I. Troubled Hearts
A. The Disciples
1. Jesus had just announced that He would be betrayed.
2. The disciples legitimately had much to be troubled about.
3. Specifically, they were troubled because Jesus was leaving them.
4. He had just told them that one of them was a traitor.
5. He told Peter that he would deny Him three times.
6. They had followed Jesus for 3.5 years.
7. They had a routine of life with Jesus which they had grown to love. Good & holy life.
8. They had grown in their knowledge and trust of Jesus.
9. They loved Him as a teacher and friend. They knew Him as Messiah.
10. They had expectations of Jesus which they now realized were not going to happen.
B. Us
1. We can become troubled when what we know of life with Jesus suddenly changes.
2. The more drastic the change, the more intense the troubling of our hearts and minds.
3. The changes come in many ways: health, relationships, finances, culture, or church.
II. The Answer For A Troubled Heart
A. Jesus’ Answer For Them
1. Jesus understood that they were troubled, and He didn’t want them to be.
2. The troubling came when these failed expectations happened and sorrow arose.
3. Jesus spoke directly about that which troubled them.
4. He told them to believe in Him in the same way that they believed in the Father.
5. Jesus spoke directly to the situation though His answer for them was something they probably didn’t consider or had forgotten.
6. Let not your heart be troubled-
a. Troubled- stirred, agitated, inward commotion, to perplex the mind with doubts, to throw into confusion.
b. Jesus gave them a command regarding their emotions and thoughts.
c. He recognized the truth of their condition, and didn’t belittle or negate their feelings.
d. He understood that they were mere men.
Psalm 103:13-14 13 As a father pities his children, So the LORD pities those who fear Him. 14 For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.
e. Instead, He told them to not allow their hearts and minds to be agitated and troubled.
f. This was a choice that they needed to make.
g. They had a calling upon their lives, and they needed to take care of their own hearts and thoughts. They had lives to live and God given tasks to accomplish.
7.…you believe in God-
a. As Jewish men, they believed in God, the creator and sustainer of all things.
8. …believe also in Me- presented as a command, not as a statement of fact.
a.Believe– to place one’s trust in another.
b. The disciples needed to rise above their fears & confusion, and put their faith in Jesus
c. Jesus is asking them to have a like and equal faith in Him as they do in the Father.
d. This is a strong statement about the deity of Jesus.
B. Jesus’ Answer For Us
1. …believe also in Me. What was true for the disciples is true for us.
2.NOTE- The Bible never condemns us for the troubling feelings that come upon us.
a. We cannot control nor be blamed (usually) for feeling troubled, frightened, etc.
b. These thoughts come upon us without our permission or invitation.
c. Jesus struggled with troubling emotions and thoughts just like we do.
Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
d. God’s word to us is that we are not to allow ourselves to stay in those conditions.
e. In faith and by faith, we are to fight our way out of and beyond those emotions.
f. Many times we need to repeat fighting our way out of those emotions.
g. 1 Timothy 6:12 Fight (continue to fight) the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
h. We are not failing when we fight in faith and gain victory on Monday, but feel like we are going backwards on Tuesday. Tuesday simply becomes another day to “fight the good fight of faith”. We fight the good fight when we put our hope and confidence in Jesus Christ and the promises from God’s word.
3. There is a popular phrase that exists today: “I am spiritual, but not religious”.
a. I believe that the phrase is a pushback on what is considered “organized religion”.
b. Sometimes the church has failed in its attempt to change people through moralism or behavior modification.
c. Instead of focusing on what God has done for us, the Church sometimes focuses on how people should live, and long lists of rules are given.
d. The pushback indicates that people don’t want to be told what to do, but that they have not altogether rejected the idea of faith or spirituality.
4. If one has faith or spirituality, then one must ask “what” or “who” do you believe in?
One must ask himself “why” they believe in what they believe in.
5. The Christian is called to believe in Jesus, who he is, and what the Bible has promised.
6. When you heart is troubled, Jesus said that He is the answer.
7. Each Believer is responsible for the condition of his/her heart.
8. Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Commentary- The simple but profound solution to all of our problems is believing. We do what we do because we believe what we believe. Our actions are nothing more than the product of our deepest convictions. The key is what we believe—the object of our faith. Right thinking is basic to right action and right thinking begins by thinking right about God.
9. The cure for the troubled Christian heart is Christ.
a. It is not enough to have a general, spiritual faith.
b. The object of our faith is critical. Not faith in faith, but Jesus is the object of our faith.
c. If you believe that your car will take you home today, then you prove it and take advantage of it by actually getting into the car and driving it home.
d. The car has all the potential and ability to get you from church to home, but unless you avail yourself of its potential, you will stay at church.
e. Faith has two critical elements: The object of faith, and the action of faith.
i. Your object of faith may have power to help, but unless you put your faith into action, nothing changes.
ii. You may be ready to step out in faith, but your object of faith is powerless to help. Disappointment awaits you.
10. Jesus very much wants your heart to not be troubled.
11. Harry Blondin was a man who people put their faith in.