Sermon Extras

SERMON NOTES

The Upper Room- Hopeful In Heart- John 14:1-14 

REVIEW: “What are the marks of an upper room disciple?” 1)Humble in Service 2) Honest about sin 3) Healthy in Community 

INTRO> It is the early 1950’s and Billy Graham is holding his first ever crusade in London. It was planned to only be a week and turned into 12 weeks! It was literally a historical event. It even got him a meeting with the Queen! But not only the Queen, also the Queens prime minister, Winston Churchill. Billy never told this story until after Winston had passed away. ** Read the story on separate sheet of Paper

CONTEXT> You see the hope that Billy Graham offered Winston Churchill that day is the SAME hope that Jesus speaks of in our passage today! Do you see the very first words in v1 “Let not your hearts be troubled…” that word troubled is a huge word in the original language. It means “to agitate, trouble, disturb, to be disturbed, terrified, confused; to be stirred up…” 

APP> Can I just ask you today.. “What is troubling your heart today?” There are so many things that weigh our hearts down, just like Mr. Churchill. But Jesus says that we don’t need to worry or be troubled… why? 

Big Idea> Upper Room disciples are hopeful in heart because our home is in heaven. 

Hope is not: 

• a wishful maybe. 
• a cheesy motivation. 
• a magic medicine. 

APP> Hope is the confident expectation that what God has said will happen. So… that begs the question… what has God said? Well I think there are 6 things that Jesus tells us in these verses that give us hope… 

1. We have hope when we believe in Jesus. v1 

• ““Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. John 13:1 The translation is sort of clunky.. what he is saying is “you already believe in God so you should believe in me.” 

APP> The reality is this, You can either trust in yourself or you can trust in Jesus. 

2) We have hope because Jesus has great plans for our future. v2

• “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” John 13:2 This is one of the most astonishing of Jesus teaching. He is teaching about the kingdom of God… heaven! Think about this…. If God made the universe in 7 days… but Jesus says that he is preparing a place for us… how incredible will it be?

APP> We can face suffering because we know our future. 

3) We have hope because Jesus is coming back for us. v3

• “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” John 13:3 

4) We have hope because Jesus has opened the way to God. v5-6

• “Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 13:5-6

APP> It should not be shocking that there is only one way to God. What should be shocking is that there is even a way to God!

APP> The Gospel is offensive not in who it excludes but in who it lets in! 

5) We have hope because God is like Jesus. v7-11

• “7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.” John 14:7-11 

APP> The reason why it is so important to regular read and study the Gospels is because when we see Jesus interact with people we can say, “See, God is like that!”

6) We have hope because Jesus will do even greater things through us. v12

• “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12

APP> The story line of the Bible is: God for us, God with us, God in us and God through us. 

APP> The question is not about our abilities but about our avalibilities! 

7) We have hope because Jesus answers our prayers. v13-14

• “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” John 14:13-14

*ILL> Have you ever had to have something notarized? 

APP> God is more willing to answer our prayer than we are to ask! 

Big Idea> Upper Room disciples are hopeful in heart because our home is in heaven. 

ILL> There was a pastor who use to pray to God about his problem, then he started praying to his problems about his God!