Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the Gospel according to John chapter 16. John 16. I was thinking about that passage
that Brother Pat just read. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? If the foundation of God's everlasting
love for His people. If that wasn't so, what could we do? If Almighty God had not chosen
to show mercy, set His affection upon His people, put them in
Christ, kept them in Christ, what could we do? If the Lord
Jesus Christ had not come into this world and lived perfectly
before God, establishing righteousness before God as a man, the righteousness
of the God-man mediator, if He had not established righteousness,
what could we do? If He was not made sin and put
away the guilt of God's people, satisfied the law's justice,
what could we do? If the irresistible grace and
power of the Holy Spirit did not surely call out God's elect
and seal them, keep them, preserve them. By faith, in faith, through
grace, what could we do? If the surety of our Lord's return
and His everlasting will, that we might be with Him where He
is, what could we do? If the foundations be destroyed,
what can the righteous do? I'll just take a break. Boy,
I read that, when he read that, I thought, oh my. John chapter
16. I'd like to look at verses 21,
22. When we had previously looked
at this precious passage before I read 21-22, our Lord had been
assuring His disciples of His leaving. He's going to the cross. He told
them in verse 16, a little while, and you shall not see me. a little while, and you shall
see me, because I go to the Father." He told him in verse 20, verily,
verily, truly, truly, surely, surely, 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. And then our Lord, in the passage
that we'll deal with this morning, sets forth a very familiar event
to illustrate his point of his people being sorrowful. That they would lament, that
they would be grieved, And he sets forth this illustration
of birth. The scripture says a woman, when she is in travail, hath
sorrow because her hour is come. But as soon as she is delivered
of the child, she remembereth or she regards She remembers. You mothers that have born children,
you know a whole lot more about this than the men do. But she
regards, she remembereth no more the anguish for joy that a man
is born into the world. Now this was the woman's lot. in the garden. In Adam's fall, Eve was told, he said, the Lord
told her, he said unto the woman, just Genesis 3.16, unto the woman,
he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception. In sorrow thou shalt bring forth
children and thy desire shall be to or you shall be subject
to thy husband and he shall rule over thee. Now listen, let me
explain just very simply what he just said. Every time a woman
has a child, it is the Lord that multiplies her sorrow. And it
was because of or as a remembrance of sin. Because of rebellion. The Lord says, every time a woman
has a child, I will multiply her sorrow. And she's going to
go through great pain in the deliverance of a child. Now the woman, in every time
a woman has a baby, there's a picture. There's a type. The world doesn't
see it. The world doesn't know it. They think, I'm just having
a child. We're just having a baby. Every time a woman has a child,
it's a picture of the deliverance of the church into the glorious
presence of Christ himself. The deliverance. The bringing
out of. Pictured in regeneration, pictured
in final deliverance into his presence. But every time a woman
has a baby, There's a picture of the trouble, the trial. I'll
show you that in a minute. And it says, concerning the woman,
thy desire shall be subject to thy husband. She's going to be
in subjection to the church, the Lord Jesus Christ. Physically,
yes. The wife to her husband. Subjection. And he shall rule over thee.
Here is a picture of God's mercy. even during the travail that
the church goes through right now being delivered out of this
world subject to the Lord Jesus Christ. So verse 21 sets forth
the state of the redeemed church of the Lord Jesus Christ while
she's in this world. and the bride, the bride of Christ
as a woman in travail, in the very pain that is illustrated
in childbirth. Let me show you this, Revelation
12 verses 1 and 2. The church is going through travail
in this world. So you think of a child being
born and the trouble that the wife, the mother, goes through. That's a picture of what the
church is going through right now. Look at Revelation 12, verses
1 and 2. There appeared a great wonder
in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her
feet and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. There's a picture
of the church. And she being with child cried,
travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. The church in
this world is travailing. The Lord is sending chastisements,
loving chastisements, to cause her to look to Him, to trust
Him, to teach her, this world is not your home. This is not
your rest. Concerning the Lord's hour, we're
getting ready, Lord willing, to get through chapter 16 of
John. We're going to get into chapter
17. One of, absolutely, to my heart, one of the most precious
passages of scripture, chapters in scriptures. When the Spirit
of God is the only prayer that the Lord, that the Spirit of
God was pleased to write down, that the Lord prayed. It's said
many times, He rose early in the morning and spent all night,
it says He prayed. But this one, the Spirit of God
wrote it down for us to read. And he says in that high priestly
prayer, Father the hour is come. So his hour would soon come,
the hour of his deliverance, the hour of his crucifixion,
the hour of his burial, death, burial, resurrection. But now
concerning the hour of the church, back in John 16, a woman when
she is in travail hath sorrow because her hour is come. This life that we're in right
now, Neil, is our hour. O-U-R-H-O-U-R. This is our hour. Our hour is this life that a
believer is being delivered. Look at Isaiah 26, 17. Isaiah
26, verse 17. Isaiah 26, 17, Like as a woman
with child that draweth near the time of her delivery is in
pain, and crieth out in her pains, so have we been in thy sight,
O Lord. You see that relation? As a woman comes to that time
of her delivery, That hour of her delivery, Isaiah says, under
the inspiration of God's spirit, that's the way we've been, Lord,
in your sight. This is the hour of our delivery. When the hour of a woman's delivery
comes, we are continually reminded of man's rebellion. these things
that we must endure. You want to know why we're going
through whatever we're going through, whatever we're suffering. We've got some folks in our congregation
right now that's suffering, going through some trials and tribulations,
chastisements. You want to know why? For those
that know Him, because the Lord is pleased to remind us of the
frailty of this flesh, the vanity of this life, and our desperate
desire and need to be delivered out of this place. Romans 8,
22. We'll turn a few pages. Romans
8, 22. Romans chapter 8, 22 and 23. The scripture says, for we know
that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together
until now. And not only they, but ourselves
also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves
groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the
redemption of our body. We're going through some trials,
troubles. Our body is getting older. Things
that used to spring back don't spring back as quickly. Things
that we could do, can't do anymore. Why? Because of sin. Because of man's rebellion. 2 Corinthians 5 verse 4 says,
For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened. For
that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality
might be swallowed up of life. We're burdened with the effects
of sin, the flesh. It's not that a believer desires
to cease to exist, but what we desire is to exist with the Lord
Jesus Christ, beholding Him. we desire to be changed into
his image. To see him as he is and to be
like him. And we readily admit, I don't
know the fullness of that. But what I do know, I desire
that. I remember hearing Mary Bell made a statement and
I don't know, I guess she told Donnie, I don't know how, I don't
know how I heard it. I don't remember how I heard
it. But anyway, Mary said, she said, you know, I truly desire
to be with the Lord, to be delivered. But she said, oh, the pain in
going through it. You know, I'm telling you, believers
suffer. They go through trials and tribulations. We do want to be with Him. We do want to be delivered into
His presence. And we know that the much tribulation
that we must endure, it's ordered by the Lord. Turn with me to
Matthew 24. Hold your place, but just turn
to Matthew 24. We know that what we must go
through is ordered by God. Matthew 24, 3 to 10, 3, as he
said, Matthew 24, 3, as he said upon the Mount of Olives, the
disciples came to him privately saying, tell us when shall these
things be? What shall be the sign of thy
coming, of the end of the world? Jesus answered and said unto
them, take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my
name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many. And ye shall
hear of wars and rumors of war, see that ye be not troubled.
For all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
For nation shall rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom.
There shall be famines and pestilences, earthquakes, diverse places.
All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver
you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you. You shall be hated
of all nations for my name's sake. Then shall many be offended,
shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. Many
false prophets shall rise and deceive many. And because iniquity
shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall
endure to the end, the same shall be saved." God's people know
they're going to suffer. And the suffering that we go
through is ordered by the Lord. Some have been called upon to
suffer in some ways that you and I don't know anything about.
And then there's some things that you and I have gone through
that others don't know anything about. I think to myself how
little I know anything about that. There's some that truly
have gone through some sufferings. But we're all going, all going. The scripture says, but back
in John 16, as soon as she is delivered of
the child, she remembereth no more the anguish for joy that
a man is born into the world. She doesn't rehearse it. You ask a woman if, you know,
she's delivered a child, and you ask her, say, well, tell
me about it. She does not talk about what
she went through. You know what she wants to talk
about? That little baby. That baby. She looks upon that
delivered baby, and that's what she remembers. That's what she
dwells upon. Likewise, in Romans 8, 18, Paul the Apostle says, for I
reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy
to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
2 Corinthians 4, 17, for our light affliction, which is but
for a moment. Somebody says, oh, you don't
know what I'm suffering. Two things. Number one, Without
Christ, this is the best you'll ever have it. Number two, in
him, this is light affliction, according to God's word. Light
affliction. You say, you don't know how I've
hurt. Light affliction. To hear him say, depart from
me, you workers of iniquity, I never knew you, deliver them
into everlasting torment. Now my idea of torment and God's
revelation of torment is two different torments. This is light
affliction which is but for a moment. You say, I've been suffering
for years in light of eternity. Our light affliction, which is
but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal
weight of glory. A woman, when she is in travail,
has sorrow, because her hour is come. But as soon as she is
delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish for joy that
a man is born into the world. And verse 22 says, And ye now,
therefore, Have sorrow. But. Boy, I love these words. But. But, God. You have sorrow, but. I'm going to qualify this, Lord
said. There's something else I'm going
to tell you here. I'm going to give you some comfort
here. You have sorrow now, but. I will see you again. And your
heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. Now I'm going to just say four
things real quickly in closing. Four things. Four absolutes are
set forth. And that's 22nd verse. Here's
the first one. And ye now therefore have sorrow. This is what our Lord is saying.
For those that know him, this is the worst of it. You know what, Freddie, we could
just, we could say right now, you know this is a light affliction,
isn't it? This is the worst of it right now. For a believer,
ye now have sorrow. We're harassed. by the fiery
darts of Satan. The world hates us. We have indwelling sin, and we
grieve over that. In this world, you shall have
tribulation. That's the first thing. But I'm
telling you, a believer will admit whatever that believer
is going through, let me tell you the comfort that you have
The Lord said, my grace is sufficient. I'm not going to leave you comfortless. I will come to you. Here's the second thing. But I will see you again. You
know, he saw his disciples after his resurrection. He saw them
again. They saw Him again. He sees all
of His people right now. He's God. The omniscient God. Listen to this, Psalm 33, 18.
Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him, that
reverence Him, that respect Him. Upon them that hope, that have
confidence in His mercy. The eye of the Lord is upon them. He's going to see them again
at His glorious coming, second coming. Trump of God is going
to sound. The Lord's going to descend.
Those that sleep in Christ, He's going to bring with them. They're
dead bodies that were lying in the ground. They're going to
be changed. And they're going to rise first.
We're going to see them again. I know that, here again, we just,
we think about that, we know it's, we have never imagined
what it's going to be like to see Him, the Lord is going to
return. I tell you this, we're going
to see Him in the judgment. He's going to separate the sheep
from the goats, but the goats, scripture says, on the left hand,
sheep on his right hand, and he's going to say to them, enter
in. Well done. And only in the Lord
Jesus Christ will that ever be said. Enter in to that which
has been prepared for you, prepared for you from before the foundation
of the world. We're going to see him again. And we're going
to see him again in glory. Father, I will that those that
thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold
my glory, the glory that thou gavest me before the world was
as the mediator. Here's the third thing. And your
heart shall rejoice. You're going to have tribulation.
I'm gonna see you again. Your heart shall rejoice. Your
heart shall rejoice. I quoted this a moment ago, 1
Corinthians 2.9, but as it is written, I hath not seen nor
ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man the things
which God hath prepared for them that love him. I know that we cannot fully enter
in to what the Lord has prepared. But listen to what Peter says,
1 Peter 1, 3 to 9. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy
hath birthed us again, begotten us again unto a lively hope,
a living hope. by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead to an inheritance, incorruptible, undefiled, that
fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. I think about
that. It's incorruptible. And if it
could be corrupted, I'd do it. If it could be defiled, I'd defile
it. But he said it's an inheritance
that's incorruptible, undefiled, and it fadeth not away. I'm so
glad that my security is not based on my ability. Because I'm telling you, if it
was based on my work, my will, my ability, my consistency, it
would fade away, but it's not. It's reserved in heaven for you
who are kept by the power of God. Can you imagine trying to
put your security in your power? I've told people before, they
say, well, I gave my heart to the Lord. I tell you, well, let
me tell you this then, before and since, You better have never
disobeyed God one time. Before or since, you better have
absolutely established righteousness on your own merit, and your own
consistency, and your own power, and God Almighty best look at
you and say, as Marvin, in whom I'm well pleased, You hear Him. And that almost sounds blasphemous
just to hear that, I think. To trust in your own work? I gave my heart to Jesus. He
took that old heart away. He dethroned it. And you say,
I'm going to give that to Him? I never knew you who are kept
by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed
in the last time wherein we ye greatly rejoice though now for
a season if need be you're in heaviness through manifold temptations,
that the trial of your faith be much more precious than of
gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be
founded to praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus
Christ. And fourthly, here's the fourth
absolute back in John 16.22, and your joy no man taketh from
you. You know, we sing that song.
I love this song. Fade, fade, each earthly joy. An unbeliever hangs on to the
fleeting cares of this world like he's going to have them
forever. Fade, fade, each earthly joy. Everything in this world
is fleeting. But the Lord promises that which
he provides. No man taketh from you. Who could take away what God
has given? The gifts of God are without
repentance. You know what that means? That
means you don't take them back. I give unto them eternal life. Psalm 35, 9 says, and my soul
shall be joyful in the Lord, it shall rejoice in His salvation. Who can take that away? Isaiah 61, 10, I will greatly
rejoice in the Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my
God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation. He
has covered me with the robe of His righteousness. Let me
ask you this, who can take that away? Who can unclothe you if
God has clothed you? Last verse, Habakkuk 318. Yet
I will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation. Who can take that away? If the Lord has eternally purposed
to show mercy to you, who can take that away? If the Lord has saved you, who
can take that away? In this world, you're going to
have tribulation. Be of good cheer. He said, I've overcome
the world. Let's take about 10 minutes.