Live Ready #1 – Jesus Has Overcome the World
John 16:28-33 – Victory Fellowship
April 25, 2021 - Rev. Roderick Grabski
Healing Service
I. Introduction: Live Ready Series
a. We were never promised a life without pain, suffering, tragedy or trials. We will all experience hard times while we exist on this earth. (4-part series)
i. The good news is that Jesus did promise us that he had overcome the world.
ii. We were promised that he would never leave or forsake us.
iii. Because of Jesus’ presence with us, we can live ready to face whatever life may throw at us.
iv. God gives us guidance to help us live ready and we would be wise to follow it.
II. This week, we examine what it means to know that Jesus has overcome the world, and we have God’s Peace.
a. The peace of God shines brightest in the darkness of humanity. Peace is a precious but rare commodity that many of the nations of the world are chasing after. But it is probably the most elusive one. Most countries are suffering due to the absence of it. Peace treaties, peace pacts, agreements have been signed, but where is global peace?
b. How about in our personal lives? Is there really peace in the workplace, at home, in the community, in the church, and most importantly, in our minds, and in our hearts?
c. We need the peace of God! It is readily available from the God of Peace and it can only be claimed through the Prince of Peace. This is the kind of peace that exists not in the absence of life’s troubles but amidst life’s troubles. It is not limited within the confines of emotion and reason… rather, it reaches far and beyond the borders of nations, even religions. The peace of God shines brightest amidst the darkness of humanity. Jesus has overcome the world.
III. There are days or moments in a person’s life that can be labeled “the darkest valleys”, when a chance for peace is extremely remote:
a. Here are 3 examples:
i. 1. When Your Dreams are Unfulfilled.
ii. 2. When Your Situations are Unpleasant.
iii. 3. When Your Future is Uncertain.
b. It is during these darkest moments of our life that we need God’s peace the most.
IV. 1. When Your Dreams are Unfulfilled
v.32 … you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will LEAVE ME all alone.
a. The disciples’ common dream was to be with each other always under the visible leadership of their Lord Jesus. With this man Jesus, who is evidently a prophet from God, everything is in proper place. Jesus, son of a carpenter, had all the answers to peaceful, though simple, life – food, healing, humane rules for daily living, name it, Jesus has it. They wanted to escape the oppressive dominion of the Roman Empire.
b. We all have dreams but not all of us had our dreams fulfilled. There are a thousand causes to that but I can generalize into two categories.
i. There are Frustrations that the World Caused.
Daily we see on our television screens scenes of natural calamity, accidents, even global economic recession, and the like. There are events in our lives that are out of our control. And when they occur, there is nothing we can say or do. These leave us with our dreams unfulfilled, and open up the door of our hearts and minds for fear and worry to creep in.
ii. There are Failures that We Created.
We create our own and we see celebrities in the limelight. The rich, the famous, and most envied and honored. National leaders, highly respected lawmakers, leaders of mega churches and religious groups and other social organizations crumble to the dumps on the ground of self-induced failures. Man-made failures. Then guilt and depression creep in.
c. God’s Peace Calls us to be Careful in the Darkness of Unfulfilled Dreams. Jesus has overcome the world
V. 2. When Your Situations are Unpleasant
v.33 …In this world you will have TROUBLE.
a. Don’t ever think that being saved by God’s grace, in Christ, is a life full free of troubles – on the contrary, it is full of troubles. There are two categories of reasons to our troubles:
i. Troubles Because of the Wrong Choices that we Make
The words of Jesus were self-explanatory, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Mat 6:33. But we often do it the opposite. We are positioned in a place of decisions, every minute of the day – It is always a choice between Self-Gratification versus the Savior’s Glory.
ii. Troubles Because of the Worldly Cares that we Chase
Jesus said, “No-one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” Mat 6:24. Most of the times our motivation for wrong choices is worldly cares. Many people are chasing that legendary “pot of gold”. It is clearly a matter of Temporal Prosperity or Eternal Destiny.
b. God’s Peace Challenges us to be Faithful in the Daylight of Unpleasant Situations. Jesus has overcome the world.
VI. 3. When Your Future is Uncertain
v.33 … But take HEART! I have overcome the world.
a. Jesus stressed to the disciples’ that their dream of staying together out of the reach of the oppressive Roman Empire would fail. He encouraged them to be of good cheer, that their future would only be secure in Him. There is a saying, “We don’t know what tomorrow holds, but we know who holds tomorrow.” When we don’t have a hint about what lies ahead, there could be two possibilities:
i. We might Doubt that something Good will happen
Often we got stuck in the sinkhole of Lack of Faith. Lack of faith confines a believer in mediocrity and unfruitfulness. This is one of the main setbacks of the Lord’s chosen twelve. They always saw things with their naked eyes; calculate solutions with their own reasoning. We do too, most of the times, try to solve our problems our own way, and in the end find that it only turn bad situations to worse.
ii. We might Dread that something Bad will happen
This is worse than the former. Not only a mark of lack of faith but clear sign of loss of confidence. We sometimes think that we are not only helpless but hopeless. Consequently, we wallow in crushing defeat, thinking that God called us distinctively to carry the weight of the world. Spirituality doesn’t breed misery.
b. Illustration:
A story is told about a King in Africa who had a close friend who he grew up with. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) by remarking, “This is good, God Almighty knows best”
One day the King and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the King. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his friend, the King fired it and his thumb was blown off. Examining the situation the friend remarked as usual, “This is good! God Almighty knows best.” To which the King replied, “No, this is NOT good!” and ordered his soldiers to put his friend into jail.
Over a year later, the King was hunting in an area that he should have known to stay clear of. Cannibals captured the King and took him to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some firewood, set up a stake and bound him to the stake. As they came near to set fire to the firewood, they noticed that the King was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone who was less than whole. So after untying the King, they chased him out of the village.
When the King reached his Palace, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend. “You were right” the King said, “It was good that my thumb was blown off.” And he proceeded to tell his friend all that had just happened. “I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was very bad for me to do this.” “No,” his friend replied, “this is good…God Almighty knows best” “What do you mean, ‘this is good’! How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for over a year?” The King’s friend replied: “Remember that the Almighty knows best and if I had not been in jail, I would have been with you on that hunting trip. And you know, I’m whole”
c. God’s Peace causes us to be Hopeful in the Dawn of Uncertain Future. Jesus has overcome the world.
VII. Conclusion:
a. "Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
b. When we experience God’s peace, we know that Jesus has overcome the world. He has given us victory over all that afflicts and troubles us. Come for that healing.
Prayer and Anointing
Song: Cry Out To Jesus
John 16:28-33 NKJV
28 I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.” 29 His disciples said to Him, “See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech! 30 Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
