Final words, eternal impact, looking at the impact of a place to belong where you belong here in the season of Lent or midweek Lenten services. Look at the last seven words of Jesus from the cross. And this past Wednesday, Pastor Denton opened up for us looking at Jesus telling the thief. On the cross next to him today, you’ll be with me in paradise. Jesus was making a promise that that thief no merit on his own would be with Christ in paradise forever. What a promise and what a gift. And today we’re looking at the eternal impact of what that looks like for us as Jesus. Followers today where you belong there’s no place like home is there you know that movie that that line came from no place Like home and don’t we all want to have that place where we know we belong? Heard a story about a foster child He’d spent his life bouncing around as a lot of foster kids do from house to house family to family. And every time he started to feel safe, he was told that he’d have to pack up his things in his suitcase and move once again. And it wasn’t that he was a bad kid. It’s just that these families just couldn’t keep him long term. And along came another day, he stood on the steps of yet another new, different house, holding a small, worn out suitcase filled with a few belongings that he had in this world. He’d learn not to get too comfortable. But this time something was different. As the woman of the home came to him and knelt down in front of him and looked him straight in the eyes and said You don’t have to pack anymore.

You’re home. You’re where you belong. That’s a powerful moment. Because deep down, don’t we all want to hear those words? This is where you belong. You’re home. We want to know that there’s a place that we’re welcome, that we belong. And not because we’ve earned it, but simply because we are loved. Jesus knew that his disciples then, and we, his disciples today, have that same longing in our hearts. And that’s why, in John 14, where our text is at, so I invite you to turn in your Bibles or your devices there, on the very night in which he was betrayed, Jesus says these words to his disciples then. And I think he gives one of the most comforting promises in all of Scripture. I’m going to read from John 14, the first three verses. Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me, that you also may be where I am. The Gospel of our Lord.

Let me pray for us as we continue. Lord Jesus, we bless your name. You’re the one who at great cost and sacrifice Purchased us from abandonment, from being forsaken. You were forsaken that we need never be and you have prepared a home for us now. And you call us to be part of your family now. So come Holy Spirit and speak these words of Jesus to our hearts afresh this day. And may all of us know that in Christ. We are home. I ask in his precious name. Amen. Dear friends, grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. So, as I said, at this past Lenten service, we consider these words from Jesus to the thief. Today you’re going to be with me, in paradise, forever. And Jesus was promising not just an afterlife, But a home, a home, one where the thief and all of us find a place of belonging. It’s the promise of salvation that’s extended to every sinner, a haven where our deepest insecurities are met under the shelter of God’s unwavering love. It’s the assurance that our own brokenness don’t exclude us, but rather draw us closer to the heart of God and His grace. That no matter what regrets might wear us down, Christ invites us to step into the security, the forgiveness, the wholeness that He so freely offers. The love of God that’s lavished upon us in Christ’s presence. A place where God’s mercy meets your every need and sets you on a path of hope today. There’s no place like home. You know, I think for all of us, as we embark and leave our family of origin home, Many of you, I bet, have a very interesting leaving home story. Yes? For me, I say that this way. I never left home. Home left me. Here’s what I mean. When I was 18 years old, my parents embarked on a second career as missionaries in Africa, serving in Chad and Cameroon, leaving me and my 16 year old brother and my 15 year old sister behind. And of all things, they placed me at 18 years old as their legal guardian. Ridiculous. Yes. Uh, step of faith? Oof. Now, some may wonder how my parents could have ever left their teenage children a continent away, separated by an ocean. And I’ll admit, I’ve wondered this every now and then myself. Now, my father and I, we’ve spoken on this, we have over the years. We did again yesterday, before this weekend, so he knows this is coming. And while God’s oversight and care were absolutely vital and present throughout me and my brother and my sister’s journey, and my parents for that matter, The most tangible thing I think that made it work for us kids was that our family were part of this larger church We had a network of other families who kept an eye out for us, you know what I mean?

I mean, I knew I had a place. I had a people that I could still call home. And to this very day, I still have meaningful relationships with those families that kind of adopted us in and took us into their homes for holidays or evening meals or special get togethers. My brother and my sister and I, we knew we had places of refuge, people of overt care upon whom we could depend. And isn’t that what we all desire? No matter what age or station in life we are in. And that is what all of us have in Christ. To those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, the Bible says. In Christ, we are adopted. into God’s family. You have a home in which you belong. And I bet there may be some listening to me in this very room at this very hour who need to hear this once again, that in Christ, you have a family in which you belong. See what great love the Father has lavished on us, the Bible says, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are. But for many, and I think especially as we get older in life, Our days can become more and more lonely. As we age, we say goodbye to friends, family, parents, siblings, children. And with each year, as we grow older, we lose more and more people dear to us. And with each passing, we lose our sense of belonging. And nobody prepares us for this. Did you ever have anyone prepare you for this? If that’s the stage in life you’re in? But it’s a common experience. That’s why having a church family is so important. A local group of believers in Christ Jesus, who love God and love you. A people with whom you belong. That’s why being part of a small group, even within the larger church family, It’s like having your own posse, your own crew, who you know will have your back no matter what. And don’t wait for the crises in life to come along to try to find those people. The time to do it is now, beforehand. We’re going to be looking at that more in depth next weekend. The point I’m making here today is this, that Jesus is saying to you, you don’t have to pack up anymore. You’re home. You have a place you belong. So what does this mean for us today? How does this promise impact our life now? I want to explore a few ways that Jesus words bring us comfort, assurance, and purpose in a world and time when so many can feel lost or forgotten.

First, Jesus understands your longing to belong. Do you have a specific memory, a time in your life when you felt out of place? Maybe it was in school where you didn’t quite fit in with all the other kids. Or maybe it was on your career path when you realized you weren’t advancing, you weren’t with the other kids. In crowd anymore or maybe it was even in your own family where love and acceptance That you always craved seemed just out of reach Maybe it’s now when you feel acutely alone in the world without friends or purpose and this feeling It’s not unique It’s not new. It’s part of the human experience. And you know, the incredible thing is, Jesus himself experienced this. Think about his life. Jesus was born in a borrowed manger. No room in the inn for him. He was a refugee as a child. His family had to flee to Egypt to escape King Herod. He was rejected. by his hometown, the people who had known him the longest refused to believe in him. He was abandoned by his disciples. The ones who swore they would never leave him ran when he needed them most. He was forsaken on the cross. As he bore our sin, he cries out, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? If anyone knows what it feels like to be unwanted, misunderstood, misunderstood. Rejected alone. It’s Jesus. But here’s the good news. Jesus didn’t just experience rejection. He conquered it. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus made sure that we would never be spiritual orphans ourselves. When life makes us feel like we don’t fit, when friends disappoint, when relationships fail, when the world seems to shut us out, we can take comfort in this. We belong to Jesus. You belong to Jesus. He knows your pain, and He’s already secured your place. In God’s family, Jesus understands your longing to belong. Second, your home is in the Father’s house. When Jesus says, in my Father’s house are many rooms, He’s not talking just about a future heaven. He’s talking about a present reality. In Christ we have this kingdom that is and is yet to come. We have a kingdom that has been revealed and yet will be fully in place. He’s talking about a present reality, that’s actually a journey of faith, is it not? For the moment that we put our faith in Christ Jesus, we become part of God’s household.

It means we’re no longer outsiders looking in. We are sons and daughters seated around the table. We are heirs. of the kingdom, members of the household. And what a house it is. It’s a place of love. No more rejection. No more second guessing whether you’re wanted or welcomed. In God’s home, you are deeply, completely, eternally loved. Our Father’s house is a place of security. This world is unstable, isn’t it? Jobs come and go. Relationships rise and fall. Health fades. But in your Father’s house, your place is unshakable. Our Father’s house is a place of rest. No more striving to prove yourself. No more carrying the weight of expectations. In God’s house, you are finally at peace. But here’s the challenge for us, I think, today, is that the world offers us counterfeit Belonging. It tells us that if we make just enough more money, we’ll finally feel secure. It tells us that if we gain enough followers, we’ll finally find value. It tells us that if you can find just the right relationship, we’ll finally feel whole. But all of these things can be taken in an instant, can’t they? Jesus offers us something better, a belonging that cannot be lost. No matter what happens in this life, no matter who comes or who goes, your place in the Father’s house is secure because your belonging isn’t based on your performance. But on Jesus promise. Jesus understands your longing to belong. Your home is in the Father’s house. And third, you are called to extend this belonging to others. There are people all around us, like that foster child, carrying invisible suitcases. Maybe that might be you. People who’ve been let down, left out, or told that they don’t belong. And what an incredible opportunity and privilege we have, that in Christ, we can invite them to their forever home. Jesus didn’t just prepare a place for you and for me. He calls us to fling open those doors of God’s household. to others around us. It means welcoming the lonely. So who in your life needs to hear you are loved, you are wanted, you belong here with us?

It means loving the outcast. Who in your community feels like they don’t fit? Who’s been overlooked that you could see? It means making room at the table, or in the row, or in your small group. The church isn’t just a building, it’s the family of God, and a family family. is meant to grow. That’s why here at Victory we’ve launched this initiative called Victory Forward just a couple weeks ago where we are seeking to raise funds to begin prayerfully planning how we might expand the Kingdom of God through Victory Lutheran here in the East Valley and who knows around the Phoenix metro area. Local mission. And we just look around the room here today, we have size limitations, growth limits here for us on this campus. So we’re envisioning, we’re trying to raise 50, 000 so we can begin planning to start a new Mission Church site by our 50th anniversary, which is just two years away. And I’m glad to tell you that 50, 025 has already been given. Praise God, that’s just a couple weeks in. Now, what part can you play in that? I just invite you to pray about You’re part, even financially, in Victory Forward. You’re part in participating in opening the doors up for more and more people to enjoy a church family like Victory. I see you coming in these doors and you love being here. Victory Lutheran Church, we are a joyful and loving community that transforms and deploys Christ centered disciples who lead others into God’s mission frontiers. Empowered by the Holy Spirit. Even if that mission field is just down the street, just down your block, we want to see more and more people know the love of God in Jesus Christ, and experience their forever home. Now, in a church family, and forever with Christ. There’s a saying that goes, if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go with a team. I don’t know if you were in track and field back in the day, if you were, were you a sprinter? Life, I think, is much more like a marathon than a sprint, isn’t it? Life, it can be a long, grueling race, marked by unexpected hills, painful setbacks, moments when you wonder if you have the strength to keep going. And if you’ve been a long distance runner, you know exactly what I mean. And many of us know that some days, the weight of the challenge, the suffering, the grief, the disappointment or loss, it can be overwhelming. But scripture reminds us that what we experience now, in this season, in this life, it’s not the whole story. We looked at this in our Roman study a couple weeks ago. Paul writes in Romans chapter 8, I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

We looked at how we need to see suffering and challenge today in light of a future glory that God talks about and has promised us. It’s a bold statement. Not worth comparing? No, not even close. Whatever we endure in this life, no matter how heavy, how heartbreaking, will one day be swallowed up in a glory so great, so breathtaking that if we could see it now, we wouldn’t hesitate to press on. That’s how Jesus endured the cross. The Bible says in Hebrews 12, For the joy set before him, he, that’s Jesus, endured the cross. scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Jesus fixed his eyes on what was coming, the victory, the restoration, the joy of redeeming you and me. And he saw past the suffering of his cross to the glory that was to come. And because of that glory, he didn’t give up. And neither should we. Because, yes, the best is yet to come. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians, What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, what no human mind has conceived, the things God has prepared for those who love Him. If we could catch even just a glimpse of what God has waiting for us, it would take our breath away. So my dear friend in Christ, whatever you’re facing today, don’t lose heart. Keep running, persevere, fix your eyes on Jesus, because one day and sooner than you think, The pain will be gone, the struggle will end, and we’ll step into the kind of joy that makes every hardship. The best is not behind you, it’s ahead, and it’s beyond anything you could ever imagine. Join me in prayer. Lord Jesus, thank you for reminding us that in you we never have to keep that suitcase packed, or have to look over our shoulder for rejection. You’ve prepared a home for us, and you will come back again and take us to be there with you. Till then, fill our hearts with such a deep sense of your love and presence that we can’t help but receive it and then share it. Especially with others who feel outcast or weary or forgotten. And may your promise of belonging anchor our souls in life, assuring us that we are forever held in your embrace. I ask in your precious name, Jesus.