Home Series

Introduction: WIZARD OF OZ VIDEO CLIP

If only it was that easy! Click your heals, and you would be at a place called home.

Dorothy is right, there is no place like home.

Home is a special place, This Thursday we will gather around tables across America and share home cooked meals of Turkey, Dressing and Pumpkin Pie – while the food will be good – but, what makes Thursday special is it is home.

For my family we plan to head home Wednesday Afternoon – our destination is Jacksonville Florida. And for the first time in years Our whole family will be at my mom’s home.

We will eat, we will laugh, and we will be home

But, as wonderful as that house will be on Thursday, There is a better home I am I am looking forward to, Jesus described that home in John’s Gospel.

John 14:1-6

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

We are dealing with the key issues of life in series of messages entitled LIFE.COM Today I want us to look at the computer key marked “HOME” and that points us to home God has prepared for us.

Maybe in your memory is tucked away a home like the one I described, maybe your home was not as idealistic. But I can assure you the home God has planned for us – is better then any home we can have here today.

1 Corinthians 2:9, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"

Heaven is a wonderful place, and though we may have, some idea what we want heaven to look like, scripture tells it will be beyond our expectations.

In John 14, Jesus gives us a preview of Heaven.

1. Heaven belongs to God.

Jesus tells us first “IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE”

A. The first thing Jesus does in describing heaven is use the word “house”

He does not say in my father’s world, in my father’s place – but he says house. WHY? There are two meanings to the word house, which our Lord uses. First is that of residence and that speaks of location. We understand our God is omnipresent – he is everywhere, But Jesus is saying our Heavenly Father has a residence – a place called heaven.

• He does not live on earth – with all of its struggles. Eccl 5:2, God is in heaven and you are on earth.

• Nor does he live in the underworld, the dominion of Satan

• His dwelling place is heaven – and in heaven, He finds his will being done. Remember the model prayer of our Lord. “’Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Matt 6:9-10

Not only is Heaven God’s residence – there is a second meaning to the word house – which implies family.

• Kingdoms imply armies

• Worlds imply boundaries

• Home implies family

REMEMBER THAT CHORUS –

I’m so glad I’m a part of the family of God,

I’ve been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His Blood!

Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,

For I’m part of the family, The Family of God.

B. His Father’s house has many mansions

(NIV) says “rooms”

We understand the father’s house is spacious enough to house all of God’s children. Some people act like God’s house is limited to a select few. One group of people believe only 144,000 will be allowed into heaven, but that is not so. There is ample room for all of God’s children

2 Peter 3:9, The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

EVERYONE – THAT MEANS EVERYONE – Red and Yellow Black and White, they are all precious in his sight.

C. Because it is our Father’s house, we are able to come because of the invitation.

No one enters the home without an invitation from the owner. It is through Jesus Christ, we have an invitation to the home of God, to share in what our Father has provided.