COMPASS POINT A famous American preacher once came to a local community to be the guest preacher for an evening worship service; he arrived at the church in the afternoon. He wanted to check the setting for his performance, meet with the minister, and take care of some personal matters. He realized that he had an important letter to mail, so he walked out and saw a young boy on a bicycle on his way through. He stopped the boy on his bike to ask him directions on how he might get to the local post office. The boy obliged, giving the preacher precise directions to the nearest post office. The preacher then offered the boy two tickets to his appearance for himself and his mother, and to hear the preacher address the topic: "How to Get to Heaven" that evening. The boy refused to accept the tickets by saying, "I am sorry but I can't accept the tickets because, if you can't even find your way to the post office, how can you tell me how to get to heaven?" The ability to find directions to places is a gift - some have it and some don't. Those of us who have gone on a hike, or guys who have been through National Service, especially the Infantry soldiers, will agree that there is no other instrument or equipment as useful as a compass. A compass is a navigational instrument for finding directions on the earth. It consists of a magnetized pointer free to align itself accurately with Earth's magnetic field. The cardinal points are north, south, east and west. The compass needle always points to the north of the planet's magnetosphere. It gives us a point of reference and direction to head, allows us to find our way to our destination. An army of soldiers is lost in the forest without a point of reference on the compass. And so it is with all of us, that we will be lost if we do not have a direction to a destination. Today's message is entitled Compass Point - and let's find out where we can find our bearing and which way to go in this life. Read John 14:1-14 The passage begins with the apostles having the last supper with the Lord Jesus, and Jesus made some very strange and disturbing statements. He predicts betrayal by Judas, gives the apostles a new command of loving one another, and tells Peter of his denial towards the Lord, and He tells them that He will be leaving them. Upon hearing these, the apostles' respond in despair. The apostles depended on Jesus for instructions and support. The thought of having him taken away from them through the event of suffering and death was distressing. They would have supposed Jesus was about to build an earthly kingdom and that they could also be exalted to situations of great dignity. Instead, Jesus told them the opposite - that instead of reigning over other nations, He would be rejected by his own, and instead of being elevated to a place of honor, He himself was about to die on the cross. For the apostles, it would be impossible to reconcile these with everything they had experienced with Jesus up to that point. Their grief and disappointment of their own hopes, persecutions and all manner of sufferings they were to meet with from an ungodly world troubled them. In response to their emotions, Jesus comforts them. Jesus tells them that the Father's house, to which He is returning, is big enough to receive them all, and many more with them. A home is a place of safety. Those who are in their homes are shielded from danger, storms and are safe. It is a place of acceptance, a place of joy and love. There dwell those whom we love, and members of the family are glad in each other's joy. So Jesus assures that he will not go away in such a manner as to remain permanently separated from them. Jesus goes away with the purpose of securing a place for them. A place that is safe and secure. A place where one can find absolute acceptance and joy. Jesus is interested in our welfare - just as he was never indifferent towards anything that relates to his apostles, and neither would he forget them after he should be taken from them into heaven; he would still enter into all their concerns, sympathizing with them in their afflictions. Jesus takes delight in comforting his saints and lifting the weight on a heavy heart. For those who are weary, He invites "Come unto me, and I will give you rest". Christina, a lady in her early thirties, recently accepted the Lord. She was filled with joy at the time of her conversion, and she was excited about the new life in Christ. Little did she expect weeks later, that her mother was struck with liver cancer. Christina prayed very hard for her mother's recovery. Due to her mother's illness, Christina often had to take leave from work to look after her. Not long after, she received a letter of termination from her boss. The reason being she had taken too much leave from work. Weeks later, her mother passed away. Christina was devastated at all that had happened. She lost her mother and her job. She was disappointed, angry and felt lost. It was not fair. In the midst of her grief, the Lord attended to her grief and ministered to her through the support that her cell group mates gave. She began to find meaning and her bearing once again. Before we enter a road and embark on a journey, we must know where we intend to go. Once we know our destination, we need to work out which route to take. The needle in the compass shows us just where we're heading, and alerts us when we take a wrong turn. There are cars that have a sticker on pasted at the back of the car, and it reads "Don't follow me, I'm lost too". You may have asked this question before, "Which direction is my life heading?" Students may have been asked, "Which course do you want to take? Science or the Arts?" Upon leaving school, you've been asked, "Which career do you want to embark on?" When you're working, you'll be asked, " What kind of life do you want to lead?" All through life, the question of "where to go" persists. And at the end of the long road, where do you think you will be heading? Many people have tried to come to God by their own means - by doing good, by remaining religious, but whatever means they use - they fail. Because Jesus makes that claim - He is the only Way to God. In other words, the needle on the compass marks Jesus as the point of reference, if we were to find our way to God. If we ask, what is the way to God? He answers, 'I am". If we inquire, "What other way is there?" He answers, "none". The needle of the compass points to Jesus, and makes no deflection. Whether it is Timothy, or Mary Magdalene with the seven devils cast out, or the thief who died on the cross just a little while after his conversion, and whether it is you and I, we come with different histories and resume - all need equally to have their guilt removed and their hearts renewed; and there is none but Jesus who can do either the one or the other of these things for us: Therefore there is no other name or power but his, that can ever save us. He is the key to the door, which will otherwise be forever clamped shut from us. Even Jesus had to enter heaven by his own blood, how else and what other way can we enter? Jesus is the teacher of the truth that directs the way, and He is God revealed to the world. He is the Word of God made flesh. Jesus says He is the Life: It would have been fruitless to direct his disciples in what way to go, if he had not told them how they might obtain life and strength to walk in that way. The reality was that they were by nature dead in sins. Jesus is really to the soul what the soul is to the body. Without the soul, the body is altogether motionless and senseless. So without Christ, the soul has no spiritual motion. Christ must live in the soul, as the soul does in the body. If we live, it is not we that live, but Christ that lives in us. Sometimes even the best of men are slow to understand and believe the truths of God. Our Lord may have said the same thing to many among us, "Have I been so long time with you, and yet you do not know me, Philip?" Mary saw Jesus standing after Easter and did not know it was He. Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not recognize that is was Jesus. It can happen, that persons should have line upon line repeated to them for many years together, and yet never realize "the truth as it is in Jesus". Friends, be more attentive to the truths that from week to week are brought to you, and give earnest heed to them, in case you let them slip. Jesus' going back to the Father secures our destiny. He opens the way for us to gain access to the Father. Thus his going to the Father is an act of power which will win eternal life for all who believe in him. The way to heaven is Jesus himself. Faith in him destroys the barrier of sin and death, and opens the road to the eternal life of the kingdom of God. It is the road that leads to life. There are 24 hours to a day, 7 days a week, 12 months to a year, and a lifetime of journey to walk. Some take a longer road, others take a shorter one. Before we reach the end, there is a question of "How to travel this road?" This question is answered in Jesus' departure from the presence of his apostles. Jesus' departure also enables us to be equipped for living for him, and serving his mission in the world. Jesus' assurance to his disciples: In prayer, He responds. He now sits at the right hand of the Father, and intercedes on our behalf. The works Christ did on earth were a proof and evidence of the truth of His claims. They were works worthy of the Son of God. Not only because they were works of mercy and love, but demonstrated supernatural power. Christ's disciples were to do the same works that He did, and also to do greater works than the Master. Was this possible? Could any work possibly be greater than those miracles? Jesus could have cured humanity from physical diseases, and yet the world might not have been brought nearer to God or eternal life. It was the spiritual works that Jesus did that were important. It was the work of changed lives. But the sphere of Jesus on earth was limited. He was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Whereas the disciples, after being enlightened and strengthened by the Spirit at Pentecost, had no limit set to their working. With power they preached to Jew and Gentile, from Judea to Samaria, to the ends of the earth. Large numbers of people were brought to God through Jesus, as a result. This promise is not confined to the early Church. Greater works remain to be done by the Church, the disciples of today. That means you and I. While taking this journey of life, at whatever age we're in, we can continue the wonderful work Jesus started, and achieve even more by taking the gospel of God to every part of our homes and neighborhood, our schools and offices. Jesus is always engaged upon our service, and at every point, He who is seated at the right hand of the Father, is doing something for the redeemed humanity. We shall never know the cold, the loneliness, and the sorrow of orphanhood. What awaits you at the end of your road? Do you know where you're heading for? Disciples of Jesus all have a compass, and the needle always points to Jesus, because He is the Way, truth and Life to the Father. At every junction you stop, check to see if the pointer still points to Jesus. Do you know where you're heading, where your destination is? Do you have with you the compass necessary to find the way? If you do, where does the needle point to? If you don't have the compass now, I urge you, don't wait any longer. Take up the invitation, you will not be lost, because an open door is awaiting for you.

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