Sermon
John 14:1-14
Jesus: the way to eternity
What do we trust to give us a secure life?
To enhance our life
We are constantly bombarded with promises of a better life
An easier life
What are some of those things that you believe will give you a better life
How tightly do you hold onto them
What are those things that you put your trust in because you believe they will result in you having a good life…
A more secure life
A Fulfilled your life
What are the things you came up with:
• More money
• A happy family
• Working harder and longer
• A secure or united organisation
• Good education
• Conservative investing
• Your superannuation fund
• What about spending time on yourself and your family
All these things have the potential to bring you some benefits.
But are they guaranteed?
Can you rely on them to bring you a better life.
A more secure life?
Relying completely on any one of these for a better life….
will result in disappointment…
will result in you missing out
Consider some of the events in recent weeks
• Christine and Lee Rush’s life has been turned upside down because their son is now sitting in a Bali gaol likely to be charged with drug trafficking offences
• Over the last month Superannuation funds in Australia have on average produced a negative return, in other words some superannuation funds actually lost money
• In the UK, car manufacturer MG Rover, a company that has been around for over 100 years was placed in administration and most its 6000 staff were sacked
• And we frequently hear of stories of life being cut short, people losing property in fires, family and friends,
The one thing that is guaranteed is that when we put our trust solely in the things God has created rather than God himself
We are likely to be disappointed
this disappointment may or may not happen in the short term
but it will definitely occur in the future….
Relying completely on something or someone other than God is dangerous
Often such a life is self centred,
and when it is self centred people will do almost anything to obtain and maintain the things and people they believe will give them a better life
Some will work hard forgetting that they have responsibilities elsewhere,
some will lie, cheat, steal, deceive
and there is a host of other things people will get up to give them the chance of a better life…
even if it hurts someone else
This sort of life is self centred not God centred.
And even when we are focussed on obtaining a better life through such means…
we can never be certain whether
• what we rely on will be good enough
• circumstances will remain the same or turn out as we planned
• we will be good enough
However there is another way
Jesus says trust in God…trust in me!!!
Do not trouble yourself
In other words do not stress yourself out unnecessarily
You maybe thinking how can he say this?
Doesn’t he see our world?
He does, and he knows we will experience difficulties
This is not Jesus saying hey, don’t worry be happy
Some people will drive you crazy….
with this sort of saying
when you are going through a tough time
many people are quick to respond with something like
don’t worry….you’ll get over it
but often they do very little to help
Jesus doesn’t just say don’t worry
And then leave us stranded in a land full of worries
Where there is no hope in sight
He says don’t worry
And he has already done what is needed to secure you not just a better life
But the only real life
Jesus offers us the only life
He lifts us out of out of an empty life….
Like a rescue helicopter lifting a survivor out of the sea
Today’s Gospel reading from John 14 tells us a little what this life is like
First…..even though it is special
It is real….
It is worth more than gold or silver
It is not limited to a select few…
It is not exclusive….
The life Jesus gives us is one that has many rooms
There is always room for more people
And he says he is preparing a place for you
In other words Jesus is saying look
To obtain access to this life you only need to trust me
To deliver it for you
Jesus is saying, “Trust me to deliver it to you”
Real life is available to everyone who trusts Jesus,
Listen again to the words of Jesus in response to how to gain life, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Now some people may look around and say hold on a moment a Christian’s life is no better than anyone else’s
As Christians we suffer
As Christians we go through the ups and downs of life
In fact it looks like some people benefit from not being Christians….
We need to remember that Christianity is not an instant fix it to all our problems
In fact as Christians we still experience problems
We still experience challenges
People still die around us
We still need to work…
However as Christians instead of these things dominating our life
We are directed away from focussing on them
They are part of life….but not life itself
They are put into perspective
I remember listening to Gerry Harvey, who indicated that he worked long hours in rebuilding his business…Harvey Norman…He sacrificed a lot of leisure time, and it was only possible because he was focussed on a better business….a vision of a global retail empire
In the same way as Christians we focus on Jesus
Jesus is the key for the life of a Christian
Jesus not only offers us a better life
He actually delivers us to that better life
Listen again to verse 3
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
This is what is happening in baptism
This morning with the baptism of Isobella and Joshua
God is saying welcome to my family
Jesus is not just telling us that a good life exists, somewhere in the distant future and that at the moment it is out of our reach
Or if we work hard we can have it
No Jesus is saying not only will I prepare a place for each one of us
Jesus will actually take us there
Jesus not only arranges the place in heaven for each one of us
He pays the cost for this place in heaven for us
He did this by dieing on the cross and being raised again for each one of us
Now if we look more closely at today’s Gospel reading we discover it is located in a time before Jesus was arrested, tortured and crucified.
Before he rose again
He was preparing the disciples
Jesus was telling them, what was about to happen to Him,
his death and resurrection
it was him preparing a place for them
So no wonder he says,
Don’t stress….don’t worry
But he does even more than that
He takes us there
He takes us on the journey to eternity
And this journey with Jesus to heaven
To eternity is not something that we have to wait for to begin
It has already begun
It begun when you were baptised
It has begun today for Joshua and Isobella,
as God welcomed them into His family
into his household
through baptism
And the journey with Jesus to eternity continues throughout our life
Everytime we worship together
Everytime we receive Jesus’ body and blood in Holy Communion…
Everytime we read and study the bible
Everytime we spend time with Jesus in prayer
And everytime we serve others in Jesus name
Jesus is leading us
And not only that we are seeing, experiencing and hearing God
We are getting to know God the only way He can be known
through Jesus
we see a God who welcomes us
who forgives us
who loves us
who is a servant for us and the world
who not only promises us a great life
but does everything for us so that we can have a real life
AMEN
