This afternoon we’ll talk about another song - loving someone who doesn’t love to go home (爱上一个不爱回家的人). This song talks about someone married to someone unfaithful, resulting in a lonely marriage. The purpose of marriage is to be with someone for life - To love together and to share in both the joys and sorrows. If you choose someone who doesn’t enjoy coming home, then what you’ll have is an unhappy marriage, and you’ll feel a sense of loneliness in your heart. It’s very hard to express this feeling, but there’s a feeling that you want to cry and you don’t feel at peace in your heart.

Look at this from the perspective of faith - if we choose someone in our marriage who doesn’t know how to come home and cannot return home (God’s home), then you can imagine the kind of feeling you get described by that song. The speaker wants to encourage the unmarried brothers and sisters to not fall in love with someone who doesn’t know how to come back to God’s house.

Christians must preserve themselves in their marriage to not fall in love with someone in a different faith because this will create doubts in your faith. When you’re alone in your faith, there’s no way for you to grow. Not only will you not be able to grow, but you may also even fall.

The Bible talks about believers and non-believers being unequally yoked. It mentions that believers and non-believers lead different lives, and certain aspects of lives are different resulting in incompatibility. If their lives are already so different, what more a marriage between them?

We have to believe that this is something that will influence our focus and will offend God. The speaker believes we’re all familiar with this topic, it’s only if we’re willing to accept this. If you’re unwilling to accept this, you’ll have your own set of beliefs, and will not put the teachings of the Bible in your hearts. Then eventually you’ll notice that this causes problems in marriage.

The Holy Communion is an even more intimate relationship. When [your spouse’s and] your life is joined with Jesus, then you’re together with those who can return home to Jesus in the future. If your other half is someone who cannot be joined to God’s house, even though you have this life and a home to return in this life, how will you return to your eternal home? We read Ephesians 2:19;

‘Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ‘

Paul reminds us that the church is the household of God. A baptised Christian must return to God’s house to have fellowship at home. We must be someone who can return to God’s house, meaning we need to value God’s house. God’s house is not a hotel; it’s not a place where we choose to come and leave as we like. As Christians, sometimes we may make church as a place to visit, but we forget that the house of God is an eternal home. The church is heaven on earth, and coming to God is an expression of our pursuit of going back to our heavenly home and it also shows how much we value this place where salvation can be found. Some Christians are misguided, “I can have service at home, I don’t have to come to church.” We can indeed worship God at home, but we’re not worshipping God together in His house.

Why God sets up this church is for His whole house to come together to worship Him. It may not be one single building, but it’s a whole group of people who have been saved to worship together. If you choose not to return to this group, how can you call yourself a part of the chosen group? The church means “a called-out assembly of people which God has chosen” and if you read the Acts of the apostles, you’ll see that the believers then understood this concept and gathered together to worship.

In Hebrews 10:25;

‘not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.’

Here the author of Hebrews encouraged members to not forsake the assembly of themselves. At that time, they were facing a lot of persecution and some people’s faith weakened. The author encouraged them to continue to gather together to worship.

When we stop gathering together to worship, it becomes a habit. When it becomes a habit, you’ll feel less inclined to come, and will find lots of reasons, “I can just worship at home,” but then you become someone unable to return to God’s house. Why is it so important to return to God’s house? Hebrews 12:22-23 tells us;

22 ‘But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels,
23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, ‘

The author uses Mount Zion to say that when we gather to worship Him (Mount Zion refers to the company of people gathered together to worship, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem), this congregation will also have an innumerable company of angels and our names are recorded in this general assembly. This refers to God’s church. We have to become someone able to return home.

Furthermore, even the angels have gathered here. Though on Tuesdays it seems that not many people are present, we have testimonies from truth-seekers and brethren observing that there are many angels among us. We have to become someone who has to return to this house. We can also think of our Lord, will He like someone who can return home but chooses not to return home? We have to think about why men cannot return to God’s house. You may be sick or have some things you have to attend to - if it’s not international and has no way to come then in such cases, God will understand.

But often Christians don’t face these situations and take for granted the grace they have to come to God’s house. As this habit develops, you choose to come when you want to and it’s not a big deal when you don’t come. In your heart, God’s house becomes a hotel. In a hotel, there’s someone to greet and serve you when you enter and when you leave no one will question you. We cannot treat the church of God as a hotel.

Other than being able to return home, we need to be concerned about this house. Who is someone concerned about the house of God? When there’s a need to help, you help. Even though you can return home, but you feel a disconnection from this house, then you don’t care about anything at home. As Christians, we can’t be like this.

There are 3 kinds of Christians; first is “if you need me, I’ll be here.” If there’s a need for offering, they’ll help. If there’s a need for help, they’ll help. This is the best kind of members we can have. Another kind is, “if you need someone, don’t look for me. If you need help in the offering, I can”. The third kind is the worst, “if you need me, I’m not here. If you need me to do something, I’m not around. If you need me to offer, I have no money”.

If we want to be someone who can return home to God, it doesn’t mean we have to just be a good Christian. We have to esteem going home. If today we can be someone able to return home, it’s not by our efforts. If not for Jesus’ preservation, there’s often no way of coming home ourselves. In the Bible are many examples. We look at one of the characters, Jacob, in Genesis. In his old age, he said in Genesis 48:15;

‘And he blessed Joseph, and said: “God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has fed me all my life long to this day,’

In his old age, Jacob recognised that God was his God and not just the God of his fathers. When someone can say this (verse), it shows that God has let him into this grace. Today God has called all of us to appear before him and His purpose if for us to return to this house of promise. As men, we have many weaknesses and often don’t esteem the promise. So in our life of faith, we choose to walk our path and do our things. Our actions may not be according to God’s will and sometimes we will be chastised by God and only come to a realisation when disaster comes. Though, we must be careful that we may not always come to this realisation and become someone unable to return home.

Jacob was someone who originally had a home, how did he become someone unable to return home? We know that Jacob had stolen his brother’s birthright (some may say he didn’t steal Esau’s birthright. But the truth of the matter is that he disguised as his brother and deceived Isaac, and this was cheating), and this generated his brother’s hatred for him. So he had a house he couldn’t stay in, fled, and became someone unable to go home.

In truth, he didn’t wish to leave but he had to flee to his uncle’s house. In this process, though he had already left his house and in terms of faith he wasn’t complete, he had a good point. He didn’t esteem following God’s will but he esteemed God’s blessings. This is very similar to us Christians today. Why? Because on the one hand we want to receive God’s blessings but don’t want to follow the will of God. There’s this danger that we’re unable to return and may lose God’s promise. If God doesn’t show forgiveness to us on this earth, there’s no way for us to return home to heaven.

What can we learn from Jacob? After fleeing, how could he return? How was he doing to face the hatred his brother had for him? It was something he couldn’t face on his own, but this was what God used to change the entire life of Jacob. This God who has fed him his life-long, through his environment and people, was able to realise that what he had done wasn’t right and that he had to go back to the land God promised. We turn back to Genesis 32:1-2;

1 ‘So Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
2 When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God’s camp.” And he called the name of that place Mahanaim.’

Jacob went on his way. At that time, he had already left the house of Laban and was with the angels of God. There were many angels encamped around Jacob and God was encouraging Jacob to go home. Jacob was afraid that his brother would kill him, but the angels of God strengthened Jacob and helped him understand that God was with him. It was a very clear indication that He was protecting Jacob, but we see that Jacob’s faith wasn’t strengthened because of this and still used his way and in v24-25 when he wrestled with the angels of God;

24 ‘Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.
25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. ‘

It’s interesting because now the angel caused him to be unable to walk; to tell him to not continue on his path (不要走自己的路). Jacob was very afraid of meeting his brother and in v6 he sent messengers to scout how many men his brother had bought and found out that he had bought 400 men to greet Jacob. He was so afraid that as he was dividing his people, he put himself last. It means to say if things don’t go his way, he would be the first to run. However, God was always with him, to help him return home.

The more he thought about his brother, the more afraid he felt. This is the meeting between a hunter and a deceiver - one uses his wits and one uses his strength. At the brook of Jabbok, he prayed to God, but on the other hand, he made his arrangements (not asked by God) because he was afraid. However, God was guiding him all the way.

Men are like this; we often pray and ask God for help and make our plans. It’s right for us to do our best, but these actions Jacob did was out of fear. When you read this, do you think that God should help him? Why did God still help him?

As we read on we see how God changed Jacob’s life. In chapter 33 we see how Jacob’s life changed. He was different from his fearful self after meeting Esau. We read Genesis 33:1-2;

1 ‘Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and there, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants.
2 And he put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last. ‘

Jacob, after he was injured, how did he change his plans? He led the way and met his brother. He bowed himself to the ground 7 times until he came to his brother. This was a sign of extreme humility. Do you suspect that he’s just faking this humility afraid that his brother would kill him? No, because in v4 Esau ran to meet him, fell on his neck, kissed him and wept. This is a beautiful scene - 2 brothers who once wanted to kill another, kissed another. More importantly, Jacob faced the situation to meet his brother.

From being afraid of his life, went ahead to meet his brother. Jacob’s life changed. How great is this change? He learnt to face what he feared the most and this is something difficult for men to do because we don’t want to be at our most vulnerable state. God’s requirement for us is very simple - to repent and change. Even Adam and Eve could do this; when we do something wrong we want to avoid facing this.

Here Jacob with God’s help overcame his weaknesses. He couldn’t walk well and yet faced the situation. You can see God’s great will in this when you see the 2 brothers reunite. 2 brothers who were enemies were able to reconcile.

After they met and reconciled, we read Genesis 33:8-9;

8 ‘Then Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company which I met?” And he said, “ These are to find favor in the sight of my lord.”
9 But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.”’

Jacob was not saying this as a form of patronisation, because Esau truly forgives him. In v7;
‘And Leah also came near with her children, and they bowed down. Afterward Joseph and Rachel came near, and they bowed down.’

Jacob had to insist and then Esau accepted. What should we notice from this verse? The Chinese Bible translated this as a ‘present’, but it’s not just a physical gift. We turn to Genesis 27:36;

‘And Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and now look, he has taken away my blessing!” And he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?”’

This ‘present’ refers to ‘blessing’, meaning this ‘present’ and ‘blessing’ in Genesis 33 is the same as in Genesis 27. Jacob wanted to return this blessing that he had cheated Esau on back to him. Whatever he took from his hands, he wanted to return. How great was this transformation? The emotions they displayed when they met were all real, and Jacob truly repented on all he did in the past. Whatever he returned to Esau was material because the spiritual blessings were still to Jacob. But we can’t blame Jacob because Esau himself despised his birthright.

Importantly we need to look at Jacob’s change. From someone unable to go home, to becoming someone to return home. If Jacob wasn’t willing to change his life and if God did not guide the way, Jacob would not have returned home. Today all of us baptised in church all have this birthright. Do we esteem these blessings God has given us, to be someone return to God’s home?

Jacob’s story gives us a very important lesson - no matter how many weaknesses we have, in our life of faith we often fail to make the changes we have to make but our God is always willing to help us change so that we can return home. Are we willing to follow this will of God, or are we like Esau who despised his birthright? We see that Jacob still tried to go his path, but in Genesis 33 is where he changed his greatest weakness. In his time of greatest need, God helped him. When he mentioned that God is the one who fed him all his life, it’s where he truly changed.

In our lives, we cannot walk on our path because there’s no way to return home when we do so. Jacob moved to Shechem and was where his daughter was defiled and his son killed. Men are like this, we keep trying to walk our path. Proverbs 14:12 tells us;

‘There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.’

Men often see their path as right and are unwilling to walk God’s path. But we must remember that if we keep choosing to walk our way, the way will end in death. We may not realise we’re walking the wrong way, but we may walk the long way; to walk a big round before returning to God’s house. The way back home is not easy - there is a flaming sword that guards the way and those who enter it will die.

Jesus has already shed His blood for us and this door to the Garden of Eden has already been opened. The Bible describes this as the new and living way - there’s already away, but will the Lord Jesus love one unable to go home? Jesus loves us very much and is waiting for us, but is He waiting for someone who does not want to come home? We need to be someone able to return to God’s house. We need to be one who esteems being able to return to heaven.