Title: Heaven- According To Jesus
Place: BLCC
Date: 4/23/17
Text: John 14.1-4
CT: Jesus has promised us a future with Him.
[Screen 1]
FAS: Imagine you have two women of the same age, the same socioeconomic status, the same educational level, and even the same temperament. You hire both of them and say to each, "You are part of an assembly line, and I want you to put part A into slot B and then hand what you have assembled to someone else. I want you to do that over and over for eight hours a day." You put them in identical rooms with identical lighting, temperature, and ventilation. You give them the very same number of breaks in a day.
It is very boring work. Their conditions are the same in every way—except for one difference. You tell the first woman that at the end of the year you will pay her thirty thousand dollars, and you tell the second woman that at the end of the year you will pay her thirty million.
After a couple of weeks the first woman will be saying, "Isn't this tedious? Isn't it driving you insane? Aren't you thinking about quitting?" And the second woman will say. "No. This is perfectly acceptable. In fact, I whistle while I work."
What is going on? You have two human beings who are experiencing identical circumstances in radically different ways. What makes the difference? It is their expectation of the future. This illustration is not intended to say that all we need is a good income. It does, however, show that what we believe about our future completely controls how we are experiencing our present. We are irreducibly hope-based creatures.
Tim Keller, Making Sense of God (Viking, 2016), page 153
LS: Doesn’t how we view our future color how we live today? As followers of Jesus we believe there is a heaven. We believe this because Jesus tells us so.
Jesus was reclining at the Passover table with trusted disciples. The one he couldn’t trust, Judas, had already left. That was OK though since what we are about to hear Jesus say probably didn’t apply to Judas.
At this point Jesus knew he was about to die and his time had come. Tomorrow he would be crucified on a cross. Tonight he had to prepare his disciples for what was about to take place.
In John 13.1-17 Jesus had already shown them about being a servant by washing their feet. He showed them with a towel how they should treat one another.
But then he lays the big issue that is going to rock their world and is still rocking the world today. He says in John 13.33, “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
The disciples became distraught. They were fearful and their hearts were gripped with despair. They looked to Jesus for some sense of hope in this seemingly hopeless situation.
Don’t we need that too? Aren’t we often found in hopeless situations? Don’t we need to hear words of hope and encouragement still today?
What Jesus says to the disciples does still apply to us.
Jesus looks at the confused and worried disciples. I have to believe he had a calm about him, as he was about to give them back their hope and sense of assurance.
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Jesus says: “1 Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.
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2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? [Screen 4] 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. [Screen 5] And you know the way to where I am going. John 14.1-4, NLT.
This one short scripture speaks volumes about the future of the disciples and the future we can expect as followers of Jesus. [Screen 6]
TRUST ME
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled”, Jesus said. This was not a rebuke to them for being scared or upset. Jesus Himself knew what it was to be troubled. He had said, “My heart is troubled,” just two chapters earlier in John 12.27. He knew of worry and trouble. This command was not spoken to correct the disciples; it was given as a loving word of encouragement.
Then Jesus said what the disciples needed hear the most. ‘Trust in God.” “Trust also in me.” The disciples needed to know that whatever the coming days brought they needed to trust their Master. Whatever the world threw at them they must trust that Jesus was still in control of the situation no matter what.
The same goes for us. Whenever we face the unknown, whenever we are uncertain about how we will get through, we need to put our trust in Jesus. As long as we follow Jesus and he is the Master of our life we can confidently walk forward to our destiny in Him. [Screen 7]
MY FATHER’S HOME
The disciples had followed Jesus for three years. They had given up everything to follow Him and now he is telling them He is going to die. Jesus had claimed he had the words of eternal life in John 6.68 and now he was going to die. Peter had to be thinking I had better go get my fishing nets back out.
But Jesus was about to reveal to them about life after the grave. He spoke of this life as “My Father’s home.” Others spoke of life beyond the grave as a shadowy, vast, uncertain place, but Jesus speaks of life after death as going home.
For followers of Jesus the world on the other side of death need not be feared. It is a world that belongs to the Father. Our Father… if we are brothers and sisters to Christ. We will live there and God will live there with us.
What can expect? God’s holiness, wisdom, gracious love. All this and more.
Neither the failures of the fallen world or the schemes of the Devil will have any place there. At our father’s house all will be right. [Screen 8]
MANY ROOMS
There was no room in our world when Jesus came to be with us. But Jesus gives us the promise that there will be plenty of room for His followers when they come to be with Him. He tells us there are “many rooms”. This is not meant to describe the architecture of heaven, but it does guarantee no follower of Christ and child of God will be left without a room. Heaven will be a beautiful place beyond our imagination but the truth that there will be a place for us, as followers of God’s Son should bring us hope and assurance. There will be room for all of God’s family. [Screen 9]
IF IT WERE NOT SO
The disciples still had to have doubts. They had never seen the other side of death. The rabbis and philosophers had many different ideas about life after death if at all. Jesus said it would be as he said but…what if it weren’t so.
Knowing their hearts as he always did. Had to be careful what you even think around Jesus. Jesus said, “ If it were not so I would have told you.”
Jesus had never lied to them. He was not going to start now. He spoke only the truth whether it was good or bad. He didn’t hold back on the truth of his upcoming death and he would not hold back on the truth of heaven.
What if it weren’t so? What if there were nothing waiting on the other side? What if our only hope was in this life? What if the promised resurrection did not come for us? No heaven? No eternal life?
Paul’s words to the 1 Corinthians 15.19 sums it up well. And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.
Our hope in Jesus Christ gives us a guarantee of a positive outcome no matter what this world brings. Our hope is beyond this world. I firmly believe and preach this to all who will hear. [Screen 10]
I WILL PREPARE
Jesus had his disciples to prepare the Passover meal they shared, but Jesus himself was going to prepare the eternal banquet in heaven where all his followers would eat together.
Just as Jesus had washed their feet he now went to prepare a place for them and us.
The place will be prepared for the people, just as the people must be prepared for the place. Jesus takes care of both parts. He prepares the place and also prepares the access to it through Him. It is no accident that these words about heaven lead to his statement in John 14.6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
Only by accepting Jesus and following Him is any of this possible for us.
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A PLACE
The disciples had to still be confused. The Pharisees believed in a life after death but the Sadducees believed this life was all there was. How sad they must have been. The Greek and Roman philosophers had many different conflicting ideas that left the people lost. Jesus here is offering us the truth about life after death.
Jesus’ words here are a welcome assurance of the reality of heaven to them and us. Jesus did not say he was about to pour himself back into a great sea of life.
Nor did he say he was going into a great unknown.
He knew where he was going and he knows where we can go too.
He promises a PLACE, a future place and a prepared place. [Screen 12]
FOR YOU
As Jesus spoke to his devoted disciples he spoke in specifics. He said he was going to prepare a place for “you”.
Jesus knew these people personally and intimately. He knew their inner needs and desires. He knew what they would need when they arrived home. These were not just guests he would be letting in. Not mere acquaintances. These were his intimate friends whom he had a close relationship with. Whom he desired to be with.
How close is your relationship with Jesus?
Is it personal?
How well do you know Jesus?
Is it intimate?
Have you given him your most inner desires?
Jesus wants that kind of relationship with us all so he can prepare a place for us. [Screen 13]
I WILL COME BACK
And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come back. This was a double promise. Jesus would be back very shortly when he sent the Holy Spirit to guide them on the Day of Pentecost. [Screen 14] He tells them in 14. 16-18, And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.
That is a promise fulfilled to us all. We receive the Holy Spirit also when we accept Jesus and be baptized: Acts 2.38, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. [Screen 15] Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
There is also a second promise to be fulfilled that I have no doubt will come because Jesus said he would come back… [Screen 16]
1 Thessalonians 4.16-18, 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.
That is the second promise that will be fulfilled.
[Screen 17]
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going. John 14.1-4, NLT.
Conclusion. Jesus has promised us a future with Him. Not only will we be with Him in the future, but also his Spirit is with us now to guide and lead us. We need only follow.
Our view of our future as followers of Jesus should color all we do. We should do all we can to share this with all who will listen. There is hope available to all who will follow our Lord. Seek out those you know who do not have that so necessary relationship with Jesus. Jesus is preparing the rooms. Don’t you want all you love to have a reservation?
And one more question. Is your reservation made? Is your relationship with Christ sufficient for Jesus to be able to prepare your room?
Please come today if its not. Take the first step to assure your room is ready. Don’t wait any longer. Tomorrow may be too late.
BIBLIOGRPHY:
Boles, Kenny. The life to come: what the Bible says about the afterlife. Joplin, MO: College Press, 2010. Print. Part 1 Chapter 1
