Who doesn’t like a good road trip? Especially when it is a long-awaited destination you have desired to see. You know, one of those ‘bucket list’ destinations you’ve had for years. I think for many, actually mapping out and planning the trip is nearly as satisfying as the trip itself. 

 I would suggest that classic road trips fall into one of two categories. The first one is the ‘we are in no big rush to get there’ category as we have multiple planned stops along the way as well as ‘unplanned stops’ to visit places that catch our eye and interest as we travel. Photographers usually lean towards these. Just ask my wife. 

 Then there are those trips you make where the final destination is the goal and you can’t wait to get there. ‘X’ marks the spot where you have planned to arrive for whatever the purpose of your road travel is. Maybe it’s a week on a sandy ocean beach in a secluded bungalow for a time of much needed R&R. Perhaps you are the mountain-hiking type and have secured a furnished cabin nestled back in the aspens of Colorado. 

 Or for the sake of this posting today, let’s imagine you have been invited to a huge family wedding at a beautiful resort on the coast. It is a 5-Star hotel you will be staying at for the long weekend. This is The Event you have longed to attend and now you have made your reservations knowing the place would be sold out for that weekend. 

 Imagine arriving at any of these three destinations though, only to discover that ‘something happened’, a clerical error of sorts, and you are informed that there is no room available for you. Absolutely none. Apologies are given as explanations fall on deaf ears and devastated hearts. But for whatever those blunders were, your reservations were never secured. End of story. 

 Jesus told His disciples about a place He was taking them to. I mean, this place was ‘out of this world’…literally. We are told that “What God has planned for people who love him is more than eyes have seen or ears have heard. It has never even entered our minds!” ( 1 Cor 2:9). In fact, Jesus shared in one passage that in His Father’s house, there are many mansions and that He would be leaving them soon in order to go and ‘prepare a place for them’ as well. (John 14:1-3) 

 Anyone connecting some dots here today? 

 If you have signed on to join Jesus in this ‘walk of faith’, you can be assured of this: Your reservations have been received and there is no way a ‘clerical error’ would cause them to vanish. There is a place waiting for you with accommodations so nice that you cannot even begin to wrap your head around what awaits you. Guaranteed! Did you get that? Your reservations are secure, safe, and Guaranteed. You might even call them ‘eternally secure’. 

 Here’s the deal though…you still have to get there. As in ‘show up’. If you do that, there is a place waiting on you. But if you get distracted or diverted along the way, well… that’s another story. 

 I don’t want to get overly poetic here today with this analogy, but this life we live here on earth is in a sense a ‘road trip’. A very short one if we just want to get down and admit it when compared to the scope of eternity. James writes that our life here is but a ‘vapor’ and we would do good to not to get overly attached to this place. While John tells us to ‘love not the world nor the things in the world’, James goes a step further and says that “whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (4:4) 

 The point I’m making here is there is a place, a destination, that God has prepared for ‘those who love Him’ as we read earlier. When Jesus was describing the ‘mansions’ and the rooms He was going ahead to prepare for them, Thomas’s eyes lit up and he asked ‘How do we get there...show us the way!”. To which Jesus replied: “I AM the way!” 

 You want to go there? He’s willing to show you as well. But guess what is required of you? You. Have. To. Follow. Him. 

 One more time: You. Have. To. Follow. As in maybe…’abide’ in Him. Continue on…in Him. 

 A couple of points to be made aware of. There are no ‘alternate routes’ available. He is the Only way. Many are bothered by this but all I can do is relay to you what is clearly stated in His Word. (John 14:6) And while many, many travelers assume the wide three lane interstates are the most efficient, safest, and quickest way to ‘get there’, Jesus explains otherwise: “Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. But narrow is the gate and difficult is the path that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matt 7:14) 

 It might be good to note here that this narrow path that Jesus speaks of is ‘difficult’ on the flesh nature, or your ‘old man’. Which is why early on in this journey it is made clear you need to ditch him. For good. 

 Oh, and another thing about this ‘destination wedding’ you’ve been invited to attend…there is a dress code. You know, years ago, it was not uncommon to be invited to events that had a ‘black tie only’ requirement or ‘formal attire’ only. You don’t hear about those as much anymore…our society/culture has grown much more relaxed when it comes to what we wear. 

 Wow…is there not a sermon in that statement alone?! 

 But this wedding we are invited to be a part of…there certainly is a dress code. Just go read Matt. 22:1-14 if you don’t believe me. 

 So we are on this journey of faith…to a destination wedding that we are to be a part of, and we are told that there is only one way to get there and Jesus is willing to show us the way. We are told there is a dress code which leads us to think that we’ll need to ‘clean up’ to be properly attired (Eph 5:26-27), And unless we ‘abide in Him’ we really don’t have much of a chance in getting there on our own? 

 Does any of this sound like heresy to you? Seems rather biblically sound to me. 

 You might be sitting there reading this and all of a sudden feel a sense of unsettling or even despair in your heart. Sort of like those ten virgins in Matt. 25 who ‘woke up’ and realized they were nowhere near ready to meet the bridegroom. Or if you can relate to old fairy tales, maybe you feel like Cinderella who has been invited to the ball but she looked in a mirror and thought to herself there is no way I can ever get there. 

 Here’s the good part: You don’t need fairy-god mothers to send mice and pumpkins to clean you up and get you there. 

 God sent His Holy Spirit to do the work In you. You just need to abide in Him and comply. I made the statement yesterday that if you are not abiding in Him, then no work is being done in you. It’s not some automatic, invisible wave of a holy wand that does this work because you sit on a church pew a few times a week either. We are to follow…and obey. (Hebrews 3:18) 

 And did I point out the verse that declares this event and place that will blow our minds that awaits us …is prepared for those who ‘love Him’? (1 Cor 2:9). And what did Jesus say we would do if we ‘loved Him’? (John 14:15) 

 Yep…there is an approaching wedding we are invited to attend and be a part of. If you responded to the invite, your room is secure. There is no fear of following Jesus with all your heart and getting there to be told, “I’m sorry, you are not on this list and therefore no room is available to you.” 

 However…if you think you can show up on your conditions and timing and dress code, well, that is another matter. You might go read the following passages in Matthew: 7:21-23; 22:1-14; and 25:1-13 

 Anyone still up for a road trip?