Let's turn our Bibles to John chapter 14, and we'll read the first seven verses. John chapter 14, and I commence reading from the English Standard Version. Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. 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? 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. And you know the way to where I am going.' Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way? Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my father also. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. This morning we begin chapter 14 of the Gospel of John, and what we see in that portion of the Scriptures is that in those gloomy hours preceding the cross, Jesus reflected upon this appointment with death on the cross or the appointment on the cross in which the eternal scheme of things that God the Father had planned, that His Son would come and die on the cross, the cross that would be the instrument for dealing with the problem of sin or the penalty of human sin. However, as was often the case, the Lord Jesus Christ, in spite of his own trials, his thoughts were engrossed with his disciples or upon the welfare of his disciples. His thoughts were with them. The disciples did not appreciate what was happening or do not comprehend what exactly was happening and will soon happen. But the Lord Jesus Christ knew what was going through them, what was going through their minds. And in this precious passage of the Holy Scriptures, we find those words of our Lord Jesus Christ, let not your hearts be troubled. The disciples had every reason to be troubled. They had every reason to be anxious. The Lord Jesus Christ had just told them that you'll be going away. You recall when we were dealing with chapter 13, the Lord Jesus Christ had told them, now the hour had come. The Lord Jesus Christ had told them that He's leaving them, and where He's going, They could not follow, but they will follow Him later. And the Lord Jesus Christ, looking into their faces, seeing their disposition, their disappointment, their fears, and probably their frustrations as well, He says to them, don't let your hearts be troubled. Now imagine if you were one of the disciples. They had been with the Lord Jesus Christ for three or so years. They had been in the presence of the Son of God, the sinless Son of God. They had experienced his perfect love in their lives. They had witnessed the sinless Son of God in private and in public. They had sought and learned from Him. They had witnessed Him casting out demons and doing various kinds of miracles. And not just to have witnessed the miracles of the Son of God, but also they had the privilege of participating in them. And they knew that as long as they are with the Son of God, nothing was a problem for them. Even the dark valley would be glorious because the Son of God was in their midst. Imagine the joy of ministering side by side with the King of glory, the Prince of Peace. Imagine them thinking with their idea of the Old Testament idea of a Messiah that is going to destroy the Roman Empire, renew the earth and establish his kingdom. And as they establish his kingdom, they will be with him. They will rule with him. And they'll have a part in that world. And now to be told that I am leaving you and where I am going, you cannot come now. Imagine being told that one of you is going to betray me. Imagine being told that Simon Peter, you will deny me. And the Lord Jesus Christ knew that their hearts were troubled. And in this moment, he was able to understand their situation and he began to comfort them. His focus was on them and he began to minister to them. He began to speak to them and he says to them, let not your hearts be troubled. Now, these are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ to all of us this morning, those who are his. But yes, life on earth is filled with trouble. And some days are more devastating than other days. But life on earth is characterized by troubles, trials, And the Lord Jesus Christ, he's saying to us this morning, don't let your hearts be troubled. I don't know what you might be going through this morning. And there are certain things that you will go through life that you cannot change. But you can learn to immense yourself in a deep, Sustained biblical faith. You can immense yourself in the words of the Lord Jesus Christ and take them deep down your hearts. And it is those words that will bring cure to troubled hearts. And so let's open up those verses, verse one through to verse three. and draw lessons for us all this morning as we think of the theme, the cure for troubled hearts. And the first cure I would like to bring before you this morning is this. You must have a soul-securing faith in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The first cure is that you must have a source securing faith in the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what we see in verse one. Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me. When Jesus Christ said these words, let not your hearts be troubled, the way he constructed his sentence, as recorded for us in John, is that he was literally saying to them, stop being troubled. Stop being troubled, or do not keep on being troubled. And the words of the Lord Jesus Christ reveals their disturbed disposition. The disciples were disturbed as we looked at in the introduction. He had just announced that he's leaving, and now he's saying to them, that stop what is happening right now. The way John records for us, it is stopping an action that is in progress. And the Lord Jesus Christ is saying, stop it. Stop it. Stop what you are processing. Don't let your hearts be troubled. And when you look at this verse in the original, there are several legitimate ways to translate this, because the word believe in verse one can be taken as inductive or imperative, is a statement of fact or a command. And hence you find that there are some translations that will say, let not your hearts be troubled, believe in God, believe in me. Or as the English Standard Version puts it, let not your hearts be troubled, believe in God, believe also in me. And my own inclination is that the Lord Jesus Christ is not just giving indicative statement or facts, he is giving imperatives. And this is based on the fact that the first statement, let not your hearts be troubled, is an imperative, it's a command. He's telling them to stop the progress or the process that is going through their mind. And therefore, he gives them this command. And then when he moves to say, believe in God, believe also in me, again, those are imperatives. And therefore, what the Lord Jesus Christ is stating in those imperatives is that he's putting himself at the same level with God. That's the thrust of his command. That's the thrust of what he's saying there. He's saying to the disciples, let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me. He's commanding them to believe in God and to believe in him as well. And this is what the Lord Jesus Christ is saying. If you believe that God is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, if you believe that God who's invisible loves you, if you believe that God is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient. He's a sovereign God, a glorious God, the rulers of the skies. If you believe that God created all these things, he says, believe in me as well. If you believe in this God whom you've never seen, by faith you believe in him, You believe is eternal. You believe is merciful. Believe in me also. And he's giving this command. And you see, this synchronized injunction is of faith in God, and in Christ, and therefore showing and proving to us that Jesus is God. And also he says, believe in God, believe also in me. He consciously states that. And he says, if you have faith in this God, have faith in me as well. And the first cure to troubled hearts is to consciously choose not to let your hearts be troubled, by replacing the despair that is often rooted in our hearts and which manifests itself in the ignorance of the Scriptures and in our insufficient faith. The Lord Jesus Christ is saying, replace that with a decisive commitment to believe in God and to believe in me as well. The cure for troubled hearts is that you must have a sore anchoring faith in the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith is only as good as its object. in a faulty car or a faulty machine will not make it any safer, even if the person handling it is experienced. If you have a faulty car, it doesn't matter how experienced the driver might be, he doesn't make it any safer. And everything in the Christian life depends on the correct answer to the question that the Lord Jesus Christ asked his disciples, as recorded for us in Matthew chapter 16 and verse 15, where the Lord Jesus Christ said, And the correct answer to that question is what brings this soul secure in faith in the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter answered, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Peter acknowledged the deity of Christ, which is the person of Christ. And then when he says you are the Christ, he acknowledged the work of Christ. And when we think of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, that he was the sinless son of God, he's the person who's lived on this earth and has never sinned before God. He is God. That's the person of Christ. But he came to fulfill that which he could not fulfill. He came and lived a perfect life. And then He died on the cross. And the Father was well pleased and accepted His death. And anyone who comes to the Father in the Son, he will find salvation. And therefore, apart from the so anchoring faith in the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, you have no lasting means of calming a troubled heart. And this comfort that the Lord gave to his disciples remains for us today. that we must have this so securing faith in Christ, in who He is and what He has done, and to live in full assurance of that reality. He came and died, and we who've believed in Him have found salvation. Let your faith rest in Christ. And notice the Lord Jesus Christ did not promise that your troubles will go. But he says he will be with them in the midst of their trouble. He will be their stabilizing force and strength in the midst of their troubles. And therefore, he says, let not your hearts be troubled. So what is it that is troubling you this morning, child of God? What is it that you are going through that brings sleepless night to you? The Lord Jesus Christ is saying, stop it. Don't let your heart be troubled. how you live in this full assurance of the so anchoring faith in Christ and live in that reality. Don't let your hearts be troubled. But the second cure for troubled hearts is that you must have a soul-stimulating anticipation of the glory of heaven. You must have a soul-stimulating anticipation of the glory of heaven. Verse 2 and verse 3. 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? 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." There's a call to have hope in Christ's promises. And that is what will bring comfort to our hearts, that there must be this so thrilling anticipation of the glory of heaven. And the Lord Jesus Christ is saying, you must firstly trust in God and trust in me, Then second is that you must believe that there is a place He has gone to prepare for each one of us who are His. And He's saying, don't let your hearts be troubled. In my Father's house are many rooms. Or other versions will say, are many mansions. And the word that is used for many rooms or many mansions It's a way that gives us the idea of an abode or an abiding place. It's the same way that is used in John chapter 14 and verse 23. John chapter 14 and verse 23, Jesus answered him, If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him. and we will come to him and make our home with him." That word home is the same word that is used there in many rooms or many mansions. And the idea that the Lord is giving us there is that of an abiding place. And the Lord Jesus Christ is saying, my father's house is a permanent dwelling. for those who are mine. It's a permanent place, a permanent abode, a place of abode, a place of dwelling, a place of abiding. It's a place of rest. And the Lord Jesus Christ calls it my father's house, giving us this idea that it is a special place. He says, it is my Father's house. It is a special place. It is special because that's where God is. That's where the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ is. That's where our Father dwells. It's a holy place because the Holy God dwells there. It is a place filled with glory. It's a special place. It's a place of peace and blessings. It's a place of joy. It's a place of love. The Lord Jesus Christ says, in my Father's house. But also that terminology, my Father's house, gives us a sense of security. It's not just a special place, but it is a secure place. It is a safe place. It is my Father's house, the Lord Jesus Christ says. It is a place that signifies the idea of permanency, the idea of security, the idea of safety. And He says, I go to prepare a place for you. And then, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, that where I am, you may be also." And verse 3 there is in the present tense, giving us full assurance of future facts. It says, 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. He gives this assurance that my departure is not me leaving you. It is me going to do something. It is me going to prepare a secure place for you. And when I'm done, I will come myself. I will come and get you. I'm going to prepare a place for you. And while I'm preparing a place for you, I am also preparing you for that place. And when I'm done and you are ready for it, I will come for you. I will come and take you and be with you in my Father's house. You know the phrase, there's no place like home. Those of you who travel, you know that when you've been away for some time, especially if you've been out of the country, there's that longing to get home. Because there's no place like home. You know that home is a place where I belong. where I'm loved with all my faults, with all my mannerisms, with all my shortcomings. Home is my place. Home is a place where I feel safe, where I feel I belong. And the Lord Jesus Christ is saying, there is a place that He is preparing for those who are His. And the day is coming when you come for you so that you are with him in his father's house. While you are still here on earth, he's preparing you for that place. He died for you. He purchased you with his own blood, and now he's preparing you for that place, my Father's house. And listen to what Revelation tells us in Revelation chapter 21 and verse 27. Verse 27 of chapter 21 in Revelation says this, but nothing unclean will enter it. Not anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. That's a place the Lord Jesus Christ is preparing for us. And he says, I will come so that you'll be with me where I am. And he's saying the cure for troubled hearts in this world is that you must have this soul-stimulating anticipation of the glory of heaven. You must look ahead to that promise of the Lord Jesus Christ. You must imagine what it will be like. You must live in full anticipation of what that place will be like. Someone describes the Christian faith as standing on your tiptoe, where you look ahead to the promise, but yet unrealized future. And you see the promises of God waiting for you. They are there. It's not a wishful thinking. It's not like hoping that your favorite team would win the Afcon. And you're saying, I hope my team will win. No. The Christian faith is like watching the soccer match of your favorite team having won the cup. And as you sit there and as you are watching with excitement, eager to see how they won the cup, you know they won. It doesn't matter how much time your team is under pressure. You know at the end of it, my team will carry the day. And this is what the scriptures tell us. The Lord Jesus Christ came and died for our sins, and rose from the dead, and is now in his Father's presence, interceding for each one of us. And the time is coming, when he's coming for us, to be with us in that place that he's preparing. The scripture doesn't say that you keep on wishing or hoping that this is true. No, the Lord Jesus Christ has purchased our salvation with his blood, and he said where he is, there we will be with him. And as we live in this troubled world, there must be this stimulating anticipation of the glory of God. It must fill your soul. It must move you to see everything in full view of what the glory of heaven will be like. And as the scriptures tell us, there will be no need for the sun because the glory of God will be its light. Everything will be new. There the blind will see the light. There the lame will walk and run with joy. And to be like the Lord Jesus Christ, to have our bodies transformed and to be like Him, and to be in a place where there is no sin. Does this thrill your heart? Does it stimulate your soul as you anticipate that which Christ has gone to prepare for you. And so our elder, when he was leading us in worship, he was saying, to you who has not known the grace of God, the message of the cross is foolishness. When we ask you to sing with us, I will enter His courts with praise. If you know nothing of the saving grace of God, to you, this is just motions. But those of us who have come to know, experience the forgiveness of God in Christ, where we know that our sins are forgiven, and He's preparing a place for us, not because of anything good in us, but because of the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are filled with thrill, we have this so stimulating anticipation and we know that a day is coming when we will be finally home. And that day is coming. And if this doesn't thrill your heart, it's because you do not know the Prince of Peace, the light of that city. You don't know him, and so you don't get thrilled by what he says in his word. But we that know him, we are filled with this anticipation of the glory of heaven. And we can only imagine what it will be like. We can only imagine. If you do not experience the soul satisfying joy of the felt Christ within your soul, it's because you do not know him. And because you do not know him, you do not have an anchor that will keep your soul in the confusion of life on earth. You do not have an anchor that will keep you steady in the sorrows of life on earth. And if you've not experienced sorrow, Just a matter of time, you will. But what is it that will hold your soul in those times? Those of us who are believers, the moment that time When you enter your father's house, you will know for the first time in your life that you are finally home. A moment in heaven, a minute in heaven, a day in heaven, you finally realize with no shred of doubt You are home, and there is no place like home in your Father's house. And Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, has prepared it for you. What a joy that in this troubled world, I have a home in my father's house. And so, when you find yourself being toasted to and from, or if you find yourself saying the words of our closing hymn, Master, the tempest is raging. The billows are toasting high. Master, the sky is shadowed with blackness. No shelter or help is near. Lord, do you not care that I perish? The Lord Jesus Christ is saying, don't let your hearts be troubled. Say to yourself, peace, be still. Peace, be still. Not because there are no troubles, no, but because you know that no ship, no waters can turn the ship where the master lies. He's with you. He's right by your side and He's saying to you, peace be still, don't let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. And this is the cure for troubled hearts. Trouble will come, trials will come, but have this soul anchoring faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And have this soul thrilling anticipation in the glory of heaven. And you go through this world with all its sorrows, saying, peace, be still. The wind shall obey the voice of the master. Peace, be still. And as it prepares you for heaven, He has worked for you to send the light of the gospel message to the ends of the earth so that those who have not believed may come to know the Lord Jesus Christ and experience salvation that is in Christ and also have their hearts cured. by Him who died on the cross. Amen.