A Prepared Place for A Prepared People

John 14:1-16
Revelation 21:2 – 6

The word “prepare” means to make ready.  To be prepared means to be subjected to a special process.
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Each one of us got up this morning and we prepared ourselves to come to work. We didn’t just jump out of bed and jump in our cars or trucks.  We didn’t just come on to work with our PJ’s or whatever.  We had to prepare ourselves by getting dressed and doing other things getting ready to get here.

In this passage of scripture Jesus is saying things to comfort the hearts of his disciples.  Jesus says “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.”

Jesus said I’m going to prepare a place for you.  Jesus was making this statement to settle the emotions of the disciples.   You know when somebody is talking about leaving you – maybe your wife is leaving you (I hope that would never happen) or maybe even your child gets ready to go off to school.  Sometimes those things sort of trouble and sadden your heart because you hate to see them go.  

But Jesus is comforting the hearts of the disciples by letting them know He is preparing a place for them.  This place he’s talking about is not just an ordinary tent, it’s not a condo.  Although you do have some high rise condos where you might think you’re in heaven - you’re overlooking New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles.  With all the lavish things you think you’re in heaven.  But it’s nothing compared to the place that Jesus is talking about. 

Jesus said I’m going to make this place ready and then He told them when I go and prepare this place for you I’m going to come again and receive you unto myself.  Jesus promised to be with His people.  It’s not so much about the dwelling place. The most important thing is being with the Savior.  Jesus says he is preparing a place for you that “where I am there you may be also”.  He says he is going to be “in the midst” -  he’s going to be there with you.  You’re going to be able to see him face to face.

If He prepares this place and He’s not there that’s like having a church without God.  We could build a building and call it a church. But if the Spirit of God is not there, we are missing the most important thing, His Spirit.  That’s what we want - that’s what we truly need - we want His Spirit to be there.  

A Prepared Place for A Prepared People – we have to make sure that we are prepared to get in. 

If you want to get into the kingdom of God you have to prepare yourself.  You prepare yourself by confessing your sin, acknowledging Jesus as Lord and inviting Him into your heart.  We have to be willing and ready and share with others that they need to surrender their hearts to Jesus. There are people sitting right now in our congregations that are not prepared.  Although the place is prepared, there are many people that are not prepared. 

The question is - if the Lord were to come right now, where would you spend eternity?  Eternity is where He is and we don’t want to be any place without the Lord.

In one instance the disciples said to Jesus “Lord, we’ll follow you wherever you go”, and Jesus said “the foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head”.  In other words Jesus was saying He didn’t have an earthly dwelling place.  He’s not talking here about a place made with mortar and bricks and steel.  He’s talking about that heavenly home as we will see in the Book of Revelation.  He’s talking about that New Jerusalem that’s coming down from God.

In Revelation 21:2 we see John saying: “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband”.  That’s the place that Jesus was talking about.  He’s talking about the New Jerusalem that John saw, coming down from heaven as a bride, prepared and adorned for the groom. 

We’ve been to weddings and we’ve seen it - the door opens and the bride comes in.  She is stunning - she has her veil on in some cases and maybe a long train, I mean she’s beautiful!  That is how this holy city is coming down out of heaven. We’re talking about a beautiful city, prepared by Jesus for His prepared people.

Are you one of the prepared people? That’s my question to the world: are you one of those prepared people?

We have to think about it like this: if you died right now, would you go to heaven? I had a guy to tell me one time, “I don’t know, I hope so”.  The thing about it is you need to know so.  You should have that hope and faith in you that if you died right now, you would go into the presence of God.  We need that hope in us; not doubting and not wavering.  I told my family that if I leave and don’t come back - I know it’s going to hurt, but don’t worry about me. I’m fine. I’m fine because the bible says being absent from the body means to be present with the Lord, when we die in the Lord.  When we die in the Lord we don’t have to worry about it.  We are secure in the Lord.

A prepared place for a prepared people.  Are you one of those prepared people?
~J. T.