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- Jesus said, “In a little while… your sorrow will turn to joy.”
- Do this, he says, and you will receive a joy that no-one can take from you.
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Sermon Outline - Do This… so that Your Joy may be Full
Goal:
That we will receive the kind of joy that Jesus is talking about:
joy that is complete, that no one can take from us.
Plan for today
- A bird’s eye view of the passage
- The Key New Revelation from Jesus
- From Sorrow to Joy
Structure of John
1–12
”Book of Signs” |
13–21
”Book of Glory” |
John 13–21 “Book of Glory”
13 A meal with the disciples
14–17 New Teaching
from Jesus
to the disciples |
18–20 Arrest
Crucifixion
Resurrection |
21 A meal with the disciples
Last 6 weeks:
- Jesus —The God who will Wash your Feet and
Love you to the End
- The care, empathy and unselfishness of Jesus, and that
the Father is just like Jesus
- An invitation to step into
the same love as is between Jesus & the Father
- You can only live this new life
by being connected with the vine
- How are we connected?
by stepping out in obedience to the prompting of Jesus
which nurtures this new life and lets it grow
- Promise of the Spirit of Truth
We’re actually better off than the disciples because of the Spirit
1. A bird’s eye view of the passage
- “In a little while…”
- Disciples are confused, “In a little while” ?
- Picture language: like a mother giving birth
- Your joy will be complete – the Father will hear your prayers
- Plain Language: I’m returning to the Father, and he loves you!
- Disciples no longer confused
- “A time is coming… but take courage—I have conquered the world!”
- Something in the middle changed everything for the disciples, amd moved them from confusion to hope, and then later to joy.
1. A Bird’s Eye View of the Passage
2. The Key New Revelation from Jesus
- There are seasons of sorrow in our lives, but they will pass “in a little while”
- The joy that comes afterwards will make us forget the sorrow
- …I tell you the truth, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.
- …Ask and you will receive it, so that your joy may be complete.
- …For the Father himself loves you dearly, because you have dearly loved me
- The big question: what does this mean in practice?
Similar verses from John
John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you
and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit
and that your fruit should abide,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name,
he may give it to you.
1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him,
that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
- My last point will be some practical suggestions
In Jesus’ Name
- Authority: e.g. “By virtue of the powers vested in me by the Marriage Act and the Province of Ontario, I do hereby pronounce you married”
- To honour the name: e.g. 1,800 poems of Emily Dickinson, only discovered after her death & published by sister Lavina
- According to plans and will: e.g. In the name of the new drive for workplace safety, you must close until you have made the changes
Checklist
- ☑ Is this for selfish reasons or for Jesus?
- ☑ Would this lift up Jesus’ name if it were answered?
- ☐ Has Jesus revealed that he wants me to pray this kind of prayer?
- ☐ Is the Spirit specifically leading me to pray for this because God has willed it?
So Pray!!
- Jesus wants you to have joy from answered prayer
- None of our prayers are perfect, but if you don’t pray you won’t have this joy
- The simplest test is “does Jesus name get lifted up if this prayer is answered”
- I Pray that each one of us
- pray more this week
- have the joy of seeing our prayers answered
- and are able to lift up your name because of the answers
- Is that a good prayer?
☑ Is this for selfish reasons or for Jesus?
☑ Would this lift up Jesus’ name if it were answered?
☑ Has Jesus revealed that he wants me to pray this kind of prayer?
Updated on 2020-04-21 by Andrew Fountain
