Imagine Heaven

In the first church that I attempted the pastor there was an older couple… They were like in their 50s… And they wanted Nancy and I to sing with them. And so they introduced us to this song which we sang together many times…

This world is not my home I'm just a passing through

My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue

The angels beckon me from heaven's open door

And I can't feel at home in this world anymore

Oh lord you know I have no friend like you

If heaven's not my home then lord what will I do

The angels beckon me from heaven's open door

And I can't feel at home in this world anymore

I think that as we grow older we understand songs like this a little better. We start thinking about heaven.

The problems of life get us thinking about heaven.

Our physical condition gets us thinking about heaven. The ugliness of the world gets us thinking about heaven.

And we start looking forward to a heavenly home.

Last year we went through what I consider a spiritual, moral and political battle in our city and I was in it, I was in it up to my neck. And I experienced firsthand what we just witnessed in the recent Supreme Court battle. When I took my stand and what I considered an important issue that had ramifications for us even as a church I was confronted by foul, vile, ugly confrontational people who were as hateful as I’ve ever seen while they portrayed themselves as tolerant and accepting and open-minded.

It reminded me that this world is not my home.

It reminded me that Jesus spoke and said that his followers would face hatred and persecution simply because of Jesus and that makes me long for my heavenly home.

It reminded me of the moral revolution going on in our country that will stop at nothing to get its way and it makes me long for a heavenly home.

And when I see what’s on the news… It really makes me long for a heavenly home.

I live in world where not only are there the usualy problems, but I have an enemy in Satan who wants to steal my faith and destroy my Jesus life.

We are finishing a four week series of messages based on the movie “I can only imagine.” A beautiful movie of a man’s life who had a rotten father and a rotten home but then… God moved. We have imagined the perfect heavenly father. We have imagined what it’s like to be forgiven. We have imagined something called redemption; that God can wrap his arms around all the messes in our life and somehow use them for good.

Today we want to imagine going home.

Have you ever been homesick? I’ve been a counselor at more than a few camps and have had to deal with homesick kids. Everything is good during the day but that homesickness always strikes when it gets dark and you have to sleep in a strange place with strange people. Suddenly there is a deep longing for the safety and the security of home. It’s natural.

I remember being in college in Canada and I was in love and all I ever wanted to do was try to figure out a way to go home so that I could take Nancy out.

Even now I get a little antsy when I’m away from home for too long. I just want to get back to my routine, to my safe place, to where things make sense and where I belong.

Do you have a home? Where is your home? Where is your safe place? When the world gets absolutely crazy where do you go to and who do you depend on?

This morning I want to remind you of two spiritual concepts - these are supernatural concepts in that they come from Jesus - and they are here for your benefit. These two concepts are these…

1. Jesus wants to give you a home in the palm of his hand while you’re in this world.

2. Jesus wants you to be at home with him in heaven forever.

1. Jesus wants to give you a home in the palm of his hand right now…in this world and in our struggles.

Exhaustion. I think that might be the most fitting word for what I run into most when dealing with people. They are just exhausted.

They are mentally exhausted.

Spiritually exhausted.

Physically exhausted.

Financially exhausted.

They are carrying loads that are weighing them down. They have sins that are weighing them down.

They have responsibilities weighing them down.

They have worries that are weighing them down.

They have relationship issues and drama that are weighing them down.