have courage

1

Series: Conversations with Jesus
John 14:1-6
“Why We Have Been Left Behind”
INTRO
Dying wish, scrooge, cheque.
Any time one goes overseas—even to the Maldives
-one is reminded of the immense needs
-and how critical it is that the church be radical followers of Christ
-followers who in the first sense are missional
-serving a cause far greater than themselves
-determined to be incarnational, transformational, relational
But for this to happen—several things must take place—which is what the Upper Room
Discourse is all about
1. Those who follow Jesus must be marked by SERVANTHOOD
-whatever we do in Jesus’ name we first begin on our knees before one another— washing dirty feet, praying for one another, listening to one another
-which will hopefully attract people to Jesus
2. Those who follow Jesus must be marked by LOVE AS Jesus LOVED
-loving each other unconditionally, passionately, straight on
-loving as the world does not know or have the power to love
-all of which will tell the world we are His disciples
-and given the context of Peter’s foretold capitulation to fear (13:38)
3. Those who follow Jesus must be must be marked by COURAGE
-confidence, nerve,
illustration- Khrushchev- know you know why
-they will be called upon to make courageous decisions
-be strong of heart—take risks
You cannot walk by faith and live in fear! And so He gives this admonition—14:1 (read)
-don’t be troubled, distressed, agitated—intimidated—
-don’t be paralyzed by fear!
-an admonition which we have seen is given more than any other in Scripture
-for we are—by nature—fearful creatures
-and this includes God’s servants
-Adam hid, Moses ran, Elijah gave up, Esther hesitated, Jonah headed for a travel
agency, Peter caved in
illus-Muslims who become Christians, ex jehovah’s witnesses, Chinese Christians, North Korean Christians if there is one thing they have to overcome it is their fears
-and I suspect that is true of us
-I always come back to this comment
“All of us are born with a set of instinctive fears; of falling, of the dark, of lobsters, of falling on lobsters in the dark, of speaking before a group, of the words: ‘requires self assembly”
-of being left alone, left behind
-and the disciples were about to be seemingly abandoned
-which left them feeling rootless, vulnerable, orphaned…FULL OF FEAR!
But Jesus was doing just the opposite
-He was entering into a work—providing a way—that would enable them—us—to live with great courage
1. HE IS PREPARING A PLACE
2. HE IS ESTABLISHING HIS KINGDOM
-Eph 4:10-He who descended is He who ascended far above all the heavens—that He might fill all things
-take charge of all things
-place all things under His feet
-ruling with a transforming power—setting us apart, adorning us with grace, restraining
evil—transfusing us with power
-giving us all authority to carry out His mission
3. HE IS INTERCEDING FOR US
-Christ entered into heaven to appear before the Father for us-Heb 9:24
-living to make intercession-Heb 7:25
-so that our prayers will be made more acceptable-more effectual-John 14:13
4. HE IS SENDING HIS SPIRIT
-for the sending of the Spirit could not be fully manifested until the Son ascended-Jn
7:39
-and with His work in our lives-we can do even greater works-14:12
So—don’t be troubled! Trust Me!
-My departure is not about the end of My work—but the continuation of it
-in fact—the best part of it
Jesus’ leaving wasn’t about the withdrawal of His presence—but the more powerful manifestation of His presence
-the creating of a UNION that will leave them inseparable-vs 20
-with a power to be missional
Hence-His leaving is actually to our advantage (16:7)
-so let’s go back to the first—
1. HE IS PREPARING A PLACE FOR US (read vs 2)
-but what does this mean?
...first—
A. THERE IS COURAGE TO BE HAD IN KNOWING WE HAVE THE HOPE OF A PLACE
-Jesus told them—I go to prepare a place—for ALL OF US NEED A SENSE OF
PLACE
-few things are more unnerving than to be placeless, homeless
Illus- Washington DC, in our minds this week with Obama, but there in the ghetto no home
-Jesus is saying—don’t be unnerved
-you may be scattered for My name’s sake—but I am going to secure your permanence
-where the terms exile, illegal aliens, undesirable refugees, migrant workers,
drifters, vagabonds, nomads, expats, displaced people groups, —
and homeless people will be the language of another world
-one that is passing away
But what is this place?
-is this Jesus—like some master developer, building us a mansion in the sky?
-this is what popular Christian culture assumes anyway
-I’m leaving—and when I get to heaven, I’m headed to Home Depot build you a street of dreams
Problem-despite the songs, the comforting sermons at funerals
-the word here is not descriptive of some palatial residence
-in fact—“home” is hardly descriptive of anything—it is a common term to describe
simply a dwelling, an abode, a place of residence
Jesus uses an intentionally vague term
-after all-the domain of God is too vast for our finite thinking
-where measured time will shift to fullness of time
-measured space—to fullness of space—no constraints, no confinement
-where corruption and infirmities will be foreign language
What we need to know is that there is something of permanence that this world does not offer—
and He has gone to prepare it—so take heart!
-Jesus’ departure isn’t about our loss-but our gain
…but there is another reason to find courage in the fact He is preparing a place
B. THERE IS COURAGE TO BE HAD IN KNOWING WE ARE ALREADY IN THAT PLACE
-when Jesus said I go to prepare
-He was describing a work that happened the moment He went to the Cross
-and when He announced a place—He was describing a place we take up
residence the moment we take Jesus to be our Saviour
-entering into union with Him-we transition from this earth to heaven
Which is probably clear as mud
-but one of the great mysteries of Scripture is that those in Christ have already “moved in”
-that the “removal company” doesn’t come the moment we leave this earth
-it comes the moment we die
-and when He died—we died
-when He was buried—we were buried
-when He rose—we rose—when He ascended—we ascended
Paul elaborates on John 14:2 this way—
-even when we were dead in our sinful failure, He made us alive together with
Christ and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places
in Christ Jesus-Eph 2:5-6
-to the Colossians—for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God-
3:3
-which can only mean this—we are here—yet already home
Let me see if I can picture this—
Present___________I________________Eternity
-we have/had a home -we will have/have a home
-we live/did live -will live/live
-earth dwellers/aliens -heavenly citizens
-believer/priests -royal priesthood
-passing away -forever
-outpost of kingdom -kingdom
-taste of kingdom -full taste of kingdom-shalom
Perhaps this illustration will help—
-when I was at CLAN conference 2 years ago
-I was also here—in light of my union with Donna
-for where she is—I am—and vice versa
-and while I created a necessary home of sorts there
-it was temporal—for my true home is here
-in part—while engaged in my mission—this union—as well as my home—is what I live for
And so I lived in a tension of sort
-which is the tension we live in here
-Jesus is saying—I am leaving to prepare a place for you
-and you must learn to live between both realms
-live in the tension of the already and not yet
-meaning—
1. Don’t give yourselves too fully to this world—for it is not your future—it is passing away
-enter fully into it—without giving yourselves completely to it
2. Don’t give yourselves over to behaviors that argue against who you really are--where you really live
-this world has nothing over you
3. Don’t give yourselves to fear
-step out in faith
-given where we live and the union we enjoy
-we have all the authority and power we need
-to carry out our mission
have courage!
1. Courage in knowing we have a place in heaven
2. Courage in knowing we are already in that place because of our union with Christ
So, Christ exhorts us to not be overwhelmed by the world, it is not the future. Don’t fear stepping out in faith, we have the power and authority to do so. Don’t feel the pressure to gain worldly possessions, they will all pass. We are encouraged to live with the tension of the “already” and the “not yet.”
Pastor Neimoller, prov 18:10, the name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run into it and are safe.
The Need for Courage
A few years ago Richard Cardinal Cushing wrote about the church’s need for courage. He said: If all the sleeping folks will wake up, and all the lukewarm folks will fire up, and all the disgruntled folks will sweeten up, and all the discouraged folks will cheer up, and all the depressed folks will look up, and all the estranged folks will make up, and all the gossiping folks will shut up, and all the dry bones will shake up, and all the true soldiers will stand up, and all the church members will pray up, and if the Saviour of all will be lifted up . . . then we can have the greatest renewal this world has ever known.
Lets go for it!