HOMESICK! Heb. 12:1-3
Our world is corrupt. It is becoming more corrupt ever day. The issues today are not any different than they were way back when we left the garden. They may manifest themselves differently. The root is the same. Today we face same sex marriage, child abuse, drug addiction, and the list goes on. Bottom line, corruption. The bible teaches “1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” 2 Tim. 3:1-5.
Everyone seems to be out for what is best for them. Again, this attitude leads to corruption. It makes me homesick.
Homesick- Have you ever been homesick? There was a time in my life when I was in college, my parents were getting a divorce, and my team was on a losing streak, and I can’t remember, but I believe that I was in a slump. I wanted to go home bad!
This life causes me at times to yearn for that which I cannot obtain now. Heaven! Read verses from “Beulah land”.
I have discovered that this yearning will cause me to do some things. Being homesick will cause you to: turn loose, turn to Christ, and trust Christ.
Heb. 12:1-3; READ AND PRAY
Being homesick will cause us to :
I. Turn loose. 1 Therefore we also, since we are
surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
There is a story of a man who was walking with a friend down Fifth Ave. in NY. They came across the gigantic statue Atlas, a beautifully proportioned man who, with all his muscles straining, is holding the world upon his shoulders. “There he is, the most powerfully built man in the world, and he can barely stand under this burden. But that is only one way to live. Follow me.” Said the friend. He took him to the other side of Fifth Ave. There was a shrine of boy Jesus, perhaps nine years old. He is holding the whole world in His hand. Tell your neighbor, “You can turn loose now!”
God wants us to be SET FREE.
7casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 1 Pet. 5:7
6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:6-7
How can we live like this? I need an ABC, 123, type direction. I need some clarity. We can do this by simply turning to Christ.
II. Turn to Christ. 2 looking unto Jesus, the
Author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
This is where the rubber meets the road. To be imitators of Christ means that we implement His beliefs and ways into our own lives. It doesn’t mean that we can skirt the pain and suffering. Therefore, we as His children should: 23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, TELL YOUR NEIGHBOR, “Hang in there!” for He who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Heb. 10:23-25.
God wants us to SEEK CHRIST.
III. Trust in Christ. 3 For consider Him who
endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
God wants us to SURRENDER TO CHRIST.
We get so frustrated with unfairness of life. It is one of the ironies in life. Why all of the pain. Why do bad things happen to good people? Why is life so hard? We forget what Christ has done for us! We forget Heb. 4:15. 15For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
We forget Heb. 2:17 17Therefore, in all things, TELL YOUR NEIGHBOR, “In all things”. He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
P-U-S-H- pray until something happens.
A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room
filled with light and God appeared. The Lord told the man He had
work for him to do and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin.
The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all
his might. So, this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all of his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain. Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary (Satan), decided to enter the
picture by placing thoughts into the weary mind: "You have been
pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn’t moved."
Thus, he gave the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. Satan said, "Why kill yourself over this? Just put in your time, giving just the minimum effort, and that will be good enough. That’s what the weary man planned to do, but decided to make it a matter of prayer and to take his troubled thoughts to the Lord. "Lord," he said, "I have labored long and hard in your service,
putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter.
What is wrong? Why am I failing?" The Lord responded compassionately, "My friend, when I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. Is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown; your hands are callused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now
surpass that which you used to have. True, you haven’t moved the rock. But your calling was to be push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. That you have done. Now I, my friend, will move the rock." At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is just simple .. faith in Him. By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still God who moves mountains. When everything seems to go wrong...just P.U.S.H.! When the job gets you down... just P.U.S.H.! When people don’t react the way you think they should... just P.U.S.H. When your money is "gone" and the bills are due... just P.U.S.H! When people just don’t understand you... just P.U.S.H.
P= Pray
U= Until
S= Something
H= Happens
~Author Unknown~
Some of you today are homesick. Deservingly so. Life is tough. The tougher it gets, the more we miss home. I was reminded about Abraham during this sermon. Abraham was called a so-journer because he was looking for a city. Not just any city, but one which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Heb. 11. I can imagine he asked some tough questions. Like why did Jean half to lay in bed for 18 months? Have you asked that question? I have. I believe God has given me something to help me understand. It came in the form of another question. Ask your neighbor, “Why are we here?” That is it. Are we here so God can bless us? Then we are self-centered just like the world. Are we here because we are to bless God? Then we are God-centered. Jean was the salt/ light of the world. No doubt in my mind. People have spoken with me about how she treated them. Did you know that she walked some students home from school who lived in Bradford town? The bible says, 35“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Jn. 13:35. She bore fruit! Since we are here on earth to be a blessing to God, and since this earth is so corruptible, could it be possible that because she was the salt/light that God kept her here a little longer simply to bless Himself? Could it please/bless God for Jean to remain? I think so! Jean had to pay a price, the family had to pay a price, but isn’t that what servant hood is about?
Maybe you are paying a price today. Maybe you are wondering if it is worth it. Are you homesick for something, but you don’t know what it is? Are you like Abraham, looking for a city whose maker is God? If so, I want to challenge you. Challenge you to think like God for a minute. God has you right where He wants you. So be the blessing you want to be. Blossom where you are planted! Tell you neighbor, “It’s time to blossom”. Heaven does look better today than ever before, but the good news is, you can have a little piece NOW!
Today, are you homesick? Are you looking for something, yet nothing has filled your yearning? Could it be that Christ led you to church to hear this message? Could it be that He wants you to respond to Him?
1 Cor. 1:9 But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
