God’s love for us is often described as a mystery…it’s something that’s often talked about but not fully understood.
And that’s not a bad thing!
We understand the important parts; that he loves and cherishes each one of us, that he died for us, and that nothing can separate us from him.
But there is still an air of mystery. Why us? Why then? Why Jesus?
There are answers for all of these things, but even so there are none that are definitive.
I think that is the point.
Paul tells us in Ephesians that the mystery has been revealed to us! It doesn’t say explained, it says revealed.
But we know that his love for us is what marriage is based off of. That’s how much he loves us.
I’ve never been married of course, but just imagine with me. There is no “honeymoon phase” to Gods love. Heaven is the honeymoon and it goes on forever.
We are finally reunited with our creator in the perfect relationship that we were always suppose to share, and that’s beautiful.
The last month, all we have done is evangelize. That being said, when you preach the gospel all day, you start to really understand it and realize which parts you have just made up.
Jesus did not die so that you could go to heaven.
Let me repeat that. Jesus did not die so you could go to heaven, he died so that you could have eternal life! He came to bring us life. To call us out of death and into life!
The book of John is full of I am statements that Jesus makes.
I am the bread of life
I am the light of the world…he who follows me with have the light of life
I am the way the truth and the life
I am the vine, apart from me you can do nothing
I am the gate and he who enters through me will be saved
I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep
I am the resurrection and the life
I think you get the point. But even if you didn’t, john ends his gospel by saying:
“But these were written so that you may know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have LIFE in his name”
Never does it say to believe so you won’t go to hell…or so that you will go to heaven.
You might think to yourself, “Ok who cares, aren’t heaven and eternal life the same thing?”
NO
Heaven is somewhere else, eternal life starts now. You don’t have to wait until heaven. You were once dead but now you are alive! You are no longer a slave to sin and you are loved desperately by your creator. You are his sons and daughters, he even calls us friends! The Holy Spirit gives you power to love your enemies and to have faith in the face of the storms of this life.
THAT is the good news. THAT is why Jesus came.
Do you believe that?
Of course I believe that heaven and hell are real places in eternity, but they are just as tangible right here and right now.
The gospel is not about somewhere else it is about here and now. Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven is in our very midst, and the manifestation of that kingdom is love.
If you believe that, then there is another truth. Hell is also real and it is amongst us as well. Jesus knew that. You know how I know?
Because he did something about it.
He saw suffering and relieved it. He he healed people, freed people, and he loved people. He came for the sick.
He was there for them.
When you see the gospel being about somewhere else, you tend to forget about the reason why you are here. (Rob Bell paraphrase)
If your good news is so good, then why aren’t you sharing it?
Why isn’t your life a testimony to how great it is?
Why are you living is if you are dead?
I’ll end with this story. I used to volunteer at a coffee shop that was purposefully built in downtown KC to minister to the homeless and the poor. They would have a bible study every day and just talk about life.
One of my friends had a prayer request that I will never forget. He said, “I just got out of drug rehab for the 5th time…pray that I can be set free from this addiction and that I can resist temptation.”
He was homeless and dealers on the street would give the homeless free drugs to get them hooked and dependent on their product. It’s terrible.
My friend just wanted the strength to say no, because after that many drugs, you might not make it to a 6th round of rehab.
He wanted to be freed, healed, and loved.
This guy lived on the streets like 20 minutes from where I’m sure some of you live! You don’t have to be in Africa to relieve suffering and to share the good news. You don’t even need to go to downtown KC.
Your whole life you have been building a mission field whether you realize it or not. It might not be optimal, but newslfash, they never really are.
Bottom Line: Jesus came to relieve suffering and to bring us out of death and into life.
That is the good news. So what are you going to do about it?
