Everyone wants to live in a better place.
A Sermon by Dr. Neil Chadwick
In 1948, a father said goodbye to his wife and three small children and boarded a ship to make the long voyage from Scandinavia to the United States. At that time, Ben was 36 years old, and for over 25 years had nurtured this dream of some day going to America. It had all begun when he would listen to his aunt talk about America each year when she would return home for a visit. Her brother, Ben's uncle, had gone there first and had done very well - his sisters had followed, and Aunt Hilma would talk about the wonderful opportunities that America afforded, and she would bring back various items which were not available in Europe. Although he had owned and run several successful business, even to the extent that he and his wife were well enough off to be able to hire house-hold help, Ben could not get away from his dream. So after selling his business, he made his way to Chicago. Soon he was able to send for his wife and children; for a time they lived in the basement of a house owned by his Aunt Hilma, and Ben found work as a painter. At last, the man who would become my father-in-law, had realized the fulfillment of a quarter century of longing to come to a better place. It would only last three years until his wife's medical condition required a return to their homeland of Sweden, but the dream persisted, and two years later Ben again moved to the US, at first alone, but soon to be followed by his wife and children. In fact, Bengt Hallgren, my wife's father, was not unique, as millions and millions have made the same voyage, all seeking a better place. Even today, immigration has become a very important factor in population growth. Each year,1.5 million immigrants arrive in the US. When the 750,000 births to immigrant women are taken into account, over two million people are added to the U.S. population each year, accounting for at least two-thirds of our country's population growth. At the present time, over 35 million people in America are foreign born, representing 12% of our population. During the past nearly 400 years, people have come to America from many different nations and for many different reasons. Our own man of letters, Walt Whitman, once wrote, "Here is not merely a nation, but a teeming nation of nations." In 1883, a poem was written by Emma Lazarus, part of which was popularized as the inscription on the base of the Statue of Liberty. The poem, called "The New Colossus" was written for an art auction as funds were being raised to construct the pedestal upon which the statue sits. Here is the full text of the poem:
What are the reasons so many have immigrated to America, and continue to do so? In the earliest days it was allegedly for political freedom and religious tolerance; in reality it was also for economic opportunity. People wanted a better life, a better job and more money. During the 1800s, land remained plentiful, jobs were abundant, and labor was scarce and relatively dear. There were glowing reports from earlier arrivals who had prospered; this reinforced the notion that in America, the streets were "paved with gold." Then during the early 20th century, we found that Jews came for religious freedom, Italians and Asians came for work, and Russians came to escape persecution. In America there were jobs, religious freedom, and America was hyped up in many countries as the "Land of Opportunity." Recently, while listening to an interview with a woman who had immigrated to the US, I heard it all summed with her answer to the question, "Why did you come?" The actual words in her reply were, "Everyone wants to live in a better place." Just think about the "extreme make over" craze. People not only want their bodies to be made over, they want their houses made over. In one week's time a large crew of workers will descend on a house, demolish it and give back to the owners a new house, the house of their dreams. How many people today would jump at the chance - sign me up! We all know that this desire to live in a better place has been placed there by God - it is a longing for heaven. Jesus responded to this when He said, "I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2) - how sad it is when we settle for "heaven on earth." Where is this place Jesus went to prepare, and what is it like? The last two chapters of the last book in the Bible give us a few clues. Revelation chapter 21 opens by telling us that in heaven, everything will be new - there will be a new heaven and a new earth. He who created all things at the first, will create again. Part of what will be new will be the new Jerusalem (v.2). At one place it is described as being beautiful, like a bride; later we learn that "its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal." (v.11).
But perhaps the most important understanding we receive from this passage is that in that day, in that place we call heaven, God will live with men (v.3). Thankfully, in this life there are brief moments when we may "feel" the presence of God - there we will have unrestricted access. What we also find out is that we will be able to freely drink of the water of life (v.6), which of course means that ours will be an eternal existence in the presence of God. Even as we learn a little about what will be there, we also find out what will not be in heaven. The first items mentioned bring great hope and joy - there will be no more death and mourning, no more crying and pain (v.4). This is huge. If these things are absent in heaven, it means that there will be nothing there to cause these things - nothing to bring about death; no reason for mourning; nothing to cause grief, and nothing to inflict pain. But also, perhaps at first surprising, we learn that in heaven there will be no temple (v.22), and no sun to provide light (v.23). Solomon understood that God could not be restricted to a building constructed by men. Temples provide a place for people to be together when they pray, worship, and learn about God, but these structures are only symbols of the presence of God among men, whereas in heaven, as we just noted, God will dwell with men so that all of heaven will be the temple. It's hard for us to conceive of existence with no sun, but we're told that in heaven "the glory of God" will provide the light. But also among the negative items that will be excluded from heaven, we notice that there will be nothing impure (v.24), and no longer will there be the curse (22:3). Furthermore there will be no "dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood." (22:15) Now if I were the one to write the last chapters of the Bible, there are many other things I would include in the list of things not to be in heaven. Let's call this the "alphabet soup" of what won't be in heaven. In heaven there will be no:
On the other hand, what will be found in heaven? In heaven there will be:
So, we come to the question, "Do you want to go to a better place?" If you say "Yes," does that mean North Carolina or Virginia - or does it mean heaven? In March of this year, "Money Magazine" reported that these two places, Cary, NC and Surgarland Run, VA, are the most desirable places to live in the eastern United States.
Shade trees are everywhere, the mayor answers his own phone, neighbors know each other by name. But for all its folksy calm, Cary is deceptively high-powered. Mayor Glen Lang is also the millionaire CEO of a wireless broadband company. The town has the highest median income ($77,091) in North Carolina and claims the highest percentage of Ph.D.s in the country for towns with more than 75,000 people. Something in the water? More likely it's the 14 major universities within an hour's drive and North Carolina's famed Research Triangle Park, whose tenants include Cisco, Ericsson, IBM and Nortel. On the other hand, Sugarland Run, VA boasts of history, horses, and high tech. It is near Civil War battlefields, horse country, the Potomac River and the Beltway. George Washington actually slept nearby. Newcomers find good schools and affordable housing options within the teeming D.C. exurb of Loudoun County -- most homes still are under $300,000 -- all within half an hour of Dulles airport and the federally subsidized cultural life of Washington. A rich nexus of employers in the area -- many of them defense contractors and tech outfits -- attracts workers flocking in from Atlanta, San Antonio, San Francisco and elsewhere. (http://money.cnn.com) However, when Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for you" He certainly had in mind something far superior to the best cities in our region. But the question is, when He said "you," did He mean you? And do you eagerly desire to live in this better place? Many people are working hard to find the "better place" in this world, are they working as hard to prepare themselves to enjoy the truly "better place" that is yet to come?
Everyone wants to live in a better place. 1. What about the United States makes it unique among the nations of the world? 2. What are some of the reasons so many people have left their homelands in Europe, Asia, Africa and S. America to settle in the US? 3. What message is conveyed by the words of Emma Lazarus' poem inscribed on the base of the Statue of Liberty? 4. How in your own personal history has the statement, "Everyone wants to live in a better place" been demonstrated? 5. What is the "better place" Jesus promised to prepare? 6. According to the Bible, what are some of the features of our heavenly home? 7. Approximately how large will be the heavenly city compared to our present world? (For the next two questions, make lists on the news-print paper posted at the front.)
9. On the other hand, what will be included? 10. What elements are taken into consideration when people want to find a better place in which to live? 11. How much energy is typically expended on trying to live in a better place in this world, as opposed to the next? 12. What can we do to prepare ourselves for the truly "better place"?  - - Return to Top of this Page
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