Four Words That Keep Us Going

In this poignant message, Chuck Swindoll explores Jesus’ final instructions to His disciples just moments before the agony of Gethsemane. Facing the dark shadow of the cross, Jesus moves His followers from the “known to the unknown,” preparing them for His imminent departure. Using John 16:16–33 as the primary text, Swindoll identifies four essential virtues that Jesus promised would sustain His followers during times of separation and sorrow: Joy, Love, Faith, and Peace.

Swindoll weaves the biblical narrative together with the powerful true story of five American missionaries—Jim Elliot, Pete Fleming, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, and Roger Youderian—who were martyred in Ecuador in 1956. Just as these men sang the hymn “We Rest on Thee” before their final journey, Jesus offered His disciples words of hope to carry them through the trauma of His death.

The message addresses the deep human need for resilience when life crumbles. Swindoll explains that while the world offers tribulation, Jesus offers a joy that cannot be stolen, direct access to the Father through love, a faith based on divine knowledge, and a peace that overcomes the world. The sermon concludes with two anchoring thoughts: a life dedicated to God may be short, but it is never a mistake; and though life is not easy, in Christ, we can go on.

Message Key Facts:

• The Four Sustaining Words: Swindoll categorizes Jesus’ final promises into four specific concepts:
  1. Joy: A permanent, “abundant joy” that replaces sorrow, likened to a mother forgetting labor pains once her child is born.
  2. Love: The assurance that the Father Himself loves the believer, granting direct access to God in prayer.
  3. Faith: A belief grounded in the knowledge that Jesus came from God, knows all things, and is in control.
  4. Peace: A stabilizing force available even when believers are “scattered” and facing tribulation, because Jesus has overcome the world.
• The Missionaries of Ecuador: The sermon heavily references the five missionaries killed in 1956. Swindoll notes that while the men were heroes for going, their wives (the widows) were “heroines” for staying and enduring the silence and loss, sustained by the same truths Jesus gave His disciples.
• The “Known to Unknown” Method: Jesus used a classic teaching law—moving from the “known” (current sorrow and separation) to the “unknown” (resurrection power and the Holy Spirit’s ministry) to help the disciples understand their future.
• Direct Access in Prayer: Swindoll highlights a shift in Jesus’ teaching: the disciples would no longer need to ask Jesus to ask the Father. Instead, they could ask the Father directly in Jesus’ name because “the Father himself loves you”.
• The Paradox of the World: Jesus warned that at His death, the world would rejoice while the disciples wept. However, this dynamic would soon flip, turning the disciples’ temporary grief into permanent joy.
• R.A. Torrey’s Testimony: The sermon includes the story of R.A. Torrey, who, after the tragic death of his 12-year-old daughter, experienced a supernatural “fountain” of the Holy Spirit’s joy while praying on a street corner.

Message References:

• John 16:16–33: The primary text, covering Jesus’ final discourse on sorrow turning to joy.
• John 16:20–22: The illustration of a woman in labor used to describe the transition from grief to joy.
• John 16:26–27: The promise of the Father’s love and direct access in prayer.
• John 16:33: The concluding promise of peace: “In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
• Psalm 30:5: A supporting verse referenced by Swindoll: “Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning”.

Message Speaker:

Pastor Chuck Swindoll