A Gps For Life’s Journey Series

“Setting Troubled Hearts at Rest: A GPS for Life’s Journey”

John 14:4-6

1,630,000,000. That’s the number of internet sites that deal with security. Is there any doubt we live in a security conscious age? But how do we know that number is significant? I googled two other terms and discovered that for the word ‘sin’ there were only 1,400,000,000 sites and the word salvation landed on only 66,700,000 sites. Is there any doubt we live in a security conscious age? According to the dictionary security means freedom from danger, care, apprehension or doubt; safety; precautions for defense; an assurance or guarantee. Wouldn’t you like that to be a description of your life? That may partially explain all the security that is part of our everyday lives. There’s Social Security – Homeland Security – border security – security guards – security deposit – job security – and I’m sure you can add to the list. Is there any doubt we live in a security conscious age?

We’re not too far removed from Jesus’ disciples. On this night in the Upper Room with Jesus they were frantically insecure about their life’s journey. Jesus, upon whom they had pinned their hopes, to whom they had entrusted their reputations, and for whom they had given up everything was saying farewell. He was talking about going and coming, dying and living; they were confused and frightened about their future. Where were their lives headed? What was the purpose of these past three years and what would be their purpose in the future? Couldn’t they just go where Jesus was going?

Knowing their insecurity Jesus offered them a GPS for the road ahead – a GPS which, if followed, would give them the security they so deeply desired.

First of all, JESUS GAVE THEM A GOAL. To have any hope of security, one must have a purpose, a goal for life. Jesus said that the goal in life is TO KNOW THE GOD THE FATHER. For Jesus the direction of life was always God-ward. It’s one thing to know about God or to believe certain things about God; but that’s not the goal of life. The goal of life is to know God as Father. Just this past week I began reading a book written by Shaun Alexander. I know Shaun. He’s a former NFL player. I can tell you where he played his college ball, who he played for in the NFL, what team records he still holds, and how many Super Bowls he played in, and even why he no longer plays. I know he’s a Christian. I know him - but then again I do not know him. I’ve never met him face to face; I do not have a relationship with him. I do not know his heart. This is what Jesus is saying. The goal of life is not just to know God but to know God as Father. That’s why Jesus referred to His Father so often, why He taught the disciples to pray to “Our Father who art in heaven…”, and why He portrayed a loving father through teaching the parable of the Prodigal Son. For Jesus the deepest meaning in, and the grandest purpose for life was to know God as Father.

And THROUGH JESUS WE SEE OUR FATHER. Jesus repeatedly identified Himself with His Father. “If you’ve seen me you’ve seen the Father. I and the Father are one. I am in Him and He is in me. I am going to my Father’s house.” John, in fact, in introducing Jesus in his Gospel (1:12, 18) said “…to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…No one has ever seen God but (Jesus) has made him known.” The Heidelberg Catechism (Q & A #26) has a beautiful explanation for the meaning of the declaration from the Apostles’ Creed, “I believe in God the Father Almighty…” It states “… the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who out of nothing created heaven and earth and everything in them, who still upholds and rules them by his eternal counsel and providence, is my God and Father because of Christ his Son…”

But why is it so IMPORTANT TO KNOW GOD AS FATHER? There are two reasons. First, only in knowing God as Father can WE REALIZE WHO AND WHOSE WE ARE AND WHAT WE POSSESS. The apostle Paul painted it this way (Gal, 4:4-7 NLT): “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.” Only when we know God as Father can we realize that all God has, all Jesus has, is ours.