The Reason Your Hearts Are Not Troubled (John 14:1-7)

Instead of holding onto the things we really should hold onto with our hearts, we’re holding onto the things we don’t need, and that’s why we’re troubled. We can only walk the path of the disciple if the Holy Spirit pours the love of God into our hearts.

Let us bless one another, Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. I hope that God’s great grace will be upon all the families and individuals who are worshipping in the church, in their homes, and on the East Coast. Last week, we received the message about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, and it is to love one another as Christ has loved us. We can only walk the path of the disciple if the Holy Spirit pours the love of God into our hearts. We don’t just need Christians; we need disciples of Christ.

I hope that you will be able to remember last week’s word and receive today’s Word, “The Reason Your Hearts Are Not Troubled.” There is a background upon which God is giving us His Word today.

1. The Disciples’ Troubles

The Lord Jesus continuously said that He will leave somewhere that the disciples would not be able to follow, and Simon Peter is so worried, he says, “I will never let you go, I will protect you unto death,” but the Lord responds, “You will never be able to do that, if anything, you will disown me three times.” So from the perspective of Simon Peter and the other disciples, they wondered what Jesus was talking about, and that is when Jesus tells them, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”

1) The Reason for Being Troubled
Why do the disciples have no choice but for their hearts to be troubled? They are troubled in their hearts because the Lord keeps saying that He’s going to go somewhere and the disciples cannot follow Him. If Jesus was not someone I needed in my life, I wouldn’t be troubled about His departing, but the disciples needed Jesus in their lives.

Do you know the reason for this? They thought that Jesus Christ was the first person they met who was really a human, and if they followed him, they would be able to go all into devoting to liberate Israel from Rome. So, they made this judgment that, “If I follow Jesus around, I will have success in my life,” but Jesus is continuously telling them that, “I am going to leave and you will not be able to follow Me,” so they are continuously troubled in their hearts.

Where do our troubled hearts come from? We make it for ourselves. What does that mean? Instead of holding onto the things we really should hold onto with our hearts, we’re holding onto the things we don’t need, and that’s why we’re troubled about it. The Lord did not come to this earth as a political Messiah, but He came as the true King in the Kingdom of God.

When the disciples looked at Jesus, they thought He was the leader they were looking for Who could lead Israel. Even right now, there’s a lot of conflict in America because of the presidential election, and everybody has their opinion about who they want to become president. … A president is simply a political leader who arises, but the Lord is telling us we don’t need a political leader, that’s why we’re always so troubled.

We’re troubled in our hearts when we think we won’t have a good leader, and they think that Jesus Christ is going to leave them so they won’t fulfill their heart’s dreams. The Lord Jesus Christ has come onto this earth as the spiritual leader of the Kingdom of God and the moment we recognize that, our troubled heart disappears.

Today in America, in the 21st Century, there are many problems, but the material problems are not the source of our problems. Material goods just circulate. Just ask the homeless people, even material goods circulate among them as well. What is the real problem? It is a problem of the heart.

2) The Reason to Not Be Troubled
How can we get rid of the diseases of the heart and mind? Even to the disciples who followed Jesus Christ around, He told them to not be troubled in their heart, and He’s telling you that you shouldn’t have troubles in your heart.

Whatever you have in your thoughts and hearts will determine your life, because your thoughts and mind are connected to your brain. Your brain is connected to the rest of your body through the nervous system. When your thoughts and emotions are full of troubles and anxieties, your brain sends a signal down through your nervous system. Your organs become tense and you have a fight or flight reaction. That’s why people’s organs become stiff and they even get cancer. It’s not because we’re not eating good foods; it’s also not a problem because of a lack of material things in America.

Our thoughts and emotions are flooded with worries, troubles, and anxieties, but there is no way to block that. Your thoughts and worries right now determine your future and also control your spirit; they determine your life. No matter how much scientific advancement we may have in America, it cannot solve this problem. Even if we have an extremely high level of education or achievement, it cannot solve the problem of our troubled minds and emotions.

Human beings have a fundamental reason for why they have no choice but to be troubled, but they do not know it. We need to know Jesus Christ correctly, but instead, we understand Him as the Messiah for our politics, our finances, and our military strength, and that is why we lose our strength. We have no choice but to be troubled; Jesus Christ is only temporarily leaving us, so we are troubled.

The Lord is giving us His answer today: “You believe in God; believe also in Me.” We have a reason to be troubled, but we believe in God so we should believe in Jesus as well. “I’m going there to prepare a place for you,” He is saying He is going to reserve heaven for us. He is going to prepare a place in heaven where we will live forever, eternally, but the disciples aren’t interested in that.

Where are they interested? They are only interested in holding hands with Jesus so that through Jesus, they will be able to politically liberate Israel from Rome, and they will be able to get rid of all evil and crimes and make political corruption bow down. That’s a misjudgment.

No matter what kind of leader comes up in the world, there will never be a paradise. Why do we have wrath? We become angry when we do not receive what we want. You resent God because you’re not receiving the answers to the dreams you want, that’s why we have no choice but to be troubled. Somebody else didn’t create it, but I have no choice but to hold onto the thoughts that cause trouble for myself.

You resent God because you’re not receiving the answers to the dreams you want, that’s why we have no choice but to be troubled.

3) Occurrence of Trouble
This trouble actually began in Genesis 3:10, as soon as Adam and Eve were separated from God. Isn’t that strange? The moment they were separated from God because of their disobedience, their hearts were filled with fear. In Matthew 6:25, Jesus Christ told His worrying disciples, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear.”

Even the people who have money shouldn’t worry about how they should eat, dress, and sleep, but people do worry. They worry for the physical things. After Moses led the Israelites for 40 years, they finally arrived to the land of Canaan, and Joshua is going into the land of Canaan that he had never once experienced before, but the Lord says, “Do not be afraid.”

That means that when you face a new environment that you’ve never experienced before, or if you’re beginning a new business or enterprise, you’re going to be afraid because you’ve never experienced it. If I don’t know anything about this person, then this person will make me afraid, but God is telling us to not be afraid, because there is a reason for me to be afraid.

It’s just like warning us to be careful around the water because you might drown in the water, or to be careful about the dogs because you might be bitten by a dog. If there’s no dog around, there’s no reason for a sign that says, “Beware of dog,” but the sign exists to warn us that there is a dog. Because the coronavirus pandemic is going around, we warn each other to be careful, but the Lord is telling us to not be afraid because we will face reasons to be afraid, worried, and troubled.

Isaiah 43:5, He is telling us that parents worry about their children, but the Lord is telling us to not be afraid, “I will be with you, I will bring your children from the East.” Parents are worried and anxious for their children, and 1 Peter 5:7-9 says that the reason we are afraid is that we have not given all our worries to the Lord.

2. For the Disciples

Do you now understand why the disciples were afraid?

1) Jesus Will Come Again (John 14:3)
In verse 3, the Lord says He will come back to them. “After I have prepared a place in heaven, I will come back to you and take you with me,” which means He accepts us. We need to accept Jesus, but the Lord doesn’t say that. Instead, He says, “I will take you.” Isn’t that a little weird? In John 1, it says whoever receives Him and believes in His name, but now Jesus says, “I will receive you.”

2) Jesus Christ
It also comes out in 2 Corinthians 6:17, Jesus Christ says, “I will receive you.” These are the words Jesus Christ is speaking after resurrecting from death on the cross and speaks in Spirit. Then, John 14:4, “Where I am, you will be with Me.” 2 Corinthians 6:16, what does this mean? We are the Temple in which the living God dwells. What does this mean? It is saying that Jesus Christ will come into us as the Spirit.

That authority is not with us; it is with the Lord, and that is why the Lord is saying, “I will receive you.” It is not a matter of whether we receive Jesus Christ or not, but He receives us. In the end of 2 Corinthians 6:16, He says, “I will live with them and be their God.” What does this mean? It is talking about the establishment of the Kingdom of God.

3) Kingdom of God
In the past, you lived centered on yourself, doing whatever you wanted, but after Jesus Christ’s spirit comes into you, you will not be ruled over by God, but you will follow Him as His people. It’s talking about the Kingdom of God. In Exodus 29:45-46, He is also talking about the Israelites in the Kingdom of God, “I will be their God.”

At this time in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit did not go into them. The Kingdom of God depended on whether they would hold onto and follow the words of God or not. But because that was so hard for people to do, God said, “I will give you the Holy Spirit so I can live within you. I will be Your God, you will be My people, and I will guide you to follow My Word.”

That is the Kingdom of God, and then Jesus Christ says, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” Jesus Christ Himself is the way, Jesus is God, and more than saying we go through the way of Jesus, Jesus is God Himself. He is the Truth; everything else is a lie. What this person says might be right, but that is not the way for you to be with God.

The words of a political leader might be correct, but it is not the truth. Only Jesus Christ Himself is the Truth; it doesn’t matter what other people say, it’s not the Truth. The Truth never changes, but political leaders will always change, the words of people always change. It is not that it is wrong; it is correct, but it is not the Truth of being with God, it is not the Truth that will drive out your troubles and anxieties.

Jesus Christ is the Life, the way to live an eternal life, Jesus. My parents cannot allow me to live an eternal life. Your material possessions cannot give you eternal life. Only Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. This is the Word that Jesus is giving to His disciples.

Just like He says in John 19:30, He has finished all our problems, He is the way to finish all problems, the way to do world evangelization, the way to go to heaven, the way to establish Paradise on Earth. That Way is Jesus Christ, and He says He will come into us.

Therefore, the only thing that can change a person is if I die with Christ and Christ lives within me. No human being can do this; only Jesus Christ is like that. There are many religious leaders who arise and claim to be the way, but they are liars. If a pastor stands up and says, “I am the Way,” that is a lie. I believe that Jesus is the Way. All the incorrect words people say are right, but they are not the Truth.

The only thing that can change a person is if I die with Christ and Christ lives within me. No human being can do this; only Jesus Christ can do this.

They are words that you need, you need the words of scientists, we need the words of doctors; but they are not the Truth. Only Jesus Christ can be the Truth, it means He will never change, and therefore, He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Only Jesus Christ is the way for us to be with God; He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

That is the only way for humans to enjoy true happiness and paradise of the Kingdom of God on Earth. In this world, I used to live according to my thoughts, emotions, and the words of people; but now I’m living on God’s Word. That is the Kingdom of God. Whenever the Lord’s Word reigns over me and I follow after God’s Word, moving according to that, that is heaven.

Why does this break? I break the Kingdom of God because I prioritize my own thoughts that I got from the world instead of God’s Word, and that is why we are met with all the worries, problems, troubles, and darkness.

The principle of the world is strength; whoever has more power controls the world, so people struggle to get more power, but that is the ideology of the world. The Lord says in the Kingdom of God that we live according to the power of the Holy Spirit, because only when the power of the Holy Spirit comes upon you will the evil spirits be cast out and the Kingdom of God be established.

3. For God

In the past, I lived for my power and my name to be exalted, but now I only live to exalt the name of Jesus Christ, therefore do not be troubled in your heart. “I will come back to you and I will be with you.” When Jesus Christ said this, He had a physical body, but when He comes back to us, He has a Spirit. In other words, the Spirit of Jesus is the Holy Spirit that will be with us.

If He came to us physically and visibly, we would believe, but He is invisible, and that’s why we call the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Truth, the law of Spirit and Life because He is the spirit of Jesus Christ. That Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus Christ who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

The Holy Spirit is the One who pours the love of God into our hearts, allowing us to understand and remember the Words of Truth of Jesus Christ. That is why the paradise and happiness of the Kingdom of God is established within me.

1) My Lacking, Darkest Valley, and Storm
There is a confession of people who live according to this Kingdom of God. That was David. David experienced hardships a long time; he was always lacking. He lacked physical things and also lacked protection as King Saul tried to kill him, and yet he said, “I lack nothing.” He didn’t say he lacked nothing because he actually had an abundance; he was realistically lacking but he said he lacked nothing. If you have an abundance of everything you need, you wouldn’t say that you lack nothing; you would say you have in abundance, but he was lacking and yet, “I lack nothing,” he said. That is the core of a Christian.

If you misunderstand Christianity, you might try to prepare a lot of things so you won’t be lacking, but David wasn’t lacking, but he confessed, “I lack nothing because the Lord is my Shepherd.” His circumstance was lacking, that’s for sure, but because the Lord within me reigns over me and controls me, I lack nothing. Isn’t it a little bit ironic? That’s what we call the Kingdom of God, it is talking about another world, not this earthly world.

The people of this world think they lack nothing if they prepare a lot of things or have a lot of power, but that is irrelevant in the Kingdom of God. David said that, “The Lord leads me along paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” God leads me for God’s purpose because the King of the Kingdom of God is Jesus Christ and I am following Him. Anything that is for Jesus Christ is for me.

God told Noah to build an Ark on the top of the mountain. They had no axes or cranes, what do you think he made it with? I don’t know if it was the Iron Age back then, but I don’t know what he made it with. It seemed like he was building an ark for the Lord, but actually he was building an Ark for himself and his descendants. It seems like you’re living for the Lord, right? It’s actually for you and your descendants.

When you do temple construction offering, it seems like it’s a waste of money, right? It’s actually for you and your family. When you give offering, it might seem wasteful, but that is actually the way to protect your finances. The Kingdom of God talks about the opposite.

The people who are smart in the world can never understand because it’s not a principle of the world, it is the principle of God. It cannot be fathomed unless it is revealed by the Holy Spirit. “How can I love my enemies? I have to kill my enemies,” but He tells us to love our enemies, and this is only possible when the Kingdom of God is established within me. When troubles come towards me, how can I not be troubled? It’s only possible when the Kingdom of God is upon me.

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, the reason I do not fear? Let us say you have cancer and are facing death, or your business is completely crumbled, so you have no chance of restoration. Some people may question, “I believe in God, how could this happen to me?” That’s what religious people say. What did David say? “I do not fear evil because the Lord is with me.”

Do not misunderstand, Christianity is not a method to solve the physical problems you see with your eyes. That’s the logic of the world. But for us, those things are irrelevant. We are not trying to solve this problem, but when the Kingdom of God is established in me, it is no longer a problem.

Let me tell you again. If you guys are potentially thinking that you are following Jesus Christ to solve the problems you see with your eyes, then you will be troubled like Simon Peter. If you’ve heard this much of the sermon, there are people who will say, “Fine, I won’t believe in Jesus, then, because this doesn’t match with my calculations.” You are more aligned with the world, and that person will continue to go into troubles and worries.

If you guys are potentially thinking that you are following Jesus Christ to solve the problems you see with your eyes, then you will be troubled like Simon Peter.

Only when the Lord reigns over me with the Word and works upon me with the Holy Spirit will the problem no longer be a problem for me. It is not that the Valley of the shadow of Death disappears, but it is no longer relevant to me. The pandemic is still here, but it is irrelevant to me. Because fear has been driven out and the Kingdom of God is established in me, it no longer matters to me, and that is only something that Jesus Christ can do.

That is why He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No matter how powerful a person may be, they could never do that. The only one who can do that is the one who is being controlled from within by the Kingdom of God.

After Paul met Jesus Christ, he was beaten, persecuted, and imprisoned for Jesus’ sake. In the past, he was a successful person because of the name of God, but after he met Jesus Christ, his life hit the ground. Not only that, but when he was on his way to be falsely accused in the Roman Courts, he was sailing on a ship that met with a great storm.

At that time, if he had said, “Lord, I’ve done so much for you; how could you do this to me?” Those are the words that break the Kingdom of God. God gave you this storm, and you have to acknowledge that the Lord who gave you this storm is the King. But you’re using the logic of the world, “I should never have to face this storm,” then you’re living in the world.

At that time, God uses an angel to tell Paul, “Do not be afraid,” even though he’s facing a storm, He tells him, “Do not be afraid.” It’s not that he believed in Jesus Christ and the storms went away; he was believing in Jesus Christ well, and the storms came. God says, “I will let you survive this storm,” why? “Because you must stand trial before Caesar.”

God never told Paul, “I will save you from this storm because you’ve done so much great work for me,” but God says, “I will save you from this storm because you still have the mission of standing trial before Caesar and testifying of Jesus Christ before the Roman empire, and that is why I will save you and all those who sail with you.” God does this for God, why? Because God’s Kingdom must be established.

2) The World
What is the world? The world is correct, but they are talking about a different way. Religion is good and correct, but they are different ways. It is not the way that can bring you to meet God. The Christian churches of America are saying there are many ways to meet God. Many Christians say that, “I believe that Jesus Christ is my way to meet God, but there are other religions who also have their way.”

There is only one way. There are many different ways to succeed; however, there is only one way for the Kingdom of God to be established within me. Transcendental Meditation says that they are the way. 1 Corinthians 1:20 says there are many philosophers who claim to have the way, but the Lord is saying that is not the way.

1 Corinthians 1:19-21 says that people promote their own ways as their way, but the Lord says, “I will destroy the wise, the way that the people of wisdom and intellect are talking about,” why? Because only the Lord is the True Way.

The Bible tells us that the way the people of the world talk about is the way of the wicked. Psalm 1:1 talks about those who are wicked. Anyone outside of Jesus Christ is wicked and cannot go into the Kingdom of God. Within those ways, there is no peace, joy, or righteousness. It might just be momentary joy or satisfaction. If you look on in Psalm 1:6, it says all those people will perish.

Unbelievers built all these structures and schools and the structures remain. The intellect of unbelievers when they win the Nobel Prizes are still around today, and we still learn about all the renowned leaders in the world; why do you say they’ve perished? Even if the things we see with our eyes may remain, their spirit is perishing.

As they lived their lives, they did not establish the Kingdom of God in their hearts, so their hearts were always troubled, worried, and anxious, and their spirit would perish, but the people of the church keep measuring with the standards of the world. “Unbelievers are still succeeding, and their names are being recorded in history books and they’re being exalted. Why does the Bible say they are perishing?” Those people do not have the ears to listen to the Word of God.

The kingdom of the world established by unbelievers is profitable, that’s not what is perishing, but their human soul, their spirit, their mind and thoughts will become barren and perish. If your soul is going to suffer eternally in hell, what does it matter what kind of enterprise you’ve built on earth?

If your soul is going to suffer eternally in hell, what does it matter what kind of enterprise you’ve built on earth?

On this earth, even if you’re successful and have abundant material wealth, your spirit and heart will be perishing and suffering, and this will be passed onto your descendants as well. The greater truth is the more you succeed, the more you suffer internally. If you’ve given up on life entirely, you’ll have less to lose, but if you spend your whole life chasing after wealth and success thinking it will help you achieve paradise, you’ll fall deeper into wickedness. You’ll sit in the seat of mockers. You’re going to try to make yourself the king, to move your own kingdom.

The Bible tells us that this is the Tower of Babel. The Tower of Babel itself collapsed and all the people were scattered. Therefore, the ways of the world sound correct, but they are not the real way. Even if you meet a really good person, that’s not the way. Physically they might be able to help you, however, they cannot bring Jesus Christ into your heart and really establish heaven in your life.

That is why Paul wrote to the church of Corinth, “We preach Christ crucified,” and even though everybody in the world looks down on it, that’s true power. What is true power? Christ Himself is power. Many people are ashamed to proclaim the gospel, but even if no one tells them to, they will boast of their own accomplishments, their own power, and their abilities. It means they don’t understand the Kingdom of God. It is the Kingdom of God where even if you have a problem, it is not a problem to you, why? Because God’s Kingdom is absolute.

When do we use the word, “absolute?” It is only used referring to God. If you’re being influenced by your environment, that is not the Kingdom of God. The kingdoms of the world may be influenced by that, however, if I’m following the words of Jesus Christ, I’m living in the Kingdom of God.

It is not that we proclaim the Kingdom of God with the eloquence of our tongue, but we proclaim it with the working of the Holy Spirit, because in order to move somebody’s spirit, it must be the work of the Holy Spirit. If you think you can persuade someone with the eloquence of your tongue or the knowledge you have, that’s impossible. We try to persuade people with words that are easy to understand. People say, “Pastor, can you speak more eloquently?” I’m uneducated and cannot speak at that high level. The more high level someone is, the more eloquently they speak.

“Pastor, if you give me examples that you read from books, I might be able to better understand, but you keep giving me examples from the Bible, so I can’t continue to go to this church.” Do you know where this person’s focus is? They’re trying to understand the words of God with the logic of the world, and because we’re talking about the Kingdom of God which is opposed to the world, they cannot understand it.

We are not persuading people with human words; it is by the power of the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit of God works upon you, you will understand God’s Word; you will be able to see the future as well. You faced a problem but you can face the fact that it’s not a problem. It seems like a crisis, but within that, there is an opportunity for blessing. You’re able to see and confirm other things.

It’s not something you can learn by graduating Harvard, and it’s not someone powerful who can make me do this. The Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ continuously allows me to understand and realize. That’s the reason the members of the Early Church held onto this covenant and gathered together, praying in one heart.

When you pray, do you get money and food? Those are the people obsessed with the world. Even if they have food, even if they’re healthy, they’re worried, “What if I lose my health?” Girls who are pretty will get worried about their face as they age. For people who look mediocre like me, it doesn’t matter if I age or not. But people who have wonderful skin and are beautiful, the older they get, the more they worry.

Do you know what begins to happen when you pray? The works of the Holy Spirit arise, invisible to your eyes, and when the Holy Spirit works, your hearts will change. People who are so entrenched in the logic of the world will not be able to pray because they think they have to do something; this cannot be solved by prayer.

When you pray, the Holy Spirit works and drives out demons, and the Kingdom of God is established. Whatever problems and worries you have, take them directly to God, then once you’re able to recognize the Kingdom of God, you’ll realize, “I thought this was a problem but it’s not because it is not a problem for the Lord who watches over me and controls me.”

Even death itself is not a problem. If death is not a problem, what else on earth would be a problem? The Lord is controlling me and moving me, knowing what’s best, and no matter where I go, no matter what I do, the Lord is always with me.

If you’re praying, “God, keep the problems away from me,” that’s what the Buddhists pray for. If you’re trying to control your mind to get rid of your scars, that’s what unbelievers talk about. But when the Kingdom of God is established inside of us, nothing is a problem. It’s okay if you’re old or young. That’s why they confessed, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” Paul confessed, “I’m happy in abundance and poverty, I’m okay in prison and outside, I’m okay no matter what happens, because inside of me, Jesus Christ reigns over me because the Kingdom of God is always within me.” I live like this and then I go to the eternal Kingdom of God.

3) The Church and My Field
That’s why it’s so important that when you go into your field, you hold onto the word of God and pray. Then in your field, the kingdom of Satan will be broken down and change into the Kingdom of God. Unless that person has true paradise within them, they will not be overcome.

Conclusion

1. Only Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life
   It doesn’t matter what kind of political leader we receive; they will never make Americans receive Jesus Christ. Even if we are able to make a country that never goes to war, the worries and troubles will persist in their hearts and we can never receive the peace and happiness from God’s Kingdom.

But inside of us, the Lord has already penetrated into our hearts, even if we don’t want it. We resisted so much but He opened our hearts so He can pour His grace out onto us. I pray that David’s confession may be your confession. David was the greatest political leader of all time, and if you’re going into politics, I hope you will become someone like him.

2. The Characteristics of the Kingdom of God
   If you’re going to be a businessperson, I pray you will be like Priscilla, utilizing everything for the Kingdom of God. If you’re intelligent like Daniel, I hope you will be used to establish the Kingdom of God. Nothing matters. The Kingdom of God does not depend on us, but it is God’s will.
   
3. Our Life that Reveals Jesus Christ
   You have to give everything up to the Lord so that the One, Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, will control everything in you with the Word of God, and I pray you will relay this true correct Way to the world through the working of the Holy Spirit, and I hope you and I will be victorious throughout the week.

Prayer

Let us hold onto the Word we received today because this is the Word with which you can walk with God throughout the rest of the week. You have to walk 24 hours with the Word you received today. Let us pray together.