[0:00] Our gracious and eternal God, as we come now to Your Word, we seek Your help and guidance and are reminded of our own weakness. But we know in that weakness that You can make us strong.
[0:16] That is our desire tonight, that each one of us would know that strength from You, that You would be present here with us, teach us, speak to us, and enable us to respond to You.
[0:28] In Jesus' name we ask. Amen. John's Gospel, chapter 14. Now, for those of you who were here this morning, I'm sure you don't need any second guess as to my text. And I don't intend to continue on the theme of the tribulations and the toils and the trials and the blessings.
[0:56] But I want to take a different tact on verse 1 of the passage we read. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Golden words of the Lord Jesus Christ, written and spoken so many years ago.
[1:16] When night had fallen on Jerusalem with swiftness, Jesus is here found in the room of a friend's house.
[1:29] Jesus is here found in the room of a friend's house. Jesus is here found in the room of a friend's house. Jesus here partakes with His disciples, the Passover supper. It is here Judas goes off on his mission of darkness.
[1:49] Jesus is here found in the room of a friend's house. Quietly now, but with a distinct intensity of emotion, Jesus addresses His disciples and tells them that He's about to leave them.
[2:05] And He's going to a place where they cannot go. They cannot come. You cannot come, He tells them.
[2:16] Jesus is here, Jesus is here. And if you look back in chapter 13, the previous chapter of verse 33, He also addresses the people there, My children, I will be with you a little longer.
[2:29] You will look for me. And just as I told the Jews, so I will tell you now where I am going, you cannot come. Jesus is not due to travel down some dusty highway. Jesus is not due to go on some vacation.
[2:55] Before the next sunset, Jesus will lie in a tomb. And I think it's worthy in the introduction here to realize Jesus knows this. For each one of us to be aware that Jesus knew exactly what was happening. And yet, here we find Jesus with that knowledge. He has His face set resolutely on Jerusalem. And what's He doing?
[3:33] He's doing comforting those around Him. The Lord Jesus knows He's about to endure the flagellum, the whip, with the pieces of bone and metal in the thongs. He knows He's to endure the pain of the cross. And yet, His concentration is to comfort those around Him. He's displaying this extraordinary compassion, just as He did at the beginning of His ministry. Jesus saw the lost as sheep without a shepherd, we're told.
[4:21] Knowing all the pain, knowing all the suffering, knowing that ultimately He was to die, He turns and He says, Do not let your hearts be troubled. How extraordinary that the Lord Jesus can put His crushing thoughts and sorrows to one side and think of those around Him, His disciples. You know how it is, and we touched on it this morning, if we have something the matter with us. If something has gone wrong, we suddenly become preoccupied with ourselves. We point the finger here. It's me, me, my problems.
[5:09] It becomes more and more difficult to think of the needs of others, and it's something we are needing to remind ourselves, because as we are out in that world around us, there are lots of needy people.
[5:24] There is a lot of ignorance about us. And for those of us who have been blessed from a young age to be brought up in a Christian home and a Christian family, and ultimately have been given that great gift of salvation, realizing our need of the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we should be out there telling people about it. I recently had a pupil in my Lerner car and very forcibly let me know that she was lesbian, and I felt quite threatened about the whole thing because there was no reason for this to come up.
[6:05] And I know I stand on sticky ground, but I'm big enough to carry it. I just found it almost to the extent that, well, you can go and find another instructor.
[6:19] And then I thought, well, no, there's reasons for this. And she was a moral pupil as far as driving skills went. Great, very responsive to tuition.
[6:31] And I decided one evening on the opportunity arising to share with her a verse from Scripture on what she had told me. And I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was, when she burst out crying and told me that she was a backslider. And I thought to myself, well, you know, I was about to throw away an opportunity God had presented me. And I'm glad to say she's left Inverness in one sense, she's back home with her parents, and she's back in fellowship in a brethren hall in Ireland. I don't say that in any way boasting. All I'm saying is for us to be ready to seize that moment of opportunity.
[7:23] Do not let your hearts be troubled. I'm digressing a bit. Jesus did not wish any of his beloved to suffer in their own hearts. And it may be in providence God is here tonight, and there's someone here present or listening.
[7:45] And God is speaking to you regarding your disappointment, regarding your suffering of some disappointment. You've had some kind of difficult decision to confront or address. The consequences inevitably follow.
[8:08] It may be that some illness has been discovered for you or someone loved by you, and you have recently lost someone. And you have recently lost someone. Jesus says to you, as He says to me, do not let your heart be troubled.
[8:27] That word troubled, and I'm not here claiming to be any Greek scholar in the presence of some ministers. I maybe find myself a bit threatened by it. But that word troubled, from what I can establish, it's an interesting word. In our modern-day dictionaries, we find its meanings given as an anxiousness, concerned, bothered, worried, disturbed, and an uneasiness. But I understand the original for this word troubled is relating to water, an agitation of water. You might think of a river that flows down over a rock, causing a torrent into the pool below, and the subsequent agitation and disturbance of that water. There is a wavering, a swirling, an agitation of the water, even froth being created as a result. We all know something of such an agitation, something of in our own personal lives, what it is to be agitated in our souls. But truly encouraging thing for you and I is, the Lord Jesus knows that agitation. We've got evidence of it in the Bible.
[10:00] In John chapter 13 at verse 21, we find, after he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit, and so on. That word comes up again in Matthew 26, He was agitated, He was disturbed, that is Jesus. And surely that should encourage us tonight, that our Master, our Savior, knows that experience.
[10:37] Now, I don't know what exactly is in your heart and your thoughts tonight. You don't really know what's in my heart and thoughts tonight. But this, I'm happy and confident with God's authority that Jesus Himself says to you and I, do not let your heart be troubled.
[11:02] I often ask myself the question, why do I cause myself so much unnecessary stress? I believe in one. I trust in one who said He will come back and take me to be with Him.
[11:21] I trust in one. I trust in one. You trust in Him. And you look forward to His coming back. Here we find then the suffering shepherd facing the cross, knowing the horrendous suffering that He's about to undertake. And He's got these words of comfort for us over all these years, years down the line. How will the Lord Jesus comfort you and I tonight? Let us look at what He goes on to say.
[11:57] Let us look together as He goes on. He says, trust in God. Trust also in me. Here is the ancient remedy, surely, to the question I asked. Why are we so troubled?
[12:14] Why are we so distressed? I say to myself, is my trust what it should be? Is your trust what it should be?
[12:28] He would have us trust in God the Father, our Creator. He would have us trust, Jesus would have us trust in God the Son, our Redeemer. And if you look through this chapter before us, you will find this same trust, this believe coming up time and again.
[12:54] It's being emphasized. Believe on. Believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves, Jesus tells us. Trust and believe. Trust and believe. Now, if we are to know the comfort of the Lord in our times of stress and agitation and worry, tonight, let me emphasize, the remedy is belief. The remedy is trust. Short word. The New Testament does not begin with the Acts of the Apostles.
[13:33] The New Testament begins with the Old Testament. Mark chapter 1. The beginning of the Gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. That's the beginning of the Gospel. This is where the beginning of the Christian experience begins.
[13:57] The good news. The good news. The good news. Where people are saved through grace alone, by faith alone, in Christ alone.
[14:09] Three alones. Grace alone, faith alone, in Christ alone. And the beginning of the Christian experience does not not begin through any acts done by me or you. It doesn't. No achievement of ours will ever enable us enter heaven.
[14:37] But it's by faith in Christ alone. I am the way, He tells us. And I wonder about ourselves. How often have we heard, perhaps even said, and I speak to everyone here tonight, from the youngest to the oldest, I'm not good enough. Good. You never will be good enough. I'm not good enough. And the implication here is that it's Jesus, that it's Jesus, and Jesus only. You never will be one day good enough. Don't delay it.
[15:22] It is only through faith. And that's where it begins. And I wonder, is there someone coming under the hearing of this word?
[15:34] This word from God? And you have not yet found Christ as your Savior tonight? And I'm speaking to the young folks too.
[15:46] You know, you will never know that peace of God in your heart. Peace that passes all understanding until that day you trust and obey.
[16:03] What about you? What about you who have trusted and believed? What about me who has trusted and believed? Perhaps a year ago. Perhaps two years ago. In my case, 33 years ago.
[16:19] The word here is in a continuing tense. We must continue to trust. And I speak to myself as much as anyone else. We must go on trusting. Day by day. Not wavering.
[16:40] But looking forward to that day when we will see our Savior face to face. I think I've said from this pulpit before, I knew a wonderful lady from a church not very far from here, Hebron, who was blind from birth.
[16:58] And I was no Christian at the time. But we had a duty then as a young police officer. We all had duties to do every morning. And one of these duties was to see the folk for the blind workshop across the main street at Union Street.
[17:17] And we had to meet them. We had to be there at 20 to 9 and remain there till 10 to 9 and see them across. And this lady who I was. And this lady who I was to meet as a sister in Christ many years later said to me, and I didn't dismiss her, but she said, you know, Bobby, she says, the first face I will see will be that of my Savior.
[17:44] These are words I have never forgotten. And I met her many years later. And I told her on how she had spoken to me.
[17:56] And she said, oh, yes, Bobby, I was praying for you. And I thought it was so nice. You know, there was almost 10 years down the line. I was praying for you. The continuing trust. God help us afresh to look at His Word, to learn from His Word, to pray sincerely, and to enjoy the worship and to enjoy the worship and the fellowship of the church, wherever God places us.
[18:33] This is something that is ongoing and once and for all trusting for salvation, the ongoing trusting for direction and encouragement and strengthening.
[18:45] Yes, there are times where we feel we feel distant. But God comes and He encourages us. And so then, as we trust the Lord, how will the Lord comfort us? How will the Lord comfort us in our times of agitation and trouble?
[19:06] What is it that Jesus says? Let's look at chapter 2. He says to us, In my Father's house are many rooms. I am going there. Jesus says that to you and I tonight.
[19:29] In my Father's house are many rooms. I am going there. Now, do you see the picture Jesus is giving us here? You may ask, well, what picture?
[19:42] Well, I would suggest to you Jesus is highlighting to us that there is a picture of a father and a son, and the son is returning to the father. Does this not strike a chord for you?
[20:02] It does for me. It does for me. It's homely. I remember in the early 70s when I first left the Isle of Skye to come to Aberdeen here to join the police.
[20:20] And yes, there was a newfound freedom to live the life of the prodigal son, in a sense. And with shame, I admit that tonight. But I always looked forward to go home.
[20:37] To be amongst those I knew. To be amongst those I loved. To be amongst those who cared.
[20:49] The city life, yes, is attractive, boys and girls, but it's got its pitfalls. Be careful. I used to love when I would be up there in Rose Mountain, Argyle Place, packing my bag, racing down to Mitchell Self Drive on Chapel Street, and paying £36 to hire a Ford Cortina for four days.
[21:16] That's all it cost. And off I would go, skybound. It was a happy home. It was a home I looked forward going to.
[21:28] It was a home that I would get disciplined in. It was a home I had to obey and abide by the rules. But it was a happy home.
[21:40] But with the greatest of respect, it wasn't a perfect home. There is no perfect home in this sinful world.
[21:54] There is no such thing as a perfect home. Because we live in a fallen world. Mums and dads, grannies and grandfathers are all good to us.
[22:06] Very good to us. But however, Jesus is going to the perfect home. He's going to this home of many rooms.
[22:19] A home without remnants of sin. And never again would our Lord and Savior be subject of the assaults of evil people around him.
[22:32] Never again would he suffer. Never again would he be subject to the love of the Father. He would be able to enjoy the fellowship and love of the Father. Jesus could say with confidence, I am going there.
[22:51] Now what is the comfort of these simple words, you may very well ask? Jesus could say he was going there because the work he had come to do on this earth was finished.
[23:06] Remember, he cried out from the cross. It is finished. He had accomplished the mission he had come on. We spoke earlier today of the cry of dereliction when he cried to his father about being abandoned.
[23:25] He cried out, why have you forsaken me? To the unanswering God who could have no reply made because of that sin that Christ was taking the punishment for.
[23:39] But then that was followed by that cry, it is finished. That's why Jesus is able to state he is going home.
[23:54] Back to the father from whom he came. Yes, we knew we could go home. And many of you here, having been studying in university or whatever, we all looked forward to going home.
[24:14] But Jesus was going home to the perfect home. And over the years since my own conversion, one thing that often perturbs me is people who lack assurance.
[24:27] And I'm not here boastfully saying, I never lack assurance. I have doubts. Yes, we all have doubts. But what about this and what about that?
[24:41] I failed. I stumbled. Wouldn't God not hold that against me? No, friend, he wouldn't hold it against you.
[24:51] Nor will he hold it against me. Because Jesus cried out, it is finished. And if you trust in Jesus tonight as your own and personal Savior, Jesus has done everything necessary.
[25:11] And for you and I to doubt is not pleasing to him. You may perhaps already know this story, but the late Reverend Willie Still from Gilcompton South Church here on Union Street, known to many of you, used to say, Jesus and his finished work on the cross dealt with the root, the fruit, and the brood.
[25:40] And I think it's quite well worth repeating. Jesus and his finished work on the cross dealt with the root, the fruit, and the brood.
[25:55] The root of the problem is our sinful nature. What we are by nature inherited at birth, Jesus has dealt with it.
[26:07] Jesus has given us the opportunity. And for those who have trusted in him, he has quickened us. He has made us alive in him, declares us righteous in himself.
[26:24] But Jesus has also dealt with the fruit that grows from that root. Our individual sins, every sin is covered by his blood.
[26:37] Do you doubt that tonight? Do you, despite all the promises of Jesus, do you carry that burden and doubt?
[26:50] Do you live with a burden of unnecessary guilt in your life? Failing to recognize that Christ has forgiven you from the fruit of the root.
[27:03] the blood of Christ covers all sin. And of course, the brute overcoming the powers of Satan and his dark forces of evil.
[27:19] Christ cried out, it is finished. I've done it, he said. Yes, the work completed. I can go home, back to the Father.
[27:31] Father. Jesus said, I am going there. Jesus continued, in my Father's house are many rooms.
[27:45] And I find that an interesting statement, many rooms. these rooms are not built to be empty.
[27:55] We may go on an outing with our families or on holidays, visit a stately home. First thing that hits you about these stately homes and castles is, apart from a guide lettering on about something or offering you something, the rooms are empty, aren't they?
[28:17] How often have you seen it? Go to Ardo, the place out beyond Ellen. I can't remember the name of it, just have been away from Aberdeen too long and it's only a year.
[28:28] But I often think about a stately house and you look through it and so many rooms lie empty. But the rooms that Jesus referred to in his Father's house, these rooms are to be filled.
[28:43] Some folks will say, yes, filled with the great saints, the great prophets, the apostles, people like Calvin, Spurgeon, Luther, but me?
[28:57] Yes, you. That's Jesus' promise, the room for you, for me. Jesus will make a room for you if you trust in Him.
[29:14] Many rooms speaks of multitudes, masses of people, ordinary people like you and I enter these rooms.
[29:26] And of course, such rooms also speak of permanence, do they not? Jesus isn't speaking of tents, he's speaking of rooms.
[29:39] Tents get blown away, rooms speak of permanence, speak of stability, many rooms. Despite what we try and make of our homes and despite the pride we may have in our homes, they're just a lodging place.
[29:57] and it maybe has taken me 62 years to realize it, having built several houses. Why? What is it at the end of the day?
[30:11] We'll leave that place behind and someone else will take it over. Out of our homes and despite what we may think of them, here we live in lodgings.
[30:25] everything is changing. No relationship, no matter how close, will last. No friendship here is permanent.
[30:38] The closest and the strongest will be severed, but not in these rooms that Jesus is preparing. We are reminded in Hebrews chapter 13, here we have no enduring city.
[30:53] that verse speaks to me with such force. We are all passing through and if you are a believer here today, we are heading to that new Jerusalem, permanence where there will be many rooms.
[31:13] and you know the other great encouragement as we look into verse 2 there again, he says to us, I am going there to prepare a place for you.
[31:29] For you. I am going there. Jesus himself tells us heaven is to be a prepared place for a prepared people.
[31:40] is that not encouraging you tonight? You and I are even being prepared now. I hope encouraged. It is also worthy of note it is Jesus himself that is preparing it.
[32:01] Jesus has prepared that place by procuring the right for you if you trust in him tonight. He is preparing it for you. As we look into this world what do we see?
[32:17] Described in scripture as a fallen world. It is a fallen world. Sin has entered it but yet despite the downpours that we experience there is beauty around us.
[32:32] It is a beautiful world as we look out in the mountains the lochs and the lakes the sun sets and the sun rises despite all its darkness and fallenness.
[32:47] Isn't it not a beautiful world? Just think for a moment who made this world? I am going to prepare a place for you Jesus said.
[33:00] He made this world. In Proverbs chapter 8 I will just read to you. Verse 27 I was there when he set the heavens in place when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep when he gave the sea its boundaries so waters would not overstep his command and when he marked out the foundations of the earth then I was the craftsman at his side.
[33:34] I was filled with delight day after day rejoicing always in his presence rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.
[33:47] What a reference. Jesus the master craftsman Jesus is going to prepare that place for us that place we call heaven in all its perfection and glory.
[34:09] I know it's not much comparison but just think as to when you were last on holiday. I confess to it every time we go I don't do much of the arrangements my good lady does I've been on the airplane and asked her where is it we're actually going that's my ignorance sometimes but what's the first thing if you're like me you look for when you arrive at your destination on holiday you go to the window of your room and you check the view yes we all do it and we look out and we see the marvelous view we see and we sit back and think yeah just perfect isn't it peaceful surroundings and you're happy well heaven does not recognize the word perfect heaven will be beyond our understanding of perfect heaven itself prepared by
[35:16] Jesus will be the very perfection of perfection and then we find in verse three and with this I'm finishing I will come back I will come back it is a blessing is it not to reflect on Jesus first coming there's no doubt it is but on his coming back what a promise what a blessing how do you feel about Jesus coming back tonight can I ask back to raise and reward his saints and take all those who belong to him to be with him forever and then if you look closely he goes on and says and take you to be with me that you also may be what I am take you to be with me the significance there in that
[36:31] Jesus Jesus is saying I'm going to take you to heaven Jesus is saying I'm going to take you to be with me that you may be where I am and I think that is very significant when Jesus says I will take you to be with me that little word four letter word with translates from the Greek pros p-r-o-s and it's interesting where else it is used in John's gospel chapter one verse one in the beginning was the word and the word was with pros God the same word God the son with the father and what does it tell us but a most intimate relationship face to face father to son son to father the perfection and
[37:57] Jesus is saying I'm going to take you to be with me I don't know how it is with you tonight but I ask you in closing do you have the promise of a room prepared by the Lord Jesus where all those who fell asleep in years gone by will be taken also by Jesus himself a home a permanent home does it attract you in this world of uncertainty a home prepared by the Lord Jesus the master craftsman a home to which he will welcome you he will take you so many people miss so much who are strangers to the grace of the
[39:01] Lord Jesus Christ and you know friend if tonight you have not yet put your trust in Jesus then this verse is not for you why because without Jesus your heart should definitely be troubled and beating a very fast beat because the Bible is very clear that the other side of the story from heaven is hell time doesn't allow me to expand it tonight but it's a fearful place we touched on it this morning and it's that place where there will be trouble and endless trouble and Jesus will turn and say to you depart from me for I know you not these are fearful words tonight you stand on mercy's ground where grace is freely available and
[40:12] Jesus says come do not let your heart be troubled let us pray our gracious and eternal God we thank you tonight that you have not left us helpless or hopeless but that you did give the Lord Jesus Christ your son as a sacrifice made for each one of us that through his death and the cross that way of salvation was opened to us and that you do invite come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden and
[41:14] I will give you rest that rest from the trouble in our hearts if we are without Christ tonight we realize that the hand of Jesus stoops down wishing us to take hold of it and our prayer is that if there is any person here present tonight who has not yet reached up to that hand of Christ that this day on the 29th of July 2012 would go down in your books as a day that they did for you will welcome us in you have prepared a room for your people who are to be with you in eternity enable us Lord to look seriously into our own lives and to take hold of that promise that you are coming back to take us to that room be with us now as we part one from the other bless us as we go to our respective homes go before us throughout the rest of this week and enable us
[42:35] Lord to remember these words do not let your heart be troubled in Jesus name amen we'll conclude our service by singing from sing psalms psalm number 118 that's on page 155 And we're going to sing verses 1 to 9.
[43:15] Oh, thank the Lord for He is good. His steadfast love endures always. Now let the house of Israel say His love will last through endless days.
[43:27] And let the house of Aaron say His love forever will endure. Let those who fear the Lord declare His love will stand forever sure. And verse 8, it's better far to trust the Lord than look for help to man's defense.
[43:44] It's better far to trust the Lord than in a prince of confidence. Psalm 118, verses 1 to 9, oh, thank the Lord for He is good.
[44:06] He is good. His steadfast love endures always.
[44:19] Now let the house of Israel say His love will last through endless days.
[44:39] And let the house of Aaron say His love forever will endure.
[44:58] And let those who fear the Lord declare His love will stand forever sure.
[45:19] I cry in anguish to the Lord.
[45:29] He answered me and set me free. The Lord is with me and not fear what harm can people do to me.
[46:00] That Lord is with me and not fear. That Lord is with me constantly. He is the one who gives me hate.
[46:20] A loving, He sarà my loving, I fear me. I Jong-un of my foot, I will not be to be afraid.
[46:40] O see. It's better far to trust the Lord Than look for help to man's defense It's better far to trust the Lord And in the grace of confidence May grace, mercy, and peace To the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit Be with each one of us From this time on and forevermore Amen