TOPIC: HEAVEN IS OUR HOME
1. STORY
Mary, a rich lady, had a dream that she was in heaven with an angel who
showed her around. She asked the angel
who the person was who lived in the mansion in front of her. The reply was that her gardener lived there. She was surprised as on earth her gardener
lived with his family in a very small house. As they continued to walk, she saw a small
cottage under construction and asked who lived there. She was shocked when the
angel informed her that the small cottage was for her. She replied that this would be very difficult
for her as she was accustomed to living in a mansion. The angel explained that they were using the
material sent from earth, such as kindness, generosity, and forgiveness to
build the house. As she sent up very
little material, such as works of charity, her house had to be small. She then woke up from her dream realizing that
her life has to change as she needed to store up treasures in heaven by her
good works.
2. GOSPEL, JOHN 14:1-12
A) JESUS GOES TO PREPARE A HOUSE FOR US
Christ cares for us in the present as he provides us with the basic
necessities of life such as food, water, shelter and clothing. He cares for our future as the gospel tells
us: “In my father’s house there are many dwelling places…I am going to prepare
a place for you.”
B) I WILL COME BACK AGAIN
We must be ready for Christ’s return. “I will come back again and take you to
myself, so that where I am you also may be.”
3. APPLICATION TO LIFE
A) OUR FUTURE HOME
i) Our life has a beginning but it will never end.
ii) When we end our life on earth, we begin our life in heaven. It will be the one of great joy as we will be
with Jesus. “I will
come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.”
B) HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE RETURN OF JESUS
i) As we prepare for an examination, or a meal, or a journey, so too
must we prepare for our journey to heaven.
Here are two suggestions.
a) Pray daily asking God for a strong faith and thanking him for all his
blessings.
b) Be kind towards others in our speech as this is part of the spiritual
material we send to heaven as mentioned in the story.
4. CONCLUSION
In the story Mary realized the importance of good works as a way to
prepare for her home in heaven. Jesus tells us that he is concerned about our
future as he is going to prepare a home for us in heaven. We realize that the ultimate end of our
journey on earth is heaven, and we must be ready for Christ’s return by living
a good life full of good works.
