The Fear of Failure, Part 2

[0:00] Again, John chapter 14, beginning at verse 25. These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you.

[0:11] ! But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

[0:22] Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you, let not your hearts be troubled. Neither let them be afraid. Oh, we need to hear that.

[0:37] You heard me say, this is where our passage begins, you heard me say, I am going away and I will come to you. If you loved me, you would have rejoiced because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

[0:51] And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming.

[1:05] He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise.

[1:16] Let us go from here. That is the word of the Lord. Let us see God. You may be seated. Is that clock right?

[1:38] Well, point one. I thought I was going to finish this today. Oh, wow. Well, let me get to point one.

[1:50] Now, we're picking up where we left off from last time. Remember, our Lord is comforting his disciples because they are afraid that they cannot carry on his ministry without his physical presence.

[2:06] They're just afraid. From that, we're thinking about this passage from the position that we too fear failure to carry out the Lord's will in our lives, in our families, in our church, and in our world, especially today when hostilities seem to be growing.

[2:28] Disenfranchised people are lashing out. Every other week, there's something, some type of threat or shooting because of ideological differences and pain and suffering.

[2:47] You may think that you are not strong enough or have what it takes to be faithful, to be a solid Christian at a time like this because you have been called to the kingdom for such a time as this.

[3:03] It's no mistake that you're here now in America at this time. God willed it. And he wills to use you for his glory. But you must understand and remember that you have all that you need to stand in the name of Jesus.

[3:20] because he's giving you the gift of his spirit. His very own presence is with you and with us.

[3:32] So do not fear. Believe in him. And you will not give in to fear of any kind. Let's pick up.

[3:45] Verse 28. Don't fear failure for Christ is with the Father. Father. That's kind of a strange point. Jesus said it, right? You heard me say I'm going away.

[3:56] I will come to you. If you loved me you would have rejoiced because I'm going to the Father for the Father is greater than I. So he's saying you should be thinking about that. I'm going to the Father.

[4:09] First of all in that passage Jesus challenges their love for him. He had told them with joy that he was going to the Father but they were not happy for him.

[4:22] It's like your best friend coming to you and saying I'm getting married. And all you can think about is man we're not going to hang like we used to. It happened to me when my best friend came to me many years ago and he told me he was getting married.

[4:37] We were early 20s and he's getting married and I tell you the truth my first thought was dag things going to change. somebody knows what I'm talking about.

[4:51] You can't be happy for them or at least you're having trouble being happy because you're thinking about yourself. The disciples were only thinking about themselves.

[5:03] He's leaving us. Peter actually had that same kind of struggle. Do you remember in Acts I'm sorry in Matthew chapter 16 where where he he remember he he declares that this won't be on the screen he declares that Jesus is the Christ the son of the living God and Jesus says blessed are you Simon Barjona flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my father in heaven so Peter is like yeah I got revelation but then something else happened in the same passage listen to what it says verse 21 from that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed on the third day be raised Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him saying far be it from you

[6:03] Lord this shall never happen to you I think Peter was thinking the Lord was having a melancholy moment you know he was feeling maybe you know just having a moment you know do you ever have a moment we just feel down and maybe Peter thought that's what was happening to Jesus and so Peter had to stand there and pump him up he had to you know coach him up a little bit and Jesus turns wow and says some very powerful words get behind me Satan you are a hindrance by the way the word hindrance means trap you are a trap to me for you are not setting your mind on the things of God on the things of man you see Peter understood when Jesus said to them you're not thinking about me Peter understood that he says man I've been here before it's so easy because we're like that too aren't we we love Jesus we say we love Jesus but that love can go out the door if he isn't showing up the way we want at the moment or we or we think he won't show up and we gotta look out for ourselves right we gotta do and that's scary thing looking out for yourself but even more we are more concerned about our perceived needs and desires than we are about the glory of Jesus that's a great temptation because sometimes it seems in our lives that the exaltation of Jesus means we lose there are times if you keep living as a Christian there will come a time where you have to make some choices will I follow Christ and he be exalted or will I protect or will I take protect myself and keep myself from loss yeah that kind of hits me in the face a little bit it's a great temptation but Jesus going to the father was his return to glory he's telling that's what he's saying to them don't you understand

[8:26] I'm going to the father I'm going back to the majesty and glory that I laid aside that I may come and serve you don't you understand that when I go to the father I'll be at the father's right hand I'll be where I belong once again glory and by the way I represent you at the father's right hand that's what that's what they didn't understand it's like Jesus is going to the father and we can know that since the father sent the son that the father will keep the word that the son has given us he's there for you disciple of Jesus he's there for you and he's receiving what is due to him the Moravian church was a protestant mission movement that started back in the 1732 they were one of the earliest protestant mission groups and they had a slogan that makes me that chills me may the lamb that was slain receive the reward for his suffering now here's the thing they would say that as they set off to do mission work and one of their early missionary teams

[9:44] Johann Leonard and Leonard Dober and David Nishman they were going to the West Indies in 1732 listen they were prepared to sell themselves into slavery to reach the enslaved people there and as they sailed out into the ocean you can hear them saying may the lamb that was slain receive the reward for his suffering that was their motto it's gotta be ours it's gotta be ours he's gone to the father yes he's not here physically with us but he's here spiritually with us let us give ourselves not to our own comfort not to our own plans for our life but may the lamb that was slain receive the reward for his suffering Paul understood that too it is it is a passion for the glory of Jesus no matter the cost

[10:50] Acts 20 22-24 again some of my favorite passages he says and now behold I am going to Jerusalem constrained by the spirit not knowing what will happen to me there do you do you follow that not knowing what will happen to me there except this that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that means every city he's been to so far that imprisonment and afflictions await me oh but I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself if only I may finish my course in the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God he said listen now Paul did not have a death wish

[11:52] Paul was not depressed and need medication Paul was not having a bad day Paul said in comparison to the greatness and majesty of Jesus because of what he has done for me I count not my life precious to myself in light of that you see when you know you have eternal life it makes a difference in how you live today he wasn't living in fear though he knew he had faced imprisonments and beatings and he knew when he goes to Jerusalem probably more of the same is going to happen it's like he's walking into a trap what's the what's the first thing to do to defeat a trap know that it's there he knew that it was there but he knew more Jesus was there and he could just if he could just testify to be faithful to the end to testify to the gospel of the grace of God that was his desire the disciples were more concerned not with the glory of Jesus but with their physical comfort of having him physically in their presence you see

[13:19] Christ calls us to put our love of him above our comfort and above our preferences whatever those preferences are nothing compares to Jesus why why because because out of the greatest love possible he has gone to the father via the cross for us when Jesus says the father is greater than I he's not speaking ontologically he's not speaking in being for John's already told us right in John 111 and speaking of Jesus in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God all things were made by him so he wasn't saying that Jesus wasn't saying that God the father is better than me a higher being than I am no he wasn't saying that that would contradict everything he's been saying throughout this gospel no he's making it clear as he's talking about the order of!

[14:21] Jesus made himself a little lower than the angels Jesus humbled himself but when he returns to the glory he returns to the full majesty on high and we look to him we look to God in human flesh representing our human flesh before the ancient of days no my brothers and sisters Jesus is God and is very God of very God and he's gone to the father because his mission has been accomplished for you second thing one more don't fear failure for Christ knows all things including your future so trust him verse 29 I mean the disciples really are not getting this now listen you gotta understand something and I said this before but you gotta remember they didn't really understand who Jesus was just like today people talk about

[15:23] Jesus all the time and they say he was a great teacher a great this a great that great prophet whatever but they really don't understand who Jesus is the disciples were in that boat he said I told you this before it takes place verse!

[15:47] he's telling them that yes my spirit is going to come to you my presence will be not only with you but in you and that's better for you than me being here right now we already saw that but he's reminding them of that and he wants them to know so that when the day of Pentecost actually comes and the spirit is poured out upon them and they are blown away by the presence and power of Jesus in them then they will go Andrew this is what Jesus said was going to happen he's with us we're not alone in all of this we can stand we can go forth we can go forth now listen Jesus said these things he's speaking as God isn't he he's speaking words that only God could know he's talking about the near future but still the future reminds me of

[16:50] Isaiah 46 where God is speaking remember this and stand firm recall it to mind you transgressors remember the former things of old for I am God there is no other I am God and there is none like me declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done saying my counsel shall stand and I will accomplish all my purpose only God can declare the end from the beginning because he's ordained it nothing can take place unless God ordains it our confession makes that point doesn't it that God has ordained all things that come to pass nothing happens and Jesus speaking as God is telling them what the future is going to hold for them he does it later as well but here he's talking specifically about the coming of the spirit they needed to know that because it wasn't going to look too good in a minute this is

[18:01] Thursday night Fridays are coming it's Thursday night and later in that evening Jesus will be arrested they'll come for him they'll arrest him they'll take him away they'll kangaroo trial him and then they'll beat him and torture him a little bit and parade him around before the Roman authorities and then beat him some more and finally crucify him listen he's letting the disciples know before it all happens so they will believe so that when it does happen they will say didn't he tell us this was going to happen and remember on the road to Emmaus when the disciples we don't know who they were exactly they're walking Jesus comes up beside them they don't know it's Jesus and they're all depressed and down and oh man the movement is over the movement is done man we're done what are we going to do Jesus is God and he says you slow of heart not to believe all that the scriptures have said did not the scriptures say that the

[19:09] Christ must suffer and rise again and then it says from all of the Old Testament he began to preach himself to them you see they were down and depressed and they didn't believe it even when he shows up and tells them they still not clear but Jesus speaks of the future so that faith and his disciples might be kindled might be strengthened that's why it's good for you to read the Old Testament because in the Old Testament it speaks of him to come and he comes and you can see the connection between Isaiah 53 and the Psalms and you can see the connection Moses said God will raise up a prophet like me you can see in Jesus the fulfillment of those things you can say what God wrote that how many thousand years ago and it came true it's for your faith to be built!

[20:12] up! Because we need that we need our faith to be strengthened but our faith is best strengthened by the word of God and by in particular in this case by prophecy God is 100% accurate not like Nostradamus or whoever you are thinking about God is always accurate 100% he says it and it will come well I'll end with this last point and we'll call it a day don't feel failure as a disciple for Christ because he has defeated the devil I love verse 30 I will no longer talk much with you for the ruler of this world is coming he has no claim on me but I do as the father has commanded me so that the world may know that

[21:14] I love the father rise let us go from here listen he's talking the ruler of the world that's coming is the devil he's he's talking about the fact that Judas even now is leading a band of soldiers to arrest him that will be when the forces of darkness are at the epic high they are in total control the devil and his forces think we've got him this is it we've finally got him and Jesus says don't worry he's coming but he has no claim on me what does that mean he has no claim on me it means that Jesus is not a sinner Jesus never did anything wrong never even thought anything wrong never desired anything wrong he was totally perfect you see the devil had no claim on him because he was sinless but we have a problem because he does have a claim on us because we are sinners but if you are in Christ hallelujah if the spirit of him who lives in you the spirit of the risen one lives in you if you've been born again that means you're spiritually alive now so that you believe

[22:38] God you see God you want Jesus and you will follow him to the ends of the earth because you're alive now he has no claim on you either you are in Christ Jesus lived the perfect life for you family that's important because it means that when you fall the father says hold it he looks at the son and says is he one of yours yes okay he's okay pick him up get him up I know he fell he missed it he did a David on me oh my goodness David man y'all don't understand David sin if you don't just I mean maybe you do but it's just amazingly bad by the way and this is a man of God man of God but a moment of weakness adultery cover up and murder like a soap opera and yet

[23:51] God said he was a man after my own heart because what happened when David was confronted with his sin by Nathan the prophet who was terrified by the way Nathan didn't want to die so he gives this story to David so David would incriminate himself he tells him a story and David says hold it what that guy that guy who did that horrible thing we should bump him off he needs to be executed and then Nathan says but it's you you the man you did it at that point he could have called the guards and pointed at Nathan and it would have been done but he didn't you see listen David's sins were covered under the blood of Christ who had not even died yet the Old Testament saints are saved by the blood of

[24:52] Christ even as the New Testament saints are they were looking for it we're looking back and so David fell horribly yet the Lord did not leave him in the dust and the dirt and he picked him up because Christ is risen from the dead that's your story he has no claim on you when you miss it and you do when you mess up and you do when it's intentional and unintentional yep yep because you are in Jesus because Jesus is the center of your joy and you mess up yeah sometimes you get caught up in your idol you get caught up in the worship of the world you get caught up in stuff that's why repentance is a way of life not one time Luther was trying to tell us that but when you are convicted by the spirit and you realize you've done evil against the Lord you fall on your face and you can know you can know the devil has no claim on you when you close your eyes he has no claim on you

[26:00] Jesus rose for you ascended for you opposition will come to the gospel we don't fear the devil we don't fear those that are used by him either stand for Christ take your stand on the truth of the gospel it's not popular it's even less popular now than it was when I was a kid and you can see that people don't like your ideology they will cancel you or hurt you in some way they'll do something but listen do not fear speak the truth of the Lord with love with gentleness and respect don't get knocked off because you're obnoxious don't let them come after

[27:04] I said Lord please don't let me don't let me get cancelled and knocked over because I'm obnoxious let it be because of Jesus and yeah it could happen but fear not do not fear you will not fail trust in him who triumphed trust in him who obeyed the father showed his love for the father by going to the cross follow Jesus the safest place in a storm is with Jesus father may your word live in us deliver us from our fears of failure or in our thinking of letting you down so oh God deliver us from such thoughts we can't let you down you know what we're going to do before we do it you know how weak we are you know we are but flesh we are but dust but thank you that

[28:15] Jesus loved this dust and exalted this dust that we too are seated with Christ even now spiritually speaking we are seated with your son at your right hand oh Lord thank you may we walk in the victory that Christ has won for us may we live in his strength and his light that he may be glorified in Jesus name amen amen Thank you.