Title: The Christian's Hometown
Contents
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1. The LORD said to Abram, "Leave your country, your relatives, and your father's house, and go to the land I will show you.
2. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
3. Whoever blesses you I will bless, and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples of the earth will be blessed in you.
4. So Abram went according to the word of the LORD, and Lot went with him; and Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.
5. Abram went out to the land of Canaan with Sarai his wife, Lot his nephew, and all that he had gathered and acquired in Haran, and went to the land of Canaan.
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13. All these died to the faith, and did not receive the promise, but seeing them from afar and welcoming them, and testifying that they were aliens and strangers on earth.
14. Those who speak like this show that they are seeking a homeland.
15. If we had thought of the country we came from, we would have had a chance to return.
16. Now they long for a better homeland, which is in heaven; therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, but he has prepared a city for them.
Content
Title: The Christian's Hometown
Text: Genesis 12:1-5, Hebrews 11:13-16
Christians are running a spiritual race in front of the forefathers who set the example of ‘living by faith alone’ (Hebrews 10:38-11:40) as witnesses surrounded by clouds. How should I get into the race? 1) “Take off the obstacles to the spiritual race!” (Hebrews 12:1a). 2) ‘Run with patience the race set before you!’ (Hebrews 12:1b). 3) “Let us look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith!” (Hebrews 12:2a). 4) “Remember him who endured this rebellion of sinners!” (Hebrews 12:3). First of all, I understand what the writer of Hebrews says. Still, there are questions. ‘Is it really necessary? Can we avoid these hardships?’ The answer is clear. Because that is the way to the hometown of Christians. There is no other way (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).
The minds of drawing hometowns are natural. Humans, as well as animals, are no exceptions. It is a passage from ancient poetry. 'Homa's Northern Wind, Woljo Sonamji (越鳥巢南枝).' 'A horse from the north always faces the north wind, and a bird from the southern Yue country sits on a tree and chooses a branch that faces south. Sit down.' It is said that modern civilization began when people left their hometown. So, instead of the hometown, life nests in the organization (組織), but the human desire for the hometown does not disappear (W.H. White's <Human in the Organization>). The nostalgia for the hometown that humans have is not confined to the body. This is because humans, the primates of all things, have a hometown of souls. The hometown that the ancestors of faith found is the hometown of these souls. Just as the hometown where the body was born is unforgettable, the hometown of the soul is even more unforgettable. It is the thirst for the eternity that the Creator has given us (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
This is the reason why the journey of life is called 'The Traveler'. The first mention of this is Abraham, the father of faith. It was when Sarah, who was with me, was preparing a burial place after the death of her companion (Genesis 23:4). 1) They lived as foreigners. At that time, foreigners were suspicious, hated, and ignored by the indigenous peoples. 2) They did not lose hope and ideals under any circumstances. 3) They did not turn away from any difficulties. 4) They looked on the other side and continued their march. 5) Because their lives are unique, God was not ashamed to be called their God. It is a sufficient reward for believing and following God's promises. “I am their God, they are my sons and daughters” (Revelation 21:7). Hallelujah Amen.