[0:00] to John and chapter 14. Gospel according to John chapter 14 and we shall read from the beginning but our focus will be on verse 2 and 3. Let not your heart be troubled, ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions, if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there ye may be also. As we continue to look at this part of the discourse that took place in the upper room on the night that the Lord Jesus was betrayed we see that he told his disciples that he was leaving them and that one of them would betray him and that
[1:08] Peter would deny him. And this resulted in troubled hearts. But Jesus assures them that their hearts need not be troubled as they believe in God also to believe in him. In other words the cure for a troubled heart is faith. Then he goes on to give them reasons why they should calm their hearts and it is spelt out for us here in verse 2 and 3. In my Father's house are many mansions, if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there ye may be also.
[2:02] He tells them that his divine purpose involves their arrival in heaven. He was reassuring them that his death and his leaving them would not derail their hope of being in heaven with him. In fact he tells them that his leaving them would be only to make heaven ready for them. I go to prepare a place for you.
[2:38] Well what is your own view of heaven? How do you imagine heaven? Some think that it is the pie in the sky philosophy where a person in face of trials turns us back upon the world and imagines this paradise called heaven. They would say that it is all a figment of the imagination. They say that in our scientific age you have any thoughts about heaven is absolute nonsense. Our secular nation calls heaven only a speculation.
[3:25] However, there are many pictures given in the Bible of heaven. It is likened to a city. It is likened to a better country.
[3:42] It is likened to a place of rest. And Jesus on the cross calls heaven by the name of paradise. And paradise means the place of true delights.
[3:55] It is likened to a place of true delights. It is the new heavens and the new earth in which righteousness will dwell. But here Jesus employs a title for heaven that is only used by him. And that is the father's house.
[4:14] The very title that Jesus gives to heaven brings along with it comfort at least for the majority of us.
[4:28] When we were away at college or at work it was wonderful to have the opportunity to get home. Jesus himself is filled with joy at returning to the father and his great desire is that all his disciples in all ages be with them where he is.
[4:55] There is an old song that goes, this world is not my home. I am just a passing through.
[5:06] And how true for the person who has put his trust in Christ. Because that person is a stranger and a pilgrim in this world.
[5:17] For heaven is that person's home. We are told that Abraham looked for a city which hath foundations.
[5:30] Whose builder and maker is God. God. Now in the authorised version here it says, In my father's house are many mansions.
[5:44] And we may wonder why the word mansions were used by the authorised version translators. Because it is evident that it is impossible to have many mansions inside a house.
[5:58] However, I think it is worthy for us at this point, And I know that we have taken this up before in the congregation, That the culture of Palestine, In the time of Jesus when a son married, He would seldom leave his father's house.
[6:21] Instead, he would simply add another wing to the existing house. If he had many sons, Then there would be many dwelling units.
[6:33] All combined to form an extended household. They would get betrothed. And then the man would go and he would build his extension to his father's home.
[6:49] And when the extension was ready, He would come to receive his bride. And to take her home with him. We have that image brought before us in one of the parables of Jesus.
[7:05] The parables of the ten virgins. And I think Jesus is here referring to this practice of additional rooms being added to a home As the family increases in number.
[7:20] Instead of the word mansions, We could use the word rooms. In my father's house are many rooms. Jesus is here talking of heaven as a single glorious home, With enough dwelling places to take the complete family of God.
[7:46] Jesus is here, as it were, urging upon them not to confine their attention to the visible and the temporal, But to think of heaven.
[7:59] Here are a group of his disciples with troubled hearts. And he is trying to draw their attention towards the great promise that there is a home awaiting for them.
[8:16] In the midst of all their troubles, in the midst of all their testings, They were to centre upon the fact that there was a home prepared for them.
[8:30] In the midst of all our troubles and all our testings from a hostile world, We are to be heavenly centred.
[8:42] In the midst of all the upheaval and turmoil of our present day, The Christian should not be alarmed. For he knows that God is sovereign and that God is working out his own purpose.
[8:57] And that includes bringing his children home to himself. However, the Bible exhorts us to be heavenly mindedness.
[9:11] If ye then be risen with Christ, Seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on the things above and not on the things of the earth.
[9:28] And again it is written, For our conversation is in heaven, From whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are told that to be heavenly minded is to be spiritually minded.
[9:45] For to be carnally minded is death, But to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Well one can ask, Is it wrong for us to decide heaven?
[10:00] We sometimes hear this phrase, That a person is so heavenly minded, That they are of no earthly use. Well, I don't think that is a measurement at all, Of a person's spirituality.
[10:18] The Apostle Paul was in prison in Rome, And he wrote a letter to the church at Philippi, Who was so concerned about him, And in his letter he told him to rejoice, And he went on to say this, Christ shall be magnified in my body, Whether it be by life or death, For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.
[10:43] But if I live in the flesh that is the fruit of my labour, Yet what I shall choose, I would not. I am in a strait between two, Having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, Which is far better.
[11:01] Nevertheless, To abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And I think that is the attitude that we should always show.
[11:14] Paul loved the Lord, And he yearned for the Lord's company, And he knew that for his own personal enrichment, To be with Christ was far better.
[11:27] But there was the Philippian church, Which as far as he could see, Still needed his ministry. Paul believes, It would be the will of the Lord, That this need should be considered paramount.
[11:44] Such is Paul's love for his fellow believers, And his desire for their spiritual advantage, That he is willing to abide in the flesh, And to put heavenly glories on hold.
[12:01] And I think that our attitude should be, To have a desire to be in heaven, But at the same time, As the Lord wills to be of usefulness, In serving the Lord, Here on earth.
[12:20] The desire for heaven, Should not distract us, From serving the Lord, Here on earth. In fact, If anything it ought to, Be motivating us for more service, To the Lord.
[12:37] It ought to be a great motive, For our evangelism. For there is a heaven to gain, And a hell to shun. And if we believe that, Then we should be, The more, Greater, Evangelists, Than, We are.
[12:58] If we believe then, That what I've said, We should be, The more earnest, In serving the Lord. In serving the Lord, In a lost world.
[13:13] One of the commentators says, The need of the church, Weighs heavier with him, That is with Paul, Than the desire, Of his own soul.
[13:23] Heaven, Heaven also, Points to, An eternal reunion, Of Jesus, And, His, People.
[13:38] It is customary, For family members, To, Meet together, In the family home, On special occasions. Similarly, The father's house, Will be the place, Where all the children, Of God, Will meet.
[13:56] There is a phrase, Often used, In the Old Testament, In conjunction, With the death, Of the patriarchs, And he was gathered, To his people.
[14:10] It is said, About Abraham, Then Abraham gave up the ghost, And died, In a good old age, An old man, And full of years, And was gathered, To his people.
[14:26] The same regarding Isaac. And Isaac gave up the ghost, And died, And was gathered, Into his people, Being old, And full of days, And the sons, Esau and Jacob, Buried him.
[14:42] The same is said of Jacob. And when Jacob, Had made an end, Of commanding his sons, He gathered up his feet, Into the bed, And yielded up the ghost, And was gathered, Into his people.
[14:58] And the same thing is said, About Aaron, And the same thing, Is said about Moses, That they were gathered, To their people.
[15:12] Now, Some Old Testament scholars, Say that that phrase, Is nothing more, Than a convenient way, Of saying, He died.
[15:23] That person, Died. However, We note that, David, When he lost his son, He said, I will go, To him, But he cannot, Come, To me.
[15:43] In heaven, All the children of God, Shall meet. That is, A meeting, Of the family, In, The father's house.
[15:58] And, When we shall meet, We shall know, Each other. We'll be able, To recognize, Each other.
[16:10] We shall see each other, Not as we are now, Or have been, But as we were meant to be. Because, We shall all be, In his, Likeness.
[16:23] For we shall see him, As he is. Among the things, That are not, In the heavenly Jerusalem, Or in the father's house, As given to us, In the book of Revelation, There we read, And there shall be no night there, Underneath no candle, Neither light of the sun.
[16:51] These things are missing. There is no night. Then we need no candle. We don't need the light, Of the sun. Why? For the Lord God, Giveth them light, And they shall reign, Forever, And ever.
[17:09] The city, The father's house, Have no need of the sun, Neither of the moon, To shine in it. For the glory of God, Lightens it.
[17:20] And the lamb, Is the light, They're off. John likes to use this, Metaphor of light. Remember how he, How he writes down, But if you walk in the light, As he is in the light, We have fellowship, One with another.
[17:38] Our fellowship, Our fellowship, Is in Christ, Here and now. And our fellowship, In heaven, Will be also, In Christ.
[17:51] The lamb is a light, And we shall walk, In that light. And in that light, We will be able, To recognize, Each other, For we shall be, In his, In his, In his, In his, In his likeness.
[18:13] The word of God, Commands us, To exercise love, Towards, One another. And can we just, Can we ever imagine, That that is coming, To an end?
[18:30] Surely not. Surely in heaven, That love that, We have for one another, Will be perfect. It is imperfect here, Because we are still, In this body of sin.
[18:41] But our love, For one another, Will be brought, To perfection, In heaven. There we shall love, Each other, As we ought, To love, One another.
[18:59] Paul says, Regarding the church, Of the Thessalonians, For what is, Our hope, Or joy, Or crown, Of rejoicing?
[19:10] Are not even you, In the presence, Of our Lord Jesus Christ, At his coming? For you are, Our glory, And joy.
[19:25] Now I can only take, From that, That he would know, The Thessalonians, Among whom, He had laboured. That he is looking forward, To this resumed, Fellowship, With them.
[19:40] In Revelation 21, John says, And I, John, Saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, Coming down from God, Out of heaven, Prepared as a bride, Adorned for her husband, And I heard a great voice, Out of heaven, Saying, Behold, The tabernacle of God, Is with men, And he will dwell, With them, And they shall be, And they shall be, His people, And God himself, Shall be with them, And be their God, Well, Who is this tabernacle of God, Who is with men?
[20:24] Surely it is, Jesus Christ, The one made flesh, And who tabernacled, Among us, Among us, You see, To be in heaven, Is to be forever, With the Lord, At one stage, There was no residence, From the earth, In heaven, But the day arrived, When Abel, The first martyr, Reached, The father's house, And since his entrance, Many others have joined, Enoch, And Elijah, Came in, In a very unique manner, Without having to taste death, But they all discovered, That there was, A personal room, For each of them, In my father's house, Are many mansions, Or, In my father's house, Are many rooms,
[21:27] And, Lay emphasis on that word, Many, Many mansions, Many rooms, There is, A sense, In which, Heaven is, Narrow, Or, Or, Restricted, Nothing unclean, Shall enter, Into heaven, And yet, There is another sense, In which is, Unrestricted, Which is very broad, Because, There are, Many rooms, Restricted in one sense, Unrestricted in another sense, There are, Many rooms, We are, We are commanded, To go out with the gospel, And what is, Our message, In the gospel, Yet, There is, Room, Yet, There is room, For heaven is a place, Of, Many rooms,
[22:28] Heaven is a place, Of, Many mansions, So, Jesus, Jesus, Turns to his disciples, And says, That one of the reasons, He is leaving them, Is to go and prepare, A place there, For them, This statement, This statement, Has often been taken, As a reference, To the work done, By the saviour, On the cross, Others think, That there is some form, Of heavenly, Activity, In which he is engaged, In preparing, A particular place, For each of his disciples, In the father's house, We must remember, That heaven, Already existed, When Jesus, Spoke, These words, So, He wasn't going away, To create, Heaven, For them, Because heaven, Already, Existed, Rather, Everything he would do, From the cross, To his second return,
[23:29] Would constitute, Preparations, For his people, To join him, I go to prepare, A place, For you, What did this mean, For Jesus, Well it was necessary, Not only that he should, Condescend, Into a low condition, But he had to, Expose himself, To all manner of reproach, Contempt, And shame, Everything that the world, Could throw at him, Everything that, Satan, Could bring upon him, He had to, Undergo things, That were, Difficult, And hard, To undergo, The curse of the law, He had to become, A curse, He had to go, Through the greatest, Of terrors, And sorrows, In his soul, Until he gave, His spirit, Into the hands, Of the father,
[24:30] Of the father, And all that, Was a preparation, Preparation work, I go, To prepare, A place for you, And this was, Part of the preparations, That he had to undergo, In the sufferings, And the curse of death, Of the cross, All these things, Were necessary, And without them, There would be no salvation, There would be no place, For me, Or you, In heaven, This was part, Of the preparation, For the salvation, Of his people, That they would, Get entrance, Into the father's house, But I believe, That the preparation, Goes beyond his death, For he rose again, And he ascended, To heaven, To the right hand, Of the father, And when he ascended, Up into heaven,
[25:30] He ascended, As the mediator, Of the church, Representing the church, Representing his people, And we know, That the mediatorship, Of Christ, Includes three functions, That of a prophet, Of a priest, And of a king, Therefore, When Christ ascended, It wasn't simply, To lead a life, Of glory, And majesty, And blessedness, But a life, Of mediatorship, As the prophet, The priest, And the king, Of his people, Our presence, Safety, And our future, Eternal salvation, Depended upon, His exercising, Of his office, In heaven, In heaven, In heaven, He continues, As our prophet, As our priest, And as our king, He ascended, To heaven, To appear, In the presence, Of God,
[26:31] For us, In heaven, He exercises, All his love, And all his compassion, And all his pity, And all his care, Towards his church, Towards every, Individual member, That makes up, His church, From there, He makes effectual, The atonement, That he has made, For sin, By procuring, The application, Of the benefits, Of his atoning work, In reconciliation, And peace with God, And to the soul, And the consciences, Of his people, He is there, Interceding, At the right hand, Of the father, He is there, Making sure, That everyone, That was given to him, By the father, In the covenant, Of redemption, That everyone, Given to him, By the father,
[27:32] Whom he has, Redeemed, By dying, On the cross, That they be, Converted, That they be, Sanctified, That they be, Glorified, That they, That he brings them, To heaven, And he himself, Says, I have lost, None, And his present, Ministry, At the father's, Right hand, Is the ministry, That is making sure, That everyone, Who trusts in him, Given him, By the father, That they will come, They will believe, They will be converted, And they will be brought, To the father's house, And he will come, And he'll take them, And he'll say to the father, Behold, I, And the children, Which you have given me, They're all here, And none of them,
[28:35] Are lost, Today, He undertakes, His people's protection, He pleads on their behalf, Against all the, Accusations of Satan, Because, Satan, Yet accuses them, Before God, Satan, Yet accuses, Me and you, Before God, But we have an advocate, There, Before the father, At the throne of grace, He intercedes for us, And he communicates, To us, All the grace, And all the glory, And all the supplies, Of the spirit, In the accomplishment, Of all the, Covenant promises, Towards, His people, And it is all part, Of this preparation, I go, To prepare, A place, For you, First of all,
[29:36] I am going to the cross, The cross of Golgotha, There I am going to suffer, What your sins, Deserve, There I am going to be made, A curse, On your behalf, And then I am going to die, And then I am going to be buried, And then I am going to rise again, And then I am going to ascend, To the right hand of the father, And I continue preparing the work, I pray for your conversion, I pray for your protection, In a hostile world, I pray not that you, Be taken out of the world, But that you'll be kept, From the evil that there is, In the world, I pray for your sanctification, I pray for your glorification, And on that appointed day, I will come again, As he says here, And I will receive you,
[30:39] Unto myself, But there is, A sense in which, Sometimes, Perhaps we focus too much, Upon the word prepare, When we perhaps should focus, More upon the word, For you, I go to prepare, A place, For, You, The emphasis on the fact, That there is a place, In the father's house, For you, There is a place, In the father's house, For everyone, Who will put their trust, In the Lord Jesus Christ, Who will commit themselves, To Christ, There is a place, In the father's home, For you, One reason, Why those who believe in Jesus, Should not be troubled, By adverse circumstances, Or when the future,
[31:41] Is uncertain, Is that, They have, A home, In heaven, You see, When the Lord, Recreate, When God created man, He gave him a home, He gave him, A garden, He gave him, A place of, Delights, But we know, That we have forfeited, Our first home, Due to sin, And, The Lord, Placed, His sword of justice, Barring man, From entering, Into his first home, Entering into the garden, Of Eden, And the garden of Eden, Was, A wonderful place, A place of delight, A place that was, Uncorruptible, A place that was, Undefiled, It was, A wonderful place, Of communion,
[32:41] And fellowship, With God, And communion, And fellowship, With one another, But we forfeited, Our first home, By sin, And so man, Was left, As it were, Homeless, But the Lord Jesus, Came, And the sword, That barred us, From our first home, Went right, Into his soul, The justice, That barred us, From, Our first home, Went deep, Into the soul, Of Christ, And through, His, Work, Through his atonement, A home, A home, Has been provided, For us, Which is far, Better, Than our first home, Because, Whereas our first home, Was, Uncorrupted,
[33:42] And undefiled, Yet, It faded away, But our second home, Is a home, That is incorruptible, And undefiled, And that fades, Not, Away, It is, A far, Greater, Inheritance, For us, Than that, Which belonged, To Adam, As God, Created him, It is, A far, More blessed, Place, Than Eden, Was, Because Eden, Could fade away, But our inheritance, In the father's house, Will never fade away, And despite, Everything, That comes our way, Peter reminds us, It is reserved,
[34:43] For you, In heaven, Heaven, Heaven is a place, That is reserved, For his people, The inheritance, Of the father's womb, Is reserved, For his people, And the question is, Is it reserved, For you?
[35:06] I go, To prepare, A place, For you, And Jesus, Tells his disciples, That when he has finished, Preparing, A place, For them, He will come, And he will take, Them there, Jesus spoke, Of several returns, During this discourse, That we have, From 14, To 17, He spoke, Of his return, After his rest, Direction, And before his ascension, Other times, He spoke to them, Of his coming, To them through the Holy Spirit, After his ascension, And before his second coming, Other times, He spoke to them, Of his second coming, But which of these, Is in you here?
[35:55] Well, When he says, Here, To them, For you, I will come again, And receive you, Unto myself, That where I am, There ye may be also, It has really, That promise has two, Fulfillments, One occurs, At the death, Of believers, And the other, At the second coming, Of Christ, Perhaps you don't, Attach that, To the, Death of a believer, But, When a believer, Dies, We, So often, Just simply say, He died, Or she died, And they, They passed away, But you know, The death of a believer, Is a receiving, Christ, Receiving, Them, Remember what Stephen saw,
[36:57] He saw Christ, Standing, At the right hand, Of the father, As Christ, Been ready, To receive, His soul, And Christ, Is always ready, To receive, The souls, Of those, Who sleep, In Jesus, And so, This is fulfilled, In that sense, I will receive you, Unto myself, That where I am, There, Ye may, Be also, But it is also, In reference, To his second coming, Because, He says, I will come again, And receive you, Unto myself, That where I am, There ye, May, Be also, On both occasions, Believers, Will receive from Jesus, A welcome, He will receive them, Unto, Himself, He will say to them, Well done, Good and faithful servant, Come you,
[37:58] Who are blessed, By my father, Inherit the kingdom, Prepared from you, From the foundation, Of the world, These, Announcements, Indicate both, The personal nature, Of the saviour's welcome, And the, Permanent presence, Of Christ, Into which, They are introduced, They are to be, Christ's, Eternal companions, Enjoying, His fellowship, Experiencing, His provision, Sharing, His, Inheritance, Inheritance, I go, And put here, A place, For you, I will come again, I will come, When, Days on your, Days of your, Earthly pilgrimages, Over, I will come, And I will receive you, Unto, Myself, And I will come, At the second coming, The time appointed, By my father, I will come,
[38:59] And receive you, Unto myself, Both body, And soul, That where I am, There ye may, Be also, In body, And, In soul, If it were not so, He says, I would have told you, What he is saying to them is, Trust my promises, What a reassurance, Those words must have been, To the frightened disciples, That dark night, As surely as Jesus, Was leaving, He would come again, In person, To receive them personally, Into the place, That he has prepared, For them, What a prospect, That is, For pure, Sinful, Creatures, We read, That Jesus, That Jesus, That Jesus, Led his disciples, As far as, Bethany,
[39:59] After his, Resurrection, And that he lifted up his hands, And blessed them, And while he was blessing them, He was parted from them, And carried up into heaven, Until a cloud, Received him, Out of their sight, And while they looked, Steadfastly, Towards heaven, As he went up, Behold, Two men stood by them, That's the disciples, In white apparel, Which said, Ye men of Galilee, Why stand ye gazing up, Into heaven?
[40:25] The same Jesus, Which is taken up, From you into heaven, Shall so come, In like manner, As ye have seen him, Go into heaven. And we are told, That they return to Jerusalem, From Mount Olivet, With great joy, Great joy.
[40:44] Paul, Writing to Titus, Says, That the Christian, Is a person, Who is looking, For that blessed hope, And the glorious appearing, Of the great God, And our saviour, Jesus Christ, Who gave himself, For us, That he might redeem us, From all iniquity, And purify into himself, A peculiar people, Sellers, Of good works.
[41:12] Well, my dear friend, Do you have, An eternal home? Are you one, For whom Jesus has gone, To prepare a place, In heaven?
[41:24] It is certain, That you shall leave, This world, For it is appointed, To man once to die, But what then? We are all, On our journey, To our long home, But where will that, Be, In a place, In a place of, Blessing, Or shall it be, In a place of, Weeping?
[41:48] Apart from trusting, In the, Finished work, Of Jesus on the cross, No one can get, Into heaven, For he says, That he has gone, To prepare a place, In heaven, For all those, Who will trust, In him.
[42:05] Are you among them? Are you tonight, Rejoicing in the hope, Of the glory of God? Do you know, The joy, Of possessing, A place, Prepared, And reserved, For you, At your journey's, End?
[42:24] When that appointed, Time comes, When we shall, Breathe our, Last, In this world, When we shall, Pass away, From this world, As sure as, It will happen, One day to me, And, It will happen, One day to you, That's, One thing, We can be assured of, We are all going to die, Sooner, Or later, But it's a sure fact, We are all going to die, And at that point, Of death, When we, Give our last gasp, Where shall our soul, Be?
[43:10] Will it be received, By Jesus Christ? Will that be the first, Of the receiving, That Jesus, Will have, Towards you, Receiving your soul, And then men, Will bury your body, And your body, Will remain in the dust, Until the trumpet, Of God shall sound, And the graves, Be opened, And your body, Be raised, Will it be true, That on that day, Jesus again, Receives you, In body, And, In soul, And the wonderful, Thing about it, Is that, Our bodies, Will be like his body, For we shall see him, As he is, And we shall be like him, We shall be glorious, And spiritual, For some, Especially those of us, Who are older,
[44:11] Perhaps our thoughts, And interest in heaven, Is intensified, Intensified, Because of so many, Of those whom we loved, And knew, Are there, Recently I, Sat in the mansion, I started thinking of, The many that I knew, In the 20 years, I have been with you, Good, Christian people, Who have passed on, And my thoughts, Went with them, I was wondering, Well, I wonder what their state is, In heaven, Tonight, D.L. Moody, Speaks of a man, Who testified, Near the end of his life, That it sometimes, Seemed to him, That he knew, More persons in heaven, Than, He did on earth, But, However, Although, In our sphere,
[45:12] Of knowledge, We'll remember, Those that we knew, And those, Who sojourned, With us, And to us now, Gone to be, With the Lord, This is the thing, And this is the great thing, That we shall yet, Be reunited, We shall see them yet, We shall see them yet, We shall be with them, Never to part, Again, What a great promise, That is, What joy, That should bring, To us, Not sadness, Not grief, But joy, A few short years, Of evil past, Said the hymn writer, Will reach that happy shore, Where death divided,
[46:14] Friends at last, Shall meet, To part, No more, Well, Have you got that, Promise tonight, Have you got that, Promise that, There is a home, Reserved for you, A home of glory, Of blessedness, For you pass, Through this world, Into, Your long home, That it will be a home, Of great blessing, Great joy, A home, Of glory, Is that home, Reserved, For you tonight, Is your name there, In that place, Where it says, Reserved for so and so, May the Lord, Bless our thoughts, Let us pray, Eternal,