Faith Baptist Church
Joel Roger Johannes Funeral
- When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder
- How Great Thou Art
John 14:1-4ESV
John 14:5-7ESV
- Jesus Paid It All
- His Robes For Mine
- Have you ever been lost?Now days we are so heavily dependent on our phones to get us from A to B. I am sure many of you can remember navigating without a map. My wife and I went to Yellowstone National Park for our honeymoon, and we drove all the way there and back without a GPS. We used a map. And somehow, we made it!But do you remember getting lost? I can remember driving down a road and wondering, “Am I going the right direction?” Even more terrifying, I can remember going hunting in the woods when I was little and getting turned around in a large chunk of woods. There I was as a young teenager, lost and alone in the woods, with no idea if I was going the right direction. Guess what emotion dominated my mind? FEAR.While it is scarry not knowing the way to go while you are driving on the highway, or not knowing the way while you are wondering around in the woods, it is all the more fearful not knowing the way when it comes to death and what comes next.What comes after we die?Wouldn’t it be nice if there was someone who died and then came back to life who could tell us what it is like?Did you know that the Bible tells us very clearly what happens after death? There are two possible destinations. One destination the Bible calls hell. Hell is described as a lake of fire. It is the destination of everyone who rejects Jesus.The other destination the Bible calls heaven. It is everlasting life. It is the destination of everyone who receives Jesus, who believes in his name.Which destination are you headed to? Do you how to get there? Do you know the way?Jesus wanted his disciples to know they way! In our text this afternoon Jesus gives his disciples crystal clear directions on how to have everlasting life.Jesus wants you to know the way. And so the directions Jesus gives are for you as well.What are the directions that Jesus gives?
John 13:1 ESV 1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.Context: Jesus is nearing the final hours of his life before his death on the cross. We pick up the account of Jesus’ life the night before he was crucified. Jesus eats the Passover meal with his disciples, he then proceeds to wash their feet. And knowing that his hour had come to depart out of this world- that is Jesus knew he was about to die, Jesus gives his disciples some very important directions.John 13:31–34 ESV 31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.Jesus gives his disciples some pretty important information, some incredible teaching on that passover meal evening. In v. 34 Jesus gives his disciples a new commandment. This commandment is about loving one another in a very sacrificial way. This is important stuff. And how do the disciples react?John 13:36 ESV 36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.”Peter speaks up and says, Lord that was some beautiful teaching. The loving one another in the same way you have loved us. That is beautiful. But… Where did you say you were going again? We really want you to clarify that little tidbit you dropped on us in the middle there.So Jesus answers Peter, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.”What is Jesus speaking about here? He is talking about his soon approaching death on a Roman cross.Peter I am about to die and you cannot follow me yet- but you will one day.Now does Peter understand exactly what Jesus is talking about?John 13:37 ESV 37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”Apparently Peter had some idea of what Jesus was talking about. Because he said, “I will lay down my life for you.” But Peter could never do what Jesus was about to do in going to the cross. Jesus was about to go to the cross and shed his blood to pay for the sins of the whole world- including Peter!And Peter gets a little arrogant here. Lord I can follow you now! I can do it! Not realizing that when it comes to salvation- we can do nothing! We need a Savior. We need someone to save us! But Jesus puts Peter in his place.John 13:38 ESV 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.But then Jesus begins to speak words of comfort to his disciples. Jesus is the one who will shortly go the place of the skull, Golgotha. Jesus is the one who will have his hands and feet nailed to a wooded cross. Jesus is the one who will pay the penalty of sin for the whole world. And yet here Jesus is offering words of comfort to his disciples.John 14:1 ESV 1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.Jesus is about to die. And yet he tells his disciples- let not your hearts be troubled.What is the remedy for their troubled hearts? Believe in God! Command. Put your trust in God. And very significant he goes on.Believe also in me! Why is that so significant? Because Jesus is equating himself with God. The same kind of faith you place in Yahweh. Put that same faith in me. And when you do you will find a remedy for your troubled hearts!Why does faith in God and in His Son Jesus Christ remedy troubled hearts?John 14:2 ESV 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?Jesus sooths the anxiety and the fear and the worry of their hearts by talking to them about heaven. In my Father’s house are many rooms! Where my Father dwells- there are many rooms for you to dwell with Him and with Jesus!If it were not so, if this was not true, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?So the remedy to their troubled hearts was the ultimate destination after death. Death in on their minds. Jesus their Messiah is about to die, and then what would become of them.And so Jesus explains to them why he has to die! And what his death means for them. Don’t be troubled about death because after death there is a wonderful destination awaiting you. Where? My Father’s house. Heaven. And good news there is room enough for everyone!But in order for us to be able to go to the Father’s house, first Jesus needed to go to prepare a place for you.Now going to prepare a place doesn’t mean that Jesus needed to go to heaven and pick up a hammer and start building. No. It is the going itself of Jesus, via the cross and the resurrection from the gave, that prepares the place for us.Don’t be afraid. Death is just a door way to my Father’s house in heaven. And so you can follow after me in a little while, first I need to go and prepare a place for you. And Jesus prepares that place for us by dying for our sins on the cross and through his resurrection from the dead.But Jesus is not done comforting his disciples yet.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.Does this not take all the fear of death away?Yes, death is inevitable. The two things you cannot escape- death and taxes. But it does not have to be fearful!Jesus offers us hope. He has already prepared a place for us through his death and resurrection. And he also promises to come again and to take us to himself, that where Jesus is we may be also!Here is the destination you want to arrive at after death. You want to be with Jesus! How do we get there?John 14:4 ESV 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”Do the disciples understand?John 14:5 ESV 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”Lord we don’t even know the destination. How can we possible know the directions?Would that be a fun experiment? What if I told you after the service, hey let’s meet for dinner at a restaurant. And you were like, great which one? And I said, “Oh you already know the way.” How can I know the way if I don’t know were I am going? This is what Thomas felt like.So what does Jesus do? In his grace and mercy he tells Thomas the way. And these directions are not just for Thomas. They are not just for Peter. They are for every one of us.What are the directions to arrive at the Father’s house after we die?John 14:6 ESV 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.I AM (deity)I am the WAY! Exclusiveness to what Jesus is saying.Religion is not the way.Baptism is not the way.Church denominations are not the way.Communion is not the way.Good deeds are not the way.The only way to the Father is through Jesus ALONE!Jesus is the TRUTH!What Jesus says about salvation and the way to the Father is the only truth. Jesus is the truth. He is the Son of God. He is the ultimate and perfection revelation from God to us about what really matters.Jesus does not tolerate alternate truth claims. Many people today will tell you that truth is relative. You can believe what you want, and I can believe what I want. And we can both be right?Jesus denies this. He states, “I am the truth.”Jesus is the LIFE!If you want everlasting life, if you want to end up in the Father’s house one day after you die- Jesus is your only hope. He alone is the source of everlasting life.John 11:25–26 “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”And then to make sure none of us missed the point.. Jesus doubles down on his statements- “No one comes to the Father except through me.”Is Jesus really that important? Joel thought so- Jesus cards.It’s your choice.John 3:16 “16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”Joel believed in Jesus. Because of Joel’s faith we have so much to be thankful for. We don’t have to let our hearts be troubled!Psalm 116:15 “15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”2 Corinthians 5:8 “8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”Philippians 1:23 “23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.”When it comes to Joel’s destination are hearts are not troubled.How about you?Do you know where you are going? Do you know the way?Here is the truth. We were all created by a holy and a righteous God. He made us for a purpose.But we don’t measure up. We fall short of God’s purpose. We call that sin. Not only do we fall short, but we rebel against God. And because of our sinful rebellious hearts we deserve just judgement. And one day we will stand before God and he will judge us for our sins.Sometimes friends that doesn’t sound terrifying to us. That’s because we don’t know what we don’t know. We have no idea what it will be like to stand before a perfectly holy, and perfectly righteous God. We don’t. We think we will be fine. We think we can impress God on the basis of our own goodness. We can’t! We are so sinful and God is so holy. And he has every right to judge us for our sin. And that judgement will be ultimately to cast us into the Lake of Fire for ever.This is the destination for those who have sinned against a holy God. We will end up in hell forever separated from God.But, there is hope! And our only hope is Jesus!This is why Jesus said, “I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life. No one come to the Father except through me.”Thought experiment.Can’t answer in the first person. We must answer in the third person. Because of Jesus alone!If there is one message that Joel would want you to know. If he could be here today what would he want you to think about? “It’s your choice”Here is the good news. You can choose to believe in Jesus. If you have never done that you can do that today.Romans 10:9 “9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”Romans 10:13 “13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.””If you call out to Jesus He will save you!Boy drowning illustrationLet’s PrayMemories:Dearest Jay and Andrea,Our warmest condolences to Joan and your family, Joel is with Jesus now! "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His Saints!"Looking back over the many seasons that Joel and Joan were here in Arizona with us, they were such a vital part of our Lord's Church here. Faithful to His word, " not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together."Joel never claimed to be a cowboy, but his walk made it look like he'd spent alot of time on the back of a horse! Every March or Church sponcers an "Old Fashioned Tent Revival with dinner on the grounds" and your father was faithful in passing out more flyers inviting folks than anyone else in the Church! He has left some big "boots" to fill..."Well done thou good and faithful servant!" "He that winneth souls is wise."Personally, one of my fondest memories of Joel happened that last winter your parents were able to spend with us. He and I climbed into the 4-wheeler and went exploring. After covering the lower mountain ranges...very rough terrain, concerned for Joel, I asked him, are you ready to go back now? His responce was NO! So we started up the one lane road to the top of Mount Hopkins, nine thousand feet in elevation, where the "Wipple Observatory" is located...Joel was jubulant!!!One could see God's creation for miles. He commented, this has been one of the best days of my entire life! "Eye hath no seen nor ear heard the things that God hath prepared for them that love Him!" We can only imagine the sights Joel is experiencing today!We are honored to have Joel and Joan and their dear Family as our friends and fellow laborers in Christ! "In His grip!" See you "Here, There or in the Air!"Pastor Rick & Karen and Pastor Pete & Phyllis Petersen John 13:1ESV
John 13:31–34ESV
John 13:36ESV
John 13:37ESV
John 13:38ESV
John 14:1ESV
John 14:2ESV
John 14:3ESV
John 14:4ESV
John 14:5ESV
John 14:6ESV
- Amazing Grace
- In Christ Alone
- God Be with You Till We Meet Again
