The Difference Maker - Finding Home

Acts 20:24 (NLT) 24 But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

Confession Of Faith: I am not moved by what I see or by what I feel. I am moved by what I believe. I believe the WORD of God The victory is mine! - I have it Now!I can see it through the eyes of my faith

Finding Home

Most of us are dealing with a HOME issue: It manifest's itself in the crisis of the week! Whether is a financial crisis - that causes us to look for home, emotional crisis, that causes us to look for home, the death of a loved one , that causes us to look for home, a major life event, that causes us to look for home! In many situations we are dealing with Home issues and finding that space we call home in the midst of challenging times!

One of the biggest social issues is homelessness! Now yes it is a major social issue, but I believe it is bigger, because we were created to have home and experience home! I believe we we see each other and their is missing that place of home we react!

So as difference makers we are called to help each other find that since of home, of being grounded, having real relationships in real times!

Now as Christ Followers, We are created to be at home in the heart of God. As a result, wherever we are can be home.

John 14:20–23 NKJV

At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

Then God did something amazing out of his love for us!

The gift of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost means that God’s Spirit now lives in those who follow Jesus!

Through The Holy Spirit - God is at home in us in all places, and sends us to all places to help others find their way home.

Here's the challenge

Though we are always with God who is our home, we often don’t feel at home. We crave the sense of well-being found in settling into home, where we no longer feel out of place physically, socially, mentally, or emotionally.

We know that desire so well because we feel its absence so often.

In spiritual terms, our sense of not being at home shows up in our “hungers,” in our difficulty in finding people or stuff or experiences that satisfy our cravings.

And so, we persistently hope for home. This is not simply a desire for home, but an anticipation of it, an ability almost to taste that for which we have such a longing

Home must be safe and open, and honest . Home is what shapes the Kingdom community and can change everything.

Colossians 1:15-23 (NLT) 15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, 16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. 17 He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. 18 Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. 19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, 20 and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. 21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. 23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.

Finding Home - While Living in both the Physical & Spiritual!

The challenges of being human and being faithful are not the challenge of spiritual versus physical, but spiritual in the midst of physical.

We live physical lives in the midst of spiritual realities—we live spiritual lives in the midst of physical realities.

Here is the challenge:

Most of us chose to conform ourselves to our neighbors more than to the God of Heaven and Earth - we worship.

So the community of faith was designed and meant to be the home, the place, the environment that keeps us faithful.

Finding Home With and in Christ

John 1:14 (MSG)

14 The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.

“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God….[And] the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth” (John 1).

Jesus Christ came to be the example of how to find home in relationship between body physical - and spirit. The God of the universe takes on human flesh “and moves into the neighborhood” (John 1:14, The Message).

Our home becomes God’s home. Now God comes to make home with us so that we might find our home in God.

God wants all of us to be at Home with Him

Matthew 11:28-30

Matthew 11:28–30 NKJV

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

God wants us with Him

The Twelve with Him

Mark 3:14 NKJV

Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach,

Matthew 15:21–28 NKJV

Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Finding Home in Ourselves

Home is found in the places where we know and are known. Home is not always a “womb,” but it is intended by God to be a place where we can live with the freedom to breathe, and to do so with enough honesty that our lives are not controlled by fear.

However, because so many live in anxiety, injustice, and abuse home is hard to find.

Many are experiencing a variety of challenges that impact home …a death in the family, job insecurity, health issues. Young people are not immune to stress and upset. Many struggle with depression, heartache, relationships and school-related challenges such as assignment deadlines and exams. It's difficult to finding Home For any one who is feeling the “weight of the world” on their shoulders is hard

Philippians 4:6–7 NKJV

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finding Home in our bodies, finding home in our thoughts, finding home in our worship, finding home in God