Sermon 08 04 20
Over the last couple of days I spent some time in a room at my parent’s house. It’s just an ordinary room, painted walls, not a five star hotel by any stretch of the imagination, but it feels welcoming, the bed is comfortable, but not quite the same as my bed at home.
The thing that struck me was that ever since I’d called to say I was coming; my parents have been saying they were looking forward to seeing me. On Wednesday I even got a text message from my mum that said, “Can’t wait to see you!” I knew that there was a room there waiting for me; I knew that a warm home made quilt would be on the bed and another one would be available just in case I got cold. They even arranged to collect me from the airport and loan me a car while I was there.
On reflection I realised that when I rang to say I was coming I expected that they would have a bed for me and that I would indeed be made welcome. It was just expected, because its been my experience in the past, it was what I knew would happen, so I pretty much took their hospitality for granted.
That’s the kind of expectation that Jesus was talking about when he told the disciples that in his Father’s house there are many dwelling places. What he was telling them was that he was going to get their places ready for them; and the expectation is that they are coming. At some stage, when the time was right, he was planning to return for them, to take them to their heavenly home. That’s the same message that he gives to every one of us. He’s gone to set up our mansion for us, and probably not just a bare walled room with a bed in the middle, but a place beyond all of our own imaginations, far more beautiful than our human intellect could possibly muster up. This is more than just a pipe dream, this is the Son of God, telling us that he is going to be with his Father, and that he will indeed get the place ready for us, so that when our time comes it will be ready for us.
How beautiful it is when someone who knows that their time on earth is almost over can simply put there faith and trust in those words and calmly and peacefully look forward to their new life in heaven.
This promise of Jesus is something to look forward to, something to be excited about, not something we should fear, not something we should let our hearts be troubled about.
Its little wonder that this text is so often used at funerals, in fact almost every time I’ve visited someone who is on their ‘death bed’ I’ve read them this text. Mainly because it looks forward to a wonderful future, away from this broken and evil world, where there is no more suffering, no more hunger and no more crying. A future where we will move into the dwelling place Jesus has prepared for us.
We may ask the same question that Thomas did, “How can we know the way.” We sometimes fall into the trap of thinking we do know the way to heaven. I’m sure some of you at some point in your lives have had someone ask the question, “when you die are you going to heaven or are you going to hell?” If you have how did you answer, if you haven’t how would you answer? Have you ever considered that question yourself? Some people ask that question purely to check out your response and I sometimes wonder if it isn’t so that they can lay a big guilt trip on you, and make themselves feel better because they know that they’ve been good enough to get to heaven!
It’s a pity they’ve got it all wrong! How do I know that? Look at the words of Jesus, in response to Thomas’ question, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” You can’t get yourself to heaven, but Jesus can, and has! He’s actually got a place prepared for you already. He is the way to get there, he paved the way when he took your sins upon himself and took them to the cross. Through him we have the way, and the truth and we’ve already begun to live the life. Through him we come to the Father, just as if we were the Son of God himself, made right with the Father even though we are still sinners.
Is this what you believe? Is this what you know in your heart, that even though you are a sinner, there is nothing YOU can do to win favour with God through what you do or say, and that Christ has already won the victory for you? If you do, fantastic, if you can’t agree with me, that’s ok too, we can work on it. Many of us have had the influence of alternative theologies thrust upon us in various ways throughout our lives, sometimes it takes time to let the Holy Spirit do his work on our hearts through the hearing of God’s word so that we can hear God’s truth spoken to us.
Is that news Good News to you, is it news worth hearing? Surely if it’s good for you to hear, you would be keen to share it with others. Over the last couple of days I’ve been at a conference that was talking about moving us from being members of the church to being disciples of Jesus Christ. Some may ask what the difference is. When all we do as a church is gather together once a week and look after each other we risk becoming an exclusive club, where others aren’t welcome or would feel uncomfortable trying to break in. Anyone could be a member, but why would they want to and besides, how would they hear about it?
When we move to being disciples we actually live a real faith, we want to hear God’s word, to apply it in our lives as a response to our faith, we want to share it with others and give back to the church so that more and more people might hear the good news of Christ’s saving grace and live in the knowledge and hope that Jesus has a place prepared in heaven for them too. We’ve been given a gift, one that is meant to be shared, so that more and more people may come to faith and not only receive eternal life, but have the opportunity to live a life of faith, so that when life throws them some curve balls they have something and someone to lean on in their time of need and can find joy even in their suffering.
Jesus is the way and the truth and the life, we can’t have truth and life without him, neither can anyone else, so let’s go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising, teaching and growing with them as we rejoice in our faith and live it in the knowledge that there is a place prepared for us, a place too amazing to imagine but it is the place for you.
Amen