1. Believe (verse 1).
2. Jesus is Going (verse 2).
3. Jesus is Coming (verse 3).

Life is full of troubles. Job 5:7 says that "Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward."

I suspect that many of you have troubles in your life. I don’t know what they are.

- Perhaps you have health problems. Your chronic pain or injury or illness is weighing you down.
- Perhaps you have financial struggles. The end of the paycheck seems to come quicker than the end of the month. You lack security as you head into your older years.
- Perhaps you have job insecurity. Sure, the job you have has been consistent, but there are indicators that your market may be drying up.
- Perhaps you have relationship conflict. You and your neighbors are having some sort of squabble. It makes spending time outside in your yard very difficult.
- Perhaps you have marital problems. Your marriage seems to be more of a roommate situation than a marriage.
- Perhaps you have family dysfunction. You can talk with your brothers and sisters because the hurt runs so deep.
- Perhaps you are lonely. You live alone and there is too much quiet for you. You are longing for a spouse, but he (or she) never seems to come.
- Perhaps you fear death. You try not to think about it, but a recent diagnosis or a funeral you attended has made it feel much closer.
- Perhaps you struggle with anxiety about the future. You're not sure how things will work out. You lie awake at night trying to plan your way through the unknown.
- Perhaps you feel weighed down by guilt. Something you did, or failed to do, haunts you. You wonder if God really can forgive you.
- Perhaps you carry shame from failure. Your life hasn’t quite turned out how you had hoped it would. Others seem to be doing well, but you feel stuck in regret over some of the bigger life choices you have made.
- Perhaps you're battling doubts about your faith. You believe, but it's not always strong or clear to you. You worry about whether you're really saved.
- Perhaps you fear rejection. You’ve been rejected by friends before. You're afraid to open up again, in case it happens one more time.
- Perhaps you feel misunderstood. People don’t see your motives, just your mistakes. You’re trying your best, but it feels like no one gets it.
- Perhaps you’ve been hurt by unanswered prayers. You’ve asked again and again, but heaven feels silent. You wonder if God is listening.
- Perhaps you've gone through divorce. Life was about you and your spouse and now you are alone. Your identity feels uncertain.
- Perhaps you’ve recently lost someone you love. Every room, every song, every holiday feels different now. The ache of grief catches you off guard.
- Perhaps you’re troubled by aging. Your body doesn’t move like it used to. You feel overlooked in a world that values youth.

Whatever may be occupying the worries of your heart, Jesus has a word for you. He tells us all, “Don’t Be Troubled.” But this isn’t simply a command to stop, as if telling us not to worry about our trouble is enough to make us stop. We all know the waywardness of our hearts, and the racing of our minds, and the weight of these things upon our souls, to know that we should stop worrying about these things. Jesus gives us help in dealing with our troubles. He gives us some help for how to think about these things.

Let’s read our text.

John 14:1-3
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.

The title of my message this morning is “Don’t Be Troubled.” That’s the main command of this passage. It’s right there in verse 1, “Let not your hearts be troubled."

Jesus said this to the disciples because they were troubled. The disciples had reason to be troubled. Their world was caving in upon them.

Jesus was with them in the upper room at the Passover feast, and was telling them that he was soon to leave them. Think about it. Jesus had been their leader for three years. He was the one who decided when they would go to Jerusalem. He was the one who decided when they would go to Judea. He was the preacher. He trained the disciples to go out and preach for themselves. and now, he’s going away! What are they do without their leader?

On top of that, Jesus tells his disciples, that one of them will betray him. All of the disciples had become close and trusted one another. And Jesus said that one of them would defect? And turn against Jesus? Betraying him unto death? Then, Jesus told the strongest of them all, Peter, that he would deny Jesus!

It was all unfathomable! The world was crashing in on these disciples. They had every reason to fear. Yet, Jesus said, 1 “Let not your hearts be troubled."

He then gives an alternative in the second half of verse 1. He says, "Believe in God; believe also in me."

This is my first point.

1. Believe (verse 1).

This is the exhortation of Jesus. He says, “Hey disciples, it may look like your world is crumbling, But trust in God. Trust also in me. That’s the way to keep from a troubled heart. Trust God through it.”

Now, before we proceed, I want you to look at the footnote. If you have an English Standard Version of the Bible in your laps, I want you to look at the footnote in verse 1. The footnote indicates that this also may be translated, “You believe in God, believe also in me.”

In other words, the first command here to believe may be words of affirmation, “You do believe in God,” as if that’s what’s going to help and then comes the command to trust in Jesus. In other words, he says, “I got it. Trust in me in this. I know what I’m doing!”

Or, the first phrase about God may be a words of exhortation, a command! “Believe in God.” They profess belief, but now he calls them to live a life of faith, trusting in God, trusting also in Jesus.

The technical term for these variants is that this word may be in the indicative or the imperative. What you need to know is that the form of the Greek is the same. That is, it’s impossible to tell in the Greek whether or not these words are exhortations or affirmations. You can only tell from the context of what Jesus is saying.

So, various translations take it different ways. The King James and New King James and NIV all take the first as an indicative and the second as an imperative, “You believe in God, believe also in me.” On the other hand, the ESV and the NASB and the Christian Standard Bible all take both of these phrases as exhortations, “Believe in God; Believe also in me.”

Both of these translations are true. But really they come out to the same place.

The disciples with Jesus all believed in God. They were Jews. They were devout Jews, following after their religious leaders. They were trusting God. Yet, there is something more here that Jesus is calling his disciples to do: really trust in God.

I think that this is the key to your own troubles, really trust God through them. Lean upon him and his promises.

- So, when you’re facing parenting challenges, trust that God is able to work in the hearts of your wayward children far more than any of your words ever will. Paul Miller says, “I do my best parenting in prayer.
- And when you are hurting because of the betrayal of a friend, trust that God is watching over you with your goodness in mind. The Scripture says, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay” (Romans 12:19).
- And when the global conflicts are distressing you, trust that God has it all under control. Psalm 115:3 affirms, “Our God is in the heavens he does all that he pleases” (as Ryan preached a few weeks ago).
- And when you feel like a failure, trust that God’s love for you is not based on your success. Romans 8:1 declares, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
- And when you’re enduring chronic pain, trust that God’s grace is sufficient for every moment of weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9 reminds us, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
- And when addiction has gripped your life or someone you love, trust that God still delivers and breaks chains. Psalm 107:14 declares, “He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart.”
- And when you’re haunted by regret over missed opportunities, trust that God is able to redeem what feels lost. Joel 2:25 promises, “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.”
- And when the pressures of a job overwhelms you, trust that God values your faithfulness more than your performance. Colossians 3:23 reminds us, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”
- And when you’ve fallen into moral failure, trust that God’s mercy is deeper than your worst sin. 1 John 1:9 promises, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

That’s what it means to trust God when the troubles of life come crashing in upon you.

Particularly, to these disciples, Jesus was saying,

- When Judas betrays me, trust that God is not surprised and will use his betrayal to fulfill His perfect plan. Genesis 50:20 reminds us, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.”
- And when you, Peter, deny me, trust that God understands your weakness. Psalm 103:14 tells us, “He knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.”
- And when fear causes all of you to run, trust that God will not abandon you but gently restores those who are broken. Isaiah 42:3 promises “A bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;”

So, when the troubles of life come, "Believe."

But notice here, it’s not just a belief in God, the Father. Jesus also tells his disciples to believe in him, God, the Son. Now, if Jesus were not God, this would be totally out of place here.

This may not be a place in Scripture that you go to in order to prove that Jesus is God. But in some regards, Jesus is claiming deity here, encouraging the disciples to trust in him in the same way as he called them to trust in God, the Father. So, believe in Jesus. Trust in Jesus. Trust in who he is.

The whole book of John is driving us to believe in Jesus. It’s driving us to trust in him that we might have life. Consider again the purpose of why John writes, "Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."

Believe in Jesus! Trust him! He’s the Messiah! He will save you from your sins! He will help you through the troubles of your life.

Let’s move on. Jesus tells his disciples, "Don’t Be Troubled." 

2. Jesus is Going (verse 2).

At first glance, this seems like a strange way for Jesus to help his disciples in their troubles. By leaving??! How is that going to help in their troubles? But the help comes in what he’s going to do as he goes. Look at verse 2,

John 14:2
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 is going to prepare a place for the disciples. Obviously, Jesus is talking about heaven, that place with many rooms, that Jesus is going to prepare for all who believe in him.

Now, if you are familiar with the King James here, (or have the New King James), you read this, KJV “In my Father’s house are many mansions.” This conjures up visions of massive homes that Jesus is building. Yet, most modern translations use the word “rooms” or “dwelling places.”

The key to understanding the difference is the evolution of words over time. In the 1600’s when the King James was translated, “mansions” meant “dwelling places.” But, over time the word has evolved to mean “huge, luxurious homes.” The King James translation just needs an update to reflect how the word is used today. I’m not sure why the New King James followed suit.

But the idea of “mansions” may not be so far off of the intent of Jesus. He told his disciples that he was going to prepare a future place for them with the Father, consisting of many dwelling places. In Revelation 21, we read about the place that is prepared for us. Here’s how John saw it. 

Revelation 21:10-14, 18-19, 21
[John saw] the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed—on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel.

And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

It’s a glorious place that Jesus has prepared for us. The way that this helps us in our troubles is that a vision of a glorious future helps us endure the troubles of today.

We can work long and hard at our jobs, giving one final push, when we know that vacation comes next week when we can enjoy a trip away with the family. A mother endures the pain of childbirth, knowing that the joy of the baby is coming! Jesus will use this very illustration in a few chapters.

John 16:21-22
When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for the joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

So, when your troubles come upon you, think of the place that Jesus is going to prepare. It will help to put your troubles in perspective.

- So when the legal troubles come upon you, think of the day when your legal troubles will be no more.
- And when others slander you, think of the day when nothing unclean will ever be in the New Jerusalem.
- And when your prayers aren’t answered, think of the day when you won’t have any more needs to pray about!
- And when the potential of World War III sinks upon your heart, think of the day when there will be no more crying or pain or sorrow or tears (Revelation 21:4).
- And when those in the church hurt you, think of the day when all will be reconciled to God and to one another.

This is what Jesus is saying to his disciples. “Yes, troubles are coming upon you. One of you will betray me. Peter, the most prominent of the disciples, will deny me. All of you will be scattered. It will seem as all of your hope is lost. But don’t be troubled, I’m going to prepare a place where all of your troubles will go away.”

Keith Green wrote a great song about his longing for heaven,

For sure, the place that Jesus went to build far exceeds everything on earth! It will be a glorious place, where all who believe in Jesus today will be someday.

But I find two difficulties with Keith Green’s picture. First off, God created the world in six days, yes. but he could have done it much faster. He could have created in an instant. I love how this cartoon gives a good perspective:

To think that he needs 2,000 years to build all of the dwelling places in heaven for us is limiting God’s ability. He can create everything in heaven in an instant as well.

Second, I’m not sure that Jesus is slaving away to build heaven for us. Another picture in Scripture that we see of Jesus in heaven, is of him sitting and waiting until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet (Psalm 110:1). It may just be that the glories of the New Jerusalem are built. He’s simply waiting for the right time to come back.

Further, it may just be that Jesus has already built them by going to the cross. Look again at verse 2, "I go to prepare a place for you." Where was Jesus going? He was going to the cross. The cross is the very foundation for preparing a place for us. It’s the place where this gospel is headed! It may here that Jesus primarily has the cross upon his mind, “I’m going to the cross, and my death for your sins, is what is preparing a place for you.”

Now, I’m not denying the pictures of glory that we see and know and long for so dearly. I’m simply saying that the foundation of the place was laid when Jesus went to the cross for our sins!

Without the cross, there would be no city. Without the cross, there would be no pearly gates or streets of gold. Without the cross, there would be no place for us to dwell with God. Without the cross, we would not be with Jesus. One of the great realities of heaven is that God is there! and that God will dwell with us!

Revelation 21:1-3
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

That’s the point that Jesus brings up in verse 3,

John 14:3
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.

Here’s my third point: 

3. Jesus is Coming (verse 3).

Jesus is going to prepare a place. Jesus is coming to bring us to that place. Ultimately, the point is that we will be with Jesus, "I will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also" (verse 3). To his disciples, Jesus is saying, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Oh yes, Jesus may have left his disciples physically, temporarily, but he is not far from them. He even promises “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

This is the reason for the creation, that God would be with man, dwelling in perfect harmony forever. This is the reason for eternity, that God would be with man, dwelling in perfect harmony forever.

- This was God’s purpose with Adam and Eve: to walk with them and talk with them, and to be their God, and he their people (Genesis 3:8).
- This is why God covenanted with Abraham: "And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you" (Genesis 17:7).
- This is why God established the people of Israel: "You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Exodus 19:4-6).

This is God’s heart for us, that we would be with God, as his people, and that he would be with us! In just a few chapters of John, Jesus will pray this very thing. "Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world" (John 17:24).

The heart of Jesus is that we will be with him. This is where your true joy ought to come. in being with Christ forever. John Piper asks the penetrating question:

The critical question for our generation—and for every generation—is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ were not there?^[2]

“Could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ were not there? ”

Believing in Jesus is trusting him through your trials, knowing that he will be with us through our troubles. He does this because he longs to be with us forever! These things will help us through our troubles, whatever they may be,

- Troubles with our family
- Troubles with our friends
- Troubles with our church
- Troubles with our culture
- Troubles with our finances
- Troubles with our future
- Troubles with our failures

So believe! Trust in Jesus! Know that Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us. Know that Jesus is coming to bring to that place.

Church Family, “Don’t Be Troubled.”

This sermon was delivered to Rock Valley Bible Church on July 13, 2025 by Steve Brandon.
For more information see www.rockvalleybiblechurch.org.

[1] You can listen to the song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gotfop41dc.

[2] John Piper, God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God's Love as the Gift of Himself (Wheaton: Crossway, 2005), 15.