HE PREPARED
A PLACE FOR US
March 1, 1998 am
MF Blume
John 13:33-34 Little children, yet a little while
I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go,
ye cannot come; so now I say to you. A new commandment I give unto you, That
ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
John 14:1-3 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.
1Joh 1:1-7 That which was from
the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which
we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For
the life was manifested, and we have seen [it], and bear witness, and shew
unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested
unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also
may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship [is] with the Father,
and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your
joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and
declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If
we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and
do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we
have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth
us from all sin.
Apostle John wrote all the references we are reading this morning.
- He wrote about Jesus explaining
that He would go to a place we could not go, but would prepare a place for
us there, so that we could be there, too.
- and he referred to it figuratively
as being in the light.
- We must walk "in the light"
as He is in the light in order to fellowship with Jesus Christ and the Father
- they are in a certain PLACE,
and we must be in there also in order to share that fellowship.
- it is also called His Father's
House.
PERFECT LIGHT
- He is in the light in such
a manner that we read, "In Him is no darkness at all."
Reve 4:5-6 And out of the throne
proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and [there were] seven lamps of fire burning
before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
And before the throne [there was] a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in
the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, [were] four beasts full
of eyes before and behind.
- When John had a vision as
recorded in the book of Revelation, He saw God represented by a man on a
throne, and before the throne were seven lamps.
- seven always denotes "perfect"
or "complete"
- seven lamps denotes perfect
light
- where there is perfect
light, there is no darkness at all.
- so, John saw a symbolic
vision of the PLACE he wrote about earlier in his first epistle where the
Father and the Son are where we must fellowship with them.
- Later we read that where
the seven lamps are, before the throne, a multitude stands who weren't there
before.
Reve 7:9 After this I beheld,
and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could
number,
of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before
the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white
robes, and palms in their hands;
- So we see a place of perfect
light before God's throne is, and a multitude that no one can number standing
there, before the throne, in that same place.
- they are before the throne,
where the Father is, and before the lamb, the Son, too
- they have fellowship in
the place where the Father and the Lamb are in fellowship.
This is the place Jesus referred
to
- this is the place we could
not go, but where He went in order to prepare for us a place in there.
We see a son of God, and the
Father in a place where they are in fellowship.
- remind you of anything in
the far distant past?
- God walked with Adam in
the cool of the day.
- Adam was called "Son of
God" in Luke 3:38.
- Many mysterious verses
in the Bible can easily be understood when you think about Adam and the Garden
- the reason Jesus said we
cannot go there is because Adam, our great representative, betrayed humanity
by sinning and his single sin made all of us sinners (Ro. 5:19).
- Adam was cast out
PLACE OF FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD
AND THE SON
Reve 5:1-3 And I saw in the right
hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside,
sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud
voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And
no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open
the book, neither to look thereon.
- no man could go into that
place before the throne, let alone take anything from the Father's hand on
that throne
- But Jesus went to prepare
a place for us.
- that is supposed to be
our home -- it represents EDEN'S GARDEN
- right there in paradise
before the throne, God meant for us to dwell.
- in Revelation 4:6-7, we
see that there were beasts before the throne, blocking it, just as the Cherubims
blocked the entrance to the Garden after man was cast out.
- Ezekiel 1 called such creatures
"cherubims" since they looked the same as the beasts with faces of a lion,
ox, eagle and man.
John said He saw all this in
"Heaven"
- "Heaven" is also called
EDEN
- Heaven is "PARADISE"
- "Eden" means PARADISE
- Jesus went there to prepare
a place for us.
- how did he secure a place
for us there?...
Reve 5:6-7 And I beheld, and, lo,
in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the
elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns
and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the
earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat
upon the throne.
Reve 5:9 And they sung a new song,
saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for
thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred,
and tongue, and people, and nation;
First we see a place where nothing
but seven lamps stand before the throne.
- Then we we see Jesus enter
that place and take a book as voices cry that Jesus redeemed them TO GOD by
His blood.
- They were apart from God,
but then redeemed TO GOD.
- Brought together by redemption.
- Jesus prepared a place
for us by redeeming us with His blood.
- and where the throne was
once alone, we see a multitude no man can number standing there after the
Lamb walks in and redeems us by His blood.
Reve 7:9 After this I beheld,
and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could
number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before
the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white
robes, and palms in their hands;
Jesus swent to a place, He said,
where we could not go. And then said after He went He would prepare a place
for us there so we might be there, too. This is exactly what we are seeing
in the visions of the book of Revelation.
LOVE ONE ANOTHER
Back in John 14, the words concerning
Jesus' departure to prepare a place for us were spoken immediately before
He was to be crucified. They were amongst His final words to the disciples.
- Over and over He said that
the disciples must love one another.
John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give
unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love
one another. By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye
have love one to another.
John 15:12 This is my commandment,
That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
John 15:17 These things I command
you, that ye love one another. No less than three times were these words said
in those final phrases of Jesus.
- John 17 shows Him praying
to the Father
- John 18 shows Him going
to the Garden to pray where the soldiers came and took Him to be crucified.
So these were amongst His final
words to the disciples.
- His last lessons.
- And they concerned going
to a place mankind could not enter in order to prepare a place for us there.
Listen to the words about this
place.
John 17:15 I pray not that thou
shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from
the evil.
- First he says that it is
not taking them out of the physical world
John 17:22-24 And the glory which thou
gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I
in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the
world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved
me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold
my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation
of the world.
He formerly said that He went
to prepare a place for them that where he was they might be also.
- And He says "I in them and
thou in me."
- Fellowship with the Father
and the Son
- Oneness of fellowship.
- The place is not a physical
place right now, because Jesus said where He was they would soon be, and yet
He was there in the world with them.
- It was a spiritual place
- In FELLOWSHIP with the
Father.
THEREFORE, BEING IN THE LIGHT
(1 John 1:7) refers to fellowship with the Father.
- What did Jesus to in order
to prepare a place for us in perfect light?
- According to Rev. 5, He
redeemed us by His blood.
- this is precisely what
we read in the New Testament.
Colo 1:13-14 Who hath delivered us
from the
power of darkness, and hath translated [us] into the kingdom
of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his
blood, [even]
the forgiveness of sins:
- What does "redemption throuigh
HIs blood" mean?
- He gave the answer when
he wrote "even the forgiveness of sins."
- Another verse shows this
aspect of the LIGHT
1Pet 2:9-10 But ye [are] a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye
should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into
his marvellous light: Which in time past [were] not a people,
but [are] now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have
obtained mercy.
- We are translated into his
MARVELOUS LIGHT
- Not just light, but marvelous
or PERFECT LIGHT.
- The place was a place of
oneness
- A place of fellowship
Jesus speaks of going to the
Father in order to prepare a place for us, and also to prepare things so that
we would do greater things than He did.
John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say
unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and
greater [works] than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
- it has something to do with
going to the Father to prepare a place for us.
John 14:5-7 Thomas saith unto him,
Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith
unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father,
but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from
henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
- Jesus said they did not
know the Father
- There was a depth of fellowship
Jesus was talking about.
John 16:26-27 At that day ye shall
ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:
For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed
that I came out from God.
- We will be able to ask the
Father ourselves, because we will have fellowship with Him.
FULNESS OF JOY
1Joh 1:3-4 That which we have seen
and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and
truly our fellowship [is] with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
- He wrote about our fellowship
with the Father and Son for the purpose of having our joy full.
- In the Garden we have fulness
of joy
It was by Jesus' BLOOD that we
were redeemed in order for us to fellowship in the paradise of the Father.
- This was carried out at
the cross when He died for us and was then buried.
Peter referred to an ancient
Psalm on the day of Pentecost regarding Jesus resurrection.
Acts 2:26-28 Therefore did my heart
rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine
Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou
shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
- He quoted from Psalm 16:9-11
And he said it referred to JESUS
Acts 2:31 He seeing this before
spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither
his flesh did see corruption.
- Read it from Psalms
- Realize that Jesus died
and took His blood to the Garden of fellowship with God where no man could
enter.
- Where John said was a place
where our joy would be full.
- There Jesus went to the
RIGHT HAND of God, and took a book.
- He redeemed us by His blood.
Psal 16:10 For thou wilt not leave
my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
- After he referred to resurrection
of Jesus, we read...
Psal 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the
path of life: in thy presence [is] fulness of joy; at thy right hand [there
are] pleasures for evermore.
- Path of life -- the way
to the tree of life
- Back to the Garden of fellowship
- At God's right hand are
pleasures forever more
- IN HIS PRESENCE is fulness
of joy
- "That your joy may be full"
1 John 1:4
Joy!!!
What is fulness of joy?
Referring to leaving them in
order to prepare a place for them, Jesus said...
John 16:20-22 Verily, verily, I say
unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and
ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when
she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she
is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy
that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I
will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh
from you.
- Joy that no one can take
away is FULL JOY
- Perfect joy
- Paul learned to be content
in whatever state he was in
- Fulness of joy.
Jesus did not ask God to take
us out of the world, but to keep us from the evil in the world.
- When you enter this Garden
of fellowship and oneness with God, the Garden has cherubims that block entrance
and KEEP THE WAY.
John 17:15 I pray not that thou
shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from
the evil.
- Be in the light as he is
in the light
- No less than three times,
Jesus said "Love one another" as He spoke about going to prepare a place for
us
- John spoke of this fellowship
with Father and Son, and also stressed the all-important theme of love for
one another.
1Joh 4:11-13 Beloved, if God so loved
us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If
we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given
us of his Spirit.
2Joh 1:5 And now I beseech thee,
lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we
had from the beginning, that we love one another.
- Where is that place?
- It is being in Him and
He in us.
- And we know we're there,
if we love one another.
- Fellowship with God does
that to us!!
- We cannot be in there if
we do not love one another.
- This was John's whole point
in 1 John.
- Hatred and grudging is
darkness, and if we are in darkness nd say we are in fellowship with Him
we lie.
- LET US LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
