We Will Spend Time with God in Eternity

Introduction (1m)

Tony loved spending time with people

Stands out from tributes. Time away with his RAF comrades. His work colleagues at Mobil Oil and Honeywell. Golf mates. Wendy, at home and on holidays. Daughter, Sharon and stepson, Dean.His friends at TSA. Breakfast and Junior choice with Sharon. Teaching Sharon how to ride a bike and drive a car. Watching westerns with her. Watching sport with Chris. Teaching Georgina how to beat him at dominoes!

List goes on.

Now we can no longer spend time with Tony

> Makes his leaving even more painful. Heart aches. We miss him. There’s an empty space in our buildings/lives.

An empty platitude?

J rubs noses in it: “Don’t let your hearts be troubled”. Day like today = empty platitude. Empty words. Pure sentiment. Unless there’s some reality behind it.

Explanation (2m)

Jesus’ followers needed to hear this good news

J spoke these words to his followers just when they most needed to hear them. Last Supper. Spent time with him - 24/7 - for three years. And he’s just told them going to leave them. Whole world wrapped up with him for three years. Now - J announces the end. His followers must have been devastated.

J says: “Don’t let your hearts be troubled.”.

Jesus commands them to believe him

Step further. Then says: “Trust in God, and trust also in me”. Imperative. A command. Crisis coming, but hold true to what you know/believe. How can J command his followers to trust him? Seems impossible. But J never commands followers to do something impossible.

The answer is the home he has prepared for us

Reason: J leaving them for a purpose. Father’s house many rooms, going to prepare a place for them. A home. J is going to prepare home for followers/us. A home with God. Somewhere we can spend time with him. Forever.

Greek word for “rooms” = related to another Greek word = abide/remain. In other words, to spend time with. Promise = death will not interrupt the intimacy we can enjoy with him now.

Application (1m)

You can believe it

I am convinced that Tony believed J’s promise. I have seen enough of him in our worship services over the past 5 years to be sure of that. Like Tony then, you can choose to believe it too.

And we can be sure J will keep his promise. How? The empty garden tomb in Jerusalem. If Jesus’s grave is empty, then his promise isn’t.

You will see Tony again, because of what Christ has done

Death need not be feared. We can die with faith in J’s promise. We can allow resurrection to sink into our hearts.

Tony has gone away. But you will see him again. You will be able to spend time with him again. In fact, you will be able to spend all time - eternity - with him again.

J: “When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am”.

Even on a sad, disturbing day like today, we can accept J words: “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me”.