Stay Calm Until Christ Returns

What should God’s people do until Christ returns? Dr. David Jeremiah answers that question from several perspectives with wisdom from God’s Word.
“2:14). The psalmist spoke of a time when the whole earth will “be filled with His glory” (Ps. 72:19). The book of Revelation predicts a time when “the kingdoms of this world” will become “the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ” (11:15).”
― Dr. David Jeremiah, Where Do We Go from Here?: How Tomorrow’s Prophecies Foreshadow Today’s Problems

And just like that a world that seemed quite familiar is now unrecognizable.
And God whispers, I have not changed you lament over the life you loved.
That is now a vague memory time seems to be moving faster than you can manage and you’ve gone from simply living to merely surviving.
And what was once certain is now well uncertain.
And God whispers, trust in me.
You face a world that appears to be falling apart.
Foundations have splintered institutions, fractured nations, battered people polarized and God whispers, fear not you mourn that what you once held in your hands is now out of reach.
That the what ifs have become the that I never thought I’d see the day has already come and gone.
That one day might never arrive. And that which lies ahead seems determined to leave you behind.
And God whispers, I am with you.
Always, you navigate the ups and downs of a life filled with hard work, tough decisions, stressful situations and circumstances that seem out of your control.
You spend day and night managing the highs and lows of a marriage, a family, your health and your job and alarmed to discover that you’ve lost yourself along the way.
And God whispers, let me be your strength and though trouble assembles all around you and your enemies prevail against you, you attempt to stay centered and confident and convinced that even in the midst of uncertainty, God has a plan and a purpose for your life.
And God whispers, I love you and just like that, the world seems a bit more familiar and God whispers carry on.
So how do we carry on?

You might wonder how much more chaotic things can get.
But thankfully, as Christians, we do not have to be the victims of the chaos all around us.
The Bible says it’s possible to live with confidence in a chaotic world, but that’s the hard part, isn’t it?
How do we remain confident and calm when the whole world around us is in turmoil?
Let’s take a few minutes to look at four very important things.
Jesus asks us to believe and if you embrace these beliefs, I know you can stay calm and carry on.
Join Dr Jeremiah in just a few minutes for today’s message.
As he teaches how to stay calm in this chaotic world, you can find this inspirational challenge and nine others in living with confidence in a chaotic world, certain hope in uncertain times.
Dr Jeremiah’s classic book, updated for today’s generations biblically based practical instruction to help you live with unshakable confidence, whether you’re discouraged by the events on the world stage or overwhelmed by the everyday challenges on your own doorstep.
Claim a confident faith that shows as you learn to stay confident and convinced that God has a plan and purpose for your life.
Stay challenged and constructive in the world around you, stay compassionate and connected to the people in your life.
Stay centered and committed to God’s word and stay consistent and confident in your walk with God request living with confidence in a chaotic world.
When you give a gift of any amount in support of this program, and if you give $65 or more, Doctor Jeremiah will send you in appreciation, the living with confidence set, containing his book, his teaching series on Your Choice of CD or DVD and a companion study guide.
Plus with any order of the book or set, you will receive the unshakable confidence cards to encourage you to stay the course.
Each day, you can find certain hope in uncertain times and live with confidence in a chaotic world.
Order these resources from turning point.
Today, you are watching a timeless teaching presentation from Doctor David Jeremiah.
Here on turning point in appreciation of your viewership.
Today, Doctor Jeremiah would like to send you the unshakable confidence cards with selected scripture and an inspirational thought from Dr Jeremiah to help you stay the course each day, receive the unshakable confidence cards completely free when you contact turning point today.
Now here is Doctor Jeremiah with his message stay calm.
Contrary to what so many people say, the prophetic scriptures are filled with practical admonitions.
It’s not all about pie in the sky by and by. It’s about how to live today.
And Jesus in his careful presentation of his written word to us has given us what we need as we await the coming of the Lord which we believe could be at any moment.
How then should we live are the words of Francis Schafer? How then should we live at times like this?
Listen to the words of John chapter 14 and verse one, these are the words of the Lord Jesus.
These are good words for us today. Let not your heart be troubled.
Say that with me, let not your heart be troubled.
Now, before we explore the calm words of our savior today, I want to make the point that Jesus would not have said this.
If there was no reason for it to be said.
In other words, Jesus spoke to people who were troubled and sometimes even those of us who are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ were troubled.
Isn’t that true? I know that I hear sometimes people say that when you come to Christ, all your troubles go away.
I have to honestly tell you that when I became a Christian, I added a few troubles that I didn’t have before because now there’s a conflict between the way you used to live and the way you now live.
There’s no word in the scripture that says when you’re a Christian, you don’t have troubles. We all have troubles.
In fact, it’s interesting as you look at this scripture, even Jesus had trouble over in the 21st verse of the 13th chapter Jesus is talking about the impending betrayal by Judas and notice what he says when Jesus had said these things, he was troubled.
Interestingly enough, you can draw a line from that word to the word trouble in the 14th chapter.
It’s the same word in the Greek language.
Jesus was troubled over what was about to happen because Judas was going to betray him.
And then if you read on down to the end of the 13th chapter, as you get almost to our text, you hear the Lord interacting with Peter and Peter is about to deny him three times.
The Lord Jesus experienced trouble. So listen to me folks.
If the Lord Jesus had trouble, why should we think we wouldn’t have any?
In fact, the Lord Jesus told us if you follow him and if you honor him in the world, you will have persecution but be of good cheer.
I have overcome the world. Jesus said, don’t let trouble catch you off guard.
If you’re a Christian, it’s inevitable. It’s part of the deal.
It’s what we experience on our way to the place God has prepared for us.
Now, Jesus gives to his disciples and to us four things that they need to do to make sure that they don’t cave in to the trouble in their life.
I can’t imagine anything that he could have said that would be more helpful to us than these things that he said to his disciples.
Notice the first thing he says to them, he asks them and us to believe in a person, listen to these words, let not your heart be troubled.
You believe in God believe also in me. Now, these were good Jewish people.
They had known God, they had believed in God, but Jesus was something new.
Jesus uh was something that was just very new in their lives.
Jesus had come on the scene and Jesus had claimed to be God.
And yet we, we know from studying the scriptures that disciples didn’t quite get it all.
Not even until after the resurrection, did they figure it all out?
So Jesus is speaking to them and he is saying men don’t let your heart be troubled.
I want you to believe in me. You believe in God.
But I want you to believe in me when he uses the word trouble.
He uses a word which means to shudder. Don’t let your heart quake.
Don’t let your heart shake, don’t let your heart be upset, man. Here’s what you need to do.
First of all, believe in a person believe in me.
Has there ever been a time in your life or in mind when we needed somebody to believe in like we do today.
You know, everyone that you seem to think might be someone you can trust.
You follow them long enough and they disappoint you.
Everyone who walks into any political office will ultimately be the source of disappointment for people.
We put our trust in our financial security and it will disappoint us.
We think we got retirement nailed and all of a sudden it comes unglued.
Don’t let your heart be troubled. Jesus said, put your trust in someone who is trustworthy.
Put your trust in me. The Apostle Peter tells us that one of the reasons why we can live with trouble when we know Jesus is because the Lord Jesus tells us to cast all of our care on him for he will care for us.
Let me ask you a question.
How many of you here this morning have trusted Jesus Christ for eternal life.
Let me see your hands right now, put them down.
So you’ve trusted Jesus Christ for eternal life and you’re struggling with what happened to you last week.
Hm If we can trust him to take us all the way to heaven, to give us a home in eternity that lasts forever, which is beyond any kind of time perspective you will ever be able to comprehend.
If we can trust him with that.
Then Jesus says, we can trust him with this, whatever it is that’s happening, whatever it is, we’re experiencing.
Jesus says, here’s the first strategy.
He asks us to put our trust in a person, put our trust in Christ. Christ.
Let me just say to you today that if you haven’t put your trust in Jesus Christ for eternity, that’s where it all begins.
When you finally come to grips with the fact that he’s taken the greatest need you have in your life and he has solved that need through his own death.
On the cross. The trust cycle begins, you can really trust him when you know what he has done.
And then Jesus says to his disciples, not only do I want you to trust in me as a person, but I want you.
Secondly, to believe in a place, not only to believe in a person, but to believe in a place.
Notice verse two in my father’s house are many mansions and if it were not, so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you.
Now, obviously, this is about heaven and Jesus is saying to his disciples, you wanna know where I’m going?
Well, I’m gonna tell you where I’m going. I’m going to prepare a place for you.
We know that place is heaven. Heaven is the father’s house.
And Jesus said to his disciples don’t be troubled, put your trust in me and believe that I have the future in control.
I’m going ahead of you to prepare a place for you.
And Jesus told his disciples that one day this place where he was going, which was his home would become their home, whatever he meant by the word mansions.
And we’ve all heard lots of messages on that and we’ve sung about the mansions over the hilltop and all of that, whatever is meant by mansions.
We know that he’s not talking so much about huge buildings as he is about the fact that there’s enough space up there for everybody.
He’s creating rooms for us in his home. He’s going ahead to prepare the way for us.
And one day we’ll go to live in that home. If we die before he returns, we’ll move.
If we are alive and remain.
When he comes back, we’ll be ushered in with all of those who have trusted him to our home.
Heaven is the father’s house. Heaven is home. We need a home. We long for a home.
And in these verses, Jesus calmly and simply assures his own that you don’t have to be worried about these incidental troubles because they’re incidental in light of this place that I’m preparing for you.
I’m making a home for you and one day you’ll be at home.
How many of you, how many of you know, we’re not home yet?
We’re on our journey, but we’re not home yet.
God is preparing a place for everyone who will put their trust in Him.
So the second thing Jesus said to his disciples was this.
First of all, I want you to believe in a person, you believe in God believe also in me.
Then I want you to believe in a place I’m going to heaven to prepare a place for you.
And then the third thing he said, now I want you to believe thirdly in a promise, I want you to believe in a promise.
14 3 says, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am there, you may be also.
Now there are many who have tried to explain this promise and they say, well, that’s what happens to you when you die, Jesus comes and gets you.
Well, it is true that when a believer dies, the angels come and take them to heaven.
But there’s nothing in the Bible that says when a believer dies, that the Lord Jesus comes all the way back and takes every individual to heaven, the angels carry you to.
And you can find that in the, in the book of Luke. This is not about when we die.
This is about when Jesus returns. This is about when he comes back.
He’s saying one of these days, I won’t tell you when but one of these days I’m gonna come back.
He said to the disciples, you can’t come with me now, but you will come with me later.
He’s coming back and when he comes back and this is his promise.
I’m coming back to receive you to myself that where I am there, you may be. Also.
Now, the simplest explanation of this is the best.
My father’s house refers to heaven and in heaven, there are many rooms.
And the point is that Jesus is coming back someday to take us who have trusted him to that place.
Here’s what I’d like you to know today if you don’t remember anything else, listen to me carefully.
Jesus wants you to be with him. Jesus wants you to be with him.
Did you know Jesus loves you and he wants you to be with him.
You know, the most profound statement you’ll find in the anywhere in, in Christen. Here it is. Jesus loves me.
This I know for the Bible tells me so Jesus loves you. He wants you to be with him.
That’s profound. Is it not that the the Jesus who died on the cross for us?
The second person of the Trinity, the son of God, the son of man in his own writing has said to us, I’m going to, to get a place ready and the purpose for doing that is so that I can come and get you and you can come and be with me.
I want you to be with me.
Did you ever feel so loved in your life that the God of heaven wants to spend eternity with you over in John 17?
Where Jesus is praying his high priestly prayer.
He actually prays to the father about this in verse 24 of John 17.
He says, Father, I desire that they also whom you gave me may be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which you have given me before, you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Some people say, well, OK, pastor, what’s he doing up there getting this place ready? I promise you.
He doesn’t have a hammer and nails. He’s not doing that thing. He’s not back in Nazareth.
I mean, he could be if he wanted to, but that’s not what this is about.
And we don’t know for sure what the preparation is all about. But let’s not concentrate on that.
Let’s just concentrate on these little words, whatever he’s doing, it’s for you, it’s for you. It’s for me.
I’m going to heaven to prepare a place for you. Get that in your head and in your heart.
God loves you so much that what he’s doing right now, it’s all about you. He’s doing it for you.
That’s how much he loves you.
If we could ever for a moment, see the true totality and ultimate picture of the love of God, we would melt beneath its pressure.
He loves us. And what he’s doing in heaven is for you.
It’s for me. That’s how much he loves.
I wanna take just a moment at this point to stress, the value of such thinking.
Did you know that this whole issue of trouble is real?
But also the fact that we don’t need to be troubled is real.
Let me just tell all of you who may be a little anxious this morning filled with a little anxiety over what’s going on.
Jesus says, you don’t have to be troubled when Jesus says, let not your heart be troubled.
That that’s a pretty strong statement.
And what he’s saying to us is this, this is how all this fits together and this is how it keeps you from trouble.
Listen to me, this is the way you win the battle over anxiety, great victories are never won by those who don’t have any trouble.
The people who don’t have any trouble aren’t on the front line.
They’re back home, waiting for the people on the front line to fight the war for them.
No, you don’t win victories by not having any trouble, nor do you win victories by fearing that the battle is already lost and there’s nothing that can be done.
But if you know in your heart that the victory is ultimately already won and that the, that the end of it is already clear.
If you’re in a war and you’re fighting in a battle and you know, we win and you know it’s gonna come out on your side, then you can play with confidence, you can fight with confidence, you can live with confidence and that’s what I’m here to tell you.
That’s what Jesus is saying. He said, I want you to believe in me first.
I want you to believe in the place I’m going to prepare for you.
And then I want you to believe in this promise.
Listen to me, Jesus is saying to you and to me, I’ve got it all under control.
Everything’s gonna be OK. And while you’re going through some issues down here in light of what I prepared for you, those are just little skirmishes on the way to the father’s house.
If we can see that in the perspective, God gives us in his word.
The little skirmishes won’t bury us. Jesus wants us to believe in four things.
He wants us to believe in a person. He wants us to believe in a place.
He wants us to believe in his promise. And here’s the last one. This might get a little testy.
So hang on. He wants us to believe in a plan.
He has a plan to get all of us to that place.
Now, the fact that some are gonna violate the plan, it’s not his fault. He’s made the plan here.
It is read on with me into this text and notice in verses four through six.
Jesus says, and where I go, you know, and the way you know, and Thomas the Doubter said to him, Lord, we don’t know where you’re going.
How can we know the way.
And Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the father except through me.
Thomas said, Lord, we don’t know where you’re going. So how are we gonna know the way?
How are we gonna find it? Lord, we don’t know what to put into the GPS.
We don’t know where we’re headed. And Jesus said, Thomas, don’t you worry about that?
I am the way William Barkley, a great historian helps us understand that when he says, suppose you’re in a strange town and you ask for directions and suppose the person says to you, well, take the first to the right and the second to the left, cross the square, go past the church, take the third on the right and the road you want is the fourth on the left.
He said you’re lost before you take the first turn.
But suppose that person were to say to you, well, come on, I’ll take you there.
In that case, the person is the way he’s not showing you the way he becomes the way.
Oh, I love it when people do that for me because I am so directionally, uh, challenged when I asked, I mean, it would be just one.
Did you ever go to a gas station and ask for? Has anybody ever said, you know what son?
I see. You’re a little distressed. Why don’t you just let me take you there?
Nobody’s ever done that for me.
But once in a while when I ask a friend, I’ll say, listen, Pastor, why don’t you just let me take you there?
Jesus said, Thomas, don’t you worry about the way to heaven? I am the way, the truth and the life.
Now, if Jesus had said I am a way, we have no issue here.
But he didn’t say that. Did he look down at your Bible?
It’s not the word, little letter A, it’s the word, the Jesus didn’t say I am one of the ways.
He said I am the way. Oh, will that get you in a lot of trouble today?
That is so intolerant. That is so politically incorrect to say that Jesus is the way.
And you say, well, that’s probably not what he meant. He probably didn’t mean he was the only way.
Well read the rest of it. No man comes to the father except through me. What part of that?
Don’t we understand? I’m afraid that sometimes we who are Christians, we allow the world to kind of temper our, our theology.
We, we want them to feel we’re good folks and that we’re not intolerant that we’re not a belligerent or, or any of those things that they say of us.
And so if we’re not careful, we give up the ground.
That is the real core basic truth of the gospel. I wanna say it again.
Jesus is the way to the father there is no other way to the father except through him.
You say, well, pastor, that’s just in one little isolated verse.
So I thought I’d give you a couple others. Acts 4 12.
Neither is there salvation in any other four.
There is no other name under heaven given among men by which might be safe. There’s nobody else.
First Corinthians 3 11 for no other foundation. Can anyone lay that? Which is laid?
Which is Christ Jesus first Timothy 25.
For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man. Christ Jesus.
So many in this day of tolerance are rejecting this truth concerning the way of God. God.
They don’t want to be looked upon as being narrow minded, but we need to be just as narrow minded as Jesus was.
He’s the one that said, you can only get to the father through me.
It seems like there should be more ways.
And the writer of Proverbs says, there is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
It’s not about what seems right that counts.
It’s about what is right just as God has determined that everyone who is born physically into this world will be born the same way through the agency of a man and a woman.
So he has determined that everyone who is to be born spiritually will be born the same way through the agency of the spirit of God and the word of God, Jesus is the way He’s the only way he wants to take you to the father’s house, but you cannot get there without Him.
You may be good. You may come to church. You may serve in the church.
You may have been in ministry. You may have a, an un flawed history, a resume that would impress everyone.
None of that makes any difference if you haven’t trusted Jesus, he is the way when you stand before the Lord someday, he won’t ask you what you did in the church.
He won’t ask you how much money you gave to charitable causes.
He won’t ask you if you were a good upstanding person in the community.
He will ask you, what did you do with my son? The Lord Jesus Christ, did you receive him?
And you will be allowed into heaven on one condition that you have accepted Jesus Christ and what he did for you in covering your sin with his blood so that you might have the righteousness that you need to get into heaven.
So that’s it. That’s the plan. Jesus wants you to believe in a person.
He wants you to believe in a place.
He wants you to believe in his promise, but he also wants you to believe in the plan.
Here’s the plan I am the way the truth and the life.
No man comes to the father except through me.
He’s the way someday all of us will leave our earthly homes.
Let me ask you this question, which is the most important question of all.
Do you have a home in heaven? I know just the one who can show you the way.
In fact, he is the way.
If you know Jesus, he’ll take you to the father’s home.
Doctor Jeremiah just shared his heart about how we can stay confident in this chaotic world.
And he would like to extend an invitation for you to know the true source and foundation for a confident life, Jesus Christ.
If you would like to know more about how you can begin or grow in your relationship with Jesus, Doctor Jeremiah would like to help by sending you two free resources.
The first is a booklet called Your Greatest Turning Point. And the second is our monthly devotional magazine, Turning Points.
These resources are yours completely free when you contact Turning point today.
Thank you for watching Turning Point.
When you support this program with a gift of any amount, Doctor Jeremiah will send you in appreciation his book, living with confidence in a chaotic world, certain hope for uncertain times and for a generous gift of $65 or more.
Doctor Jeremiah will send you the living with confidence set containing his book, his teaching series on Your Choice of CD or DVD and a companion study guide.
Plus with any order of the book or set, you will receive the unshakable confidence cards to encourage you to stay the course.
Each day, receive these resources when you support the ministry of turning point. Today.
Next time on turning point in the midst of this crisis, we can turn our attention on ourselves or we can look out at a needy world and say, Lord God, you put me right in the midst of this for such a time as this show me how to respond so that I can be your outstretched arms to the people who need some compassion.
Thank you for being with us today.
Join Doctor Jeremiah next time for his message, stay compassionate here on turning point.