Now What? - Week 5
December 7, 2008
Hope For Today
John 14:1 - 6

People sometimes do crazy things. That was certainly the case of one man from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania last year. Man was in desperate times, created a counterfeit money, idea of asking change at grocery store, he was going to do it big, not $20, not $50, not $100 – he created a one million dollar bill. He went into a grocery store and asked for change. You got to give him credit for thinking big – he just wasn’t thinking very clearly! So he goes in and demands change. Now the large bill wasn’t a good idea for several reasons. 1) A larger bill is going to attract the most attention. 2) There is no such thing as a one million dollar bill. The largest bill in American currency is a $100 bill! They people called the police, and the guys was hauled off to jail. It’s sad that this guys was so desperate, he was putting all of his hope in something that didn’t exists.

SMALL SUPPLY

We live in a time when people are looking for hope. And hope seems to be in small supply these days. I talked this week to one friend who is in the financial investment business and he said, "It’s hard not to let the financial crisis in our country create fear in my life." Our financial markets right now are some of the worse our country has ever seen. We are seeing people loose their jobs, loose retirement money –money they were hoping would take care of them, but it’s gone in a flash. We see the threat of terrorism around us – especially this brutal attack in India this past week that claimed over 150 people’s lives. And the hope of living in a safe world seems to be fading. You may be feeling very uncertain about your future, what is going to happen to you, what will happen next.

But sometimes troubles get even more personal. As we come up on the holidays, it makes it difficult because you went through a divorce this year and your heart is broken. Or you’re facing a serious surgery and you’re uncertain about how it will all come out. Maybe you have lost someone very close to you. In the past two weeks I spent a couple of times standing with parents in the cemetery over the graves of their children. And for them, this season is going to hard. Maybe you facing a financial catastrophe and you don’t know how to get out of it.

A preacher once said, "there is a hurting heart in every pew." And today you need to know that there is a God who cares about you. There is a God who loves you. You need to know that there is hope. The Bible says that Jesus has experience the same pain, disappointment, suffering, temptation –all the things that you are experiencing now, so that he can understand and sympathize with us when we call out to him! And today, He wants to give you hope for today!

HEART CONDITION

Ravi Zacharias, in his book the Grand Weaver, says that when you grow older, your heart will either grow hard, grow tender or be broken.

And each one of us today, to some degree or another has a heart in one of these categories. Someone here has as hard heart. You’ve allowed the disappointments in life, the hurts and struggles to harden your heart toward God. The Bible says that we harden our hearts when we resist God, when we push him out of our lives. But over and over the Bible warns us, "don’t harden your heart"! Today – don’t harden your heart to what God is saying to you today. God has you here for a reason and he has a message of hope for you.

Some have broken hearts today. Circumstances, people have shattered your heart. You’re hurting. I want you to know that the Bible says that God is close to the broken hearted. And He wants to speak to you directly today.

But some here today have a heart that is tender toward God– you are saying, "Lord, speak to me, I’m listening." God is looking for tender hearts. God is looking today for people who are open to hear him, respond to him!

No matter what the condition of your heart, there is hope for you! Theologian Emil Brunner said, "What oxygen is to the lungs, such is hope to the meaning of life." Hope is the medicine that can cure anything. And while hope may be in small supply in this world, God wants to give you hope for today.

HOPE FOR TROULBED HEARTS

If you have your Bible, turn to John 14.1-6. In this section, Jesus is talking to his followers, his disciples and they were very afraid. Judas, one of the twelve, had just defected and was about to betray Jesus, the religious opposition was becoming more agitated and threatening against them and Jesus starts talking to them about how he was going to leave them. He was going to be betrayed, be crucified on a cross, he was going to go to heaven and leave them. And they were discouraged, upset, worried, and torn up on the inside. They couldn’t imagine a world without Jesus. Their hearts were shattered.

So Jesus speak to them. And He gives them the most powerful words of hope in the Bible. (read John 14.1-6)

Jesus says, "Don’t let your hearts be troubled". Another translation "Don’t let your hearts shutter!" It’s a powerful word. Don’t let your heart on the inside turbulent, worried, fearful! Even when it seems like the darkness is flooding in and you don’t see any solutions, even when you feel out of control and vulnerable or hurting – don’t let your heart be troubled. And then Jesus gives three reasons why we don’t have to have troubled hearts. Three facts that will never change, no matter who shifting life is – three things you can depend on and that will always give us hope.

GOD IS TRUSTWORTHY

You can take God at his Word – God will do what he says he will do. Jesus says, "Believe in me" -It’s a command – "I know what I’m doing, you will see in time!"

Do you believe in God? Politicians, technology, money, people, all these things will let you down. Jesus said, don’t be afraid, believe in me. Rely on me. Look to me. Trust me.

Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life…" Believe in me, Jesus said!

Jesus said God so loved the world…John 3.16 whoever BELIEVES in him has eternal life. I have to stand on that. Because when I think of my tragedy, it’s hard. I have to remind myself what the Bible says, When a person believes in Jesus, when they die they go to heaven

How tragic would it be to not have that hope. Do you have that hope for yourself?

To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

HEAVEN IS REAL

You are going to heaven – No matter what happens to you, you are going to heaven if you put your faith in Jesus Christ. We are good with that, we just don’t like going to heaven. How are you going to get to heaven?

Story of the body – "How many want to go to heaven tonight? – all the hands went up except the boy’s, "don’t you want to go to heaven?"  The boy says, "Someday, but I thought you were getting a load to go up right now!"

What happens when a believer dies?

Death is not the end of the road, is a bend in the road.

When we take our last breath on earth, is the first breath in heaven. The tomb is not the entrance to death, it is the entrance to life!

I’m not ignorant that bad things happen, that people die. But I also know this, that heaven is real.

What will heaven be like?

Floating on clouds, getting fat, oblivious -you will know more in heaven than you know on earth. We are still the same us without the sin, devil, the limitations of our body. We all long for heaven, it’s embedded. When you see a sunset, wonderful

C.S. Lewis calls this the inconsolable longing. It is the secret signature of each soul. Or do you think you are going to get it all on planet earth.

You were created to know God, but there is an invisible wall that separates you – sin

Jesus said, I’ve prepared a place for you. When you prepare a place in your home for someone you get the things you like – Jesus has prepared a place for you. Bible speaks about heaven like a mansion, city, garden,

JESUS IS COMING

We live a time of trouble – global terrorism, (India massacre, troubled teen took his own life on line) We live in a troubled time. Jesus could come back tonight. Are you ready?

There are two ways to get to heaven: death or the rapture (when Jesus comes to take us away) 2 THES – we which are alive and remaining, and so comfort one another with these words. He was speaking to people that were worried, trouble, "When the Lord comes, it’s going to be a great reunion. Wives will be reunited with husbands, children –

Death is the great separated, but Jesus Christ is the great reconciler.

When Jesus comes back, he is coming back for those who are watching and waiting. Are you ready? Two will be in a field, one will be taken the other will be left.

Some will go to heaven others will not go to heaven.

In the twinkling of an eye. Are you ready?

Heaven is not your default destination. You have to make a decision to go there!

Jesus often said things they didn’t understand – "I’m going to prepare a place for you…."But they didn’t get it!

Thomas speaks up! "We don’t know what you are talking about!" Thomas wasn’t a doubter, he was just skeptical, pragmatic

Listen to what Jesus says! "I am the way, the truth and the life" I’m glad he asked that question.

Jesus just showed us how to get to heaven! People don’t like to hear this – don’t like it when someone says Jesus is the only way to heaven.

Why would God the father send Jesus to be beaten, tortured, and murdered? Jesus went through horrific pain, beard torn out, whipped, carried cross, spikes through hands and feet, lifted him up – "father forgive them" He bore all the sin of the world on himself –"Why have you forsaken me" words not of a good man, words of the god man, paying the price for you!!! To offer you forgiveness.

Jesus wasn’t the only one to be crucified, but no one like Jesus –fully God and fully man to bridge humanity to God – one mediator between God and man.

It’s so narrow-minded! Going from DFW to Hawaii – pilot, "Good morning, flt 293, showing the movie, I’m not so sure about this fuel thing, I’m not sure about our maps, we don’t need that – it’s too narrow – all paths lead to Hawaii – I’m very sincere!!! Would you fly like that?

I want someone that is narrow, clear in their thinking, that knows the way.

One life line that has been dropped, and that is a relationship with god through Jesus Christ – have you grabbed it yet?

HOW?

You can know that you know!

1. Admit you are a sinner

– All have fallen short of the glory of God! Jesus said, "Be perfect as your heaven father is perfect!" Who is perfect? No one!!!

All of us have broken commandments!! If you have broken one of the commandments you have broken all – God doesn’t grade on the curve!

2. Realize that is why Jesus died on the cross

– he died for your sins!!! He died in your place- He came to pay a debt he did not owe because you owed a debt you could not pay. Jesus died a brutal death, suffered, rose from the grave for you!!!!

You can believe those two things and still not get to heaven!

You have to turn from your sin. You know you are doing things that are wrong before God, turn from that sin.

Receive Jesus Christ into you life – Lord, come in forgive me, I still have a lot of questions – come into my life!!!

Craig, It wouldn’t work for me. I’m not the religious type. He’s looking for the sinner type! You just come to him! You don’t clean you life up and then come to God, you come to God then He will clean you life up! Come with your problems, come with your addictions, come with your questions, come publicly - all of heaven rejoices!!! We want to rejoice what God has done in your life!!

We will give you a Bible! We have some materials to give you about your decision! We want to pray with you!

Do it now!

"I’ll come next year" There is no guarantee of a next year, next week, next day! Only God knows. The bible says, "prepare to meet you God" – are you prepared!

Today is your day to get right with God. And change your eternal address from a place called hell to a place called heaven!

Final statement – Jesus said you are either for me or against me. I believe or I don’t believe. "I’d admire Jesus" Jesus didn’t ask you to admire him, but to follow him."

Have you ever had high hopes for something and then seen those hopes crumble to pieces? It happened to one man in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His story hit the news wires as one of those sadly humorous, stupid-thief tales. Actually, if you knew him, his story is probably only very sad.

He wanted money. Maybe he desperately needed money. Perhaps he had a substance addiction or owed tens of thousands of dollars on a charge card. Regardless, somehow he got the idea to go into a grocery store, hand the checkout clerk counterfeit money, and ask for change. If it worked, he would get real money in exchange for fake money. Brilliant!

He was a big thinker. If he was going to risk attempting this fraud, he was going to do it in a way that would set him up for life. So he decided to try to pass off not a counterfeit $100 bill, not a counterfeit $1,000 bill, not even a counterfeit $10,000 bill, but a counterfeit $1,000,000 bill.

Again, you can pat this poor fellow on the back for thinking big, but you also have to pity him for thinking badly. First, you have to suspect that the average checkout clerk doesn't keep a million dollars in her drawer. Second, you have to think that a one million dollar bill is going to attract some extra attention and might even bring the scrutiny of the store manager. Third—this is the clincher—there is no such thing as a $1,000,000 bill. The largest currency printed in the U.S. is a $100 bill!

When the counterfeiter walked into the supermarket on that Saturday in Pittsburgh, holding that one million dollar bill in his sweaty hand, just imagine his soaring hopes. Soon he would be able to pay his bills, buy a nice house and car, get all the things he had always wanted, never work another day in his life. This would be his lucky day!

Needless to say, his high hopes were dashed. The checkout clerk refused to give him change for his bogus bill. The manager came and confiscated the forgery. His dreams went up in smoke. He got angry. He grabbed the electronic funds transfer machine and slammed it on the counter. He tried to grab the scanning gun used to read product labels. Soon the police had him in custody.

It's a sad, sad thing when a person's high hopes come to nothing. How do you know when your hopes are resting on something true and legitimate and real, instead of on something bogus and stupid? Where do you place your hope?