From Here to There: Intro

Everyone ends up somewhere… but few people end up somewhere on purpose

Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) says… Where there is no vision, the people perish

The Vision of One Chapel: to help people move from where they are to where God wants them to be

Hebrews 11:8-16 (NKJV) By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; 10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. 11 By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. 13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. 15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

Abraham is the original model that our lives are to be patterned after.

He is the example that God gives us for what it means to follow after God and how to live our lives here on earth.

1 Peter 2:11-12 (MSG) 11 Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cozy in it. Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. 12 Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices.

The problem though is that we still see this world as our home.

And so instead of living our lives as pilgrims going “From Here To There,” one of the ways that a lot of us live our lives is that of a “citizen.”  In other words, we still see this world as our home.

Another way that a lot of us live our lives going “From Here To There,” is that of a “tourist.” And as a “tourist” we travel from place to place looking for pleasure.  I’m just here looking for a good time.

But that’s not how the Christians life works.  That’s not how we are to get “From Here To There.”

The Spiritual Life is a long obedience in the same direction.  And that’s true when your life and this world are giving you everything you want.  And that’s still true when your life and this world gets turned upside down and nothing is happening the way you want!!!

That’s why the writer of Hebrews describes that our mindset as Christians is to be that of a “pilgrim.”  And a “pilgrim” is a wanderer. 

Here are some of the differences between the mindset of a “tourist” and a “citizen” and a “pilgrim:”

·      The “tourist” in seeking pleasure is going to live life a little edgier than others.

·      The “citizen” lives their life in a way that is routine hoping to find normalcy and security in their surroundings.

·      The “pilgrim” recognizes that the environment that they are in is only temporary, but while they are there there is a greater “purpose” that they are to fulfill.

And so, the question becomes: How?  How do we do this?

Well tucked away in the book of Psalms. is an old dog-eared songbook. And the old songbook is called, in Hebrew, shirayhammaloth – which is translated as: The Songs of Ascents.  These songs are the Psalms numbered 120 through 134 in the book of Psalms. The literal translation of these Songs of Ascents are: Songs that are sung on the journey to a higher place. And historically these 15 Psalms were sung by the Hebrew pilgrims as they went up to Jerusalem to the great worship festivals.

Exodus 23:14-17 (NIV) 14 "Three times a year you are to celebrate a festival to me. 15 "Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread (also known as Passover); for seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in that month you came out of Egypt. "No one is to appear before me empty-handed. 16 "Celebrate the Feast of Harvest with the firstfruits of the crops you sow in your field. "Celebrate the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field. 17 "Three times a year all the men are to appear before the Sovereign LORD.

And so, 3 times a year, faithful Hebrews made that journey.  And during this journey the Hebrew pilgrims would sing these 15 songs. These are songs of transition; songs that provide courage and support and inner direction for getting us to where God is leading us in Jesus Christ.  And interestingly enough, it’s in these 15 songs that we find a road map for our journey through life as “pilgrims.”

REMEMBER:  Everyone ends up somewhere but few people end up somewhere on purpose

Sir Francis Drake (1577): “Disturb us Lord when we are too well pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little, when we arrived safely because we sailed too close to the shore.”

Disturb us oh LORD!

THIS SUNDAY: Psalm 120