John chapter 16 verse 33, and then I want you to hold your hand there, finger there, and flip over if you would to Romans chapter 5, and then put your mark there, and come back to John 16. John 16 verse 33. Let's all stand to honor the reading of the Word of God this morning. As a matter of fact, if you'd like to, read along with me out loud. Are you ready? Let's read. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. Let's read it again, and let's do a little bit more feeling in that this time. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Father, we thank you for the Word this morning, your Word. And oh, what a great Sunday School lesson this morning we had about your Word and how that we have given to us in it grace alone, faith alone, scripture alone, Christ alone, to the glory of God alone. And we're so thankful for that. We ask you, Lord, now to bless not only the reading of your word, but the message. And we believe, Lord, you've given us for this hour, this day, this time. And we ask you, Lord, for help. Forgive us of our sins today. Cleanse us each and every one that we might worship here today in spirit and truth before you. for Your Son and for His sacrifice for us. In His name we pray, Amen. You may be seated. Jesus says, These things I have spoken unto you. Now this is the conclusion of our Lord's sermons to His disciples. Not too long after this, He will be making His way to Calvary, to His impending crucifixion. And I want to give you a general summary of these things that He is talking about up to this point, and hopefully bring you into line with what we're going to preach about today in advance. For the last three years, Jesus has been steadfastly teaching His disciples And now in this final sermon, he has told them that he is leaving them, but where he was going, he would prepare a place for them. Further, he has raised their eyebrows with the fact that their relationship with him would no doubt cause them to have to endure much persecution and affliction. I guarantee you, they didn't like that part of it. But yet, though there would be much persecution, and for His sake, the blessings of grace and glory would far outweigh the persecutions. However, He had just told them that they would forsake Him. I mean, He's given this, and now He says, however you're going to forsake Me. And certainly when they saw what was happening to him pretty soon, they would forsake him. Right away, the persecution he would endure would be full in their face. An incredible bloody example of what being a follower of his would bring, which they might also expect to have. Of course, they didn't realize that was the example of what was coming up. But before long, they had realized that what Jesus endured in their relationship with him would cause them to endure much of the same. And then Jesus brought the sum total of all that He had been telling them down to this single statement as a means of, number one, immediate encouragement for them for the days to come. Secondly, to give them eminent equipping to carry forth the work unto which they were called and would have to do business in. And then lastly, grant them intense energy to endure the persecutions that would indeed come. Can you imagine that? that what he says here would do that. But look at the verse again. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. Well, that's great encouragement. Oh, wait a minute. In the world you shall have tribulation. All of a sudden, the thermometer begins to go back down. but then he caps it with this, Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. Now, let's first look at that encouragement, this immediate encouragement that he gives them with this verse. Remember, Jesus says that in me you might have, or ye might have, peace. Though they're not going to the cross with Jesus at this juncture, they are going to be as much forsaken as He is. All those around them, as much as Jesus was forsaken by them, these disciples would be forsaken too. As a matter of fact, they were so scared to death at what has transpired, or will transpire rather, that they will hide themselves in a room and stay there until Jesus appears to them. They're scared of what the Pharisees are going to do to them next. But understand, what comes down to this is that no matter where they hid, there is no peace in the world to have in the first place. nor can peace be found anywhere in the world that would ever suffice to help us in all the tragedies that goes on in the world. The obvious condition of all things relative to their time and culture, show them that. No one has peace in the world with exception of those that are in Christ Jesus. And many of them that are in Christ Jesus still struggle to look to Jesus for peace in their daily doings. You might I mean, you read it, you see it, but be of good cheer, I've overcome the world, should grant you great peace. But many, many times we falter and don't believe that to its fullest, and we agonize, wring our hands, and stay up late at night worrying about things, don't we? The world lies in wickedness. And I came from the new one to go on that wickedness. The world in America lies in wokeness. And boy, I tell you what, that's getting the best of us, and that causes a lot of trouble and pain in the mind and the hearts of many. And as a result, there is no true, solid peace to be found in the world. And if you're thinking the election on this coming Tuesday is going to bring peace to the world, it's not. More than likely, we're going to see a bunch of stuff happen Tuesday night, even, in the days to come. In spite of all the things that man has at the tip of his fingers, in order to have peace, the world can either give it or in any way get it or maintain it. Simply there is no knowledge and understanding of what real peace is in the first place to the extent that they would enjoy it after that even, because they don't have the peacemaker to grant it to them. Certainly they have peace within themselves, with what they think is peace. And though they attempt to find spiritual peace to ease their fevered mind with a million religions, they can't obtain it there because the religious duties that they do, the services they perform, all the things they do that men have put them under rather than the gospel and ordinances of it to bring them to peace, They've opted for, and as a result, they all lie awake at night, worried about when their number's going to come. Fearful of dying, and yet say they don't believe in God. Well, why are you fearful for? If there's no God, you should feel all right. and seeing how they refuse to appeal to the gospel by which Christ is known, who is true peace manifested, they languish in their stupidity and do what they're doing before our very faces in America right now. It is by Christ and from Christ that real and everlasting peace is ever realized. Looking at Romans chapter 5, Romans chapter 5, look there at verse number 1. Here is where our peace comes from. Verse number 1 declares to us, Therefore be justified by faith We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. There is where peace comes from. And even when trouble and trial and tribulation is at your doorstep, look at verse number two, by whom Christ Jesus also we have access by faith into this great square in which we stand and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And as a result, we have an open door to heaven itself. So we fear not. We have that peace that we have with God which grants us peace in the world to endure all things. Christ is the sum and substance of the gospel and the ordinances of it and the object of all grace. It is in Him and in Him only, in His person, in His blood, His righteousness and His sacrifice, His pardon, His atonement that any soul will ever know real and lasting peace. And when you put your trust in Him, He grants that peace. Oh, there is a million verses that I could have, well, I say a million. There's a multitude of verses that I could have used this morning and read to you about this peace. But suffice it to say, It's His peace that we find rest, that we find comfort, that we find joy. His peace silences the cry of sin, the law, and justice for wrath, ruin, hell, and damnation. The only real peace there is is that peace made by Christ for His people by the blood of His cross. We just sang the old rugged cross. Well, you know why it's so attractive? Well, you wonder why it's a wondrous beauty? Because there hung our peace. and lives today, granting us and even living in us that peace. By the blood of His pardon, then, we have peace with God. a peace that assures us that by His righteousness, God is satisfied with us and has granted us justification into life eternal with Him. And in this profound peace, the once hell-bound sinner, that's you and me, finds immediate encouragement unto life everlasting here in the now. Safe and secure from all alarm. Immediate encouragement. Secondly, this piece Christ tells His disciples about is for their imminent equipping. Now, they're not going to put this equipment, if you will, to work immediately. Oh, but it's going to come. They're going to carry forth the work that God has called them to through Christ, and they're going to do so in peace. That doesn't mean that they won't face trouble. They'll face trouble on every hand. They'll be martyred for who they are and what they are in Christ Jesus, for Christ's sake, for the gospel's sake. But it's amazing in all of it, they reside in peace, knowing that to be absent from the body of the apostle Paul says to be present with the Lord. there's no fear. For certainty, Jesus says, looking back at John 16, don't lose your place in Romans 5. Back in John 16, in the world that they were in, they would have tribulation. Now Jesus, as a matter of fact with this, This is not a maybe-so, or you might have, or you could have. No. This is a certain fact. What Christ was saying is, you are going to have tribulation. Now we have the record, and they did. The history shows for a fact that they did. Christ, who is the omniscient God, knew what lay ahead for Himself, but also knew what lay ahead for His disciples. He had already endured what the foreordained counsel of His Father had already decreed, and He turned to pass for Him. He came into the world. He came to His own. His world wouldn't want Him, didn't want to have Him around, and desired to have Him killed, and God let Him accomplish that fact. Hundreds of years before His incarnation, Isaiah the prophet wrote that He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with much grief. Do you think that surprised Jesus when it happened? No. He knew that before the world was. So by the divine appointment of His Father, Christ came into a world and the world hated Him. But though tribulation was going to be horrific in every physical sense, still it was the useful weapon that would bring many sons to glory. But also a useful weapon for these that He's training right then to see what was next, endure what was coming, and glory in the glory of Christ and His gospel, and even glory in death itself if it was called upon. Now, there in John 16, 33, they didn't know that was coming yet. As a matter of fact, that Jesus was, still they could only scratch their head and think, my goodness, why? Why? Why would we do that? Well, they're going to find out. Jesus has said, if the world hates me, they're going to hate you. But here was the imminent equipping of the saints who would ever believe that the natural enmity Who would ever believe that the natural enmity, that is the natural hatred of the world for God's people, would be so valuable that it would work to our good? Now, it sounds like I changed gears right there in the middle of the road, didn't it? But that's exactly what's going to happen. This eminent equipping that they're going to enjoy. I don't know if they're going to enjoy or not. Maybe I'm using the wrong word there. That they're going to realize will happen throughout the rest of their lives. This persecution is going to be a unique training element to them. You would never believe that folks would be so angry so mad and so hateful that they want to kill the Savior of the world. But they did. You would never think that after they had put Jesus out of sight, out of mind, so they thought, that that hatred would filter down to all the people of the world to where they hate believers the way they do. What can be gained from that? Well, for us, These are training moments, equipping moments for us that we might live soberly, righteously, and godly in this world. Look back at Romans 5 if you would. The people of God in all ages have prospered mentally and physically and certainly spiritually from tribulation. Romans chapter 5, look again at verse 1, Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace where we stand, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And not only so, here comes the equipment. You ready? But we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope. And hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us. Hardly a tribulation would be for their imminent equipping for yours. The things that we endure in tribulation, believe it or not, work to give us patience and experience and hope. These are the weapons of the warfare for all believers. Though we'll have tribulation in the world by which the Father may chasten us, using those things to absolutely chasten us, we know that all that the Father does for us, be it good, be it bad in our minds, whatever, works for our good. that we might not be condemned with the world. 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 17 says, For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. So the tribulation is for our equipping, because the more you know about Him, And the more you know about those in the world that hate Him, you'll be able to stand in the midst of all of them and proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord to the glory of the Father. And you might have to do that real soon. And by the way, we will only endure these afflictions, these tribulations in this world. When we leave, they stop. So we won't have to endure those anymore. Soon and very soon, they'll end, we'll be gone, and when that happens, we'll be done with all of them forever. I used to love that old song, We'll soon be done. We'll soon be done with trouble and trial. I had to do the tenor part. Deb and I have been working on a song to sing for you here. I'm going to get her up and make her sing one day. She don't want to, but she can sing. We're going to sing, I've Never Been Sorry. I don't know if you know this song or not. I tried to teach y'all one time, I remember. But I loved that chorus where the ladies go, I've never been sorry. And the men sing, praise the Lord, that I trusted His name. Every moment I find Him all the way. Exactly the same. Boy, I wish I could sing. Now thirdly and lastly and we've got a little short sermon today because we're having Lord's Supper in a little while. We have this given by Jesus to provide these disciples and us intense energy. We get immediate encouragement and when you get saved that's the first thing you get by the way is immediate encouragement. All is well. Be a good cheer for I've overcome the world said Jesus. Then you have that eminent equipping, and that comes. And by the way, you'll be receiving this equipping till the day you get out of here. Now, I don't mean that everything is going to be a chastisement from God, but God will allow those things to aid us, equip us, to see things as they are. You know, you don't have to get punched in the face by the bully more than once to know you need to stay away from him. THOSE THINGS CAN HELP US. WELL, THIS LAST ONE IS INTENSE ENERGY. KNOWING THESE THINGS ENERGIZE US. AND THE REASON I PUT INTENSE IN THERE, IT HAD TO ALIGN WITH THE OTHER EYES. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? HAD TO GO ALONG WITH THAT. NO, IT IS INTENSE ENERGY FOR THOSE THAT ARE IN CHRIST JESUS. BECAUSE IF YOU UNDERSTAND THIS AND YOU HAVE THIS, NO MATTER HOW BAD YOU MAY FEEL ON SOME DAYS, YOU'LL GO TO CHURCH ANYWAY. YOU'LL COME TO CHURCH ANYWAY. No matter if you're aching, you'll read your Bible. No matter how your family will turn you away, talk bad about you, no matter how many friends you lose because you are a follower of Jesus Christ, it won't matter. Those things will energize you. and you'll keep going. This intense energy is to endure the persecutions that will indeed come. Jesus says it right back there in John 16 verse 33, But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. And all the tribulations and the terrors and the trials doesn't matter, it will work for your good. Notice, if you will, there in verse 16, yeah, verse 33 of John 16, how that Jesus bracketed those words, in the world you shall have tribulation. Above it, He says that in me you might have peace. After it says, be of good cheer. That doesn't seem to add up. It really doesn't. Start with, hey, it'll mean you'll have peace, but you're going to have tribulation, but be a good cheerer. It just doesn't add up. Oh, but it does. Because when the peace comes, when the peace comes, it won't matter what happens, you'll still be cheering. For you know your Redeemer liveth. If we're going to have tribulations, How in the world can we have good cheer, you might ask? Well, looking back at Romans chapter 5 again, in verse 6, with me. Notice, if you will, this great peace that cheers us. For when we were yet without strength, and do Christ died for the ungodly. Boy, that's you, that ungodly there. Y'all stinkers, oh my goodness. We were all ungodly. For scarcity for a righteous man will one die. Yet peradventure for a good man shall be the dare to die. Jesus died for us while we were yet sinners, verse 8. But God committed His love toward us, and that while we were yet sinners, scoundrels, wretches, you name it, Christ died for us. Oh, my lad! Somebody cheer! Hallelujah! Much more than being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And look at verse 11. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Goodness gracious, how can you not be cheerful? Since our sins are forgiven, and having the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, we can joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, not just on Sunday mornings, but all the time. There is our good cheer. But wait, there's more. What about the fact that our redemption draweth nigh? Isn't that a cheering thought? Isn't that a cheering fact? My heaven, Jesus is coming soon. Maybe morning, night, or noon, we don't know. Many will face their doom. But for us, not us, Jesus told us He's overcome the world. but not only overcome the world, but he's overcome Satan, the god and prince of this world. With all his principalities and powers, Christ has led captive all these defeated angels. Christ has ransomed his people from death, the grave, and hell, and has delivered us from the power of Satan, Finally, fully, and all that is in the world, the lusts and sins of it can't have their way with us unless you decide to toy with it and give in to it. Christ crushed the head of Satan and his damning power by the sacrifice of himself. He has snatched their governing power by His Spirit and grace, and the men of this world, with all their rage and all their fury, will soon be trodden down in His anger. Just know they hear you now. He restrains the weakness of this world by His power, and even causes the remainder of the wrath to praise Him. I know you can't hardly see that, but you imagine this, all this garbage that's going on right now in the media and everywhere else across the world, all these things praise Him. I know it's hard to see it. I know it's hard to see it, but my goodness, if he's ultimately in control, and he does as he pleases amongst the armies of heaven, and the inhabitants of earth are reputed as nothing, and none can stay his hand or ask him, what in the world are you doing? Then you got to know that he is getting great glory of even the likes of Kamala Harris. Smack my head. But it's true. It's true. We don't understand all His ways. His ways are not our ways. But I'm sure of this one thing. His ways are always perfect, no matter how it may seem to us. We have nothing to fear in this world. We're more than conquerors through Him that loved us and loves us. So this is from where that intense energy comes. Be not dismayed, whate'er you lot, God will take care of you, the hymn says. God rest you, merry gentlemen and women, let nothing you dismay. Christ has come, He's ascended to His throne, He forever makes intercession for us, He's coming again, and we're going to go with Him. be of good cheer. Now in two days we're going to endure the most important election of my lifetime and probably your lifetime. So far my lifetime adds up to 73 years this coming June 2025. The last several elections have increased in intensity in which we have seen a tremendous amount of heated rhetoric that is mind-blowing to say the least. There's been nasty diatribes and name-calling, downright vicious attacks. Even in this election, we've had two assassination attempts that we know of. There may be some we don't know about because they've tried to keep them quiet for a variety of national security reasons. I don't know. I'm just speculating. It's been said that the stakes in this election have never been higher and that is without a doubt the truth. One party in this election has been at work for years to seize ultimate and final control of this country outright. They have worked tirelessly, it seems, to fundamentally change the country physically, socially, economically, and certainly culturally. Literally allowing for and fighting for such ideas that a man can be a woman and a woman can be a man and that little baby inside that womb is just a clump of cells. In truth, Judeo-Christian morals, values, and ethics that we all grew up with are being targeted for absolute elimination in this election. And that will be the outcome of this election if we're not careful. Some would say this is the wrong place to do this kind of talk. Well, I don't think it is. In this world, we're going to have tribulation. But we can be of good cheer. In spite of the ultra-confusion that permeates the land, the clandestine activities that have been used as weapons, though many goals by these have been accomplished, we still know who rules and reigns, don't we? And so I will just say this to you. The nation is not voting for an individual per se. We're not voting for an individual per se. But rather, we're voting against a godless system. Of course, we know and certainly do believe that God is the ultimate control of this election. And no matter the outcome, as I've said, we can rest assured that its outcome will work together for our good and His glory. Granted, we know that we are hated by one of the parties in this election and hated viciously. And should they win, we will be targeted worse than we would ever dream. But we must not fret the outcome of this election in any way, and here's the reason. These things that I have spoken to you, you ought to understand that you will have peace. Jesus says, I'm going to give it to you, if you'll trust in Me. Yes, in the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. Our hope, friends, is not in fixing this country, but in Jesus Christ. Even if we fix it, if there's some way to fix it, if there's some way to get back to driving 57 Chevys again, Because that's what a lot of you old folks think about the way it was back in those days. And I loved those days. I had a sixty-four and a half Mustang that I loved driving. I ought to go back to those days. No, I'm playing with you here. In Christ alone, our hope is found. There is no salvation in any other. There is no other name under heaven given among man whereby we must be saved. Saw this on Facebook the other day. I don't know who wrote it, but it's pretty good. I've seen it many times and I thought I'd just bring it to your attention. Not all of you are on Facebook. This person wrote, After the election is over, we can still guarantee these results. Number one, God will still be on His throne. Say, Amen. Number two, Jesus will still be King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Say, Amen. The Bible will still have all the answers to every problem. Say, Amen. The tomb will still be empty. Hallelujah! Jesus will still be the only way to Heaven. Prayer will still work, it will still make a difference, and God will still answer prayer. Number seven, the cross, not the government, will still be our salvation and what was accomplished on it. Number eight, there will still be room at the cross just in case you ain't got there yet. That's a hard thing for Calvinists to say. Number nine, Jesus will still save Anyone who places their faith and trust in Him. John 6, 37, All the Father gives to me will come to me, and him that comes to me I will in no wise cast out. Be of good cheer. And then number 10, God will still be with us always. He will never leave us nor forsake us.