John chapter 14. We've read the
chapter together a moment ago and our Lord in verse 1 tells
his disciples, let not your heart be troubled. Heart trouble. All believers are subject to
it. I dare say even In the midst
of this number here this morning, there's a lot of heart trouble.
None of God's people are exempt from it. The Lord has promised
to every believer that he shall give grace and glory. Someone
once said that grace is glory in the bud, and that glory is
grace fully blossomed. And our Lord promises to everyone
without exception, every sinner who's ever tasted the grace of
God, who's ever experienced God's grace, they will likewise experience
His glory. He'll see to it. He'll see to
it. His grace will be proven sufficient
to bring them all the way to glory. I like that song. The
Lord leads His dear children along. Some through the water,
some through the flood, some through the fire, but all through
the blood. Some through great sorrow. Oh,
but, but, God gives a song. He gives songs in the night,
through the night season, and all the day long. Thank God by
His grace, He leads them along. But between the grace and the
glory, there's going to be many a tear shed. Much sorrow to endure,
heart trouble. But our Lord doesn't stop there,
does he? There's a cure, there's a remedy
for heart trouble. You go to a doctor and he'll
write you a prescription, you take it to the drugstore and
they fill it and there's instructions on the label as to how to take
it, how often to take it, take it with food or without food.
The great physician of our souls gives this prescription for heart
trouble. It's in the same verse, here
in verse 1. Here's the remedy. Believe in me. Believe me, he
says. Believe in God, believe also
in me. Trust me. There's the prescription. The best medicine for heart trouble
is faith in God and faith in his Christ. In verse 2 he says,
in my father's house are many mansions. If it were not so,
I would have told you. If this wasn't true, I wouldn't
be saying it, Christ says. And I go. The reason I'm leaving
you for a time, not permanently, but for a time, is I'm going
to prepare a place for you. Christ says, I'm telling you
things I know. He's like a man standing on a
mountain and looking out down on a valley. And he's telling
those behind him things that he sees, things that he's looking
at. And he describes them with a
certain assurance, doesn't he? He speaks so matter-of-factly. He's been there, Mike. He's been
there. He said, I came from the Father,
and I'm going back to the Father. And I'm telling you things I
know. He tells them why he's going
away and that he's coming again. He tells them that he's going
to the father's house. After he was risen again from
the dead, he appeared to Mary Magdalene and he said, go tell
my brethren, go tell my brethren, This is the message from their
elder brother. You go tell my brethren that
I ascend to my father and their father. And I'm ascending to
my God and their God. Everything we need will be in
our father's house, will it not? We have such sweet memories of
the father's house. When we were children at home,
I mean, I never once remember lying down in bed, and I had
four brothers and four sisters. I mean, it took some work for
my dad to meet our needs. It took some stretching of the
dollar for my mom to do as well. But I never remember lying in
bed weary. wondering. I never remember as
a child pacing the floor, I wonder if there'll be food on the table
in the morning. No, you didn't think that way, did you? That's
my parents' responsibility. I trusted them. They'll take
care of that, and they did. And our Heavenly Father in the
Father's house, everything we need, we'll find there. There
won't be nothing lacking. In the Father's house we'll be
fully protected and we'll be welcomed there. We're expected
there. We're expected there. Welcome,
we're told, our Lord taught. Welcome to the joy prepared for
you. We've expected you from the foundation
of the world. Let me read you, I thought this
was a good quote by John Calvin. He said, seeing that a pallet
steers the ship in which we sail, who will never allow us to perish,
the great shepherd said, my sheep will never perish. Why? Because they're in my hand. They're
in my hand. Oh, the hand of omnipotence,
the hand of the sovereign ruler of the universe. Oh, he'll hold
to my hand. He'll hold to my hand, none can
pluck them out, who will never allow us to perish even in the
midst of shipwrecks. There is no reason why our minds
should be overwhelmed with fear and overcome with weariness. Let not your heart be troubled. Let me show you a very practical
example of that. Turn back if you will or rather
turn over to Acts chapter 23. As Paul told the Ephesian elders,
he was on his way to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that should
befall him there, only that bonds and afflictions were waiting
for him. And that's exactly what he found
when he got to Jerusalem. He's no sooner there than he's
arrested. He's sitting in that cell, in
Jerusalem and God appears to him. God speaks to him in verse
11 of Acts 23. And the night following, after
his arrest, the Lord stood by him and said, Be of good cheer,
Paul. Let not your heart be troubled.
For as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou
bear witness also at Rome. Now turn over a few pages to
Acts chapter 27. Acts chapter 27. Paul was now on board ship heading
to Rome. You must bear witness of me at
Rome. But he goes as a prisoner on
this ship. And while they're sailing a great
storm comes up. Verse 18 of Acts 27. And we being
exceedingly tossed with tempest, the next day they lightened the
ship. And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling
of the ship. And when neither sun nor stars
in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all
hope that we should be saved was taken away. But after long
abstinence, Paul stood forth in the midst of them and said,
sirs, you should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed
from Crete, and to have gained this harm and lost. But look
what he goes on to say. Now I exhort you to be of good
cheer. Don't let your heart be troubled.
For there shall be no loss of any man's life among you but
for the ship. For there stood by me this night
the angel of God, God whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear
not. Fear not, Paul. Thou must. Thou must be brought before Caesar. And no storm can stop it. Nothing can stop it. God has
willed that you appear before Caesar. God has purposed it.
And what God Almighty purposed, He's able to perform. Everything
that God's promised, He's able to bring to pass. You must be
brought before Caesar and lo, God has given thee all them that
sail with thee. And look what Paul says. Can
you imagine the calming effect it must have had on these stressed
sailors? When Paul stands calmly before
them and says, don't worry, don't be afraid. Verse 25, Paul says,
wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer, for I believe God. I believe
God. All for grace to trust Him more.
We've seen that on occasion, don't we? It's so sweet to trust
in Jesus and indeed it is. In all for grace to trust Him
more. We don't always trust Him like
we should. But that doesn't change the fact
that he merits all of our trust. He's trustworthy, is he not?
Sirs, be of good cheer, for I believe God that it shall be even as
it was told me. It will be exactly as it was
told me. Our Lord again in John 14 verse
2 says, In my father's house are many
mansions. If it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And it shall be even as it was
told. God's word has never returned
void. Not one time. Turn if you will
and we'll come back to our text. Isaiah. Isaiah chapter 46. Oh, these are some sweet promises.
Familiar scriptures, I know. But this is the word of God to
all his people. Isaiah chapter 46, verse 9. Remember,
remember, the former things of old, for I am God. I'm God. Oh, that should comfort, that
fact alone should comfort us. I'm God. Our God's in heaven. He has done whatsoever He has
pleased. I am God and there is none else. I'm God and there's none like
me. There's none greater. There's
none mightier. There's none wiser. I'm God. Declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying,
my counsel shall stand. John, you made mention of that
this morning in your lesson. Being told that God wants to. God tries to. When I hear men
talk that way, I think, no, no, no, no, no. That's not the God
of Scripture. God doesn't describe himself
that way. He says, my counsel shall stand
and I will do. I will do all my pleasure. Oh, God, give me grace to believe
that. If that's so, if that's so, it
must be. It has to be. How could it not
be? Well with my soul, by Him. Not
if I'm in the hands of my faithful and good shepherd. Turn over,
if you will, to Isaiah chapter 51. Isaiah chapter 51. Verse
11. Therefore the redeemed of the
Lord shall return and come with singing unto Zion and everlasting
joy shall be upon their head They shall obtain gladness and
joy, and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. I, even I, am
he that comforteth you. Who art thou that thou shouldst
be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which
shall be made as grass? And forgetest the Lord thy Maker."
One more here in Isaiah, chapter 55. Chapter 55. Again, our God is speaking and
he says, so shall my word be, verse 11, so shall my word be
that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void,
but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall
prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. My word shall never
be void, God says, void, that is, useless, without purpose
or effect. And our Lord said, I go to prepare
a place for you, and he did. He says, I will come again, and
he will. Neither shall ever be proven
void. And he says to you and I, believe
what I'm telling you. Has his word ever been void? Any promise of His ever been
proven void? His purpose ever been without
effect? Not been accomplished? Every
time the Master spoke, it was done. His Word, His will accomplished
His purpose. Let's look at just a couple of
these. Look back, if you will, in Mark's Gospel, Chapter 1.
Mark chapter 1. Our Lord speaks and it's done. He's the master of the sea. I
mean there is never a storm and I'm speaking of storms in your
life. There will never be a time that you'll be on a sea so troubled,
so tossed, that the master of that sea cannot stand and say,
peace be still, and produce by his word and will a great calm
in your soul. Has he not done it again and
again? Has he not proven it to you? Here in Mark chapter 1,
his word affects the cure. Verse 40 of Mark 1. And there
came a leper to him. Ooh, a leper. Oh, what a loathsome
creature. What a sad sight. An outcast,
condemned under the law, unclean, beseeching him. Can you picture
this? He bent at the priest, and the
priest said, You're unclean. You're an outcast. The law can
only expose our sin. prove everyone guilty before
God and shut every mouth, but it can do nothing to cure, only
to condemn. There came a leper to him, that
is to Christ, and beseeching him, and kneeling down to him,
and saying unto him, if you will, it's your will that'll do it.
It's your will that will affect the cure. It's your will that
gets the job done. If you're willing, if you're
willing, if you will, you can make me clean. And you know as
well as I, that's a picture of what we are by nature. Unclean,
undone, pronounced guilty by God's law, a debt that we cannot
pay. If you will. Remember that? Remember
that? When God had brought you to that
place, had stripped you, had gotten you lost, and as nothing,
I am nothing, I can do nothing, except bow down before him and
say, it's all up to you. It's all up to you. If I'm saved,
it's not my will that'll get the job done, it's your will. If my sins are forgiven, it's
your will that must do it, not mine. If you will, can you imagine
the urgency in the voice of this poor leper when he says, if you
will, kneeling before the Lord. If you will, you can make me
clean. Oh, and look at verse 41. And
Jesus moved with compassion, moved with compassion, puts forth
his hand. I wonder how long it had been
since this poor leopard had felt the touch of another's hand.
Everyone that saw him would flee from him. If they began to approach
him, he would have to warn them. I'm unclean, I'm unclean. Don't
you come near me. But the Lord, oh the touch of
the Master's hand, He reaches forth and touches that unclean
leper. And at the same time He says,
oh I'm willing, I'm willing. You ask me if I will? I will,
I will. Be thou clean. And what happened? Well, just like we've seen. Just
like we've seen. The vilest offender that truly
believes that very moment from Jesus apart and receives, verse
42, and as soon as he had spoken, immediately, that quick, the
leprosy departed from him and he was clean. Mark chapter 10, our Lord goes
through Jericho. And as he leaves, there sits
a poor blind beggar. And he hears, and he asks, what's
the commotion? What's all the noise about? And
they told him, Jesus of Nazareth is passing by. Jesus of Nazareth
is passing by again, and an old hymn comes to mind. Oh, pass
me not, O gentle Savior. Hear my humble cry. While on
others thou art calling, do not pass me by. And that blind beggar,
again, that's a picture of you and I sitting in the rags of
our sin, beggars, Jesus is passing by. Can you see Bartimaeus? Man, that's a great crowd of
people. There's a lot of noise, but there's his voice heard above
all the tumult. Jesus, thou son of David, have
mercy on me. Have mercy on me. And we read,
and Jesus stood still. Oh, my soul. Jesus stood still. Bring him to me. What do you
want? What will that I should do unto
thee? And Bartimaeus said, Lord, that
I may receive my sight. And Jesus said, go thy way. Thy
faith hath made thee whole. Simply by his word, his word
has never been void. It always accomplishes, just
as we read in Isaiah, exactly what he determined. In Mark chapter
4, he tells the disciples, let's pass over into the other side.
Oh, but there's going to be a storm come up. They're going to be
tossed about on angry ways. But the master said, let's cross
over into the other side. Oh, I don't know if I'll ever
get to heaven. If you're one of his sheep, you will. The great
shepherd's gonna see to it. Oh, but I'm such a sinner. Oh,
but he's such a savior. Oh, but I have such a depraved,
fallen nature. Oh, but his grace is so great
and so sufficient. Let us pass over into the other
side. And in the very next chapter
we read, and they came unto the other side. I go to prepare a
place for you. Don't let your heart be troubled. The reason I'm leaving you is
to do this, to prepare this place for you. And it won't be for
nothing. I'll come and receive you unto
myself that where I am, there ye may be also. Has his word
ever proven void to you? Ever proven unaffected, useless? When by his grace, He spoke to
your heart as only he can. When you were seeking his mercy,
and he whispered, come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavily
laden, and I will give you rest. Did he do it? Did he do it? Did he not speak sweet rest to
your soul? He said, him that cometh unto
me I will in no wise cast out. Did he do it? Did he not receive
you? And as he not promised, I would
never, never, never is the literal reading. Never, never. Never leave you nor forsake you. Has he ever? Has he ever one
time? Lo, I'm with you always, even
until the end of the world. And when that time comes, that
you'll be walking through the valley of the shadow of death.
When you say goodbye to the nearest relations to you, those that
love you, whether it be husband or wife or children, parents,
you have to let them go. They can go only so far. But he said, I'll be with you.
I'll be with you. I'll lead you every step of the
way. And his promise here in John
14 will never be proven void. Spurgeon said this. He said a
changeable God would be a terror to the righteous. And would it
not be? I am the Lord, I change not. Therefore, therefore, because
I change not, the sons of Jacob are not consumed. A changeable
God would be a terror to the righteous. They would have no
sure anchorage. and amid a changing world they
would be driven to and fro in a perpetual fear of shipwreck. Indeed they would. Our heart
leaps for joy as we bow before one who has never broken his
word or changed his promise. Thank God for that. Let not your
heart be troubled, our bridegroom says. It was the custom among
the Jews in that day when Everything was ready. The bridegroom himself
would go to the house of his bride to bring her home to be
with him. This is what our Lord taught
in Matthew 25. Behold, the bridegroom cometh. Samuel Rutherford said, I sometimes
wonder that ever a child of God should have a sad heart considering
considering what the Lord is preparing for them. What the
Lord is preparing for them. Heaven is sure. The way is sure,
as Christ taught here, because Jesus Christ himself has made
it sure. Verse 2 speaks of a prepared
place. Everything is ready. Everything
is ready, come and dine. Christ has redeemed his people.
He prepared heaven for them by redeeming his people, by obtaining
eternal redemption for them. When he died, he reconciled us
to God. Christ satisfied all the claims
against us, and in doing so, he prepared heaven for his people.
He has given us a right to be there. How do you like that? How's that sound to you? He's
given us a right to be there. This is what Paul's challenge
is in Romans chapter 8. He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died. Yea,
rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand
of God, who also maketh intercession for us. In Revelation chapter
22, we read these words. Blessed are they that do his
commandments, that they may have a right, have right to the tree
of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. Christ has prepared heaven for
us and us for heaven by giving us that righteousness required
to enter there. We'll never be asked, how did
you come in hither, not having on a wedding garment? All the
children of God are dressed in the very best robe. Is that not
what the prodigal's father said on the return of his son? bring
forth the best road, the best road, that road that presents
a sinner before God Almighty without a spot or a blemish or
any such thing. that brings them before God Almighty
without fault before the throne of God. That's what the scriptures
teach. The very best road because God
made him, Christ, to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might
be made what? Righteousness. The righteousness
of God in him. Paul said, is it any wonder Paul
said in that day I want to be found in him. Because being found
in him, I'll be found not in my own righteousness, not my
own filthy rags, but I'll be found in the righteousness of
Jesus Christ himself. I saw a great multitude, John
wrote, before the throne of God, clothed with white robes. white robes, the righteousness
of Jesus Christ. Here's the result of the work
of God. God who found us like that infant
cast out to die. God passed by and said, live. God took us up in his arms. God washed us, clothed us, girded
us. And we read in Ezekiel 16, here's
the result of God's work. God did it all. And here's the
outcome of it. And I renounce forth among the
heathen for thy beauty. For thy beauty. It was perfect. With his holy garments on. Oh, did the songwriter overstep
his bounds? Did he go too far when he said,
when he wrote, with his holy garments on, as holy as God's
own son? No. No. That's what the scriptures
say. Thy beauty was perfect through
my comeliness which I put upon thee, saith the Lord. Prepared heaven. Our Lord prepared
heaven as our forerunner. Turn, if you will, to Hebrews.
Hebrews chapter 6. This is exactly what we're told
here. Hebrews chapter 6. Look at verse 19. It speaks of
our sure hope within the veil. Our sure hope before God Almighty. And it's Jesus Christ himself.
He's our hope. Verse 19, which hope we have
as an anchor for the soul, and what an anchor, both sure and
steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil. Whither
the forerunner is for us entered, for us, in our room instead,
as our representative. Even Jesus made a high priest
forever after the order of Melchizedek. Turn over, if you will, a few
pages. Here in Hebrews, chapter 9. Chapter 9. Along this same
line, the writer says, verse 24. For Christ is not entered into
the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the
true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence
of God for us. For us. Christ presents himself before
God, but he does so representing all of his people, all of his
redeemed. It's no wonder that we have an
advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous. He's there
as the first fruits. He's there representing his people.
And as our high priest with our names, not like the earthly priest,
written upon his breastplate, all our names are written upon
his heart. And he says to you and I, let
not your heart be troubled. Believe me, those that enter
heaven will not be unknown, unexpected, or unwelcome. Christ prepared
heaven for his people. Hebrews chapter 2. Are you still
in Hebrews? Look at chapter 2 for a moment. Hebrews chapter 2, verse 10. Hebrews 2 and 10. For it became him, was necessary
for him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in
bringing many sons, many unto glory, to make the captain of
their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that
sanctifyeth and they who are sanctified are all of one, for
which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren. Go tell
my brethren, saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, and
in the midst of the church will I sing praises unto thee, and
again I will put my trust in him and again behold here's the
word of our great shepherd the great shepherd of the sheep says
behold I and the children which God had given me father here
they are I've lost none the word here in John 14 mansions It means
lasting, permanent dwellings. Not like now. Now we dwell in
these tabernacles of clay, these tents. They're only temporary.
They'll soon be put aside. And that's exactly what we read
in 2 Corinthians chapter 4. 2 Corinthians 4. We read these words. Verse 16. For which cause we faint not,
But though our outward man perish, do what you can, he's perishing.
Yet, yet, the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction,
which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and
eternal weight of glory. While we look not at the things
which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things
which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not
seen are eternal. For we know If our earthly house
of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a
house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For this we groan,
earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is
from heaven. If so be that being clothed, we shall not be found
naked. For we that are in this tabernacle
do groan, being burdened for that we would be, not that we
would be unclothed, but clothed upon that mortality might be
swallowed up of life. And notice our Lord doesn't only
say mansions. He says in my father's house
are many mansions. We read in scripture his blood
was shed for many to bring many sons to glory. He's the firstborn
among many brethren. Isaiah said, My righteous servant
shall justify many, for he bear the sins of many, and all the
many shall be with him in glory. To say otherwise, to say otherwise
is to say that Christ failed. And God said concerning his righteous
servant, Jehovah's righteous servant, God said concerning
him, He shall not fail. Behold my servant, in whom my
soul delighteth, God says. He shall not fail. And bless
God, he didn't. He did not fail. He did not shed
his blood in vain. And Christ says secondly here
in John 14, I am the way. I am the way. Christ didn't say
I show you the way or I point you the way. But he said, I am
the way. I am the way. In the same sense
that Simeon taking in his arms the babe Christ Jesus and holding
him and looking at him said, Lord, I'm ready to die. Let me
depart because I've seen your salvation. In the same sense,
Christ says, I am the way. I am the way. No man cometh unto
the Father but by me. He said, all that the Father
giveth me shall come to me. They'll follow me. They'll follow
the great shepherd of the sheep in life and in death and all
the way to glory. Knowing me, Christ says, you
know the way. In Revelation chapter 4, John
said, behold, a door was opened in heaven. Imagine that, a door. One door was opened in heaven. a way by which sinners can approach
God, a way to glory, a way into the Father's house. And Christ
said in John 10, I am the door. I am the door. No man comes under
the Father except by me. Old Matthew Henry said, he whose
head is in heaven, and Christ is our head, he whose head is
in heaven need not fear to put his feet into the grave. And
last of all, these blessed promises are sure because Jesus Christ
said so. I go to prepare a place for you. I will come again. I will come
again. And I will receive you unto myself
that where I am there ye may be also. Behold, our bridegroom
cometh. He says, I will receive you not
just to heaven, but to myself. I will receive you to myself. Father, he prayed shortly after
this, I will also that all those whom thou hast given me be with
me. What's heaven? It's to be with
Christ. What's heaven? Oh, that will be glory for me,
to see him who loved me and gave himself for me. They shall see
his face. That time is coming when we shall
be forever with the Lord, when we leave this temporal dwelling
for our eternal home, when we all are with the Lord Jesus Christ
in our Father's house. Let not your heart be troubled.
Believe me. Trust me, Jesus says. In Christ we are as secure as
everlasting power and wisdom and love can make us. That's
worth repeating. In Christ Jesus we're as secure
as everlasting power and wisdom and love can make us. That being
so, oh God give us grace that let not our hearts be troubled. God bless you. Thank you for
your attention.