Grace Baptist Church, Nokomis, IL.

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The first time anything of any value was stolen from me was while I was in college. I led worship for BSU, and I often left my guitar in my car overnight because I would just put it back in my car the next day. That wasn’t smart of me, but hey, I was in college. One night driving home from work, something seemed a little off. I reached into the backseat and my heart sunk. My guitar wasn’t there. It wasn’t at home either. People may easily steal all your possessions, but they can never steal what’s inside of you.

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” 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’?” So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” 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’? 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 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. 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.” (John 16:12-22)

I’d like to begin with the end in mind. Jesus told His disciples that their sorrow would be turned into joy. Jesus gave the illustration of a woman forgetting the pains of bearing a child. In this world we’ll have many trials. But even now we can have joy, because Christ is victorious.

Put yourself in the apostles’ shoes. You’ve been following Jesus for nearly 3 years now. But you still don’t understand the full picture of why Christ came: to die on a cross. And you certainly don’t see all the implications of Christ’s death. So you’re very sad when Jesus tells you that he’ll be going away.

So Jesus tells you “I’ve got more to tell you, but you can’t handle it yet.” You’re going to have so much joy, you won’t even remember the sorrow you endured. The Holy Spirit will come, and He will teach you everything that I want to teach you. This was a promise for the apostles. This is why we can trust all of the New Testament. But it was also for us. When we keep in step with the Spirit, He will guide us.

No one can steal our joy. In order to lose it, we must be the ones who give it up. If you’re not experiencing that kind of joy, why not? I’m not talking about happiness. That comes and goes. I’m talking about something much deeper. Even if nobody steals your possessions, possessions are temporary. Joy is eternal. Not only our possessions, but our hope and happiness can be taken away from us if they do not ultimately find themselves in Christ.