Latest revision as of 20:11, 27 May 2018

Objectives

• Congregants will identify ways in which they may doubt God.
• Congregants will recognize that Christ is God.
• Congregants will identify at least one way in which they can depend on the power of God to dispel doubt.
• Congregants will identify ways in which they can live with resurrection power.

Introduction

• Rhetorical questions to consider asking:
  • Have you ever been lost?
  • What does it feel like to be lost?
• Tell a story of being lost

Main Body

Doubt is a very real emotion for everyone. If I had to guess, I would say that most people have doubted something already this year. Perhaps you have doubted:

• A fact on the news
• A story you were told
• A coworker
• A family member

Doubt is real. Moreover, most of us have probably at some point or another doubted God. Maybe you have doubted:

• His goodness
• His provision
• His love

The fact is, doubt is real.

Main Proposition

As Christians, we need to deal with doubt by recognizing Christ as the solution to our doubt, placing Him in His rightful position, and determine to declare Christ to the world.

Setting The Stage

Disappointment

1. Jesus has just told his disciples that where he is going they cannot follow.
2. Peter, in what probably seemed like a great declaration of faith has told Jesus that he would die for him.
3. Jesus responds by telling Peter that not only will he not die for Jesus, but he will deny Jesus, not once, but three times.

Anticipation (v. 1-7)

1. Jesus literally commands his disciples, "be in control of yourself."
   1. Many translations of the text have the statement "you believe in God, believe also in me." However, the indicative may actually be better translated as an imperative that follows the earlier imperative. In other words, "Believe in God; believe also in me."

An imperative is defined as a verb mood which expresses a simple statement of fact.

An imperative is defined as a verb mood which an authoritative command it given.

1. Jesus provides a further argument. "In my Father's house are many rooms."
   1. There is room for an entire discussion of the appropriateness of the work mansions (KJV, NKJV), rooms (ESV and others) but this places the emphasis in the wrong place. The point is that Christians will dwell in the Father's house. I don't know about you, but I would be content with a closet in God's house!
2. The phrase "If I go" in verse 3 is what is called a third-class condition. This means that there is certain fulfillment, you could think of this as "since I go".
   1. Christ's departure was actually a guarantee of his return.
   2. In verse 3, we have a ινα clause. Specifically, "in order that where I am, you also may be."
3. In verse 6, Jesus responds to a very important question, "how are we able to know the way?"
   1. Jesus answers with one of the most profound "I Am" statements in scripture. "I am the way and the truth and the life."

Doubt (v. 8)

Philip correctly recognizes the magnitude of what Jesus has just said. However, Philip has a wrong view of Christ, a view that shows not just a wrong view of Jesus, but a wrong view of what it means to live as a Christian.

• We, as Christians, must make sure that our skepticism and doubt do not keep us from living for Christ in the way that He intended.
• Most of us probably do not think of ourselves as doubting Christians. Nevertheless, doubt can still have a significant effect on our walk.
• Do we live in anticipation of a Heavenly home with the Father, or do we like Philip live as if we have not seen the Father and can only hope for the eternal blessings?
• Do we live a life that demonstrates eternal consequence?

Point 1 (V 8-11)

We need to deal with doubt by recognizing that Christ provides our connection to the Sovereign of the universe.

Is Seeing Believing?

1. We believe what we see. This is such a prevalent idea in our culture that websites like youTube and Instagram are among the most popular websites in the country.
2. However, scripture tells us something different:
   1. In Hebrews 11:1 we see that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
   2. 2 Corinthians 5:7 tells us that “we walk by faith, not by sight.”
   3. In fact, in John 20:29 Christ proclaims “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

• We may live in a society where seeing is believing, but Scripture calls upon us to love differently.

Desiring to See God

1. Do you, like Philip, desire to see God? You are not alone. In fact, Moses had the same desire.
   1. In Exodus 33:18-23 Moses asks God. “Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”
2. Desiring to see God is not, in itself, inherently wrong.
   1. The problem is that we have God Himself, in Christ Jesus, revealing Himself to us.
   2. What is wrong, is desiring more than what God has chosen to provide.

Seeing God Through Christ

1. Seeing Christ = Seeing the Father
   1. In many cases of logic a interesting problem arises when you want to show that two sets (A and B) of things are equal. In order to show equality one shows that everything in set A is also in set B you first show that everything in A is also in B. You then proceed to show that everything in B is also in A. If both of these conditions are met then we say that A is equivalent to B. In short, Christ argues his equivalency to God.
2. The work that Christ has done in your salvation is evidence of God.
3. Doubt is real, but we can deal with doubt by recognizing that when we see Christ, we see God.

Point 2 (V 12-18)

We need to deal with doubt by recognizing the power of Christ working in us.

The Power of Christ

1. Verse 12
   1. The believer in Christ is not just a witness to the works of Christ but a participant in.
   2. The comparison is not between the works of Jesus and the works of the disciples. The emphasis of this periscope has been on the unity of the Father and Son and now the Son and his followers. but rather between the pre-glorification and post-glorification working of Jesus. Remember, the key phrase in verse 12 is "because I am going to the Father." As Christians we are commissioned to be part of the ministry of God through the church.
2. In verse 13 the idea of "in the name of Jesus" comes to the forefront. The word we translate as name οναμα carries more than just the idea of name, but also reputation/character. We are to ask in more than just the five letters J-E-S-U-S but rather in all that Jesus stands for, in his name, in his reputation. We are to ask in the character of Jesus. In short, we should be asking as if Jesus himself was standing beside us performing the work.

The Paraclete

1. In verse 15 Jesus gives His disciples the ultimate standard, love. Love that is profound enough that it leads to obedience. Up to this point John had really focussed on the Love of God for His people. Now John turns to the Love of Christ's people for Him. What is the result of this love?
   1. Obedience
2. In verse 16 John introduces a fairly uncommon word, παρακλητον, this word is often translated as comforter. The word only occurs five times in the entire NT all in writing from John. In fact, in all of the pre-NT Ancient Greek writing that have been preserved the term only occurs 15 times. We really do not have an English word that captures the idea of παρακλητον.
   1. The word is translated in several different ways in different versions:
      1. Comforter
      2. Advocate
      3. Counselor
      4. Helper
   2. This passage represents the first use of the word and introduces the word with the adjective αλλον which means another of the same kind.

Working in Me

1. John 14:17-18 ”the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”
   1. Note the usage of the word truth. Jesus has just said that He is the truth.
2. This entire passage builds the idea that we may not have Jesus walking beside us today. Instead we have the Paraclete working within us.
   1. In my own life I have often thought about how wonderful it would be to be able to walk with Jesus, to learn directly from Him, and to sit under the teaching of God Himself.
   2. What I often fail to apply to my life is the fact that Jesus sent something greater, the Paraclete.

Point 3 (V 19-21)

We need to deal with doubt by determining to love Christ.

The Risen Christ

1. John 14:19 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.”
   1. In 1 Cor. 15:1-9 we see that many people saw the risen Christ. However, there is no record of Christ appearing to any unbelievers. After his resurrection Christ appears to have focussed His ministry on His own.
2. John 14:20-21 "At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."
   1. One of my favorite passages of scripture is Mark 9:24. A man brings his mute son to see the disciples, the disciples were unable to heal the son and so the man brought the Son to Jesus. esus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” To struggle with faith is to be human. God understands humans and will work with us.

Conclusion

As Christians, we need to deal with doubt by recognizing Christ as the solution to our doubt, placing Him in His rightful position, and determine to declare Christ to the world.

• What does this look like?
  • You may have some very real doubts. If you are struggling with doubt then I implore you to turn fully to Christ, the God of the Universe.
  • You may have some self-doubt. If you are struggling with self-doubt then I implore you to allow the power of Christ to work on your behalf.