Day 39 :: The Upper Room

John16:23-24

Ask According to His Name

March 6, 2015

Don Mann, Associate Pastor | Stewardship

Jesus is the master of language. His subtle and striking use of the smallest of words teaches the greatest of truths. To understand the main truth of the passage, how joy may be full, you must focus on the logic of the prepositions of the Trinity. It may be read with this understanding:

Since you will ask nothing of Me (the Son, the Mediator)

Since you will ask anything of Him (the Father, The Provider)

Since you will ask in My Name (the Son, the Mediator)

Since you will ask through the Holy Spirit (implied)

Since you will receive (from the Father, through the Holy Spirit, The Comforter)

Then your joy will be full.

Joy that is full does not come just from receiving what is asked. Joy that is full comes from knowing that our heartfelt requests are engaging with all persons of the Trinity and sharing fellowship in prayer. He has already prepared an order and a way to respond that not only includes us, but also an invitation that welcomes us. Pray today. As a believer, you are free to ask anything in His name that actually represents who He is and what He wants to accomplish. The next time you finish praying and say "in Jesus' name,” realize and respect all that it means to your requests (John 14:6, Ephesians 3:12, and Hebrews 4:14-15). All aspects of one's prayer life should be the product of biblical insight and faith according to the promises, principles and purposes of prayer as taught in God's Word.

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 4:14-15; Ephesians 3:12; John 14:6

TWEET THIS: When you pray, are you praying to and in the name of the Triune God—the Father, Son and Holy Spirit? #UpperRoom

Day 38 :: The Upper Room

John 16:21-22

God’s Kingdom & Our Joy

March 5, 2015

Don Mann, Associate Pastor | Stewardship

Jesus uses the metaphor of the pain during childbirth to depict the indescribable pain of loss and grief the disciples would experience at His death. And just as we often cannot grasp the truth of a baby until after the pain of delivery, they could not grasp the truth of the resurrection until after their eyes had been opened to see Him. Just as in childbirth, the remembrance of their pain vanished when He stood before them. Once they saw Jesus in His resurrected body, their joy could not be taken away.

We desire joy that is eternal, yet when we seek it in things that are temporary, our joy is taken away. Jesus has come to establish a Kingdom with eternal joy in the King Himself. That Kingdom cannot be shaken. Hebrews 12 gives a prescription for permanent joy and references this very event. Read the chapter closely and ask the question, “How could God use endurance and perseverance in my difficulty to turn my sorrow into joy?”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 12

TWEET THIS: Jesus has come to establish a Kingdom with eternal joy in the King Himself. #UpperRoom

Day 37 :: The Upper Room

John 16:19-20

When Sorrow Turns to Joy

March 4, 2015

Don Mann, Associate Pastor | Stewardship

Jesus delivered the news of His departure to be with His Father. With this news came certainty of sadness—the evil world rejoicing over the appearance of evil triumphing over good. Yet, this news also brought the promise of the final hope: “your sorrow will turn into joy.” The words "a little while" give great insight into how Jesus masterfully transfers truth. They did not see Him for a little while, namely for three days as His body lay in the grave. Yet following the resurrection, they saw Him and their sorrow turned into joy! The little while in this case was three days, but the certainty of the sequence was fixed.

As he departed, they truly were sad. However, He sent an angel to remind them of this very truth: gone for a "little while" only to return. As believers, we have an ongoing hope that God is here with us, and a final hope that He will return. Your shock and sadness is real, but it need not be permanent. He is coming again and all sorrow will be turned into joy!

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE: Acts 1:10-11

TWEET THIS: Jesus is coming again and all sorrow will be turned into joy! #UpperRoom

Day 36 :: The Upper Room

John 16:17-18

Listen and Ask

March 3, 2015

Guy L. Hipp, Senior Associate Pastor | Coordination & Accountability

In physics (as I remember it), the law of motion states, "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." Jesus's statement in verse 6 told the disciples that he had to leave but would come again. The disciples did what we all do when we do not like what we hear—they reacted! What did Jesus mean? He had already promised to never leave them (John 10:28). Was he breaking his promise? They dissected his statement and ended up "clueless." This was made clear when they said, "We do not know what he is talking about." Later, Jesus reassured them of all his promises.

What can we learn from this brief encounter? First, listen carefully to the Master when He speaks to you through His Word. Second, take your questions to him. It is okay to admit that you do not understand what he is saying. Now, do you have questions for the Master? Do you have passages that you do not understand? Take everything to the Lord Jesus because he cares for you!

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE: 1 Peter 5:7

TWEET THIS: Listen carefully to the Master when He speaks to you through His Word. #UpperRoom

Day 35 :: The Upper Room

John 16:16

The Presence of Christ

March 2, 2015

Guy L. Hipp, Senior Associate Pastor | Coordination & Accountability

Walking down the preschool hallway at church on Sunday reminds me how the disciples may have felt upon hearing Jesus's words in John 16:16. Moms saying to their preschool age children as they leave them in the care of a preschool teacher, "I'll be back to pick you up in a little while." Of course, the tears often flow. Parents return within an hour or two to pick up their child. Have you ever been left behind? How did you feel? Jesus warned several times in the Upper Room discourse of his leaving—he prepared those most special to him for the shock of his crucifixion. However, each word of warning included promises to them. The promise that they would see him again is the hope of all believers. This promise included Jesus's post-resurrection appearances and his second coming.

Jesus will also come to claim those who belong to him. Jesus promised to never leave or forsake his followers/disciples (John 10:28). He promised the Comforter—the Holy Spirit—to be his representative, and he promised to intercede for us at the right hand of God the Father (Heb. 9:24). Enjoy the presence of Christ today as a comforter, helper, interceder, and Savior. Furthermore, read John 14 about encouragement for the presence of Christ in your life today.

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE: 1 Thessalonians 4; John 14

TWEET THIS: Enjoy the presence of Christ today as a comforter, helper, interceder, and Savior. #UpperRoom