John Chapter 16:16-24

Some of us may have been nice sweet people that were going to heaven before we met with Summers for I wasn't Jesus look down at me and thought that if I see that everybody's going to know that is me and not the way God looks at us, he doesn't look at any of us go and do anything for him.

Welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee. David is the senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina, and one of the associate pastors of the bridge is DA Brown. This right here in the program tonight. Welcome to the program brother I got a question for is there anyone beyond hope in God about this is exciting. We got good news. The good news about God's word isn't just that God will save us, but he wants to change no one, no one is too far away for God impact. Jesus is in the transformation business in today's Hasidim contained in the Gospel of John chapter 16, he explains how he can change your life brother. Listlessness teaches I will see you again. John 1616 little while you will not see me again a little while, and you will see me because I go to the father for 17 and some of his disciples said among themselves, what is a study says to us a little while, and you will not see me and again a little while, and you will see me because I go to the father.

Verse 18. Then they said therefore, what is this that he says a little. We do not know anything. This is interesting because remember at this point, Jesus is. I told him like a dozen or more times what was going to happen. Describing his death describing his ascension and so yet the disciples didn't get now. Either they didn't understand or they were listening or paying attention, but I think there's probably some deeper going on and it's this receipt we look back on the desk in the burial and the resurrection with a certain perspective because we we so no, these words but understand when he was saying to the disciples what they're going to kill me, but I'm not going to stay dead was hard for them to get their minds around. But it's interesting because even as they say well we don't really understand what you're trying this say to us. Jesus didn't get man and get mad at me laughingly very patiently continues to explain to them what is going on encouraging notice when Jesus did not do. Jesus did not throw the book at Jesus did not start and yelling in doing those things yesterday what your point.

Might I suggest that if Jesus didn't do those things. But those representing Jesus should do those things to think sometimes some of the examples that we've had haven't really reinforced to God is more manners and here we see Jesus doing none of those things very patiently very lovingly teaching must continue. Verse 19 Jesus knew that they desired asking and he said to them, are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said a little while, and you will not see me again a little while, and you will see me. That is something if you go back to verse 17 assist in some of his disciples said among themselves in the verse 19 Jesus says in your requiring among yourselves something that struck me about this is that your requiring among themselves there asking each other these things while Jesus is in the room and available something strikes me about that and and here's why. Because we tend to do the same thing you God has given us his word. God desires to communicate to us when we have a question when we have an issue. What's the first thing we do we go to somebody else go to person. There's a time and and certainly we can again we have biblical counseling. Here we have elders and deacons that would love to answer your questions.

But what we don't want to do here is develop a dependence upon man I'm a man and if you depend upon me. At some point you're disappointed your disillusioned, but as I encourage your dependence upon God. You'll never be disappointed.

You'll never be dissolution's only key point in the hand of one encourage you put your hand in his hand. That's my answer.

The question with a question. I don't know what's God saying and sometimes obviously I can say Asian. Do you didn't do this, but if it's a choice between God's good and got asked on encouraging it to hear from the Lord to listen to the Lord because often we're like the disciples we we sit and inquire among ourselves in there since the Lord waiting the answer waiting for us to ask Kaman asked me asked me asked me asked the Lord. Seek the Lord wants to teach us in verse 20 says most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned in to joy. That's awesome. What a great verse Jesus is really encouraging the disciples at this moment he's really encouraging them because he knows the trials are weakness and speaking of joy. It reminds me of the verse Psalm 30 verse five says for his anger is but for a moment as favors for life. Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning that verse. We sing that verse in that song.

Yes, Lord, because it reminds us of the simple truth. And if you think back to the moment the night that Jesus is speaking to the disciples.

Here is a dark night, I mean it was the darkest night the world was ever known. It was a night through which corruption and betrayal hung in the air in sin and death were heavy in the air.

It was the night where man would commit the most hideous act of all-time man would kill God.

Think of. And yet there is going to be at all the leaders would railroading the Romans with executing and the disciples went into abandoning him. But there was a doll after the sorrow was common joy see as we look at this. It's easy for us to go all that's a great thing.

He said that the disciples will limit pieces out to you today. See some of you in the midst of stuff was painful, was tough and Jesus is want to say to you this morning. Joyce, Joyce, I don't know when. I can't say what your travel will be over later today about 3 o'clock I can't do that but I know there's can be into it because the Bible is it talks about some things and kisses and it came to pass, going out, then it says that it came to pass it income this day and some of you are in the midst of stuff and you begin to believe the last one is to be here forever to be stuck in this one trial. This one temptation this one tribulation for the rest of my life.

That's why it's a lot. She because I know you may struggle up into the day you go into his presence. But there friend you will struggle no more. Your trials will be over.

The battles will be done and you need to remember this, you need to encourage one another with this is interesting: a book of Thessalonians tells us twice that we encourage one another with these words that what that Jesus is God, that's interesting that you need.

Continue in Paul's teachings because Paul often wonderful teacher spirit filled anointed teachers would take a theme and just build on in the book of Romans awesome book and so he would take a theme and expound upon a didn't usually repeat himself.

It was a little different than the ministry of Jesus.

Jesus was repeated himself a lot and he used to wonder why did that that had kids yet so they'll get so will get it. Pulses encourage one another with these things. One, because it can get very disheartening when you start to think where you are right now is where you're always going to be just think so. Jesus is telling us this, the joy is coming in the morning. Now there's a promise.

Awesome promise. Revelation 21 four, says, and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or sorrow in her crown. There shall be no more pain for the former things have passed away when awesome promise instant promises to everybody who believes and follows Jesus is not just for a select few to anybody who loves the Lord and is following the Lord when awesome thing fall back on this when you're discouraged fall back on this Lord what I'm going through right now.

I thank you. I'm not always going to be stuck here, because that's the tendency that's the way we sway, we think, and encourage in some mouse.

Next time somebody starts as a sharing book was beyond slick sensory search wanted to you about some reminder so you know it's tough place to be. What's good, you're not going to live there forever and every trial has an end. Every tribulation has an so encourage one another with it now. Understand something on this is where we get off track. Sometimes we want everything to go perfect in this life. I'm sorry it is not to happen.

This is not heaven, this is ours Evans common. If you know Jesus but this is not heaven, this is heaven, I'm disappointed you see trials here. No trials in heaven understand something as a believer in Jesus the things that I go through here. This is as bad as it gets. This is as hard as it gets.

This is as painful as it gets it gets better later.

For those who believe Jesus but now here's a sad fact to those that don't know Jesus. This is as good as it gets. It doesn't get any better than this. What you think about that next time you're looking at somebody's life who may be engaging in in sin and live in it often and you're tempted to look back and know how it seems like they got it made. Claimant that's is as good as it gets for one of vapor this life as you know, when I was young I thought 80 years old.

I thought that was a long time doing that anymore.

I got goes pretty quick. Things like the older you get, the quicker goes. So this life in all its trials and all that stuff is vapor grass that fades were told but at some point our tears turn in the joy is a bright future with men you're listening to Pastor David McGee on cross the bridge will be right back with more just a moment, but I want to remind you of the free resources available to you on cross the bridge.com there's a team of hundreds of people that will pray for somebody to be saved. You have a loved one that needs to know Jesus as Savior. You need people to pray for them. You need someone to present God's word to them every day were present in God's virtual here on cross the bridge with Pastor David McGee.

We can pray for them as well. Just by simply going to cross the bridge.com and click on the pray for the lost button. All you need to do is put in the first names of the people you love, that need to know Jesus as Savior. Click on submit and immediately hundreds of people begin praying for your lost loved ones. What an awesome way to bring your loved ones to Jesus. Here's a word from associate pastor DA Brown want take just a minute to pray for seven cities in our listening audience. Raymond and Waynesboro Mississippi Branson Chillicothe, Festus, Joplin, and Nevada, Missouri, Lord, thank you for everyone listening in the cities where we know that you're at work in their hearts because her tuning and now Lord, I pray that you remind them of that that you're at work you have a good plan to protect them. Lord, give them wisdom and discernment help them to not fear during these tumultuous times that we live in Lord help them to constantly be in prayer for their family for the loved ones and for their coworkers and use them as divine ambassadors in the cities that they live in an Lord anyone who doesn't yet know you in the cities. We pray that you would encourage them to put their trust in you use us father to be a blessing to them with your good news in Jesus name, amen, amen. Thank you brother and now get back to David McGee as he continues teaching verse by verse, verse 21 says a woman when she is in labor has sorrow because her hour has come, but as soon as she has given birth to the child she no longer remembers the anguish for joy that a human being has been born into the world when an interesting analogy. Jesus chooses the burning of a child.

If you thought about this but now I obviously have never given birth, but it sure looks painful, but there comes Joey was joy that comes in what's interesting is the the child because of the pain causes the joy on you know what that's doing. Father is important because I've been assigned a child and appear in.

Let me assure you, I died because my parents many so many stars but see you realize we all have calls that kind of pain in somebody's life and hopefully now because you were following the Lord, causing joy in their life and that's what Jesus is speaking about and Jesus is talking about the birth and it's interesting because Jesus understood Jesus is the one that came up with the phrase born again that's not something one church group or denomination came up with that something Jesus came up with in John 33 Jesus answered and said to him, most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. Those are the words of Jesus. Those are the words of Jesus, you got me born again, that's amazing that a lot of people are familiar with these words, we're in the whole building was counseling with a couple and the phone rang and at that time. He knows the only person on staff at answered the phone, took out the trash and everything so you know was pretty excited.

Phone rang six and I picked it up the gossip with no telemarketing summary sentence like yeah okay well I'm not really interested. Appreciate your phone call or they get sick when you really need this product will you know I actually this is a church and I don't think we your his mower gadget or whatever and I'm trying to be nice and he said he said you know you could use a check and so at this time can get flustered, you know, I kind of want to do that will make it your name and number so I call you at home or something later about this and I didn't do that, but as a center you bother me and then I understand. I can be fixed spiritually in the sense that you know God's like I was counting on those moments because of this Me right now to my I got down the food so you go to church somewhere. Thanks again. It's okay. I said, have you been born again, he said on then in an exit. So what you do with the fact that Jesus said you must be born again. He said he said to Jason that John 33 said you gotta be born again general born again as he is now born again is when you come to Jesus you ask him to forgive you of your sins. When you ask him to give you the power delivery resist silence said I could pray this prayer right now with you on the phone. Would you like to pray this prayer and he said yeah so I started leaving them in the sinners prayer the couple.

It was certain I would like to clarify that this doesn't happen every time a telemarketer collects call as collateral witnesses or but it's the simple truth and in it so strange that so many people don't know that true the new birth and we were out with another time, another group of us we were out Nick asses versus it you go to church somewhere on you to conjecture, talking, have you been born again… A church that's weird man that is weird. So Jesus uses this birth analogy verse 22.

Therefore, you now have sorrow but I'll see you again in your heart will rejoice in your joy. No one will take from to understand the significance of this verse Jesus is going to pay the ultimate price for our forgiveness and to offer this abundant life Senior I'm get ready to endure pain and shame and suffering, but I think you're worth, and at the end of this you will have great joy. Hebrews 12 one into says therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so Ilya easily hinders our progress and let us run with endurance the race that got a set before us.

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his. Now you see in the place of highest honor beside God's throne.

God wants to change us. God wants to changes. I know somewhere in our mind. We think that God looked down from heaven and fell all will there's there's a brother he's you know he's basically a good guy, just a little tweaking and he'll be a great Christian. There's a sister portions got such a sweetheart.

You know, I can just just do a couple changes and shall become a fine Christian somebody dies all granite some some of us may have been nice sweet people that were going to heaven before we met Jesus. But some is for.

I wasn't Jesus look down at me and thought man is save that everybody's going to know that is me and not the way God looks at us, he doesn't look at any of us and go and was beyond hope can do anything for him. So if Jesus doesn't say that. Be careful of you ever seen is the people that you look at sometimes and we can slip in the judgment easy. We can look at some I got all look at this verse and look at his personal drugs or drinking or homosexual or lesbian or this or that there is no hope in God for them will.

There's no hope for them in God. There is no hope for you and I can do anything I can change any life is a matter fact the first life lessons. Jesus is in the transformation business when he dies he changes people.

He changes us is changing us now. God takes broken lives like mine like some of your lives in need of some wonderful weather and he's been doing that for a while honey that the life of David, the life of Moses the life of Peter the life of Paul.

They changed changed and he still doing even took a symbol like the cross symbol of punishment and death and pain changed it to a simple freedom and victory. What an amazing God is verse 23 and in that day you will ask me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you whatever you ask the father in my name he will give you until now, you've asked nothing in my name.

Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

He says pray in my name. Now we understand and that's why we pray when we pray we say in the name of Jesus at the end of the prayer but understand in the Jewishness. Jesus was a Jew in the Jewishness of what he say name and nature work together were often named according to your nature. That's why some people were renamed we see in Scripture we see solid appalling see Peter to Petross see Judas the mud, not just about the people get their names changed because of the nature change the name and nature synonymous with the same thing was important because you can't just pray anything and put it to end. In Jesus name. Expect God honor to the parking lot on those you have a nice car idolize nice car got give me his car right now the name of Jesus not no not that I've ever done that but I mean there's certain people to have their theology built around this and it almost turns into it. Okay well I'm going to hold my breath to my face turns blue. You don't give me that man's car got someone but if you change that to give me that man's car in the nature of Jesus had done work anymore because it so ask yourself when you're praying this is in the nature of Jesus is in the nature of Jesus friend you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven.

You can know right now own Legion. A short simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him. God wants you to pray this prayer so much that he died to give you the opportunity and the ability to ask him to forgive you. Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now.

Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I could have a new life not done wrong things I have sent and I'm sorry. Please forgive me of all those things. Please give me the power to live for you. All of my days in Jesus name, amen it friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible you've been forgiven you've been born again. Jesus said he would not turn anybody away who comes to him and he came for those people who knew they needed forgiveness.

Those who were sick, not the righteous. So congratulations premium just made the greatest decision that you will ever make.

God bless you, if you pray that prayer with David for the first time we'd love to hear from you.

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