17. Heaven and How To Miss It

SERMON 17

HEAVEN AND HOW TO MISS IT

(Hebrews 4:1-11)

We should desire Heaven because:

Here we have:............There we have:

Pain................................No Pain

Sorrow............................No Sorrow

Disunion.........................Reunion

Tears...............................No Tears

Disappointment.............No Disappointment

Sickness..........................No Sickness

Death..............................No Death

The above statement of the differences between this life and heaven should appeal to the earnest thought oft every man and woman.

In the column of words on the left side at the top of this page we have enumerated seven troubles that come to all mankind, sooner or later, in this life. In heaven not one of these troubles come. If I could select "one" of the blessings of heaven from the column on the right and go to any country and convince the people that I had found a place on some far away island, where this blessing is enjoyed I could almost depopulate that country. Men and women would want to go there. But I tell them of heaven with all its blessings; they believe all I tell them, yet the devil has such control of the human race that few become interested enough to want to make their arrangements to go. The strange part of the affair is, that to make our arrangements for heaven will not lessen one pleasure or blessing of this life which God has ordained for us to enjoy.

Many people here suffer untold agonies with pain because some part of their physical system is out of order; but in heaven no pain is found.

The voice of mourning, and the day of sorrow come to the happiest of homes here, but we have the promise of no sorrow there. The fond mother and the devoted father often must say farewell to the child they love dearer than life; but in heaven there is no disunion, no sad farewells.

Today we hear the voice of joy and laughter, but before the sun goes down sad and bitter tears are shed; but John tells us that God will wipe away all tears. This life is filled with disappointments, but in heaven we shall be like Him and disappointments will be unknown. In many homes we have sickness from the cradle to the grave; but no one is sick in our Father's home. Finally, death will come to claim us all; but we are taught that no death will enter the city of our God; for it will be life eternal, and we shall serve Him forever and forever. All these blessings held out to intelligent men and women should create within them, it seems, a desire that this should be their home. If this is the home that God has promised to those who love him how is it possible for me to miss it ?

We can miss it:

1. By indolence. Many times in the Bible do we read the warning to take heed how we hear. Many hear with a lingering thought that some day they will accept the Lord, and all will be well. They put off the matter from time to time until death may come and find them unprepared.

2. By neglect. God calls; but they neglect until it is too late.

3. By morality. Perhaps this is the greatest drawback to Christianity now existing in the religious world. The good people are deceived. They hear it from every pulpit: "Just as good people in one church as in another," "Good and bad in all churches." "Many good people outside of all the churches." Then they draw the conclusion that as men are good they will be saved but they forget that God never promised salvation to a man on account of his goodness.

Jesus says, "Except a man be born again he can not see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Yet the new birth is not considered by many in our time. People only look at a man's goodness. There are just as good people in heathen nations as are found in Christian nations. Among infidels who do not believe the Bible you often meet good, honest and truthful men. If God saves a man because he is good, why not save infidels? There are just as good men outside the Masonic Lodge as belong to it, but do Masons bury a man with Masonic honors because he is good, or because he is a Mason? It matters not how good a man is, the law does not force him to support a woman to whom he is not married.

There is a spiritual law which makes men and women Christians. It is called the law of the Spirit. In obedience to this law we become children of God. Nothing short of obedience will make us free, regardless of the idea of goodness (Romans 6:17).

4. We can miss heaven by fear of persecution. We learn that while Jesus was here in person that many believed on him, but for fear of persecution they would not confess him because they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God (John 12:42-43).

5. We can miss heaven by procrastination. Many of us are like Felix. We say, "Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee" (Acts 24:25). Yet the convenient season never came.

6. By vain religion. There are many religious people who will never reach heaven. They are worshiping all the time; but Jesus taught that it is a vain worship; because they teach for doctrines the commandments of men (Matthew 15:9).

7. By deliberate sin. Jesus taught that certain people desire darkness instead of light because their deeds are dark.
   

After finding seven things that can cause me to miss, I ask, how can I gain heaven?

1. By diligence. We are commanded to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure.

2. By remembering God in the time of youth. Timothy had known the scriptures from youth, which were able to make him wise unto salvation. Solomon says, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come no'nor the years draw nigh; when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them (Ecclesiastes 12:1-2).

3. By spirituality. Religion is not always Christianity. To be a child of God we are to be led by the Spirit of God.

Men and women should not be led by their feelings, or by the doctrines of men instead of by the Spirit of Christ.

3. 1. By living the life of a child of God. Do not grow weary in well doing, and in receiving persecutions. We are taught that no man lives godly in Christ Jesus without suffering persecutions.

3. 2. We should accept his offer now. "Today is the day of salvation," is the warning coming to us from God, all the time.

3. 3. We can gain heaven by following the Christian religion only.

3. 4. We can gain heaven by

(a) hearing Christ in all things (Acts 3:19-21);

(b) believing with all our hearts that Jesus Christ is the Son of God as taught in John 20:30;

(c) repenting of our sins as commanded by Christ (Luke 24:47);

(d) confessing the Son of God (Matthew 10:32);

(e) being baptized for the remission of sins as found in Acts 2:38, and enduring to the end as taught by Jesus in Matthew 10:22.

If these plain simple rules will give us a home in heaven where sickness, sorrow, nor death will ever come, why should we not all strive to enter there?