Perhaps some of you are familiar with a story that took place years ago on the Great Plains of Kansas. It was a sweltering summer day on the farm when a cluster of dark clouds drifted across the sky and soon eclipsed the afternoon sun. The wind whipped up from the west and sent a shivering howl across the wheat fields. Henry and the farmhands saw the gloomy formation and hurried to corral the livestock into the barn. Emily was in the house closing the shutters when her fearful eyes became fixed on the funnel cloud at close distance, stretching from the heavens to the earth. They all knew what was about to happen, and it sent cold chills down their spines.
Henry shouted for everyone to take shelter in the underground bunker. But in a matter of minutes, chaos ensued! Trees uprooted! Debris scattered through the air! When Henry finally reached the foxhole, he thought the whole family was safe inside. But his face turned pale when he realized that his little niece was still in the house, probably locked in her bedroom. He tried to push the hatch open and attempt a rescue, but the wind resisted with all its might. He finally lifted it high enough to squeeze out. But as he stood up and looked, his soul sunk into his stomach. The wind shook the house off its foundation and lofted it into the sky. He watched in petrified horror. There was nothing he could do!
When the house finally hit the ground, it was a miracle that it remained intact. Even more miraculously, the little girl, apart from being dazed and disoriented, was unharmed. As a matter of fact, there was only one casualty from this calamity, and it was the cause for jubilant celebration: The Wicked Witch was dead! Young Dorothy was declared the liberator of Munchkin Land and she inherited the witch’s coveted ruby slippers.
From there, Dorothy embarked upon a quest toward the Emerald City in hopes that the wonderful Wizard of Oz would help her return to her home in Kansas. Her journey along the yellow brick road led her through curious farm country, an ornery apple orchard, and a spooky forest riddled with lions and tigers and bears. Oh my! But in the end, the wizard turned out to be a fraud and could not aid her at all. In that final iconic cinematic scene, the good witch Glinda appeared and told Dorothy that all she had to do was close her eyes, tap her ruby slippers three times, and think to herself: “There’s no place like…home.”
There is a lot of truth in that line! I suppose there are some adventurous souls in this world who always like to be on the go, but in my experience, most human beings have a deep connection with this place we call home. Whether we are referring to our hometown or house or our family, there is just something safe and calming about home. Sleeping in a hotel is fine for a while, but there is just something about sleeping in your own bed and laying your head on your own pillow. Eating out at restaurants is great, but it loses its luster after a while. There is just something comforting about a “home-cooked” meal! Likewise, I suspect that we are all grateful for clean public restrooms (especially here in the USA where we don’t have to pay a fee), but I will be the first one to admit that there is just something soothing about sitting on your own toilet!
Do you all know what I mean? Have you ever had that feeling where it is good to go but even better to get home? This is precisely the feeling that I experienced during my sabbatical travels!
Now don’t misunderstand me—the expedition exceeded my expectations! The beauty of six different countries with vastly different cultures was amazing! Walking around Stonehenge and climbing the Great Wall of China—two of the ancient wonders of the world—was astonishing! Touring Europe’s medieval castles and majestic cathedrals was magnificent! Viewing the architectural masterpieces like the 700-year-old Charles Bridge and the 1000-year-old Westminster Abbey was marvelous.
Bicycling the rolling mountains of southern Quebec and the rocky seacoast of Massachusetts was breathtaking. Swimming in the blue ocean waters at Southbourne Beach on the English Channel and Singing Beach in Manchester-by-Sea was delightful! Attending Dvorjack’s opera “Rusalka” in Prague, a J.S. Bach concert in Leipzig, a Telemann Cantata in Eisenach, and the musicals “Wicked” and the “Wind in the Willows” in London’s west end were artistically inspiring. Worshipping at Roman Catholic, Anglican, Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Reformed, Congregational, Methodist, Baptist, and Pentecostal churches was spiritually and liturgically enriching.
And I haven’t even mentioned the culinary delights yet: Czech sausages and bread dumplings, German schnitzel and sauerkraut, English fish and chips, Pittsburgh perogies, Tennessee pork BBQ and peach cobbler, and I will forget the Chinese donkey burgers and octopus bites. And I must send a shout out to my new favorite food in the world—Lobsta mac and cheese from the Lobsta Shack in Salem, MA!!
As I said, the sabbatical expedition was extraordinary, but I want you all to know that I am so happy to be home! Europe and China were great, but there’s no place like home! All those other churches were wonderful to visit, but there’s no place like home!
This sensation of home is not a new phenomenon—it at least goes back to biblical times, maybe even further. The writer of Hebrews highlights the connection between a sense of home and a life of faith this in chapter 11, which is nicknamed the “Hall of Fame of Faith.” Let’s take a look!
Seeking a Homeland (Hebrews 11)
Hebrews 11 begins with what has become the classic definition of faith: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (1) The author declares that faith is a belief beyond what can be proved by our senses. It is a confidence in something that cannot be seen by the human eye, heard by the ear, tasted with the tongue, smelled by the nose, or touched by the hand. No one would ever say that they have faith in the moon because we can see it glimmer in the night sky. But a person with more faith than me might say, “I believe that the New England Patriots are going to overcome a 28-3 halftime deficit to the Atlanta Falcons and win the Super Bowl.” There was no tangible proof or historical precedent for such a belief, and yet a slim possibility existed. Faith is the conviction of things unseen.
This is precisely the type of faith that the author of Hebrews asserts as a condition for pleasing God. Look at verse 6: “And without faith, it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” The author asserts God and God’s character as the object of faith—belief in the existence of God even though there is no tangible proof. In addition to God’s existence, a belief in his benevolence is a necessary component of pleasing him!
This is a good place for us to pause and ask: Do I really believe in God? Do I believe in a being that I have never seen with my eyes or handled with my hands? Do I really believe that he cares for me and has my best interest in mind? Do I really believe that he loves me? Maybe there is someone here today who has never fully grappled with these questions. If you haven’t, I encourage you to do so! Also, for those of us who call ourselves Christians, it is good for us to periodically check in with our claims to faith. Do I really believe?
On both sides of this declaration, the author highlights a list of biblical characters who exhibited tremendous faith. Like walking through the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame or the Rock and Roll Hall of fame and seeing the greatest athletes and musicians, Hebrews 11 strolls us through some of the greatest heroes of faith in history. In verse 4, we see Abel and Cain. Do you remember them—blood brothers? Both were supposed to offer an acceptable sacrifice to God, but only Abel believed that God would reward him. Even though he was senselessly murdered, his faith still speaks today! In verse 5, we see Enoch, that wonderful man who walked with God and was immediately taken to God’s presence without tasting death. His faith is still speaking too. In verse 7, we see that boat builder Noah. When God told him to construct an ark even though there was no apparent threat of flood, he believed God and did what he was told. And Noah’s faith still speaks every time we see a rainbow in the sky.
Then in verses 8-12, we see a portrait of Abraham, who is perhaps the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of all time). Abraham’s faith in God was displayed in multiple ways throughout his lifetime. When God told him to leave his hometown and move to a land that he had never seen, he left his sense of home and belonging behind and trusted God’s plan for his life. When he was almost 100 years old, God showed him the night sky and told him that his descendants would outnumber the stars and grains of sand on the seashore. Even though this claim was beyond belief, Abraham believed God’s promise! And after he had Isaac, the son of promise who would carry on his family legacy, God told him to sacrifice his own son. Once again, Abraham believed in God’s benevolence and was willing follow through with the sacrifice. Do you have that kind of faith?
Each one of these folks displayed genuine faith in God and his character. Most of them did not get to experience everything that God has promised in this life, but they believed that God would keep his word and fulfill his plan even after they died. As it says in verse 13, they acknowledged the fact that they were only strangers and exiles on the earth. They knew this world wasn’t their true home—they were only pilgrims passing through! If they had been so attached to the comfort of their homes here on earth, they never would have had the faith to believe God’s promises or follow his call. But thankfully, they desired a better country—a heavenly one. And God has prepared them one.
Do you see what verses 13-16 are trying to tell us? Like our biblical forefathers, we are called to a life of faith! When God promises us something or calls us to do something—even when it doesn’t make sense—we must decide whether we are going to trust him. Although many of us can echo the sense of settled comfort we find in our home and community here, we must remember that this world is not our home. We, too, are just pilgrims passing through. Don’t ever let your love for the things of this world blind you from the bliss of the world to come! Don’t ever let your desires for temporal happiness get in the way of the eternal joy we can experience in heaven!
But right now, we cannot see heaven with our eyes or touch it with our hands. We must believe that God is preparing a heavenly city for those who put their faith in his Son, the crucified and resurrected Jesus Christ. Do you believe this? Do you believe God’s promise of heaven?
After a long summer of traveling this world, I am so glad to be home. And if it feels this good to get back to my earthly home, I can only imagine what it will be like when I finally reach my heavenly home.
As I conclude this morning, will you please bow your heads and close your eyes for a moment. And then I want you to think about heaven—a place where there is no more tears, pain, or death. And then I ask you to tap your heels together three times and repeat these words, “There’s no place like…heaven. There’s no place like…heaven. There’s no place like…heaven.”