The Remedy Of A Troubled Life

The Remedy Of A Troubled Life

Tim Merwin

10/19/25

John 14:1-14

 

 

Encouragement to the church

Jesus spoke these words to his troubled disciples. Less than 24 hours out from the trouble

of Calvary. Little do they know how the trouble of (the cross) would then bring about the

joy of the (resurrection) which then brought trouble - (ascension) which brought about

joy (the Spirit came to live in them) which caused new trouble (as they went into all the

world to spread the good news) which brought about joy (as people come to faith in

Christ) which brought about trouble (they became martyrs for Christ) which brought

about joy (as they entered into eternal joy with Christ.)!!

Read together [Jn 14:1-3] 1 "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe

also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have

told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for

you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

Pray

I. The Remedy Of A Troubled Life - Faith In Christ

Ch 13:21 = Jesus is troubled in the upper room - this is still the last supper - and When

Jesus is troubled - ch 13 - its troubling - the disciples are finding out that one of them is a

betrayer which is troubling - the chapter ends with Peter being told he is going to deny

Christ 3x’s which is troubling - everything in the upper room is troubling! Spoiler alert!

24 hours to the cross - beyond troubling! That’s the context for -

Let not your hearts be troubled - (Instead) believe in God…. Faith chases out fear. Faith

(not just any faith - not faith in faith or faith in self or faith in your pastors or faith in “A”

god but faith in God - faith in Christ - banishes the trouble. Don’t let your hearts be

troubled - BECAUSE you believe in God and since you believe in God - vs 1 - and believing

in the One true God is to believe in Jesus - they are not separate - that is what he has been

saying and will say again in ch 14.

138x’s so far in John -

“believe”

To the guys who have seen the miracles - they saw the fish and bread multiply - they saw

the blind man and lame man see and walk - they spoke to Lazerus after having been

dead! hey guys - its going to get tough - don’t be troubled - believe in me.

Oh what beautiful words from the Savior! And disciples throughout the ages - disciples

who were fed to the lions as a roman entertainment - for the followers of Christ that we

lit on fire in Nero’s gardens to the reformers burned at the stake - to Christians around

the world today under severe persecution. Let not your heart be troubled believe in God

Look around - how can we not be troubled living in this world? War in Ukraine - we

have friends there - war in Israel - Charlie Kirk murder - there is TROUBLE in this world.

Perhaps you are here and you are troubled. What is the remedy according to Jesus:

Believe in God - believe in Me! Did you know when I am overwhelmed with my troubles

- it is a believe / faith issue. I don’t believe God - that he is good - faithful - sovereign - I

question has ability (power) - his wisdom (omniscience) over my circumstances - I

question if he has my best interest or perhaps he has forgotten me entirely - I doubt his

omni-prescence questioning his nearness - b/c what I am going through is outside of him

- I doubt Romans 8 that says

[Rom 8:28 ESV] 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work

together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

I doubt Philippians that says

[Phl 4:6-7 ESV] 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and

supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the

peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your

minds in Christ Jesus.

I doubt James 1 when he says

[James 1:2-4 ESV] 2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various

kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let

steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in

nothing.

I doubt Jesus when he said -

2[Matthew 6:25-26 ESV] 25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life,

what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on.

Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of

the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly

Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Let not your hearts be troubled - instead - believe in God - believe in me! The remedy - in

the face of a troubled life is faith IN Christ. There is an object of faith - it is God / Christ.

We need to grow in our faith ok - How do we grow in our faith? 2 practical suggestions

?

?

Grow in your life in the word of God. (Bible studies / Community nights / Daily

time in the Word / Equip classes) you can not do all these - but what are you

doing? What is your intentional plan for getting in the Word daily….? Faith

comes by hearing and hearing BY The Word of God…. Rom 10

Grow in your knowledge of WHO God is. The more we can grow in the

knowledge of who God is - His attributes - His character - Who He is and What He

has done and is doing… the more we will grow in faith and the more we grow in

faith the less troubled we will be by this troubling world.

Nobody wants a troubled life - We long to live free from trouble! Jesus doesn’t say - have

faith that there will be no trouble - again the cross is tomorrow! He is saying - don’t be

troubled in the face of trouble - how - but your faith in God. All of life is a search for

trouble free living rather than faith in the trouble.

There is the get rich answer to trouble - if I could just get rich my troubles will be gone.

And yet - rich people are often miserable.

There is the stay young answer - Women buy a youthful look - cosmetic surgeries in the

US alone are now well over the $26 billion a year. If I can stay looking young - then my

aging troubles will be gone.

There is the drown my troubles at the bar solution - drink my sorrows away but that only

masks the troubles that greet him/ her in the morning.

There is even the religious solution of a prosperity gospel that tells you that you can have

faith to then end your troubles - and that has proven not only false but it has left

Christians in all sorts of guilt because clearly I didn't have enough faith and that is why I

am still troubled.

all of life is an all out search for NON trouble.

3But - life is full of troubles. Not one person in here can say - trouble - not sure what Jesus

is talking about…. I don’t know anything about troubles in life.

The remedy? Is not get rich - or drink it away! According to Jesus: it is Believe in God!

This is directed toward the 11. They have believed - what does he tell the inner circle of

believers -

“believe in me!”

I preach to the choir this morning! To the believers this morning - I say to you - Believe

in Jesus. Jesus is not talking to the world here. Church - Grow in taking God at His word.

With every troubling thing in life - believe in God and grow in your belief in Him. This is

not Jesus saying - believe because the sun is shining - it is believe in the storms of life.

His disciples struggled to take him at his word - they will see him crucified tomorrow -

We think - but Jesus told them what would happen - why did they struggle….. I mean - I

get it if he did not give them fair warning - but he did….

And we struggle to take him at His word today. Jesus has told us what would happen -

and yet.. We act like the sky is falling. Let not your hearts be troubled! Believe in God!

II. The Remedy Of A Troubled Life - Eternal Home

2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that

I go to prepare a place for you?

I grew up learning this verse in the KJV = “Mansions”

explaining that the original word here actually means dwellings.

- the NKJV adds the footnote

The point is not (we all get a mansion) - the point is that Heaven is your home - your

dwelling- don’t be troubled WHY? because home awaits you.

I love my home. It awaits me - it's a retreat. My home is not a house - it's a home. I love

being there. I love going on vacation - but I love coming home. It is secured - we have an

alarm and locks on the doors - it’s a refuge, a safe place. I love my home - but - Jesus is

talking in a whole other category here!

When Jesus says don't be troubled he does so reminding us that this troubled world is not

home. Heaven is home. 1 Peter tells us that it is secured and awaiting us.

[1Peter 1:3-7 ESV] 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope

4through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is

imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's

power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the

last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have

been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more

precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in

praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Hmmm…. It almost sounds like Peter was in the upper room with Jesus or something…!

I grew up in a church culture that emphasized the mansion. Heck ya - Mansion for me -

cause - I am a Kings kid! The size of the home is not the point here - the point: is the

permanence and safety he is preparing for you. Jesus is not saying don't be troubled

because I have a big big house for you. Rather - he is saying something to us to calm our

troubled hearts - I have a place of permanent peace that awaits you.

We live this side of eternity with a sense of non permanent peace - we actually try to

retreat to our homes and then we find the trouble that follows us into that refuge. This

world is troubled. This world will not grow safer and safer with added technology or

brain power - it is fallen - fading and decaying due to sin. So Jesus says dont be

troubled….Believe in me - I have a room for you - I go to prepare a place for you….

[Heb 13:14 ESV] 14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to

come.

Weak follower in Christ - solid follower of Christ - new follower of Christ - old follower of

Christ - there is room for you!

I would argue we have wrongly emphasized how Jesus has gone to prepare a place for

you. This is not the construction of mansions - if he wants a mansion - he says -

“ let

there be a mansion” Boom - done - but no - This mansion preparing is via Christ death -

his sacrifice for sins - his removing all the barriers between us and God - his work is the

construction that makes us acceptable and welcomed into His presence - welcome home!

The way in which he prepares a place for you is via the cross. He welcomes you - not

because you have cleaned yourself up but because you believe - you trust in Christ - his

death on the cross - his forgiveness of sins.

The glory of this mansion/ home is not how big it is - the glory is the permanent presence

of the Lord. It is in contrast to this fleeting home we now live in. My house that I love

will one day be a pile of rubble. It is fleeting and temporary - but there is a dwelling

5awaiting you follower of Christ. And it is kept in heaven for you - it is your inheritance in

Christ - it is unfading - meaning - it is permanent! Praise God!

So he tells them - I am leaving -= but - don’t be troubled - why? because I will come again!

III. The Remedy Of A Troubled Life - Christ Will Come Again

[John 14:3 ESV] 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will

take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

we overemphasize the mansion and and under estimate vs 3 - presence of Christ Himself.

Vs 2 and 3 are remedies to the trouble - life after death

Have you ever questioned - ok - at my death… is there really more? Is there really a

heaven and a hell? Is it true that if I place my faith in Jesus that I will truly be in heaven

with him - forever….? Re-read vs 1-3.

RC Spoul died December 14, 2017 at the

age of 78. Sometime before he died he

wrote about this verse saying:

“In all honesty, there is in my heart and

soul not the slightest fear of death.

Death holds no fear for me because I

know who I have believed and I have

His promises for what He will do for me

when I die. I know that when I close my eyes in death, my soul will fly immediately

to the bosom of Christ, which is far better than anything I can enjoy in this world.

So I don’t fear death, but if you ask me about dying, that is another matter. If I

could just close my eyes and step across into heaven, that would be glory for me,

but none of us knows the route we will take. It may be one that includes great

affliction, pain, and suffering. But the travail will be for a moment compared with

the other side. Though we may experience the pangs of terror as we consider the

prospect of dying, death itself holds no fear for us because it is our entrance to that

suite that Jesus has prepared for us in heaven, a site in the house where He Himself

dwells.

” RC Sproul

IV. The Remedy Of A Troubled Life - The Exclusivity Of Christ

64 And you know the way to where I am going.

" 5 Thomas said to him,

"Lord, we do

not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" 6 Jesus said to him,

"I

am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through

me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on

you do know him and have seen him.

"

In these verses is the pressure point of culture today. Christ is once again making a claim

to his exclusivity - if you want Christ - Heaven - salvation - there is only ONE way to God.

vs 6.

He is the way - because He is the truth - which means life is only found in Him and his

truth. Ours is a culture that says - you live your truth - that sounds good - as if any ol

truth will do - but how do we determine if your truth is true. Isn’t that important? You

have to have a measure - imagine trying to build a house based on a contractor who said

skip the drawings and throw away the tape measure - we are going to build this based on

my truth. No sir - here are the drawings - use them! These are measurements - use

them! Imagine a programmer programming based on his or her truths. Try to build a

bridge or lay a road or drive your car - based on your truth of what you believe about

roads and gasoline - it is endless - we never function with this thinking of “your truth”

until we come to Jesus and things that matter to eternity.

So where do we go - what do we do? We need a measure - this book is the measure -

because it is God’s Word.

[Act 4:12 ESV] 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name

under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

"

This theme runs through the entire NT.

You see - if you deny that Jesus is the way - the truth - the life - you are denying Christ.

You can’t say - sure, I believe in Jesus and at the same time say - truth is relative - either

Jesus is the way - truth - life or he is not…. It can’t be both. 2+2 must always equal 4 and

never = 5 or you have nothing to build your life on.

We are told today - that it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you believe - well -

let's ask Jesus - is that “true?” People say - all religions are the same - so it doesn’t matter.

But - again - is that true? Vs 6 is the linchpin to all of these comments. This idea of “you

live your truth is actually opposed to Christ - who is “the way - the truth and the life”

So Philip, who has seen it all - says - you know if you would just do one more big miracle -

7that would settle it….

8 Philip said to him,

"Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.

" 9 Jesus said

to him,

"Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip?

Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say,

'Show us the Father'?

10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words

that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in

me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or

else believe on account of the works themselves. 12 "Truly, truly, I say to you,

whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than

these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name,

this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything

in my name, I will do it.

Look at Jesus’ reply.

Jesus and God the Father are one - next section - the Spirit as well. But for now,

“Follow Me: I am the way, the truth, and the life.(1) Without the way thou canst not

go, without the truth thou canst not know, without the life thou canst not live. I am

the Way which thou oughtest to follow; the Truth which thou oughtest to believe;

the Life which thou oughtest to hope for. I am the Way unchangeable; the Truth

infallible; the Life everlasting. I am the Way altogether straight, the Truth supreme,

the true Life, the blessed Life, the uncreated Life. If thou remain in my way thou

shalt know the truth, and the truth shall make you free, and thou shalt hold on

eternal life.

” Thomas à Kempis

V. The Remedy Of A Troubled Life - Knowing Where Jesus Is Going

I am not totally convinced Jesus was only speaking about going to the Father - or going to

heaven here. He has been telling them all along that he would die - and they just did not

get it - Where is Jesus going - he is going to heaven but he is first going to the cross. The

way to heaven for Jesus is by the cross. You see before this night ends Jesus will be

troubled again in the garden of Gethsemane. It is here that he will consider the wrath of

God poured out on him as he takes our sins upon his shoulders. You see - the remedy for

a troubled life is knowing where Jesus went / is / and will one day be….

- past tense for us - he went to the cross

8- he is now seated at the right hand of the father

- and he will come again!

Anyone here experience trouble? I am!! Where do we go - to whom do we look? Vs 1!