Let Not Your Heart be Troubled

The Cure for a Troubled Heart 

Introduction. All of us go through times in life where our hearts, the core of who we are, along with what we believe have the opportunity to be troubled. Part of living in a fallen world is walking through the pain of living this side of heaven. Each one of us has our own unique pain: health issues, divorce, death of a loved one, rebellious child issues, addiction, an area we are still overcoming in, loneliness, depression, fear, or financial issues. The list goes on and on. We are no different than the closest followers of Jesus. The disciples had heart trouble- disillusionment, fear, confusion, and the loss of their dreams. 

Jesus addressed their heart trouble in John 14:1-14; (The Message)

1-4 “Don’t let this rattle you. You trust God, don’t you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father’s home. If that weren’t so, would I have told you that I’m on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I’m on my way to get your room ready, I’ll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I’m taking.”

Thomas said, “Master, we have no idea where you’re going. How do you expect us to know the road?”

6-7 Jesus said, “I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You’ve even seen him!”

Philip said, “Master, show us the Father; then we’ll be content.”

9-10 “You’ve been with me all this time, Philip, and you still don’t understand? To see me is to see the Father. So how can you ask, ‘Where is the Father?’ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you aren’t mere words. I don’t just make them up on my own. The Father who resides in me crafts each word into a divine act.

11-14 “Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me. If you can’t believe that, believe what you see—these works. The person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing. You can count on it. From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I’ll do it. That’s how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son. I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I’ll do.


The Cure for a Troubled Heart 

The cure for a troubled heart is trust- 14:1. Jesus told His disciples they don’t have to be troubled because they can trust in God. God is trustworthy, that is His nature. He always keeps His promises. He always has our best interest at heart. He has the power to deliver. Therefore, we can trust in Him. 

Trusting God to restore...


Four reasons Jesus said we can trust Him- 14:2-14

1. He has secured our future- 14:2-4. Jesus said that He is going to prepare a place for us. When everything is ready… when the timing is perfect, “I will come and get you so that you can be with me forever.” When Jesus rose from the dead; He took the sting out of death for us. Death is now victory. Part of maturing in Christ is learning to see things from God’s perspective. From God’s perspective, our leaving to go be with Him is victory and our ultimate goal in life. This life isn’t the game; this life is the practice field to ready us for the game. Take that perspective into your life situations and your heart will not be troubled. That does not mean you won’t feel hurt, disappointed, etc. It just means the pain won’t get the best of you.


2. He will give our lives meaning and purpose- 14:5-11. Thomas was still thinking of a physical Kingdom. “We don’t know where you are going. Tell us in plain language so we can understand.” Jesus took it right back to the spiritual.  

  • I am the way- Jesus is the roadmap to a successful life. If you want to find your way, you need a map. Jesus is the map to find real meaning and purpose in life. 

 

  • I am the truth- Jesus is truth and defines truth for the world. All truth agrees with Jesus. All knowledge must be compared to the truth of Jesus. 

 

  • I am the life- Jesus defines life for us. He is the only path to eternal life. We must come through Christ to get to the Father.

 

  • Because Jesus and the Father are one. Jesus is the physical manifestation of the Godhead. If you want to know what God is like, examine the life of Christ. He will reveal everything you need to know about God and a relationship with God. Think about what the relationship with Jesus gives you that the world cannot give you. 

 

3. He has a plan for us- 14:12. We are designed to do the same ministry as Christ and even do greater things than He has done. So what did He do? He showed people the way to God. He revealed the truth from the Father. He offered people real-life- eternal life. That is the very purpose of the church today. We show people the way to God, we point them to the truth that will set them free and give them meaning and purpose, and we offer them eternal life in Christ. We do this on a grander scale than when Jesus was on the earth. Jesus began the mission and built the DNA of discipleship, but we build on it every day through how we represent Him in our lives.

 

4. He answers our prayers- 14:13-14.

  • In the Name of Jesus. This could be interpreted as “in the authority of Jesus.” When we pray in the Name of Christ (in His authority), He will answer our prayers every time with a “yes” when it is in accordance with His will. Remember the Word of God is always the general Will of God. The specific plan of how that is to be carried out in your life is revealed primarily through Holy Spirit. 

 

  • So the son can bring glory to the Father… so God’s Name can be made great. This has to do with praying the will of God instead of our own selfish will. He will not answer prayers that are selfish in motive and make our name great, He answers prayers that bring Him glory and advance the Kingdom. Part of spiritual maturity is changing our desires from selfish to Kingdom desires. 

 

If you find yourself in a difficult position, and fearful thoughts try to enter your mind and emotions to create havoc, be quick to apply Philippians 4:6-7 to your situation. Simply, do the three requirements laid out in verse 6:

  1. Refuse to worry- that means staying in faith.
  2. Let your requests be made known unto God by prayer and supplication.
  3. Express thanksgiving — because heartfelt thankfulness is a powerful force that will lift you up!

As you fulfill these conditions, God will go to work to perform His promise in verse 7.

  1. The peace of God will go to work for you, producing supernatural tranquility and rest for your soul.
  2. God’s peace in you will be greater than the thoughts that are trying to make you fearful.
  3. That peace will act as a guard to help you apply a filter to what is trying to enter your heart, mind, and emotions — and it will keep the door open for positive, faith-filled thoughts to be established in your mind.


Conclusion. Do not let your heart be troubled as you walk through adversity. Trust in God, for He is trustworthy in every way. He has your best interest at heart. He has secured your future. He will give you meaning and purpose even in the midst of pain and trial. He has a plan for your life and is actively working to bring it to reality. He will hear the desires of your heart and answer your prayer of faith. Do not lose hope! You will see the glory and protection of God your Father in life’s circumstances that you turn over to Him, as you stay in faith with Him. 

  

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I make a decision to refuse to worry as I let my requests be made known unto You. I give You thanks for working in my life. As a result, I will experience the peace of God, and it will work for me to produce supernatural tranquility and rest for my soul. That peace will surpass any thoughts, which are trying to make me fearful. That peace will act as a guard to keep wrong thoughts from entering my heart — and Your peace will keep the door open for positive, faith-filled thoughts to find a home in my heart.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen

 

Pastor Peter Henneberry

Peter Henneberry,

EMIC Groups Pastor
 Office: 817-252-2925
 
E-mail/ Group questions

phenneberry@emic.org