Home:  Here and Beyond

Introduction
I.     “Home” is an important word and concept to us all.
       A.  Home may be the place where we are temporarily living.
       B.  Home, for some, is a place under a bridge or in some temporary shelter.
       C.  Home for most of us centers on that house where we and our families come 
             together and live.
II.   Home includes another concept as well, and that concept is our dwelling place 
       with God after this life is over.
       A.  Paul, the aged and imprisoned apostle, longed for his home with Christ.  
             Phil. 1:12-26.   
       B.  This eternal home should be the focus of our lives.  Phil. 3:20-21.  
III.  In our lesson today, I want us to think about our homes here and beyond.      

Body

I.   Our homes here are important.
A. 	The real home is the joining of a man and woman to become one.                Gen. 2:18-24.
           1.  This home resides in a house or living quarters.
            2.  This home will likely have children who become a part of it.  Gen. 4:1-2. 
     B.  This home should be filled with love and concern for its members. 
           1.  The husband must love his own wife as himself.  Eph. 5:25-31.
           2.  The wife is to be subject to her husband as unto the Lord.  Eph. 5:22.
           3.  Subjection of the wife is not slavery, but is like the subjection that each 
                Christian should have for every other Christian.  Eph. 5:15-21.
     C.  “Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.”
           1.  When you are away from home for an extended period of time, it is easy to
	    appreciate the line from the poem which tells us that there is no place like
	    home.
           2.  The elderly, who live away from the “homes” of their childhood, often want 
	    to go “back home.”
	    a.  So many times it is impossible to go “back.”
	    b.  The longing in some, though, never stops.
	    c.  There is an emptiness in the heart of those who have no children or 
	         grandchildren nearby to love them, and they want to go home where the 
                     memories are warm and pleasant.
	    d.  We must do what we can for our parents to help them adjust to being 
                     away from the homes of their youth, while helping them look forward to
	         the home of the soul.
	    
II. More important is the home of our soul beyond this world. 
     A.  It is difficult to get people to concentrate on this home, because it seems so 
           remote.
           1.  Death, itself, seems remote, but it is certain.  Heb. 9:27.
           2.  A present danger, today, with youth is that they feel invincible, tempting
	    death through their behaviors, such as surfing on cars, driving fast, etc.
           3.  All of us may have the difficulty of facing the brevity of life and the 
    	    uncertainty of death.  Jas. 4:13-17.

Home:  Here and Beyond, page 2.

     B.  We are just sojourners or visitors here on the earth, and we should be 
           preparing for our true home.
           1.  We will be here for probably much less that one hundred years.
           2.  Life beyond this life is forever--an eternity.
           3.  Heaven is our home and where our citizenship is.  Phil. 3:20-21.
                a.  Do you really believe that this is true?           
	    b.  Do you show by your actions that you believe it?
           4.  Our true home is God’s and Christ’s dwelling place and we can be at
                home with them, the angels and the redeemed of all ages.  Rev. 21:1-7;
                22:1-5.
           5.  Paul wrote of his goals and expectations, and being at home with God
	    was a major part of this.  Phil. 3:8-15; 1:12-30; II Tim. 4:7-8.
  	    a.  Let us be admonished by Paul’s words to live so as to live with God.
    C.  Perhaps some of us have things so good here, that we don’t “get around” to 
          thinking about a home beyond this life.
          1.  This is dangerous thinking, because many have lost everything they have in
	   this life.
	   a.  Even in the recent floods in Lawrenceburg, some people lost their houses 
	        and all of their possessions inside of them.
	   b.  This would include the prized antiques handed down from other 
	        generations, the pictures, letters, and other memorabilia.      
          2.  Even if no tragedy such as a flood or tornado destroys our property, our
	   lives may be taken adventitiously or through an early “natural” death.
               Jas. 4:13-17.

Conclusion

I.   You and I are making choices every day as to whether we give emphasis to our
      earthly homes and lives or whether we emphasize the heavenly home with God.
II.  We must properly emphasize our homes now, but we must even more be  
      concerned with our homes beyond this life.
III.In order to have this life with God, we must obey Jesus.  Lk. 6:46; Matt. 7:21-23;
      Heb. 5:8-9.
IV. Obey the Lord today.  Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rev. 2:10.

Prepared by:
   David Arnold
   August 23, 1998