The Great Journey
August 13/95
INTRO:
Do you ever feel like there really must be more to life than what you’re experiencing presently?
Last year my wife and I took a weekend to go camping in the Kananaskis country west of Calgary. Now, being an athlete, Joanne was looking forward to some strenuous hiking - the kind of day-long, sweat producing, heart pounding, mountain-conquering activity that would reward one with a breath-taking view from the top of some mountain peak. And so we chose a hike that I had done as a teenager - that had been incredibly strenuous but very rewarding. We decided to hike MOUNT INDEFATIGABLE.
Like most trails, it begins in the trees - fairly steady climb but not much to see except the trees and the flowers that dot the forest floor. Soon, we broke through on to the edge of the ridge that the path follows up the side of the mountain for most of the rest of the way - at a very steep incline. Luckily for me, Joanne didn’t mind me taking frequent breaks to rest my legs and catch my breath (like every 30 seconds!). But the view was already something special - a broad mountain range across the other side of the Kananaskis valley, a steady view of the long Lower Kananaskis lake, and the occasional glimpse of the Upper Kananaskis Lake when the trail curved around the right direction. And so we hiked along (me usually at least ten paces behind my athlete-wife), enjoying the view and working towards the end of the trail.
When we hit the snow, I was a little disappointed - I’d hoped to finish the trail - but considering the fact that I was exhausted... it could have been worse! That’s when Joanne turned around and said "come on - it’s not too deep!" and plunged further up the trail. Not to be outdone by my wife (which I’m sure will some day be the death of me!), I smiled cheerily and followed along.
Eventually, we reached the end of the trail, and were disappointed with the conclusion. The view from the path had been better, and besides, we were only about half-way up the mountain. Well, I’m prepared to live with the disappointment - I was exhausted half an hour ago!. However, I can tell that Joanne would really like to carry on and conquer this particular challenge... As I said, I’m not going to be outdone by my wife (after all, we’d only be married for 8 months and I’m still trying to impress her!), and so: "off-trail scramble". Just head for the top!
Now, don’t get me wrong: I’ve always wanted to climb a mountain. I’ve always dreamed about what it would be like to stand on top of one of those rocky crags - higher than anything around, gazing lazily down at the majestic landscape beneath me, feeling like an explorer and conqueror and rugged mountain man. And so we climbed.
At first it wasn’t too bad - as long as I could take a breather every two or three steps. But soon we were out on the grassy side - with no trees or large bushes to hold on to - and only rocks straight ahead. Joanne keeps turning around and telling me that it is ok if I want to quit - we don’t have to go all the way if we don’t want to! But my frail masculine ego now has something to prove! I can do it!
When we hit the rocks I start to get scared. I don’t think I can do this! what if I slip? what if Joanne slips? what if... well, something bad happens and we get into trouble that I can’t fix? But my fearless wife presses on... now thirty paces ahead of me! One time she even told me that I could stop and wait for her and she would go to the top - and then come back down and meet me! The testosterone kicks in and I continue...
We finally reach the top. The last half-hour has been literally a scramble over loose rocks - often climbing straight up and over small ridges. We get to the top, the view is magnificent. The mountain ridge across the valley is now complemented by two more complete ridges - forming a triangle around us. Both lakes are clearly in view, along with a third (called "Hidden Lake") that we couldn’t see before: and honestly, all I want to do... is lie down and hug the ground. I’m terrified! What happened to the feeling of accomplishment? the exhilaration of standing on top of a mountain? the rugged mountain man? he’s afraid of heights. he’s afraid a gust of wind is going to blow him over the edge. he’s afraid, as he looks down the precipice, that he might not be able to get back down and a forestry helicopter is going to have to come and rescue him and he’ll be humiliated.
Has it ever happened to you? Have you ever reached the end of your journey and been left unsatisfied? Reached the end of the day and felt the pang of emptiness inside - like there must be something more, something that fills and silences the emptiness - something that satisfies the hollowness inside. Maybe you’d just finished a big project at work- shipped it off to your client - and felt good about it for about half a day until you start to think of something else you could have added or some other way it could have been better, and then you are no longer satisfied. Or maybe you’ve had a hard day at work, you come home and have a fight with the kids, the kitchen is a mess, everybody (including your spouse) complains about dinner and then pops themselves down in front of the TV without lifting a finger to help, and you look at your face in the mirror before collapsing into bed and you ask: "why do I feel so empty inside?".
As I stood on the top of Mount Indefatigable, the fulfillment I had expected to feel from conquering a mountain was absent, and in it’s place was something uncomfortable - a fear. The experience did not leave me feeling satisfied, or complete - like I had envisioned it would.
As I look around our world today, I see a lot of people having similar experiences: reaching the top of their particular mountain and yet still feeling empty. I see a lot of people searching to find meaning and fulfillment in their lives. Many of us camouflage it quite well, and can respond "I’m doing fine, thank-you" when people ask us how we are. We look o.k. on the outside, but on the inside the questions race around our minds: why am I here? does anyone really love me for exactly who I am? can I ever be truly safe and secure?
This morning I want to give you an answer to these questions. Yes, your existence does have a purpose. Yes, you are loved for exactly who you are. Yes, you can be secure. The answer to all these questions - asked only in the deep places of our souls - are found in the Greatest Journey ever taken.
Here is the one thing I want you to remember from this morning: The greatest journey ever taken is Jesus’ journey from heaven to you. (repeat). In embarking on this journey, Jesus brings us two things that answer our ultimate questions and satisfy the emptiness of our lives: first, He brings us unconditional love, and second, He brings us eternal security.
I need you to find John chapter 1 in your Bibles - it’s on page 1137 in the black ones (on my right), and page 91 of the New Testament in the red ones (start from the back and find page 91). Once you’ve found it, keep your finger in it because I’m going to refer back to it a bunch of times this morning. There are some verses in this chapter that explain Jesus’ journey from heaven to you in a better way than I ever could.
Every journey needs a beginning, a starting point: Look at verse 1. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning". Now when John says "the Word", he is referring to Jesus - in heaven with God, as God. And so the greatest journey of all begins in heaven.
But Jesus chooses to leave - to begin a painful journey to find us. Look down to verse 14: "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." Jesus became a man, and lived here with us instead of in heaven. He lived on this earth - he walked and talked and struggled and faced all of the things that we face - and as a result He understands us: our needs, our questions, our dreams and our desires. He understands our longing to be loved unconditionally because He had looked people in the eyes who had never known love, and He offered them the love and forgiveness they so desperately needed. He understands our need to be secure, because He was confronted with scared people every day: terrified of an illness or unsure about what happens when they die. Jesus left heaven and became a man, and experienced the same emotions we do - He faced the same daily challenges we do - and He was with people every day who needed something more in their lives. He was one of us, and as a result He understands us and our needs - and He came because He knew He could satisfy those needs.
Jesus’ journey led Him eventually to die on a cross. You see, people didn’t like it when He said He was God. Even though He demonstrated His incredible power by healing the sick, raising the dead, and teaching with amazing clarity and conviction, people were not ready to accept His claim to be God. And so they nailed Him to a cross and left Him to die.
And here is where Jesus faces the most important part of His journey. You see, the ultimate cause of the emptiness and hollowness inside of each of us is that we have lost the most important relationship we could ever have - it has been terminated. Abruptly. We were created to have a relationship with God, and yet something has come between us and God that has severed that tie - broken that relationship. That "something" that has come between us and God is what the Bible calls "sin". Well, what is sin? It’s contamination - like having a perfect, crystal clear glass of water and then adding a tiny pinch of cyanide - it destroys the purity and makes the water undrinkable. The Bible says that all of us have sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God. Because sin poisoned our relationship with God, it caused that relationship to end. Jesus’ journey is about restoring that broken relationship.
You see, when Jesus died on the cross He took all of our sin on himself - He made it possible for the poison to be removed. Look at verse 29 of John 1. "Look, the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" Jesus’ journey took Him to the cross, where He died, and took my sin, and your sin, away. You could re-read verse 29 substituting your name where it says "the world" - "Look, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of Steve, of Heather, of David, of Samantha". In fact, what He did was He paid the penalty, or He accepted the consequences, of all my sin and your sin. Now, since sin is the thing that separates us from God, by taking it away Jesus made it possible for us to once again enjoy a relationship with God. He made it possible for us to purify the water by removing the poison.
That’s a lot to digest in just a few minutes, so let me summarize it briefly (kids, pay attention to the short version here:). Jesus died on the cross so that you and I could have a relationship with God.
My parents were divorced when I was two. I grew up with just my mom and my older brother and a dog named Bear. And lots of times, things were tough. I’ve had to ask some hard questions: did my dad leave because he didn’t love me - and if so it must be because I am not lovable! right? otherwise, why would he leave? and if he left, maybe other people will leave too, and I can’t ever really be secure! And right at the heart, I am faced with those two questions: am I lovable for who I am, and can I be secure.
When I was nine years old, I was sitting in a church in Calgary listening to a man explain exactly what I just explained to you - how Jesus paid the penalty for my sin and made it possible for me to have a relationship with God, and that evening I began a relationship with God that answered those questions. I accepted what Jesus did for me when He died on the cross; Jesus journeyed from heaven and He found me, I accepted Him; and now I know I am loved unconditionally by God, and I am secure eternally with Him. In fact, when I accepted and believed in Jesus, God adopted me into His family and made me one of His children. Look at verse 12 of John 1: "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to be called children of God".
Now, the miracle of it all is that Jesus’ journey did not end at the cross, where He died. Jesus rose from the dead! And in rising from the dead, He proved that He is God, proved that He is more powerful than death, proved that He is able to meet my needs and answer my questions today, and proved that it is possible for me to have a relationship with God because of what Jesus did for me! None of the rest of Jesus’ journey would have significance if it had ended at the cross.
Let’s go one step further. Jesus’ journey didn’t end when He rose from the dead. His journey continues still today. I said earlier that the greatest journey ever taken is Jesus’ journey from heaven to you. He has taken every step except for the last one - He dealt with the problem that separates us from God by taking away our sin, He lived among us so that we could see what God is like and how He responds to our need - He has done all He can do for us except for the very last step, which is the step we must take: our acceptance and belief in what He has done.
So why would you want to take that last step, and begin a relationship with God? I could give you a thousand reasons: I could promise you that you would never regret it for even a moment; I could tell you about how living a life in relationship with God is the best possible life to live (though not the easiest! - I would never say that this relationship is going to be without struggle!); I could remind you about God’s promise of eternity in heaven with Him; we could talk and I could show you that it is the most logical choice in light of all the alternatives. But instead I’m just going to give you one reason why you should take that last step: Jesus is the only one who can fill the emptiness in your heart. He is the only one who can bring the peace and the love and the security that we need in our lives.
Why would a personal relationship with Jesus Christ satisfy the emptiness in our hearts? Because, the hunger we feel is a spiritual hunger - a spiritual vacuum in our souls which requires a spiritual solution. The longing for meaning and for purpose that we feel along our life journey is rooted in our search for something beyond ourselves - something that transcends us - that was here before and that will remain after - something large enough for us to trust the end of our journey to. Something solid, reliable, and trustworthy.
When Jesus rose from the dead, He proved that He was the only one that is capable of receiving our ultimate trust and faith. He proved that He transcends us - that He is big enough to take care of us on a cosmic scale. He knew us before, He knows us now, and He sees what will happen in the future and at the end of our journey. And He offers us His guidance, companionship, and security along the way. In fact, He promises that He will never leave us and never forsake us.
There is a beautiful security in that promise of Jesus. He promises that once we begin a relationship with Him, He is always with us. Always. His journey doesn’t end when He finds us, and we respond by taking that last step - He journeys along with us for the rest of our lives. There is no where else where that kind of security is available. No where. Everything in this world that we cling to is finite and can disappear in an instant - through fire or death or robbery. A relationship with Christ not only offers us security for the duration of this life, but security for eternity. What do you really believe there is after death? I know that there is an eternity for me in heavenly bliss with God - and I am completely secure in that knowledge. Look again at verse 12 of John chapter 1. Here is where my security comes from: "To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." I’ve been adopted into His family, and will spend eternity with Him.
More important than the security that I have in Christ is the love that He freely offers - the unconditional love that He freely offers. What could possibly motivate Jesus to leave heaven and come to earth to die on a cross except for an indescribable love? And when I grasp, when I accept, God’s love for me, in a personal and tangible way, then I am complete. Then the emptiness inside me is filled. Then the gnawing hunger in my heart for meaning and significance is satisfied.
If you’ve never begun a personal relationship with Jesus then His journey is not yet complete, and neither is yours. He left heaven to find you. You can begin a relationship with Him this morning if you’d like to - it’s as simple as taking the final step of accepting what He has done and pledging your life to living in relationship with Him. Perhaps you’ve been going to church for many years, or maybe you’ve thought all along that you are a Christian, but you’ve still never met Jesus in a personal way: you can do that this morning - you can take that last step, by inviting Him to enter into a relationship with you today. I can guarantee that He will provide a love and security that will transform your life.
If you’d like to take that last step and enter into a relationship with God, I’m going to give you an opportunity to do that. At the close of our service I’m going to ask a few people from our church to come forward and sit in one of the front pews, and you can come and talk and pray with them. They can help you take that last step, and begin a new life in relationship with Jesus.
You see, the bottom line is that Jesus is alive and real, and He is here right now. He left heaven to find you. If you have heard Him speaking to your heart this morning, I urge you to respond to Him today. Come and talk with one of these people. Take the opportunity that you have, and respond to Jesus’ invitation, and you’ll experience an unconditional love and a peaceful security that will meet the needs of your heart.
