Climbing to Heaven on a Rope of Sand

The last sermon George Whitefield preached in the open air took place in Exeter, New Hampshire in the fall of 1770. I have visited this exact site where the mighty Whitefield preached to 4,000 hearers in the open air as he stood atop two barrels for more than two hours preaching his heart out before he died the next morning. There is a stone marker which marks the spot of Whitefield's sermon, and in that sermon, friends, he preached from 2 Corinthians, examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith.

And Whitefield preached on the foolishness of attempting to reach heaven any other way than by faith in Christ Jesus. Whitefield cried out, works, works, a man get to heaven by works. I would as soon think of climbing to the moon on a rope of sand.

What Whitefield was saying was that many there are who hope to climb up to heaven some other way by their own merits that Christ said, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same as a thief and a robber. George Whitefield's allusion to a rope of sand was a good illustration, friends, of climbing to heaven by any other means than faith in Christ. And it was like trying to climb to heaven on a rope of sand that would dissolve with the wind because it was a false foundation made of sand.

I want us to keep that thought in mind, friends, as we explore the ways that men try to reach heaven. The title of my message this evening, friends, is Climbing to Heaven on a Rope of Sand. And my text can be found in Matthew's Gospel in Chapter 7. You can turn in your Bibles there now, friends.

We will be in verses 21 through 27. I know when I witness to folks, I hear all kinds of reasons why they think they will go to heaven. I'm sure you have heard some of these yourselves.

Things like, I've never done anything bad enough to go to hell. I'm good enough to get into heaven. Why, I have served my church faithfully for 20 years.

I have done this and I have done that. And it is because of all the good that I've done that I will go to heaven. And then there is the classic response, my God wouldn't send anybody to hell.

Well, all of these are other ways and not the narrow way through the straight gate, which is Christ Jesus. Let me read us our text, friends. And it is my prayer that if someone here in this sermon is not born again, then may the spirit of the Lord attend the reading of God's word and conviction and power.

Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. But he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have I not taught Sunday school these last 10 years? Lord, Lord, have I not sung in the choir even when I didn't feel like it? Lord, Lord, have I not been the chairman of the at the biggest church in my denomination? Look at all the wonderful works I have done, Lord.

In other words, friends, man tries to climb his way up to heaven by his works. But listen now to what the old King James has to say. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Then Jesus goes on to describe how one who claims to know him can be deceived by resting on a false foundation of good works and a good opinion of themselves as they try to climb up to heaven on a foundation of sand. Listen to his words, friends, seen in verse 24. Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon a rock and the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell not for it was founded upon a rock.

And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not should be likened unto a foolish man which built his house upon the sand and the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell and great was the fall of it. That, friends, is a description of a false professor who attempts to climb up to heaven some other way. And when times of testing come and adversity sets in, then that person will fall into apostasy and die in their sins because their hope of heaven was no more than a rope of sand.

Now, friends, I want to leave you with the verse of scripture that George Whitefield took for his text that day out in Exeter, New Hampshire, in his final sermon, where he spoke of a false hope being like a rope of sand. It's from 2 Corinthians 13 5. Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith. Prove your own selves.

Know ye not your own selves? How that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates. Let me ask you, friend, is Jesus Christ in you? Is he? Are you washed in his blood? And are you born from above? Or are you trying to climb up to heaven on a rope of sand? Let us pray.