"Joy Comes In The Morning" John 16:16-24

If you've knelt beside the rubble of an aching broken heart, When the things you gave your life to fell apart, You're not the first to be acquainted with sorrow, grief or pain

But the master promised sunshine after rain, To invest your seeds of trust in God in mountains you can't move, You have risked your life on things you cannot prove, But to give the things you cannot keep for what you cannot lose, Now, that's the way to find the joy God has for you

Hold on my child joy comes in the morning, Weeping only last for the night, Hold on my child Joy comes in the morning, The darkest hour means dawn is just in sight. The words of the song reminds us that this present suffering and distress in life is only momentary. The Psalmist and King David wrote, Psa 30:4  Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. Psa 30:5  For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. I often find in my life, singing the praises to God often ministers to me in a mighty way. Just to remember, because God is a keeper of His promises, we do not have to face darkened days alone, joy indeed comes in the morning. H. W. Beecher once said, “When people want to make things attractive in farming, they give exhibitions of their products. The women bring their very best butter; the men bring the noblest beets and vegetables of every kind; and from the orchard they bring the rarest fruits; and when you go into the room where all these things are displayed, they seem to you attractive and beautiful. It seems to me that this is the way a Christian Church ought to represent the Christian life. You ought to pile up your apples and pears and peaches and flowers and vegetables to show what is the positive fruit of religion. But many people in the Christian life do as farmers would do who would go to a show, and carry—one pigweed; another thistles; another dock; and another old, hard lumps of clay; and should arrange these worthless things along the sides of the room and mourn over them. Christians are too apt to represent the dark side of religion in their conversation and meetings.” Disciples of the Lord shine brighter than they can ever shine for when they go through difficulty with joy.

I want to reflect on the words of the Lord Jesus as He addresses and challenges all of us to be encouraged, Joy Comes in the morning. “The grace of God has reached for me, and pulled me from the raging sea, He has put me on solid ground, the Lord is my salvation, my peace, my joy, my hope.”

Grab your Bible and turn to the 16th chapter of John, verses 16-24 will be the verses under examination and consideration. The disciples are a bit perplexed by the words of Jesus. The Lord frames a bed of security and shows them that the Holy Spirit will be with them to give them the words to say and to keep them from falling away. Think of it, without the Lord’s intervening where would we be. If it had not been for the Spirit of God, we all would disperse away from our Lord, but it is just like out God to pull us back into sweet fellowship when we begin to venture away. Jesus said, Joh 16:2  They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. Joh 16:3  And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. They will think they are doing God a favor by persecuting you. Why? Because they do not even know the Lord. Upon Jesus Christ lifting this veil, the disciples were discouraged and sorrow filled their heart. “Lord, what do you mean you are going away?” “Where are you going that we cannot follow?” Jesus replied, “If I don’t go away, the Helper will not come, but if I go, I will send Him to you.” These are legitimate concerns and worries that we all would have had, but the Helper is now here to guide, comfort, and teach you about Jesus. The Spirit of God will convict and judge the world of sin and we remember that Satan has been crushed in the eyes of the Lord. The ultimate work of the devil, as a destroyer, has been defeated. As God scans and surveys all human history He stamps it is as good as finished. But sorrow still filled the hearts of the disciples. They were still feeling as sheep soon to be without a shepherd. There is still no doubt that Satan, the deceiver, is still at work in the world, but we are also reminded, 1Jn 4:4  Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

How many here today are enduring tremendous sorrow, or going through a tough time? The Lord wants to be the bank where you rest, the rock where you stand, He wants to be your joy today. He also reminds us, the place for a Christian is not to bury our heads in the sand or even run from the enemy, just stand with Christ. *pray*

1. Revelation Comes When We Seek Answers: Joh 16:16 "A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me."Joh 16:17  So some of his disciples said to one another, "What is this that he says to us, 'A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me'; and, 'because I am going to the Father'?" Joh

• Jesus is once again reassuring them that a little while, specifically His death, he would no longer be with them. This can point to the intermediate place of the cross and the grave, and from the resurrection to the ascension until what we call the eschaton or Christ’s ultimate coming. The disciples once again recalled Jesus’ words that He will be gone away from them. They didn’t understand the implications of the resurrection, they did not understand what would happen on the cross or in the grave. 16:18 So they were saying, "What does he mean by 'a little while'? We do not know what he is talking about." Joh 16:19  Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, "Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, 'A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me'? Even though Jesus clearly told them He would die, they still couldn’t grasp the weight of it. He is their Messiah and Lord, but they didn’t understand the substitutionary lamb, they didn’t understand the sacrifice that must be made. It is after the resurrection that revelation would become clearer. It is just like our Lord, when we ask in sincerity and with the right motives, the Lord will answer. We can point to the deity of Jesus when John states that Jesus, “knew they wanted to ask.” As John Gill stated, “he is the omniscient God who knows all things, what is in man, even the secrets of the heart; for he not only knew the whisperings of the disciples, and their inquiries among themselves about the sense of his words, but also their secret desires to ask him concerning it.” When it comes to sorrow, when it comes to uncertainty, Christ wants us to seek and ask the Him. We must understand, we are like these disciples in many ways. We are easily upset, prone to complain, and just don’t have it all together when it comes to the things of the Lord. In a time when God’s revelation has been realized, it is amazing how easy we squander it away.

Illustration and Application: Charles Francis Adams, the 19th century political figure and diplomat, kept a diary. One day he entered: “Went fishing with my son today—a day wasted.” His son, Brook Adams, also kept a diary, which is still inexistence. On that same day, Brook Adams made this entry: “Went fishing with my father—the most wonderful day of my life!” The father thought he was wasting his time while fishing with his son, but his son saw it as an investment of time. I tell you any time you seek to grow in the Lord by studying His Word, it is never wasted time. When we meet on Sunday evenings as a small group to dive into the Word, it is not wasted time, when we meet on Wednesday night to learn the word of God through Awana or through Bible study, it is not wasted time. See, we are in a better position than Jesus disciples in the narrative before us. Even though we did not walk with Jesus and hear Him audibly or see His miracles, we have the gift of special revelation, and it amazes me how many of us squander this gift away…including myself. Just like with these disciples, if we seek the Lord, with proper motives, the Lord will reveal to us His purposes, and better yet, sometimes He reveals our motives to us. Do you fall guilty of not seeking the wisdom of the Lord? These disciples were perplexed and worried, concerned and full of sorrow, but…

1. One day you sorrow will turn into joy: How many in here were overjoyed when you became a Child of God through Christ? How many rejoiced when Jesus saved you? How many has sustained that joy through your whole walk? Not many hands. Why? Because we all struggle and confront effects of a fallen world. Listen the words of Jesus, Joh 16:20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.

• When the master tells you that all is not lost, there is a moment of hope and they must hold on to this hope. This type of lament is like an intense state of grieving, but to have faith in Jesus is an unshakable hope, not like saying, I hope this happens or that, but hope is a form of confidence. As to say, “I have confidence that what the master says is truth.” In fact, Jesus uses the double take, “truly, truly” as to add emphasis. Many that followed Jesus saw Him arrested and sorrow will fill them, they saw Him beat up to the place of unrecognition and they were overwhelmed with hopelessness, they saw Him stretched out and nailed to an old rugged cross and they were burdened down with a tremendous sense of loss. They saw the world jump up and down with joy thinking they had done God a favor, and those that followed Jesus were in horror, but praise God the didn’t stay in their pain, when Jesus stepped out alive and forever more the enemy was defeated and like…

 Joh 16:21  When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world… it becomes worth it all. Victory in Jesus my savior forever, our current suffering has no lasting effect upon our eternal celebration that Jesus is alive. You mothers know, the moments of pain you have during child birth, and all you can think of is getting the child into the world healthy. All the pain is like a drop in the bucket when they lay the baby on your chest for the first time. So Jesus makes the connection, all of your suffering, all of your trials, all of these persecutions, will only make you appreciate the joy the Lord brings all the more. Considering the death of Jesus, the pains of His death will give way to joy when He rises again. I want us to think of this promise…Joh 16:22  So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.  When the Hebrew referred to the “heart,” like Jesus is doing here, they think of the place in a person being where his or her will is enthroned. Likewise, when a person, “gives their heart to Jesus,” it is to say “they are giving the will of their being to His Lordship.” When Jesus revels Himself to them after His resurrection, their whole being will be overjoyed, and no one will ever be able to diminish this joy. Do you know a person that seems to suck the joy out of any situation in life? I mean a person would complain if the won the lottery because it only gave them 20 dollars bills. Not that money brings ultimate joy, but Jesus says no one will be able to strip it from you.

Joh 16:23  In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Joh 16:24  Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

• Again, the resurrection will bring clarity to all misconceptions. They will enter a new age of rejoicing and worship the Lord in a new light. They asked nothing of Jesus for He was walking with them, but when he dies and is risen, every prayer will be asked through the name of the Son, not that saying Jesus is some magical spell to be cast, but every prayer becomes a reminder of who Jesus is and what He has done for you.

Every single one of us has been through sorrows. Seeing a loved one on their death bed, losing a parent, or several many trials in life that brings sadness. Sadness in a way helps us to be mindful of the fallen world that we live in a why Jesus Christs’ work is so important. As a young boy, I watched my grandmother suffer the effects of a disease, but the moment she passed away she witnessed joy in the morning. I watched my dad stumbled around with arthritis in his knees, I watched him struggle just to get to the house to see his grandson, the moment he died he opened his eyes to his joy, over and over again I watched the people I love go through hardships and disease, and yet the stood with Jesus, I watched my granddad go through the effects of Emphysema and stood strong with Jesus to the very end, to open his eyes and behold the morning of his joy. Listen, to get a little joy down here sometimes we must go through a little hell as well. It was once said, Joy is the byproduct of obedience.

How is your walk with the Lord today? Are you struggling with finding answers? Does it feel like the enemy has stolen your joy? Maybe you never had this joy and you want to be saved today. To give Jesus your heart would be like saying, submit your total will to the will of Christ…would you be that person today.