SERVANT LEADERSHIP - The Blue Letter Bible Institute

Servant Leadership – Lesson 26 10
Encouragement for the Troubled Heart by Greg Laurie
You are going to heaven. So He says, “Keep that in mind. Keep that in the forefront of your
mind.”
The final reason they do not have to be troubled is that Jesus is coming again. Look at John 14:3.
“I will come again and receive you unto Myself that where I am you may be also.” He is coming
again. This is something we need to keep in front of our people, because we are living in a crazy
world.
I was just reading in the paper on the way up here about the potential for nuclear war between
Pakistan and India. They said if this war were to break out, it could blow the economy apart. It
could cause refugees like we have never seen. It could affect the whole planet. We think, “Well,
that is just those guys over there.” It will be coming to our own backyard. And then of course
there are all these other problems such as the conflict in the Middle East and the threat of
terrorism in our own nation. People are frightened right now. We are living in frightening times
and we need to remind them that Jesus is coming back again.
Do not forget to give that message to them because the Scripture tells us in 1 John 3:3, “He that
has this hope purifies himself, even as He is pure.” If a person properly understands the teaching
of the imminent return of Christ, it will cause them to want to live a more godly life. And so Jesus
is saying, “I am coming again to receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
I love the way the story ends. Jesus said, “And where I am going you know and the way you
know.” Thomas responded, “We do not know the way.” I love Thomas. If I had been one of the
disciples I know I would have hung out with Thomas because he was a skeptic. He was not a
person who was filled with unbelief. There is a difference between skepticism and unbelief. A
skeptic, when presented with the truth will believe. An unbeliever, when presented with the truth,
will not believe. It is a choice they have made. Thomas was skeptical.
I have never been one to believe something just because someone said it was true. I have always
wanted to know for myself. And Thomas wanted the same. We call him “Doubting Thomas”
because after the crucifixion when the Lord appeared to the disciples, Thomas was not there.
When they told him about it he said, “Well, I will believe it when I can put my hand in His side
and actually touch the wounds in His hands.” The next time they met together, Thomas was there.
I love the fact that the Lord just appears and says, “Thomas, go ahead. Put your hand in My side.”
That reminds us that He is the unseen listener to every conversation. “I was eavesdropping on
what you said, Thomas. Go for it. Here I am.” And in defense of Thomas, he said, “My Lord and
My God” (John 20:28). He did not need further proof. That was all he wanted. He wanted to
know for himself. He just wanted to be convinced.
Jesus is talking to the disciples. He says, “I am going to prepare a place for you and I will come
again and receive you unto Myself. Where I go you know and the way you know.” And I think all
the disciples were thinking, “Man, that is so deep.” I do not think they had a clue.
It is sort of like when you are in class and the teacher does some complex problem on the
blackboard, turns back to the class and says, “Now, does everyone understand?” Everyone nods,
“Yeah, yeah” because you do not want to be the one person that says, “Excuse me. I do not
understand it.”
Jesus says, “Where I am going you know and the way you know.” The disciples were probably
nodding, “Oh yes, yes.” Thomas was probably in the back. “I have a question, Lord.” “Yes,