Realities For The Redeemed

INTRO:

This summer CBS found a new way to capture viewers. It’s dubbed

"Reality TV". CBS launched the 13 week 'Survivor" show on May 31 which

drew 15.5 million viewers and by mid August that number had doubled. This

past Wed. night 51.7 million tuned in and in the last few minutes of the

show 58.6 million tuned in to see who won. Richard Hatch, who ironically

was called Rich for short, became rich. In fact, one million dollars

richer. But let me ask you, 'was this real TV?' Real surviving? The icon

pretty much gives the shows mission statement. It reads: Survivor, Outwit,

Outplay, and Outlast. Webster defines survivor as one who outlasts and

lives on in spite of troubles, difficulties, and tragedies but nothing

about outwit, or outplay. Nothing about backstabbing or manipulation, yet

this is what this show is all about. That's not real TV. That's not

authentic survival; it is artificial, animalistic survival. This was a

Hollywood take two production. A drama with a grand finale like 'who shot

J.R.?'. That's not reality TV. When human beings are actually trying to

survive they band together, not stab each other in the back. As World

magazine put it "One man is no match for an elephant, but a group of men

win rule the jungle”. Cooperation has always been man's way to

survive. You say 'well they did some of that.' I know, but then the

producers pit them against each other. And therefore my statement is

simply this: IT'S NOT REALITY TV. It is the same old Hollywood packaged a

different way. It is artificial not authentic. Now, I say all that to say

this, in our text today Jesus is leaving the disciples. Eleven men are

troubled, 'tarasso', stirred and confused. They know they are about to be

left behind on a deserted island called earth. They need to grab hold of

something reassuring. That's why Jesus said in verses 1 and 27,

‘Real peace’. The world offers artificial peace, but Jesus

leaves us real peace. And thus Jesus begins to give them 5 realities to

comfort them during troubled times. My friend, here are 5 realities to

comfort you and I in a troubled world; to comfort our troubled hearts. 1.

THE REALITY OF HIMSELF vs.1 Throughout all of John's writings, he always

writes to testify of the reality of Jesus. Remember, John is writing in 90

AD. All of the disciples are dead. False teachers are saying, “This

is the Christ or this one etc”. But John says 'no, we've seen and

testify of Him. See John 1: 1, 14 and 21:24 and I John 1: 1-3. 2. THE

REALITY OF HEAVEN vs.2 Note, heaven is a house. Not a tent or a

tabernacle. Everybody has a longing for a permanent, secure place to live.

Right now our souls are dwelling, tabernacled in this tabernacle- our

bodies. Paul said, 2 Cor. 5:1 “For we know that if our earthly house

of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not

made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 3. THE REALITY OF HIS RETURN vs.3

Notice His promise. He will come to get us. He gathers us, the believers,

one by one at death. As a child of God, just as sure and real as death is,

so will be the fact that Jesus will come to get you. There stood old

Peter. He is about to fail Christ, but Jesus will not fail him. You and I

have failed Him, but He will not fail us. He will return and get us. I

Thes. 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,

with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God: and the dead in

Christ shall rise first:

I Thes. 4:17

Then we, which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them

in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with

the Lord. Isn't that wonderful to know? We are never one millisecond apart

from Christ. He said, "-where I am there you may be also. Christian, are

you ready? John says in his letter, I John 2:28 “And now, little

children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have

confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming”. If you are

without Christ, you are not ready. You will be left behind. How do you get

ready? Let's look at the next reality. 4. THE REALITY OF HOW TO ATTAIN

ETERNAL LIFE vs. 6 He didn't point the way - He said ‘I am the

way’. He didn't just teach the truth. He is the truth. He didn't

show you the life. He is the life. Apart from Jesus is death. The world