FALL COUNCIL DEVOTIONAL
THEME: WORDS OF HOPE
TOPIC: Lord, Lead Me Home
Date: October 9, 2006
Time: 35 Minutes
Raquel Arrais
Text John 14:1-2
"Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father's house." John 14:1-2
Introduction
It is good at the beginning of the day to start by meditating on themes that talk about hope- ESPERANZA. Hope that will help us to look at our decisions, challenges, fears, and the future with confidence. Hope that strengthens us when in our journey we have to travel through difficult times. Hope that helps us not to lose sight of eternity--our home which is just before us.
Words of Hope! With such a topic as this I thought it wise to refresh my memory on the Fundamental Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist church.
· The 25th belief states: the second coming of Christ IS the blessed HOPE of the church. The grand climax of the gospel.
· The 28th belief talks about the new earth and says: on the new earth, in which righteousness dwells, God will provide an eternal HOME for the redeemed and a perfect environment for everlasting life, love, joy. Suffering and death will have passed away. We have this hope because we have a home at the end.
· Because Jesus is our HOPE - HOME is our final destination.
Stating the Text
V.1- Don't let your hearts be troubled...Jesus said... Do not be afraid, Jesus began comforting those frightened disciples, preparing them not only for the painful separation, but also for the challenges they would face.
V.2 Trust in God, Trust also in me. Believe in me. As human being, we need to believe in something, people are seekers today, looking for something to believe. It is part of us. Jesus was trying to say, "When you can no longer see me DO NOT STOP TRUSTING IN ME. I DO NOT BREAK PROMISSES. Powerful!!!!
The Greek word for Believe in this passage is Pisteo. In the Jewish mentality to Believe - PISTEO in someone, it was more than trust, it implied in COMMITMENT, something that it was true and would not fail. You can Pisteo in me because I will fulfill what I am promising. I will not fail.
It is wonderful to have a father who does not break promises. PRAISE GOD ALL GOD'S PROMISES ARE "YES" IN JESUS. There is not expiration date in His promises.
Ellen White talks about the need to believe - to PISTEO in Jesus' promises when she says: "Have faith in God. He knows your need. He has all power. His infinite love and compassion never weary. Fear not that He will fail of fulfilling His promises." Prophets and Kings, pp. 164,165. Praise God for His Faithfulness!
V.3 In my Father's House are many rooms: A room for you and me
What a promise!!! PRAISE GOD ALL GOD'S PROMISES ARE "YES" IN JESUS!
Sometimes we need to simply rehearse God's good promises to ourselves. How about it?
- God will provide
- I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
- God is very present in times of trouble.
- The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
- When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.
- I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me.
- If you follow
the Bible you will see: God gave many promises both in the Old & the
New Testaments. He
promised the children of Israel a land where there would be milk &
honey. It took a while for the promise to be fulfilled, but finally it was
fulfilled.
*He promised a Messiah, & that took a long time. But it, too, was fulfilled. Jesus the Savior was born.
*Now God promises that He is coming back for us. Someday we'll be with Him forever & ever. Sometimes we grow impatient, but Scripture says, "You can trust, Believe - PISTEO, in the promises of God. This promise will be fulfilled, too."
B. The Bible uses a lot of different words to describe heaven. In one place it is called "a country" indicating the vastness of heaven. In another it is called "a city" indicating the number of inhabitants.
It is called "a kingdom" indicating that there is a governmental structure to it all. It is called "paradise" indicating its beauty & desirability. But here it is called, "My Father's house," & that is another way of saying, "This place is home!"
HOME! What does that word mean to you?
C. "In My Father's house are many rooms." The KJ version says, "many mansions." We like that word. But "mansion" is not the best translation of the Greek word Jesus used. The best translation is probably "dwelling place" or "rooms."
The word room (mone) is related to the verb "to stay" (or to "remain," "abide"; meno), which is used forty times in this Gospel. It can be used to talk about a permanent dwelling place
"This special house or room where the son has a permanent dwelling place suggests a union with the Father reserved for Jesus the Son and for all those who are begotten as God's children by the Spirit that Jesus gives" (Brown 1970:627). The word mone itself suggests "the permanence, indestructibility and continuation of this union" (Hauck 1967b:580). Again, a permanent home.
D. "In My Father's house," Jesus said, "are many rooms. I am going to prepare them for you. I'm coming back to take you so that you may be where I am." We're almost there. Don't give up, do not become discouraged. Don't become fainthearted. We're almost there.
During Ellen White's later years the members of her family often heard her singing as she went about her work. She would use the last verse as a kind of chorus, repeating it over and over:
"We'll be there, We'll be there in a little while,
We'll join the pure and the blest;
We'll have the palm, the robe, the crown,
And forever be at rest."
Even though she had been privileged many times to view the heavenly Home, Ellen White felt she could never find the words to adequately describe its glories. She once wrote:
"Language is altogether too feeble to attempt a description of heaven. As the scene rises before me, I am lost in amazement. Carried away with the surpassing splendor and excellent glory, I lay down the pen, and exclaim, 'Oh, what love! what wondrous love! ."--Early Writings, p. 289.
- Stop & think about it. Most of you, most of me, is already there. My name is written there. My citizenship is there. My God is there. My Savior is there. My inheritance is there. So much of me is already there.
- Soon it will all be
fulfilled, & we'll be in our Father's house. We'll get new bodies,
& we won't have to worry about getting old & sick & all the
other things that plague us here. "Trust My promises PISTEO," He
says. I love you...Home is just a few miles away.
Conclusion
- Oh! We have our troubles and woes, but we can trust in Jesus, His presence is with us.
- We have our doubts and fears, but we can trust in Jesus, His promises never fails
We have our disappointments and days of distress, but we can trust in Jesus, (a) Jesus is absolutely reliable. He is the great I AM. (b) His word is reliable and (c) His promises are reliable.
I tell you, blows will come, as they must come. But remember Jesus is our HOPE we are going HOME our final destination, trials will be on the way, but remember we are going home. The Lord is leading us Home.
Because your name is now written in the Lamb's book of life, Because this world is not your home, Because death does not have the final word, Because failure is not final, Because one day your faith will become sight and you see your room open for you, Because BEST OF ALL, you will see God's face and hear God's voice say, "Welcome to your Father's House!
Lord, lead us Home, Amen!!!
