Sermon Cloud

¿Dónde te hospedas?
Jesús no nos promete hoteles o estadías lujosas cuando nos invita a “venir y ver”. Pero si nos ofrece algo mejor y más precioso.

Recientemente estuve mirando algunos hoteles y estadías exóticas en el internet. Es muy probable que nunca haya visto estos hoteles.
¡Imagínate un hotel hecho completamente de hielo!

¿O un hotel sumergido bajo el mar?

¿Qué le parece un hotel dentro de una cueva natural?

¿Cual le gusta más a usted?
A todos nosotros nos gusta planificar las vacaciones, evitar sorpresas y malos ratos, ¿verdad? ¡Nos gustan las localidades excitantes!
¿Cuántos desean sair de vacaciones? A mi me hace mucha falta también.
Leamos la escritura y veamos como los discípulos se preguntan acerca de su posible estadía:
Juan 1:35-42
35Al día siguiente Juan estaba otra vez allí con dos de sus discípulos,
36y vio a Jesús que pasaba, y dijo*: He ahí el Cordero de Dios.
37Y los dos discípulos le oyeron hablar, y siguieron a Jesús.
38Jesús se volvió, y viendo que le seguían, les dijo*: ¿Qué buscáis? Y ellos le dijeron: Rabí (que traducido quiere decir, Maestro), ¿dónde te hospedas?
39El les dijo*: Venid y veréis. Entonces fueron y vieron dónde se hospedaba; y se quedaron con El aquel día, porque era como la hora décima.
40Uno de los dos que oyeron a Juan y siguieron a Jesús era Andrés, hermano de Simón Pedro.
41El encontró* primero a su hermano Simón, y le dijo*: Hemos hallado al Mesías (que traducido quiere decir, Cristo).
42Entonces lo trajo a Jesús. Jesús mirándolo, dijo: Tú eres Simón, hijo de Juan; tú serás llamado Cefas (que quiere decir: Pedro).
¡Aguanta! ¡No te apresures en llamar al hotel! La pregunta que Cristo le hizo a Andrés y a su compañero no tiene que ver nada con estadía. Era un pregunta sencilla y directa: ¿Qué buscas?

1. ¿Que buscas?
a. Ésta es la pregunta que le hace a los que parece que le siguen. Ellos titubean y parece que le contestan “bueno…eh..este…depende…¿dónde te hospedas? A pesar de que Cristo le hace una pregunta directa y al grano, la cual debe colocarnos a meditar en nuestro propósito aqui en la tierra, ¡a ellos lo único que les preocupa es la estadía! ¡Por favor! ¡Hello!
b. Antes de ir de viaje, el preguntar dónde nos quedamos es una pregunta válida. A los hombres: ¿A caso nuestras esposas no se molestan si no planificamos cuidadosamente dónde nos hospdamos en vacaciones? Tal le parece a los discípulos que Jesús está de viaje.
c. Cuando los discípulos preguntan ¿dónde te hospedas?, nos da la impresión de que quisieran seguridad antes de comprometerse con el Maestro. Seremos tu y yo asi también? Esperamos que Jesús nos de seguridades y nos diga las cosas de antemano? ¿Esperamos seguridad económica? ¿Una vida libre de todo sufrimiento? ¿Porqué no fueron francos con Jesús?
d. Lo que realmente sucede es ésto: Quizás al igual que los discípulos, no sabemos loe queremos o buscamos. Queremos lo que los demás quieren, seguridad, garantías, buena saud, hijos exitosos, un buen retiro, diversión y de paso..ayudar al necesitado.
e. O será que no queremos nada de jesús. Queremos que nos deje quietos. No queremos retos, ni crecimeinto, ni compromiso, ni responsabilidades…no queremos tomar nuestra cruz…¡lo siento Jesús! Quizas al igual que los discípulos al ser confrontados con un compromiso con Jesús queremos ser precavidos. Asi que evitamos la pregunta y hacemos nuestra propia pregunta: “Maestro, ¿dónde te hospedas? Jesús les dice a ellos lo que nos dice a nosotros…”venid y ved.” Al aceptar no solo se quedaron con Él ese día sino el resto de sus vidas. (v.38-39)
2. ¿Que obtenemos?
a. Hermanos y hermanas este es el punto: Los verdaderos discípulos son los que quieren quedarse con Jesús, dónde quiera que sea y no importando la circumstancia. Cuando seguimos a Jesús, no espere hoteles y estadías lujosas sino un camino estrecho el cual está guiada por la cruz del Calvario. “El que quiera seguir en pos de mi, niéguese a si mismo, tome su cruz y sígame.”
b. Irónicamente Jesús llama a esa cruz, la vida abundante (Juan 10:10). Jesús sabe lo que queremos y lo que deseamos. Jesús nos invita a una vida abundante. Venid y ved lo que es una vida de servicio y propósito para nuestras almas.
c. Pero nosotros queremos las cosas a nunestra manera, ¿verdad? Queremos seguridad, un camino fácil, el saber de antemano si todo saldrá bien y a nuestra voluntad. ¿No será esa la razón por la cual la gente le gusta estar buscando de la astrología? ¿Aun aquellos que van a la iglesia? Cristo lo que desea es una relación personal contigo, el quiere que confîes en El, que camines por fe y no la certeza. La certeza no es fe, es certeza (y en el caso de la astrología, es una FALSA certeza). Jesús dijo: “Estas cosas os he hablado para que en mí tengáis paz. En el mundo tendréis aflicción, pero confiad, yo he vencido al mundo.” Jesús no prometió un camino rosado, pero lo que si asegura es VICTORIA! Confiar es tener fe. ¿Tienes fe?
d. Todos tenemos la capacidad para la fe. A diario la ejercitamos sin darnos cuenta. Tu visitas a una doctor que tiene titulos que no puedes pronunciar, ni entiendes, sin verificar si no son credenciales falsos. Ese doctor te da una receta que puedes leer y se la das a un farmaceutico que no conoces para que te entregue un compuesto químico que no entiendes, y la tomas de acuerdo a las instrucciones del doctor, con fe y sin cuestionar nada. Yo conozco uno con mas titulos verificables y asombrosos: Rey de reyes, sanador, Yiré, Rosa de Sarón, el poderoso en batalla, el Shaddai, el León de la Tribu de Judá…creo que ya entiendes…
e. Pero cuando insistimos en saber acerca de nuestra “estadía” cuando nos encontramos en diversas pruebas y nos damos por vencidos, evitamos que Dios haga un mmilagro y una bendición en nuestras vidas…¿porqué? Nos impacientamos y preguntamos “Señor, dónde te hospedas?” ¿Deque se trata estó? ¿Cuáles son las garantías?” Quiero saber ANTES de seguirte. Hermano/a ¡NO te rindas! Dios no evitó de que Sadrac, Mesac y Abed-Nego entraran al horno de fuego, lo que si evitó es que se quemaran. Imagináte si hubieran huido sin confiar, ¿hubieran visto la gloria de Dios? ¡El milagro y la bendición para tu vida está cerca! ¡Confía en el porqué El HA VENCIDO al mundo!
f. Jesús nos contesta la pregunta retándonos: ¡Venid y Ved! ¿Quieres saber? Ven y descubre.
¿Dónde te hospedarás hoy?

Where are you stayin’ at?
Jesus doesn't promise luxurious hotels or accommodations when he invites us to "Come and see." But he does promise something else, something more precious…
Recently I searched some exotic hotels and locations. There’s a great chance most of you haven’t heard of these places.
How about a hotel made completely from ice? (see photos)
Or a hotel completely under water? (see photos)

Or how about a hotel inside a natural cave (without the bats, of course) (see photos)

Whaddya say?
Which one do you prefer to stay in?
Don’t we like a well planned out vacation, in exciting locations? How many feel like taking a vacation now? I know I could use one!
Let us read God’s word and find out about hotel accommodations and inquiry.
Read John 1: 35-42 NIV
35The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"
37When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?" 
 They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"
39"Come," he replied, "and you will see." 
 So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.
40Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. 
 Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).
But ... wait, not so fast... put that reservations operator on hold. The question Jesus asked Andrew and his friend had nothing to do with accommodations. It was a simple, direct question: "What do you want?" (NIV). The NRSV translates it: "What are you looking for?"


1. "What are you looking for?" 


a. What are you looking for? This is the question Jesus asks of the two men who seemed to be following him. They seem to stumble on their answer and seem to say "Uh, well, depends. Where are you staying?" (v.38).

 Jesus asks us a question that doesn’t beat around the bush, an existential question of what is our purpose here. A truly deep question and all we're worried about is accommodations! C’mon!
b. It is a valid question before engaging in a journey. Don’t our wives, guys, get all upset if we take them to travel without any detailed and careful planning? It seemed to the disciples that Jesus was a traveler.
c. The disciples respond with the question, "Where are you staying?" (RSV) as if they wanted assurances before committing themselves. 

 Are we like that too? Do we also expect Jesus to tell us before hand? Do we expect financial security? A life free of suffering? Why didn't they tell Jesus what they wanted?
d. What’s really going on is: it's quite possible that the disciples - like many of us - didn't know what they wanted or what they were looking for. Perhaps they had a vague sense that they wanted what most people want: a comfortable lifestyle, good health, children who are successful, security for our retirement and to have some fun along the way. And oh, and help our neighbor along the way. 


e. Or is it that: Maybe we want nothing at all - nothing from Jesus, anyway. Perhaps we want him simply to leave us alone. No challenges. No commitment. NO responsibilities. No talk about that "cross stuff," thank you very much. 


f. Maybe the disciples, (just like us) when confronted with a commitment to Jesus, were wise to be cautious. So they avoid Jesus' question that cuts to the core of their meaningless existence and ask a question of their own: "Rabbi, where are you staying?" In other words, "Where are you making your home in the world?" 
Jesus said to them, as he says to us, "Come and see," and he took them to where he was staying. They stayed with him for a whole day, and, as it turned out, stayed with him for the rest of their lives (v. 38-39).
2. What do we get?
a. This, my brothers and sisters is the point: Disciples are those who want to stay with Jesus, wherever that stay may be and wherever it may take them. When you follow Jesus, don’t expect ice hotels or underwater paradise. You'll be going down the narrow path and if you're alert, you might see the shadow of a cross on a hill called Calvary, as an iconic reminder. If you want to follow me, deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow me.


b. Yet, Jesus oxymoronically calls this cross-life the "abundant life" (John 10:10). Jesus knows what we want and what we're looking for. We might call it a comfortable lifestyle. Jesus calls it the "abundant life."

 So when Jesus calls us to "Come and see," this is what he's talking about. Come and see what abundant life is all about. Come and see what a life of meaning and purpose and God-service looks like. 

c. But we want things our way don’t we? We want security, a safe and easy path, to know beforehand if everything will be OK. Isn’t that why some folk like astrology? Even in church? You see, Jesus wants a relationship. He wants us to trust him, to walk by faith, certainty ain’t faith, it is certainty (in the case of astrology a FALSE certainty). Jesus said: “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NLT Jesus never promised a rosy path, but what he DOES assure is VICTORY! To take heart is to TRUST, trust is having faith. Do you have faith?
d. All of us have the potential to have faith. Look at mundane situations in which we place our faith: Pharmacists

, for example, 
• You go to a doctor whose name you cannot pronounce and whose degrees you have never verified. 
• He gives you a prescription you cannot read. 
• You take it to a pharmacist you have never met. 
• He gives you a chemical compound you do not understand. 

Then you go home and take the pill according to the instructions on the bottle. 

All in trusting, sincere faith! Don’t even start by saying that the doctors, pharmacists you go to have “degrees” and “titles”. You don’t know if these titles are forgeries, and even if they are legit, I know someone with more titles: King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the Rose of Sharon, Jehovah Jireh, our healer, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah…you get the idea!
e. When we insist in “accommodations”, when we are faced with troubles and tribulations, and we give up, we are cutting off God from giving us a wonderful miracle, a magnificent blessing that we miss out…why? Because we become impatient and we ask the Lord, Where are you stayin’ at? What is this following thing all about? What are the guarantees? I want to know BEFORE I make the move. Brother, don’t give up! Shadrac Meshac and Abed-Nego were not prevented from entering the fiery furnace, but God did protect them and not one hair got singed. Hang in there! God’s victory and miracle in your life is at hand! Trust him for he has overcome the world!
f. Jesus answers our question by challenging you and me: COME AND SEE! You wanna know? Come and find out!
So, where will you be staying today?