I Would Come This Way Again

Introduction

We’ll begin this morning with a personality quiz. Are you a risk taker? Or do you like to know what you’re getting into before you get into it? That question can be answered by another question. And that is, do you read online reviews? Before you go to a restaurant, do you look them up on Yelp or Google and see what other people have said about? Before you buy an item, do you go to Amazon and look at the rankings and see what others have said? I fall into the non-risk taking category. I always look at reviews. And the best type of review, particularly on Amazon, is the one that says updated. Because they may have reviewed that product the day they got it. But the most valuable review is somebody who’s updated that review, and now they’ve had that product weeks, months, or even years.

And now they’re going to tell you their experience about that. That’s valuable. And sometimes you’ll read those reviews and they’ll say, I love this product, I love this restaurant, I would eat here again, I would buy this again, and others would say, I won’t eat here again. Or I wouldn’t buy this product again. I want us to think about our Christian experience. If you’re a child of God, for however many years you’ve been a Christian, what do you think about your Christian life so far? Would you, could you truly recommend it to others? Or do you have your view of Christianity that, well, I can’t really recommend it until later. Ask me when I get to heaven, and then I’ll tell you what I think about it.

This morning, I can’t speak for you, but I simply want to tell you about my experience as a Christian and what I have found. And at this stage of my life, on this day of my Christianity, I can loudly proclaim that I would come this way again. If the clock could be rolled back and I could start my life all over again.

Many pathways I would avoid. But not the pathway of becoming a Christian. If I had it to do all over again, I would come this way again. You know, many times we phrase the idea of the choice of becoming a Christian is we phrase it in the kind of the journey versus the destination. And we say that the journey’s not going to be worth it. In fact, the journey is going to be tough and difficult and maybe even miserable, but the destination is worth it. And while we cannot deny the fact of the broad and easy way that leads to destruction, and of the reality of the passing pleasures of sin. And we will not deny that Jesus told us that in many ways the life of a Christian is a narrow and more difficult path that will include sacrifices and even persecution.

That I truly believe that when viewed as a whole, being a Christian, in every sense of the immersive and submersive sense in which we are to be Christians, that being a Christian is the best way, both journey and destination. And so let me tell you what I have experienced. And maybe, and I pray your experiences will mirror mine, and I further pray that if you’re not a Christian this morning, that you would say, I want that pathway. Let’s first start talking about the journey. That’s this life now. I would highly recommend the life of a Christian right now. I have not experienced all there is to experience as a child of God. And as we’re going to conclude this lesson, I have yet to experience the most greatest part of being a Christian, and that is the destination, heaven.

1. God Has Given Me Guidance

But here’s what I have experienced so far in my journey that would cause me to highly recommend my Christianity to you. Is that yes, there are sacrifices that I have had to make to be a Christian. There are persecutions that I, and when I look at others in history and in other places in the world, and maybe even here and now, who have experienced far greater persecutions than even I. There are blessings in this journey. And one of those blessings is that God has given me guidance in how to navigate this admittedly difficult life. Turn with me, if you will, in the book of 1 Timothy, or excuse me, 2 Timothy chapter 3. Let’s look at a very familiar passage of Scripture, but maybe look at it in a little different light this morning.

2 Timothy chapter 3. And let’s look at the familiar verses of verses 16 and 17. 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 and 17, where the apostle says, all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. I admit I may have limited Paul’s words here in 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 and 17. I may have viewed them in the time past is the Holy Spirit through Paul saying that the word of God, if you’ll do what God says, you can get to heaven. That there’s instructions, that there’s the reproof, there’s the correction that you need to obey the commandments so that when you die, heaven will be your reward.

Now don’t misunderstand me. That’s in that passage. But notice that he says that in this instruction, in this reproof and correction, that it gives us everything we need for every good work.

I believe Paul is telling Timothy and us today that God’s word gives us instruction. Instruction in how to get to heaven, yes, but instruction in every good work. God has given me a pathway, not just a pathway to heaven, but a pathway through this life. And the best pathway.

God has given me instruction through his word in how to be the best husband I can be. And how to be a father.

He told slaves and masters of how they were to conduct themselves in their respective relationships. He gave us the golden rule. Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.

And all of this, yes, is leading to a final destination. But God has given us instruction for every good work. He’s given me instruction of how to navigate this life. And how to make this the best life it can be.

2. A Hundredfold: Because of My Family

Again to a familiar text, Matthew chapter 19. We know that the church is spoken of in Scriptures by many different analogies. Sometimes it’s referred to as a kingdom. We have a king and we are subjects. Sometimes it’s referred to as a building, and more specifically as the temple, which we’re living stones in which we, again, as priests offer up worship to God. But we also recognize, don’t we, that the most familiar and most repeated analogy of this group of people has to do with a family. There must be a reason for that. While we’re not just a building, we’re not just a kingdom, we’re a family. And Jesus said of that family in Matthew chapter 19, in speaking to his disciples, who, in choosing this journey to that destination, had to make tremendous sacrifices, sometimes, the very personal sacrifices of losing their family.

In Matthew chapter 19, read with me, verse 29, where Jesus promises, and everyone who has left houses, our brothers, our sisters, our father, our mother, our wife, our children, our lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold. And inherit eternal life.

He’s talking about the journey and the destination, isn’t he? And eternal life. That’s the destination. But even before we get there, in speaking of the journey, he says, whatever you’ve lost to follow me, you’ll get back more. Now. And you’ll get eternal life. Now there’s two ways we need to look at this, two blending ways. Number one is when looking at the church as a family, you may have come from an idyllic family. And it’s easy for you to relate to a loving father and a caring mother and siblings that, although you may squabble, would ultimately have each other’s back and are there to support and help. And so you can easily relate to the idea of the family metaphor. Or you may have come from less than idyllic.

You may have come from no family at all, or an abusive, dysfunctional family. You find it harder to think of the concept or understand the concept of a loving father, of maybe of a father, period, and of a caring mother and of siblings who are there for you to support and help you. But in coming to Christ and becoming a part of his family, you get to experience spiritually maybe what you never experience physically. You get that family that you felt like you were robbed of.

And eternal life. But there’s another sense in which those first century, maybe even modern day Christians, particularly the apostles. Did their families abandon them because they left Judaism and became a Christian, maybe some of them. But they may have to leave their families just in a geographical sense. As they went across as Paul and others went on these missionary journeys, they would have been leaving their family in a different sense. And that’s a sense I can relate to more. I had loving Christian parents who didn’t abandon me when I made the decision to become a Christian. They applauded and embraced me. But a later decision in my life would cause me to leave them. To go and preach the gospel in other locations. But I would come this way again because I found God’s word to be true.

A hundredfold.

I’ve got this, I’ve got this spiritual family to do this for me. Look in 1 Peter chapter 3 and in verse 8, what this spiritual family is supposed to do. 1 Peter 3 verse 8 says, Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another, love as brothers. Be tenderhearted, be courteous. It doesn’t just say love. It says that in other places. But it says love as brothers. Love as a family. And I would come this way again. Because of my family. I would come this way again because I have gained in the journey an understanding that brings peace and joy. We talked about the guidance, the knowledge that I get there of how to navigate every relationship and struggle of this life.

3. An Understanding That Brings Peace and Joy

But in the bigger picture scheme of it all, I also get a deeper understanding. That gives me peace and joy. Look with me, if you will, at what the psalmist says in Psalm 119. In talking about the word of God and the knowledge that he gains, the eternal spiritual knowledge. I’m turning to Psalm 119 beginning in verse 97. Psalm 119, verse 97, the psalmist says, of that word that gives us this understanding. Oh, I’m verse 97. Oh, how I love your law. It’s my meditation all the day. You, through your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies. For they’re ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers. For your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep your precepts.

I’ve restrained my feet from every evil way that I may keep your word. I have not departed from your judgments, for you yourself have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth. Through your precepts I get understanding. Therefore I hate every false way. I am wiser than my enemies, my teachers, and the ancients.

But an acceptance of the wisdom and the understanding that being a Christian, being in a relationship with God, carries with it. And it’s an understanding that brings such peace and joy. And boy, don’t we need that. In an unstable, evil world. Don’t I need the understanding? I’ve used this illustration before, and I slightly apologize for its silliness and trivialness, but it’s the best I can do. When I was growing up, I loved watching old reruns of Leave It to Beaver. Remember that old black and white TV show? I don’t know why I could relate to this child who always got in trouble every episode. I don’t know what about that I found some connection with. But I can remember watching that show, and I’m still that kind of person.

If I watch a TV show or a movie or read a book, I’m involved. I’m emotionally involved in that.

He’s abandoned in a cave, or he’s done something that his mom and dad are going to bring the hammer down. And I can remember thinking, what’s going to happen? But I came to realize a couple things. Number one is there’s a pattern here. It all comes out good in the end, doesn’t it? And it’s a 30-minute episode. It’s going to happen quickly. And the show’s named after him, so he’s probably going to be alright. As silly as that illustration is, there is a correlation to our life in that, isn’t there? Whatever happens in the here and now, however troubling and disturbing and life shattering that might be, I need to constantly remind myself that I’ve read the last chapter of this book. And I know how the story ends.

And I’m going to be alright.

4. Heaven Will Surely Be Worth It All

That makes me wiser than my enemies and my teachers and the ancients. You see, right now, I would come this way again. But it’s not just about the journey, is it? I would recommend the journey. But I cannot recommend highly enough what I know about the destination. Turn with me, if you will, to John chapter 10 and in verse 10, and borrowing the words of a hymn, heaven will surely be worth it all.

And that sometimes the Christian life might be more difficult. That narrow and difficult path that Jesus said few will choose. My experience has been, and that’s all I can relate to you, my experience has been that the blessings on this journey far outweigh the sacrifices and difficulties. But the worst of human experiences on this planet will be instantly erased with one glimpse of his glory. Don’t ever lose sight of the destination. Jesus makes this promise in John 10 and in verse 10, in contrasting himself as the shepherd, the true shepherd of the sheep from a thief. John 10, verse 10 says, the thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.

I admit some ignorance in interpreting John 10, verse 10. That they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly. Studying for this lesson and this verse, I did what I oftentimes do. I consulted other people.

And when we get to a difficult section, they just skip right over it like it’s not there. I did that myself. That I may have life and have it more abundantly. I don’t know that I fully grasp what that. Is he talking about this life? Is he talking about the journey? That I might have this life and an abundant life. The blessings and many more that we’ve already talked about. Or does Jesus just as have in mind eternal life? Does he just talking about heaven? That not only will we exist in heaven, not will we continue to live on, but it will be an abundant existence. Or could he could he possibly be talking about both? The journey of a life and an abundant life. And of the destination that could be described as an abundant life.

That you might have life and have it more abundantly.

Conclusion

And my firm belief and hope is that it will more than be true of that life which is to come. So would I do it all over again? In a heartbeat, I would come this way again. If you’re a Christian this morning, I want you to do what Peter said in First Peter chapter two and verse three, and that is taste that the Lord is good. I want you to dive deep into your Christianity and experience all the blessings that are there. Don’t live on the periphery, don’t live on the outline. Live in the heart of being a Christian. Embrace everything that is there. Enjoy the journey. And look forward to the destination. And if you’re not a Christian this morning, would you please become one?

Would you take not just our recommendation? Would you take God’s promise that He would give you life and give it to you more abundantly and know that heaven will be worth it all? Would you come right now as together we stand and as we sing?