Have You Been Homesick Lately?
TEXT: 2 Cor. 5:1-8
Intro. Sometimes we get tired, sometimes we feel alone, and sometimes we feel misunderstood, other times we have feelings of frustration and weariness. We get hurt, we make mistakes, we make bad decisions, bad things seem to happen, loved ones - friends and family - die and leave us, we get tired of these bodies we’re living in, we get made fun of because we are Christians. Sometimes we feel just like giving up, and the list goes on and on.
But whatever the reasons are that cause us to feel this way, we all at times feel…homesick. All Christians get homesick at times. Homesick for Heaven - Homesick to be in the presence of the Lord.
And that’s why I want to give you 1 reason why, the Bible tells us, we get homesick and 2 advantages to being homesick.
Because:
1) We are Aliens (aliens with a gold card) - David said, "we are aliens and strangers…" not of this world, (example of kids’ being aliens to this country.)
JN. 15:18,19 - "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."
Have you ever been hated, (even for no reason.) Feeling out of place, no matter what you seem to do at work or how you treat a certain neighbor you just don’t seem to fit in. We find ourselves feeling a lot like the Psalmist felt in Psalm 102:6 Read Psalm) He mentions 3 birds - Pelican, Owl, Sparrow. (Now this Psalm is a psalm of affliction). [Explain] either because of forgiveness or …
Whatever it’s true meaning, verse 6 can be understood to be descriptive of more than one ailment. Whether separated by God because of sin and you’ve never come to the cross. Or simply being separated by the fullness of His presence - which we will experience in Heaven, or just because in our affliction we sometimes feel alienated from God’s presence, the way we want it, even though His Spirit lives within us. Or perhaps it’s the feeling of just "not fitting in."
Whatever the changing reasons…At times in our lives we all have a sense of "not belonging".
A desire, much like Paul, to depart and be with our Lord and Savior. Phil. 1:23, "For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better."(Vs.24…Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.)Why? Because we have a heavenly citizenship. In the same letter Paul says in Ch. 3:20, "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…"
We’re just travelers passing through - pilgrims. (Pilgrim’s progress) In David’s prayer of praise to God in 1 Chron. 29:10 he acknowledged, "For we are aliens and pilgrims before You…" ("…as were all our fathers; Our days on earth are as a shadow…”)
So why did God give us this information…about being aliens and strangers, Paul desiring to depart and be with Christ and longing for home?
Because, first of all, God wants us to understand every one of His children have these feelings and that’s natural and that’s OK. And He wants us to understand that He understands our being “homesick”. I believe that Christ must have felt homesick, at some time or another, in his earthly body. (Tempted in every point. Paul wished to depart, Christ could have departed, do you think that was a temptation? I don’t know. Jesus once said, “…how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? That’s probably one of the reasons why he spent so much time in prayer. And secondly, our Lord wants us to understand that we need to have this knowledge to "live as an alien in this world," in the way Christ called us to. Which brings us to the two advantages, we as Christians, have in becoming homesick.
Some of you are familiar with the “sports” term, “The Home field Advantage”. Well, I could have easily titled this message, “The Homesick Advantage”.
When we get homesick,
2) It brings us together - in Acts 2:44 Luke said of all the new Christians, "…they were together…"" and they had all things in common."
We, as believers, still have all things in common. Trials, Tribulations, Rejoicing and Love for our Lord & Saviour.
And it’s all these things and many other reasons that bring out the homesickness in us. Whether it be Trial or Rejoicing we all desire to be with the Lord. (David said, “I was glad when they said to me…let us…”) And so the Bible tells us to "…not forsake the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some do." We are told to Encourage, Exhort and Comfort - pray for one another, love one another, to help and share with one another, lift up and build up one another; [through trial and rejoicing], [persecution and laughter], [suffering and joy].
We often use it in funeral services, but not often enough in worship and fellowship services. And that’s 1Thes. 4:13-18.
READ FROM THE BIBLE. That’s a great passage of scripture isn’t and should be used to remind us and comfort us always that we will one day be with, and see those who’s bodies sleep, but whose souls are with the Lord.
So, It’s so important for many reasons that we meet with each other on a regular basis, and not just in the Church building to worship but outside the building. Call one another, stop by a brother or sister’s house and say, " I just wanted to stop by and let you know that I love you, I’ve had you on my mind and I’m praying God’s blessings for you. And so we encourage, comfort and exhort one another for that reason but the second advantage we, as Christians, have in becoming homesick is,
3) It Gives us Purpose - [remember] Phil. 1:23 "…having a desire to…but, [vs. 24] nevertheless…it is more needful for you." Why do you suppose Paul said that? Because God had given him a “purpose” and Paul understood that purpose. And so we are pilgrims with a purpose. Our first purpose - Great Commission. It reminds us that as we know we have a home we than also have a purpose. And if we have a home we need to show the way to Jesus…Who is the way home. So, not only do we encourage, exhort and comfort one another. We have been called to evangelize…to disciple.
Look back at our text - vs. 9 And so it also serves to give us purpose in our heart to live for Christ in such a way that it is well-pleasing. (Father well pleased in the Son). (And so Christ will say to His Church)
So wanting to be with Christ (v.8) produces the ambition to please Him. (Luke 19:17) Do you long for Christ in such a way that it is producing a "hurry up and please Him" kind of attitude.
But listen - we strive to please the Lord not only because we know we will be with Him (v.8) but also because He will evaluate our work (v. 10 says) whether good or bad- and reward us accordingly.
The person unconcerned about doing good deeds shows a grave lack of vision.
V. 9 says, "For we must all "appear" before the judgment seat of Christ”. Appear means "to make visible" or "to make known." Here it may refer to nothing more than an appearance, such as appearing in court before a judge.
However, it may mean believers will stand before the Lord with their true character revealed. {Finish reading v. 10}
Receive means "to receive back," "to get an equivalent," or "to get one’s due." The believer will be either approved or ashamed look back in v.3 beginning with v.2 This truth should dramatically change the way we live, for our actions will e evaluated by our Master.
Conclusion
The Hebrew writer speaking of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Sarah said in (Ch.11: 13-16) Read text. So we should all be living in the light of His return.
Benediction
Are you living in the light of His return?
Do you desire to be with God’s people? (Ask yourself) Are you Glad, like David, when they say, “let us go into…?”
Are you living with purpose in your life? - To be a witness for Jesus. Jesus is coming back and you hold the answer of how to be ready…as well as the responsibility.
Maybe there’s someone here who never has felt homesick, as we have been talking about here. So, let me ask you again – “Have you been homesick lately?” I know that every Christian feels homesick once in a while.
If you’ve never felt homesick, and then can I suggest to you, perhaps you’ve never committed your life to Christ and you want to make that commitment this _________. (morning or evening) and “ensure’ that you will have a home in Heaven.
Maybe you’re a Christian here this morning and you can’t say you have been living with a certain purpose in your life. Maybe you’ve just been a “Jonah” in your Christian life. You have a relationship with the Lord but you don’t want to share the joy of Salvation with anyone else. Or,
Maybe you just want to pray for the church this morning- this congregation, the church of Riverview - which is this community, and the church universal.
Hymn of Invitation.
Prayer
Our Father in Heaven, We thank you and we praise you this morning for your presence.
Lord God I pray for the whole Church of Jesus Christ, the church community in Riverview and the people of this fellowship.
I pray that we would all commit to live each day in the light of your return. That we would live with certain purpose, that you have given each one of us here this morning that are in Christ; and if there be any not in Christ I pray they will choose Him as Lord today. And I pray that with all things you have in trusted to us we would be faithful, even as You are Faithful.
Help us to live in your promise to return and receive us unto you and the home you’ve prepared for us.
Help us to walk as children of the Light in a dark world, so I pray the salt will not lose it’s flavor, but as long as we are in the world, help us to season the world with your Love.
We ask all these things in Christ’s name, Amen.
