Homeward Bound

Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Graham.

A little later in the program we'll tell you how you can get a copy of Dr. Graham's book, Heaven. The first hears the message, Homeward Bound. He's in his upper room in the final hours of his life on earth and he's talking with his dearest friends. The hour was dark. It was night according to John chapter 13 and verse 30.

Not only night physically but emotionally and spiritually for those men. It was a dark hour. Their world was caving in.

They were perplexed and disappointed and discouraged. Jesus had announced that he would soon die. Satan was on the prowl and the darkness of that night seemed to be oppressive to these men. One of the men would betray Christ, sell his soul for 30 pieces of silver. Another, though he denied that he would, would ultimately deny Christ and flee from the premises in order to save his own skin. All the disciples would ultimately disappear save one who stood with him at the cross and that one was John who gives us these final words. The one who laid his head over on the chest of the Lord whom the Lord loved in a very unique way and he loved the Lord. And so he heard these words loud and clear in the upper room that evening when Jesus spoke.

We're getting in verse 1 of John chapter 14. Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God.

Believe also in me. In my father's house are many rooms or mansions. If it were not so would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself that where I am you may be also.

And you know the way where I am going. Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you're going. How can we know the way? Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me. Powerful words from the upper room.

In the dark hour of the night. And even though Jesus was facing the cross and his own spirit according to John chapter 13 and verse 21 was troubled or agitated, he now comforts his concerned and heartbroken disciples. And the single message of this text, the single and clear word is that God heals and cures our troubled hearts with a simple childlike faith. Jesus said do not let your heart be troubled.

Which means don't let it be agitated or stressed or fearful. Don't allow your heart to be turbulent or troubled because the Savior claims that we can know peace and perspective in life because he is coming for us. Jesus said literally stop letting your hearts be troubled.

How so? First, by promising us his peace. Don't let your hearts be troubled.

You believe in God, believe also in me. The Bible says man's days are full of trouble as the sparks fly upward. Jesus himself said in this world you will have tribulation. But, he added, but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world. Yes, we live in troubled times and we live often with turbulent hearts.

Why? Well for one, just like the disciples, there is disappointment. The disciples had expected the Messiah to deliver them from the bondage and the yoke of Rome and the oppressive power of the religion of that day and yet Jesus is now telling them that he would die. And now, they are disappointed.

Their dreams have been destroyed. Maybe you are disappointed even in God. God didn't come through the way you expected him to come through. He didn't answer your prayer the way you expected him to answer your prayer. He didn't do what you wanted him to do and maybe you are disappointed in God. Maybe you are disappointed in someone in your life and your heart is broken and your life is turbulent because of disappointment. Jesus said don't let your heart be disappointed.

Don't let it be troubled. Maybe because of failure. Peter and these others were recognizing how fearful they had become. How they would fail the Lord. Their faith was weakening. And there was fears regarding the future. Jesus would no longer be with them.

They had walked away from their careers and walked away from their homes to follow Jesus and now it's all going away. Maybe you are troubled today and broken hearted in some way. Jesus said I promise you peace in the midst of your storm.

There is no need to be troubled. I will always be present to give you peace. He said you believe God? Believe also in me.

And here of course Jesus is claiming equality with God. He is saying just as you trust in God, you can trust in me. In the darkness we are tempted to doubt. When tough times come, we are tempted to even give up our faith. We lose perspective.

Maybe you have had the experience of waking up in the night troubled about something and the clock just keeps ticking and you are watching it every hour and every moment and the night seems to come. Trust in me. The simple childlike faith of trusting in God brings this amazing peace.

Jesus said come to me all you that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. He says in this passage believe in me. Trust in me. Wait on me.

I'm giving you a future that you can't possibly imagine right now. But if you will just trust in me and wait on me, you can rest in me. Peter, the apostle who heard these words, later understood it when he wrote in 1 Peter 1.8, though you have not seen him, you love him. And though you do not see him now but believe in him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. I've never seen Jesus with my physical eyes.

Not yet. I will and so will you if you're a believer. But I have seen him with the eyes of faith. I know him. And I love him. I don't trust anybody like I trust Jesus.

And as much as I love my own loved ones, I don't love anybody like I love Jesus. Jesus is real to me. His spirit is alive in me. His power is present and therefore his peace is constant in our lives even in the most turbulent of times. And so we can live every day embracing eternity now knowing that we have peace in the pathways of life. And who can mind the journey if we know the journey is leading home?

Because we are homeward bound. And that's why he adds that therefore a place is prepared for us. He said I go to prepare a place for you.

And Jesus began to speak then of the Father's house. There are many descriptions in the Bible of heaven. It's called a garden. It's called a country.

It's called a city. But no doubt the most heartwarming for the believer is the idea that heaven is home. That this world is not our home. We're just passing through. We're on a journey but we're homeward bound. We're on our way to heaven. And you know when you live this way, Jesus said I prepare this place for you. Life takes on a new perspective, doesn't it? John would tell us in 1 John 2.15, don't love the world, neither the things in the world, for the love of the world is passing away. This world is passing away.

And if you love the world, the love of the Father is not in you. Embrace life. Enjoy life.

Every minute of it. But don't just live for this life. Don't live for this world and its pleasures because these are all passing away. This is why Jesus said lay up treasures in heaven. Live today so that when you get to heaven, you will have a great reward and you will have a great reward. And the greatest reward is seeing Jesus and hearing the words welcome home, my child. Well done. That's the way we're to live.

Not for this world. It changes our perspective. You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and his message Homeward Bound. Pastor, this month we have a special gift for our listeners who give a gift to PowerPoint. It's your book Heaven.

What can you tell us about this powerful resource? Unfortunately, there's so much misinformation in our culture about what heaven is like and that many people don't even find it appealing. After all, who wants to think about spending eternity sitting in the heaven somewhere playing a harp on a cloud? The biblical description of heaven is far from boring.

It is thrilling and triumphant. More than that, it has the power to energize you as a believer to live every day filled with hope. That's why I believe my book Heaven. Heaven would be such an encouragement to you in these challenging days. So please be sure to request your copy of Heaven when you give today.

And I pray that it will fill you with hope and that it inspires you to live boldly for Jesus today. Call today and get Dr. Graham's book Heaven as our thank you for your gift. Call 1-800-795-4627. That's 1-800-795-4627.

That's 1-800-regular-powerpoint to 59789. Now let's get back to today's message, Homeward Bound. So often we're too comfortable here. Maybe the reason that we're not homesick for heaven.

You know the apostle Paul said to live is Christ to die is gain. He went on to say I have a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better than Now, he was homesick for heaven. Now, for most of us, heaven's our home, we're just not homesick. We like life here. It's comfortable here.

It's good here in many, many ways. But you need to remember, as Randy Alcorn has said, who's written a fantastic book on heaven, the best day you will ever live. He said, the best day I will ever live is the day I die because to depart and to be with Christ is far better.

And that's not morbid. That's not thinking about, you know, we don't think about death, but we do think about our hope in heaven. We think about eternity, and we are told in the Scriptures that we are to number our days and then therefore apply our hearts to wisdom. But it's important to remember that this life as we know it is extremely brief.

It's passing just like that. And therefore, we don't just hang on to here and now, but we hope on into the future that Christ has planned for us. And if your hope is in heaven, then the Scripture says in Romans 8 18 that the sufferings of this present world are not worthy to be compared to the glory that will be revealed in us.

That's perspective. So no matter what you're going through in your life right now, this is just a blip on the radar screen of eternity. I know it can be hard.

I know there can be tough times. I know that pain is real, but this means that pain has a purpose. That suffering the real now has meaning because we have a perspective that heaven is our home. Jesus said, you believe in God, believe in me.

I'm preparing a place for you. And while Paul said the outward man, the outward person is perishing, he said because of heaven, because of the hope that we have in Christ, the inner person is being renewed every day. The inner life is being strengthened by the power of God. So we have a new perspective. We have this peace.

We have a purpose. There's optimism and joy in life because our purpose is now living for Him. Now I know that heaven seems far, far away to most of us today. How far is heaven? So often we can't understand what heaven is really like. An older man was talking about heaven and his life and he said when I was a little boy, I would hear about heaven and of angels singing, millions of angels and golden streets and huge columns and massive spires and steeples and thrones and I would hear of that and of all the people who were there, none of whom I knew.

A strange and distant place. But then he said, I had a little brother die. Then when I began to think about heaven, it was a place of golden streets and massive spires and temples and one little face that I knew. And he said, as I've lived my life, my wife went to heaven, family members and friends are in heaven. I came to know Jesus as my Savior and so now as an old man, when I think about heaven, I never think of golden streets, heavenly steeples, beautiful buildings, but I think of the dear loved ones and friends who are there and my Savior who waits for me and welcomes me there. What makes heaven heaven is Jesus is there. And the old chorus says, turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

Hebrews puts it this way, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily trips us up and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith. He's preparing a place for us. Jesus is doing two things right now for you. One, He's praying for you. He ever lives to make intercession for His saints. And if you knew that Jesus was right outside that door right there praying for you, don't you think if you knew, if you really knew that Jesus was right over there praying for you, couldn't you handle anything you were going through just knowing that you were on His prayer list?

Well, the distance makes no difference. Whether it's over there or there in eternity, He is praying for you. He is a high priest in heaven interceding for us. So He's praying for you. And let me tell you the next thing He's doing, He's preparing a place for you in heaven. And He's been working on your place for about 2,000 plus years now.

Can you imagine how incredible it's going to be? And so when your heart is troubled, when you're agitated, when you're upset, when your future is uncertain, a peace is promised. Don't let your heart be troubled. Believe, trust in God.

It's a simple, childlike faith that endures. And remember that He is preparing a place for you in heaven. And our hearts should already be there with Him. And one final thing, not only this place prepared and this peace that is promised, but the pathway is provided.

Thomas, who was forever asking questions, and I'm glad that he did, he had sincere questions. So when Jesus said, where I'm going you know the way you know, Thomas said, wait. Lord, we don't know where you're going and how can we know the way? I'm so glad that he asked that because then the Lord said, I am the way, the truth, and the life and no man comes to the Father except by me. Jesus is not a way to heaven, the best way to heaven. He's not someone pointing us to heaven. He said, I am the way, the truth, the life and no one comes to the Father or the Father's house apart from me.

He said, don't worry about how you're going to get there. I'm coming for you. Now personally, I'm not looking for the undertaker, I'm looking for the upper taker. I believe Christ is coming and Christ is coming soon. But if He doesn't come in my lifetime, He's coming for me anyway and He's coming for every believer.

So death is a doorway and Christ is the door. No believer should be afraid of death. Oh, there may be fear of dying.

There's a difference, you know. No one wants to suffer, no one wants to hurt, no one wants to experience the terrors of death and death is described as a terror in the Bible. So there may be concern, but even there God gives us peace, doesn't He? He's promised peace.

He's given us grace. But no believer should fear death because Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life. He said, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he be dead, yet shall he live. Some of the words of some great Christians of yesteryear talking about death, these are their dying words.

A gust top lady who wrote Rock of Ages. He said, oh, what a delight. Who can fathom the joys of heaven? All is light, light, light, the brightness of His own glory. Oh, come Lord Jesus, come quickly. The last words of Fanny Crosby, that great hymn writer blinded by a medical accident in her childhood.

She said in her final hours, how can anyone call it a dark valley? It is all light and love. At an iron Judson, great Baptist missionary, he said, I go with the gladness of a boy bounding away from school. I feel so strong in Christ. John Wesley broke into song as he lay dying and he's saying, I'll praise my Maker while I have breath.

D.L. Moody, the famed evangelist said this, earth recedes, heaven opens before me. If this is death, it is sweet.

There is no valley here. God is calling and I must go. This is my coronation day.

It is glorious. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, the life. Follow me all the way to the Father's house. He promises peace.

He prepares a place. He provides the pathway. All glory to the Lamb of God, to our Savior and Redeemer. No wonder we can say, I will not be moved. He is my rock, my salvation forever and ever. You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and today's message, Homeward Bound. No matter what struggles you're facing today, you have hope in the promises awaiting you in heaven and God calls you to share that hope with others today. That's why we want to encourage and inspire you today by sending you Pastor Graham's book, Heaven. This exciting book takes you straight to scripture to help you see all that awaits you in the life to come and how it impacts your life today.

You'll find hope for today and courage to share that hope with others. So don't wait to request your copy. Heaven is our special thanks for your gift to help boldly proclaim God's word through PowerPoint. This is the last week of this offer, so call today. Call 1-800-795-4627. That's 1-800-795-4627. You can also text the word PowerPoint to 59789. And don't forget to visit JackGraham.org where you can shop our e-store, give a gift online, or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotional.

Our website again is JackGraham.org. Pastor, what is your PowerPoint for today? When Jesus said, Let not your hearts be troubled, one of the things he was saying to me was, Don't let your heart be disappointed because Jesus knew how destructive disappointment can be. Maybe today your heart is disappointed and discouraged. Perhaps your job is getting you down or the fact that you don't have a job is getting you down. Maybe your marriage isn't what it could be.

It could be that you're discouraged about the choices your children are making. Friend, it could be that you're really struggling and disappointed even with God. Perhaps he didn't answer a prayer in the way you expected him to answer it. Maybe it feels like God didn't come through for you in the way that you wanted.

So if you say today, Jack, my heart is troubled by disappointment. Then I want you to stop what you're doing right now and listen very, very closely. Jesus said that no matter what you're facing, no matter what discouragement, no matter how much you may be discouraged, Jesus said that you can trust him. You can believe him.

God is in control. Maybe you need to just say it out loud right now. Jesus, I trust you. I believe you. Even though I don't understand what I'm going through, I choose to trust in you. And I know that you are in control of my circumstances, this situation, my very life.

And I promise you this simple childlike faith of trusting him will bring amazing peace. I know it's easy to focus on the negative and to focus on what you don't have or what you didn't get. That's why the words we find in the book of Hebrews are such a comfort when they say, let us lay aside every weight, like the weight of disappointment, and then let us run with endurance that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. So look, no matter what you're going through today, remember, in the scope of eternity, it's really just a blip on the radar screen. It is just a bump on the road. I know it can be hard.

I know that bump can seem like a mountain. I know that life can be very difficult at times. I know that pain can be real, but that pain has a purpose.

That suffering has meaning because we have a perspective that heaven is our home, and that changes our lives every day because Jesus is on the throne. And that is today's PowerPoint. Remember, when you give a gift to PowerPoint, we'll send you Dr. Graham's book, Heaven, as our thanks. Call 1-800-795-4627.

That's 1-800-795-4627. You can also text the word PowerPoint to 59789. On the next PowerPoint, Dr. Graham brings a message about what you'll experience in your resurrected body. That's next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministries. .