cry, oh, wretched man that I am. I will be changed
to where I will never have that tendency, that proneness that
I now do to lead the God I love. I shall be changed. This corruptible
must put on incorruption. And this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall
have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on
immortality, Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written,
death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting?
O grave, where is thy victory? You probably have heard this
before. I think several years ago I put this as an article
in our bulletin. I believe it was Brother Maurice
Montgomery from whom I got it. If a man who is desperately sick
knew that when he awoke tomorrow he would be completely well,
would you think that he would be afraid to go to bed? No, I
don't think so. If a man who was poverty-stricken,
hungry and ragged knew that when he awoke the next morning he
would be a rich prince, would you think that he would be afraid
to go to sleep? I don't think so. Then why should
a believer who is no longer of this world, who is tired of sin
and weary of the heartaches and sufferings of this world, knowing
that tomorrow he shall arise in the glorious image of Christ
pure, holy and happy in eternal glory, be afraid of dying? The
Apostle Paul longed for that blessed release from this body
of death, which he described as far better. For I am in a
strait betwixt two, having the desire to depart and to be with
Christ, which is far better. In the Greek, it's more emphatic.
He said it is far, far, far better. Oh, to depart and to be with
Christ. Mr. Spurgeon, as a young man
one time was preaching in a country village to a few believers. Let me share this with you. Spurgeon said, I shall never
forget one summer afternoon when I was preaching in a village
chapel about the joys of heaven that an elderly lady sitting
on my right kept looking at me with intense delight. Some people's
eyes greatly helped the preacher. A telegraph goes on between us.
She seemed to say to me, bless God for that, how I am enjoying
that. She kept drinking in the truth,
and I poured out more and more precious things about the eternal
kingdom and the sight of the well-beloved, till I saw what
I thought was a strange light pass over her face. I went on,
and those eyes were fixed on me. She sat still as a marble
figure, and I stopped and said, friends, I think that sister
has died. They said that it was even so,
and they bore her away. She had gone. While I was telling
of heaven, she had gone there. What about that? She had gone
there. And I remember saying I wish
that it had been my case as well as hers. It was better not, perhaps,
for many reasons. But oh, I did envy her. I am
always looking for the day when I shall see her again. I shall
know those eyes. I'm sure I shall. I shall recollect
that face if in heaven she is anything like what she was here
or bears any marks of identification. I shall not forget that inward
fellowship which existed between a soul that stood with wings
outspread for glory and the poor preacher who was trying to talk
of that which he knew so very little of compared with her. Well, well, it will soon be my
turn, Mr. Spurgeon said. and it will soon
be our turn. Ye now therefore have sorrow,
but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and
your joy no man taketh from you. Amen. God bless you.